Pumpkin (2002)

Pumpkin is a 2002 American film starring Christina Ricci. It is a dark comedy and story of forbidden love between a developmentally-handicapped man (Hank Harris) and a sorority girl (Ricci). The film was directed by Anthony Abrams and Adam Larson Broder and written by Adam Larson Broder.

Carolyn McDuffy (Ricci), in an effort to help her sorority sisters win a coveted award that has eluded them in the past years, joins them in training some handicapped young adults for Challenged Games, a fictional analogy to the Special Olympics. Carolyn is linked with Pumpkin Romanoff (Harris) and is horrified, mostly because she has never been in such an environment. Pumpkin is kind towards her and soon she finds herself falling in love with him because he is genuine, unlike her sorority sisters and her boyfriend. Carolyn experiences backlash and disdain about the relationship from her friends and family, including Pumpkin's own mother, despite the fact that Carolyn's love has inspired Pumpkin to get out of his wheelchair and become the best athlete on the team. Pumpkin's mother later walks into her son's room and discovers that Carolyn and Pumpkin have been sexually involved. Pumpkin's mother accuses her of raping her son and says he has no idea what she has done to him. She calls Carolyn's school and Carolyn is kicked out of school and the sorority. Carolyn then drinks medicine in her cabinet in an attempt to overdose and commit suicide, but suffers no ill effect after finding out that she has merely drank saline solution from a contact lens cleaning bottle and Pepto Bismol. Since Kent and Carolyn are the "perfect couple" and would ensure that the sorority wins the award, strings are pulled and Carolyn is let back into school, as well as the sorority, and her boyfriend Kent takes her back. At the sorority's ball, Pumpkin and his friends crash the party so Pumpkin can dance with the woman he loves. Kent won't stand for it and punches Pumpkin repeatedly as the girls hold Carolyn and keep Pumpkin's friends at bay. Kent turns his back as Pumpkin gathers his wits and charges Kent and tackles him, knocking him unconscious for a few seconds. Kent gets up, looks around and runs off crying. Carolyn tries to take Pumpkin inside to the dance, but the sorority sisters won't let them in. Carolyn pushes her way through with Pumpkin and they dance alone. Soon, others start to see the love between them and join them on the dance floor. As they're dancing, Kent is shown driving erratically and sobbing hysterically. He swerves to avoid a truck and plunges off a cliff with the car exploding in midair, crashing to the bottom. Carolyn goes to the hospital to check on Kent and finds that he is now paraplegic, though not burned from the explosion. He blames Carolyn for his problems and she is left distraught. She quits school, the sorority, and swears off Pumpkin forever. The sorority stops helping the team and the rival sorority wins the award. Carolyn enrolls at a public university and opens up to her peers who encourage her to go for what she wants. The sorority sisters have a change of heart and show up at the Olympic event. Kent is now the coach for Pumpkin's team and has become a motivator and humble person. Pumpkin races his rival, a bully who berates Pumpkin at every chance given. Pumpkin is motivated by Kent, telling him to win it for Carolyn and saying she wouldn't want him to lose. As he's running, he sees Carolyn in the stands and gets a sudden boost of energy. Pumpkin wins the race and at the finish line he is congratulated by the sorority sisters, his mother and Kent. Carolyn comes down to see Pumpkin as his mother is hugging him. She endears him to Carolyn, finally accepting her son's progress into a man. As Carolyn and Pumpkin walk off together, she asks him what name she should call him, and he replies "Pumpkin will be fine."