The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

...and I'll tell you what, the storm system's still moving west.

What are you looking at, Caroline?

The wind, Mom.

They say the hurricane is coming.

I'm on a boat.

I'm drifting.

Can I do anything for you, Mom?

Make anything easier?

Oh, sugar...

There's nothing left to do.

Is what it is.

Finding it harder to keep my eyes open.

My mouth's full of cotton.

There, there, Miss Daisy.

You gonna scratch yourself to ribbons.

Do you want any more medication, Mother?

Doctor said you could have as much as you want.

No need for anybody to suffer.

A friend told me that she never had the chance

to say goodbye to her mother.

- I wanted to... - It's okay.

I wanted to tell you how much I'm gonna miss you so...

Mom.

Oh, Caroline.

Are you afraid?

I'm curious.

What comes next?

They built the train station in 1918.

My father was there the day it opened.

He said they had

a tuba band playing.

They had the finest clockmaker in all of the South

to build that glorious clock.

His name was...

Mr. Gateau.

Mr. Cake.

He was married to a Creole of Evangeline Parish

and they had a son.

Mr. Gateau was, from birth, absolutely blind.

When their son was old enough, he joined the army.

And they prayed God would keep him out of harm's way.

For months, he did nothing but work on that clock.

One day,

a letter came.

And Mr. Gateau, done for the night,

went up, alone, to bed.

And their son came home.

They buried him in the family plot,

where he would be with them when their time came.

Mr. Cake worked on his clock,

laboring to finish.

It was a morning to remember.

Papa said there were people everywhere.

Even Teddy Roosevelt came.

It's running backwards!

I made it that way

so that perhaps the boys that we lost in the war

might stand and come home again.

Home to farm,

work,

have children.

To live long, full lives.

Perhaps my own son might come home again.

I'm sorry if I've offended anybody.

I hope you enjoy my clock.

Mr. Cake was never seen again.

Some say he died of a broken heart.

Some say he went to sea.

Excuse me.

Do you mind if I make a call? Somebody's watching my little boy.

Sure.

I hope I haven't disappointed you.

You couldn't disappoint me.

Well, I know I don't have much to show for myself.

Find my dark suitcase.

There's a diary.

This?

Could you read it to me?

Is this what you want to do?

I tried to read it a hundred different times.

Mom, it's not exactly...

It's just the sound of your voice, darling.

Okay.

It's dated April 4th, 1985.

And it says New Orleans.

"This is my last will and testament.

"I don't have much to leave, few possessions, no money, really.

"I will go out of this world the same way I came in, alone and with nothing.

"All I have is my story,

"and I'm writing it now while I still remember it.

"My name is Benjamin. Benjamin Button. "

And I was born under unusual circumstances.

The First World War had ended,

and I've been told it was an especially good night to be born.

Thank God it's over!

We won the war!

The Great War is over!

What are you doing here?

Thomas,

I'm afraid she's going to die.

What?

That's enough. All of you, get away from her.

I came as quickly as I could. The streets are filled with people.

Thomas.

Promise me he has a place.

Yeah.

She gave her life for me.

And for that, I am forever grateful.

Mr. Button.

Thomas!

Thomas.

Thomas? Where are you going?

Hey! What are you doing there?

What do you have there?

- Come on, Queenie. - Now, Mr. Weathers!

Come on, now, you know I ain't got nothing but work to do around here.

- Come on. Just take some time. - Stop all this foolishness.

The air is sweet.

You look very handsome tonight, Miss Queenie.

Handsome as I've ever seen.

The brown matches your eyes.

Oh, hush!

Let's see here. You ain't no slouch yourself.

Hambert's back in town.

He came home legless, but he's home.

I know you were sweet on him one time.

Sweeter than I should've been.

Miss Simone messed herself.

Oh, sweet Jesus.

She got to stop doing that or it's diapers for her.

- I'll be right there, Miss Jameson! - Now, Queenie, now come on.

Okay, Queenie'll be right there.

It's awful nice out here.

Come on out back for a moment. Take your mind off things.

You're so bad.

- What in God's name? - What's this?

Oh, the Lord done something here.

Hope I didn't hurt it none stepping on it like that.

We best leave that for the police.

Poor baby.

I'll go.

It's for sure nobody wanted to keep it. Come on, baby.

Queenie? Where are you, Queenie?

Hold your water! You go deal with it.

Okay. No, go, I'll be back.

Queenie, Apple, she went and messed herself all over again!

Jane Childress, start her a bath!

And mind your own business, Mrs. Duprey.

You'll be messing yourself soon enough.

Somebody stole my necklace.

Okay. All right, Mrs. Hollister, I'll be right with you, okay?

Go on back upstairs, hear?

You are as ugly as an old pot

but you're still a child of God.

Queenie, Apple, she won't take a bath without you!

Mercy.

I'll be right there!

Okay. You just wait right here for me now, okay?

My sister gave me those pearls. I can't find them anywhere.

- Somebody's been stealing my jewelry. - They're right here, Mrs. Hollister. See?

Right around your pretty white neck. Now, come on. Hush all that noise.

- Is Dr. Rose still here? - I don't know.

Your heart is strong.

You just want to avoid any undue stimulation.

I trust you ladies will help me out with that?

I have something. Could you come downstairs?

Never seen anything like it. Nearly blind from cataracts.

I'm not sure if he can hear. His bones indicate severe arthritis.

His skin has lost all elasticity, and his hands and feet are ossified.

He shows all the deterioration, the infirmities, not of a newborn,

but of a man well in his 80s on his way to the grave.

He's dying?

His body is failing him before his life's begun.

Where'd he come from?

My sister's child. From Lafayette. She had an unfortunate adventure.

The poor child, he got the worst of it. Come out white.

There are places for unwanted babies like these, Queenie.

No room for another mouth to feed here.

The Nolan Foundation, despite their good intentions,

thinks this place is a large nuisance as it is.

- A baby... - You said he don't have long.

- A baby... - You said he don't have long.

Queenie, some creatures aren't meant to survive.

No, this baby, he is a miracle. That's for certain.

Just not the kind of miracle one hopes to see.

Y'all listen. Y'all listen up here.

We're gonna have us a visitor

that's gonna be staying with us for a little while.

My sister had a child and she couldn't see right by it, so...

He's known as...

Benjamin.

Benjamin.

He's not a well child, so we're gonna have to take good care of him.

I had 10 children.

There's not a baby I can't care for. Let me see him.

God in Heaven. He looks just like my ex-husband.

Look, he's prematurely old.

Dr. Rose said he ain't got much more time on this earth.

Join the club.

He's smiling!