Mr. North (1988) Synopsis

Summer in Newport, Rhode Island in 1926. A young man, a graduate of Yale, bored with the sameness of teaching, finds himself in town due to the hand of fate. Mr. T. Theophilus North offers his services as a tutor to the children of the wealthy families who have summer "cottages" (really mansions) along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The opening finds him reading to three misbehaving children. He tries to be polite to them, but skips pages to end the ordeal. When the eldest calls him on the skipping she tells him, "you're a hateful, ugly, horrible man and you shouldn't be allowed". Theophilus agrees that he shouldn't be allowed, takes drumsticks away from one child, pushes another down and gives a static electric shock to the girl right on her nose. As he leaves, he suggests to their mother that they be encouraged to play with matches. Mr. North rides a bicycle and only selectively follows the rules of polite society. He arrives at the front door of the Bosworth Cottage for an appointment with a potential client and causes a disruption that gets a maid, Sally, dressed down by Sarah Baily-Lewis. Dr. McPherson reports on her father, Mr. Bosworth's, health. Baily-Lewis, who called to get the Bible read to Mr. Bosworth before he dies, objects to Mr. North's quoted price; he offers discounts for reading in unintelligible languages. This exchange tickles Mr. Bosworth who hires North two-hours a day, three days a week. Theophilus establishes a friendship with Henry Simmons, a gentleman's gentleman who is headman at the Venable Cottage and senior man at Amelia Cranston's boarding establishment (where all the best help live) after losing a game of nine ball at a billiard parlor. Among his many jobs, North teaches tennis lessons to a group of children who discover that he has electric hands. He also works at Mino's Chowder Shack, where he gets to eat like six fishermen. Henry discovers him working at Mino's and shares a secret and a thing or two about Newport. He then invites North to meet Mrs. Cranston to enjoy some not so week, not peppermint, and certainly not tea. Henry and Amelia share their perspective of the Death Watch where relatives are in cahoots with a doctor to get an elderly lady or gent with money to give up their checkbook, pen, and signing power. Henry gets to sliding on the ice when he names Dr. McPherson as on retainer at the Bosworth Cottage for $15,000. Galloper, one of the children from the tennis lesson, has Mr. North invited to read to his sister Elspeth Skeel who suffers from migraines. She asks him to touch her forehead with his magic hands and seems to be relieved of pain at his touch. Later Mr. Skeel objects to North's laying hands on his daughter and banishes him from the property. Theophilus lives at the YMCA and is visited by Sally, the maid from the Bosworth Cottage, who warns him that Mrs. Baily-Lewis has hired a bouncer to keep him from visiting Mr. Bosworth. North bests the bouncer using jujitsu and is applauded by Bosworth's widowed granddaughter Persis Bosworth-Tennyson. Mr. Bosworth expresses his admiration of Barclay and notes that he had a home in Newport. North indicates he would enjoy visiting Whitehall with Mr. Bosworth who admits he suffers from a weak bladder and has been housebound for years. Later Theophilus offers some pills that his grandfather swears by as an ancient remedy for his problem. He also provides Mr. Bosworth with adult sized rubber pants and diapers just as the beautiful Persis arrives with tea and a formal introduction is made. Mr. North encounters Sally at the Fourth of July celebration and they spend the day together. After dark at the fireworks display Theophilus attempts to seduce Sally, and she moans another man's name. Theophilus gets her to admit to loving Michael Patrick Ennis, III of Boston, who's family she worked for but left when the mother objected to Sally and her son's relationship. North tells Sally that she is good enough to be the wife of a Beacon Hill scion and encourages her to go back to Boston and tell Michael Patrick Ennis he said so. Mr. North is summoned in the middle of the night to the Skeel home and asked to comfort Elspeth who is suffering from the worst migraine. Dr. McPherson objects and is invited to leave. North is invited to take a drive with Mr. Bosworth who has escaped from his home for longer and longer periods. Bosworth indicates his plan to purchase Whitehall and turn it into an academy of philosophy, to seek out deep thinkers from around the world and invite them to live and study, teach, and write at Whitehall. Word has gotten out about what Theophilus has done for Elspeth and a group of people are waiting for his return to the YMCA seeking his curative touch. Dr McPherson swears out a warrant for the arrest of Theophilus North on a charge of practicing medicine without a license. Later a larger crowd of ailing wraiths accosts Mr. North at the Y and he escapes by climbing out a window; the crowd chases him through the city and he seeks Henry's help. Finally, he jumps off a pier and Henry picks him up in a cigarette boat to speed him away. When they return to shore the police arrest him on Dr. McPherson's warrant. A trial is held where Dr. McPherson outlines the medical interventions Mr. North has made-prescribing pills to Mr. Bosworth and laying hands on Elspeth Skeel. Upon questioning Theophilus reveals the pills were peppermints and Mr. Skeel indicates Mr. North was acting upon his request. Mrs. Cranston makes an impassioned speech pointing out that Mr. North is thought to be a miracle worker because he takes no fee and everybody knows you can't buy a miracle. The case is dismissed and Dr. McPherson is held in contempt for demanding a conviction. Mr. North is invited to the Venable's ball of the season and Henry canvases every butler and valet on Bellview Avenue to obtain a proper suit and accessories. Theophilus meets Buster and Amanda Venable and is introduced to their special guests, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Patrick Ennis of Boston; he realizes why he has been invited when he finds that Sally is now Mrs. Ennis. When Sarah Baily-Lewis is introduced and realizes that the maid she dressed down is now her social better, she seems to have a breakdown. Mr. Bosworth offers Theophilus the role of Trustee of his fortune which will go to the furtherance of the Whitehall Institute. The movie ends with Theophilus asking Persis Bosworth-Tennyson to dance. He shocks her when he touches her, apologizes, and she replies that she only hopes it will happen often. They run off the terrace hand in hand and another spark ignites from the dark.

Summer in Newport, Rhode Island in 1926. A young man, a graduate of Yale, bored with the sameness of teaching, finds himself in town due to the hand of fate. Mr. T. Theophilus North offers his services as a tutor to the children of the wealthy families who have summer "cottages" (really mansions) along the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. The opening finds him reading to three misbehaving children. He tries to be polite to them, but skips pages to end the ordeal. When the eldest calls him on the skipping she tells him, "you're a hateful, ugly, horrible man and you shouldn't be allowed". Theophilus agrees that he shouldn't be allowed, takes drumsticks away from one child, pushes another down and gives a static electric shock to the girl right on her nose. As he leaves, he suggests to their mother that they be encouraged to play with matches. Mr. North rides a bicycle and only selectively follows the rules of polite society. He arrives at the front door of the Bosworth Cottage for an appointment with a potential client and causes a disruption that gets a maid, Sally, dressed down by Sarah Baily-Lewis. Dr. McPherson reports on her father, Mr. Bosworth's, health. Baily-Lewis, who called to get the Bible read to Mr. Bosworth before he dies, objects to Mr. North's quoted price; he offers discounts for reading in unintelligible languages. This exchange tickles Mr. Bosworth who hires North two-hours a day, three days a week. Theophilus establishes a friendship with Henry Simmons, a gentleman's gentleman who is headman at the Venable Cottage and senior man at Amelia Cranston's boarding establishment (where all the best help live) after losing a game of nine ball at a billiard parlor. Among his many jobs, North teaches tennis lessons to a group of children who discover that he has electric hands. He also works at Mino's Chowder Shack, where he gets to eat like six fishermen. Henry discovers him working at Mino's and shares a secret and a thing or two about Newport. He then invites North to meet Mrs. Cranston to enjoy some not so week, not peppermint, and certainly not tea. Henry and Amelia share their perspective of the Death Watch where relatives are in cahoots with a doctor to get an elderly lady or gent with money to give up their checkbook, pen, and signing power. Henry gets to sliding on the ice when he names Dr. McPherson as on retainer at the Bosworth Cottage for $15,000. Galloper, one of the children from the tennis lesson, has Mr. North invited to read to his sister Elspeth Skeel who suffers from migraines. She asks him to touch her forehead with his magic hands and seems to be relieved of pain at his touch. Later Mr. Skeel objects to North's laying hands on his daughter and banishes him from the property. Theophilus lives at the YMCA and is visited by Sally, the maid from the Bosworth Cottage, who warns him that Mrs. Baily-Lewis has hired a bouncer to keep him from visiting Mr. Bosworth. North bests the bouncer using jujitsu and is applauded by Bosworth's widowed granddaughter Persis Bosworth-Tennyson. Mr. Bosworth expresses his admiration of Barclay and notes that he had a home in Newport. North indicates he would enjoy visiting Whitehall with Mr. Bosworth who admits he suffers from a weak bladder and has been housebound for years. Later Theophilus offers some pills that his grandfather swears by as an ancient remedy for his problem. He also provides Mr. Bosworth with adult sized rubber pants and diapers just as the beautiful Persis arrives with tea and a formal introduction is made. Mr. North encounters Sally at the Fourth of July celebration and they spend the day together. After dark at the fireworks display Theophilus attempts to seduce Sally, and she moans another man's name. Theophilus gets her to admit to loving Michael Patrick Ennis, III of Boston, who's family she worked for but left when the mother objected to Sally and her son's relationship. North tells Sally that she is good enough to be the wife of a Beacon Hill scion and encourages her to go back to Boston and tell Michael Patrick Ennis he said so. Mr. North is summoned in the middle of the night to the Skeel home and asked to comfort Elspeth who is suffering from the worst migraine. Dr. McPherson objects and is invited to leave. North is invited to take a drive with Mr. Bosworth who has escaped from his home for longer and longer periods. Bosworth indicates his plan to purchase Whitehall and turn it into an academy of philosophy, to seek out deep thinkers from around the world and invite them to live and study, teach, and write at Whitehall. Word has gotten out about what Theophilus has done for Elspeth and a group of people are waiting for his return to the YMCA seeking his curative touch. Dr McPherson swears out a warrant for the arrest of Theophilus North on a charge of practicing medicine without a license. Later a larger crowd of ailing wraiths accosts Mr. North at the Y and he escapes by climbing out a window; the crowd chases him through the city and he seeks Henry's help. Finally, he jumps off a pier and Henry picks him up in a cigarette boat to speed him away. When they return to shore the police arrest him on Dr. McPherson's warrant. A trial is held where Dr. McPherson outlines the medical interventions Mr. North has made-prescribing pills to Mr. Bosworth and laying hands on Elspeth Skeel. Upon questioning Theophilus reveals the pills were peppermints and Mr. Skeel indicates Mr. North was acting upon his request. Mrs. Cranston makes an impassioned speech pointing out that Mr. North is thought to be a miracle worker because he takes no fee and everybody knows you can't buy a miracle. The case is dismissed and Dr. McPherson is held in contempt for demanding a conviction. Mr. North is invited to the Venable's ball of the season and Henry canvases every butler and valet on Bellview Avenue to obtain a proper suit and accessories. Theophilus meets Buster and Amanda Venable and is introduced to their special guests, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Patrick Ennis of Boston; he realizes why he has been invited when he finds that Sally is now Mrs. Ennis. When Sarah Baily-Lewis is introduced and realizes that the maid she dressed down is now her social better, she seems to have a breakdown. Mr. Bosworth offers Theophilus the role of Trustee of his fortune which will go to the furtherance of the Whitehall Institute. The movie ends with Theophilus asking Persis Bosworth-Tennyson to dance. He shocks her when he touches her, apologizes, and she replies that she only hopes it will happen often. They run off the terrace hand in hand and another spark ignites from the dark.

Published Time: 2020-08-13 17:01:51