May 29, 2000
HEARTS IN ATLANTIS
Screenplay by Stephen King & William Goldman
Synopsis by Brian Aldrich
When fiftysomething BOBBY GARFIELD learns his childhood pal, JOHN SULLIVAN, a Vietnam war hero, has died, he travels back to Harwich, Connecticut for the funeral. At the reception, Bobby eagerly awaits the arrival of CAROL GERBER, his childhood sweetheart. However, a RED HAIRED woman, a recent friend of Sully’s, informs Bobby that Carol was killed years ago during the late sixties when the bomb she was making blew up, exploding the house she was staying in. Crushed, Bobby remembers their lives together years ago.
In 1960, Bobby, 11, lives in Harwich with his single mom, LIZ GARFIELD, who works in an office and aspires to become a real estate agent. A bitter woman, she frequently speaks ill of her dead husband, calling Bobby’s father a worthless gambler who spent everything and left them with nothing. Bobby is disappointed that Liz can’t afford to buy Bobby a bike for his birthday. Instead, she gives him a library card. Carol and Sully are his best friends. A retired accountant, TED BRAUTIGAN, comes to live in the upstairs apartment. He introduces himself to them. While Liz looks down on him, Bobby is intrigued. Having bad eyes, Ted offers Bobby a job to raise money for his bike, a dollar a day to read him the newspapers, and to walk around the neighborhood once a day, watching out for strange men in yellow coats, lost pet posters tacked to trees, strange hopscotch marks on sidewalks, large flashy cars, etc. Ted predicts Bobby’s glorious first kiss will be with Carol. Liz worries if Ted might be a child molester. Bobby witnesses Ted being in a trance-like state with his eyes growing and shrinking in his face. Suddenly, Bobby’s perceptions begin to become brighter than before. Atop the amusement park Ferris wheel, Bobby and Carol share their first kiss. Amazingly, Bobby’s sharpened abilities allow him to defeat McQUOWN, a three card monte card shark, and win back his friends’ money. Sully accidentally hits himself in the nuts with his bo-lo bouncer. Bobby starts to see some of the strange signs Ted warned him about, but fearing Ted will leave, Bobby doesn’t inform him. At the park, high school kid, HARRY DOOLIN, and his two goons harass Carol and Bobby. Ted steps in. He whispers to Doolin that he knows his secret shame and will expose him if he doesn’t apologize to Carol and Bobby. Doolin apologizes. Liz has to accompany her BOSS to a seminar in Providence, so she leaves Bobby with Ted for the weekend. Ted takes Bobby to see a movie. Afterwards, Ted stops by a pool hall to make a bet. Old FRIENDS of Bobby’s father tell him his father was a big winner and a man of integrity. Ted predicts Bobby will be with Carol forever. Bobby realizes Ted is planning to use his winnings for travelling money. Ted has known all along about the signs Bobby has seen. Doolin beats up Carol with his baseball bat. Bobby carries her home. Ted starts treating her wounds. Freshly beaten up by her sex crazed boss, Liz returns home, thinks Ted is molesting the kids and kicks him out. Bobby learns Liz has turned Ted into the strange men for the reward. They argue. Bobby says goodbye to Ted and witnesses the men take him away. Bobby gives Doolin a baseball bat beating. When the cops come to arrest Bobby, Liz gives him an alibi. They move out of town. Bobby says goodbye to Carol and Sully, but they do not keep in touch over the years.
Back in the present, the red-haired woman reveals she is Carol, living under another name. Bobby and Carol decide to spend the rest of their lives together, just as Ted had predicted.
Summary Criticism: As a metaphor for loss of innocence and a cloaking device for child molestation, this well-crafted script successfully manipulates these subliminal fears. The characters are sympathetic and the plotting suspenseful.
Hearts in Atlantis (2001) - imdb
Hearts in Atlantis (2001) -wiki
