Have you ever been inside a cage?
Not a real one, with metal bars and a lock,
though I have had some experience with those.
No, I'm talking about the kind of imaginary cage
we build to protect ourselves.
That's the kind of cage that my friend Rob and I
were trapped inside when we were ten years old,
before we unearthed the key that would set us free
and before we met the magnificent creature
who would change our lives forever.
Hush. Ain't no point in cryin'.
Crying ain't gonna bring her back.
- Jesus said, "I go to prepare a place." - Yes, sir.
Looky here. It's the Kentucky Star.
How's it like to be a star?
Billy, he don't know what it's like to be a star.
Hey, guess what? This ain't Kentucky. This is Florida.
Yeah. You don't know what it's like to be a star anywhere.
Got it?
Oh. Look at him.
He's got creeping crud all over him.
God, he's gross.
Hey, Mr. Nelson. What are you doing?
This ain't no stop, Mr. Nelson.
Hey, this is a school bus.
I know that.
You're all dressed up to go to a party.
This ain't no party bus.
It's not my fault you don't have good clothes.
We're sorry. We didn't mean nothing by it.
What's your name?
Sistine.
Sistine? What kind of stupid name is that?
Like the chapel.
What are you looking at?
Yeah. What are you looking at, disease boy?
Come on.
You and me.
We see the world the same.
Hmm.
That's God giving life to Adam with just his touch.
That's what Michelangelo was trying to say.
Wow.
And Michelangelo didn't even want to paint it.
He thought he was a better sculptor than a painter.
Can you believe that?
No way.
The whole ceiling is a fresco.
- You know what "fresco" means? - No, ma'am.
It means that a painter goes in there
and paints on all that plaster real fast...
You got all them rooms cleaned good?
Have I ever not got all these rooms cleaned good?
Come to think of it, I don't think so.
Then let's just assume
that I got all these rooms cleaned really good.
Save us both some time.
Hey, girl, don't you give me no lip.
I ain't paying you to be a smart mouth.
You barely pay me to breathe.
Hey, man.
Can you point me out to the spa?
- Spa? - Yeah.
Does this place look like it has a spa to you?
Sorry to hear about your inadequacies.
"Spa."
My name is Sistine Bailey.
What a lovely name.
Thank you.
I'm from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,
home of the Liberty Bell, and I hate the South
because the people in it are ignorant.
And I'm not staying here in Lister.
My father is coming to get me next week.
Thank you for introducing yourself, Sistine Bailey.
You may take your seat now
before you put your foot in your mouth any further.
I want to talk about last week's test.
Y'all didn't do so great.
We're gonna figure this out together
and see where we went wrong.
We're gonna go over...
Mom, I can't do this.
Let me see that.
Oh, sure you can whittle that.
I'll show you. It ain't hard. Okay.
Hey, buddy. Don't jiggle that bed.
Your mama's in a lot of pain.
He ain't hurting me, Robert.
Don't tire yourself out with that wood.
It's all right.
I'm just teaching Rob some things I know.
There.
Now you do some.
See?
You already know what to do.
Your hands know.
You know, it helps with the whittling when you stick your tongue out.
Hmm?
Rob, I need you to go to the principal's office.
Rob?
Rob Horton?
Mr. Phelmer wants to see you in his office.
Do you understand?
Yes, ma'am.
Billy, I saw that.
Good morning, Rob.
You doing okay today?
Yes, sir.
We've been a bit worried.
It's about your legs. May I take a look?
Yes, sir.
Okay.
Ooh. Uh...
That doesn't look good, does it?
Yeah, that don't look good at all.
Look, uh...
here's the situation, Rob.
Some of the parents,
and I'm not gonna mention names, are worried that what you...
what you got there might be contagious.
"Contagious," meaning something the other students could possibly catch.
Now, you tell me the truth, son.
You've been using that medicine you told me about?
- You've been puttin' that on? - Yes, sir.
Well, I'm gonna be up-front and honest with you, Rob.
I think it might be a good idea if I let you stay home a few days.
Give that medicine time to kick in, work its magic,
and then we'll bring you back to school once your leg's better.
Does that sound like a plan?
That'd be all right.
All right. Well, good.
Well, here's what I'm gonna do.
I'm just gonna write a little letter to your parents...
I mean, your father.
We'll let him know what's what.
And you tell him
if he has any questions at all,
he can just give me a call, all right?
Yes, sir.
All right. There you go.
Oh. Yeah, yeah. See you around, bud.
We all have our challenges.
Why, thank you.
My pleasure, ma'am.
What's your name?
Rob Horton.
Very pleased to meet you, Rob Horton.
I'm Miss Mills. What you got there?
It ain't nothin'.
May I see it?
Well, look at that.
Did you draw this?
Yes, ma'am. It ain't nothin'.
Sure don't look like nothin'.
You're a dang good artist, Rob.
I wanna see more.
Why don't you stop by tomorrow and show me some of your artwork?
I can't.
Mr. Phelmer wants me to stay home for a few days. On account of my legs.
Well, I had a hard time in fifth grade myself.
I understand.
When you come back, make sure to stop by and see me. Promise?
Yes, ma'am.
Look where you came from, loser.
Hey!
Leave her alone!
- Who are you talking to? - Yeah. Who do you think you're talking to?
I said, leave her alone.
- You're gonna make me? - Ooh!
There isn't any place to sit.
It's not like I want to sit here.
Okay.
What's your name?
Rob Horton.
Well, let me tell you something, Rob Horton.
You shouldn't run.
That's what they want you to do is run.
I hate it here.
This is a stupid hick town with stupid hick teachers.
No one in the whole school even knows what the Sistine Chapel is.
I know.
What?
I know what the Sistine Chapel is.
I bet. I bet you know.
It's a picture of God making the world,
like it says in Genesis.
It's in Italy.
The pictures are painted on the ceiling.
They're frescoes.
Uh, I don't gotta go to school on account of my legs.
I got a note that says so.
Mr. Phelmer, the principal, says that the other parents are worried
that what I got is contagious.
Please let me catch it.
Please, please, please.
Please, please, please let me catch it.
You won't. It ain't contagious.
Please, please, please.
- It ain't a disease. It's just me. - Please, please.
Where do you live?
In the motel. The Kentucky Star.
You live in a motel?
It ain't permanent. Just until we get back on our feet.
Well, I'll bring you your homework.
I'll bring it to you at the motel.
That stuff ain't nothing nobody else can catch.
I know it.
I told that to the principal once before. Called him up and told him that.
Yes, sir.
You wanna stay home?
I'll maybe make an appointment,
get one of them doctors to write down
what you got ain't catching.
Yes, sir.
But I won't do it for a few days.
All right? Give you some time off.
That would be all right.
You got to fight 'em.
Them boys.
I know you don't want to, but you got to fight 'em.
Else they won't ever leave you alone.
Yes, sir.
All right.
In the meantime,
you can help me out around here.
Do some maintenance work for me, some sweeping and cleaning.
Beauchamp's running me ragged. Don't know who the hell he thinks he is.
Can't you just get a job somewhere else?
Go on and hand me that medicine.
Do you think Beauchamp is the richest man in the world?
No.
He don't own but this one itty-bitty motel now,
and the woods.
He likes to pretend he's rich is all.
All right. There you go.
- Can I go outside? - No.
I don't want that medicine to get rained off. It costs too much.
Go and get washed up. Gonna have supper.
Someday you and me are gonna have a house
with a real stove.
I'll do some good cookin' then.
This is good.
Eat all you want. I ain't hungry.
It doesn't look like no butterfly.
Hmm? No, it don't.
Looks like it wants to be a fish.
But I was whittling a butterfly.
But the wood had other ideas.
You can never tell what's gonna come out of the wood.
It does what it wants, and you just follow.
Go on. You might as well finish your fish.
Put me down!
Come on, son.
Come on. You're a working man now.
Got to get up.
You know what?
No, ma'am.
I'll tell you what.
I'd rather clean up after pigs in a barn
than clean up behind some of the people in this place.
Pigs at least give you some respect.
What you staring at?
What you doing out of school?
I don't know.
What you mean, you don't know?
Don't be shaking your shoulders up and down to me
like some little bird tryin' to fly away or somethin'.
You want to end up cleaning motel rooms for a living?
That's right. Ain't nobody want this job.
I'm the only fool Beauchamp can pay to do it.
You better stay in school, else you'll end up like me.
Tell me why you ain't in school.
On account of my legs being all broke out.
Hmm.
How long have you had that?
A while.
You know I can tell you how to cure that.
I can tell you right now. Ain't got to go to no doctor.
Huh?
Sadness.
You carryin' all that sadness down low in your legs.
Not letting it get up to your heart, where it belongs.
You got to let that sadness rise up.
The principal thinks it's contagious.
Man ain't got no sense.
He's got all these certificates,
and they're framed and hung up on his wall.
I'll bet he ain't got one for sense, huh?
I got to clean some more rooms.
You ain't gonna forget what I told you though, are you?
- No, ma'am. - What'd I tell you?
To let the sadness rise.
That's right. You let that sadness rise on up.
Hey, disease boy!
Here comes your girlfriend, disease boy!
Hey.
I brought your homework.
Thanks.
That art teacher was asking for you.
She had glue in her hair.
Why is this place called the Kentucky Star?
Because Beauchamp, the owner,
he had a horse once, named it Kentucky Star.
Well, it's a stupid name for a motel in Florida.
He must be extremely stupid.
Fine, then.
I know where there's a tiger.
Where?
Come on.
Well, we gotta walk through the woods.
Oh, well, you can just give me some of your clothes to wear.
I hate this outfit anyway.
This way.
Good Lord!
Sorry. We don't get much company.
Oh, my goodness.
Where did you get them?
I made them.
Michelangelo,
the man who painted the Sistine ceiling...
he sculpted too.
You're a sculptor.
You're an artist.
No.
Oh.
It's...
perfect.
It's like looking into a little wooden mirror.
What are you looking at?
Come on. Give me some clothes so we can go see the tiger.
Here you go.
Excuse me. May I have some privacy, please?
Right.
Now, show me this tiger.
This is where my mother grew up.
Right here in Lister.
And she always told herself
that if she ever made it out of here,
she was not going to come back.
But now she's back
'cause my father had an affair with his secretary,
whose name is Bridgette
and who can't even type,
which is a really, really bad thing for a secretary,
like, not to be able to do.
He's coming down here to get me.
Soon.
Next week, probably.
I'm definitely not staying here, that's for sure.
Ain't you worried about messing up your shoes?
No. I hate these shoes.
I hate every single piece of clothing
that my mother makes me wear.
This way.
Does your mother live with you?
No.
Where is she?
My mother's going to open up a store downtown.
It's gonna be an art store.
She's gonna bring some culture to this backward town.
She could sell some of your wood sculptures.
They ain't sculptures. Just whittling, that's all.
No. I said they're sculptures.
We got to be quiet. Beauchamp don't want people walking around on his land.
Is this his land?
Yeah. Everything's his.
The motel, the woods,
everything.
He can't own everything.
Besides, I don't care.
He can catch us. He can put us in jail for trespassing.
I don't care.
Well, if we're in jail, we won't get to see the tiger.
Where's your mother?
Shh! You got to be quiet.
I do not have to be quiet!
I want to know where your mother is.
You know, you don't know how to talk to people.
I told you about my father and my mother and Bridgette,
and you didn't even say anything.
You won't even tell me about your mother.
Keep your stupid secrets. Keep your stupid tiger too.
I don't care!
Wait up! Wait up!
Well?
She's dead.
My mama's dead.
Okay.
- Well, where's the tiger? - Just hold on. He's right around the back.
Oh.
He's beautiful.
Don't get too close. He might not like it.
It's just like the poem.
What?
The one that goes,
"Tyger, tyger, burning bright, in the forests of the night."
It's just like that.
He burns bright.
Oh.
Yeah.
What's he doing way out here?
I don't know. He's Beauchamp's, I guess.
- Beauchamp's what? His pet? - I don't know.
I just like to come out here and look at him. Maybe he does too.
That's selfish.
This isn't right for this tiger to be in a cage. It's not right.
Well, we can't do nothin' about it.
We could let him go. We could set him free.
Nuh-uh. There's all them locks.
We could saw through them.
No.
We have to set him free.
Nuh-uh. It ain't our tiger to let go.
But it is our tiger to save!
Shh!
It's a car. A car's coming! It's Beauchamp!
We got to go! Come on!
Is he behind us?
Stop shrugging your shoulders at me.
I hate it.
I hate the way you shrug all the time!
You look like a big, stupid bird flapping its wings!
Rob!
- Yes, sir? - Where you been?
Out in the woods.
- Finish all them jobs I told you to do? - Yes, sir.
All right. Who you got with you?
This is Sistine.
Sistine.
This yours?
Yes, it is.
You live around here?
For now.
Your folks know you're out here?
I was going to call my mother.
We got a pay phone over in the laundry room.
In the laundry room?
We don't got a phone in the motel room.
Well, can I have some change, at least?
Oh, yeah.
Do you want me to go with you?
No. I'll find it, thank you very much.
She certainly seems to be a handful.
Yes, sir.
What's she doing in your clothes?
Well, she had a dress on.
It was too pretty to wear it in the woods.
Okay.
All right. Go on in.
Let's get that medicine on your legs.
Yes, sir.
My mother's coming to get me.
Here's your clothes.
How come you don't have a phone?
Hmm. Ain't nobody to call, I guess.
I like to look up at things.
So do my mother and father.
That's how they met.
They were looking up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
and they weren't watching where they were going and bumped into each other.
That's why I'm named Sistine.
I like your name.
How did your mother die?
Cancer.
What was her name?
I ain't supposed to talk about her.
Why not?
Because.
My dad says it don't do no good to talk about her.
He says that she's gone,
and there ain't nothing we can do about it.
That's why we moved here from Jacksonville.
Because everybody always wants to talk about her.
We moved here to get on with things.
That's my mother.
Okay. I'll come back tomorrow.
Then we'll make our plans to let the tiger go.
Sissy! Baby, what in the world?
What in the world are you doing out here?
Oh, good lord! What have you got on?
Clothes.
Sissy, you look like a hobo. Get in the car.
Well, you must be Rob.
- What's your last name, Rob? - Horton.
Horton. Are you related to Seldon Horton, the congressman?
Congressman?
Mm-hmm.
No, ma'am. I don't think so.
Hmm.
Sissy, get in the car.
She won't listen to a word I say.
Her father is the only one she'll listen to. Her father, the liar.
You're the liar! You're the one who lies!
Sistine! Good lord!
- Seat belt, missy! - I know!
Caroline.
Her name was Caroline.
Now?
No, not yet.
Hold your horses.
Now?
Yes, go ahead. Plug it in.
There you go.
Wow!
Nice job, you two.
You ever been to a zoo?
I've been to that one over in Sorley.
Place stunk to high heaven.
Do you think them animals minded being locked up?
Well, nobody asking them if they minded.
Do you think it's bad keepin' animals locked up?
You know, when I wasn't but little,
my daddy bought me a bird in a cage.
It was a little green parakeet bird.
That thing was so small,
it could fit in the palm of my hand.
I could see his little heart beating.
He would look at me and cock his head like this and like that.
I named him Cricket, on account of him singin' all the time.
And what happened to him?
I let him go.
You let him go?
Yep.
I couldn't stand seein' him locked up in that cage,
so I let him go.
So what happened?
I got beat by my daddy.
He said I ain't do that bird no favors.
All I did was give some snake his supper.
So you never saw him again?
Mm-mmm.
He comes flying through my dreams every once in a while,
flitting about and singing.
Is that why you're humming all the time?
Maybe.
I know something that's in a cage.
Who don't?
Don't you walk away from me!
Hey!
You do what I tell you to do,
and you won't give me no back talk.
All right.
All right, all right, all right.
Well, looky here.
We got you on the payroll now?
No, sir.
What, you're working for free?
All right. That's what I like to hear.
- Yes, sir. - Mm-hmm.
Ain't you supposed to be in school, hmm?
Or you done graduated already?
I'm sick.
Sick and tired of school, I bet, huh?
Ain't got no mama setting down the rules for you.
You can just make up your own rules, huh?
Well, listen.
I got me a number of deals going on right now,
a few more than I could handle properly.
I was wondering if maybe a smart boy like you
was looking for a way to pick up some extra spending money.
Yeah? Let me tell you what I got cookin'.
You like animals?
Of course, you do. What boy doesn't like animals, right?
But do you like wild animals?
Yeah.
'Cause I got me a wild animal a couple of days back.
I got me a wild animal like you wouldn't believe
right here on this property.
And I got plans for him.
I got some big, big, big plans.
Only thing is,
he, uh...
he needs some taking care of.
You know, like some daily maintenance.
You following me, son?
- Yes, sir. - All right.
Get in the jeep. I'll take you for a ride, show you what I'm talking about.
But I'm supposed to be sweeping.
Says who?
What, that worthless daddy of yours, huh?
He ain't the boss. He ain't nobody's boss.
I'm the boss.
So when I say, "Let's go,"
you say, "All right."
So, let's go.
All right.
Climb on up.
Here, let me take that for you. Put it in the back.
Ah, don't worry about that. That's just the meat.
It won't hurt you. Wipe your hands.
You ain't gonna believe what I'm gonna show you.
No, sir.
What?
No, sir. I ain't gonna believe it.
Keep them eyes closed. Don't you cheat.
We're almost there.
Don't peek. Don't peek.
All right. Let's get you outta there.
All right. You keeping them closed?
- Yes, sir. - All right. Come on.
All right. Almost there.
Don't you be a cheater, now.
- Nobody likes a cheater. - Yes, sir.
All right now.
Open up your eyes. Tell me what you see.
It's a tiger!
Mmm. Damn straight!
King of the jungle.
And he's all mine.
Wow! You own him?
That's right.
A fellow I know, he owed me some money.
He paid me with a tiger.
That's how real men do business.
In tigers.
That's right. Real men do business in tigers.
That's right.
What do you want to do with him?
I'm weighing my options.
Maybe I was thinking about putting him
right up there in front of the Kentucky Star.
He'd bring in a whole bunch of business to the motel.
Wouldn't you?
Or maybe I'll just kill him.
Maybe I'll skin him up, make me a tiger coat.
Can you imagine me in a big old tiger coat, huh?
Dang, I think I'd look good.
Huh?
Anyway, I ain't completely made up my mind yet.
But I'll tell you what... he's a lot of work.
He has to eat meat twice a day.
That's where you come in.
I need you to come out here and feed him for me,
and I'll give you two dollars every time you do it.
How's that sound?
How do I get the meat in the cage?
I'm gonna show you.
Looky here.
See these keys?
See this one little key right here
with the red F on it? Huh?
Don't pay any attention to these keys,
because these keys open the big door,
and the big tiger will come out of there and he'll eat you for sure.
You understand?
So you take this little key with the red F,
just come out here to this little door,
and you open up this little lock here like that.
Yep. Ah.
Take out your meat.
Ha.
And you throw it in one piece at a time, just like this.
Damn!
Anyway, that's all there is to it.
What's the tiger's name?
Name?
He don't have a name.
You don't need to name something you're throwing a piece of meat to, dummy.
Come over here.
I'll introduce you proper. Come on.
All right, tiger.
See this kid here?
He's your new meal ticket, not me. All right?
He's got the keys. Take the keys.
He's got the keys, not me. Understand?
All right.
Now you two know each other.
You all right, boy?
- Y-Y-Yes, sir. - Yeah?
All right.
Well, don't you worry about him.
You'll be all right.
He's stupid anyway.
All right. Come here. Come here.
Now, this is our business deal.
It don't concern nobody else. Right?
All right.
I want you to take this bag of meat,
I want you to hide it somewhere.
And tomorrow, I'm gonna bring you another bag of meat.
And in the meantime,
you're gonna keep your mouth shut.
Understand, boy?
Is that you, Rob Horton?
Yes, ma'am.
Are you okay, Rob?
Yes, ma'am.
What you lookin' at, missy?
She's the art teacher from school.
Are you sure you're okay, Rob?
He already done told you he's okay.
Now, why don't you just take your purple hair
and head on down the street, missy.
Make sure you come and see me when you're back.
Your fly's open.
Hey, I told you to get!
You remember what I told you.
- Yes, sir. - All right.
Hey, leprosy boy!
Hey, here comes your girlfriend, leprosy boy!
You gonna kiss her?
Yeah. Kiss her. Kiss her.
Let's go see the tiger.
Tigers are an endangered species.
It's up to us to save him.
We gotta be careful. He peed all over Beauchamp.
Did he really? That's wonderful!
He stunk terrible.
That just means he was spraying his territory, marking what he owns.
Mr. Stupid doesn't realize that the tiger really owns him.
Watch out he don't attack you.
He won't.
Tigers only attack people if they're desperately hungry.
This one ain't hungry.
How do you know?
Um, well, he ain't skinny, is he?
He don't look starved.
Keys.
What?
I got the keys to the cage.
- How? - Beauchamp.
He hired me to feed his tiger and he gave me the keys.
All right.
Now, all we have to do is open the locks and let him go.
No.
Are you crazy?
It ain't safe. It ain't safe for him.
My friend Willie May, she had a bird and let it go,
and it just got ate up.
What?
You're not making any sense.
This is a tiger, not a bird.
And I don't know who Willie May is, and I don't care.
You can't stop me from letting this tiger go.
I'll do it without the keys. I'll saw the locks off myself.
Don't.
"Don't."
I can't wait for my dad to come and get me.
When he gets here,
I'm going to make him come out here and set this tiger free.
That's the first thing we'll do.
Don't.
I'll get you out of here. I promise.
I got you.
I got good hold of you.
This is terrible. Just terrible.
What is?
It's just not right.
What are you doing? Are you crazy?
Now he can see the stars.
Look. That's the Big Dipper.
- Where? - Over here.
Do you see it?
Oh, right. I see it.
It kinda looks like the tail of a big bear.
You're right. It is.
You know, the Big Dipper is really part of Ursa Major.
That means the Great Bear.
Oh.
I think he sees the bear too.
Yeah. He does.
You see?
That was the right thing to do.
Whoa.
Did you see that shooting star?
Yeah. It was really fast.
If a tiger and a bear got into a fight,
who do you think would win?
The tiger.
Especially if it was our tiger.
I gotta call my mother.
She's gonna be mad.
I'll go with you.
Boo!
- Hey. - Hey, there. Who's your friend?
This is Sistine.
Sistine, meet Willie May.
She's the one I told you about, who had a bird and let it go.
So what?
So nothin'.
So I had me a bird.
Why are you hanging around here, trying to scare people?
I ain't trying to scare no one.
Willie May works here.
That's right.
You know what? I know you.
You ain't got to introduce yourself to me.
You angry.
You got a whole world of anger inside of you.
I know anger when I meet it. Been angry most of my life.
I'm not angry.
Yeah, all right. You a angry liar, then.
Here you go.
Ain't that just like God, throwing you two together?
This boy full of sorrow, carrying it all low in his legs,
and you, you full of anger.
Got it snapping out of you like lightning.
You a pair. That's the truth.
How tall are you?
6'2".
I'm gonna get myself home.
But first, let me give you some advice.
I already gave this boy some advice. You ready for yours?
Ain't nobody gonna rescue you.
You gotta rescue yourself.
I think she's a prophetess.
A what?
A prophetess.
They're painted all over the Sistine ceiling.
They're women who God speaks through.
Hmm.
Prophetess. Makes sense.
You out in the woods with that girl again?
Yes, sir.
Look over here, Son.
Where'd this meat come from?
Beauchamp.
Beauchamp?
He hardly pay me enough to get by,
and now he's giving us his rotten meat.
He thinks I ain't man enough to put meat on my own table?
I'll teach him a lesson.
I ought to.
Making me work for less than nothin'!
Giving us rotten meat!
Rotten meat!
Damn him!
Nice and hot, just like you like it.
Thank you, darling.
What?
It's chamomile. It's your favorite.
It's delicious, Robert.
Mm-hmm.
Then what?
- I've got somethin' for you. - No.
Somethin' I made especially for you.
Wow.
I still don't know how you do that. That is beautiful.
That's me, and that's you.
I can see that, thank you very much.
I love it.
Daddy.
No, no.
Not right now.
Look, Rob.
I have never in my life seen a prettier color of green.
Ain't it perfect?
Yes, ma'am.
It looks like the original green.
The first one that God ever thought up.
That's right.
The first-ever green.
Or maybe he made that special green just for you.
- You think? - Maybe.
You and me, we see the world the same.
Mmm.
What are y'all talking about?
Green.
Oh.
Yep. And then...
Hey.
Where your lady friend at?
School. But today's only a half day.
Hmm.
Why you giving me them shifty-eyed looks?
Um, I made you something.
You made me something? For real?
Mm-hmm.
But you gotta put your hand out and close your eyes.
I ain't.
You can look now.
I ain't gotta look. I know what this is.
It's Cricket.
But you gotta look at it and tell me, did I do it right.
I ain't gotta do nothing but stay black and die.
Come on, look at it.
That's the bird.
That's the one.
Now you don't have to dream about him at night no more.
That's right.
Boy, who taught you how to work a piece of wood like this?
My mama.
She taught you good.
Yes, ma'am.
I know a wooden bird ain't the same as a real one.
Yeah, that's right, but...
...it soothes my heart just the same.
My dad says he ain't got no jobs for me to do till this afternoon.
He said I could help you out in the morning.
Well,
I'm sure I can find something for you to help me with.
It's not my fault that you're broke, damn idiot!
You came to me, and now you owe me big.
Plus interest!
You better put on your thinking cap,
or there's gonna be consequences.
All right. All right.
I'm dead serious.
Hey.
Where's the prophetess?
- Huh? - Willie May. Where is she?
She's vacuuming.
My mother found out I was wearing your clothes to school.
I'm in trouble.
I'm not supposed to come out here anymore.
You know, you don't always have to get into fights.
Sometimes if you don't hit them back, they'll just leave you alone.
I want to get in fights. I want to hit them back.
Sometimes I hit them first. I don't even know why.
Oh.
I'm going to go ask the prophetess what we should do with the tiger.
No. You can't ask her about the tiger.
Beauchamp said I ain't supposed to tell nobody, especially not Willie May.
We need some answers.
Well, look at you two.
What's in your hand?
Oh.
Did Rob make it?
He did.
It almost looks alive.
Is it like your bird that you let go?
Just about exactly.
I...
We need to ask you something.
Well, ask away.
If you knew about something that was locked up in a cage,
something big and beautiful that was locked away unfairly, for no good reason,
and you had the keys to the cage,
would you let it go?
Lord God. What you two kids got locked up in a cage?
It's a tiger.
A what?
A tiger.
- Lord Jesus. - It's true!
All right.
Why don't you two take me to where you got this tiger locked in a cage.
This way.
All right. Now, slow down. I'm coming.
Give an old woman a chance to catch up.
Where are you two going?
This ain't no place for you two...
Lord God almighty.
Ain't no need to doubt the fierceness of God
when he can make something like that.
Who is the fool that caged that tiger up?
He belongs to Beauchamp.
Beauchamp?
If there's one person in the world don't need to be owning no tiger,
that's Beauchamp.
Damn fool.
See? It's not right, is it?
Just like how you told Rob about your bird
and how you had to let it go.
A bird, that's one thing.
Tiger belonging to Beauchamp, that's a whole nother.
Tell Rob that he should unlock the cage and let him go!
I ain't.
What's this tiger supposed to do once you let him go?
How's it gonna live?
Panthers live in these woods.
They survive.
Used to. Don't no more.
You're not saying what you believe.
You're not talking like a prophetess.
That's because I ain't no prophetess.
I'm a person speaking the truth.
The truth is there ain't nothing you could do for that tiger except let him be.
But it's not right.
That ain't got nothing to do with it.
Sometimes right don't matter.
I can't wait until my father comes to get me.
He knows what's right.
He'll come out here and set this tiger free.
Your daddy ain't coming to get you.
My father is coming to get me.
No. He ain't.
He's a liar, like your mom said.
You're the liar. And I hate you.
Everybody at school hates you too.
Even the teachers.
And I hope I never, ever see you again.
She don't mean it.
She don't mean nothing she's saying right now. Stop it.
Listen to me.
You think I don't wanna see that tiger
just rise on up out of that cage?
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
I'd love to see that tiger come right on up outta there
and make a meal out of Beauchamp.
Serve him right for keeping a wild animal locked up like that
and putting you in the middle of this.
Giving you the keys to the cage.
Come on.
Come on up out of here.
She's passed.
Sistine!
I got something to tell you.
I'm not talking to you.
I come to tell you about the tiger.
What about him?
I'm gonna let him go.
You won't do it.
Yes, I will.
I'm gonna do it, Sistine.
I'm gonna do it for you.
Oh, no.
Hey!
Is that "Mr. Stupid"?
You out getting your exercise?
Huh?
Well, speak up, boy.
Yes, sir.
I know what you've been doing.
You out chasing the girls, aren't you? Huh?
He's a man after my own heart. Hmm?
This your girlfriend?
No, sir.
What's your name, little thing?
Sissy.
That's really pretty.
That's the kind of name
that's worth running down the road after.
Isn't it? Huh?
I got you some more goods.
I'm gonna leave them over behind the office, all right?
And remember to leave your worthless daddy out of this, right?
Yes, sir.
Mm-hmm. Good.
I've got some manly business with your daddy over here, so...
you two, you stay out of trouble.
- All right? - Yes, sir.
Okay?
So nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you too, Sissy.
What a bozo.
He may not be the stupidest man in the world,
but I'll bet he's related.
He's afraid, you know.
He's afraid of the tiger.
That's why he's making you feed him.
Yeah. You're right.
I'm sorry.
What I said about your daddy earlier.
I don't want to talk about my father. It doesn't matter.
What matters is the tiger.
Come on. Let's go set him free.
Hurry! Hurry up!
Hurry. Get the other lock!
Now open the door.
You know, he ain't eaten nothing in two days.
- I'll bet he's pretty hungry. - So what?
What if he eats us?
He won't. We're his emancipators.
Okay.
Get out of the way.
Go on.
You're free.
Get out!
Go on, get!
Mmm.
We see the world the same.
She's passed.
Crying ain't gonna bring her back.
Get out of the cage!
Did you hear me? Get out!
Did you hear me? Get out! Get out of the cage!
Get out!
He's leaving. Watch.
Go on! Be free.
Oh, my.
See?
That was the right thing to do.
Yes. It was the right thing to do.
He's free! We did it!
Sistine!
Are you okay?
I don't know. Something took my breath away.
Come on. Let's go.
No!
Dear Jesus.
What did you do?
You're a liar.
- Come on. - You're a liar.
You know I ain't lying. I wasn't in there.
- No, you are. - You saw where it was.
- I'm not afraid of you. - Come on, Beauchamp.
I ain't gonna touch you.
Come on. Huh?
Come on. Come on!
No!
No! No!
What did you do?
He was so beautiful.
He was magnificent.
He didn't deserve to be locked up in a cage.
He deserved to be free.
What did you do?
What'd you do?
You killed him!
- I had to. - That was my tiger! You killed him!
You killed my tiger!
It was mine!
I hate you! You ain't the one I need!
I need her! I need her!
You say her name!
Say it!
Caroline.
I need her.
I need her too.
But we don't got her.
Neither one of us.
Hey, listen.
What we got, all we got
is each other.
Okay. We got to learn to work with that.
I ain't gonna cry.
That's all right, buddy.
It's all right. It's gonna be okay.
You're gonna get through this. We both will.
You ain't gonna come pounding on me now, is you?
No, ma'am.
Good shot.
He's in heaven now.
He'll be just fine.
You all right?
- He gonna be fine. - Yeah.
You were right.
My father's not coming to get me.
And it's okay.
I didn't mean what I said about you before,
and I really, really don't hate you.
Not at all.
You're my best friend.
That's all right.
Is this yours?
It's beautiful.
You can keep it.
If you want.
For years, I wondered if we did the right thing
opening that cage.
But I knew we had to.
I can still hear the sound of that gunshot
like it was yesterday.
I thought I would die of a broken heart along with the tiger,
but I didn't.
In fact, that was the day I started to look at life in a whole new way,
grateful for the things I had
and at peace with what would never come back.
We were all freed from our cages that day.
We learned that there are just some things
that you can't keep locked away forever...
like memories
and heartache
and tigers.