Into the Woods Page #15

JACK’S MOTHER

Jack! Has anyone seen my Jack? He ran

off again and I’ve been...

Everyone stares at her. JACK’S MOTHER does a slow take

looking up and discovering the GIANT.

STEWARD:

(meaning the GIANT)

She’s looking for him too.

GIANT:

Give him to me!

The GIANT suddenly reaches down. They all quickly duck out of

the way.

JACK’S MOTHER runs forward to confront the GIANT.

JACK’S MOTHER

Jack is just a lad! We had no food to

eat so he sold his beloved cow in

exchange for magic beans.

GIANT:

The boy - I want the boy!

JACK’S MOTHER

You leave my boy alone!

GIANT:

You’re making me very angry!

The GIANT stomps her foot in anger.

GIANT (CONT’D)

I’m waiting!

They all lose their balance. The STEWARD uses his staff to

hold JACK’S MOTHER back, trying to silence her.

STEWARD:

Don’t make her angry, woman, or you’ll

get us all killed!

But JACK’S MOTHER is in full flow, facing up to the GIANT.

JACK’S MOTHER

(losing control)

Flouncing through our kingdom with

your great big clodhopppers,

destroying everything in your path.

STEWARD:

Stop!

BAKER:

Don’t upset the Giant!

JACK’S MOTHER

You big bully! I’ll hide my son and

you’ll never find him. You’ll never,

ever...

STEWARD:

Get back woman!

The STEWARD forcefully pulls JACK’S MOTHER behind him. She

trips and falls.

STEWARD (CONT’D)

(to the GIANT)

The boy is hiding in the steeple

tower. You can find him there.

STEPMOTHER:

Yes, that’s true.

FLORINDA:

Yes. The steeple tower. We

LUCINDA:

saw him there!

GIANT:

If he is not, I will return tonight

and find you! All of you!

The GIANT takes off, the power of her footsteps forcing

everyone to hold on to one another for safety.

The BAKER’S WIFE sees JACK’S MOTHER, who is still lying on

the ground. She goes to her.

WIFE:

Look! What have you done to her?

STEWARD:

I didn’t mean to hurt her. I was just

thinking of the greater good.

The BAKER steps forward, taking charge.

BAKER:

Listen everyone. If we’re going to get

through this we have to stick

together.

STEPMOTHER:

(sincere)

Some people are cut out to battle

giants, and others are not. I don’t

have the constitution. And as long as

I can be of no help, I’m going to

hide.

(to her retinue)

Let’s go!

(she turns back)

Everything will work out fine in the

end.

WITCH:

Not always.

The STEPFAMILY leaves.

WITCH (CONT’D)

I don’t know where they think they’re

going. The giant’s already destroyed

the entire village. Only thing left of

my garden are these beans.

LRRH:

What are we going to do now?

WITCH:

We have no choice. Find the boy and

give her what she wants.

LRRH:

But if we do, she’ll kill Jack.

WITCH:

And if we don’t she’ll kill half the

kingdom!

She rushes back into the woods.

JACK’S MOTHER stirs and sits up.

JACK’S MOTHER

Promise me you won’t let them get

Jack. Promise!

BAKER:

Okay, I promise.

EXT. WOODS - RAPUNZEL’S TOWER - DAY

We follow the WITCH as she makes her way in search of

RAPUNZEL. She comes to their tower, now fallen. Sitting upon

a pile of rubble, a bereft RAPUNZEL clutches her cape as she

cries.

WITCH:

Rapunzel! You’re safe! Thank goodness.

RAPUNZEL:

Who are you?

WITCH:

Surely you remember?

(pleased)

Of course you don’t recognize me!

RAPUNZEL:

(stunned)

Mother?

WITCH:

This is who I truly am, my dear. Now

you don’t have to be embarrassed by

me. You must come with me. There’s a

Giant in the land.

She moves towards RAPUNZEL -- but suddenly the R-PRINCE rides

up on his white steed. He jumps off and rushes to RAPUNZEL.

R’S PRINCE

My darling. Are you all right? Why did

you run off?

RAPUNZEL:

I was afraid.

R-PRINCE

You never have to be afraid. Now come

with me.

WITCH:

She’s not going with you!

(To RAPUNZEL)

You will come with me.

RAPUNZEL pulls away and turns on the WITCH.

RAPUNZEL:

I will not come with you!

WITCH:

Then you leave me no choice.

The WITCH pulls RAPUNZEL behind her and tries to cast a spell

on R’S PRINCE. Nothing. She tries again. Still nothing.

The PRINCE takes notice of the Witch.

R’S PRINCE

You! The one who blinded me.

RAPUNZEL:

(accusing)

And locked me in a tower.

WITCH:

(sweetly)

To protect you.

RAPUNZEL:

...and then banished me to an island -in

the middle of a swamp!

WITCH:

I was just trying to be a good mother!

R’S PRINCE

(urging her)

Rapunzel...

RAPUNZEL takes one look at her MOTHER then moves to the

PRINCE.

WITCH:

Rapunzel, no! You will never be safe

with him.

RAPUNZEL:

Take me away from here.

R-PRINCE pulls RAPUNZEL up onto his horse.

WITCH:

No! Rapunzel!

RAPUNZEL:

Don’t you understand? I never want to

see you again. Ever!

ANGLE ON THE WITCH watching RAPUNZEL ride into the woods.

WITCH:

(to herself)

NO MATTER WHAT YOU SAY,/ CHILDREN

WON’T LISTEN./ NO MATTER WHAT YOU

KNOW,/ CHILDREN REFUSE/ TO LEARN.

GUIDE THEM ALONG THE WAY,/ STILL THEY

DON’T LISTEN./ CHILDREN CAN ONLY GROW/

FROM SOMETHING YOU LOVE/ TO SOMETHING

YOU LOSE...

EXT. WOODS - TALL TREES - DUSK

At first, we just see TREES.

BAKER (O.S.) BAKER’S WIFE (O.S.)

Jack! Jack!

LRRH (O.S.)

Jack!

Then the BAKER, the BAKER’S WIFE and LRRH appear, still

looking for JACK. They come to a halt.

BAKER:

We’re never going to find him.

WIFE:

We should fan out. It’ll increase our

chances.

BAKER:

No. You can’t be on your own.

WIFE:

I’ll be all right.

BAKER:

What if we get lost?

WIFE:

We’ll count our steps from right here.

LRRH:

I’ll go, too.

WIFE:

No. You stay with the baby.

The WIFE hands LRRH the baby and sits her down.

BAKER:

(pulling her aside)

You would leave our son with her?

WIFE:

Yes. He’s asleep. He’ll be safe with

the girl.

LRRH:

(assuming maturity)

I am very capable of caring for the

baby.

WIFE:

See?

BAKER:

But what if the Giant comes back...

WIFE:

What if, what if! Five hundred paces.

Go!

The WIFE turns and starts walking.

WIFE (CONT’D)

One, two...

The BAKER stops her. He unties his SCARF.

BAKER:

Wait! Take this. It might be cold.

The BAKER wraps his scarf around her neck and looks at her,

reluctant to let her go alone.

The WIFE turns away and begins to count her steps as she

walks off. The BAKER goes off in the opposite direction.

WIFE/BAKER

(overlapping)

One...two...three...four...

EXT. WOODS - ROOT HOLLOW - DUSK

The PRINCE is watering his horse in a GIANT footprint. The

WIFE enters counting.

WIFE:

One eighty-one...one eighty-two... one

eighty-three... one eighty-four...

(looks up; startled;

(bows)

Hello, Your Royal Highness.

C’S PRINCE

Hello.

WIFE:

You must be here to slay the Giant.

C’S PRINCE

The Giant?

WIFE:

Yes. Surely you’ve heard there is a

giant in our midst.

(beat)

Not an earthquake...

C’S PRINCE

Of course. A giant.

WIFE:

Yes, it’s a lady giant. Unusual, huh?

C’S PRINCE

I should think. And why are you alone

in the woods?

WIFE:

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