110
pages
English
Documents
2002
Le téléchargement nécessite un accès à la bibliothèque YouScribe Tout savoir sur nos offres
110
pages
English
Ebook
2002
Le téléchargement nécessite un accès à la bibliothèque YouScribe Tout savoir sur nos offres
Publié par
Publié le
01 janvier 2002
Nombre de lectures
0
Licence :
Langue
English
Publié par
Publié le
01 janvier 2002
Nombre de lectures
0
Licence :
Langue
English
by
M. Night Shyamalan
FADE IN:
INT. WINDOW - MORNING
We are looking out a second story window of a house. The backyard is large and green with a wooden jungle gym, worn from use. A single tree throws shade onto a barbecue and a picnic table.
The backyard is lined by crops. Corn. Golden and brown. Six feet high.
Everything is perfect. Like a postcard. And then we HEAR A CHILD SCREAM. IT'S FAR AWAY. WE DON'T KNOW WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
CUT TO:
INT. BEDROOM - MORNING
GRAHAM HESS wakes up from his sleep. He thought he heard something. He listens. HE HEARS THE HEATER. THE REFRIGERATOR DOWNSTAIRS HUMMING. THE OCCASIONAL BIRDS OUTSIDE CHIRPING.
Graham climbs out of bed. He moves in his pajama pants and white Barron's minor league baseball T-shirt towards the bedroom door.
CUT TO:
INT. HALL LANDING - MORNING
Graham stands in the hall landing where three bedroom doors meet. He moves to the door that has children's drawings taped to it. He puts his ear close. Listens. Beat.
He relaxes. Graham leans down and picks up two balled up sweat socks and a child's sweater from the hallway floor. He puts it in the hallway hamper before heading back into his bedroom.
CUT TO:
INT. BATHROOM - MORNING
A bathroom door is open. WE HEAR THE SINK RUNNING. WE HEAR THE SOUNDS OF TEETH BEING BRUSHED.
Outside the bathroom on the bedroom wall is the sun faded outline of where a large CATHOLIC CROSS used to hang. It's ghostly stained forever on the blank wall.
A CHILD SCREAMS FROM FAR AWAY.
The water from the sink stops. Graham steps into the doorway. Toothbrush and foam in his mouth. He becomes very still.
CUT TO:
INT. CHILDREN'S BEDROOM - MORNING
The bedroom door bursts open. Graham steps into his children's room. There are children's books everywhere. Overflowing off shelves. Piled in corners.
Graham's eyes move to the small messy beds. They're both empty.
CUT TO:
INT. GARAGE BEDROOM - MORNING
INTO A DARKENED BEDROOM OVER THE GARAGE.
MERRILL HESS throws the bed sheets off himself as he swings onto his feet in one quick motion. He is hyper-awake. Merrill is in his late twenties. He is well build. His muscles are tense as he stands in his red bikini briefs and looks around bewildered.
CUT TO:
EXT. BACKYARD - MORNING
Graham bangs open the back screen door and runs into the backyard. He spins as he looks around.
Merrill, now with a T-shirt and jeans, rumbles down the side stairs adjacent to the garage building.
Merrill and Graham make eye contact as they approach each other across the yard.
Where are they?
Graham looks around -- panic growing in his eyes.
(yelling in the distance) Daaaad!
Graham and Merrill in unison turn in the direction of the YELLING. They look away from the house, across the yard and into THE THICK WALL OF CROPS.
CUT TO:
EXT. CROPS - MORNING
The tall stalks of corn smack Graham and Merrill's faces as they run through the crops.
A LITTLE GIRL appears in the crops thirty feet ahead of them like an apparition. She is in her nightgown. She is four.
They reach her fast. She stands unaware of them in a daze. Her hair is messed from sleep.
Bo where's Morgan?
BO stands peacefully lost in her thoughts. Beat.
Bo?
Bo finally looks at her father. Beat. She smiles softly.
Are you in my dreams too?
Beat.
This isn't a --
Dad!
Graham looks in the direction of THE BOY'S VOICE. He's close. Graham picks up Bo and rushes through the crops.
He finds MORGAN standing with his hands in the pockets of his pajama bottoms. DOGS ARE BARKING NEARBY.
Morgan what's happening?
Graham puts Bo on the ground and moves right in front of Morgan. The ten-year old boy looks deep in thought.
Graham takes hold of Morgan's chin and turns his face so he's looking straight at him.
Are... you... hurt?
Beat. Morgan's eyes reveal he's come to some answer.
I think God did it.
Beat. THE DOGS KEEP BARKING.
Did what Morgan?
Morgan takes hold of his father's unshaven chin and turns his face. Graham is forced to look to his right. Beat. Graham sees something.
Graham Hess slowly rises to his feet. He starts moving forward towards something.
He walks through a thin layer of crops and emerges in a clearing. Two German Shepherds are running back and forth. They are clearly agitated.
Graham looks around at the THOUSANDS OF CORN STALKS LYING FLAT ON THE GROUND. THEY LAY IN A GIGANTIC CIRCLE, A HUNDRED FEET WIDE.
Graham Hess looks around in a daze as he walks out into the center. Merrill, Bo and Morgan follow him.
The dogs keep running and barking as WE PULL BACK AND REVEAL THE FOUR MEMBERS OF THE HESS FAMILY STANDING IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PERFECT, GIGANTIC CIRCLE.
HUNDRED FEET WIDE -- SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ENDLESS, UNTOUCHED CORN FIELD.
LEGEND:
"BUCKS COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA... THIRTY MILES OUTSIDE PHILADELPHIA"
CUT TO:
EXT. BACKYARD - LUNCHTIME
Graham holds his hand over the barbecue to see if it's at the right temperature. The other hand holds a cordless phone to his ear.
(into phone)
...Lee actually the reason I'm calling is about Lionel.
Graham stokes the coals with a LONG BARBECUE FORK.
(into phone)
Was he at home last night with you or was he out and about with the Wolfington brothers?
Graham moves around from behind the barbecue and heads towards the house.
(into phone)
Well, there was a little mischief done to our crops last night.
Beat.
(into phone)
I know he's a fine boy... No one's saying otherwise.
Graham steps through the back screen door into his KITCHEN.
Graham holds the phone a little closer and talks in a HUSHED VOICE.
(into phone)
Listen Lee, I don't even mind if it was him. You could just talk to him and that would be enough for me... See it was kind of strange finding the crops like that. The kids were... confused by it. It would take the strangeness away if we knew it was Lionel and the Wolfington brothers just messing around... (beat, listens) The movies... (beat) Are you sure? (beat) Okay, then... Thank you for your patience Lee.
Graham turns off the phone. He turns to put it on the counter and realizes his children are seated on the kitchen floor with one of their two German Shepherds. There is a LARGE PUDDLE on the kitchen tiles.
Houdini peed. I think he's sick.
Graham looks at the majestic dog. It's shivering.
Take him outside. I'll call Dr. Reynolds.
Morgan and Bo lead their dog out with worried expressions on their faces.
Graham grabs a handful of paper towels and places it on the puddle of urine. The DOORBELL rings with Graham still on his knees on the kitchen floor. He leans back so he can see down the hall.
A balding police officer stands on the other side of the screen door.
That was quick Edgar. I only called you boys about two hours ago.
OFFICER EDGAR PASKI nods that he knows.
Mrs. Kindleman twisted her ankle as she put it, "diving for her life" when a bunch of school kids rode down the sidewalk on skateboards. She went down to Thorton's store this morning and started spitting on the new skateboards. Spitting! By the time I got there, Mrs. Kindleman had sprayed the whole damn place... She must have had a cold or something. It was enough to turn a grown man's stomach.
Beat. Graham stares at Officer Paski.
So what happened to your crops?
CUT TO:
EXT. BACKYARD JUNGLE GYM - LUNCHTIME
Bo walks from the house with a large glass of water. She moves to Houdini, who sits in the shade by the picnic table.
Morgan pokes the barbecue fork into two meat patties on the grill. He places two pieces of cheese on the hamburgers, before walking over to Houdini.
The two children sit down in the grass with the dog.
Bo is about to pour the glass of water into the dog bowl. She stops. Takes a tiny sip of the water first.
She holds the glass out to Morgan.
I think it's contaminated.
You don't even know what that word means.
He drinks.
It's not contaminated. It's just tap water. Pour it in his bowl.
It tastes funny.
He licks his butt everyday. He's not going to mind.
Bo shrugs and pours it into the bowl. Beat.
Houdini just sits staring at them. He is not shivering. He doesn't drink. He is unnaturally still.
Bo pushes the bowl closer.
HOUDINI MOVES...
BO'S HAND PULLS BACK...
BE. HE WAS JUST A FRACTION OF A SECOND LATER...
BEAT. The children turn white.
Houdini?
HOUDINI BEGINS TO GROWL. Bo stands up.
Bo don't run.
Houdini crouches down.
What's wrong boy?
THE DOG'S GROWL BECOMES DEEP, MENACING.
Stop it Houdini!
The German Shepherd trembles. His body tightens. He's about to leap. Beat.
(soft)
Bo, run.
CUT TO:
EXT. CROPS - LUNCHTIME
Officer Edgar Paski stands facing Graham fifty feet away. They are on opposite ends of the crop circle. Beat.
The crops all around them sway as the wind blows. Beat. Officer Paski yells over the wind.
(yelling)
It's the strangest thing Father.
(yelling)
Don't call me Father.
(yelling)
What's that?
(yelling)
Don't call me Father. It's just Graham now.
(yelling)
Sorry.
They stands in awkward silence fifty feet away from each other. Beat.
(yelling)
You said something was strange. What's strange?
(yelling)
The footprints.
(yelling)
What about them?
(yelling)
There are none.
CUT TO:
EXT. CORN CROPS - LUNCHTIME
Officer Paski's knee touches the ground. He points to a single stalk of corn laying flat on it's side.
(soft)
Look at where it's bent over.
Graham stands next to him and leans in. The joint where the stalk bends from the ground is a perfect "L".
It's not broken.
What kind of machine can bend a stalk of corn over without cracking it?
Graham looks around at the hundreds of thousands of corn stalks bent over each other in a perfect wave.
(softy)
Can't be by hand... It's too perfect.
Beat.
Doesn't sound much like Lionel Prichard and the Wolfington brothers. They can't take a piss without wetting the front of their pants.
Graham, nods in agreement. Officer Paski stands up.
Second thing this week I can't explain.
What was the first thing?
Some animals around the county exhibiting uncharacteristic behavior. Sometimes violent behavior. Theo Henry had two of his fingers bit off by his cow.
Sounds like a virus.
No Father, they're edgy. On alert. Like they act when they smell a predator around... Peeing on themselves and everything.
We see a thought catch in Graham's eyes. He turns back and stares in the direction of the house. You can barely see the roof over the crops. Beat.
(preoccupied)
Edgar, please don't call me Father.
The two men stand as the wind blows lightly around them. Officer Paski notices the still expression on Graham's face.
What's wrong?
Beat.
I don't hear my children.
CUT TO:
EXT. BACKYARD - LUNCHTIME
Morgan watches the thin line of smoke rising from the charred patties on the grill next to the overturned picnic table.