Into the Woods Page #16

I came with my husband. We were ...

well you see ... it’s a long story.

C’S PRINCE

He would let you roam alone in the

woods?

WIFE:

No, actually it was my choice.

C’S PRINCE

How brave.

WIFE:

Brave?

C’S PRINCE

Yes./ ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN IN THE

WOODS./ MAY I KISS YOU?/ ANY MOMENT WE

COULD BE CRUSHED.

WIFE:

Uh-

C’S PRINCE

DON’T FEEL RUSHED.

He kisses her. She succumbs for a moment, then pulls away.

WIFE:

THIS IS RIDICULOUS,/ WHAT AM I DOING

HERE?/ I’M IN THE WRONG STORY.

He goes in for another kiss and she pulls away once more.

WIFE (CONT'D)

Wait one moment, please! We can’t do

this! You have a Princess!

C’S PRINCE

Well, yes, I do.

WIFE:

And I have a...baker.

C’S PRINCE

Of course, you’re right. How foolish./

FOOLISHNESS CAN HAPPEN IN THE WOODS./

ONCE AGAIN, PLEASE--/ LET YOUR

HESITATIONS BE HUSHED.

ANY MOMENT, BIG OR SMALL,/ IS A

MOMENT, AFTER ALL./ SEIZE THE MOMENT,

SKIES MAY FALL/ ANY MOMENT.

He kisses her again.

WIFE:

(stepping back)

But this is not right!

C’S PRINCE

RIGHT AND WRONG DON’T MATTER IN THE

WOODS,/ ONLY FEELINGS./ LET US MEET

THE MOMENT UNBLUSHED./ LIFE IS OFTEN

SO UNPLEASANT--/ YOU MUST KNOW THAT,

AS A PEASANT--/ BEST TO TAKE THE

MOMENT PRESENT/ AS A PRESENT FOR THE

MOMENT.

As the PRINCE takes her into his arms, we PAN UP to see

CINDERELLA’S BIRDS in the branches looking down at them.

EXT. WOODS - C-MOTHER’S GRAVE - DUSK

We TRACK with the BAKER before he comes upon CINDERELLA

crying at what’s left of her MOTHER’S GRAVESTONE and tree.

BAKER:

Four eighty two... four eighty

three...

(beat)

Excuse me, ma’am. Have you seen a

boy...

(notices she is

crying)

I’m sorry, may I be of some service?

She looks to the BAKER and immediately turns her head for

fear she will be recognized.

CINDERELLA:

The tree has fallen. Mother’s grave,

destroyed.

BAKER:

(confused)

Oh. I’m sorry.

CINDERELLA:

I shouldn’t complain. I’m sure others

have suffered worse after the

earthquake.

BAKER:

Earthquake? It’s no earthquake --

there’s a giant terrorizing the

kingdom!

CINDERELLA:

Well, I’m sure the Prince will see to

it that the Giant is rid from our

land.

BAKER:

Hah, the Prince? No doubt he’s off

somewhere seducing some young maiden.

CINDERELLA:

(She turns to him)

What?

BAKER:

You look just like the Princess -- but

dirty. Oh no, you are the Princess!

He drops to his knees and bows.

CINDERELLA:

Please. Please... Get up! I’m not a

princess here.

BAKER:

I’m sorry. I didn’t recognize you.

CINDERELLA:

I had to disguise myself. I’m not

permitted to leave the palace

unescorted.

CINDERELLA looks away towards the wreckage of her mother’s

grave.

BAKER:

If you’d like you can come with me.

You will be safe in our company.

CINDERELLA thinks for a moment, then nods.

CINDERELLA:

Thank you.

BAKER:

This way.

EXT. WOODS - ROOT HOLLOW - DUSK

The C-PRINCE is wrapped in an embrace with the WIFE. He

suddenly breaks away.

C’S PRINCE

I must leave you.

She looks at him confused. He walks over to his horse and

mounts it.

C’S PRINCE (CONT'D)

Now I must go off to slay a giant. I

shall not forget you. How brave you

are to be alone in the woods. And how

alive you’ve made me feel.

And just like that, he rides off leaving a cloud of dust in

his wake.

WIFE:

What was that?/ WAS THAT ME?/ WAS THAT

HIM?/ DID A PRINCE REALLY KISS ME?/

AND KISS ME?/ AND KISS ME?/ AND DID I

KISS HIM BACK?

WAS IT WRONG?/ AM I MAD?/ IS THAT

ALL?/ DOES HE MISS ME?/ WAS HE

SUDDENLY/ GETTING BORED WITH ME?

WAKE UP! STOP DREAMING./ STOP PRANCING

ABOUT THE WOODS./ IT’S NOT BESEEMING./

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE WOODS?

BACK TO LIFE, BACK TO SENSE,/ BACK TO

CHILD, BACK TO HUSBAND,/ NO ONE LIVES

IN THE WOODS./ THERE ARE VOWS, THERE

ARE TIES,/ THERE ARE NEEDS, THERE ARE

STANDARDS,/ THERE ARE SHOULDN’TS AND

SHOULDS.

(she stops for a

moment)

(MORE)

WIFE (CONT'D)

WHY NOT BOTH INSTEAD?/ THERE’S THE

ANSWER, IF YOU’RE CLEVER:/ HAVE A

CHILD FOR WARMTH/ AND A BAKER FOR

BREAD,/ AND A PRINCE FOR WHATEVER--/

NEVER!/ IT’S THESE WOODS.

She begins retracing her steps.

WIFE (CONT’D)

(she continues)

FACE THE FACTS, FIND THE BOY,/ JOIN

THE GROUP, STOP THE GIANT,/ JUST GET

OUT OF THESE WOODS./ WAS THAT HIM? YES

IT WAS./ WAS THAT ME? NO, IT WASN’T,/

JUST A TRICK OF THE WOODS.

JUST A MOMENT,/ ONE PECULIAR PASSING

MOMENT...

MUST IT ALL BE EITHER LESS OR MORE,/

EITHER PLAIN OR GRAND?/ IS IT ALWAYS

“OR”?/ IS IT NEVER “AND”?/ THAT’S WHAT

WOODS ARE FOR:
/ FOR THOSE MOMENTS IN

THE WOODS.

She stops to catch her breath and make sure she’s on the

right path.

WIFE (CONT’D)

OH, IF LIFE WERE MADE OF MOMENTS,/

EVEN NOW AND THEN A BAD ONE--!/ BUT IF

LIFE WERE ONLY MOMENTS,/ THEN YOU’D

NEVER KNOW YOU HAD ONE.

(on the move again)

FIRST A WITCH, THEN A CHILD,/ THEN A

PRINCE, THEN A MOMENT--/ WHO CAN LIVE

IN THE WOODS?/ AND TO GET WHAT YOU

WISH,/ ONLY JUST FOR A MOMENT--/ THESE

ARE DANGEROUS WOODS...

LET THE MOMENT GO./ DON’T FORGET IT

FOR A MOMENT, THOUGH./

The WIFE looks in the direction of where the C-PRINCE exited.

WIFE (CONT’D)

JUST REMEMBERING YOU’VE HAD AN “AND,”/

WHEN YOU’RE BACK TO “OR”/

She looks down to the BAKER’S scarf and pulls it from her

waist.

WIFE (CONT’D)

MAKES THE “OR” MEAN MORE/ THAN IT DID

BEFORE./ NOW I UNDERSTAND--/ AND IT’S

TIME TO LEAVE THE WOODS!

With newfound determination to return to her husband, she

ties the scarf around her neck and begins to trace her steps

back:

WIFE (CONT’D)

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

one eighty-two...

She stops. An ominous expression crosses her face. We begin

to hear the pounding steps of the GIANT moving closer. The

WIFE scrambles up a steep incline trying to find a way to get

out of the GIANT’S path. She makes it to the top, but

realizes there is no way down on the other side.

As the GIANT’S footsteps near, the WIFE is engulfed in

darkness. Trees begin to fall around her and as the earth

shakes, she loses her balance and falls backwards with a

scream.

EXT. WOODS - TALL TREES - NIGHT

The BAKER is pacing back and forth. CINDERELLA is tending to

the BABY. LRRH sits staring sadly into space.

BAKER:

She should be back by now.

LRRH:

She wouldn’t get lost.

CINDERELLA:

I’m sure she’ll return.

BAKER:

No, I must go and look for her-They

hear a commotion. It’s the WITCH, who has JACK by the

scruff of the neck.

WITCH:

Look who I found!

JACK:

You’re hurting me!

The WITCH continues pulling the boy along.

BAKER:

Let go of him!

WITCH:

I’ll let go of him when I give him to

the Giant.

JACK:

Make her stop!

LRRH:

Leave him alone!

LRRH goes to try and pull JACK away from the WITCH. A tussle

ensues, and the BAKER notices that JACK has dropped

something. He goes over and picks up his SCARF.

BAKER:

(at the top of his

lungs)

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