The Horse Whisperer

FADE IN:

A DREAM:

INT. STABLES; PILGRIM'S STALL - MORNING

Sunlight illuminates the darkened stable, highlighting the

contours of a magnificent HORSE (PILGRIM) in surreal, dream-

like imagery:
his legs, his muscles, his sheen, his mane...

his eyes. He shakes his head and stamps his feet. He seems

confined. Eager to run.

INT. STABLES - MORNING

Pilgrim bursts through the stall and runs out the stables

into a blinding white morning.

EXT. AN OPEN FIELD LEADING TO WOODS - BRIGHT MORNING

Whiteness. Snow and sky without any discernible line between.

Camera is POV, as if on the horse, riding through the

whiteness. Snow kicks up from the side. We hear the breathing

of the horse. As we travel on hills, through trees, we

experience of sense of wild, exhilarating freedom.

We hear the giggles of a GIRL (GRACE) on the horse. An

occasional line;

GRACE (O.S.)

Yeah, fly boy... that's it... go...

go... go...

END OF DREAM as we CUT TO:

INT. GRACE'S BEDROOM - MORNING

Grace awakens, calmly. Takes a breath. Slides out of bed and

stands before a window, overlooking a beautiful Connecticut

country house. We see a snow-covered field and distant woods.

Grace presses her faces against the cold, frosted window

eager to get out.

INT. MACLEAN NEW YORK APARTMENT - MORNING

Alarm rings, ANNIE MACLEAN awakens. She shuts the alarm and

scoots up in bed. She waits. Seconds later the television

across the foot of her bed turns on from a timer -- to a CNN

24 NEWS channel.

INT. HALLWAY/ANNIE & ROBERT'S BEDROOM - MORNING

Grace, fully dressed except for her boots, tiptoes past a

partially opened bedroom door. Her father ROBERT is asleep,

alone, on his huge king size bed.

INT. MACLEAN FARMHOUSE KITCHEN - MORNING

Grace is putting on her boots on a bench beside a back door.

She is wearing her mother's outfit. As she slides the boot

on, we see behind her a row of framed photos -- Robert, Grace

and Annie in happy times.

She slaps a note on the refrigerator, with a magnet -- "Gone

riding. Back around 10. Love, G."

EXT. MACLEAN FARMHOUSE, BACK ENTRANCE - MORNING

Grace slips on her jacket and hat as she comes down the steps,

her feet hitting the walk...

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - MORNING

Annie's feet hit the ground, running -- her breath showing

in the cold air. She passes other joggers with ease. She

crosses the street and heads for an elegant CPW building.

INT. MACLEAN'S NEW YORK APARTMENT - MORNING

Dressed in running clothes, Annie opens the door and picks

up several newspapers that were delivered. She carries them

into the kitchen and sets them beside a huge stack of

publications, magazines, papers, etc... Knowing she must

read all of them at some point, she breathes a disgusted

sign. She thumbs through the POST as she pours herself a cup

of coffee. Something catches her eyes and she snarls:

ANNIE:

That little sh*t!

She dials a portable phone and moves through the apartment

as she talks:

ANNIE:

Hi Lucy?... Did I wake you?... Have

you read the Post?... They've got a

little item about me and Fiske. He's

saying I fired him and that I faked

the new circulation figures... Ha,

ha... Oh, please... It's the last

act of a desperate gnome... Set up a

phone call with Don Farlow for 9:30...

Throughout the phone call, Annie is selecting clothes, turning

on the shower, undressing...

EXT. DYER HORSE FARM - MORNING

The snow has stopped falling. Grace walks along a hill, hands

in pocket. Spread out on the landscape are horses, on a horse

farm, standing like statues in the white covered fields.

As Grace comes along the hill, we see another GIRL (JUDITH)

coming from the opposite direction. She doesn't have Grace's

lean elegance but her warm, friendly smile brightens her

face. Upon reaching her, Grace returns the smile with a hug.

JUDITH:

It's warmer than I thought.

GRACE:

You want to go to a movie tonight?

JUDITH:

I thought your mom's coming up?

GRACE:

(prickly)

So?

Judith immediately senses a problem so she continues casually,

as they begin walking away from Camera...

JUDITH:

My parents are having friends from

college over. They're really nice...

They have this gorgeous son who wants

to be a forest ranger.

GRACE:

Can I come? I'll start a fire...

Judith laughs as they continue talking, their voices trailing

off, as the girls head for the stables.

INT. STABLES, THE DYER HORSE FARM - MORNING

There are several horses in their stalls. Grace and Judith

enter, talking, carrying their English saddles. Judith stops

at a stall, disappearing into it as she says "Hello?"...,

Grace continues to the end stall.

Pilgrim (the horse from the dream) stands looking at her.

GRACE:

Hello, beautiful boy.

He's a massive figure beside her but she shows no inhibition.

She enters, touching his muzzle. He plays with her by nudging

her back.

GRACE:

Stop... Will you stop!

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