BACK HOLLY 50*m*f Cartoon: follow your dream Summary: A gifted story teller risks all for a new career EXT NIGHT WIDE: OUTER SPACE (Scene: a starry sky as viewed from a fast-moving space ship. Bumble Bee appears in the distance wearing stewardess uniform, flies toward audience.) BEE Good Evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Bumble.... (Collides noisily with camera lens, spread-eagled, takes out a handkerchief and wipes lipstick stains from the camera lens -- squeaky squeaky -- as she clears her throat and speaks nonchalantly) BEE My name is Bumble Bee. Welcome to Time Travel Airlines. I will be your flight attendant as we travel back in time. It will take just a few moments to travel back a hundred years, so here's some light reading to keep you occupied. (Bee flies out of frame. Opening credits roll as Camera approaches Earth. When camera skims over the ocean, Bee flies into frame and leads the way, talks over her shoulder) BEE Please remain seated and keep your safety belts fastened until we come to a complete stop. (An ocean wave laps up and soaks Bee, who falls out of frame. She reappears soaking wet, wiping herself with a handkerchief) BEE (nonchalantly) Follow me, please. (Camera follows a few inches behind Bee as she flies over rising and falling ocean waves. A barracuda jumps out of the water and snaps at Bee, she dodges, camera follows. Moments later, as she flies over land, a bird flies into frame and snaps at Bee, she dodges, camera follows. Over flatland, mountain, valley, river, farmland, down a dirt road. Bee and camera dodge cross-traffic horse and buggy, horse rears up.) DRIVER (Out of frame) Crazy driver! (We approach a small town and fly between two posts that hold an overhead sign: "Welcome to HOMETOWN" and a small sign on one of the posts: "No Solicitors". We fly under an all-wood water tower with sign: "HOMETOWN". We fly down main street and rise to make a U-turn over stores and houses, descend and slow beside a horse drawn wagon. As we zoom in we see that its really a mouse at the reins of four guinea pigs harnessed to a faded matchbox with wheels and a peeling paper sign on the side: "Hometown Cheese Company". Bee turns, stops, and hovers as camera approaches wagon.) BEE I'd like you to meet... (Bee collides noisily with camera lens, spread-eagled, takes out a handkerchief and wipes lipstick stains from the camera lens -- squeaky squeaky -- as she speaks nonchalantly) BEE I'd like you to meet Holly. She's a very talented storyteller. Watch. (Bee flies out of frame as camera zooms in on the female mouse in bib-overalls and a straw hat who is driving the wagon, then zooms in on four guinea pigs pulling the wagon) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: DESERT (all guinea pigs look tired, walk with heads bowed, speak with female voices) GUINEA1 I'm tired. GUINEA2 You're always tired. GUINEA1 Am not. GUINEA2 Are too. GUINEA3 For what it's worth I'm tired too. GUINEA4 You always side with her. GUINEA3 Do not. GUINEA4 Do too. GUINEA2 Could you please pull a little harder? I'm tired of pulling your load. GUINEA1 Will you listen to that?! This one hasn't pulled her share of the load since the day she joined the hitch! GUINEA2 You're just jealous. GUINEA1 Am not. GUINEA2 Are too. GUINEA3 You really ought to show her more respect, you know. She IS the most experienced one in the hitch. GUINEA4 You are such an apple polisher. GUINEA3 Am not. GUINEA4 Are too. GUINEA3 Am not. GUINEA4 Are too. HOLLY Stop it all of you! We're all tired. It's been a long week. We can do without all the bickering. GUINEA1 She started it. GUINEA2 Did not. GUINEA1 Did too. GUINEA2 Did not. GUINEA3 Yes you did. You're always picking on her. GUINEA4 You are such an apple polisher. HOLLY Hey, ladies! Can we please just get along?! We just have one more load to carry and then you're out to pasture for the whole weekend. GUINEA1 Working is always more pleasant when you tell us a story, Holly. GUINEA2 Yeah, Holly, how about another story? GUINEA3 Yeah, tell us a story. GUINEA4 The vote is unanimous. You have to tell us a story. HOLLY (sighs) Alright. Let's see. The President was coming to visit. And every wagon owner in town wanted to pick up the president at the train station and parade him through town to the hotel. But, they asked themselves, "How will we decide which wagon gets the honor of carrying the president? A race. Yes, that's it...." EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: DESERT TOWN (A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of the wagon race. Each match box wagon is drawn by four guinea pigs and steered by a mouse. But the sound track is horses and real wagons) HOLLY A race up to the top of Hickham's bluff and back to town again. The wagons raced two at a time in the eliminations and finally came down to the team from the saw mill and the team from Hometown Cheese Company. Ready... Set... Go! (The bubble over Holly's head grows larger as the race becomes more intense, finally filling the screen. Holly's voice fades as an English announcer's voice grows louder) ANNOUNCER And they're off and running! The two wagons are neck and neck as the wagons leave the city limits and head for Hickham's bluff. The pace quickens as the two teams vie for position as the road narrows to a one-lane bridge over the river. (Holly stands with reins in a close-up and steps off the wagon onto the rumps of the closest two guinea pigs) HOLLY Come on, ladies. Pull together! This is a team effort! (Holly uses her own tail as a whip and cracks it noisily over the heads of the guinea pigs) HOLLY Hyaah! ANNOUNCER It's the cheese factory wagon in the lead as the wagons cross the bridge. (the hump-back bridge launches both wagons briefly as they cross) HOLLY That's it ladies, now you're pulling together. (Yelps, cracks tail-whip) ANNOUNCER Once again the road widens and the team from the saw mill advances on the leader as they enter the winding road up to the top of the bluff. Now the saw mill wagon overtakes the cheese factory wagon, and forces the leaders partially off the road. They must slow down to recover and the cheese factory wagon now trails the saw mill wagon by three lengths. HOLLY Come on, ladies, you can do this! (Both wagons disappear to the back side of the bluff. Sudden silence as the camera slowly rises over the tranquil crest of the bluff, then after a few seconds, the deafening noise of horse hoofs and wagon wheels, then both wagons come directly at the screen and launch over the crest) HOLLY That's it, girls, show them what a team effort can do! ANNOUNCER It's now neck and neck as the two teams crest the bluff and begin their descent back to town. It's saw mill and cheese factory. Cheese factory and saw mill at breakneck speed. This has to be some kind of record. These teams are both throwing caution to the wind as they approach the one lane bridge for the final time. (Saw mill wagon swerves toward cheese factory wagon. Seedy saw mill driver laughs fiendishly) HOLLY Oh, no you don't. You're not doing that again! Come on ladies! Give it all you got! (Holly yelps and cracks tail-whip repeatedly.) ANNOUNCER The teams are approaching the bridge now. And... it's the cheese factory wagon who takes the lead and crosses over the bridge, followed closely by the saw mill wagon. (The wagon launches over the bridge, knocking Holly off her feet, she lands face up on the wagon tongue between guinea3 and guinea4, Holly holds her head and groans) ANNOUNCER Oh! The cheese factory team is in trouble. The driver is no longer in control. And the saw mill wagon takes the lead as they make the turn and head toward the finish line. GUINEA3 Are you alright, Holly? GUINEA4 Are you hurt? HOLLY Keep going. You're a team. You don't need me. You're pulling together just fine without me! You can do this! Go! ANNOUNCER Wonder of wonders! The cheese factory wagon has overtaken the saw mill wagon and the two teams are now neck and neck as they approach the finish line. It's cheese factory and saw mill. Saw mill and cheese factory. Both teams are giving it everything they've got. At the wire it's... Cheese factory by a neck. (Holly's head pops up into view of the spectators as the racers cross under the "Finish Line" banner. Crowd noise erupts. Suddenly the story bubble breaks like glass, revealing Boss rat in a brown suit, derby hat and a cigar in his mouth) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: CHEEZE FACTORY BOSS (shouts) Get to work! You've got one more load of cheese to deliver before quitting time! (slams factory door) HOLLY Yes, boss. (camera pans to guinea pigs who are sweating and panting as if they had been racing) GUINEA1 That was a great race, Holly! GUINEA2 We did good, didn't we?! GUINEA3 What a team! GUINEA4 Best in the land! (Bee flies into frame as camera zooms out quickly to outer space) EXT MORNING WIDE: HOLLY'S YARD BEE Let's jump ahead in time to tomorrow. It's Saturday. (Camera follows Bee in a fast zoom directly to the town entrance, under the sign, over some buildings, by the water tower, to Holly's house with peeling paint and some shutters with broken hinges, through the picket fence gate with one hinge broken, through the open front door, out the back door, between two lines of hanging laundry, two rows of corn, two rows of tomatoes, right turn, between two rows of grape arbor, to the radishes and carrots planted beyond. Holly is on her knees pulling weeds and dropping them into a square wicker basket with a bow-handle. After a moment, she removes the broad-brim straw hat she is wearing and wipes her brow on her sleeve. POV Holly looks up a the hot sun. A red-headed woodpecker -- Woody -- falls gracelessly, flapping its wings frantically as it drops across the face of the sun. Thud. WOODY (a child's voice, grunts, cries) HOLLY Hey, little fellow, you okay? WOODY No. (pants, cries) HOLLY You must be just learning how to fly, huh? WOODY (pants) It's too late. HOLLY Too late? Why? WOODY They're all gone. HOLLY Where did they go? WOODY Today is empty nest day. HOLLY Empty nest day? WOODY Yeah. Papa said (imitates) "Today, you either fly or you die." I guess that means today I... HOLLY ...Now wait a minute. You can try again. WOODY Papa says, "You only get one chance and then it's over. You're cat food." HOLLY Well, I suppose that, under ordinary conditions, Papa would be right. But Papa never had me for a friend. Come on. (Holly dumps the weeds from the wicker basket and lifts Woody into it. She lifts the basket with her tail and climbs the nearby tree. When she finds the nest concealed in a hollow between two branches she stands on the branch and lifts Woody into the hollow) HOLLY Okay, here you go. Try again. WOODY I can't. HOLLY Sure you can. You're a bird. Birds fly. Therefore, YOU can fly. Get it? WOODY No. I'm scared. HOLLY Let me tell you a story. (A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of the soccer game as it unfolds. The aerial soccer game is played at rooftop level by birds in flight in the rectangular space enclosed by four houses. The slanted rooftops are filled to capacity with row upon row of spectator birds of all kinds, some with triangular flags with their team names and colors. The reserve players sit on the rain gutters on the sidelines. The goals are Holly's square wicker baskets that are wedged into the rain gutters of the end houses. Crowd noise.) HOLLY It was the championship game. It was the blue birds against the cardinals... (The bubble over Holly's head grows larger as the game becomes more intense, finally filling the screen. The birds all wear numbered dickeys. Holly's voice fades as an English announcer's voice grows louder) ANNOUNCER The game is tied three to three with just thirty seconds remaining. It's a shot on goal! The goalie deflects the shot! The ball bounces off the post! (The goalie bats the ball with his wing tip. The soccer ball is a dandelion gone to seed. When the ball hits the corner of the wicker basket, it disintegrates into floating seeds. The referee, a parrot in a black and white striped dickey power-dives to the lawn below and cuts the head off one of many dandelions in various stages of going to seed.) ANNOUNCER It's a corner kick for the cardinals and the players in front of the goal vie for position. Here's the corner kick, a perfect pass to the striker... (a blue bird player slaps the legs of the striker just before he receives the pass, causing the striker to bang his head on the rain gutter. Then the striker falls out of frame. The ball is kicked away by the defender.) ANNOUNCER But the striker is taken out of the play by a bluebird defenseman and the ball is clear to the bluebird midfielder. But there's a cardinal defenseman there who slide-tackles the ball out of bounds. (the referee blows his whistle) ANNOUNCER The referee has stopped the game. Let's go down onto the field and get the call. (close-up of referee) REFEREE (talks like a parrot) Brrrrrock! There's an injury on the field. Brrrrrock! (camera zooms past the crowd and the players to the lawn below, where a cardinal player is sprawled out face up, grimacing) ANNOUNCER Apparently, during the last corner kick the striker was injured just before the attempted shot on goal. This looks serious. (camera pans to the reserve players on the rain gutters, the coach wearing a jacket with "coach" emblem -- hovers left and right in front of the cardinal reserve players) ANNOUNCER It looks as if there will be a substitution. But the injured Cardinal was named player of the year last year. Noone could fill this players shoes. It looks as if the cardinals hopes for a second championship title is fading fast. But who will the coach choose? (coach points his wing tip at Woody) COACH You. WOODY (stands) Me?! ANNOUNCER This is incredible! The coach has selected a cardinal who isn't even a cardinal! The coach has chose a rookie woodpecker to replace the veteran all-star. COACH Get in there and win the championship for us. WOODY But... COACH You can do this. I believe in you. Go! WOODY Well, okay. (Woody flies to the middle of the field) ANNOUNCER Ladies and gentlemen, this is unprecedented in championship history! If this rookie looses the ball game, this coach will be out of a job tomorrow. Here's the cardinal restart from the throw-in from the side lines with less than ten seconds remaining in the game. The throw-in goes to the midfielder, who passes to the forward. Square pass cross field to the other forward, centering pass to the rookie. The woodpecker flies by one defender, then a second. Now only the goalie stands between the woodpecker and a repeat championship. The rookie dribbles, he shoots, he scores! And the cardinals take home the trophy for a second year in a row! Unbelievable! That little woodpecker can really fly! (suddenly the story bubble over Holly's head breaks like glass, revealing a bird's eye view of Mother Mouse holding a basket of laundry) MOTHER Holly, dear, get down from there. You'll break your neck. HOLLY Yes, mother. MOTHER Holly, dear, I need you to hang this load of laundry on the lines for me. I'm lake for my pinochle game. HOLLY Yes, mother. (Mother puts down laundry basket, turns back toward house) HOLLY (turns to Woody) Alright, Woody, do you remember what the coach said? (Holly moves her mouth but the coaches voice is heard) COACH You can do this. I believe in you. Go! WOODY I can do this. (Woody jumps from his perch, flaps his wings frantically, drops out of frame like a stone) COACH (voiceover) You can do this. I believe in you. Go! WOODY I can do this. (Woody pulls out of his nose dive just in time, demolishing the heads of two dandelions, then disappears into the blue sky. Bee flies into frame as camera zooms out quickly to outer space) INT MORNING WIDE: SUNDAY SCHOOL BEE Let's jump ahead in time to tomorrow. It's now Sunday morning. (Camera follows Bee in a fast zoom directly to the city entrance, under the sign, over some buildings, by the water tower, to Holly's little country church, through the double doors, down the aisle, out the back door, down the basement step, into the open door, down the hall, into the classroom. Several tiny mice are sitting on the floor enraptured by Holly's Bible story as she sits on a chair, gesticulating with her hands) HOLLY (panicked) What are we going to do?! The Egyptian army is coming. But we have nowhere to go except into the Red Sea. (A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of the crowd of tiny mice, wearing tunics and sandals, pressing in on Moses Mouse, wearing a black suit, a flat brimmed hat, a white clerical collar, a full beard and long curly sideburns) HOLLY Moses raised his walking stick and shouted... (Holly raises her arm) HOLLY Stand firm! (The bubble over Holly's head grows, filling the screen. A windblown Moses repeats) EXT MORNING WIDE: THE RED SEA MOSES Stand firm! (Moses turns, wades into the water, then holds his walking stick toward the opposite shore) MOSES Let the waters of the Red Sea part and let the children of Israel follow me on dry ground between the waters. (The waters part in line with where Moses points. The sound of wind and water increases. Moses walks toward the receding water and the water piles up on both sides) MOSES Come children, follow me! (the tiny children of israel follow moses through the Red Sea, fish are seen swimming on both sides, while the thunder of hoof beats and wagon wheels increases. Suddenly the story bubble over Holly's head breaks like glass, revealing the Pastor who looks remarkably like Moses -- except for the curly sideburns -- standing in the doorway) MOSES I'm sorry to interrupt, Holly dear. But the other Sunday school teacher didn't show up this morning. Would you please be a dear? HOLLY Yes, of course, Pastor. Bring the other class in here with me. MOSES Thank you, Holly. You're a life saver. (exits) (POV Holly's gaze moves from the closing door down to the baby mice sprawled out on the floor, soaking wet, spitting water. Flopping fish and star fish litter the floor.) HOLLY Now where were we. Oh, yes, we were marching through the Red Sea... (Bee flies into frame as camera zooms out quickly to outer space) EXT NIGHT WIDE: OUTER SPACE BEE Let's jump ahead in time to tonight. It's Sunday night. (Camera follows Bee in a fast zoom directly to the city entrance, under the sign, over some buildings, by the water tower, to Holly's house, through her open second floor window. Holly's sleeping. A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of Holly's dream. Spinning newspapers stop spinning to reveal headlines. It's the Hometown Gazette. "Home Town Girl Wins Award","Holly does it again!","Holly Sets Attendance Record","Holly Wins Three Straight Awards". The balloon shrinks quickly and disappears. Bee flies to Holly's pillow and whispers into her ear. A chant begins faintly in the background and repeats louder with each repetition: "It's time to go." Holly sits up in bed.) HOLLY (gasps, holds head) There it goes again. I wonder what it means. What am I saying? I know what it means. It means the same thing as last time. I can't keep ignoring my dream. But I can't leave. What will everybody say? They need me. (Holly sighs, lays back and closes her eyes. A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of the wagon race after Holly is injured.) HOLLY Keep going. You're a team. You don't need me. You're pulling together just fine without me! (The bubble image changes to the soccer game, where coach is reassuring Woody) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: NEIGHBORHOOD ROOFTOPS COACH You can do this. I believe in you. Go! (The bubble image changes to Moses at the windblown Red Sea) MOSES Follow me! (The balloon shrinks quickly and disappears. But Moses' voice continues) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: THE RED SEA MOSES Follow me! Follow me! Follow your dream. Follow your dream! HOLLY (sits up in bed) I'll do it! I will follow my dream. (Bee flies into frame as camera zooms out quickly to outer space) EXT MORNING WIDE: SKY ABOVE TOWN BEE Let's jump ahead in time to tomorrow. It's Monday morning. (Camera follows Bee in a fast zoom directly to the city entrance, under the sign, over some buildings, U-turns around the water tower, back to the city entrance. The back side of the sign reads "HOMETOWN City Limit". Several dozen animals converge as Holly, dressed in a dress and her Sunday straw hat and carrying her suitcase, heads out of town. Mother, Boss and Moses step into her path under the sign) EXT MORNING WIDE: EDGE OF TOWN MOTHER Holly dear, be reasonable! You can't just leave town. HOLLY (stops, turns) I have to follow my dream, Mother. MOTHER But where will you go? HOLLY I've decided to go to Big City. MOTHER Big City?! Why Big City? What's in Big City that you can't find here in Hometown? EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: HOLLY'S YARD (A bubble forms over Mother's head which contains a visualization of her real fear. Mother bends over laundry basket, pulls out a sheet, hangs it on the clothes line. As she smoothes the sheet, she moves right. Looking beyond the end of the sheet, she sees her neighbor at the fence.) NEIGHBOR You're late for Pinochle, Mildred. MOTHER I'm sorry, Ethel, I won't be able to make it today. With Holly gone, I have noone to do the laundry or weed the garden. Maybe next week, Ethel. (Bubble disappears) EXT MORNING WIDE: EDGE OF TOWN MOTHER Don't go, Holly. (woody, perched on top of the city limit sign, flutters down and hovers in front of Holly) WOODY Holly, this is empty nest day. This is your chance to fly! HOLLY I don't really know what is in store for me out there, Mother. But I think it's time for me to set out on my own. WOODY That's the spirit, Holly! (flies out of frame) BOSS You'll never find a job in Big City. Big City will chew you up and spit you out! HOLLY In my dream I made a good living from telling stories. BOSS Who would pay YOU to tell stories? (A bubble forms over Boss's head which contains a visualization of his real fear. Boss wears bib overalls but continues to wear his derby hat and smokes a cigar as he guides the team of guinea pigs to the front of a general store.) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: DESERT GUINEA1 I'm tired. GUINEA2 You're always tired. GUINEA1 Am not. GUINEA2 Are too. GUINEA3 For what it's worth I'm tired too. GUINEA4 You always side with her. GUINEA3 Do not. GUINEA4 Do too. BOSS Wo, you miserable guinea pigs! I don't know how Holly ever put up with you. Wo! (Guinea pigs stop. Boss jumps down from the wagon and walks around to the tailgate as the proprietor comes out of the store) PROPRIETOR Hey, Thaddeus, you're two days late on this delivery! BOSS I'm sorry, Mr Wilson. I lost my driver and noone else in town will work for the miserable wages I pay. (picks up two wheels of cheese) PROPRIETOR Sorry, Thaddeus, I had to find another supplier. (returning to store) Go sell your cheese somewhere else. BOSS (groans, drops cheese into wagon) Rats! That's the third customer I lost this week! (Bubble disappears) EXT MORNING WIDE: EDGE OF TOWN BOSS Don't go, Holly. (group shot of four guinea pigs) GUINEA PIGS -- Go Holly, go Holly, go Holly, go go go! (zoom out to show a large herd of guineas) GUINEA PIGS -- Go Holly, go Holly, go Holly, go go go! HOLLY Boss, if I've been given a talent for story telling, I'm sure I can make a living from it. GUINEA PIGS -- (cheer) MOSES Holly dear, before you take such drastic action, you need to know what you're up against. Between here and Big City are miles and miles of desert. How will you survive? (A bubble forms over Moses' head which contains a visualization of his real fear. Moses sits in shirtsleeves in Sunday School reading a Bible story, as the young mice swarm, climbing on the furniture, hanging from the oil lamp chandelier, pulling all the books off the shelf, painting on the walls, one of them hangs a "kick me" sign on Moses' back. The door opens, an adult female mouse pokes her head in.) FEMALE Sorry to disturb you, Pastor, but the other Sunday School teacher didn't show up today. Would you mind if we send her children in with you? MOSES More?! You want to send more?! I can't even control the children I have! (Bubble disappears) MOSES Don't go, Holly. BABY MOUSE -- You can make it to the promised land, Holly. We believe in you. (zoom out to show two dozen baby mice) MICE Go Holly, go Holly, go Holly, go go go! MOTHER Please, Holly dear, don't go. (A bubble forms over Mother's head which contains a visualization of Holly's smiling face) HOLLY Okay. I'll stay. (the visualization freezes, the bubble remains) BOSS Please, Holly, don't go. (A bubble forms over Boss' head which contains a visualization of Holly's smiling face) HOLLY Okay. I'll stay. (the visualization freezes, the bubble remains) MOSES Please, Holly dear, don't go. (A bubble forms over Moses' head which contains a visualization of Holly's smiling face) HOLLY Okay. I'll stay. (the visualization freezes, the bubble remains. Camera zooms out to include all three identical bubbles and the back of Holly's head) HOLLY No. I'm leaving. (all three bubbles shatter like glass, smiles turn to frowns, the crowd cheers as Holly crosses under the city limit sign. Camera rises and zooms out to show miles of desert and the big city skyline tiny in the far distance. An eagle's scream is heard in the distance.) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: DESERT (Bee flies into frame, picture blurs as we move forward two hours in time. Whoosh. Bee flies out of frame as Holly comes into focus walking with her suitcase. The quick scamper of tiny feet can be heard. POV Holly looks left, right, and behind her. Scorpion is following.) HOLLY Good morning. Did you come to walk with me? SCORPION No. Go home HOLLY Well, that's not very nice. SCORPION I'm not very nice. Go home. HOLLY Why are you being so rude? SCORPION I don't have to explain anything to you. Go home. HOLLY You remind me of my team of guinea pigs. They couldn't get along with one another until I told them this story. (A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of the wagon race, except that scorpions are pulling the wagons) ANNOUNCER The cheese factory wagon has overtaken the saw mill wagon and the two teams are now neck and neck as they approach the finish line. It's cheese factory and saw mill. Saw mill and cheese factory. Both teams are giving it everything they've got. This will undoubtedly be a photo finish. (Suddenly the story bubble breaks like glass, revealing a close-up of the scorpion) SCORPION Forget it. HOLLY Why?! It's a good story! SCORPION Scorpions are solitary. Solitary means we like to be alone. We don't team up. We don't cooperate. We don't even socialize. Get it? HOLLY Oh. Well, it was still a good story. Don't you want to know how it ends? SCORPION No. Go home. HOLLY I have just as much right to be here as you. YOU go home. SCORPION That's what I been trying to tell you, lady. This IS my home and you are trespassing. Go home. HOLLY (runs) No. I'm going to Big City and you can't stop me. (Bee flies into frame, picture blurs as we move forward two hours in time. Whoosh. Bee flies out of frame as Holly comes into focus walking with her suitcase. Holly looks back.) HOLLY Well, it looks like I lost him. What a rude creature. (Holly resumes walking. A vulture's bleat is heard. POV Holly looks left, right, and back.) HOLLY What was that?! VULTURE That was me. (Holly looks up and sees the vulture soaring in circles overhead) HOLLY Oh, hello. You'd better watch out for that grouchy scorpion. He thinks he owns the whole desert. VULTURE I know. HOLLY Say, you're not going to tell me to go home too, are you? VULTURE Oh, no. Take your time. Stay as long as you like. The longer the better. HOLLY No, thanks. I have to keep going. VULTURE No, really. Sit down. Put your feet up. Relax. Enjoy the desert. HOLLY No, thanks. I have to get to Big City. But I'm glad you're here with me. It makes the trip a little more pleasant. Would you like to hear a story? (A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of the soccer game. Camera pans to the reserve players on the rain gutters, the coach hovers left and right in front of the cardinal reserve players) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: NEIGHBORHOOD ROOFTOPS ANNOUNCER It looks as if there will be a substitution. But noone could fill this players shoes. It looks as if the cardinals hope for a second championship title is fading. But who will the coach choose? (coach points his wing tip at the only vulture on the bench) VULTURE (stands) Me?! COACH Get in there and win the championship, boy! VULTURE But... ANNOUNCER This is incredible! The coach has selected a cardinal who isn't even a cardinal! The coach has chosen the rookie vulture to replace the veteran all-star striker. VULTURE Well, okay. (Vulture flies to the middle of the field) COACH You can do this. I believe in you. Go! ANNOUNCER Ladies and gentlemen, this is unprecedented in championship history! If this rookie looses the ball game, this coach will be out of a job tomorrow. Here's the cardinal restart from the throw-in from the side lines with less than ten seconds remaining in the game. The throw-in goes to the midfielder, who passes to the forward. Square pass cross field to the other forward, centering pass to the rookie. The rookie flies by one defender, then a second. Now only the goalie stands between the vulture and a repeat championship title. (Suddenly the story bubble breaks like glass, revealing a close-up of the vulture sitting on the ground.) EXT AFTERNOON CLOSE-UP: DESERT VULTURE Sorry to burst your bubble, deary. But we vultures don't fly. We soar. HOLLY Oh. Well, it was a good story. Do you want to hear how it ends? VULTURE No. I already know. The rookie singlehandedly wins the championship. HOLLY Oh, I didn't know it was that obvious. VULTURE Yes, but it doesn't work that way here in the desert. HOLLY It doesn't? VULTURE No. Here in the desert, the good guys lose. HOLLY The good guys... VULTURE ...Lose. Yes, why don't you have a seat and put your feet up. It will all be over in a few hours. HOLLY You sound as if you want me to... What happens if I lose? VULTURE You are my guest for dinner. HOLLY (turns and walks quickly) I don't like the way that sounds. I'll just be on my way. (Bee flies into frame, picture blurs as we move forward two hours in time. Whoosh. Bee flies out of frame as Holly comes into focus walking with her suitcase. Holly looks back.) HOLLY That vulture gives me the creeps. (A rattlesnake rattle is heard. POV Holly turns, gasps. A rattlesnake in close-up) RATTLESNAKE Oh, you don't have to worry about that vulture. He's harmlesssssss. HOLLY Oh, hello. I've never seen a creature like you before. What do they call you? RATTLESNAKE I'm a rattlesssssnake. HOLLY Oh! You're a snake! I read about you in the Bible! (A bubble forms over Holly's head which contains a visualization of Moses dropping his walking stick on the ground and transforming it into a snake) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: EGYPT HOLLY Moses went before Pharaoh King of Egypt and transformed his walking stick into a snake. RATTLESNAKE Very interesssssting. (cut to the story of Moses at the Red Sea. The crowd of tiny mice, wearing tunics and sandals, press in on Moses Mouse, wearing a black suit, a flat brimmed hat, a white clerical collar, a full beard and long curly sideburns) HOLLY Moses raised his walking stick and shouted... (Holly morphs into Moses) MOSES Stand firm! (Moses turns, wades into the water, then holds his snake-shaped walking stick toward the opposite shore) MOSES Let the waters of the Red Sea part and let the children of Israel follow me on dry ground between the waters. (The waters part in line with where Moses points, and Moses walks toward the receding water and the water piles up on both sides. Fish are seen swimming in the water an both sides. Suddenly the bubble breaks like glass, revealing Rattlesnake in full close-up, ready to strike) RATTLESNAKE I think I look better as a snake than a stick. HOLLY But the story is not over yet. RATTLESNAKE Yes, it is. HOLLY (backs away) Wait a minute. You're just like that vulture, aren't you? RATTLESNAKE Not exactly. The vulture has to wait for his victim to die of natural causes. I'm not quite so patient. HOLLY (turns and runs) (Bee flies into frame, picture blurs as we move forward two hours in time. Whoosh. Bee flies out of frame as Holly comes into focus walking with her suitcase. Holly looks back.) HOLLY Good, I lost him. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea crossing the desert after all. Maybe I should have listened to Mother and my boss and the Pastor. No. No, I made the right choice. I'm going to stick it out. I'm going to make it to Big City. I just need to take my mind off of all these unpleasant creatures. Yes, that's it. I'll make up a story. Once upon a time there was this... Mouse. Her name was Holly and she had a talent for telling stories.... (Bee flies into frame, picture blurs as we move forward two hours in time. Whoosh. Bee flies out of frame as Holly comes into focus staggering with her suitcase. The sun is larger than life in the background. There's a story bubble over her head that is identical to her real life exhaustion.) HOLLY And Holly... lost all hope... of making it... to Big City. (The real Holly and the Holly in the bubble stumbles, recovers, drops her suitcase and flops over backward. Blackness. And silence.) EXT AFTERNOON WIDE: DESERT OASIS (dark, all female voices) BUTTERFLY Is she dead? SPIDER I think so. CATERPILLAR She's dead. BUTTERFLY She's not dead. CATERPILLAR Touch her and find out. BUTTERFLY I'm not touching her. You touch her. CATERPILLAR You're older. YOU touch her. BUTTERFLY I'm not touching her! SPIDER What if she died of a contagious disease? HOLLY (moans) SPIDER Did you hear that?! She's alive! CATERPILLAR I told you she was alive. BUTTERFLY You said she was dead. (POV Holly opens her eyes looking up at palm trees blocking the hot sun) HOLLY Where am I? What am I doing here? (Butterfly flies into frame, hovers) BUTTERFLY Are you alright? Can I get you anything? HOLLY Where am I? Am I back home? BUTTERFLY No, you're in the desert. HOLLY The desert? There aren't any trees in the desert. BUTTERFLY This is an oasis in the desert. You know, a place where the water comes out of the ground and green things grow around it. CATERPILLAR (out of frame) Be careful, Mama. She might be like that snake or that vulture. She might eat you. (POV Holly turns her head to look at Caterpillar) HOLLY You're a caterpillar. CATERPILLAR (backs away) Oh, oh, we're in trouble now! BUTTERFLY Don't worry, baby. She's a mouse. Mice don't eat butterflies, they eat cheese. CATERPILLAR But how do you know? SPIDER Silly caterpillar, a mouse past through this oasis just before you were born this morning. (POV Holly swings her head opposite to look at Spider) HOLLY And a spider. (wide shot of all four animals, Holly sits up) HOLLY What are all you city creatures doing out here in the desert? SPIDER We work here. HOLLY You work here? SPIDER Yes. We give refreshment and encouragement to the dreamers who try to cross the desert. Are you a dreamer? HOLLY Yes. Yes I am. But how did I get here? There was no oasis where I passed out. SPIDER (points up) She brought you here. HOLLY She? (Bee flies into frame from above, flies in front of Holly's nose) BEE Hello. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Bumble Bee. Are you ready to get started again? HOLLY Wait a minute. YOU brought ME here? BEE It's a little hard to explain. HOLLY Try me. BEE I work for the Dreamgiver. If you trust the Dreamgiver, you can do almost anything. HOLLY Say, you look familiar. Have I seen you before? BEE Well, I tried not to make myself conspicuous. HOLLY So, I HAVE seen you before. Back home. BEE I'm the one who gave you your dream. HOLLY So, that wasn't just my imagination gone wild? BEE No. Your dream is from the Dreamgiver. SPIDER That's where your talent comes from too. BEE The dreamgiver gives you a dream that will use your talent. Are you ready to get started again? HOLLY (stands) Yes. Which way to Big City? BUTTERFLY Why do they always do that? HOLLY Do what? BEE Your dream won't come true in Big City. HOLLY It won't? But... BUTTERFLY People just assume that Big City is where they were meant to fulfill their dreams. HOLLY But it's not? BEE Well, it is for some people. But not for you. HOLLY Well, where am I supposed to go then? BEE To "The Woods". HOLLY To "The Woods"? (Bee hovers in front of Holly's nose and points to the side, Holly turns and sees distant dark green mountains) BEE To "The Woods". HOLLY Oh. That looks scary. What if I decide to go on to Big City instead? BUTTERFLY Oh Oh. SPIDER You don't want to do that. HOLLY Why not? BEE Well, you could go to Big City and use your talent there. And you would probably do pretty well at it there. But the Dreamgiver has a much bigger dream for you... in "The Woods". HOLLY How could it be bigger than Big City? BUTTERFLY It's bigger than all you could ask or imagine. But to get it, you have to trust in the Dreamgiver and give up your own plans for Big City. HOLLY (swallows hard, paces) I don't know. I've heard a lot of things about Big City. There's lots of opportunities there. But I've never even heard of "The Woods". BEE It's up to you. But if you want the very best, you'll have to give up your own plans and trust the Dreamgiver. HOLLY I don't know. I've already risked a lot. (stops) Alright. I'll do it. But can you tell me what to expect up there? BEE Sorry. The dream for you is so big that if the Dreamgiver told you everything, you wouldn't believe you could do it. You need to trust him one step at a time. HOLLY Alright. I'll do it. I'll start out for "The Woods" first thing in the morning. BUTTERFLY Oh, oh. HOLLY What's the matter? SPIDER The Dreamgiver wants you to leave now. HOLLY But it's late. It will be dark by the time I get there. BEE It's up to you, but... HOLLY ...But if I want the best my dream can offer, I need to do it the Dreamgiver's way. BUTTERFLY Exactly. HOLLY Okay. (Picks up suitcase) Here I go. (Holly walks toward Mountains, camera rises, zooms out, an eagle screams in the distance) (Bee flies into frame, picture blurs as we move forward two hours in time. Whoosh. Bee flies out of frame as Holly comes into focus walking with her suitcase through low bushes in darkness except for a few fireflies) EXT NIGHT WIDE: THE ABYSS HOLLY It's so dark I can hardly see. I wonder why the Dreamgiver wanted be to get here after dark. Oh, well... (Holly screams as she drops into the abyss. Her suitcase snags between a rock and a sapling, she dangles on the side of the cliff holding desperately to the suitcase) HOLLY Help! Help! (Holly's cries echo off the walls of the abyss. Suddenly, Bee flies into frame, grabs Holly's shirt with her hind legs, lifts her out, deposits her gently on a boulder.) HOLLY Wo! I was lucky you were nearby. BEE Luck has nothing to do with it. HOLLY Oh. Of course. BEE My job is to protect you until you fulfill your dream. HOLLY Well, it looks like my dream ends here. BEE Not really. HOLLY But "The Woods" are on the other side of the ravine. How am I going to get over there? There's no way... (Bee hovers in front of Holly's nose and points to the side, Holly turns and sees a fallen tree trunk which spans the abyss) HOLLY Oh. (Holly picks up her suitcase and hurries to the fallen tree, steps up) HOLLY Listen, Bumble, if I fall, you promise you'll catch me? (Holly turns to talk to Bee, but she's nowhere in sight) HOLLY Bumble? Where did she go? (turns one revolution) Hello? Hello? (Cat approaches Holly out of the shadows from the other side of the abyss while Holly's back is turned.) CAT Welcome! You're just in time for dinner. And YOU are the main course. (Holly gasps, turns away, loses balance, then recovers, runs away, sees a hollow log and dives into it, sees two eyes glowing in the darkness.) INT NIGHT WIDE: HOLLOW LOG HOLLY Oh oh. Who's there? LEONARDO MOUSE -- You tell me. Who's there? HOLLY You answer first. LEONARDO You answer first. HOLLY Are you a cat? LEONARDO No. Are you? HOLLY No. I'm a mouse. LEONARDO Me too. (a third set of smaller eyes appears over Leonardo's shoulder) HOLLY Oh oh. LEONARDO What's the matter? HOLLY There's somebody in here with us. LEONARDO Oh oh. BEE It's okay. It's just me. HOLLY Me? Who's me? BEE It's me, Bumble Bee, your protector. HOLLY Where was my protector when the cat was about to eat me?! BEE You're still alive, aren't you? HOLLY Oh, okay. BEE I brought you a gift. HOLLY What gift? BEE (raises voice) Come on in, fellows. (several fireflies fly into the log and light it up) HOLLY Thank you, Bumble. LEONARDO My name is Leonardo. (offers hand) HOLLY My name is Holly. (shakes) HOLLY Were you named after that Italian artist? LEONARDO Yes. He was also an inventor. HOLLY They said at the oasis that another mouse came through before me. Was that you? LEONARDO Yes. HOLLY Are you a dreamer? LEONARDO A dreamer? HOLLY Have you had the same dream several times? LEONARDO Yes. You too? HOLLY Yes. Are you a storyteller too? LEONARDO No. HOLLY Oh. Rats. I thought maybe you were the one. LEONARDO The one what? HOLLY Bumble Bee told me that my dream is too big for me alone. I thought maybe you were part of my dream. What is YOUR dream? LEONARDO I'm an inventor, like Leonardo Davinci. In my dream, I start a big company and my inventions benefit millions of people. HOLLY What kind of things do you invent? (Leonardo opens his suitcase and pulls out a movie camera) LEONARDO I invented a special camera that take several pictures per second. HOLLY What will you do with all those pictures? (Leonardo takes out a stack of pictures) LEONARDO I call it a motion picture camera because it takes pictures of things in motion. Look. (Leonardo riffles the pictures with his thumb. The pictures show Butterfly from the Oasis flapping her wings and flying) HOLLY Wow! A motion picture camera! (Leonard removes a tablet from the suitcase and shows a sketch of a movie projector) LEONARDO I also have plans to build a projector. HOLLY A projector? What's that? LEONARDO It takes the pictures directly from the camera film, enlarges them and shows them on a wall bigger than life. HOLLY That's amazing! You're going to be rich! It's a shame you're not part of MY dream. LEONARDO It's a shame you're not part of MY dream. (suddenly footsteps and gasping are heard. Another mouse dives into the log, knocks Holly off her feet) THESPIAN MOUSE -- Oh, excuse me. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I thought I was going to be eaten by a cat. HOLLY (to Leonardo, pointing to Thespian) Maybe he's the one. (Thespian stands up and dusts himself off) THESPIAN The one... what? HOLLY The one who shares my dream. LEONARDO Or mine. THESPIAN You mean you both had a dream too? HOLLY Yes. So, which is it? Are you an inventor or a storyteller? THESPIAN Neither. HOLLY Oh. LEONARDO Oh. What's YOUR dream? THESPIAN I'm an actor. My dream is to be a well known actor, and then a director and then a producer. You? LEONARDO I invented a motion picture camera and projector. Holly, here, is a story teller. THESPIAN Holly, my name is Thespian. (offers hand) HOLLY (shakes) How do you do, Thespian? This is Leonardo. (Leonardo and Thespian shake hands) HOLLY You know, it might get crowded in here if we all wait for someone to come along to match our dreams. LEONARDO We don't necessarily have to wait here. THESPIAN You're not suggesting that we should cross over. LEONARDO Sure. THESPIAN There was a cat there when I tried to cross. LEONARDO I know. THESPIAN And you're still going to try to cross? LEONARDO Well, it's three against one now. THESPIAN I don't know how to tell you this, but that one cat could eat ten of us and have room for desert! (Leonardo packs up his suitcase) LEONARDO I know, but we have the advantage of teamwork and we have the element of surprise. Follow me. EXT NIGHT WIDE: THE ABYSS (marches out of hollow log. Holly and Thespian tilt heads, shrug shoulders, follow. Cut to a helicopter shot of the abyss. Holly and Thespian crouch on either side of tree trunk, Leonardo at the end, camera shot lowers to ground level and narrows to look down the length of the tree trunk. Leonardo hops up onto the trunk and runs half way to the other side, rolls up his sleeves.) LEONARDO Alright, Cat, come and get it! (Cat comes out of the shadows on the dead run. Leonardo turns, runs and dives off to the side. When Cat approaches, the other two pull a vine tightly between them, tripping the cat who rolls head-over-heels several yards into the bushes beyond. The mice gather up their belongings and run across the log. Thespian who is last to cross stumbles and falls. His hat and suitcase disappear into the abyss, but Thespian hangs onto the stump of a tree branch. As the cat is seen pursuing from the shadows, Holly and Leonardo return to lift Thespian in the nick of time. But Cat snags Holly with his claws and lifts her to his drooling mouth. Bee flies into frame.) BEE Not on my watch, buddy. (Bee stings Cat on the rump. Holly flops onto the log, cat disappears into the abyss snarling in panic. Bee flies out of frame. Holly flees into the darkness, dives into a hollow log. She sees two pairs of eyes shining in the darkness. They converse in the dark.) HOLLY Oh oh. THESPIAN Don't worry, Holly. It's just us. HOLLY Oh! Whew! LEONARDO You okay, Holly? HOLLY Thanks to my protector. LEONARDO You mean Bumble Bee? HOLLY Yes. THESPIAN Where is she? HOLLY She probably went to find us some... (Bee flies in leading a chain of fireflies) HOLLY ...fireflies. Thank you, Bumble. (Bee salutes, exits) LEONARDO Well, we pulled it off. THESPIAN We made it. HOLLY Brilliant strategy, Leonardo. LEONARDO It was nothing. HOLLY I think I'll write a story about this adventure. LEONARDO I'd wish I could have filmed it with my new camera. THESPIAN Yes. That would be a perfect subject for a motion picture cam... Say, wait a minute. LEONARDO Is anyone else thinking what I'm thinking? HOLLY There could be lots of stories like this... LEONARDO And I could record the stories on film... THESPIAN And I could direct the filming and do some of the acting! LEONARDO And when I build my motion picture projector, every city and town in the country could see the same story bigger than life all at once! HOLLY I think this is the dream of the Dreamgiver. We're supposed to be a team! LEONARDO I think so too. But do you realize how much it would cost to build and perfect my projector? HOLLY Not to mention what it would cost to make copies of the motion pictures for every city and town. LEONARDO Where are we going to get that kind of money? THESPIAN From me. HOLLY Huh? LEONARDO From you? HOLLY Thespian, I'll remind you that if you had any money in your suitcase, it's at the bottom of the ravine now. THESPIAN Not in my suitcase. Before I quit my job, I worked at Rodentia National Bank. LEONARDO I don't see how that does any good for us. THESPIAN My father owns the bank. (Bee flies into frame as camera zooms out quickly to outer space) INT NIGHT WIDE: HOLLYWOOD RADIO STUDIO (Spinning newspapers stop suddenly to reveal each new Hometown Gazette headline and picture of Holly. A circular overlay shows mouse-reporter wearing a fedora with a "PRESS" card tucked into his hat-band. He reads the details of the news into a primitive microphone) (Headline: "Home town girl finds career in new industry") REPORTER Flash. Leonardo Mouse recently received patents on his revolutionary new motion picture camera and projector. Wall street investors are touting Leonardo's new company, calling motion pictures the next big growth industry. (Headline: "Home town girl makes it big") REPORTER Flash. Thespian Mouse became the first person in motion picture history ever to direct and produce and star in the same motion picture. The picture, titled "The Great Wagon Race", written by Holly Mouse open this week to rave reviews. (Headline: "Home town girl wins award") REPORTER Flash. Holly Mouse received the first ever award for excellence in the motion picture business. She received her award for her screen play titled "The Championship Game", released this year by producer Thespian Mouse who broke ground recently for his new forty-acre studio dedicated exclusively to making motion pictures. The first motion picture to be filmed in the new studio will utilize the new technology invented by Leonardo mouse called talking pictures. (Headline: "Holly wins again") REPORTER Flash. Holly Mouse won the first award for excellence for a talking picture. This is the third screen play award she has received. Thespian Mouse and Leonardo mouse also collaborated on this motion picture and became the first millionaires in the motion picture business. (Headline: "Holly wins third straight award, sets attendance record") REPORTER Flash. Thespian Mouse's new motion picture became the first picture to make a million dollars. No doubt Thespian Mouse owes his success to the new color technology invented by Leonardo mouse and the award winning screen play written by Holly Mouse. EXT NIGHT WIDE: SKY OVER HOLLYWOOD (Camera follows Bee in a fast zoom directly to a big city sky line. In the distance two sky light sweep the sky. Camera follows Bee over the theater where another grand opening is taking place. Bee flies out of frame. On the marquee is "Holly's Adventure". Descend to street level where Holly's old cheese wagon (now covered in satin) and four-guinea team pull up to the curb to offload Holly, Thespian and Leonardo. Flash bulbs flash and reporters carrying primitive microphones crowd the red carpet.) REPORTER Holly, can you give some advice to your adoring fans? HOLLY Follow your dream. (Camera rises high above the city and turns to distant mountain side where the "HOLLYWOODS" sign stands prominently, zooms past the sign into outer space.) BEE Please fasten your seatbelts for our return flight to the present day. The flight will take just a few moments, so here's a little light reading to keep you occupied. (Roll credits. When "THE END" finally scrolls up, Bee flies into frame, the "T" snags Bee's blouse, she buzzes and struggles as she rises out of frame.) ©2010 Bob Snook. Conditions for use: Do not sell any part of this script, even if you rewrite it. Pay no royalties, even if you make money from performances. You may reproduce and distribute this script freely, but all copies must contain this copyright statement. http://www.bobsnook.org email: bob@bobsnook.org BACK |