AnnaSophia Robb credited as playing...
Cassie Kennington
- Henderson: Do you, Ben...
- Cassie: Benjamin Reynolds.
- Henderson: Benjamin Reynolds, take this young woman...
- Cassie: Cassie Kennington.
- Henderson: [Henderson wipes eyes, takes off hat] Do both of you promise to treat each other with dignity and love until one or the other drops dead?
- Cassie: I do.
- [looks at Ben]
- Ben: I do.
- Henderson: [Henderson, Cassie, and Ben put their hands in the center and "break"] Well, looks like you're both married now.
- [grins]
- Ben: [looks at Cassie, laughs nervously and grins] That's great.
- [Henderson nods]
- Cassie: [whispers] Oh, the ring.
- [Ben gets a straightened paper clip and wraps it around her finger, then pats her hand]
- Henderson: Congratulations to you both.
- [gets up]
- Cassie: Well, I feel good about this whole thing.
- [to Henderson]
- Cassie: How about you?
- Henderson: [grins again] Yeah. I feel good about it.
- [Cassie looks at Ben and their eyes meet]
- Ben: [nervously] Uh, well, I don't have a lot to compare it to, but, uh, yeah...
- [gulps]
- Ben: I feel good.
- Henderson: Oh and if you wanna kiss the bride, you can do that now, 'cause I forgot to say it.
- Cassie: Sure is nice being up bright and early to take in the new day.
- Ben: Yeah. That's what they say. Where are we anyways?
- Cassie: Life In Hell, Kentucky. By the way, did I ever thank you? Because it would be way too comfortable for me and my banged up body to be in a nice, warm bus taking us directly where we need to be going.
- Ben: We're married, you know. That's supposed to count for something.
- Cassie: He's a nice guy. So we talked. It wasn't like I kissed him or anything, jeez.
- Ben: Yeah, whatever.
- [gets up, picks up a rock]
- Cassie: [after a pause] Jealousy. It's a good quality to have in a husband. Unless, of course, he gets overly possessive.
- Ben: Okay, why don't you just rest your tired ass and let me make the calls for a little while.
- Cassie: Tired ass? Where's that sweet, innocent youth I used to know?
- Ben: Don't you worry about it, he's in here somewhere.
- Cassie: Well, he better be.
- [Ben throws rock]
- Cassie: The real question is why you're putting it in such a negative context. Yes, I am withdrawing somewhat, but is that a sin?
- Ben: Great. Take a major problem, even though you won't tell me what it is, and turn it into one of your brainy discussions.
- Cassie: Oh. Is that your opinion? You did finish seventh grade, so I want to give it the way it deserves.
- Ben: And you graduated from Harvard, right?
- Cassie: [sitting up a little straighter and looking angry] Okay, cowboy. Wanna play?
- Ben: [also sitting up straighter] I'm not exactly sure what we're playing here, but yeah, let's go.
- Cassie: It's all about introspection. And concepts which you are no doubt unable to digest at this point in your narrow-minded and sheltered pathetic life!
- [turns away and folds her arms]
- Ben: [pause] Go screw yourself.
- [turns off light]
- Cassie: [after small pause] Ben?
- Ben: What?
- Cassie: [leaning in a little closer] Are you mad at me?
- Ben: Yeah.
- Cassie: Well, I don't like it.
- Ben: Then start talking to me like a real person.
- Cassie: [remorsefully] I told you I was flawed when we met.
- Ben: Cass, everybody's flawed. Just in different ways.
- Cassie: [cuddles up next to Ben] I'm so sorry.
- Ben: [kisses the top of her head] It's okay.
- Cassie: [to her aunt and uncle, about needing a double mattress] Y'know with my legs stiffening up sometimes and the two of us being married and all.
- Cassie's Uncle: You're married?
- Cassie's Aunt: That must be what kids call going steady these days.
- Ben: No, we're actually married.
- [Cassie smiles and displays her "ring"]
- Cassie's Aunt: [looking a little confused] Was it a large wedding?
- Cassie: Oh, about twenty or thirty head. Mostly hogs and some sows.
- Ben: Oh, and pigs.
- Cassie: Yes, there were several pigs in attendence as well.
- Cassie's Aunt: [still looking confused] Well, I guess we'll get you a double mattress then.
- Ben: [after Cassie wakes up from a particularly detailed nightmare] You took it as long as you could, Cass. You can't blame yourself for that.
- [puts his hand on her cheek]
- Cassie: There are good parts to them too.
- [pauses, then looks down, tears sparkling in her eyes]
- Ben: [after a brief pause] Cass?
- Cassie: [looks up] Yeah?
- Ben: Let's go.
- Cassie: [whispering] Ben, I'm sick. When you kill two people it makes you sick.
- Ben: [sniffs] Look, I'm going to take you out of here, and... well, worry about everything later, okay?
- Cassie: [nods] Okay.
- [pause, then Cassie leans her head against Ben's hand, where Ben strokes her cheek gently with his thumb]
- Cassie: [smiling after she sees Ben watching her take off her jacket] Don't worry. I'm not ready to have sex yet.
- Ben: [wakes up and sees Cassie by his bed] Jesus!
- Cassie: You're not screwing with me, are you?
- Ben: What?
- Cassie: You seem to like me, which is fine because I like you too. But if you're acting like you do because my parents are dead and you feel sorry for me, then that's just bullshit.
- [Ben stares at Cassie for a few moments]
- Cassie: [waving her hand in front of his face] Hello?
- Ben: No, I'm not screwing with you. I like you too.
- Cassie: See, a real plan is more than just some pipe dream.
- Ben: Pipe dream?
- Cassie: A pipe dream is an unrealistic fantasy that deludes oneself into thinking that it's an actual plan. It's a very popular expression. I'm surprised you've never heard of it before.
- Ben: I didn't say I'd never heard it.
- Cassie: Anyway, a real plan is an actual goal that you believe in enough to create a set of circumstances. Which leads you to, and into, a plan. Comprende?
- Ben: Where do you come up with this stuff? I mean, what part of your brain works so hard it makes you think and talk like that?
- Cassie: My father was a professor with a very wide vocabulary and lots of unique ideas. When he wasn't teaching his students, he taught me.
- Ben: So what does your mom do?
- Cassie: [after a pause] She never did anything.
- [blinks, then turns and walks away from him]
- Ben: [picks up their bags and follows her, regretting he said anything] You know, I think most of what you say is true.
- [Cassie turns and tilts her head at him]
- Ben: Some I just don't understand. But I also think you like to screw with people's heads.
- Cassie: I may be wrong sometimes. But I won't ever screw with your head. Ever.
- Ben: Me too. Ever.
- [Cassie smiles and nods]
- Ben: [in the hospital visiting Cassie]
- [gently]
- Ben: Hey.
- Cassie: Hey.
- Ben: Cass?
- Cassie: Yeah?
- Ben: It's time to go.
- Cassie: [pause, then looks at him with dark circles under her eyes] Is that the plan?
- Ben: Yeah. That's the plan.
- Cassie: What if I'm really, really tired?
- [pause, then she kisses his cheek and lays against him and goes to sleep]