Taken

My grandfather used to tell my mum

that kids should never have to worry

about anything more serious than baseball.

Everything you need to know is there.

It has success and failure.

moments where you come together

and moments where you stand alone.

And it has an ending.

Not a clock. like in other sports.

but an ending.

And that. my grandfather used to say to my mum.

is as close as a kid should have to come

to that sort of thing.

Can you even lift that bat?

Hey, batter, batter.

Strike.

Two more like that, and we can go home.

Hey, batter, batter.

You all right, kid?

Two down, one more. Come on.

Hey!

What happened? Is he okay?

Stand back.

One ball and no strike.

Boyer's in close at third.

Rest of the infield back.

Going for the double play on Keen.

Marshall getting ready.

The pitch to Keen.

Hello, Jacob.

Boyer at third base is calling for it.

You know my name?

Of course.

Everyone here calls me Jack.

You know who I am?

You have certain capabilities.

We both know what I'm talking about.

You mustn't use them again.

They're what's making you sick.

What happens if I do use them?

At best, you'll burn them out,

lose them for good.

At worst, they'll take your mind with them when they go,

and the strain of it could kill you.

I'm sorry.

It's all right. We'll find another way.

Who's going to take the Series?

The Yankees in seven.

Is that a guess or something else?

One ball. one strike.

- A guess. - I think you're right.

There's two outs...

Marshall Bridges trying to get them out.

Checks his sign with Elston Howard.

Here's the one-two pitch.

He swings and a long belt to right field! It's well-hit!

- Maris back at the fence. It's gone! - (knock at door)

Jack?

Jack? I'm Dr Benson.

I'm sorry I wasn't here to see you earlier, son,

but when you're the only doctor for 500 square miles,

everybody expects you to be in three places at once.

Now, let's, uh, take a look at you

and see what's keeping you off the diamond.

People like to examine the things that frighten them.

to look at them and give them names.

so saints look for God. and scientists look for evidence.

They're both just trying to take away the mystery.

to take away the fear.

Let me ask you this--

there were, if I remember from the report,

four bodies on the craft?

The craft held five, Mr President. We brought back four.

This one was still alive when we brought him in.

I don't know if you've seen the reports on that.

Yes, I have.

Quite a time he gave you there.

And the fifth?

Uh, we never recovered that body, sir.

I see.

Well, it certainly doesn't look as if they mean to attack us.

What makes you say that, sir?

Well, from what you told me, if that was their intention,

we'd all be dead by now.

We have one month to prove to him that our visitors are a threat.

After that, he's shutting us down and redirecting funds to the space program.

The arrogant son of a bitch!

I need proof that there's a clear and present danger.

I need a smoking gun, gentlemen, and I need it now.

My best subject in school was algebra.

People always say algebra's hard,

but that is because they don't get how easy it is.

I just loved all those "Xs."

Anything you don't know, you just put down an "X."

Or you can go with "Ys," or "As" and "Bs."

In real life, you have one plus one,

and if it doesn't equal two, you're up a creek.

But in algebra, it always works, no matter what the answer is.

You just have to figure out what "X" is.

It's a very beautiful thing.

Oh, hey, honey, let me show you.

Just let me do one. Let me show you.

Mum...

It's fine, honey. Mummy is gonna fix that.

Why don't you go and lie down?

- "X" marks the spot. - How many drinks have you had?

- Several. - How many pills?

Several.

Those pills are for your nerves, not to be taken willy-nilly.

Willy-nilly, eh?

Lie down before you fall down!

Finish your schoolwork, boys.

You're disgusting!

You sober up, or I'll have you put someplace, and--

Get in bed.

And don't come out of your room until morning.

Esther, no, no. I got it.

I got it. Thanks.

Sorry to bother you, sir.

You said you wanted to see these as soon as possible.

Yes, of course. Come on in.

Two possibilities, sir. Both very credible.

Gail Arlen...

has reported repeated encounters since 1 960.

Divorced, no children, lives alone.

My doctor told me it would reduce my tension.

Betty and Barney Hill.

Encounters in 1 961 on their way back from Niagara Falls.

He's a postal clerk, and she's a child welfare worker.

They're both active in their community.

They've begun some sort of therapy using hypnosis.

- They're very solid. - Very solid, sir.

In both these cases, the people claim

that they were taken aboard a craft.

- Taken? - Yes, sir.

It could be just what we need.

Lonely divorcee...

Makes up stories to get attention.

Hypnosis, you say?

Medical hypnosis, like they use on amnesia victims.

No. No Negroes. It clouds the issue.

- Sir-- - Just keep trying!

There must be somebody out there.

Yes, sir.

What the Russians want is nothing less than world domination.

Communism is a religion, a faith like any other,

with a holy text and saints and martyrs.

The Russians see themselves as crusaders in a holy war.

Drop!

Is there any reason you're not under your desk, Jack?

- I don't see the point. - The point is to be ready.

In the event of a nuclear attack on the Great Falls Air Force Base,

which is the only military target within 500 miles,

the initial blast would be jarring,

but it wouldn't even break our windows.

You don't take the threat of nuclear attack seriously then?

On the contrary, sir.

I believe that within three days of an initial attack,

3/4 of the world would've been destroyed.

I don't see the point of hiding from that kind of destruction under a desk.

Everybody back in your seats.

The Yankees lead one to nothing.

the bottom of the ninth.

Russell?

Yeah, I'm heading to lunch.

You want to keep an ear open for the phone?

Yeah, I'm on it.

Willie's had one hit. That was a long triple.

Here's the pitch. He swings and hits a long drive...

It's clearly a foul.

It's going in the seats.

Willie McCovey. making a bid. slams one deep into right.

The ball did not have...

Uhh.

Maris going over near the line.

but it curves back into the crowd.

So it's one strike to Willie.

Boy. everything is riding on every pitch here in the bottom of the ninth.

Hey, Jess.

Who's winning?

One-nothing, Yankees.

Bottom of the ninth, two outs, and Mays just doubled.

You like baseball.

Ralph Terry gets set. Here's the pitch to Willie.

Here's a liner straight to Richardson!

The ball game is over. and the World Series is over!

Willie McCovey hit it like a bullet!

A line-drive right straight to Bobbie Richardson at second base.

Had that ball got out of his reach. the Giants would've been the winners.

Force of nature, those Yanks.

How'd you know I was here?

I heard Mum talking to Dad...to Bill.

She said you got a job as close as you were legally allowed.

She wanted him to come over and tell you to go someplace else.

Well, he did.

You grew up.

I've been reading these books

about how the government knows about flying saucers.

They're afraid if they tell us, there'll be panic.

They started taking you again.