Into the Woods
EXT. WOODS – DENSE VERDURE – NIGHT
The BAKER walks aimlessly through the woods alone.
BAKER’S FATHER (O.S.) Son.
BAKER What are you doing here?
The BAKER turns. His FATHER — the father he remembers as a child — follows close behind. He wears the identical hunting jacket.
BAKER (CONT’D) I don’t want to talk to you. It’s because of you all of this happened. Go away!
BAKER’S FATHER I’m sorry. I did a foolish thing.
BAKER Why would you do that? Why did you take the Witch’s beans?
BAKER’S FATHER They were there and I wanted them. I didn’t think. I was being careless —
BAKER — Selfish.
BAKER You stole them and you were caught, and then you did what you do. You just ran away.
BAKER’S FATHER When your mother died, I was… I hated myself and I ran from my guilt and my shame…
BAKER … and your son.
BAKER’S FATHER Yes, and my son. And I’m sorry for that.
BAKER If you’re looking for forgiveness, you’re not going to get it.
BAKER’S FATHER I never expected…
BAKER Then what do you want?
BAKER’S FATHER Aren’t you making the same mistake? The BAKER says nothing.
BAKER’S FATHER (CONT’D) Aren’t you running away? (the Baker looks
AWAY) Be better than me, son. Do better… The BAKER turns to look at his FATHER, but he is gone. Was he ever there? The BAKER walks angrily along an overgrown path through the woods. He slows, sits down on a tree stump and breaks down, his wife’s scarf in his hands. Slowly he calms himself.
EXT. WOODS – TALL TREES – NIGHT
JACK and LRRH are making a plan. CINDERELLA has the BABY.
JACK If there were just some way we could surprise the Giant.
LRRH She’s too tall to surprise. They look up as a newly determined BAKER returns.
CINDERELLA I knew you wouldn’t give up.
JACK He wouldn’t leave his baby.
LRRH It looked like he was going to.
BAKER Give me my son. The BAKER takes the BABY. The baby begins to cry.
BAKER (CONT’D) (pulling the baby close to comfort
HIM) Hey, hey.
LRRH What are we going to do now?
BAKER We need to rid this kingdom of the Giant — together.
BAKER (CONT’D) She’ll be back soon; here’s the plan. We’re going to feed Jack to the Giant.
JACK CINDERELLA What? No!
BAKER (CONT’D) We’re going to use you as bait to lure the Giant towards the tar pit. Suddenly a swarm of BIRDS appears overhead.
CINDERELLA The birds can help!
(TO BIRDS) Oh good friends we need your help more than ever.
(BIRDS CHIRP) What of the prince? She looks to the BAKER awkwardly. Then resolute…
CINDERELLA (CONT’D) That doesn’t matter now! What’s important is that we find a way to defeat the Giant.
(BIRDS CHIRP) Oh yes, thank you birds. The BIRDS fly off. The others look at her with amazement.
LRRH You can talk to birds?
CINDERELLA The birds will do their part.
BAKER Okay, we don’t have much time.
JACK I’m excited.
BAKER Here’s what we’re going to do… The BAKER leads them away from the tar pit.
EXT. WOODS – TALL TREES – NIGHT – CONTINUOUS
CINDERELLA settles the baby.
CINDERELLA Your father’s being very brave. We’re going to be very brave too. The C-PRINCE is passing a nearby path on horseback. He stops when he sees CINDERELLA.
(CALLING OVER) Are you alright, miss?
CINDERELLA (hiding her face) The Giant went in that direction. He rides closer.
C’S PRINCE My darling!
(DISMOUNTS) I did not recognize you. What are you doing here? And with a child? You must go back to the castle at once. There’s a giant on the loose.
CINDERELLA I’m well aware of that. He comes and puts his arm around her, but she pulls away.
C’S PRINCE My love. What is it?
CINDERELLA Maybe I’m not your only love.
(BEAT) I love you. Truly I do.
CINDERELLA If you love me, why did you stray?
C’S PRINCE I thought if you were mine, that I would never wish for more.
CINDERELLA If this is how you behave as a prince, what kind of king will you be?
C’S PRINCE I was raised to be charming, not sincere.
CINDERELLA I think you should go.
C’S PRINCE I’m not going to leave you.
CINDERELLA Consider that I’ve been lost. A victim of the Giant.
C’S PRINCE Is that what you really wish?
CINDERELLA My father’s house was a nightmare. Your house was a dream. Now I want something in-between. She takes off her wedding ring and gives it back to him. He stands there for a moment, then mounts his horse.
C’S PRINCE I shall always love the maiden who ran away.
CINDERELLA And I the faraway prince. The PRINCE rides off.
EXT. WOODS – TALL TREES – NIGHT – CONTINUOUS
ANGLE ON A TREE BY THE TAR PIT
The BAKER is scaling his way up the tall tree. JACK follows him, each carrying slings and stones. A branch gives way under JACK but he is able to keep his balance.
BAKER Careful, there. Not so fast.
JACK You needn’t worry — this is easier than a beanstalk. ANGLE ON CINDERELLA. She’s sitting on a tree stump, rocking the baby. LRRH returns.
LRRH They’re in the tree — over there. We made slings out of my cape. LRRH sits next to CINDERELLA.
LRRH (CONT’D) I wanted to climb too.
CINDERELLA I’m glad you’re here to help me. LRRH turns her head away.
CINDERELLA (CONT’D) What’s wrong?
LRRH I think my mother and my Granny would be upset with me.
CINDERELLA Why?
LRRH They said always to make them proud and here I am about to kill somebody.
CINDERELLA Not somebody. A giant who’s done a lot of harm.
LRRH But a giant’s a person. Aren’t we to show forgiveness?
MOTHER CANNOT GUIDE YOU. / NOW YOU’RE
ON YOUR OWN. / ONLY ME BESIDE YOU. /
STILL, YOU’RE NOT ALONE. / NO ONE IS
ALONE, TRULY. / NO ONE IS ALONE.
CINDERELLA I know.
ANGLE ON TREE
The BAKER and JACK position themselves on a limb within the tree.
JACK Wait until my mother hears I’ve slain the Giant.
BAKER Jack, there’s something you have to know. Your mother…
JACK What?
BAKER She didn’t make it.
JACK Was she killed by the Giant?
BAKER No. It wasn’t like that. She was fighting with the Giant, trying to protect you, and she was pushed by the Steward — and — she fell.
JACK The Steward will pay for this.
BAKER No, Jack —
JACK After we slay the Giant, I will slay him.
BAKER You’ll do nothing of the kind.
JACK What he done was wrong. He should be punished.
BAKER It’s not as easy as that.
CUT BACK AND FORTH.
MOTHER ISN’T HERE NOW.
WRONG THINGS, RIGHT THINGS…
WHO KNOWS WHAT SHE’D SAY?
WHO CAN SAY WHAT’S TRUE?
NOTHING’S QUITE SO CLEAR NOW.
DO THINGS, FIGHT THINGS…
FEEL YOU’VE LOST YOUR WAY?
YOU DECIDE, / BUT YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE, / BELIEVE ME. / NO
ONE IS ALONE.
NO ONE IS ALONE, / BELIEVE ME.
TRULY…
PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES.
FATHERS,
MOTHERS,
PEOPLE MAKE MISTAKES, / HOLDING TO
THEIR OWN, / THINKING THEY’RE ALONE.
HONOR THEIR MISTAKES.
FIGHT FOR THEIR MISTAKES–
–ONE ANOTHER’S / TERRIBLE MISTAKES.
WITCHES CAN BE RIGHT, / GIANTS CAN BE
GOOD. / YOU DECIDE WHAT’S RIGHT, / YOU
DECIDE WHAT’S GOOD.
SOMEONE IS ON YOUR SIDE.
OUR SIDE.
OUR SIDE. / SOMEONE ELSE IS NOT. / WHILE
WE’RE SEEING OUR SIDE–
MAYBE WE FORGOT: / THEY ARE NOT ALONE. /
NO ONE IS ALONE.
SOMEONE IS ON YOUR SIDE– / NO ONE IS
ALONE– They’re interrupted by the ominous sounds of the approaching
LRRH Here she comes!
ANGLE ON JACK AND THE BAKER.
BAKER Go, Jack! Be careful.
ANGLE ON THE GIANT’S FEET
Destroying everything in its path. ANGLE ON JACK, as he scurries up higher in the tree.
WIDE SHOT The GIANT approaches LRRH and CINDERELLA.
GIANT Where is the boy?
LRRH We have him.
GIANT Where?
(POINTS) He’s hiding in that tree! JACK pops up and reveals himself at the top of the tree.
JACK Here I am! The GIANT begins to move aggressively towards JACK. JACK and the BAKER load their slings.
BAKER (calling up to JACK) Ready?
JACK Ready! ANGLE on the GIANT’S feet, trampling everything in her path. Suddenly, she steps into the expanse of the tar pit, which slowly stops her in her tracks. She fights to free herself as she begins to sink.
SERIES OF SHOTS
— The BIRDS fly from the trees. — BAKER’S POV through the tree branches as the BIRDS swarm around the head of the GIANT. — CINDERELLA and LRRH watch and hear the GIANT’S screams.
CINDERELLA Good birds!
LRRH She doesn’t look happy. — the BAKER and JACK use their slings to fire stones at the
GIANT. — JACK shimmies to the end of a high limb for better aim. — The GIANT reaches blindly towards JACK.
LRRH (CONT’D) Look out Jack! — The GIANT seizes hold of the branch where JACK is standing which knocks JACK off. JACK catches himself on the way down, grabbing the branch, and hangs on for dear life. Using one hand, JACK whirls his sling and delivers a knock-out blow to the GIANT’S forehead. — The GIANT reacts and begins to sway. BAKER’S POV of the GIANT’S eye as she fall towards him. The GIANT’S hand grabs some tree branches, as she fights for her balance. We hear the crackling branches as the GIANT FALLS pulling the tree down with her, snapping it in a final deafening THUD.
EXT. WOODS – TALL TREES – NIGHT – CONTINUOUS
CINDERELLA and LRRH run around the gigantic, exposed roots.
CINDERELLA Where are they?
LRRH Jack? Mr. Baker?
CINDERELLA Jack?
JACK Over here!
LRRH Jack!
(TO LRRH) Will you take him. LRRH takes the BABY as CINDERELLA helps JACK out of the tree roots.
CINDERELLA Oh, be careful, are you alright?
JACK Where is he?
CINDERELLA He’s not with you?
LRRH Mr. Baker? All three feverishly look for him.
BAKER Jack, Jack!
JACK Help me. Help me!
BAKER Jack, I’m here. CINDERELLA helps JACK lift the tree branch as the BAKER, breathless, crawls out from beneath its grasp. He is scratched up, but relieved. CINDERELLA takes the BABY from
LRRH.
CINDERELLA Let me take him.
BAKER (To Jack then LRRH) Are you okay? Are you alright? We did it! We did it! Come here. They embrace the BAKER. There’s a moment of realization of what just happened as they look up at the roots of the fallen tree.
BAKER (CONT’D) Now we can all return home.
JACK What home? I have no one to take care of me.
LRRH (to the BAKER) And we have nowhere to go, so we’ll move in with you.
WELL — He hesitates then:
BAKER (CONT’D) — of course you can come home with me.
(TO CINDERELLA) And you can come, too.
BAKER If you want to.
CINDERELLA I’ll gladly help you with your house. There are times when I actually enjoy cleaning.
The BABY begins to whimper. The BAKER walks towards CINDERELLA and his SON.
BAKER Here — give him to me. The BAKER walks away from the group, trying to settle his SON. He wraps his SCARF around the BABY.
BAKER (CONT’D) (to the BABY) Hey, hey, hey, come on now. Hey, please, come on, come on, it’s okay. I know you miss your mother. The BAKER sits on a fallen tree trunk.
BAKER (CONT’D) I miss her too. The BABY cries.
BAKER (CONT’D) Sssh! The BABY still cries.
MAYBE I JUST WASN’T MEANT TO HAVE
CHILDREN– The BAKER hears his WIFE’S voice. We see her over his shoulder.
DON’T SAY THAT! / OF COURSE YOU WERE
MEANT TO HAVE CHILDREN.
BUT HOW CAN I GO ABOUT BEING A FATHER /
WHEN I HAD NO FATHER TO SHOW ME?
JUST CALM THE CHILD.
YES, CALM THE CHILD.
LOOK, TELL HIM THE STORY / OF HOW IT
ALL HAPPENED. / BE FATHER AND MOTHER, /
YOU’LL KNOW WHAT TO DO.
ALONE…
SOMETIMES PEOPLE LEAVE YOU / HALFWAY
THROUGH THE WOOD. / DO NOT LET IT
GRIEVE YOU, / NO ONE LEAVES FOR GOOD. /
YOU ARE NOT ALONE. / NO ONE IS ALONE.
HOLD HIM TO THE LIGHT NOW. / LET HIM
SEE THE GLOW. / THINGS WILL BE ALL
RIGHT NOW. / TELL HIM WHAT YOU KNOW…
BAKER Shhhh. As the Baker holds his son close, the baby begins to calm down for the first time in his father’s arms and his WIFE disappears. The BAKER tells the story to his son — THE SAME STORY AS WE
HEARD AT THE BEGINNING.
BAKER (CONT’D) WITCH (V.O.)
Once upon a time…in a far CAREFUL THE THINGS YOU SAY,/ off kingdom…there lay a CHILDREN WILL LISTEN./ small village at the edge of CAREFUL THE THINGS YOU DO,/ the woods… And in this CHILDREN WILL SEE./ AND village lived a young LEARN. maiden…a carefree young lad…and a childless baker…with his wife.
LRRH, JACK, and CINDERELLA join the BAKER.
GUIDE THEM ALONG THE WAY, /
And one day, the baker and
CHILDREN WILL GLISTEN. /
his wife were in their shop
CHILDREN WILL LOOK TO YOU /
when a witch burst in,
FOR WHICH WAY TO TURN, / TO
blowing the door off its
LEARN WHAT TO BE.
hinges…
CAREFUL BEFORE YOU SAY, / “LISTEN TO
ME.” / CHILDREN WILL LISTEN.
The light of the new dawn streams down on them, framing the newly formed family. As the BAKER continues to tell the story the CAMERA SLOWLY PULLS UP overhead to reveal the vast woods, now changed by the Giant’s path. The CAMERA then carries us back beyond the woods and to the Village where we see the destruction that has visited it.
WITCH & ALL (V.O.)
CAREFUL THE WISH YOU MAKE, / WISHES ARE
CHILDREN. / CAREFUL THE PATH THEY TAKE–
/ WISHES COME TRUE, / NOT FREE.
CAREFUL THE SPELL YOU CAST, / NOT JUST
ON CHILDREN. / SOMETIMES THE SPELL MAY
LAST / PAST WHAT YOU CAN SEE / AND TURN
AGAINST YOU…
The CAMERA finally pans up from the Village to the sky and we are returned to where we began: the grey clouds of an early morning sky.
CAREFUL THE TALE YOU TELL. / THAT IS
THE SPELL. / CHILDREN WILL LISTEN…
