A little girl believes she is broken after losing her eyesight, hearing, and possibly her mind when she was mistakenly given electroshock. To be fully restored, the girl needs to work with a skeptical psychologist who thinks she’s a fraud.

SYNOPSIS:

This is what happened in 1943.

Nine-year-old MARY JANE HUTCHINSON frantically runs through hospital corridors. Running out of corridors, a doctor grabs her, straps her onto a gurney, and whisks her to a secluded room. Moments later nurses wantonly and mistakenly put electroshock devices onto her head and jam a wooden peg into her mouth. She’s utterly defenseless as the machine vibrates to life. When Mary’s tiny body convulses then stiffens; one thought enters her mind: ‘I wanna see the bright lights’ which morphs into a short one-sided casual conversation.

There remain two problems, nay, three: One, Mary is not a patient; two, the second person in Mary’s one-sided conversation is unseen and unheard, and three; she’s forcibly being electrocuted!

Hours later, her affectionate and beloved GRAMPS angrily confronts the hospital administrator, “Ya electrocutes my daughter, Doc! Ya gotta ‘lectrcute my granddaughter Boo, too?!”

Weeks later, after a particularly difficult day at OTTER CREEK SCHOOL, a very frightened Mary tells Gramps that she thinks God is mad at her because, “I can't see and hear as well as before. That's why I'm broke. I wanna see the bright lights again too.” Perplexed, Gramps does his best to comfort and help Boo.

Eventually, specialized doctors, including a noted psychologist and “antagonistic twit” (according to a colleague) DR. DERWOOD JASTROW begin treating her. They have a three-year medical timeline to make Mary ‘not broke anymore,’ otherwise she may become permanently blind, deaf, and mentally irreparable.

During her treatments and testings, the doctors discover Mary has acute senses of smell and touch. Somehow the press becomes aware of Mary Jane Hutchinson’s extraordinary abilities. The media’s attention to her disgruntles the public, including Jastrow, who thinks her and Gramps may be ‘hucksters.’ Mary, still innocently naïve but becoming pre-pubescent sassy, is unaware of the attention she and Gramps garner, nevertheless, she is aware enough of her growing detestation towards Jastrow.

Months later after an emotional press conference, Jastrow gets bent out of shape at the attention Mary just received. With the auditorium void of press and patronage, a heated argument ensues between Jastrow and his colleagues. Suddenly a voice is heard from PROFESSOR NETTLETON (Psy.D) coming from the emptiness.

After the proverbial Spanish Inquisition type questions from Jastrow, Nettleton solicits his own medical opinion that Mary may be suffering from mental shellshock which came from the electroshock device. When pressed by Jastrow, Nettleton cites a French soldier also blinded by shellshock who regained his eyesight. Of course, Jastrow arrogantly disagrees until Nettleton mentions the notoriety the psychologist received upon curing the French soldier.

Much to the objection of Gramps, he allows Jastrow to delve into Mary’s mind. Gramps justifies the ‘pokin’ n’ prodin’ of Boo’s brain knowing all Boo wants to do is see the bright lights. It is during another intensive session, Mary does just that. Catching Jastrow and Gramps off guard, Mary, without warning, bolts towards the bright light hidden in another room. It is there she meets the unseen and unheard person in her one-sided conversations.