Into the Woods Page #6

BAKER:

(To WIFE)

This is all we have...

She inspects his hand, which holds a few coins and the six

magic beans.

WIFE:

(loudly, for the

benefit of the boy)

Beans? We mustn’t give up our beans!

Well, if you feel we must...

BAKER:

Huh?

JACK:

Beans in exchange for my cow?

WIFE:

Oh, these are no ordinary beans, son.

These beans carry...magic.

JACK:

Magic? What kind of magic?

WIFE:

(to BAKER)

Tell him!

The BAKER has no idea. He makes something up.

BAKER:

Magic that defies description.

JACK:

How many beans?

BAKER:

Six.

WIFE:

Five!

(to JACK)

They’re worth a pound each, at least.

JACK:

Could I buy my cow back someday?

BAKER:

(Uneasy)

Well ...

The WIFE gives him a little poke.

WIFE:

Yes.

BAKER:

...possibly. Here.

He hands JACK the five beans, carefully dropping them one at

a time into the boy’s hand. The WIFE quickly takes the SIXTH

BEAN and puts it in her pocket.

BAKER (CONT’D)

Good luck there, young lad.

As the BAKER takes the cow’s leash, JACK wraps his arms

around the bony animal.

JACK:

One day, I’ll buy you back -- Promise!

JACK kisses the cow. The BAKER looks to his WIFE guiltily.

Overcome with emotion, JACK runs back into the woods.

BAKER:

Take the cow and go home!

WIFE:

I was just trying to help.

BAKER:

Magic beans! We’ve no reason to

believe they’re magic! Are we going to

dispel this curse through deceit?

WIFE:

No one would have given him more for

this creature. We did him a favor. At

least they’ll have some food.

BAKER:

Five beans?!

WIFE:

Do we want a child or not?

BAKER:

Of course. But...

WIFE:

We have one chance. Don’t you see

that? And if we fail...

BAKER:

I’m just not sure I’m cut out to be a

father.

WIFE:

Why do you say that?

BAKER:

Because of my father.

WIFE:

You’re not him.

BAKER:

I don’t know...

WIFE:

If you can’t do this for yourself,

can’t you at least do it for me?

BAKER:

All right. You take the cow and go

home. I’ll find the rest of the

things. On my own.

The BAKER walks away.

EXT. WOODS - DAY

RAPUNZEL’S PRINCE glides through the woods on a white stead.

It’s difficult to say who is more beautiful, the PRINCE or

the HORSE. From the corner of his eye he notices something in

the distance. He slows down and circles back, and HEARS the

melodious singing of RAPUNZEL. He dismounts and slips through

the brush to see:

EXT. WOODS - RAPUNZEL’S TOWER - DAY

R-PRINCE POV

An exquisite tower, surrounded by a thicket of tall rose

bushes, with no entryway, just a lone window at its peak. At

the bottom of the tower, the WITCH looks upward:

WITCH:

Rapunzel. Rapunzel. Let down your hair

to me.

The PRINCE, hiding within the brush.

R’S PRINCE

(savoring the name)

Rapunzel...

At the window, the gorgeous young blonde girl, RAPUNZEL

proceeds to lower the longest stretch of hair you’ve ever

seen. The WITCH scales up the tower. (This causes more than a

little discomfort for RAPUNZEL.)

BAKER (V.O.)

The old enchantress had given the name

Rapunzel to the child she had hidden

away and locked in a a doorless tower.

But little did she know that the

girl’s lilting voice had caught the

attention of a handsome Prince.”

R’S PRINCE

Rapunzel...

The PRINCE dashes back to his horse and gallops off.

The WITCH arrives at the window.

WITCH:

Don’t you look lovely today, my dear.

RAPUNZEL:

Thank you, Mother.

WITCH:

I brought your favorite. Blackberries,

fresh from the garden.

EXT. GRANNY’S HOUSE - DAY

LRRH walks over a rickety bridge that spans a brook. She

stops and stares at the cottage which is built into a large

OAK TREE.

BAKER (V.O.)

As the little girl approached her

Granny’s oak tree, she was surprised

to see the door standing open.

LRRH:

Oh dear, how uneasy I feel. Perhaps

it’s all the sweets.

INT. GRANNY’S HOUSE - DAY

LRRH makes her way down a curved staircase in the house. She

sees the CURTAINS drawn around her GRANNY’S BED and, behind

them, the SILHOUETTE of what “looks like” GRANNY.

LRRH:

Granny?

WOLF:

(In a granny voice)

Come in, my deary.

LRRH moves towards the bed with trepidation and slowly pulls

back the curtain. The WOLF is revealed, lying under the

covers, dressed in GRANNY’S nightcap and robe.

LRRH:

My, Grandmother. You’re looking very

strange. What big ears you have!

WOLF:

The better to hear you with, my dear.

The handsome WOLF flashes a smile that reveals a set of

gleaming white FANGS.

EXT. GRANNY’S HOUSE - DAY

The BAKER crosses the bridge and heads towards the cottage.

He suddenly hears LRRH scream. Nervously he pulls the knife

from his belt.

BAKER (V.O.)

And with a single bound, the wolf had

devoured the little girl. Well, it

was a full day of eating for both.

INT. GRANNY’S HOUSE - DAY - CONTINUOUS

The BAKER enters and hears a loud SNORE. Brandishing the

knife, he moves towards the bed where he sees the WOLF

DRESSED AS GRANNY, sound asleep, a piece of the red cloth

sticking out of it’s mouth.

Squeamishly, he pulls back the sheet to see the WOLF’S

SWOLLEN STOMACH. He raises his knife and as he brings it

slashing down we hear a loud HOWL from the WOLF.

CUT TO BLACK:

EXT. GRANNY’S HOUSE - DAY - LATER

FADE UP ON THE BAKER, clearly shaken, leaving the cottage and

walking away.

BAKER:

I can’t believe I just did that.

LRRH and GRANNY appear at the doorway behind him.

LRRH:

(calling)

Wait!

GRANNY:

Aren’t you going to help us skin that

beast?

BAKER:

No thanks!

GRANNY:

What kind of hunter are you?

BAKER:

I’m a baker.

GRANNY gives him a disdainful look and goes back into the

house. LRRH in her cape runs after the BAKER as he approaches

the rickety bridge.

LRRH:

Wait a minute. I never thanked you.

BAKER:

You need to be more careful, young

lady.

LRRH:

I’m sorry. I should have known better.

MOTHER SAID,/ ”STRAIGHT AHEAD,”/ NOT

TO DELAY/ OR BE MISLED./ I SHOULD HAVE

HEEDED/ HER ADVICE.../ BUT HE SEEMED

SO NICE.

AND HE SHOWED ME THINGS,/ MANY

BEAUTIFUL THINGS,/ THAT I HADN’T

THOUGHT TO EXPLORE./ THEY WERE OFF MY

PATH,/ SO I NEVER HAD DARED./ I HAD

BEEN SO CAREFUL/ I NEVER HAD CARED./

AND HE MADE ME FEEL EXCITED--/ WELL,

EXCITED AND SCARED.

LRRH relives her nightmare.

INT. GRANNY’S HOUSE - DAY - NIGHTMARE

LRRH walks down the staircase towards GRANNY’S bed. She sees

the WOLF’S silhouette through the bed curtains.

LRRH (V.O.) (CONT’D)

WHEN HE SAID “COME IN!”/ WITH THAT

SICKENING GRIN,/ HOW COULD I KNOW WHAT

WAS IN STORE?/ ONCE HIS TEETH WERE

BARED,/ THOUGH, I REALLY GOT SCARED--/

WELL, EXCITED AND SCARED./

LRRH grabs hold of the bed curtains and pulls them around

herself.

INT. THE WOLF’S BELLY - NIGHTMARE

LRRH falls down a dark cavernous void.

LRRH (V.O.) (CONT’D)

BUT HE DREW ME CLOSE /AND HE SWALLOWED

ME DOWN,/ DOWN A DARK, SLIMY PATH/

WHERE LIE SECRETS THAT I NEVER WANT TO

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