| SCRIPTS |
| Transcript - Opening Scene to Inside Willow's House |
| "WILLOW" * Story by George Lucas * Screenplay by Bob Dolman * Released May 1988 * © Lucasfilm Ltd.1988 * |
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A deep mist swirls across the screen, accompanied by a clap of thunder. Words
appear, superimposed on the mist:
IT IS A TIME OF DREAD . . . SEERS HAVE FORETOLD THE BIRTH OF A CHILD
SEIZING ALL PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE REALM,
Accompanied by the sound of more thunder, we hear the cry of a newborn baby. The crying child is lifted into the frame by the hands of the midwife, Ethna. As the hopeless-looking women filling a prison cell look on, a stern female voice inquires: SORSHA: Is it a girl? ETHNA: Yes. SORSHA: Show me its arm. ETHNA: (grimly) She bears the mark. The caged women react with alarm. The mother of the child cries out in distress and terror. MOTHER: (sobbing) No! A robed druid walks across the screen and meets Sorsha coming out of the mother's cell, followed by another druid. SORSHA: The omen is true. I must tell my mother. She leaves the dungeon, followed by the druids. The mother of the child looks up at the midwife and pleads with tears in her eyes. MOTHER: Please help me! ETHNA: I can't. MOTHER: They're going to kill her! Grimacing, Ethna hesitates, looks closely at the baby, then makes her decision. She conceals the infant in a basket of rags, while the mother continues to sob. MOTHER: Oh thank you, Ethna, thank you! Clutching the basket, Ethna barely sets foot outside the cell when she encounters an arriving group of people: Bavmorda, several guards and druids, and Sorsha. Death Dogs bark in the background. GUARD: Stand aside for Queen Bavmorda! Ethna obediently steps aside, bowing deeply. When the group has passed Ethna hastily leaves the castle, passing a cage of snarling Death Dogs and a pair of mounted soldiers along the way. The Queen and her companions enter the mother's cell. The mother clutches a bundle of cloth to her chest, making it appear that she's holding the baby. MOTHER: You cannot stop the prophecy! BAVMORDA: This child will have no power over me. (glancing toward a druid) Start the ritual. Bavmorda wrenches the bundle of cloth away from the mother. MOTHER: No! No! BAVMORDA: Where's the baby?! SORSHA: The midwife! BAVMORDA: Find that baby, Sorsha! Use the Dogs. Bring her back to me alive! MOTHER: Your reign of terror is at an end! She will come back and she will finish you! GUARD: Silence, wench! MOTHER: My baby will finish you! BAVMORDA: (calmly) Kill her. Ethna's long journey is seen as the title sequence rolls. She travels through deep snows, forests, and mountainous regions, tenderly caring for the growing baby all along the way. One day, as Ethna and the baby relax by a campfire in a forest, the barking of Death Dogs is heard. Ethna flees through the forest with the child. After crossing a shallow river, she places the baby on a tangled mass of sticks and pushes this makeshift raft downstream. With love in her eyes she watches the baby float away safely, then perishes while vainly attempting to defend herself against two attacking Death Dogs. The raft bearing the infant floats downstream for a considerable distance before finally coming to rest against the riverbank. The baby looks around at her surroundings, with her gaze ultimately settling on a young boy and girl standing on the riverbank staring at her with amazement. The boy runs off. RANON: Dada! Dada! The scene shifts to Willow Ufgood plowing a field with the help of a large hog. RANON: Dada! Dada! WILLOW: (to the pig) Whoa! Whoa! Ranon runs up to his father and tugs on his hand. RANON: Dada! Dada! We found something in the river! WILLOW: I can't run off and play with you now, Ranon! I've got work to do! RANON: You've gotta come! Hurry! After a brief hesitation, Willow grins and takes Ranon's hand. WILLOW: Come on. Willow is shocked at the sight of the baby. WILLOW: Don't go near it! We don't know where it's been. MIMS: But Dada, it's a baby! RANON: It's not like us. WILLOW: No. It's not a Nelwyn. Looks like a Daikini baby! RANON: What's a Daikini? WILLOW: Daikinis are big - giants, who live far away. The baby smiles and squeals. MIMS: Oh, she's so cute! RANON: Can't we keep it, Dada? WILLOW: No. We'll push it downstream, and forget we ever saw it! Come on. Just then a loud, obnoxious voice shouts offscreen. BURGLEKUTT: Ufgood! Willow Ufgood! WILLOW: Shhh! It's the Prefect! That's all I need. Keep it quiet! Don't touch it! Willow hurries back to the field, leaving his children with the baby. Burglekutt is stalking across the farm, followed by Willow's wife, Kiaya. KIAYA: Mister Burglekutt! My husband hasn't stolen anything! BURGLEKUTT: Baahhh! Willow hastily takes his place behind the plow and pretends to be working as they come up to him. BURGLEKUTT: Ufgood! You still haven't paid your debts to me. (grabbing a handful of seeds from a sack in a cart) Where did you get these seeds? WILLOW: Well....maybe I used magic! BURGLEKUTT: (chuckling) You're no sorcerer, Ufgood. You're a clown. I sell the plant seeds around here. (throwing the handful of seeds at Willow) Now tell me where you got them! WILLOW: (throwing an arm around his wife) My family's been gathering them in the forest since last fall. There's no law against that, Mr. Burglekutt! Suddenly the children laugh in the distance. KIAYA: Willow! You didn't leave them alone by the river?! Kiaya hurries away toward the children. Willow is clearly worried by this development, but he can't do anything without raising questions. BURGLEKUTT: (pointing his finger at Willow) Magic? You'll need magic if you expect to get your planting done before the rains start. Willow moves to pick up his seed bag, turning his back on the Prefect, but Burglekutt grabs Willow's shirt and drags him back until they're face to face. BURGLEKUTT: I will have this land, Ufgood, and you're gonna end up working in the mines. Willow angrily pushes Burglekutt away and hangs the seed bag over his shoulder. As soon as Burglekutt leaves, Willow drops the seed bag and runs back toward the river. When Willow arrives at the riverbank, Kiaya is bent down, holding the baby and fussing over it with the children. KIAYA: (to the baby) You're lovely. Yes you are. WILLOW: (stopped in his tracks by the horror of it all) Kiaya!! KIAYA: (looking up at him joyfully) Oh, Willow! She turns her attention back to the baby. Willow moves in closer as Kiaya stands up. WILLOW: (gesturing forcefully) Absolutely, under no condition, whatsoever, is anyone in this family to fall in love with that baby! During this speech, Kiaya continues to fuss over the baby, then walks right past Willow without a glance in his direction. KIAYA: (to the children) Come on then. Come on. Come on. Come on. The children follow her as Willow looks on in disbelief. WILLOW: Hey! I will not be ignored! (then, seeing that he is being ignored) Mims? Ranon? Willow flings his arms down in disgust, and follows his wife and children. Outside his hut, he kicks the ground angrily and storms into the house, after a quick look around to make sure no one has seen what is happening. Inside, Kiaya is bathing the baby and discovers a strange, runelike mark on the child's arm. KIAYA: Willow, do you think we should take her to the village council? WILLOW: No! No, they'll think it's a bad omen! There'll be a flood or a drought, and everyone'll blame me for it! (mockingly:) "Willow Ufgood brought 'round that Daikini, didn't he? That's right, and he's that lousy farmer, too! Let's get him! Aaahhhh!" KIAYA: (chuckling) Willow, calm down! WILLOW: Calm down? Kiaya, tomorrow's my big day! KIAYA: Love, the High Aldwin hasn't picked a new apprentice in years. WILLOW:Tomorrow's gonna be different. I just know he's gonna pick me! The baby starts to wail. Kiaya picks her up, and attempts to hand her to Willow. KIAYA: Here. WILLOW: (with his hands in the air) Hey, no! KIAYA: Hold her! WILLOW: I don't wanna, Kiaya! KIAYA: Hold her while I get some milk! Kiaya successfully thrusts the baby into Willow's arms. WILLOW: Oh, no, no, ohhh.... Willow rolls his eyes with disgust. Suddenly the baby stops crying, and Willow looks at her. He and the baby gaze at each other for a long moment. RANON: Dada, she likes you! The baby smiles. Willow smiles back, and begins to rock her. |