Boy, this place is great.
You know what we ought to do?
We ought to stop
and have a waterfront cookout.
Did you ever take a marshmallow
and roast it on a frank,
and then dip it in chilli sauce--
Come on, isn't there anything
you ever think about besides food?
Yeah. But I'm certainly not gonna
discuss that with an angel.
Well, I'm sorry. The boss has got us
on a tight schedule on this one.
Work, work, work.
Whatever happened to that
"on the seventh day he rested" thing?
Hey, Mark, do me a favour,
pull over up ahead, will you?
You changed your mind
about the cookout, I knew you would.
Knew you would. Here we go.
This is great.
Listen, Jonathan, you pick a spot.
I'll head down to that little market
and pick up the goodies.
Jonathan.
Easy, take it easy,
I'm not going to hurt you.
Take it easy, you're okay.
What's wrong with him?
I don't know.
It doesn't look like he got hung up
in telephone wires or anything.
No, no. Something else
is happening here.
He's dead.
You all right, buddy?
Jonathan.
Mark, I want to spend some time here
in Rose Beach.
I thought we were late
for an assignment.
I don't care,
there's work we have to do here.
Jonathan, the boss gave us a job.
He's expecting us to get it done.
How's he going to feel,
you suddenly turning renegade?
Please, this is important to me.
As a favour. Please.
How do you say no to an angel?
All right, for a little while. But, mind you,
it's against my better judgement.
Thanks.
Look, I want you to get a job
at the Drake plant.
While working there, see what you can
find out about toxic waste dumping.
Some cookout, huh?
Yeah.
Excuse me. I've just been hired,
I'm supposed to report to the foreman.
- I took a wrong turn somewhere.
- Don't worry.
It happens to newcomers.
I'm going your way.
- Come on.
- Oh, thanks. I'm Mark Gordon.
- Rita Travers.
- What do you do around here?
I'm Mr. Drake's
administrative assistant.
Sounds important.
Does "glorified gal Friday"
sound more down to earth?
Six fun-filled years of it.
I've been up for promotion for four.
- So, what's jamming up the works?
- Just too good at my job.
Never could find anyone
to replace me.
Why don't you go
to another company?
There is no other company.
Drake's the only industry in the area.
Don't get me wrong. Mr. Drake's
terrific. I love working for him.
Speak of the devil, there he is now.
The one in the white lab coat
is Donald Feeney,
our industrial engineer.
Oh, the foreman's office is straight up
those stairs, first door on the right.
- Welcome aboard.
- Thanks for the help.
What happened to the birds, mister?
Not quite sure.
Look, I'm a stranger around here.
You kids know the Drake plant?
Sure. Our folks work there.
My dad, Burt Morgan. He's been
on the line for two years.
My mother's Mr. Drake's assistant.
She knows that place inside out.
Rita Travers.
Thank you. Rita Travers.
I'll keep that in mind.
What you gonna do with all the birds,
mister?
First, I'm gonna let Rose Beach
know they passed on.
Then, I'm gonna try
to find out why.
Why do you care?
You're not from around here.
No, but these birds are.
Well, anything we can do
to help, mister?
Sure.
First thing you gotta do
is stop calling me mister.
Call me Jonathan.
- Rita.
- Inspector Thomas. How's everything?
Drake in?
I'm on official business.
I don't see you down here.
Well, squeeze me in.
I've got a time b*mb ticking here,
and it's about to go off.
This plant could be history
as of today.
But why? What's going on?
- Clayton. Great to see you.
- Gotta talk to you, Horton.
- Now.
- Come on in.
Yeah, we manufacture parts
for all kinds of high-tech industries.
You'll be working on the line
with me.
- Welcome aboard.
- I got a feeling you like it here.
After a year out of work over
in Coulton, I'm thankful to have a job.
Got a new baby on the way.
- Good. Congratulations.
- Thanks.
What are you hoping for,
a boy or a girl?
Oh, already got a boy.
Kind of like a girl this time.
But, you know, if it's healthy,
I'm happy.
Yeah, I know what you mean.
You know, a big factory like this,
there must be a lot of
chemical dumping going on.
No, not that I know of.
"Tetrachloroethylene."
What is this stuff?
It's just a cleaner. We use it
to scrub the grease off the boards.
Then it goes
right down the drain, right?
Hey, pal, why all the questions?
You some kind of EPA spy
or something?
No, no, no. I saw a dying seagull
on my way into town.
Got me thinking, you know?
Well, that's got nothing to do
with our plant.
Besides, there's plenty of birds
around here.
One more or less
isn't gonna mean much.
Yeah, I suppose so.
That's us, let's hit it.
- Wanna grab a beer after work?
- Sounds good.
You see, all these figures
belong over here.
I can't wait to tell that
at the next board meeting.
- How about lunch next week?
- Anytime, just give me a ring.
You got it.
I'll be right back.
What was all the ruckus about?
You know Clayton.
Making mountains
out of mole hills is his speciality.
But he said the plant would close.
What does that mean?
Only that he's full of more hot air
than usual.
I don't see what the city health
department sees in him.
Well, I gotta go. I'm meeting my wife
at the racket club.
- But I wanted to ask--
- If I'm late,
she'll go on a shopping spree
out of vengeance.
Women. Don't ever try
to figure them out.
I'll do my best to steer clear of them.
"Drake Industries is charged
with excessive environmental abuses
in the matter of groundwater
contamination
of Rose Beach and environs."
Hey, gather around.
Birds of a feather flock together,
you know what they say?
Now, you've heard
of the birdman of Alcatraz.
I want you to look, now here's
the birdman of Rose Beach!
Hey, you know where
a pound canary sleeps?
Anywhere he wants to.
Now listen closely, my friends
as I dazzle you
with my impressions
of your favourite feathered friends.
Can you get this one?
Hey.
Let me have one of those.
- Yes, sir.
- You got it.
You're old bluebird,
yes, the bluebird of happiness.
Not too happy
when he's not feeling well, though.
How about this one?
Yes, indeed, if you said cardinal,
you were right.
If you said bishop, you were wrong.
And how about this beautiful bird--?
- Son, what's going on?
- Oh, hi, Dad.
I'm just helping that guy, Jonathan.
Let me have that.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the hawk,
the hawk.
I'm not getting much response here.
Maybe I'll turn down the bird call--
What are you trying to do, son?
Shut us down?
Give me those.
- Now, just go on home.
- But Pa...
Just go home.
Security? There's a lunatic down there
in front of the plant.
Are you sleeping down there?
Call the police and get rid of him.
Doing a little early
spring house cleaning, my dear?
I know I wasn't supposed
to see that, Mr. Drake.
But I have now, and...
Well, I wanna know
what it means.
According to that report,
we've been dumping hazardous
chemicals right into the sewer system,
they may be coming to the surface.
Rita, I love the passionate way
you do things,
but you really can't believe
everything you read,
especially when it comes from
someone like Clayton Thomas.
Are you saying the report is false?
No, there's a fragment of truth to it.
But we dealt with these problem six,
no, eight months ago.
We changed our solvents to a non-
toxic compound at great expense to us.
Right now, we're totally shipshape,
believe me.
Then, why did you write him a cheque
for $ , , Mr. Drake?
I never thought you'd stoop
to go through my accounts.
I don't have to explain myself to you.
I hate to say it, sir,
but this time you do.
To me,
and the people of Rose Beach.
Alright.
Alright, I did write that cheque.
But I promise you there is nothing
valid in that report.
It's just business as usual.
Confidentially, it was Clayton's
semi-annual payment.
- For what?
- For simply existing.
Payoffs to government agencies
are something you have to do
to keep the wheels turning smoothly.
- I dislike it as much as anyone.
- Then the report is true?
No, absolutely not.
He knew we dealt with those problems
months ago.
We did it discreetly
so as not to alarm the community.
He wanted
to let the cat out of the bag
because I was a little
bit late with my payment.
My God.
Yes, it is upsetting, isn't it?
Rita, you've got to stop
being so naïve.
Because this is the way
things get done.
Look, I was raised here.
I care about these people.
Do you really think
I would do anything to harm them?
- No.
- Well then, let it drop.
Because to reveal this now
would cause an unnecessary panic.
Trust me. Trust me, Rita, will you?
Attagirl.
I bet you're wondering who I am
and what I'm doing here.
You're wondering that, aren't you?
Well, I've been elected by the birds
of Rose Beach to be their spokesman.
They wanted to speak for themselves,
but they couldn't. You know why?
Because they're dead.
They're dead.
And these are only the beginning.
I'm talking about
ground water contamination.
And the source of that contamination
is Drake Technologies.
Why don't you fly back to your nest,
you kook.
There's nothing wrong
with our plant.
There's a lot wrong with this plant.
And these birds
are only the beginning.
Only the beginning.
The weak are always the first to die.
Small animal, birds...
And your babies.
And then your elderly.
It's contamination that's k*lling them,
and where's it going to stop?
Or has it started with you already?
Look at you, all looking at me
like I'm a fool.
Why worry about this, huh?
Worry about the important things,
worry about the b*mb.
Oh, we're going
to be k*lled by the b*mb!
Well, let me tell you none of you
are going to die from the b*mb.
You'll be dead long before that
because you're k*lling yourselves.
Because, day in and day out,
you contaminate the planet you live on.
You're going to k*ll yourselves.
And the plant that you work for,
Drake Technologies
is part of that m*rder!
Alright, this is private property.
It's time to fly south.
Well, you were right,
you made the front page.
Yeah, let me see.
Three hundred bucks to bail you out.
You know, I'm flat broke.
You alright, buddy?
You look a little green
behind the gills.
No, I'm fine.
The ravages
of being a jailbird, I guess.
Well, excuse me
for not busting a gut.
I mean, the sight of that paper
took all the yuks I had.
Mark, the people have to know.
Jonathan, if Drake closes, what about
the people who work there?
They've all got families.
I know that. But I'm trying
to prevent them
from being like those other towns
where the birth defect rate
is three times normal.
I want to stop that
from happening here.
If it isn't too late.
Please keep digging at that plant.
I need your help.
Okay.
Okay.
You don't know anything
about this birdman.
What makes you so sure
he's telling the truth?
I don't know, Mom.
It's just a feeling. I trust him.
Well, I trust Mr. Drake.
And he assures me
that the plant is clean.
But Mom, whatever happened
to those gulls--
Has nothing to do with the plant.
Eric, do you have any idea
what would happen to this town
if the plant closed down?
That would be a real disaster.
For everyone.
Look, I'm all for your caring
about wildlife.
All I ask is that you do it responsibly.
And stay way from strange characters,
like that birdman.
Okay?
I better go to school.
Good morning, Rita.
Mr. Drake! You're here early.
Well, I wanted to talk to you
before the day got underway.
- I've got something for you.
- What is it?
It's a confidential, independent study
Dr. Feeney conducted last month
regarding how Drake Technologies
rates in environmental areas.
As you'll see, we come up
smelling like roses.
I had him send it up,
because, well, I want to put to rest
any lingering doubt you may have.
Thank you, I appreciate this
very much.
Good. You take your time with it.
You'll find it's full of a lot
of technical mumbo-jumbo,
but you'll get the gist of it,
I'm sure.
This means a lot to me, I...
What is it? You seem upset?
It's Eric.
We had a bit of a run-in.
He's really upset
about this spate of dead birds.
I am too.
I'm sure they're flying in
from somewhere.
We're not the only plant in the state.
I know.
Say, there is one other thing too.
Considering the astute way
you handled yourself yesterday,
I was forced to face the fact that I've
been holding you back long enough.
How does vice president in charge
of Public Relations sound to you?
Well, it--
Oh, my God.
- Good. It sounds very good.
- Well, good.
Because that's your next job.
Come with me, come on.
Here we go, right this way,
Madame vice president.
And here we are.
I haven't bothered to furnish it.
I thought you'd like
to decorate it yourself.
After all, it's your own private office.
- Do you like it?
- Like it?
I've dreamed about this for years.
Well, your dream's come true.
Thank you, Mr. Drake.
Wait till I tell Eric.
Hey, how's it going?
What is this, you've been avoiding me
like the plague all day.
News travels fast in a town this size.
I know you bailed out
that crazy birdman.
So?
Whose side are you on, anyway?
Hey, he's a good guy.
He's just doing what he thinks is right.
Oh, yeah? Is it right for him
to be telling my kid
that his old man is working at a place
that's breaking the law?
He's got no proof, mind you.
Jonathan wouldn't say anything
unless it were true.
Oh, come on.
He's just another one of those looney
do-gooders, bleeding over a few birds.
Does he have a family to support?
Does he?
- No.
- Well, I do.
He can afford to be an idealist.
I'm a realist.
I've got no choice.
Nice picture. Always did like birds.
What do you want?
I just wanted to congratulate you
on your promotion.
Thanks.
Now, are you going to get out
or do I have to call Security?
All right.
Your son told me
you were a good listener.
I hope you don't make him
out to be a liar.
All right. You've got two minutes.
I'll just take one.
I've been checking
all the waterways in the area.
I'm certain Drake has been
dumping chemicals into the system.
And now it's resurfacing,
seeping into the ground water supply.
That's impossible.
I have just read the latest
documented scientific reports.
Come on,
what documented scientific reports?
The ones from Dr. Feeney?
Drake's chief industrial engineer?
Slight conflict of interest.
His recent raise would seem
to heighten that conflict,
wouldn't you say?
How do you know all that?
I just know.
Well, even if he did get a raise,
so what?
Dr. Feeney is above reproach.
I don't believe there's anything
to your allegations,
so if you don't mind,
I'd like you to leave.
Certainly.
Good luck with your new office.
It's a nice view.
It's wonderful to be able
to see the water.
I wouldn't swim in it, though.
Jonathan, help me.
Richie, he's real sick.
- What's the matter, pal?
- I don't know.
I found a couple of dead birds
at Brighton Pond.
I got them out,
started feeling real sick.
I told you never to touch
those birds unless you had gloves on.
I know, but you don't wear them.
Here, let me see your hands.
How long have you had that rash?
I just got it.
Oh, God, I think I'm going to be sick.
It's alright, just let it on out.
That's it.
Oh, God, what's happening to me?
Come on, I'll get you to the doctor.
Come on.
That should do it.
I'll get started on the ad campaign
first thing tomorrow.
It's your project. You handle it.
- Mr. Drake.
- Yes?
I just heard some awful news.
What is it, Amanda?
Well, apparently that bird fella
is in our emergency room
with a couple of kids.
- And--
- And what?
Spit it out, Amanda.
He says one of them
is contaminated.
Oh, my God. Eric.
Eric.
- Are you all right?
- Yeah, Mom.
But Richie, he got real sick.
It's a local allergic reaction
and nothing more.
The vomiting might be part
of the allergic response.
But the symptoms have abated.
He's fine now.
I don't get it, Dr. Dan. Richie's
never been allergic to anything.
What's going on here?
Richie brought me a dead bird
from Brighton Pond.
He put his hands
in the contaminated water.
The rash and vomiting
started after that.
Every time there's trouble,
you're right in the thick of it.
Hey, Dad, it's not his fault.
He told us not to touch anything.
I just forgot.
Look, I've checked
all the waterways in this area.
They're contaminated.
It may even be in the drinking water.
I've had enough of your irresponsible
rabble-rousing.
If you're not out of here
in ten seconds, I'll have you arrested.
Look, can we hold off
on the fighting?
I just wanna know
exactly what is wrong with my kid.
It could be any one
of a hundred things.
A reaction to an insect bite,
a chemical allergy.
The corticosteroid salve I prescribed
will take care of the rash.
Please don't worry.
Richie will be fine.
What's going on here?
You put salve on my kid, but you
don't know what's wrong with him?
There's nothing to worry about.
Bull. My kid is sick. That's something
to worry about, doctor.
You've got kids, too. It could just
as easily have been Eric as Richie.
Mr. Drake,
I wanna believe there's nothing wrong
here in Rose Beach.
I just hope nobody has to die before
you find out what's really going on.
Come on, son. Let's go home.
He could be right.
Someone may have to die
before they'll do something.
- Hello.
- Mr. Egan.
I have told you
never, never to call me at my home.
I know that, sir, but something has
happened since the board meeting.
What is it?
That troublemaker I mentioned.
He's becoming a real problem.
Well, how close is he?
He's too close.
Something's gonna have to be done.
And soon.
Alright, alright, I'll handle it.
Hi, birdie.
Thought we'd come by
and clip off your wings.
Folks around here
are getting tired of you, bird-freak.
We want you out.
I'm not leaving.
Boys, I think this little canary
needs some encouragement.
So, what do you say now, birdie?
I'm not leaving Rose Beach.
Tell your boss.
We don't have a boss.
We do this for fun.
Jonathan, you ought to see--
Alright, you. Come on.
Come on. Come on.
Come on, come on, you want
some more? Come on, let's go.
Hey.
That was very impressive.
I just wish you would have
gotten here sooner--
We're getting out of here,
we're getting out of here tonight.
I can't go yet.
If the boss wanted you here,
he would have given you the stuff.
I'm telling you, man, it's a sign.
Now we gotta get out of here.
Tomorrow.
I'll go tomorrow.
Hey, bird brain,
you better get out of here,
they'll throw you in the clink again.
Hey, pal, I'm talking to you.
Hey. Hey.
Oh, my God.
He's dead.
Somebody call the police.
Jonathan.
Jonathan.
I told you, buddy.
I told you we should have gone.
Oh, God, why?
Why?
Is this finally enough
to get you people to wake up?
My God, don't you see?
It wasn't just toxic waste
that k*lled him.
It was ignorance and it was greed.
All he wanted,
all he wanted in the world
was to keep your water
from being poisoned.
He wanted you all
to just stand up and fight.
He wasn't just talking
about your jobs,
He was talking about your lives.
This man...
I told you
those gauges were showing
unusually high readings
of toxic discharge.
That birdman knew that.
Why he let himself get contaminated,
I'll never know.
Who cares why?
He's out of our hair.
All we've gotta do is tough it
through the press attention,
and everything will get back
to normal.
Are you crazy?
There's gonna be an autopsy.
When they cut that guy open,
what do you think they're gonna find?
Sugarplums? Or evidence
of toxic chlorinated hydrocarbons?
When that's out,
the Fed's will be all over us.
There's not gonna be an autopsy.
No autopsy?
Why?
Because I'm gonna take care of it,
okay?
Don,
one more thing.
You keep your mouth shut.
You've got a good two years
in the Federal penitentiary if you don't.
Make it quick.
And now, a special news release,
from the city morgue.
Shirley Stark, what's happening
down there?
Phil, the most astonishing
turn of events.
The morgue has apparently
been broken into,
and the body of the mysterious
birdman is missing.
No one has any clue
as to its whereabouts.
Now the authorities aren't releasing
any information at this time.
We have tried to contact
Drake Technologies,
but they have no comment
at the moment.
They do say they will hold
a news conference tomorrow morning.
So we hope to have
more information for you then.
Now, back to regular programming.
Come on, quickly, this way.
- Helma said you were in Sai Wan.
- Now, for heaven's sake, leave here.
- Hi.
- Hello.
I'm sorry about your friend.
I liked him.
He had guts.
- Did you see the news last night?
- Yes.
Then you know they took his body.
Drake and his friends,
so there couldn't be an autopsy.
You don't know that.
Yes, I do. And so do you.
But you don't have to worry,
they're not gonna catch them.
Guys like Drake
don't ever get caught.
He and his flunkies
will talk their way out of it.
And you know what that means?
That means that my friend
will have died for nothing.
Nothing.
In five, four, three, two, one.
Good morning. I'm Shirley Stark,
and I'm here at Drake Technologies,
speaking with the company president,
Horton Drake,
as well as Dr. Donald Feeney.
Now, gentlemen, last night the body
of Jonathan Smith,
known as the birdman,
disappeared from the city morgue.
Accusations have been levelled that
he died of toxic waste contamination
emanating from this plant.
Shirley, there is absolutely
no connection
between that death and our plant.
We are a clean operation, operating
well within the EPA guidelines.
Doctor, do you agree with that?
Yes. Yes, wholeheartedly.
And I have documented studies
to offer as proof.
Then what do you make of the bizarre
disappearance of the birdman's body?
Sabotage,
pure and simple sabotage.
My guess
is that some radical ecological group
stole the body to avoid an autopsy,
because they know
that it would reveal the truth
that this birdman
did not die of chemical poisoning.
We are the ones
who wanted an autopsy.
We demanded it,
because we knew we'd be vindicated.
We're innocent.
And everyone here knows it.
Wait.
- I have something to say.
- Give her the mic.
I'm Rita Travers, vice president
of Public Relations at Drake.
I have in my possession
a secret report
that documents
Jonathan Smith's allegations.
This woman is not authorised
to speak for the company.
She was fired as an incompetent,
and she's simply trying to get revenge.
I was told that the problems
in this report had been dealt with.
I believed it,
but I now know that it was a lie.
Toxic chemicals are being dumped at
this plant, right into the sewer system.
And for some time now, they've
been seeping up to the surface,
contaminating our ground water.
We're slowly being poisoned.
This is a pack of lies.
The birds are just the tip
of the iceberg, the first to go.
Look, I'm no expert,
but do we have to wait
until our kids get leukaemia?
Until our mothers have miscarriages,
our men go sterile?
Let's not wait for a body count.
Let's not have another Love Canal.
Jonathan Smith died for us.
He tried to help us, now he's dead,
let's make that death mean something.
Will our jobs count if we're k*lling
ourselves and our families?
Please!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Clean up the plant!
Well, you got it done, buddy.
You got it done.
Hey, how about that cookout?
Cute, Jonathan. Really cute.