Sleepy Hollow Shooting Script
ICHABOD By discovering his reason. It is what we call “the motive.” This mystery will not resist investigation by a Rational Man.
Ichabod’s natural clumsiness, however, causes him to sweep his empty glass off the table, rather ruining the effect of the Rational Man in command of the situation.
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, KATRINA’S ROOM-NIGHT
Katrina is sitting in front of her mirror. Lady Van Tassel is brushing out Katrina’s hair, counting the strokes.
KATRINA Well, I’m disappointed… our first visitor from New York…
There is a knock.
KATRINA (CONT’D) He doesn’t know where to put himself and his feet are all over the place.
Lady Van Tassel gives Katrina the hairbrush and goes to the door.
LADY VAN TASSEL Yes, not like your Brom. Go on brushing, I got to forty-two…
She opens the door to Sarah.
SARAH That constable, he wants the Bible, Mum…
LADY VAN TASSEL Bible… ?
KATRINA I’ll bring it to him.
Sarah dips a curtsy and goes. Lady Van Tassel gives Katrina a friendly raised eyebrow.
KATRINA (CONT’D) (meeting her eye, explains) We’ll see if his city talk fits him better than his clothes.
INT. VAN TASSEL HOUSE, ICHABOD’S ROOM-NIGHT
Ichabod sits surrounded by his books, including his Ledger. Clearly there has been no breakthrough. Ichabod broods. There is a knock at the door, which he seems to have been expecting, for he does not turn around.
ICHABOD Yes-yes-come in.
Katrina enters carrying the Bible.
ICHABOD (CONT’D) (not turning) Thank you, just leave it on the reading stand.
Katrina puts down the Bible as directed.
ICHABOD (CONT’D) That will be all-no, tell me, about that big brute who seems to be Miss Katrina’s- He has turned in his chair, too late, and sees Katrina-Ichabod has a minor convulsion, standing up, knocking papers to the floor, etc.
ICHABOD (CONT’D) Forgive me, I… I asked Sarah to bring me…
KATRINA (amused, relaxed) So your clever books have failed you and you turn to the Bible after all!
ICHABOD (sharply, despite himself) I see I am talked about downstairs.
KATRINA In passing only-we have many things to talk about even in this backward place.
ICHABOD I am sorry… Please excuse my manner-I am not used to…
KATRINA Female company?
ICHABOD Society.
KATRINA How can you avoid society in New York? How I should love the opera- and theaters-to go dancing… Is it wonderful?
ICHABOD I have never been.
KATRINA But there is an art museum? -a concert hall?
ICHABOD I don’t know.
KATRINA (disappointed) Then you have nothing to teach me.
ICHABOD Perhaps I have. Do you believe the Van Garretts and the Widow Winship were murdered by a headless horseman?
KATRINA Not everyone here believes it is the Horseman.
ICHABOD (relieved) Good.
KATRINA Some say it is the witch of the Western Woods who has made a pact with Lucifer.
ICHABOD (exasperated) There are no witches, or galloping ghosts either! Is everyone in this village in thrall to superstition?
KATRINA Why are you so frightened of magic? Not all magic is black. There are ancient truths in these woods which have been forgotten in your city parks.
ICHABOD If they are truths they are not magic-and if magic, not truth.
KATRINA You are foolish. When there is fever in the house, it is well known that willow-herb roots and a crow’s foot must be boiled in the milk of a pure white goat with special charms uttered over the fire… and the fever abates.
ICHABOD Next time try the herb without the rest-and now I must ask you- excuse me- KATRINA Gladly. I should not have interrupted our town’s savior. Good night. And as to your first question, that big brute you were asking about has proposed to me.
ICHABOD I… I… I’m happy that…
KATRINA Proposed to me several times.
This ambiguous statement, accompanied by a faint smile, confuses Ichabod into silence as she closes the door behind her. He turns with relief to the next business-the Bible. He opens the front cover. On the endpaper is a Family Tree going back a hundred years, in variously faded inks and handwritings.
Ichabod studies it and we see what he learns: that Katrina was born in 1777… to Baltus’s first wife, who died in 1797… that Lady Van Tassel is Baltus’s second wife (her maiden name is unimportant, because false)… Then he suddenly notices something even more interesting: The family tree has a “Van Garrett” in it-the husband of Baltus’s father’s sister.
ICHABOD (mutters) Van Garrett… !
Ichabod looks thoughtful. He starts copying out details into his Ledger.
A very faint rumbling disturbs him for a moment. He looks up. Silence now. He continues working.
EXT. SLEEPY HOLLOW-NIGHT
The empty street.
Then the low sinister sound of rumbling is heard again.
EXT. WOODEN BUNKER / FIELD-INTERCUT-NIGHT
The distant SOUND of the GROUND RUMBLING is HEARD. AT THE WOODEN BUNKER, Jonathan looks out, fearful…
The torches burn bright along the forest line. SEVERAL DEER stampede out… sprinting across the field.
Jonathan watches the forest. A horrible, SILENT stillness has fallen. Then, Jonathan’s eyes widen…
A thick FOG creeps from the woods.
As fog overtakes each torch, mist snakes up, snuffing each flame… one by one by one, all along the forest edge…
Jonathan sticks his rifle out from the bunker, sights the gun along the treeline.
JONATHAN Come out, devil… come…
EXT. SLEEPY HOLLOW FORESTS, OVERVIEW-NIGHT
Silhouetted treetops. The SOUNDS of JONATHAN’S RIFLE FIRING are HEARD, echoing-SEVERAL GUNSHOTS, then… SILENCE…
EXT. SLEEPY HOLLOW FOREST-NIGHT
Jonathan flees through the forest, glances back, terrified. THUNDEROUS HOOFBEATS are HEARD from behind.
DEEP IN THE FOREST, we GLIMPSE the source of the HOOFBEATS: a HUGE FORM on a HUGE BLACK HORSE, already gone.
Jonathan pushes through thorny bushes. Jagged branches bloody his hands and cheeks…
He bursts from the brier patch and TUMBLES to a TRAIL.
IN THE FOREST BEHIND: The hooves of the black horse rip underbrush. HOOFBEATS DEAFENING. A spur digs into the snorting steed’s already bleeding flank.
The pursuer’s gloved hand draws a SWORD, blade RINGING.
ON THE TRAIL, Jonathan runs onward. The shrill WHISTLE of a SWORD SWING is HEARD as the pursuer BLURS PAST…
Jonathan is still running when his head lolls back, at an impossible angle… his head tumbles off his shoulders…
Jonathan’s headless body hits the dirt.
EXT. SLEEPY HOLLOW-DAY (EARLY MORNING)
People going about their business calmly. A WOMAN shakes out a blanket from an upper window. The murder has obviously not been discovered yet.
No one notices that the WOODEN BUNKER is deserted… and now has a gap of shattered timber.
EXT/INT. LIVERY STABLE-DAY (EARLY MORNING)
The stables belong to KILLIAN, a dashingly rustic man, father of a young family. Ichabod likes him… though he does not think much of the Horse Killian is offering him, an old nag. Ichabod has a big satchel.
KILLIAN His name’s Gunpowder.
ICHABOD A brave name, but… have you got something a little younger?… Taller?
KILLIAN (apparently getting it) Faster.
ICHABOD Yes.
KILLIAN A horse cut to dash.
ICHABOD Yes.
KILLIAN No, I haven’t.
ICHABOD Oh.
KILLIAN Not at the price.
ICHABOD Well… I’m sure he’ll do very well. Thank you, Mr. Killian.
KILLIAN Good luck, sir. If you need help, call my name.
ICHABOD Much appreciated.
