Silent Running

Synopsis: In a future Earth barren of all flora and fauna, the planet's ecosystems exist only in large pods attached to spacecraft. When word comes in that the pods are to be jettisoned into space and destroyed, most of the crew of the Valley Forge rejoice at the prospect of going home. Not so for botanist Freeman Lowell, who loves the forest and its creatures. He kills his colleagues taking the ship deep into space. Alone on the craft with his only companions being three small robots, Lowell revels in joys of nature. When colleagues appear to "rescue" him, he realizes he has only one option available to him.
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Director(s): Douglas Trumbull
Production: MCA Universal Home Video
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
6.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
67%
G
Year:
1972
89 min
1,030 Views


How are you today, hmm?

Feeling good?

Aww.

I bet you'd like something

to eat, wouldn't ya? Hmm?

Here, I got something

in my pocket here.

Some goodies.

I'll set the table

for you here. Okay?

That's good.

Do I have to put signs up here

to keep you guys off my grass?

Hey, I'm sorry.

Hey, get out

of the way!

What do you think

you're doing?

Watch it!

Get out of the way, you mother!

Look out!

Did you see the way Lowell

threw that rake at me?

Why don't you guys lay off

Lowell for a while?

We're just having a little fun.

Oh, yeah!

Now, what is this?

Really a nice catch.

You guys are outrageous.

Hey, listen, Wolf,

we've been here for six months.

We got six months more to go.

Now doesn't that

mean anything to you?

You know, he told me

a whole story this morning,

about how they're gonna

refoliate the Earth.

Again?

Let's set this thing up

the way it was before.

Ooh.

Oh, it missed.

It failed.

First time.

Hey, let's not play

with this thing, okay?

Okay.

I'll tell you this

for old flower-face,

he sure knows

how to play this thing.

Plenty of time to practice.

Hey, Lowell.

- How about a little of the old poker?

- Yeah. Later.

On this first day of a new century,

we humbly beg forgiveness...

and dedicate

these last forests...

of our once beautiful nation,

in the hope that

they will one day return...

and grace our foul Earth.

Until that day,

may God bless these gardens...

and the brave men

who care for them.

Three.

Three.

Dealer takes one.

Deck's still open.

Your bet, Barker.

Fifty.

Fifty.

And 100.

Guts.

Come on, son.

Throw it on in.

I fold.

You bet $50, and then

you're folding?

Right.

Well, boys,

here's a three.

And there's

another three.

And there are

three big bullets.

Now I'll just reach in

and gather up the teleports.

Beats me.

You bet it does.

I wish they'd hurry up

with that transmission.

I want to go to bed.

I suggest that you reach deep

down inside yourself there...

and try and find something

that will keep you awake

a little while longer...

because this transmission

coming up may just...

- rekindle your will to live.

- Think it'll be a recall?

Well, let's

just say that I feel

my communications...

may finally bear

some fruit.

Mm-hmm.

Cantaloupes maybe.

I'll let that witticism

slide by...

because it's my feeling

that they're about

to reestablish...

the parks

and forest system.

With you as director?

You can think

of anybody better?

More qualified? Huh?

It's more likely that--

Wait a second now.

Let me just ask him

a question here.

I've spent my entire

last eight years up here

dedicated to this project.

Now, can you think

of anybody more qualified?

It's more likely

that they're gonna

announce cutbacks.

Sorry.

There's no way they're

gonna announce cutbacks,

not after this amount of time.

Hey, Lowell, you're dreaming.

And you don't think it's time

somebody had a dream again?

Huh?

You don't think that it's time

that somebody cared enough

to have a dream?

What about the forests?

You don't think anyone should

care about these forests?

What's gonna happen if these

forests and all this incredible

beauty is lost for all time?

It's been too long.

People got other things to do now.

This is for Valley Forge,

Berkshire, Sequoia.

Valley Forge,

Berkshire, Sequoia,

this is Con Central.

Channel open

for executive order

A.U.C. 3423.

Listen to this, boys.

This is Anderson speaking.

Boys, I have to make an announcement.

We have just received orders...

to abandon, then nuclear

destruct all the forests...

and return our ships

to commercial service.

I have received

no explanation,

and we must begin

at 0900 in the morning.

May God have mercy on us all.

This is it!

We're going home!

I can't believe it.

I told you, I told you.

What'd I say?

We can pack up those

domes and go home.

...auto-destruct

of all forest units.

Kiss 'em good-bye, boys.

Hey, Lowell,

I'm sorry.

Makes sense, you know?

It's insane.

Let's go.

[Joan Baez]

# Fields of children #

# Running wild #

# In the sun #

# Like a forest #

# Is your child #

# Growing wild #

# In the sun #

# Doomed #

# In his innocence #

# In the sun #

# Gatheryour children #

# To your side #

# In the sun #

# Tell them #

# All they love will die #

# Tell them why #

# In the sun #

# Tell them #

# It's not too late #

# Cultivate #

# One by one #

# Tell them to harvest #

# And rejoice #

# In the sun ##

How far out do they go

before they blow up?

About six miles.

We should feel a hefty jolt.

I want a front-row seat

when these babies go.

I'll bet you do.

Lowell, do you have

to eat that stuff?

It stinks!

You never let up,

do you?

Well--

Oh, now you hurt

his feelings.

I'd like to know what any one

of you knows about real food.

What do you mean "real food"?

What, out of the dirt?

That's real food?

That's right.

This happens to be

nature's greatest gift.

- To a celibate, maybe.

Come on, you guys.

Maybe he knows something

we don't. Hmm?

Lowell, give me a slice

of that cantaloupe.

Don't ask Lowell.

I'd be delighted to give you

a slice of that cantaloupe.

Just sit down and shut up.

Sit down, sit down, sit down!

Shut up and leave me alone,

all of you! Let me eat!

What's the big deal?

I can't see the difference

between that and this.

You don't see the difference?

The difference is I grew it!

Rate this script:5.0 / 2 votes

Deric Washburn

Deric Washburn (born June 2, 1937) is an American screenwriter. Washburn was born in Buffalo, NY and grew up in Providence, RI. He graduated from Harvard College, A.B. English Literature, in 1959. His early career was that of a playwright, penning the off-Broadway plays Ginger Anne and The Love Nest. He is best known for co-writing the original screenplay of The Deer Hunter with Michael Cimino. I am Deric Washburn and have just sent correct picture or tried to. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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    "Silent Running" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/silent_running_18138>.

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