Where the Wild Things Are | Indieground Films, Exams of Voice

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Where the Wild Things Are

by

Spike Jonze

And

Dave Eggers

(Based on Where the Wild Things Are,

by Maurice Sendak)

Name

Address

Phone

1 INT. MAX’S HOME - EVENING 1 *

Black screen: Echoing through a house, we hear A BOY BARKING and A DOG YELPING.

The picture comes up and a raggedy black dog tears down a set * of stairs, toward us.

MAX, eight years old and wearing a white wolf suit, jumps down the stairs, tumbling toward the camera, growling and chasing the dog. For some reason, Max is holding a fork. *

He jumps to the bottom of the stairs tucking and rolling, screeching a feral war-cry and follows the dog off-screen. *

2 Max chases the dog under the dining room table and closes in. 2 * He leaps and grabs the dog, and howling and somersaulting, * they wrestle happily together until the screen freezes. *

CUT TO: TITLE CARD: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE *

3 EXT. SNOW-COVERED SUBURBAN NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY 3 *

Max’s legs protrude from a hand-dug opening in a large snow * embankment - a remnant of the morning’s snowplows. *

He crawls out and stands over it, surveying his creation. A * proud and crooked grin spreads across his face. *

He runs off toward his house, wanting badly to tell someone about it.

4 INT./EXT. MAX’S HOME – DAY 4 *

Max runs up to the window and taps on the glass. Inside is * his sister Claire, 14, talking on the phone with great * intensity. *

We see only Max’s eyes peering over the window sill. *

MAX (muffled through the glass) Hey Claire! Wanna see something * great?

Claire is too involved in her phone call to pay Max any * attention.

CLAIRE Who else was there?

7 Max gets an idea. He jumps into his igloo and scoops up all 7 * of his snowballs. He can’t carry them all so he hurriedly * rolls them out the entrance. *

8A He runs across the street to his house, closer to his prey, 8A carefully balancing his ammunition on his coat, kangaroo style. He hides behind the neighbor’s low fence. *

He waits, excitedly, organizing his arsenal while stealthily peering over the fence. He watches the teens while they’re * inside his house. Meanwhile, he makes more snowballs. *

The teenagers come outside with Claire. Max holds a snowball, * giddy with anticipation. He waits until they’re close enough * and then jumps up and unleashes his projectiles. His aim * isn’t so good, but he has the element of surprise on his * side. A few snowballs hit the teenagers, and when they see * that it’s him, they laugh and start throwing snowballs back. The fight is on. *

As Max is reloading, a large mound of snow is dumped on his * back. The boys are close now, on the other side of the fence. * It’s time to retreat. Max bolts. He runs across the street, * giddy -- the thrill of battle. *

9 He gets to his fort just in time and dives inside. He slides 9 * into his little cave - nervous and happy. He’s safe. *

But the boys are upon him. Through the fort’s entrance, he * sees them approach. *

An arm comes through the side, searching for Max. Max squirms * out of the way, his eyes wide with alarm.

Then there’s a sickening crunch from above. Another crunch. * They’re on the roof. Max looks up. The ceiling caves in. *

Max is trapped in a world of cold white. *

10 He claws his way out of the top, and we see his face, red, 10 * wet with snow and tears. He’s cold and humiliated. *

The two boys see how upset Max is. They pull back, feeling * awful. They walk back across the street. *

A horn honks - everyone is waiting. The boys run back to the * car. *

Max, hurt and shamed, looks for Claire among the teenagers. He finds her. Max and Claire lock eyes. Claire looks worried and feels bad for Max. Max hopes that Claire will come over, * to help and comfort him - even to stick up for him. *

But she doesn’t. She turns away to talk to someone in the * car. The car, with Claire in it, drives away. *

Shaken and raw, Max runs to the house. *

11 INT. MAX’S HOME – LATE AFTERNOON (CONTINUOUS) 11 *

Max enters his house covered in snow, and runs upstairs into Claire’s room. -

12 Max rips off his hat and gloves and throws them on the floor. 12 * He jumps up and down on Claire’s bed, dumping snow * everywhere. On her dresser, he sees an elaborate valentine - that he made her out of popsicle sticks and construction * paper. It says “To Claire. Love, Max.” He grabs it and tears - it to pieces. *

As he calms down he realizes what he’s done. He picks up the * pieces of the valentine and walks to his room. *

CUT TO: -

15 INT. MAX’S BEDROOM 15 -

Max lays in bed, silent, worried. On the dresser next to his * bed is a globe, an antique, lit from within. Max reads the * inscription on a small brass panel on the globe:

TO MAX, OWNER OF THIS WORLD. Love, Dad *

He hears high heels clicking in the kitchen below. Max looks - forlorn, wishing he hadn’t done what he’s done. His mom’s * footsteps echo through the house, getting closer to the stairs.

MOM * (calling out) * Hey! I’m home! *

We hear her walking upstairs. She enters the room and sees * Max under his covers. She sits down on his bed and kisses his * head. She’s wearing her work clothes - a wool skirt and white * cotton blouse. *

MOM (CONT’D) * Hey. *

Max doesn’t answer. *

MOM (CONT’D) * What’s wrong? *

Max looks up. *

10 CONTINUED: 10

MOM

(hiding her exhaustion with warmth) No, I don’t want to bother you, just... just quickly can you tell me exactly what Mr. Lasseter didn’t like about the report? ...Well what am I suppose to do? * No, I’m just tired and there’s been * some stuff here at home.... So what * can I do to fix this?

Max, trying to make her smile, adopts the posture of a robot. *

She looks over to him. He continues walking robot-style and * turns his head to smile at her, not noticing he’s about to walk into the wall. He falls down, to comic effect. His mom * buries a laugh and puts her finger to her lips, telling Max * to shush. Max grins. Success. *

MOM (CONT’D) (into the phone) * I know, I know. I, uh... but I * better get started if I’m gonna * turn it in in the morning. *

He plops himself on the floor under her desk and looks at his * mom’s feet. She’s taken off her shoes, but is still wearing * her tights; Max tugs gently on the tights over her right toe. *

MOM (CONT’D) * (now a bit more upbeat) No, I hear you, I hear you. This * will be the last time I promise, okay? Thanks. *

She hangs up and smiles down at Max.

MOM (CONT’D) (softly) Hey.

MAX (almost inaudibly) * Hi.

They sit in silence for a moment. *

MOM * I could use a story.

MAX Ummm... Sure. *

17 CONTINUED: 17

This is a game they play together. Max looks around, trying * to think of a good one to tell her. She opens a new page on * her computer and starts typing his dictation.

MAX (CONT’D) Okay, there were some buildings... * There were these really tall buildings...and they could walk. Then there were some vampires. One of the vampires bit the tallest building and his fangs broke off...then all his other teeth fell out...then he started crying...and then all the other vampires said Why are you crying? Aren’t those just your baby teeth? And he said, No, those are my grown-up teeth...and the vampires knew that he couldn’t be a vampire anymore, so they left him. *

Mom finishes typing and smiles proudly and sadly at Max. *

MAX (CONT’D) The end.

25-27 Max smiles back at his mom. 25-27 *

28 INT. SCHOOL CLASSROOM – DAY 28

The classroom is a familiar one - Formica furniture and a * chalkboard, large windows. The branches of nearby trees touch * the glass when the wind surges. *

Max’s teacher, male, is short and thin, bearded and wearing a * cardigan. *

TEACHER (warming to his subject) ... the sun is the center of our solar system. It’s the reason all the planets are here. Its warmth * gives us sunlight, makes our planet liveable. Of course the sun won’t * always be here to keep us warm. It, like all things, will die... and when it does, first it’ll expand, * enveloping all the surrounding planets, including Earth, before * consuming them rapidly. (now almost cheerfully) The sun, after all, is just fuel * burning ferociously... and when it runs out of fuel... well... *

17 CONTINUED: (2) 17

(MORE)

(beat) * Want me to save you a seat? *

No response from Mom. -

Max looks around his room, looking for options. He looks at a - set of armor and swords. Pass. He glances to a Nerf - basketball hoop. Pass. A Lego set. Pass. -

He sees his wolf suit hanging on the back of his door. Hmm. *

31 INT. MAX’S HOUSE – DUSK 31 *

31A With a triumphant music cue, Max comes strutting downstairs, 31A - in his wolf suit. -

32 INT. MAX’S LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 32 *

Max walks through the foyer, arms crossed before his chest. * Peeking around a corner, he sees his Mom and the boyfriend * exchange a kiss on the couch.

MOM (CONT’D) You’re really....nice

BOYFRIEND

...Cute

They share a flirtatious laugh. Max is mortified. *

Mom and boyfriend toast. *

Max watches in disgust. Mom picks up a dirty plate and * hurries back toward the kitchen. Passing Max, she growls * playfully at him. *

MOM (to Max) Hi, sweetie. (loudly into the next room) Claire, it’s almost dinner! Get your stuff off the table, please.

Max follows her into the kitchen. *

33 INT. KITCHEN - CONTINUOUS 33 *

His mom is cooking. Max enters the kitchen and drags a chair * over to the counter lazily. It scrapes loudly on the floor. *

MOM * Shhh! *

Max starts sniffing around. He looks down his nose at all the * food, examining it. Mom is too frazzled to pay attention. He * gets up on the chair and assesses the work his mom is doing. * At the moment, she’s boiling water in a pot.

30 CONTINUED: 30

MAX (CONT'D)

MOM (CONT’D) *

Hey, shhh.

MAX (pointing to something on a * plate) * Mom, what is that?

MOM It’s pâté.

Max rolls his eyes and moves on, dissatisfied, imperious. He * fiddles with things on the counter. He picks up a bag of frozen corn.

MAX Frozen corn? What’s wrong with * real corn?

He drops the package loudly on the counter. *

MOM (firmly, trying not to lose her patience) Frozen corn is real. And get off * the chair please. And go tell your * sister to clear her stuff off the table.

MAX (yelling, more or less in his * mom’s face) CLAIRE GET YOUR STUFF OFF THE DINING ROOM TABLE!

Max is testing her patience.

MOM (urgently, under her breath) * Max, don’t pull that now.

Instead of retreating, Max leaps to stand on the counter. He * stands there, hovering over her, in his animal costume. *

They stare at each other.

MOM (CONT’D) (whispering/pleading) Max, get off the counter, please, get off. I have a friend here... you’re embarrassing me.

Max crosses his arms and stares at her. *

33 CONTINUED: 33

Close on Max, we see that though he’s not sure what this means, these words have hit him hard.

Max turns to see the boyfriend entering the foyer. *

As Mom is still in pain, the boyfriend hesitates - he’s * unsure if it’s his place to get involved. He stands. *

BOYFRIEND Connie, he can’t treat you like that.

Mom turns to Max.

MOM Max, what is wrong with you? Why * are you doing these things? *

MAX * You’re doing things! *

MOM * You’re out of control!

Max looks at everyone. His mom, the boyfriend... *

MAX - It’s not my fault! -

This is the last straw with Max. He turns red with rage and runs out of the house, into the night. His mom runs out the - door after him. *

36 EXT. STREET - NIGHT 36 *

MOM - Max! Max! -

Max tears down the street. *

MOM (CONT’D) - Max! -

37 She follows him for a block, but quickly loses ground. 37 -

Max cuts across yards and down an embankment. Now he’s free. * He runs toward the forest in the distance, where the road * ends and the trees begin. *

38 EXT. NEARBY FOREST – NIGHT 38 *

Max, still high from the run and still breathing hard, comes into the forest. *

35 CONTINUED: 35

He reaches a small clearing around a fallen tree, where he has a few possessions stashed. Max grabs a large stick and * stomps around, hitting things violently.

The wind blows louder, whipping the leaves around in a fury. * Max, feeling the night's power, howls into the sky. *

39 He finds himself at the shore. The stars are out and the 39 * moon is reflected on the placid water. *

A boat floats. Max looks around to see if anyone is there. * The boat isn’t tied to anything, and starts to drift away. * Max rushes toward it and grabs the loose rope attached to it. * He pulls the boat back slowly. He looks around again, * wondering if the boat has an owner, if anyone’s watching. He * stands before the boat, the trees swaying violently around him.

Max steps into the boat. *

The vessel slowly drifts away. *

40-42 Max allows the boat to drift, watching seriously and 40- intentionally as the land grows more distant. *

43 The boat cuts quickly through the sea. 43 *

Max looks past the bow toward his destination. There is * nothing but open water.

44 EXT. OCEAN - DAWN 44 *

A pale early light paints the ocean pink. We see a wide, wide * shot, with Max and his boat a tiny speck in the vast ocean.

45 On board, we see Max look around at the horizon line. In 45 * front of him, no signs of the city. Behind him is just water * and sky. No land in sight. *

46-55 He settles in for a long journey. 46-55 *

Max sails in and out of nights and days. He’s hungry and * thirsty. Rain comes and goes. He’s cold and wet and exhausted * -- and it seems he’ll never see land again. *

Finally, after many days, off the bow of the boat, he sees a * landmass, and within it, a bright glow. *

56 Cut: Night. He’s closer now. The island is in sight. A great 56 * black mound in the sea, with an orange glow - a fire - in the * middle. *

38 CONTINUED: 38

ALEXANDER *

I will... *

ALEXANDER is the smallest of the Wild Things, just a little * bigger than Max. He resembles a goat, with grey-white fur * like Max’s, and a teenager’s voice. *

CAROL * No, I’ll just do it myself... *

ALEXANDER * ... help. *

CAROL * ... as usual. *

DOUGLAS - Um, Carol, could I talk to you for - a second? -

DOUGLAS looks like a gigantic rooster, proud and strong, with * white feathers. His voice is thoughtful, reasoned, steady. *

CAROL - Not right now, Douglas, I’m busy. -

Carol smashes a hut. -

DOUGLAS - Uh, oh, okay I’m sorry. Carry on. *

CAROL * And I’m the only one who cares * enough to do this. *

He smashes another house. *

CAROL (CONT’D) * Or this! *

He smashes another one. *

JUDITH - Carol, is this really necessary? -

CAROL - Ask K.W. You ask K.W. if it’s * necessary. -

IRA - She’s not here. She left. -

59 CONTINUED: 59

CAROL -

Exactly. She left. So it’s * necessary. Is anyone going to help - me? -

ALEXANDER - (awkwardly) - Um, I will.... -

CAROL * Okay, okay, good. Come on. Here ya * go. *

Carol picks up Alexander and hurls him into a hut. -

ALEXANDER * Ouch. *

CAROL * Thank you. *

ALEXANDER - Uhh... glad to help. *

CAROL - Who else wants to lend a hand? -

IRA - What do you think, Judith, should I * help, too? *

JUDITH - No, you shouldn’t help him! -

IRA - I know. I just thought it would - make him feel better. -

JUDITH - (exasperated) * Good idea, Ira. Go stand in this * hut over here before it gets * wrecked. *

IRA - I know, I know I shouldn’t. *

JUDITH * Ira, go stand in the hut over there * so I can think. *

IRA * I’ll stand right over here. *

59 CONTINUED: (2) 59

CAROL *

But I know what I’m doing. *

From far away, Carol hears a sound. It sounds like a small * animal growling. *

Carol looks around to see what this noise is. It’s getting - louder. Everybody looks around to see what it is. -

60 Suddenly Max bursts into the scene, flying through the side 60 - of a hut. He startles everybody. Wildly, he swings a huge * stick around, destroying everything in his path. *

JUDITH * Ira, what is it? *

IRA * I don’t know. *

JUDITH * Doesn’t smell like anything. *

Carol watches Max, excited by what he sees, but also unsure - about who or what this thing is. -

As Max is smashing stuff, he exchanges glances with Carol. - Max hurls himself into one of the huts and lands on the - ground, in a comic thud. Carol approaches Max, looms over him - and sniffs him. Max is nervous, but sniffs Carol back. They - growl at each other. Carol laughs. -

CAROL - (to the others) - See, this guy gets it. * (to Max) - Hey... um... weird little... * (unsure what to call him) - ... thing. I like the way you - destroy stuff. Good technique. * There’s a spark to your work that - can’t be taught. -

MAX - (as if it was nothing) - Thanks. -

CAROL Alright, see that one over there? * You take that one, I’ll take this * one. See who can do it faster. * Okay? *

MAX * Okay. *

59 CONTINUED: (4) 59

CAROL *

Go! *

Carol runs off, smashing a hut on the other side. -

61 With his big stick, Max approaches one of the last remaining 61 huts. He smashes it and creates a large hole. Inside the hut Max is surprised to see a large and menacing bull-like * creature, THE BULL. Max is frightened, and backs off. When he * turns around, he bumps into Douglas, who looms over him. *

DOUGLAS Hey, what are you doing? -

MAX I’m just helping.

DOUGLAS By smashing our houses? -

MAX These are your houses?

DOUGLAS (defensively) - Yeah. What’s wrong with them? -

JUDITH - (feeling judged) * What do your houses look like? -

IRA - I bet his houses are funny looking. -

DOUGLAS - Look, we worked very hard on these. - Then you, sir, showed up and - started “helping.” -

Max stammers. -

ALEXANDER - I’m cold. -

JUDITH - (to Max) * Who are you? Are you one of K.W.’s * new friends? *

DOUGLAS - (disapproving) * Oh, are you Bob or Terry? -

Max looks confused, unsure of how to answer all this. -

60 CONTINUED: 60