Alice in Wonderland
Cast of Characters LONDON
ALICE KINGSLEY briefly known as
UUM from UMBRAGE
HELEN KINGSLEY ALICE’S MOTHER
MARGARET MANCHESTER ALICE’S SISTER
FAITH AND FIONA CHATAWAY CHATTY SISTERS
AUNT IMOGENE A SPINSTER
HAMISH ASCOT A YOUNG LORD
LADY ASCOT HAMISH’S MOTHER
LORD ASCOT HAMISH’S FATHER
UNDERLAND NIVENS McTWISP THE WHITE RABBIT
UILLEAM THE DODO
MALLYMKUN THE DORMOUSE
OMAQUE UMPQUA THE PLATYPUS
TWEEDLDEE TWIN BOYS
TWEEDLEDUM
TARRANT HIGHTOPP THE MAD HATTER
THACKERY EARWICKET THE MARCH HARE
ABSOLEM THE CATERPILLAR
BAYARD HAMAR THE BLOODHOUND
BIELLE HAMAR HIS WIFE
MIRANA OF MARMOREAL THE WHITE QUEEN
IRACEBETH OF CRIMS THE RED QUEEN
ILOSOVIC STAYN THE KNAVE OF HEARTS
THE RED QUEEN’S COURTIERS
THE RED KNIGHTS
THE RED QUEEN’S CREATURES
THE JABBERWOCKY
THE JUBJUB BIRD
THE BANDERSNATCH
AND OTHER DENIZENS Plus, various FOOTFROGS, FISH BUTLERS, HEDGEHOGS, FLAMINGOS,
MONKEYS, GUINEA PIGS, DUCKS and other Castle staff Sizes of Alice under the Influence of Pishsalver and the Upelkuchen Tiny Alice – three inches high
Small Alice — two feet high
Big Alice — seven feet high
ALICE screenplay by Linda Woolverton
inspired by
ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND
and
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS by Lewis Carroll
First Draft
Feb. 23, 2007
FADE IN:
Fallingfast into an endless abyss with fleeting surreal
images: a lush but off-kilter landscape, strange misshapen
people, a blue caterpillar floating in smokey mist, the wry
smile of a man in a top hat, a weeping turtle, an egg man on a
fence, a griphon and the silhouette of a huge-headed woman
screaming.
RED QUEEN (0.5.) Of f with her head! Of f with
her head! OFF WITH HER HEAD!
ALICE’S MOTHER (0.S.) Alice?
ON ALICE KINGSLEY Alice comes out of her daydream with a start. She is bright,
young and lovely with a wild mane of blonde hair.
INT. A CARRIAGE – 1865
Alice sits in the back of a carriage. Her mother reaches out a
hand to her.
ALICE’S MOTHER Are you all right?
ALICE Mother…
She wants to tell her about the dream that’s been plaguing her
since she was young. She wants to confide in her the way she
confided in her father. But it wouldn’t be the same.
ALICE’S MOTHER I know this is difficult. But
try to find a way to smile
just for this afternoon.
EXT. THE ASCOT ESTATE – A GARDEN PARTY
The grounds of the Ascot mansion are vast with topiaries,
statues, fountains and rose gardens. A summer party is in full
swing. Everyone has turned out in their summer finery:
crinolines and bonnets, parasols and boaters. Guests play
croquet on a long stretch of green lawn. Skiffs drift lazily
on a meandering river.
Alice and her mother stand on the steps. Her mother gently
straightens her unruly hair. Alice musters up a weak smile as
LORD and LADY ASCOT approach.
LADY ASCOT (0.5.) There you are, at last!
Lord Ascot is stately, aristocratic and kind man. His wife,
however, is all airs and superiority.
ALICE’S MOTHER Lord and Lady Ascot.
LADY ASCOT Helen. Alice, dear. You’re looking
as lovely as ever. Hamish has
been waiting to dance with you.
Her mother nudges her. With a sigh, Alice goes to join the
other young people of marriageable age.
LORD ASCOT She’s not doing well, is she?
ALICE’S MOTHER Alice and her father were
very close.
LADY ASCOT Poor dear. I hope it’s not too
long before she’s herself again.
ALICE’S MOTHER I’m sure this afternoon will lift
her spirits immeasurably.
Lady Ascot pats her hand.
LADY ASCOT I’m certain of it.
LORD ASCOT Madame, in this world, there are
very few people with vision.
Your husband had vision.
LORD ASCOT (CONT.) Charles Kingsley could see oppor-
tunity in the most strange and
exotic places.
ALICE’S MOTHER That he could.
LORD ASCOT It’s a shame you have to sell
his company.
ALICE’S MOTHER I wish I didn’t. But it’s a
consolation knowing it will
be in your capable hands.
EXT. THE GARDEN – A QUADRILLE
Alice dances with the Ascot’s son, HANISH. He’s more like his
mother than his father, refined and immaculately dressed with
an aristocratic arrogance. Dancing has made Alice’s smile more
genuine. She looks up at a flock of geese flying overhead.
ALICE Hamish, have you ever wondered
what it would be like to fly?
HAMI S H I don’t waste my time wondering
about impossible things.
ALICE My father says…
(catching herself)
…used to say…believing in the
impossible is the only way to
make it possible.
HAN I SH Did he?
ALICE He said he sometimes believed in
six impossible things before
breakfast.
She laughs at the memory. Hamish looks pained. The dance ends.
HAMISH Alice, I need to speak with you
in private. Meet me at dusk
under the gazebo.
ALICE Dusk?
HAN IS H Exactly.
He moves off. Alice wonders aloud.
ALICE When is dusk.. . exactly?
She is set upon by a pair of giggly females, THE CHATAWAYS.
FAITH Alice!
FIONA We have a secret to tell you.
ALICE If you’re telling me, then it’s
not much of a secret.
FIONA (to Faith)
Perhaps we shouldn’t.
FAITH Of course we should.
FIONA If we tell her, she won’t be
surprised.
ALICE Tell me what?
FAITH Will you be surprised?
ALICE Not if you tell me.
F I ONA Then we shouldn’t.
ALICE But now you’ve brought it
up, you have to.
FAITH No, we don’t.
ALICE I wonder if your mother knows
that you two swim naked in the
Havershim’s pond?
FAITH You wouldn’t.
ALICE Oh, but I would.
FIONA Well, uou didn’t hear it from
us. But Lady Ascot told Mrs.
fluckwall who told Lady
Whit t 1 ewoo d…
FAITH That’s not how it went. Lady
Ascot told Lady Whittlewood
who told Mrs. fluckwall…
ALICE I’m going to find your mother!
Alice turns to walk away. Fiona grabs her.
F IONA Alice. Hamish Ascot…
FAITH …is going to ask for your hand.
They squeal and giggle. Alice is stunned.
ALICE I need my sister.
Alice rushes off to find her recently married older sister,
MARGARET MANCHESTER.
ALICE Margaret!
One look and Margaret can see that Alice knows.
MARGARET Who told you?
ALICE The Chattaways.
MARGARET They’ll have to be strangled.
Now the surprise is ruined.
And everyone went to so much
effort to keep the secret.
Alice looks at the other guests.
ALICE floes everyone know?
MARGARET Of course. It’s why they’ve all
come. This is your engagement party.
ALICE Today? But how does he know
I’ll accept?
Margaret laughs as if she’s joking.
MARGARET Hamish will ask you under the
gazebo at dusk. When you say
“yes”, musicians will play…
ALICE But I don’t know if I want to
marry him.
MARGARET Are you mad? Look around you.
ALICE I wouldn’t be marrying his
house. I’d be marrying Harnish.
She looks at Hamish who’s blowing his nose. He studies the
contents of his kerchief before he folds it and puts it in his
pocket.
MARGARET Do you have someone else in mind?
ALICE Not at the moment.
MARGARET Well, you won’t do better than
a Lord. And you can’t wait much
longer.
(as if she’s Mathusela)
You’re almost twenty, Alice.
That pretty face won’t last
forever. You don’t want to end
up like Aunt Imogene.
They look at their middle-aged aunt, IMOGENE, with over-rouged
cheeks and a yellowing white dress that’s too young for her.
MARGARET Such a embarrassment. And now that
Father is gone, you can’t depend
on Mother to support you. You don’t
want to be a burden, do you?
She’s succeeded in making Alice feel not only insecure but
guilty as well.
ALICE Of course not.
MARGARET So you will marry Hamish. You
will be as happy as I am with
Lowell and your life will be
perfect. It’s already decided.
Lady Ascot appears. She entwines her arm around Alice’s.
LADY ASCOT Walk with me through the rose
garden and we’ll get to know
one another.
Alice looks back at her sister who nods with encouragement.
EXT. THE ROSE GARDENS – CONT.
LADY ASCOT You’re such a lovely girl, Alice.
You’re certain to have gorgeous
children. Do you know what I’ve
always dreaded?
ALICE What’s that?
LADY ASCOT Ugly grandchildren. But with
you that’s not a possibility.
1-lamish tells me you’re quite
imaginative.
ALICE My father encouraged me to…
Lady Ascot sees something off.
LADY ASCOT Incompetence! The gardeners planted
white roses when I specifically
asked for red.
ALICE I like white roses.
LADY ASCOT You couldn’t possibly. They’re
too bland.
She hurries her onto a winding path up a hill.
LADY ASCOT (CONT.) As lady of the household it often
falls to me to make difficult
decisions, even to be ruthless.
LADY ASCOT (CONT.) Do you think you could be ruthless
if you had to be?
ALICE I doubt it very much. I can’t even
kill a gnat.
LADY ASCOT Now look what they’ve done! They’ve
left the topiary unclipped? The
gardeners will all have to be let go.
Just then, Alice hears a jingling sound. She catches a glimpse
of SOMETHING LaRGE AND WHITE dart past.
ALICE Did you see that?
LADY ASCOT See what?
ALICE Something ran past. A rabbit,
I think.
LADY ASCOT Yes. We’re plagued with them. I
set the dogs on them whenever I
can.
She leads Alice relentlessly up the hill towards the gazebo.
LADY ASCOT (cont.) Shall we discuss dining? If my
son eats the wrong things he
is certain to get a blockage.
Alice hears a string quartet warming up. She sees musicians
positioned discreetly in the shadows, for dramatic effect no
doubt. She glances up at the sun. It’s just above the hill.
LADY ASCOT (cont.) Alice? Are you listening?
ALICE A blockage.
She hears that jingling again and catches a fleeting glimpse
of a LARGE WHITE RABBIT in a waistcoat, standing on its hind
legs. It stares directly at Alice for a moment, as if trying
to catch her eye, before darting behind a tree.
ALICE There! Did you see it?
LADY ASCOT See what?
ALICE The rabbit.
LADY ASCOT And they’ve let the wisteria
wilt as well!
ALICE Excuse me.
Alice hurries into the wooded area of f the path.
EXT. THE WOODED AREA – DAY – CONT.
She sees the Rabbit darting between the trees as Aunt Imogene
approaches.
IMOGENE Alice? What’s this I hear that
you don’t want to marry Hamish?
ALICE I didn’t say that. I’m not certain…
IMOGENE Marry him, Alice. If you don’t,
you’ll lay awake at night in your
cold, cold bed, growing older and
older waiting for the perfect man
who never comes.
Alice takes this in with a look of dread. She pulls the bushes
back to see if the rabbit’s hiding there.
IMOGENE (cont.) What are you looking for?
ALICE Can you keep a secret?
IMOGENE To my grave.
ALICE (secretive)
I saw a white rabbit run through
here…wearing a waistcoat.
IMOGENE (secretive)
How very strange. What kind of
waistcoat?
ALICE Brocade, I think. What does
it matter? It was a rabbit wearing
a waistcoat!
IMOGENE I’m sorry, you’ll have to go
someplace else to look for
your rabbit. I’m waiting here
for my fiance.
ALICE You’re engaged? I didn’t know.
IMOGENE No one does. I’ve been secretly
engaged for years.
ALICE Who is he?
IMOGENE A prince.
AL I CE Where did you meet a prince?
IMOGENE Alas, he cannot marry me
unless he renounces his throne.
ALICE (worried now)
I…see.
IMOGENE Run along now. And marry Hamish,
Alice. You don’t want to end
up a spinster like some of those
poor women we know.
It’s a cautionary tale. Alice continus to look for the elusive
rabbit. She hears rustling ahead and peeks around a
tree…surprisinga man and a woman kissing. The woman gasps and
runs off. The man turns. It’s Margaret’s husband, Lowell.
ALICE Lowell?
LOWELL Alice. We were…Katrina is an
old friend.
ALICE (upset)
I can see you’re very close.
He’s caught and he knows it. So he goes on the offensive.
LOWELL You won’t tell your sister
about this, will you?
ALICE I don’t know. I need time to
think.
LOWELL Think of Margaret. This would
be devastating to her.
ALICE I know!
LOWELL Marriage is based on trust. She
would never trust me again. You
don’t want to ruin your sister’s
marriage, do you?
ALICE But I’m not the one…
LOWELL She must never know about this.
Hamish approaches.
HMI IS H There you are, Alice! Lowell.
LOWELL Hamish.
HAN I SH Come under the gazebo.
As Hamish pulls Alice away, Lowell places his finger on his
lips. Hamish pulls her insistently to the gazebo. The shadows
of the pillars fall on her like prison bars. She glances at
the musicians. They’re at the ready…bows poised. Hamish drops
to his knee. Alice glances over at an artist who’s drawing the
moment for posterity.
HAN I SN Alice Kingsley…
She notices something on his shoulder.
ALICE Hamish.
HAN I SH What is it?
ALICE You have a caterpiller on
your shoulder.
HAN IS H Well, get it off me!
He frantically brushes at his shoulder.
AL I CE Don’t hurt it! Hold still.
Alice lets the caterpiller crawls onto her finger, then places
it gently onto a tree branch.
HAN I SN You’ll want to wash that finger.
(starting again)
Alice Kingsley…will you be my
wife?
The question hangs in the air. The musicians’ bows are poised.
The party has fallen silent. It seems the whole world is
listening. Unsure of herself, unsure of her future, unsure of
anything in that moment, Alice stammers.
ALICE I…I…would have to say…everyone
thinks I should…and there ‘s no
reason not to…so I suppose my
answer would have to be…I would
have to say…
She trails off as she sees the WHITE RABBIT leaning against a
pillar, glaring at her with undisguised impatience.
13
ALICE (cant.) I need a moment.
She turns and runs, whether she’s running after the Rabbit or
away from Hamish is a question that she’ll often ask herself
in the future.
EXT. THE MEADOW – DAY – CONT
She spots the White Rabbit bounding across a meadow.
ALICE Wait!
She runs into the meadow. But she’s lost him again. She peeks
over the hedgerow. No rabbit. Stumped, she looks around.
CLOSE ON ALICE’S ANKLE A white paw reaches up from out of the ground and grasps her
by the ankle. With a quick jerk, it pulls her down into the
rabbit hole. She screams.
DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE …and keeps screaming as she tumbles head over heels down the
rabbit hole. She frantically grabs at the walls which are hung
with exotic objects: paintings, ancient maps, cracked mirrors,
demonic masks, etc. She pulls out books, jam jars, a crystal
ball, a badger claw, a monkey’s hand and a human skull in her
frantic effort to stop herself. And down she falls.
She looks up and sees the round bright circle of the rabbit
hole and the blue sky above which grows smaller the further
she plunges.
Gradually, it grows darker as the day passes into night. And
still she falls. Now she can see stars twinkling in the dark
round circle of the hole as she plunges deeper and deeper
beneath the earth’s surface. Finally, after what seems like
hours, Alice dozes off. And still she plunges until…
INT. THE ROUND HALL
WHAN! She hits the bottom, hitting her head onto a wooden
floor and knocking her wind out. Alice gasps. After a moment,
she’s able to breathe again. She rubs the bump on her
forehead.
ALICE That falling dream again.
She looks around. She’s in a round hall lit by lanterns on the
walls and many doors.
ALICE (cont.) Only I’ve never hit bottom
before.
She tries a door. It’s locked. She tries another one and
another. She knocks.
ALICE (cont.) Hello? Hello! Anyone there?
No answer. She moves around the hall from door to door,
knocking and calling. Every door locked.
ALICE (cont.) No way out.
She turns around to see a three-legged glass table with a
little golden key sitting on top. She picks up the key and
tries it in a door. But the key is too small for the lock.
ALICE (cont.) Too small. But if there’s a key
there must be a lock it fits.
She sees a curtain and pulls it aside to reveal a little door
about two feet high.
ALICE (cont.) Ah.
She tries the key in the door. It fits. She opens the little
door and bends down to look through to the other side.
THROUGH THE SMALL DOOR She sees a garden with a fountain. She tries to fit through
the door, but her shoulders get stuck. She pulls back.
Stumped, she goes back to the table and replaces the key. But
now there’s a bottle on the table.
ALICE (cont.) Was this here before?
She looks at a label. “DRINK ME”.
ALICE (cont.) Drink me. What if it’s poison?
She sniffs the contents, recoils, puts the bottle down, stares
at it.
ALICE (cont.) But how can it hurt me if I’m
dreaming?
She picks up the bottle and takes a drink, gags from the
taste. In a moment, she notices that the table is getting
larger.
ALICE (cont.) Curious. Is the table getting
larger or am I getting smaller?
She’s getting smaller. Alice SHRINKS to two feet high.
HER POV The doors loom above her. She takes a step, trips on her now-
oversized clothes. Dragging them behind, she tries to open the
door. But it’s still locked. She groans as she realizes.
ALICE (cont.) I did mt leave the key on
the table I
She runs back to the glass table and looks up. She can see the
golden key through the glass.
ALICE (cont.) Alice! You are not using your
head!
CUT TO:
ON ALICE – THROUGH A KEYHOLE We hear VOICES as they watch Alice through a keyhole.
THE DODO (O.S.)
No, she most certainly is not.
THE DORMOUSE (O.S.)
You’d think she would remember all
this from the first time.
THE PLATYPUS (0.5.)
Eggsactually.
THE DORMOUSE (O.S.)
You’ve brought us the wrong Alice.
WHITE RABBIT She’s the right one. I’m certain
of it.
DODO (O.S.) Watch to see what she does.
INT. THE ROUND HALL – CONT.
Alice attempts to climb the glass table leg. But she gets
tangled in her too-big clothes and keeps sliding off. She sits
frustrated and now she notices a little box under the table.
She opens it. Inside, there’s a cake with the words “EAT ME”
written out in ornate icing letters.
ALICE If the drink made me shrink,
then the cake should make me
grow. But then, dreams are
never that logical.
She takes a tiny taste of the cake. Not bad. She takes another
bite. There’s a beat and WHOOSH! Alice shoots up toward the
ceiling. He clothes fit her again, but she keeps growing.
Buttons pop, seams are strained and her skirt gets shorter.
The ceiling gets closer…too close! She squeezes her eyes shut
and stops growing just as her head grazes the ceiling. She
bends down and takes the golden key. Crouching low, she makes
her way to the little door and fits the key in the lock.
ON ALICE – THEIR POV
THE DORMOUSE (0.5.)
She’s the wrong Alice.
PLATYPUS (O.S.) Eggsactually.
WHITE RABBIT (0.5.) You haven’t given her a chance.
DODO (0.5.) If she manages to get through the
door, then we’ll know she’s the
right one.
INT. THE ROUND FLAIL
Alice laughs.
ALICE Where’s my head?
She goes back to the table and picks up the little bottle.
ALICE (cont.) Hope there’s enough left.
She takes another drink, shivers from the bad taste and waits.
In a second, she starts to shrink.
ALICE (cont.) Down again.
Alice shrinks to two feet high, drags her clothes behind
again, runs to the door, puts the key in the lock, opens it
and steps into…
EXT. A GARDEN IN UNDERLAND – DAY
…a fantastical world. tjnderland is bizarre, illogical, often
dangerous, absurd, and strangely beautiful. The garden is
brown and tangled, its statues broken and overgrown, the mossy
fountain is silent. Alice hears a bellow/sneezing sound as a
GREEN PIG dashes past. The TALL FLOWERS have gaunt, haunted
HUMAN FACES. A LIZARD/BADGER with a corkscrew nose pokes it
into a log in a search for food. SHABBY, THIN BIRDS walk on
stalk legs past a bench where a fat DUCHESS sits rocking a PIG
like a baby. DRAGONFLIES, HORSEFLIES and ENORMOUS GNATS do
fierce battle in the sky above. Alice is transfixed, not by
fear, but fascination.
ALICE Curiouser and curiouser.
WHITE RABBIT I told you she’s the right
Alice.
She turns to see A DODO BIRD with eye glasses and a walking
stick, a female DORMOUSE in breeches; a DUCKBILLED PLATYPUS,
the WHITE RABBIT and two round BOYS with their arms thrown
over each others shoulders. They all study her critically.
THE DORMOUSE
I’m not convinced.
The White Rabbit throws up his hands.
WHITE RABBIT Well, that’s gratitude for you! You
cannot know how difficult it was to
find her. Trailing one Alice after
the next for weeks on end…not to
mention almost being eaten by large
drooling creatures waving meat
cleavers at me. And you would not
believe how uncivilized the animals
WHITE RABBIT (CONT.) are up there. They wander around entirely
unclothed, growling and barking and
yipping. And they do their.. .ahem…
shukm in public. Can you imagine? I
had to avert my eyes! I’m still very
upset by the entire experience.
THE DODO
Let’s have a look at her.
The Dodo removes his glasses to study Alice.
THE DODO
She could be the right Alice.
The TWEEDLES have Dee and Dum embroidered on their collars.
TWEEDLEDEE And if she was, she might be.
TWEEDLEDUM But if she isn’t, she ain’t.
TWEEDLEDEE But if she were so, she would be.
TWEEDLEDUM But she isn’t. Nohow.
ALICE But you don’t even know me.
Dum shakes her hand, speaking very fast.
TWEEDLEDEE How d’ye do? I’m Tweedleehe’s
Tweedledum.
TWEEDLEDUM Contrariwise. I ‘mTweedledum
he ‘sTweedledee.
TWE EDLEDUM And who are you?
ALICE Alice.
He points an accusing finger at her.
TWEEDLEDtJM
Wrong!
Dee shakes her hand.
TWEEDLEDEE How dye do? Wrong Alice.
ALICE How can I be the ‘wrong Alice”
when this is dream?
DOflO
We should consult the Oraculum.
THE PLATYPUS
Eggsactually.
TWEEDLEDEE I’ll fetch it.
Tweedledee runs off.
TWEEflLEDUT1
No. I will.
Tweedledum grabs him and pulls him back.
TWEEDLEDEE No, I will!
Dum grabs flee and drags him back. Then flee drags flum, then flum
drags flee. This goes on, neither of them getting anywhere.
DORMOUSE Omaque, fetch the Oraculum.
There’s a good duck.
The Platypus goes off while the Tweedles still tussle.
TWEEDLEDEE Leave of f!
TWEEDLEDUIVI Let go!
TWEEDLEDEE Not now! Nohowl
ALICE (to the Rabbit)
Are they always this way?
WHITE RABBIT Family trait.
The Platypus returns carrying an ancient PARCHMENT, yellowed
with age and rolled into a SCROLL. He places it with great
reverence on a broken pedestal. Alice reads the title.
ALICE “The Oraculum: Being a Calendrical
Compendium of tJnderland’
The Dodo unrolls the scroll. It’s a timeline depicting the
major events of each day. Every day has a title and an
illustration.
ALICE It’s a calendar.
THE DODO
Compendium. It tells of each and
every day since the Beginning.
You see, here is Griblig Day…in
the Time of the Bloody Queen.
Dee points to the illustration.
TWEEDLEDEE That being today. Griblig.
TWEEDLEDUM I thought today was being
Quillian.
THE DORMOUSE
It’s Griblig. Tomorrow’s Quillian.
PLATYPUS Eggsactually.
Alice looks at the illustration. It shows all of the animals
peering at the Oraculum, at that exact moment.
ALICE Curious.
THE DORMOUSE
In Underland, we have a name
for every day.
ALICE So do we. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday…
WHITE RABBIT But ours never repeat.
ALICE The names never repeat?
DODO Why would they when no day is
ever the same?
ALICE But don’t you get confused?
ALL BUT TWEEDLEDUM Just Tweedledum.
TWEEDLEDUM Not so!
The White Rabbit glances skyward nervously.
WHITE RABBIT I really must be off now. There
are things I’m late for doing.
ALICE Wait, I need you to show me
the way out!
He runs off with another nervous glance over his shoulder.
Alice laughs, catching herself.
ALICE (cont.) No, I don’t. This is a dream.
All I have to do is wake up.
TWEEDLEDEE (to the Dodo)
Tell the part about the Jabberwocky.
TWEEDLEDUM That being on the Frabjous Day.
The Dodo turns the scroll further. The Oraculum SPEAKS
in a voice that resonates with wisdom and age. The Voice of
Destiny.
THE ORACULUM
‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gypre and gimble in the waba..
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
ALICE What language is that?
THE DODO
Outlandish. It’s an old tongue
they speak in the Outlands.
The Tweedles yawn from boredom.
TWEEDLEDEE Hurry on to the bloody bit.
The Dodo skips ahead in the scroll.
0 PA C U L UM Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws
that catch!
Beware the Jubjub Bird and shun
the frumious Bandersnatch!
The Tweedles yawn again.
TWEEDLEDEE Something’s going to have to get
slayed veeery soon.
DODO Let Alice see herself.
He pulls her closer so she can see.
CLOSE ON THE OPACULUM The picture is three dimensional and moves to illustrate the
story. The girl in the story is dressed in full Arthurian
battle regalia with chain mail, a helmet and long blonde hair
that trails down her back. She has her back to the readers.
THE ORACULUM
She took her vorpal sword in hand…
TWEEDLEDUM The Vorpal sword being the only
thing can kill the Jabberwocky.
TWEEDLEDEE No other swords. Nohow.
TWEEDLEDEE If it ain’t Vorpal, he ain’t dead.
THE ORACULUM
Long time the manxome foe she sought
So rested she by the Tumtum tree
TWEEDLEDUM No resting! No Tumtum tree!
TWEEDLEDEE Get on to the fighting.
THE ORACULUM
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!
CLOSE ON THE ORACULUM The Jabberwocky is as large as a dinosaur with Pterydactyl
wings, reptilian scales, long sharp claws, a pronged tail,
cold deadly eyes and a vest.
THE DODO
Note the Jabberwocky is wearing a
vest. The vest indicates good taste
which means a high intelligence
which makes him much harder to kill.
OPACtJLtJT”l
One two! One two! And through
and through…
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
THE DODO
That’s you there.
CLOSE ON ORACULUM The girl fights the Jabberwocky with grace and skill. She
swings the sword, revealing her face to the readers. The girl
unmistakably Alice. She wears a fierce expression. There’s
bloodlust in her eye.
THE GARDEN
Alice backs away…frightened by what she saw in herself.
ALICE You have the wrong Alice.
TWEEDLEDEE I said so.
TWEEDLEDEE No. I said so.
TWEEDLEDtJM
Contrariwise, you said she might be.
TWEEDLEDEE No. You said she would be if
she was.
TWEEDLEDUM No. I said she isn’t. Nohow.
ALICE Well, it’s been nice meeting all
of you. But it’s time for me to
wake up. Good-bye.
She closes her eyes and pinches herself hard. She opens them
again. The animals are still there.
ALICE (cont.) Still dreaming.
She pinches herself again. The animals just look at her.
ALICE (cont.) That’s odd. I can’t wake up
no matter how hard I pinch
myself.
The Dormouse pulls a long sharp hat pin/sword from her
scabbord.
THE DORMOUSE
I could stick you if it would help.
ALICE It might actually. Thank you.
THE DORMOUSE
My pleasure.
Mab stabs her in the ankle with relish.
ALICE Ow! Stick not stab!
(looking around)
And I’m still dreaming.
Without warning, a huge BEARLIKE CREATURE smashes through the
garden walls.
TWEEDLEDEE Bandersnatch!
They scatter. The BANDERSNATCH is an enormous creature with
the body of a bear and the head of a rabid bulldog. Drool
oozes from his squashed muzzle. His fur is caked with blood
and filth. His teeth are sharklike and broken, stained with
blood. A foul stench emanates from him.
As the animals flee from the Bandersnatch, they’re intercepted
by RED KNIGHTS wearing the RED QUEEN’S CREST: a heart in
flames. The Knights are led by the ILOSOVIC STAYN, the grim
KNAVE OF HEARTS. Stayn has a flaming red birth mark which
covers half of his face, his neck and his enormous hands. He
rides a huge RED PANTHER with yellow eyes and fur the color of
blood. The Knights ensnare the fleeing animals and toss them
into caged wagons.
The Platypus picks up the Oraculum, struggling to carry the
ungainly rolls with his underdeveloped wings. As he waddles
away, he’s snatched up by a Knight. The Oraculum falls to the
ground as he is thrown into a wagon. Ilosovic Stayn sees the
parchment roll on the ground. He picks it up curiously, looks
through, and sees something that alarms him. He tucks it into
his saddlebag, leaps astride his panther and rides of f.
EXT. THE GARDEN PATH – CONT.
Running down the path, Alice trips over her skirt. She ties it
up and keeps running. She looks back to see the Bandersnatch
thundering after her. Suddenly, she stops.
ALICE Wait. This is a dream.
She turns around to face the Bandersnatch. It comes closer.
She doesn’t move. The Dormouse watches from nearby.
THE DORMOUSE
What is she doing?
(to Alice)
Run!
ALICE This is a dream. It can’t hurt me.
The Bandersnatch towers over her. It leans its smashed muzzle
down. She recoils from its hot fetid breath. Trembling, heart
pounding, she holds her ground.
ALICE (cont.) Can’t hurt me.. .can’t hurt me.
The Dormouse leaps onto the Eandersnatch and pulls herself up,
hand-over-hand to its shoulder. The Bandersnatch opens its
mouth to eat Alice. Thick viscous drool drips down on her.
THE DORMOUSE
AHHH! The Dormouse drives her hatpin into its eye. It bellows. The
Dormouse attempt to pull the hatpin out, but the whole eye
pops out. Bandersnatch howls and whips around raking Alice’s
arm with its long claws. She gasps. The pain shocks her into
action. She runs.
