Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story

Teacher:
Cale Crane?

Cale Crane:
Yes Ma'am?

Teacher:
Are you working on your creative writing assignment?

Cale Crane:
Yes Ma'am.

Teacher:
What's your story about?

Cale Crane:
It's about a king; in his castle... And a magic horse.

Palmer:
Okay... I've found my other pocket. Alright, you listen to me, this is your last chance. I have a certified check for one hundred thousand dollars... and if you take this offer I'll give your dad his job back. Can't believe it, Crane's have finally won one.

Cale Crane:
[Cale takes the check and looks back at her dad] Dad?

Ben Crane:
If it was me I'd tell him to take his money and his empty trailer and get the hell off our farm. But... that's just me...

Cale Crane:
So you're running the big colt Goliath's Boy in the classic?

Palmer:
That's right. Goliath's Boy is the favorite. And when he wins the cup it'll be my fifth horse of the year.

Cale Crane:
Do you think Goliath's Boy remembers what Sonya's butt looks like?

Palmer:
Why?

Cale Crane:
'Cause that's all he's gonna be seeing of her on race day.

Cale Crane:
I like him.

Ben Crane:
Her... I like her too.

Ben Crane:
She was a good horse, Cale. I'm gonna miss her, too.

Cale Crane:
Oh, please don't treat me like a little kid. You should try to get some of your money back. I get it. It's business.

Ben Crane:
That's right. It is. But I wasn't trying to sell Sonya, okay?

Cale Crane:
You lied to me. You said I'd always have So?ador. You stood right there and said it. But you raced her and she got claimed.

Ben Crane:
Well, welcome to the world of horse racing, Cale! Where everything doesn't end up the way you want it to.

Cale Crane:
She wasn't for sale!

Ben Crane:
Every race horse, everywhere in the world, right now, is for sale! Get that!

Cale Crane:
She wasn't just some race horse. She was *our* horse.

Ben Crane:
I read your story tonight at school.

Cale Crane:
The stupid one about the king?

Ben Crane:
Yeah, the stupid king.

[pause]

Ben Crane:
[sighs] I make mistakes Cale, I'm sorry.

Cale Crane:
[pause] So you like the stupid king?

Ben Crane:
Yeah. I like the stupid king.

Cale Crane:
I love the stupid king.

Ben Crane:
He loves you too.

[last lines]

Cale Crane:
You are a great champion. When you ran, the ground shook, the sky opened and mere mortals parted. Parted the way to victory, where you'll meet me in the winner's circle, where I'll put a blanket of flowers on your back.

Cale Crane:
How does she look?

Ben Crane:
She looks big.

Cale Crane:
Big as in strong?

Ben Crane:
No, big as in fat.

Cale Crane:
That's mean... That's mean... You shouldn't say that.

Ben Crane:
Well, she's been eating too many popsicles.

Cale Crane:
[laughs] What?

Ben Crane:
What? You didn't know I knew about that, did ya'?

Lily:
So you're saying that I'm smart?

Ben Crane:
I'm sayin' you're smart *and* beautiful.

Manolin:
This is an orange? It looks like a painted golf ball.

Ben Crane:
This is a pipe dream.

Lily:
Remember dreams, Ben? This one's Cale's. Help her live it.

Ben Crane:
I want to, Lil. I do. I'm just saying that this isn't gonna happen. That's all, honey.

Lily:
So what? So what? Just let it take her as far as it can.

Prince Sadir:
Cale, you look me in the eye and you tell me that you think that your horse has a chance at beating my brother's horse.

Cale Crane:
My horse will beat every horse that shows up.

Cale Crane:
It's a long shot... but why not So?ador? Why not us?

Cale Crane:
You are a great champion. When you ran, the ground shook, the sky opened and mere mortals parted. Part of the way to victory, where you'll meet me in the winner's circle, where I'll put a blanket of flowers on your back.

[first lines]

Cale Crane:
There used to be horses in that barn. At least, that's what my Grandfather says. We're probably the only horse farm in Lexington, Kentucky, that doesn't have one horse. Not one.

Lily:
You know you've been promising her for months that you would take her to work with you.

Ben Crane:
And I will. I will, Lil. But not today, honey. I got a big race.

Lily:
Well, what am I supposed to tell her?

Ben Crane:
I don't know. You tell her I was running late, and I just didn't have time to wait for her.

Lily:
You tell her.

Ben Crane:
Honey, I'm going to work.

Ben Crane:
You don't care about anybody, do you? Horses or people.

Palmer:
Well, in fact, I do, Ben. And that's why I'm giving you the opportunty to find a new job.

Ben Crane:
Are you firing me?

Palmer:
That's right. You can take your Mexicans with you.

Ben Crane:
They're men, Palmer. They got names.

Ben Crane:
[to Palmer] I'll take the six thousand and the horse.

Cale Crane:
She'll never race again?

Ben Crane:
No, honey. But she might walk again.

Ben Crane:
[to Pop Crane] How about it, Pop?

Ben Crane:
What were you doing? She... she's not a pet, Cale. She's what I do for work now, so you're gonna have to leave her be, alright?

Cale Crane:
Sorry.

Cale Crane:
I'm sorry about your nightmares, Manny.

Manolin:
It's okay. It's God's way of telling me, "no more racing".

Cale Crane:
Any chance you'll keep the foal? Race him or her?

Ben Crane:
No, we're gonna sell the foal. But we'll still have So?ador.

Cale Crane:
So?ador?

Ben Crane:
Yeah, that's her full name - So?ador.

Cale Crane:
So?ador.

Ben Crane:
It's Spanish. Spanish for "dreamer".

Cale Crane:
Goodnight, Dreamer.

Cale Crane:
She's not gonna have a baby, now?

Doc Fleming:
No, honey, she's never gonna have babies.

Chairman:
Is Mr. Cale Crane here?

Cale Crane:
I'm Cale Crane.

Palmer:
Why don't you stand up?

Chairman:
Miss Cale Crane.

Ben Crane:
[to Cale] Alright. Now, I got all the paperwork here. Now, Cale, I put fifty one percent of So?ador in your name. So, from here on out, you make all the decisions.

Cale Crane:
I want you to help me. I want you to help me train her.

Ben Crane:
I see. Well, you'd be getting a trainer. What is it I'd be getting?

Cale Crane:
Ten per cent.

Ben Crane:
Twenty.

Cale Crane:
Fifteen.

Ben Crane:
Done.

Cale Crane:
Sign here.

Pop Crane:
[to Ben] You're taking your kid and your horse to the Breeder's Cup tomorrow. 'Cause that's the dream of every real horseman. It's the dream of every Father. A dream damn few ever get to see. Damn few. Trust me on that one.

Balon:
She's getting faster and faster.

Ben Crane:
You're saying she can race?

Ben Crane:
You ever seen a kid so happy with a horse?

Pop Crane:
Yeah, I have.

Cale Crane:
[to So?ador] Run hard tomorrow. Run hard for my Dad. He deserves a good run.

Palmer:
[to Ben] You were the best horseman I know for the worst flock. And I can't afford to have it in my stable.

Ben Crane:
Once upon a time there was a noble king. He lived in a beautiful castle overlooking green fields. An evil storm cast darkness over his castle, and before he knew it, dark knights had begun to take away his kingdom, one piece at a time. But our king was a warrior, and he knew if he could find his magic horse he could restore the kingdom to greatness. He was not like most kings. He was quiet and kind. Everyone loved the king which he may not have known. He searched and searched and finally rescued his horse from a raging river. But by the time he'd freed his horse, his kingdom was gone and he had given up. But the horse knew better than he. The horse took him over mountain ranges and across raging rivers. When it finally looked like they would die the horse asked him to trust him. The King didn't know if the horse had really spoken to him or he just hadn't had anything to eat in a few days. Not soon after the horse tried to climb a mountain so steep that the king was sure it would be their deaths. But the horse reached the top. And at the top, they found his kingdom, restored. All those who loved him greeted he king with pie and coffee.

Chairman:
[after looking at the papers of Sonador's present condition Cale has handed him] You've got a horse... Got a shot. But this entry of this race is going to be a check of forty thousand dollars.

[pause]

Chairman:
Did you bring the check?

[a short pause]

Cale Crane:
[bluntly] I mailed it.

[the courtroom bursts out laughing]

Cale Crane:
[smiling back at the courtroom visitors]... Today.

[courtroom laughs again]