THE MIRACLE WORKER
Written by
William Gibson
July 8th, 1961
1 • NIGHT. INI . NURSERY.
0
We see three faces in lamplight, looking down. They have
been through a long vigil and it shows in their tired eyes
and disarranged clothing. One is a young gentlewoman with
a sweet girlish face, KATE KELLER; the second is an elderly
DOCTOR, stethoscope at neck, thermometer in fingers; the
third is a gruff gentleman in his forties with chin whis-
kers, CAPTAIN ARTHUR KELLER.
DOCTOR
Shet11 live.
KATE closes her eyes.
I can tell you now, I thought she
wouldn't,
KELLER
(INDULGENT)
I've brought up two of them, but
this is my wife's first, she
isn't battle-scarred yet.
KATE
Doctor. Will my girl be all right?
0 DOCTOR
Oh, by morning she'll be knocking
down Captain Kellerfs fences again.
KATE
Is there nothing we should do?
KELLER
(JOVIAL)
Put up stronger fencing, ha?
DOCTOR
Just let her get well, she knows
how to do it better than we do.
These things come and go in infants,
never know why. Call it acute
congestion of the stomach and brain.
KELL ? moves after the DOCTOR, we hear them off-camera;
we see only KATE'S face hovering over us, her hand adjust-
ing the blanket.
KELLER
I'll see you to your buggy, Doctor.
(CONTINUED)
2
1. CONTINUED
DOCTOR (OFF CAMERA)
0 Main thing is the fever's gone.
I've never seen a baby, more
vitality, that's the truth --
Their voices and footsteps fade. KATE is bent lovingly
over the crib, which emits a bleat; her finger is play-
ful with the baby's face.
KATE
Hush. Don't you cry now, you've
been trouble enough. Call it
acute congestion, indeed, I don't
see what's so cute about a con-
gestion, just because it's yours?
We'll have your father run an
editorial in his paper, the wonders
of modern medicine, they don't know
what they're curing even when they
cure it. Men, men and their battle
scars, we women will have to --
Helen, Helen Captain, Captain,
will you come.
(She screams)
2. NIGHT. EXT. SIDE OF KELLER HOUSE.
KELLER standing lamp in hand watching the doctor's buggy
recede in the night. Suddenly from the house behind him
comes a knifing scream. KELLER wheels, the scream comes
again and the CAMERA follows KELLER's run with the lamp
across the yard.
3. NIGHT. INT. KELLER HOUSE.
KELLER runs into the house and up the dark stairs.
4. NIGHT. INT. HELEN'S NURSERY.
KELLER bursts into the bedroom where KATE is screaming
at the crib, her look intent on the baby and terrible.
KELLER
Katie, what's wrong?
KATE
Look.
(CONTINUED)
3
c o.w- u UED
She makes a pass with her hand in the crib, at the baby's
eyes.
I
KATE (Cont'd)
She can't see. Look at her eyes.
She takes the lamp from him, moves it before the child's
face.
She can't seel
KELLER
(HOARSELY)
Helen.
A K TE
Or hear. When I screamed she
didn't blink. Not an eyelash --
KELLER
Helen. Heleni
KATE
She can't hear youl
YELLER
HELENL
His face has something like fury in it, crying the child's
name; KATE almost fainting presses her knuckles to her
mouth, to stop her own cry.
FADE OUT
5. DAY. INT. KELLEL HOUSE - TITLE SHOT.
The stairs in the Keller House. In the foreground we see
the bannisters, in the background the wall. A shadow.of
the erratic, staggering figure of 5 year old HELEN appears
on the wall, moving slowly. The two Negro children
scamper past -- their excited laughter coming to us, in
contrast to the mute HELEN. In CU, in the FG, HELEN'S
little hands come into the frame, grasping the bannister
rail.
6. DAY. EXT. YARD - TITLE SHOT.
HIGH LONG SHOT lookin`, down on lines of bed sheets hung
up in the Keller yard to dry. It appears to be a kind of
(CONTINUED)
6. CONTINUED
maze, the sheets blowing in the wind; and staggering among
them is the figure of the child, HELEN 5 years old, reach-
ing out, struggling, buffeted by the damp, blowing sheets,
CRANE DOWN towards the figure. HELEN lashes out, her
face frightened, unknowing --- she pulls down a sheet, be-
comes tangled in its folds, almost hysterical. In the BG
KATE comes rushing from the house -- to help her.
7. NIGHT. INT. LIVING ROOM KELLER HOUSE - TITLE SHOT.
There is a Christmas tree with decorations and in a WIDE
SHOT we see HELEN, 7 years old, reaching up into tree.
At a window we see the faces of Percy 8 years, and Martha,
7 years, looking in. HELENrS hand gets a Christmas ball
and rips it down, shattering at her feet. CRAB IN AND
AROUND coming to the side of the tree, seeing HELENtS
hands, another ball, she pulls it down. We see her face,
blurred out, through the pine branches and needles, and
beyond her the other children watching.
$. DAY. EXT. AFIELD - TITLE SHOT.
A WIDE HIGH SHOT. We see the lonely expanse of field with
0 a low grass sprouting up, in the BG is the Keller house
perhaps. Going slowly across the field is the figure of
the child HELEN, Patty Duke. From in under CAMERA comes
KATE, following her.
(CONTINUE SCRIPT)
9. OMIT.
10. DAY. EXT. BACKYARD KELLER HOUSE AND PUMP - TITLE SHOT.
Scene will be out MOS up until RINGING OF BELL:
Now we are in leaf-dappled sunlight in the Keller yard, on
three kneeling children and an old dog around the pump.
V INEY with jug on way to barn to get milk.
The dog is a setter named BELLE, and she is sleeping. Two
of the children are Negroes, MARTHA and PERCY. The third
child is HELEN, quite unkempt, in body a vivacious little
person with a fine head, attractive, but noticeably blind,
one eye larger and protruding; her gestures are abrupt,
insistent, lacking in human restraint, and her face never
0
(CONTINUED)
5
10. CONTINUED
smiles. She is flanked by the other two, in a litter of
0 paper-doll cutouts, and while they speak, HELEN'S hands
thrust at their faces in turn, feeling baffledly at the
movements of their lips. The CAMERA is on this; the
dialogue is only background.
MARTHA
(SNIPPING)
First Itm gonna cut off this doe-
torts leg, one, two, now then --
PERCY
Why you cuttin' off that doctor's
legs?
MARTHA
I'm gonna give him a operation.
Now I'm gonna cut off his arms,
one, two. Now I'm gonna fix up
She pushes HELEN'S hand away from her mouth.
You stop that.
PERCY
Cut off his stomach, that's a
good operation.
0
MARTHA
No, I'm gonna cut off his head
first, he got a bad cold.
PERCY
Ain't gonna be much of that doc-
tor left to fix up, time you
finish all them opera--
But HELEN is poking her fingers inside his mouth, to feel
his tongue; he bites at them, annoyed, and she jerks them
away. HELEN now fingers her own lips, moving them in
imitation, but soundlessly. Again the CAMERA on this.
MARTHA
What you do, bite hand?
PERCY
That's how I do, she keep pokint.
her fingers in my mouth, I just
bite 'em off.
(CONTINUED)
6.
10. CONTI
:1ARTEA
-.That she tryin' do now?
0
PEERCY
She tryint talk. She gonna get
read. Looka her try in' talk..
ILLEN is scowling, the lips under her fingertips
moving in silence, growing more and more frantic,
until in a bizarre rage she bites at her own fingers.
This sends PERCY off into laughter, but alarms :MARTHA.
MARTI
Hey, you stop now.
She pulls EELEI' S hand down,
You just sit quiet and
But at once HELEIT topples LTARTHA on her back, knees
pinning her shoulders down, and ;-ravs the sissors.
MARTHA screams, hile her tied b _nchlets of hair
f17 off in snips of the scissors. PERCY darts to
the bell stria on the porch, yanks it W THE DELL
RIPGS.
bOA. DAY. INT. LIVID ROOLI
E
CAPTAIN X LLER is at work at his deal. JA ES is at
his ease in conversation with KATE and AUNT EV.
KATE is serving a cool refreshment. ITAR RINGING
OF BELL. KATE rushes out the door followed more
slowly by A"MITT W, leaving behind JAILS & FELLER.
11. KATE O? ?` NINC DOOR ONTO ARCH SEES THE SCONE.
Five years have done much to her, the girlish play-
fulness is gone, she is a woman settled in grief.
BATE
(for the thousandth time)
Helen.
She is dorm the steps at once to them, seizing
Ii LE'TT S wrists and lifting her off IARTHA. VINE=
runs in and chases MARTHA and PERCY OFF.
0
6A.
,
11. 4 :'?1 ± 17-T I)
`kAT_J (C O1'~T I D
Let me have those scissors,
E
SATE reaches for the scissors in HELEN' S hand. Put
HEL N pulls the scissors bacI.', they stru g:le 'for
then: a mno_m.ent, then KATE gives up, lets HELE1.1 keep
them.
She tries to drrrr HELEN into the house. HELEN
jerks swwray. KATE next goes do.-,rn on her knees, tskes
?ELE! 1 S hands gently, and using; the scissors like
a doll, m& es HELi N caress and cradle them; she
points =,Y' S finger houseward.s. III�LEN' S whole
body now beco_nnes ea^er; she surrenders the scissors,
KATE t?'-rns her toward the door and -..hues her a little
pus-1. I LEN scrambles up and toward the h_�u se, and
NA= risin- follows her,
12. DAY. INT. I,ELL.ER LIVINC ROOD.
There is a cradle with a sleeping infant, T1IrDRED:
C".PT_":IN KE!,L:_R in spectacles is working over netrs-
paper pages at a corner desk; a benign AM1T EV,
wearing a hat, with a sew in-,. basket on a sofa is put-
tin the finishing stitches on a big shapeless doll
made out of towels; an ineol ont young man of I"TE' S
are, JA S 1c_ tR turns from the window to look at
H E L_,'N. i LE halts, her hands alert to grope, and
E KATE turns her to the AUNT, who gives her the doll,
the AUNT is meanwhile speaking to TELLER.
AUNT EV
Arthur, something ought to be done for
that child.
T-
A refresh,; ng suggg;estion. '°l .at?
AUNT EV
'-Thy, this ver-T famous Perkins
School in Poston; they're just
supposed to do wonders.
IC'ELLER
The child's been to speci lists
everywhere. The- couldn't help her
in Baltimore or 1,1 -7aslaington, could
they?
7.
12. CO:' 'I]'' T J'
0
t'iin the Cap;':ain will write to
the Perkins School soon.
KELL' R
:ratie, Howe many tines can you
let- then brew.{ your heart?
Any number of tines,
h T e foreroinz and follovrin" dialo,ue is peripheral to
the we are on }EL ' T 1 She sits on the or
to explore the doll t71th h.r fingers, gravely, and her
hand pauses over the face: this is no face, a blan
area, and it troubles her. CLOS'_' UP on her finger--
tips searching for flaatures. She tans ouestioninSly
f'o:' eyes, but no one notices. She then yanks at
her _Jfl''T1S dress, and taps amain viForousRy for
eyes.
0 C O:T'! I ICJ n
0
12. CONTINUED
0
AUNT EV
What, child?
Obviously not hearing, HELEN commences to go around from
person to person, tapping her eyes, but no one attends or
understands.
KATE
(No break)
As long as there's the least
chance. For her to see. Or
hear, or --
KELLER
There isntt. Now I must finish
here.
KATE
I think, with your permission,
Captain, I'd like to write to
the Perkins School.
KELLER
I said no, Katie.
0 AUNT EV
Why, writing does no harm, Arthur,
only a little bitty letter. To
see if they can help her.
FELLER
They can't.
KATE
We won't know that; to be a fact,
Captain, until afLLer you write.
13. HELEN NOW IS GROPING AMONG THING.' ON FELL ER t S DESK, AND
PAWS HIS PAPERS TO THE FLOOR. KJ MLIM IS EXASPERATED.
K I J,ER
Katie.
KATE quickly turns HELEN away, and retrives the papers.
I might as well t°y to work in a
henyard as in th.s house --
(CONTINUED)
9
13. C ONTINU.D
JAMES
(PLACATING)
You really ought to put her away,
Father.
KATE
(Staring up)
What?
JAMES
Some asylum. It's the kindest
thing.
AUNT EV
Why, she's your sister, James,
not a nobody --
JAMES
Half sister, and half-mentally
defective, she can't even keep
herself clean. It's not pleasant
to see her about all the time.
KATE
Do you dare? Complain of what
0 you can see?
KELLER
(Very annoyed)
This discussion is at an end]
HELEN gropes her way with the doll back to AUNT EV.
The house is at sixes and sevens
from morning 'til night over the
childl I want some peace here, I
don't care how, but one way we
won't have it is by rushing up and
down the country every time someone
hears of a new quack. I'm as
sensible to this affliction as --
14. HELEN WITH AUNT EV
fingering her dress, yanks two buttons from it.
AUNT EV
Helena My buttons.
(CONTINUED)
0
10
14. CONTINUED
HELEN pushes the buttons into the doll's face. KATE
0 now sees, comes swiftly to kneel, lifts HELEN'S hand to
her own eyes in question.
KATE
Eyes?
HELEN nods energetically.
She wants the doll to have eyes.
Another kind of silence now, while KATE takes pins and
buttons from the sewing basket and attaches them to the
doll as eyes. KELLER stands, caught, and watches
morosely, AUNT EV blinks and conceals her emotion by
inspecting her dress.
AUNT EV
My goodness me, I'm not decent.
KATE
She doesn't know better, Aunt Ev.
I'll sew them on again.
AUNT EV
(INDULGENTLY)
40 It's worth a couple of buttons,
Kate, look.
HELEN now has the doll with eyes, and cannot contain
herself for joy; she rocks the doll, pats it vigorously,
kisses it.
This child has more sense than
all these men Kellers, if there's
ever any way to reach that mind
of hers.
15. HELEN SUDDENLY SCRAMBLES TOWARD THE CRADLE, AND UN-
HESITATINGLY OVERTURNS IT.
The swaddled baby tumbles out and CAPTAIN KELLER barely
manages to dive and catch it in time.
KELLER
Helen!
All are in commotion, the baby screams, but HELEN un-
perturbed is lying her doll in its place, KATE on her
(CONTINUED)
I
11
15. CONTINUED
knees, pulls her hands off the cradle, wringing them;
0 HELEN is bewildered.
KATE
Helen, Helen, you're not to do
such things, how can I make you
UNDERSTAND--
KELLER
(Hoarsely, handing the
baby to AUNT EV)
Katie.
KATE
How can I get it into your head,
my darling, my poor --
KELLER
Katie, some way of teaching her
an iota of discipline has to be
KATE
(FLARING)
How can you discipline an afflicted
child? Is it her fault?
0 HELEN'S fingers have fluttered to her Mother's lips,
vainly trying to comprehend their movements; we are
close on these two.
KELLER
I didn't say it was her fault.
KATE
Then whose? I don't know what to
dot How can I teach her, beat her
-- until she's black and blue?
KELLER
It's not safe to let her run around
loose. Now there must be a way of
confining her, somehow, so she can't---
KATE
Where, in a cage? She's a growing
child, she has to use her limbs!
KELLER
Answer me one thing, is it fair to
Mildred here?
(CONTINUIM)
12
15. CONTINUED
S
KATE
(INEXORABLY)
Are you willing to put her away?
Now HELEN'S face darkens in the same rage as at herself
earlier, and her hand strikes at KATE'S lips. KATE
catches her again, and HELEN begins to kick, struggle,
twist.
KELLER
Now what?
KATE
She wants to talk, like -- be like
you and me.
She holds HELEN struggling until we HEAR from the child
her first sound so far, an inarticulate weird noise in
her throat such as an animal in a trap might make; and
KATE releases her. The second she is free, HELEN
blunders away collides violently with a chair, falls,
and sits weeping. KATE comes to her, embraces, caresses,
soothes her, and buries her own face in her hair, until
she can control her voice.
0 KATE
Every day she slips further away.
I don't know how to call her back.
AUNT EV
Oh, I've a mind to write to Boston
myself. If that School can't help
her, maybe they'll know somebody
who can.
KELLER
(Presently, heavily)
I'll write to Perkins, Katie.
He stands with the baby in his clasp, staring at HELEN'S
head, hanging down on KATE'S arm.
16. DAY. EXT. BOSTON STATION - SHOOTING UP INTO VESTIBULE
OF TRAIN.
M.R. ANAGNOS on platform with ANNIE'S suitcase, is reach-
ing up to help ANNIE mount steps. CAMERA is behind
ANNIE.
0 (CONTINUED)
13
16. C 013TINUM
ANAGNOS
0 -- only that a suitable governess
has been found here and will come.
It will no doubt be difficult for
you there, Annie, but it has been
difficult for you at our school too,
hmmm?
17. CAMERA IN VESTIBULE - SEE ANNIE AND ANAGNOS FROM REAR.
ANAGNOS
...-This is my last time to counsel
you, Annie, and you do lack some --
by some I mean all -- what, tact,
or talent to bencT. To others. And
what has saved you on one or more
occasions at Perkins is that there
was nowhere to expel you to.
Above ANNIEIS seat ANAGNOS puts her suitcase, looking
.down at her.
Your eyes hurt?
0 18. CU ANNIE - WEARING SMOKED GLASSES.
ANNIE
My ears, Mr. Anagnos.
ANAGNOS
(SEVERELY)
Nowhere but back to that dreadful
place where children learn to be
saucy. Annie, I know how unhappy
it was there, but that battle is
dead and done with. Why not let it
stay buried?
ANNIE
(CHEERILY)
I think God must owe me a resur-
rection.
ANAGNOS
(A bit shocked)
What?
14
19. ANNIE TAPS HER BROW.
ANNIE
0 Well, he keeps digging up that
battle.
ANAGNOS
That is not a proper thing to say.
Annie, be humble.
He extends a gift to her..
You'll need their affection, work-
ing with this child.
ANNIE, not quite comprehending, looks at gift.
A gift with our affection.
ANNIE opens a small box and sees a garnet ring. She
looks up, blinking, then down.
ANNIE
Dear Mr. Anagnos,
(Her voice is trembling)
I --
But she swallows over getting the ring on her finger
and cannot continue until she finds a woebegone joke.
0
Well, what should I say -- I'm an
ignorant, opinionated girl and
everything I am I owe to you?
ANAGNOS
(SMILES)
That is only half true, Annie.
ANNIE
Which half?
The train lurches. ANAGNOS bends and kisses her on the
cheek and says,
ANAGNOS
Goodbye. Goodbye.
ANNIE
(She calls after him
LOUDLY)
I won't give them any trouble.
I'll be so ladylike they won't
notice I've come.
(CONTINUED)
15
19. CONTINUED
0 Passengers behind ANNIE turn reacting to her shout. She
is conscious of this and sinks down'in seat. Past ANNIE,
through window of train, we see ANAGNOS join 5 or 6 blind
girls on the platform, and the train departs.
BEGIN MONTAGE SEQUENCES OF TRAIN SHOTS.
20. ANNIE, TRAVELING, SITTING IN SEAT OF MOVING TRAIN.
21. SCENE IN FILTHY TRAIN, ANNIE READING PERKINS REPORT.
SEAT DIFFERENT INDICATING ANOTHER TRAIN.
22. ANNIE DESCENDING FROM TRAIN VESTIBULE INTO DARKNESS OF
STATION PLATFORM. IN BG PORTION OF SIGN "WASHINGTON".
23. ANNIE ATTEMPTING TO SLEEP ON A NIGHT TRAIN WITH PERKINS
REPORT OVER FACE.
24. ANNIE SITTING ON SEAT OF MOVING TRAIN.
Suddenly train rushes into a tunnel, and darkness comes
over the scene.
YOUNG JIMMIE (VO)
Where are we going, Annie?
YOUNG ANNIE (VO )
Jimmie.
YOUNG JIMMIE (VO)
Where are we going?
YOUNG ANNIE (VO)
I said I'm taking care of you.
YOUNG JIMMIE (VO)
Where we go...
DISSOLVE TO:
25. STYLIZED TEWKESBURY ADMISSIONS OFFICE.
YOUNG JIMMIE and YOUNG ANNIE are standing in front of
desk. We do not see man sitting behind desk, but we hear
his voice.
25. CONTINUED
11Al3' S VOICE
Annie Sullivan, aged nine, virtually
0 blind; Jaynes Sullivan, aged seven,
-- what's the matter with your legs sonny?
GIRL
It's his hip, N ster, he was born
that way.
is AN' S VOICE
Can't he walk without that crutch?
The GIRL shakes her head.
THE END
