Into the Woods Page #7

KNOW,/

She lands and sees a blurry form in the distance before

realizing it is GRANNY.

LRRH (V.O.) (CONT’D)

AND WHEN EVERYTHING FAMILIAR/ SEEMED

TO DISAPPEAR FOREVER,/ AT THE END OF

THE PATH/ WAS GRANNY ONCE AGAIN.

GRANNY reaches out her arms blindly until the two are united

in a warm embrace.

LRRH (V.O.) (CONT’D)

SO WE LAY IN THE DARK/ TILL YOU CAME

AND SET US FREE,

LRRH POV -- A crack of light widens until it’s clear that she

is seeing a KNIFE opening the WOLF’S STOMACH that creates the

blinding light. The BAKER’S EYE peeks through the slit.

LRRH (V.O.) (CONT’D)

AND YOU BROUGHT US TO THE LIGHT,

LRRH reaches for the BAKER...

EXT. GRANNY’S HOUSE - DAY

...the BAKER takes her hand.

LRRH:

AND WE’RE BACK AT THE START.

She continues her story.

LRRH (CONT’D)

AND I KNOW THINGS NOW,/ MANY VALUABLE

THINGS,/ THAT I HADN’T KNOWN BEFORE:/

DO NOT PUT YOUR FAITH/ IN A CAPE AND A

HOOD,

She takes off her cape.

LRRH (CONT’D)

THEY WILL NOT PROTECT YOU/ THE WAY

THAT THEY SHOULD./ AND TAKE EXTRA CARE

WITH STRANGERS--/ EVEN FLOWERS HAVE

THEIR DANGERS./ AND THOUGH SCARY IS

EXCITING,/ NICE IS DIFFERENT THAN

GOOD.

Mr. Baker. You saved our lives. Here.

LRRH hands him the cape.

BAKER:

Are you certain?

LRRH:

Yes. Maybe Granny will make me another

with the skins of the wolf.

BAKER:

Thank you. Thank you!

Impulsively he gives her a kiss on the cheek and as he

leaves, the girl wipes it off.

LRRH:

Yuck!

She makes her way back to GRANNY’S.

LRRH (CONT’D)

(to herself)

NOW, I KNOW:
/ DON’T BE SCARED./ GRANNY

IS RIGHT,/ JUST BE PREPARED./ ISN’T IT

NICE TO KNOW A LOT?/ AND A LITTLE BIT

NOT...

EXT. JACK’S FARMHOUSE - TWILIGHT

Having just greeted JACK on his return, his MOTHER stares at

the beans he has just handed her.

JACK’S MOTHER

(Despairing)

How could you do this? What sort of

boy would exchange a cow for beans?

JACK:

But they’re magic -- the man said -

JACK’S MOTHER

Get your head out of the clouds!

She angrily THROWS the beans to the ground.

JACK:

Mother -- no!

She turns to grab JACK’S ear, failing to see the electric

sparks that flare when the beans strike the ground.

INT. JACK’S FARMHOUSE - TWILIGHT - CONTINUOUS

Dragging him up to the hayloft and pushing him on to his cot.

JACK’S MOTHER

You and your worthless adventures!

Will you never learn, Jack?! To bed

without supper for you!

She storms away. JACK lies on his bed bereft. He sees his

sling on the floor and picks it up cradling it as he closes

his eyes.

THE CAMERA travels to a hole in the wall and looks below to

see five bean stalks already growing and intertwining,

quickly reaching skyward.

EXT. KING’S CASTLE - NIGHT

WIDE SHOT. Sitting on a hilltop surrounded by the woods on

all sides, a magical and ageless castle sits aglow. A huge

FULL MOON hangs in the sky, but there’s already the slither

of a SHADOW beginning to cross its face.

We hear MUSIC in the background along with the jovial sounds

of the ball.

BAKER (V.O.)

The first night of the festival ball

brought Cinderella her wish. The

Prince danced only with her, ‘til he

turned and she had slipped away.

Suddenly CINDERELLA in her ball-gown rushes out of a back

entrance and onto the terrace disappearing around a corner.

ANOTHER ANGLE - THE STEPS

She descends a long stretch of ancient stone steps that lead

to the outside grounds.

ANOTHER ANGLE - CONTINUOUS

She appears running down a garden path below and into the

woods. A beat later, CINDERELLA’S PRINCE, dashes out on to a

drawbridge where he spots CINDERELLA below. He is tall, dark

and impossibly handsome. His STEWARD and other attendants

join him.

C’S PRINCE

I must find that girl!

EXT. WOODS - PATHWAY TO THE CASTLE - NIGHT

The BAKER’S WIFE is trying to find her way back to the

village, pulling an obstinate MILKY-WHITE on a leash behind

her. We see a piece of the castle in the distance.

We TRACK CINDERELLA racing through the brush -- not an easy

feat in a ball gown and gold slippers. We hear VOICES in the

distance and the NEIGHING OF HORSES. CINDERELLA stumbles on a

knoll, loses her footing and rolls over and over to the

bottom landing with a spectacular THUD just yards from the

WIFE.

WIFE:

Are you alright, miss?

CINDERELLA:

(startled)

Yes. I just need to catch my breath.

WIFE:

What a beautiful gown you’re wearing.

Were you at the King’s Festival?

CINDERELLA, preoccupied, collects herself so she can continue

on her way.

CINDERELLA:

Yes.

WIFE:

Aren’t you the lucky one. Why ever are

you in the woods at this hour?

We hear the PRINCE’S ENTOURAGE approaching.

STEWARD (O.S.)

This way!

CINDERELLA:

Please. Don’t let them know I’m here.

She quickly hides herself in the brush. The WIFE turns around

and looks to the top of the rise to see C-PRINCE on a black

stallion, with his STEWARD and ATTENDANTS in tow. He calls

down to the WIFE.

C’S PRINCE

Have you seen a beautiful young woman

in a ball gown pass through?

WIFE:

(Breathless as she

bows)

I don’t think so, sir.

STEWARD:

(pointing)

If I may, my lord, I think I see her

over there.

The ENTOURAGE races off and CINDERELLA reappears and sits,

catching her breath.

WIFE:

I’ve never lied to royalty before.

I’ve never anything to royalty before!

CINDERELLA:

Thank you.

WIFE:

If a prince were looking for me, I

certainly wouldn’t hide.

CINDERELLA:

Well, what brings you here -- and with

a cow?

WIFE:

Oh, my husband’s somewhere in the

woods.

(with pride)

He’s undoing a spell.

CINDERELLA:

(Impressed)

Oh?

WIFE:

Oh, yes. But tell me, the Prince, what

was he like?

CINDERELLA:

HE’S A VERY NICE PRINCE.

WIFE:

AND?

CINDERELLA:

AND--/ IT’S A VERY NICE BALL.

WIFE:

AND?

CINDERELLA:

AND--/ WHEN I ENTERED, THEY TRUMPETED.

WIFE:

AND--?/ THE PRINCE--?

CINDERELLA:

OH, THE PRINCE...

WIFE:

YES, THE PRINCE!

CINDERELLA:

WELL, HE’S TALL.

The WIFE sits down next to CINDERELLA admiring her dress as

they chat.

WIFE:

IS THAT ALL?/ DID YOU DANCE?/ IS HE

CHARMING?/ THEY SAY THAT HE’S

CHARMING.

CINDERELLA:

WE DID NOTHING BUT DANCE.

WIFE:

YES--? AND--?

CINDERELLA:

AND IT MADE A NICE CHANGE.

WIFE:

NO, THE PRINCE!

CINDERELLA:

OH, THE PRINCE...

WIFE:

YES, THE PRINCE.

CINDERELLA:

HE HAS CHARM FOR A PRINCE, I GUESS...

WIFE:

GUESS?

CINDERELLA:

I DON’T MEET A WIDE RANGE.

AND IT’S ALL VERY STRANGE.

WIFE:

But why would you run away?

CINDERELLA:

It’s not quite what I expected.

WIFE:

Princes, castles, gowns...

CINDERELLA:

I have no experience with those

things.

We hear the far off CHIMES OF MIDNIGHT from the castle.

WIFE:

But you will return to the Festival

tomorrow eve?

CINDERELLA:

Yes... No... I don’t know...

WIFE:

You don’t know? What I wouldn’t give

to be in your shoes.

(looking to her

shoes)

...I mean your slippers.

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