The Boxtrolls Page #16

WINNIE:

But father-

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

(points to White Hats)

Have you any idea how long it will

take my men to fish it out of the

river?!

The White Hats look worried. Boulanger rolls forward in his

wheelchair and adjusts his hearing horn.

87.

LANGSDALE:

Ahh. What?

BOULANGER:

Eww... the river?

Eggs moves down the stairs.

EGGS:

If you won’t listen to me, ask

Snatcher himself.

Eggs PULLS OFF SNATCHER’S WIG. A long beat, as Snatcher looks

caught.

CROWD:

(shock)

GASP!/ Oh my!

MADAME FROU FROU/SNATCHER

(whimpers) You have me. I am not a

true red head.

LADY CYNTHIA:

(sympathy for Frou Frou)

Poor woman.

SIR LANGSDALE:

(sympathy for Frou Frou)

For shame.

Now the crowd turns ANGRY.

CROWD MEN:

How rude! / The lad’s fuddled! / An

outrage! / The very thought!

(MORE)

I saw him bite a bug on a cracker!/

He must hate cheese! / He’s a mad

man! / I believe her’s wearing a

lamp shade as a sleeve!

CROWD LADIES:

Nasty boy! / Oh, he’s awful!

(MORE)

That’s the one who crawled under my

dress! / I knew he was up to no

good the second he goosed me. / My

husband is angry so I am too!

Portley-Rind angrily climbs the stairs to Eggs.

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

You insult our guest of honor?

88.

He grabs the wig away from Eggs.

LORD PORTLEY-RIND (CONT’D)

Who are you?!

EGGS:

(sheepish)

A proper boy.

WINNIE:

He is with me father.

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

You know this... creature?

WINNIE:

He’s my friend. What he said is

true-

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

Enough!

WINNIE:

But...

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

Winifred!

Winnie gives in and bows her head. Eggs is stunned and hurt.

Portley-Rind turns on him.

LORD PORTLEY-RIND (CONT’D)

(to Eggs)

I don’t want to see you again, do

you hear me?

EGGS:

But he’s not a...

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

Leave my house. Now!

Eggs walks slowly down the stairs. As he passes, Frou

Frou/Snatcher smiles an evil grin.

Eggs glares at Snatcher and walks past Winnie without even

looking at her. She looks heartbroken.

The crowd shuffles away from Eggs as he walks out the door.

The butler wordlessly shuts it behind him.

The music begins again and the crowd goes back to chatting.

Portley-Rind hands the wig back to Madame Frou Frou and leads

her down the stairs.

89.

SNATCHER:

Zees parties are so confusing. No?

LORD PORTLEY-RIND

There, there. You poor, poor dear.

Winnie watches Lord Portley-Rind pass.

CUT TO:

(1800 BKE) BROKEN EGGS

EXT. MARKET SQUARE - NIGHT

CLOSE ON a manhole cover. Eggs is opening the cover in the

center of the square. They meet at the very spot they first

saw each other.

WINNIE:

Eggs, wait!

EGGS:

(bitter)

You said fathers were supposed to

help. That they took care of kids.

WINNIE:

(sigh) Well, they’re supposed to.

EGGS:

People are just mean and selfish.

They’re monsters.

Eggs climbs down into the manhole.

WINNIE:

Not all of us. You aren’t.

Eggs stops climbing.

EGGS:

Well, I don’t want to be a boy

anymore.

Eggs starts down again. Without looking up at her, he extends

a hand.

EGGS (CONT’D)

It was a pleasure meeting you.

WINNIE:

Eggs...

90.

EGGS:

And, Winnie, I really do mean it.

Winnie sadly watches Eggs climbs down into the dark.

(1900 HMR) HOME RUINED

INT. BOXTROLL CAVERN - DAY

Fish is waiting with the remaining boxtrolls as Eggs spits

out of the chute, back into the cavern.

BOXTROLLS:

Eggs!

They gather around and DRUM THEIR BOXES, excited. Eggs looks

at the crowd, frowning.

EGGS:

We have to leave the cavern.

The boxtrolls stop drumming.

EGGS (CONT'D)

(sternly)

We’re not safe down here anymore.

Come on...

Eggs pushes through the boxtrolls heading for the pneumatic

tubes.

SHOE:

Eggs?

Fish follows him, pulling the EGGS box out of his front flap

and holding it out. The other boxtrolls don’t move.

Eggs turns back toward them.

EGGS:

(angry)

I said, we have to leave now!

The boxtrolls shake their heads and GURGLE nervously. Some

shrink away from him as he shouts.

EGGS (CONT’D)

(frustrated)

Snatcher is planning something! We

have to get out of here.

Knickers simpers, rubbing his hands together and pulling his

box up higher.

91.

EGGS (CONT’D)

Come on let’s go. Now!

The boxtrolls hide in their boxes like scared little kids

pulling sheets over their heads during a thunder storm.

EGGS (CONT’D)

(angry frustration)

Get up! No! NO!

(shaking Knickers out of

his box)

Don’t don’t just hide!

(tries to shake Ink loose)

What are you doing?!

Eggs looks around for Fish.

EGGS (CONT’D)

(pleading)

Fish, help me.

Fish quickly unfolds Eggs’ box and offers it to him, smiling.

Eggs SMACKS the box out of Fish’s hands!

EGGS (CONT’D)

NO! I’m not a boxtroll!

Fish shrinks away and hides in his box as Eggs comes closer,

shaking and whimpering.

EGGS (CONT’D)

I’m sorry. I... I didn’t mean it.

Please come out. Fish.

Suddenly, the whole cavern rumbles... dust and pebbles drop

from the ceiling and bounce on Fish’s box. Eggs stares at the

ceiling.

EGGS (CONT’D)

(scared)

He’s here.

The boxtrolls look up, confused. The cavern RUMBLES and

SHAKES. LIGHTS GO OUT one by one... the giant chandelier

FLICKERS, GOES OUT AND DROPS TO THE CAVERN FLOOR. SMASH!

INT. BOXTROLL CAVERN - DAY TO NIGHT

A hole opens in the cavern roof. Spinning blades of a digging

machine pierce the ceiling. Large chunks of rock crash down,

as the enormous MECHA BOX DRILL drops into the cavern!

92.

Boulders and dust rain down. Through the murk, Eggs sees a

huge metal box covered in bits of scrap metal, with gaps

revealing an interior of huge gears and cables all spinning

and twisting like the guts of a giant watch. The whole

machine has an ad hoc, made-from-assorted-scrap-and-junk feel

that is unique to a boxtroll creation.

ON EGGS as his eyes go wide.

Two big spot lights BLAST ON like eyes, and the mecha box

drill rises up on three legs. As it rises, it tears walkways

and lights from the cavern walls.

BOXTROLLS:

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

As it turns, it rips the intricate boxtroll clock from its

stalagmite and sends it crashing down. The mecha box looks

like a monstrous, giant mechanical boxtroll.

The mecha box’s spotlight “eyes” cut through the dust and

darkness, catching each fleeing boxtroll, making them

instinctively STOP RUNNING and HIDE in their boxes!

Snatcher’s head appears out of the top. He still has his

Madame Frou Frou white pancake makeup on, with a slash of

crimson lipstick, making him look crazier than ever.

SNATCHER:

How’s that for an entrance!

Trout, Pickles and Gristle emerge from beneath the machine.

MR. PICKLES

(cheering)

Dramatical!

MR. TROUT

Don’t you mean “dramatic”?

Mr. Gristle laughs insanely.

Snatcher hits a lever and a large MECHANICAL ARM unfolds from

the drill. Snatcher laughs heartily as he plays with his new

toy, opening and closing the CLAW at the arm’s end. He

swings the claw at stalactites, sending them crashing to the

ground.

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