Anne of Green Gables

Give me that.

Good morning, Rachel. How are you?

You know me, I'm not a complainer.

Goes without saying.

But my old bursitis has been acting up.

And I've got that tingling in my hands again.

Never mind I haven't had a decent sleep in weeks.

But why go on. - Indeed.

Your brother not feeling social again?

No, Matthew has a very special chore this morning.

All right now, Harry. We got some important business today.

So I need you on your best behavior.

There you go, good boy.

Abner!

Abner, you're gonna run... Come back here!

Abner, I don't have time to fool with you.

Abner! Come here!

Come here!

Abner, I'm not in the mood.

Hey, you little runner! Get back here. Abner!

Get outta there!

Abner!

Lord, give me strength.

Matthew! You're supposed to be at the station.

I know! I had an accident.

What's happened? Are you all right?

I'm happy as a pet crow.

You see, that is exactly why we're doing what we're doing.

Lord. You're supposed to be there already.

Please, stop fustling. I'm...

From now on, things are gonna be different around here.

Go on, change all your clothes. It's disgusting.

Hello, Rachel!

I doozy up pretty good, don't you think?

- An orphan? You can't be serious. - We are.

What in heaven's name are you thinking?

Matthew needs some help with chores.

Dorothy Spencer said she was going down to Hopetown...

...to get herself a girl. We asked her to bring us back a boy.

But an orphan, really? Are you sure?

We aim to give him a good home. Good education.

But you don't know anything about him. He might be a gypsy child.

Or worse. - Rachel!

Just last week I read in the paper about a boy...

...who set fire to the house. Nearly burnt the poor couple...

...to a crisp. - Rachel!

And there was another one. A girl. She took a rifle...

...and shot the whole family. Then she slit their throats...

...with a bread knife. Even the baby.

I were you I'd keep my bedroom door locked.

And a knife under my pillow.

We're not getting a girl.

We're getting a boy.

Hello?

Edwin. The twelve-thirty come through?

Right on time, Matthew.

Exactly one hour and four minutes ago.

Well, I... Never mind. We're excepting a youngster.

Came in with Mrs. Spencer.

Where about?

Outside.

Hello?

That's a girl outside. A girl. - Most girls are.

We're expecting a boy. Where is he?

- Must've been a mix-up. - We asked for a boy.

- Maybe they're fresh out. - Edmond, please.

Are you Mr. Matthew Cuthbert of Green Gables?

Yes, I am.

How do you do? My name is Anne Shirley.

And this is for you.

I was beginning to fear something terrible had happened.

So I made up my mind if you didn't come for me...

...I'd climb up into some tree and stay up there all night.

It would be lovely to sleep in a tree.

Wild, crooked, white with bloom.

Can you imagine in the moonlight how it would look?

Well...

Did you come in a wagon?

Yes, I do.

No, that's all right.

It's not heavy. Besides, if it isn't carried in a certain way...

...the handle pulls out.

So I'd better hang onto it because I know the exact knack of it.

Best to Marilla.

This island is even more wondrous than I imagined.

And I can tell you that's saying quite a lot.

Are there trees around Green Gables?

I adore trees. There were some at the orphanage...

...but they were scrawny.

By any chance, is there a babbling brook?

Yes. Just a look and a half from the house.

Really?

It's always been one of my dreams to live near a brook.

I never expected I would, though.

Mr. Cuthbert, why is the earth red?

Well now, that's a fair question.

I don't... I don't exactly know why.

Well now, that's something else to find out about one day.

Look, do you see that colorful bird?

Where?

You see, up there!

Mr. Cuthbert?

Who was Prince Edward? Was he a real prince or make-believe?

Prince Edward...

No matter, it's all the same to me.

And something else to find out about.

Isn't it just splendid to think of all the things...

...there are to find out about?

It wouldn't be half so interesting...

...if we knew everything about everything, would it?

No, I suppose not

What is that sound?

Spring peepers.

They are little tiny frogs. Right down there in Barry's Pond.

Barry's Pond?

No, that's much too plain.

It should be something glorious and romantic like...

I know!

Lake of Shining Waters.

Shining Waters, huh?

Our brook flows right the way down into it.

I'm sorry. Sometimes I dream when I'm wide awake.

Do you ever do that?

Not lately.

I love dreaming, even though I know they don't always come true.

Right now I'm so near perfectly happy I can't tell...

...if I'm dreaming or not. - Well now...

Listen, Miss Anne. You know, my sister Marilla...

But what's so terrible is I can't ever be...

...perfectly happy because...

What color would you call this hair?

Well, I would say it's red.

But there are other colors in there too.

Exactly.

Nobody who has hair this horrible...

...could possibly ever be perfectly happy.

It will be my lifelong sorrow.

Am I talking too much?

People always tell me I do. And I know I embellish...

...and I know that's not proper but...

There I go again. Would you rather I didn't speak?

Guess I don't mind.

Just that the bottom of this hill, just past the trees...

...you can see Green Gables.

It's exactly as I imagined it.

Thank heavens. I thought you must have crashed in a ditch...

No.

What's the meaning of this?

- Now, Marilla... - That's not a boy.

You're not a boy.

If you'll just let me explain...

I told Mrs. Spencer to bring us a boy. I was very clear.

I said bring us a boy about eleven years old.

Well, I guess they just didn't have one.

Some pretty piece of business this is.

What are we supposed to do with her?

I couldn't just leave her all alone at the station.

You don't want me because I'm not a boy?

I might have known it was all too beautiful to be true.

Calm now, child. There's no reason to cry so about it.

Yes, there is a need. This is the most tragic thing...

...that ever happened to me.

God, child. We're not going to turn you out of doors tonight. Here.

What's your name?

If you please, would you call me Cordelia?

It's such a perfectly elegant name.

Your name is Cordelia?

Not exactly.

What is it? Tell me the truth.

Anne Shirley.

You see what I mean? Two first names put together?

It stands out something awful and if I'm starting all over...

...Cordelia would be my preference.

Fiddlesticks to all that. Anne is a real good plain and simple name.

You've no reason to be ashamed of it.

I'm not ashamed of it. Only I like Cordelia so much better.

But if you must call me Anne, would you call me...

...the kind of Anne that's spelled with an "e" at the end.

Give me that.

Lilacs.

Ambrosia.

What a pretty path.

We call that The Avenue.

Avenue?

That name doesn't do it justice. I know.

I'm going to call it The White Way of Delight.

A magical place like this always gives me a q... r...

...funny sort of ache. In here.

Did you ever have an ache like that, Miss Cuthbert?

Not that I recall. Come along.

We'll sort all this out in the morning.

Come along. This way. Keep going.

Right upstairs.

Now, Harry, what do you think, old friend?

Yeah. No, she is not a boy. And she is a talker but...

...she is really interesting.

Gotta we met that, huh?

Abner, you're the cause of all my troubles today.

What've you got to say for yourself?

I'll accept your apology.