The Boxtrolls Page #15

--The dark corner of a closet. Madame Frou Frou advances on

Eggs.

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

You really think Portley-Rind will

help a nobody like YOU? In this

town, you want help, you’ve got to

help yourself! That’s what a man

does!

Snatcher adjusts his dress.

EGGS:

You’re a liar! When I tell Winnie’s

father the truth, he’ll-- OOF!

Eggs’ tries to run out of the closet. Snatcher shoves him to

the floor.

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

He’ll THANK ME! Because all your

little boxtroll friends are going

to die -tonight.

EGGS:

What?!

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

That will make me the most

respected man in this town.

Snatcher talks to himself as he rifles through the coats

searching for something.

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER (CONT’D)

(while searching)

They’ll have no choice but to give

me a white hat.

Snatcher finds what he’s looking for - a long SCARF.

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER (CONT'D)

They’ll parade me into the tasting

room on their shoulders!

He winds the ends around each fist and snaps it tight as he

stalks toward Eggs.

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER (CONT’D)

And I’m not going to let that be

ruined by some little boxtroll

sewer rat.

82.

Snatcher is about to strangle Eggs when the curtain is

suddenly pulled aside and light fills the closet.

SIR LANGSDALE:

Yoo hoo, Madame Frou Frou... You

promised your snookums a dance!

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

(deep Snatcher voice)

I did?

(as Frou Frou)

I did! Ha! But of course!

(1750 DAN) DANCE

INT. CHEESE GUILD - ENTRANCE HALL - NIGHT

Sir Langsdale pulls Madame Frou Frou out of the closet and

walks her out on to the dance floor. He gooses her.

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

Oooh! Vatch your hands, monsieur!

SIR LANGSDALE:

(laughs lasciviously)

ON EGGS, as he slowly exits the closet. He awkwardly adjusts

his collar as he takes in his surroundings. Couples are

joined together in a WALTZ, filling the entrance hall with

activity.

Eggs looks up at Portley-Rind at the top of the stairs, then

at the impenetrable wall of dancers. He tries to walk through

the crowd and is nearly trampled. There is no way to get to

Portley-Rind without causing a scene.

Winnie runs up, now in a new, clean YELLOW DRESS.

WINNIE:

There you are.

EGGS:

(urgent)

We have to get to your father!

WINNIE:

You can’t just cut through.

Winnie sizes up the situation: Portley-Rind across the room,

the dance floor between them. Suddenly her face brightens.

WINNIE (CONT’D)

We’ll dance!

83.

EGGS:

We’ll WHAT?

Winnie grabs Eggs by the shoulders and pulls him onto the--

INT. CHEESE GUILD - ENTRANCE HALL - CONTINUOUS

-- Dance floor, joining the swirling lines of waltzing

couples.

WINNIE:

Like this. One two three... one two

three.

Winnie continues counting the steps as she guides Eggs to the

center of the dance.

WINNIE (CONT’D)

Just make a box.

EGGS:

You made me get out of my box!

WINNIE:

With your feet, silly!

Eggs looks down, concentrating very hard. He gradually

catches on.

WINNIE (CONT’D)

That’s it, Eggs. You’re dancing!

She laughs. Eggs lets down his guard and joins in laughing.

For a moment they forget why they are at the party. They spin

crazily around the room, looking back and forth at each

other, until Eggs looks past Winnie and sees Snatcher/Frou

Frou glaring at him.

EGGS:

Snatcher is here.

WINNIE:

Who? Where?

Winnie sees Madame Frou Frou waltzing with Sir Langsdale.

Frou Frou breaks from Langsdale as partners change, lunging

toward Eggs. Broderick catches her hand and pulls her back

into the waltz.

SIR BRODERICK:

My turn, Madame.

84.

WINNIE:

(confused, gasps)

Frou Frou?

-Eggs and Winnie try waltzing across the floor toward

Portley-Rind, but before they can reach the stairs, the dance

forces them apart. New partners whirl them in opposite

directions.

EGGS:

Winnie!

-Eggs ends dancing with Female Aristocrat B, the lady he

licked.

EGGS (CONT’D)

I uh...

-Madame Frou Frou heads for Eggs again as partners swap but

Sir Langsdale, her biggest fan, leaves Lady Cynthia and grabs

her.

SIR BRODERICK:

(lascivious laughter)

Ah ha ha ha!

-Frou Frou/Snatcher grabs Sir Broderick by the face and

shoves him away. She grabs Lady Cynthia, pulling her close

with a hand wrapped around her face, dancing directly toward

Eggs.

LADY CYNTHIA:

(startled, confused)

Ooh!

WINNIE:

Uh oh!

(yells to Eggs)

EGGS LOOK OUT!

-Eggs turns in time to see Frou Frou/Snatcher racing toward

him. He ducks under ladies’ gowns, crawling across the dance

floor. As he passes under each lady, their dresses shoot up:

LADIES:

(SCREAMS!)

- Frou Frou/Snatcher whips up ladies’ dresses looking for

Eggs, until she/he get slapped across the face while peeking

under a skirt. Frou Frou/Snatcher sees Eggs crawl out from

under a dress, toward the stairs and Lord Portley-Rind.

-Portley-Rind stands sniffing and caressing his giant

cheese, oblivious to the chase happening right below him..

85.

-Eggs races up the stairs on all fours, his feral side

coming through. Frou Frou/Snatcher GRABS his leg.

EGGS:

Ahhh!

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

(snarls)

Portley-Rind turns in time to see Eggs go totally feral-

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

What is going on here?

-- and BITE Madame Frou Frou’s hand!

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

OWWW!

Snatcher shoves Eggs and send him flying right into the giant

cheese wheel. The wheel rocks off its pedestal, and rolls

down the stairs!

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

NO NO NO NO NOOOO!

Lord Portley-Rind chases after the cheese, trying to stop it.

Everyone stops dancing and watches as the cheese wheel rolls

through the foyer. The butler opens the door and it rolls out

the front door...

EXT. MARKET SQUARE - NIGHT

... Down the Guild steps... through the Market Square... down

the streets... lower and lower, until it’s out of view. We

hear a SPLASH as it reaches the river.

INT. CHEESE GUILD - ENTRANCE HALL - NIGHT

Portley-Rind stands frozen in shock at the foot of the

stairs.

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

What have you done!?

Eggs begins to speak... haltingly at first... but then

growing in confidence.

EGGS:

Lord Winnie’s Father...

The crowd and Portley-Rind all turn and stare at Eggs.

86.

EGGS (CONT’D)

People of the upper world --

Archibald Snatcher has lied to you

all!

Frou Frou/Snatcher looks at the crowd and GULPS!

EGGS (CONT’D)

He told you that boxtrolls are

monsters -- that they steal

children -- but they don’t. They

would never hurt anyone. I know

because...

Eggs looks to Winnie. She nods, encouraging him.

EGGS (CONT’D)

Because... I am the Trubshaw Baby!

A long beat. CLOSE ON LORD PORTLEY-RIND as he seems to be

thinking intensely...

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

Do you know how expensive that

cheese was?

EGGS:

What?!

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

(flippant)

We might as well have built a

children’s hospital!

WINNIE:

Did you hear a word he said?!

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

(dismissive, to Winnie)

Not now.

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