Ondine (2009)

Alison Barry: Annie

Photos 

Quotes 

• Annie : You sure it's not some kind of wish-fulfillment kind of thing?

  Syracuse : Where did you learn words like that?

  Annie : I go to school.

  Syracuse : And I didn't...

  Annie : No. Let's be honest, you didn't. You move your mouth when you read.

• Annie : This town is what you call sartorially challenged.

  Ondine : What does that mean?

  Annie : A supermodel's nightmare. Do selkies do lingerie? Why not? They wear seaweed knickers and a scallopy bra.

  [Syracuse stifles laughing] 

  Annie : But that's underwater. Won't do here. I'm not suggesting she buy them all, Da. Just a selection.

• Ondine : Can I...

  Syracuse : What?

  Ondine : Can I clean up this place?

  Syracuse : I suppose. How long are you staying?

  Ondine : Depends, I guess.

  Syracuse : On what?

  Ondine : On you.

  Syracuse : On me?

  [pleased] 

  Syracuse : It depends on me, you can stay forever.

  Ondine : Forever?

  [chuckles] 

  Syracuse : Forever. Happily ever after. Once upon a time. I've been... telling my daughter a story... uh, a fairytale.

  [exits] 

  Annie : [hidden, to herself]  What's the story, Da?

• [last lines] 

  Annie : What about your past lives?

  Ondine : Are you sure I have them?

  Annie : Oh yeah, everybody does. It's just a matter of remembering.

  Annie : [to her dad]  Stop peeping, would you?

  Syracuse : I don't peep.

  Annie : I mean, you could have even been married in one of them...

• Annie : So I supposed she isn't a Selkie really. 'Cause you can't marry a seal, can ya?

  Priest : No, you definitely cannot.

  Annie : Not in the real quotidian world, any way.

  Priest : Quotidian?

  Annie : Yep. Means the one we have to live in. If she was a seal, though, would you still do the wedding?

  Priest : Me?

• Annie : So, what's the story?

  Syracuse : Oh, she sings.

  Annie : Who sings?

  Syracuse : The woman in the story I told you about.

  Annie : With the fisherman?

  Syracuse : Yes. She sings to the fishes and he catches them.

  Annie : You sure you're not dreaming, Da?

  Syracuse : Dreaming?

  Annie : Yeah. You sure this isn't some weird wish-fulfilment thing?

  Syracuse : Where did you learn words like that?

  Annie : I go to school.

  Syracuse : And I didn't?

  Annie : No. Let's be honest, you didn't. You move your mouth when you read.

  Syracuse : Is that bad?

  Annie : No, but it means something. So she sings, does she?

  Syracuse : Yep... a song in a language he has never heard.

  Annie : That would be Selk.

  Syracuse : Selk?

  Annie : Kind of seal talk. And do you know why she sings?

  Syracuse : Why?

  Annie : That's the way they communicate underwater. They don't speak, they sing.

  Syracuse : Ah... so the lobster hear her singing.

  Annie : What lobster?

  Syracuse : What I mean is, under the water they hear her singing?

  Annie : The denizens of the deep.

  Syracuse : Are you sure?

  Annie : She's a seal. She's not human.

  Syracuse : She looks human.

  Annie : In the story?

  Syracuse : Yes, in the story.

  Annie : Whose story is this?

  Syracuse : It's mine.

  Annie : You make it up?

  Syracuse : Yeah. For you.

• Annie : [Describing the Selkies]  They don't speak, they sing.

• Annie : [happens upon Ondine as Ondine swims to the shore]  Curiouser and curiouser.

  Ondine : What's that?

  Annie : What Alice said to the White Rabbit.

  Ondine : Come again?

  Annie : Curiouser and...

  Ondine : curiouser.

  Annie : See. I knew you were real.

  Ondine : I was real?

  Annie : Yes. I knew it wasn't a story.

  Ondine : What wasn't a story?

  Annie : The fisherman. The girl in the net.

  Ondine : Ahh.

  Annie : My da told me a story about you.

  Ondine : Your dad is Syracuse?

  Annie : Yeah, the fisherman.

• Annie : What do you think, Circus?

  Syracuse : I think that's not my name.

  Annie : Sorry. Da.

• Syracuse : Anything strange or wonderful?

  Annie : Why do you always say that?

  Syracuse : I don't know, Annie. It's... a kind of a wish.

  Annie : A wish?

  Syracuse : Yeah, that something strange... or wonderful might happen.

  Annie : No, Da, nothing strange or wonderful.

  Syracuse : That's good, then.

• Maura : She's been waiting.

  Syracuse : I'm sorry. Something came up.

  Maura : Appointment's for six. She gets upset.

  Syracuse : I'll make it up to her.

  [to Annie] 

  Syracuse : How's my baby? Ah, here we go.

  Annie : Bye, Mam.

  Maura : You have to fuck it up, don't you?

  Syracuse : Yeah. It's genetic.

• Annie : [undergoing dialysis]  Well... go on.

  Syracuse : Go on what?

  Annie : You said you'd tell me a story.

  Syracuse : Okay. Once upon a time...

  Annie : Does it always have to be, "Once upon a time?"

  Syracuse : Well, it's how stories begin.

  Annie : And a very good time it was.

  Syracuse : Yes... It was a good time. And it was a bad time. How are you feeling, love?

  Annie : Never mind about me. Go on.

  Syracuse : Once upon a time... there was a fisherman. And he was pulling in his nets... and it was a normal day.

  [cut to Ondine sitting outside humming, looking away as she views the cove] 

  Annie : And?

  Syracuse : And what?

  Annie : What was she?

  Syracuse : What was she?

  Annie : Was she a mermaid?

  Syracuse : No. She wasn't a mermaid.

  Annie : Was she a selkie, then?

  Syracuse : What's a selkie?

  Annie : A kind of seal woman. You hear them singing out on Seal Rock.

  Syracuse : Who told you that?

  Annie : Teacher. She comes out of the sea. Loses her seal coat. Lives on land until the sea calls her back.

  Syracuse : [skeptically]  Well, she didn't have a seal coat. Whatever that is. She seemed to remember drowning.

  Annie : And?

  Syracuse : And... that's it.

  Annie : That's a real shite story.

  Syracuse : Yeah? Maybe.

• Alex : How's the fishing, Circus?

  Syracuse : It's Syracuse.

  Alex : Syracuse, how's the fishing?

  Syracuse : Same.

  [kisses Annie on top of the head] 

  Syracuse : See you.

  Annie : When?

  Syracuse : Tomorrow.

• Annie : So what's the story?

• Annie : Curiouser and curiouser.