Big Fish Screenplay - John August

8/2/2019 Big Fish Screenplay - John August

1/122

Big Fish

written by

John August

based on the novel by Daniel Wallace

FINAL PRODUCTION DRAFTincludes post-production dialogue

and omitted scenes

Copyright 2003 Columbia Pictures


2/122

This is a Southern story, full of lies and fabrications, buttruer for their inclusion.


3/122

FADE IN

A RIVER.

Were underwater, watching a fat catfish swim along.

This is The Beast.

EDWARD (V.O.)There are some fish that cannot becaught. Its not that theyre fasteror stronger than other fish. Theyrejust touched by something extra. Callit luck. Call it grace. One such fish

was The Beast.

The Beasts journey takes it past a dangling fish hook,baited with worms. Past a tempting lure, sparkling in the

sun. Past a swiping bear claw. The Beast isnt worried.

EDWARD (V.O.)(contd)By the time I was born, he was alreadya legend. Hed taken more hundred-dollar lures than any fish in Alabama.Some said that fish was the ghost ofHenry Walls, a thief whod drowned inthat river 60 years before. Othersclaimed he was a lesser dinosaur, leftover from the Cretaceous period.

INT. WILLS BEDROOM - NIGHT (1973)

WILL BLOOM, AGE 3, listens wide-eyed as his father EDWARDBLOOM, 40s and handsome, tells the story. In every gesture,Edward is bigger than life, describing each detail withabsolute conviction.

EDWARDI didn't put any stock into suchspeculation or superstition. All Iknew was Id been trying to catch thatfish since I was a boy no bigger thanyou.

(closer)And on the day you were born, that wasthe day I finally caught him.

EXT. CAMPFIRE - NIGHT (1977)

A few years later, and Will sits with the other INDIAN GUIDESas Edward continues telling the story to the tribe.


4/122

EDWARDNow, Id tried everything on it:

worms, lures, peanut butter, peanutbutter-and-cheese. But on that day Ihad a revelation: if that fish was theghost of a thief, the usual bait wasnt

going to work. I would have to usesomething he truly desired.

Edward points to his wedding band, glinting in the firelight.

LITTLE BRAVE(confused)

Your finger?

Edward slips his ring off.

EDWARDGold.

While the other boys are rapt with attention, Will looksbored. Hes heard this story before.

EDWARDI tied my ring to the strongest linethey made -- strong enough to hold up abridge, they said, if just for a few

minutes -- and I cast upriver.

INT. BLOOM FRONT HALL - NIGHT (1987)

Edward is chatting up Wills pretty DATE to the homecoming

dance. She is enjoying the story, but also the force ofEdwards charisma. Hes hypnotizing.

EDWARD (contd)The Beast jumped up and grabbed itbefore the ring even hit the water.

And just as fast, he snapped cleanthrough that line.

WILL, now 17 with braces, is fuming and ready to leave. Hismother SANDRA -- from whom he gets his good looks andpracticality -- stands with him at the door.

EDWARDYou can see my predicament. My weddingring, the symbol of fidelity to my

wife, soon to be the mother of mychild, was now lost in the gut of anuncatchable fish.

2.


5/122

ON WILL AND SANDRA

WILL(low but insistent)

Make him stop.

His mother pats him sympathetically, then adjusts his tie.

WILLS DATEWhat did you do?

EDWARDI followed that fish up-river and down-river for three days and three nights,until I finally had him boxed in.

Will regards his father with exasperated contempt.

EDWARD

With these two hands, I reached in andsnatched that fish out of the river. Ilooked him straight in the eye. And I

made a remarkable discovery.

INT. TINY PARIS RESTAURANT (LA RUE 14) - NIGHT (1998)

WILL, now 28, sits with his gorgeous bride JOSEPHINE. Thisis their wedding reception, crowded with their friends andfamily. They should be joyful, but Will is furious.

Edward has the floor, ostensibly for a toast. The room iscozy and drunk.

EDWARDThis fish, the Beast. The whole time

we were calling it a him, when in factit was a her. It was fat with eggs,and was going to lay them any day.

Over near the doorway, we spot Sandra, just returned from therestrooms. She looks gorgeous. She couldnt be any happierif this were her own wedding.

EDWARD

Now, I was in a situation. I could gutthat fish and get my ring back, butdoing so I would be killing thesmartest catfish in the Ashton River,soon to be mother of a hundred others.

Will cant take any more. Josephine tries to hold him back,but he gets up and leaves. Edward doesnt even notice.

3.


6/122

EDWARD (contd)Did I want to deprive my soon-to-be-born son the chance to catch a fishlike this of his own? This lady fishand I, well, we had the same destiny.

As he leaves, Will mutters in perfect unison with his father--

EDWARD AND WILLWe were part of the same equation.

Will reaches the door, where his mother intercepts him.

SANDRAHoney, its still your night.

Will cant articulate his anger. He just leaves.

EDWARD

Now, you may well ask, since this ladyfish wasnt the ghost of a thief, whydid it strike so quick on gold whennothing else would attract it?

(closer; he holds up his ring)That was the lesson I learned that day,the day my son was born.

He focuses his words on Sandra. This story is -- and hasalways been -- about her more than anyone.

EDWARDSometimes, the only way to catch an

uncatchable woman is to offer her awedding ring.

A LAUGH from the crowd.

Edward motions for Sandra to get up here with him. As shecrosses, we can see that thirty years of marriage has notlessened their affection for each other.

As they kiss, Edward tweaks her chin a special little way.The crowd APPLAUDS.

Edward toasts the happy couple. Josephine covers well forher absent husband, a smile as warm as summer.

Edward downs his champagne in a gulp.

EXT. OUTSIDE LA RUE 14 - NIGHT

We come into the middle of an argument on the sidewalk.Occasional PASSERSBY take notice, especially as it gets moreheated. Both men are a little drunk.

4.


7/122

EDWARDWhat, a fathers not allowed to talkabout his son?

WILL(disbelieving)

I am a footnote in that story. I amthe context for your great adventure.Which never happened! Incidentally!You were selling novelty products inWichita the day I was born.

EDWARD(shaking his head)

Jesus Christ.

WILLFriend of yours? Did you help him outof a bind?

EDWARDCome on, Will. Everyone likes thatstory.

WILLNo Dad, they dont. I do not like thestory. Not anymore, not after athousand times. I know all thepunchlines, Dad. I can tell them as

well as you can.(closer)

For one night, one night in your entire

life, the universe does not revolvearound Edward Bloom. It revolvesaround me and my wife. How can you notunderstand that?

A long beat, then...

EDWARD(low)

Sorry to embarrass you.

Will wont let him get the last word.

WILLYoure embarrassing yourself, Dad. Youjust dont see it.

ANGLE ON Edward. Fine. A hand to wave, enough of you.

He walks away.

5.


8/122

ANGLE ON Will, still fuming with righteous anger. Its thenwe FREEZE FRAME.

WILL (V.O.)(contd)After that night, I didnt speak to myfather again for three years.

INT. A.P. NEWSROOM (PARIS) - DAY

A typically busy day. On hold with the phone cradled underan ear, Will sorts through a bundle of mail dropped on hisdesk.

WILL (ON PHONE)(without pauses)

William Bloom with the Associated Pressif I could just...

Hes put back on hold. Returning to the mail, he finds a

hand-addressed envelope. Rips it open.

WILL (V.O.)(contd)We communicated indirectly I guess. Inher letters and Christmas cards, my

mother would write for both of them.

INT. BLOOM HOUSE KITCHEN - DAY

At the table, Sandra talks on the phone while Edward fixes asandwich.

WILL (V.O.)

When Id call, Mom would say that Dadwas out driving. Or swimming in thepool.

Edward takes a seat, starting to eat his sandwich.

WILL (V.O.) (cont'd)True to form, we never talked about ournot talking.

INT. BLOOM HOUSE MASTER BEDROOM - NIGHT

Sandra stands by the window, watching as...EXT. BLOOM BACK YARD - NIGHT [CONTINUOUS]

Edward swims laps in the family pool. Hes born to thewater.

6.


9/122

WILL (V.O.)The truth is, I didnt see anything of

myself in my father, and I dont thinkhe saw anything of himself in me. We

were like strangers who knew each othervery well.

EXT. RIVER - DAY

Edward stares intently into the water, a lion in wait.

WILL (V.O.)In telling the story of my fatherslife, its impossible to separate thefact from the fiction, the man from the

myth. The best I can do is to tell itthe way he told me.

We LOOK DOWN at the river, where Edwards reflection is

caught in the dark water. As the water ripples past,something changes.

Sure enough, as we LOOK UP again, its a younger EDWARDBLOOM, 20s, staring into the water. Hes not just handsome,not just charming. Its as if all the forces of the natural

world had conspired to create him.

WILL (V.O.) (contd)It doesnt always make sense, and mostof it never happened.

Suddenly, this Edward thrusts both hands into the water,

grabbing hold of

THE BEAST.

He brings the catfish up to his face. Looks it right in theeye. A beat, then the Beast spits out Edwards gold ring.

WILL (V.O.) (contd)But thats what kind of story this is.

Smiling, Edward takes the ring, then throws the Beast backinto the water with a splash.

TITLE OVER:

BIG FISH

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - DAY

Young Dr. Bennett stands between the Wifes legs. Shesflustered and sweating, but the doctor has a comfortingbedside manner...

7.


10/122

YOUNG DR. BENNETTNow, Mrs. Bloom, Ill need you to give

me one good push. On three. One...

Suddenly, we hear a POP as a slimy mass of human beingrockets into the doctors unprepared hands. Bennett tries to

hold tight, but the infant is slippery like a fish. Itshoots up into air.

The NURSES and the Husband try to grab the baby, but no onecan hold it. As the newborn sails upward TOWARDS CAMERA, wecan see a GIGGLING SMILE on its face.

As it falls, the newborn knocks over a tray, which providesit a ramp to slide right out of the room. Everyone racesafter it.

INT. HOSPITAL HALLWAY - DAY

Bursting through the doors --

YOUNG DR. BENNETTGrab that baby!

A NURSE finally scoops up the slippery baby. Everyone letsout a collective sigh of relief.

WILL (V.O.)My fathers birth would set the pacefor his unlikely life. No longer than

most mens, but larger. And as strangeas his stories got, the endings were

always the most surprising of all.

INT. HALF-DARK PARIS APARTMENT - (PRESENT) DAY

Over the sound of rain, a phone RINGS on a chair. By thetone of the ring, we know were not in the U.S. -- it hasthat insistent European sound.

As it keeps RINGING, we look to see the apartment is mostlyempty, just a few half-unpacked boxes. A cradle is still inits carton.

KEYS in the lock. LAUGHTER in the hallway. The door swingsopen to reveal a drenched Will (29) carrying four sacks ofgroceries, the bottoms collapsing from the rain. His wifeJosephine (28) pushes past him to get the phone.

JOSEPHINEAllo oui?

8.


11/122

Will begins stripping out of his wet clothes, each layerunleashing a new drizzle. He plays it up, trying to get areaction out of Josephine.

JOSEPHINE (contd)(on phone)

Yes, hes here.

She hands the phone to Will, concerned.

JOSEPHINE (contd)Its your mother.

Half-stripped, Will takes the phone. This wont be goodnews.

WILL(on phone)

Hi. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.

As Josephine takes off her rain coat, we see she is very,very pregnant. She listens carefully to Wills side of theconversation, trying to gauge how bad the news is.

WILL (contd)What does Dr. Bennett say? Okay. No,sure, let me talk to him. Ill wait.

He covers the mouthpiece. Looks over to Josephine.

JOSEPHINEIts bad.

WILLIts more than they thought. Theyregoing to stop chemo.

JOSEPHINEYou need to go.

WILLProbably tonight.

A beat.

JOSEPHINEIm going with you.

WILLYou dont have to.

JOSEPHINE(a simple fact)

Im going with you.

9.


12/122

INT. AIR FRANCE 747 - NIGHT

As the plane continues boarding, a STEWARDESS recites thewelcome spiel in French. Will has a window seat in coach.Josephine sits beside him, putting on hand lotion.

Taking his hands, she rubs the excess into him. There's aneffortless intimacy between them. She can pinpoint what he'sfeeling before he can.

INT. 747 / FLYING - NIGHT

Hours later, and the lights are dimmed. Most of thePASSENGERS are asleep, including Josephine. Her head ispropped against Wills shoulder, her hands tucked under herbelly.

Will watches her sleep, brushing back her hair. A beat, thenhe notices a BORED BOY in the next row over.

Off the glow of the reading light, the boy is using his handsto cast shadows on the seat back. The kid is pretty good,

making a convincing bird, a passable monkey, and finally adog.

We PUSH IN on the silhouettes.

EDWARD (O.S., PRELAP)So which ones it gonna be? The Monkeyin the Barn, the Dog in the Road?

Focusing on the final shadow, we...

MATCH CUT TO:

INT. BLOOM HOUSE - NIGHT

...come to find Edward making the shapes.

Will (6) sits in his pajamas on the floor next to him. Theendtable lamp lies between them, its shade off to cast bigshadows on the wall.

WILL

The one about the witch.EDWARD

Your mom says I cant tell you that oneanymore. You get nightmares.

WILLIm not scared.

10.


13/122

Edward looks around for a beat, seeing if his wife is inearshot. He then leans in, complicitous.

EDWARDNeither was I. At first.

Will smiles, excited to hear the forbidden story.

EDWARD (contd)This all happened in the swamp outsideof Ashton. Kids werent supposed to goout in the swamp, on account of thesnakes and spiders and quicksand that

would swallow you up before you couldeven scream. But there were five of usout there that night: Me, Ruthie,Wilbur Freely, and the Price Brothers,Don and Zacky.

Edward holds up his hand, counting the names on his fingers.

EDWARD (contd)Not a one of us knew what was in store.

As his hand moves past the light, we

COME TO:

A flashlight SWEEPS past. We are...

EXT. FIELD AT THE SWAMP EDGE - NIGHT

The night is WHIRRING and BREATHING, alive. The moon hangslow, casting long shadows.

Five kids walk past in silhouette. Four have flashlights on.The fifth keeps tripping, crashing into YOUNG EDWARD (10).

EDWARDZacky, turn your flashlight on!

ZACKYI dont got any batteries!

Red-headed ZACKY PRICE is 10. His brother DON PRICE is 12,and a lot bigger than the others.

DON PRICEThen whyd you bring it?

ZACKYI dont want to be in the swamp with a

witch and no flashlight.

11.


14/122

WILBUR FREELY, also 10, is the black asthmatic son of asharecropper. Redheaded RUTHIE MACKLIN, 8, is happy just tobe there.

EDWARDIs it true she got a glass eye?

WILBUR FREELYI heard she got it from Gypsies.

EDWARDWhats a Gypsy?

ZACKYYour mommas a Gypsy.

DON PRICEYour mommas a bitch.

RUTHIEYou shouldnt swear. Theres ladiespresent.

DON PRICEShit.

ZACKYDamn.

WILBUR FREELYScrew.

EDWARD(whispering)

Turn off your flashlights! Shell seeem.

MOVING UP behind the kids, we find ourselves at the gatesof...

EXT. A CREEPY OLD HOUSE - NIGHT

ADULT EDWARD (V.O.)Now, its common knowledge that most

towns of a certain size have a witch,if only to eat misbehaving children andthe occasional puppy who wanders intoher yard. Witches use those bones tocast spells and curses that make theland infertile.

12.


15/122

We PULL BACK, and BACK, revealing more of the Gothicallycreepy house: its broken windows, strangling vines, andeerie gargoyles half-buried in the dirt. Even bats areafraid to fly over it.

In the moonlight, the house is especially sinister. Who

knows what is lurking in the shadows?

ADULT EDWARD (V.O.)(contd)Yet of the all the witches in Alabama,there was one who was the most feared.For she had one glass eye, which wassaid to contain mystical powers.

We finally come to the kids, staring in through the gate.

WILBUR FREELYI hear if you look right at it, you cansee how youre gonna die.

EDWARDThats bull-s-h-i-t, that is. Shesnot even a real witch.

DON PRICEYoure so sure, why dont you go in andget that eye? I heard she keeps it ina box on her nighttable.

Edward looks back at the spooky house.

DON PRICE (contd)

Or are you too scared?

EDWARDIll go in right now and get that eye.

DON PRICEThen do it.

EDWARDFine, I will.

DON PRICE

Fine, you do it.EDWARD

Fine, Im doing it.

He hands Zacky his flashlight, then starts climbing the gate.

RUTHIEEdward, dont!

13.


16/122

WILBUR FREELYShell make soap out of you!

(to Ruthie)Thats what she does, she makes soapout of people.

Edward drops down on the far side of the gate. Truth betold, Edward is scared, but he forges ahead anyway.

Wilbur looks to Ruthie, and theyre in complete agreement.They get the hell out of there. Zacky would run too, but Donholds him by the collar.

EXT. APPROACHING THE HOUSE

Edward curves around the tall bushes that hide the frontdoor. Anything could jump out of them.

He steps on the porch. The boards SQUEAL and CREAK, but he

continues on. A cat SCREAMS OUT from a broken wicker rocker.Catching his breath, Edward reaches the front door.

The doorknob is ancient brass, two projections that look likehorns. Yet Edward extends his hand, reaching closer andcloser before he finally

RINGS THE DOORBELL.

Impossibly fast, the door opens, revealing an OLD WOMAN witha patch over her left eye. She looks like shes been deadfor years, but too stubborn to lie down.

EDWARD(calm and straightforward)

Maam, my name is Edward Bloom, andtheres some folksd like to see youreye.

EXT. BACK AT THE GATE - NIGHT

Zacky and Don Price wait for Edward, each moment moreconvinced hes already dead. But suddenly, hes back at thegate.

DON PRICEYou get the eye?

EDWARDI brought it.

DON PRICE(dubious)

Lets see it.

14.


17/122

The Old Woman steps out of the shadows behind Edward,flipping up her eye patch. When their flashlight beam hitsher left eye, it shines with a hellish glow.

We RUSH IN on Zacky, who is paralyzed by what he sees.

CUT TO:

EXT. FRONT PORCH OF HOUSE - DAY

An OLD MAN -- Zacky -- stands on a wobbly stepladder,changing a lightbulb. Suddenly, the ladder gives way and hefalls. Dead.

EXT. AT THE GATE - NIGHT

We RUSH IN on Don Price.

CUT TO:

INT. FRATERNITY HOUSE BATHROOM - DAY

Twenty-year old Don Price falls face-forward on the tile,face mushed in the grout. Very much dead.

EXT. AT THE GATE - NIGHT

Don and Zacky both tremble with fear. The latter has tearsin his eyes.

ZACKYI saw how I was gonna die. I was old,

and I fell.

DON PRICEI wasnt old at all.

The brothers suddenly bolt. Still standing next to the OldWoman, Edward smiles.

EXT. AT THE OLD WOMANS DOOR - NIGHT

Edward helps her back inside. He could leave now, butcuriosity gets the better of him.

EDWARDI was thinking about death and all.

About seeing how youre gonna die.

The Old Woman turns to him slightly, still not facing him.

15.


18/122

EDWARD (contd)I mean, on one hand, if dying was allyou thought about, it could kind ofscrew you up. But it could kind ofhelp you, couldnt it? Because youdknow that everything else you can

survive.

The Old Woman smiles a little, a crooked grin of brokenteeth.

EDWARD (contd)I guess Im saying, Id like to know.

The Old Woman turns leaning her face right in front of his.And on a silent count of one, two, three -- Edward looks intoThe Eye.

This time we dont cut. Instead, we HOLD ON Edward as he

witnesses his death. He stares transfixed, perplexed andamused. Whatever he sees, its not as dire as the otherboys. His future has something strange in store.

EDWARD (contd)Huh. Thats how I go?

The Old Woman nods. Still a little overwhelmed, Edward turnsand leaves.

ADULT EDWARD (V.O.)From that moment on, I no longer feareddeath. And for that, I was as good as

immortal.

As Edward leaves, the door swings SHUT on its own.

MATCH CUT TO:

INT./EXT. BLOOM HOUSE - (PRESENT) DAY

The front door opens to reveal Will and Josephine on theporch with their bags. REVERSE to Wills mother Sandra (53),surprised and a little annoyed.

SANDRAHow did you get here?

WILLWe swam. The Atlantic, its not thatbig really.

SANDRARuth McHibbon offered to pick you up atthe airport.

16.


19/122

WILLWe rented a car.

SANDRA(simply)

You didnt need to do that. You just

didnt.

A beat. Starting over...

WILLHi, Mom.

He leans in and hugs her. She surrenders, squeezing her sontight. Will and his mother are cut from the same cloth --strong-willed but practical. Theyve always been close.

SANDRAIm so glad youre here.

That hug finished, Sandra pushes past her son to her daughter-in-law. Seeing the size of her belly --

SANDRAYou shouldnt have flown. But...

They hug.

JOSEPHINEIts good to see you. You lookbeautiful.

Its not flattery. Its the truth.

SANDRAThank you. Ill bet you need to --

JOSEPHINEYes.

SANDRADown the hall on the right. The doorsticks. You have to really pull it.

Josephine squeezes past, a smile to her husband -- be nice.Will heads back to the rental car to retrieve luggage.Sandra follows him.

Coming down the driveway, we get to see the house for thefirst time: an older suburban home, three bedrooms, big forthe neighborhood, and nicely grown into the lot. KIDS areplaying on the street.

17.


20/122

WILLIs that Dr. Bennetts car?

SANDRAHes up with your father.

Heading back to the house...

WILLHow is he?

SANDRAHes impossible. He wont eat. Andbecause he wont eat, he gets weaker.

And because hes weaker, he doesntwant to eat.

WILLHow much time does he have left?

SANDRAYou dont talk about those things. Notyet.

INT. KITCHEN - DAY

Sandra is pouring iced tea for Will and Josephine.

DR. JULIUS BENNETT (85) enters from the foyer, still windedfrom coming down the stairs. He was the towns first Blackphysician. Hes still the towns best physician.

DR. BENNETTWill.

WILLDr. Bennett. Its good to see you.

(they shake)My wife, Josephine.

DR. BENNETTA pleasure.

He judges her belly.

DR. BENNETT (contd)Youre seven months.

JOSEPHINE(impressed)

To the day.

He leans close to her, whispering in her ear...

18.


21/122

DR. BENNETTIts a boy.

She smiles, surprised but not doubting. Will looks over --what did he say? Josephine shakes her head.

Back to the main subject...

SANDRAYou dont think he looks any worse.

DR. BENNETTNo. I would say hes the same.

And in the silence that follows, a lot is said. It wasntthe upbeat reply Sandra was hoping for.

WILLCan I see him?

DR. BENNETTAbsolutely. Be good for you to talk tohim.

A moment of awkwardness -- everyone here knows they haventspoken in years.

Sandra hands Will a squat can of Ensure from the case on thecounter.

SANDRAGet him to drink one of these. He

wont, but tell him he has to.

INT. FOYER - DAY

Coming out from the kitchen, Will slowly climbs the stairs.They CREAK with every step.

The wall is filled with family photos, happier times. Mostof the pictures are of Will, starting when he was an infantand ending at his wedding. As he climbs the stairs, we cansee him growing up with every step.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAYA crack of sunlight spills around the half-open door at theend of the hallway. Will walks towards it, running a handalong the wallpaper.

Almost at the door, he stops for a beat. Gets his breath.Then goes inside.

19.


22/122

INT. GUEST ROOM - DAY

Edward Bloom, 61, lies asleep on the bed. Although hes notthe vibrant man weve seen before, its not as bad we feared.The illness has been quick, and left him largely intact.

There are no I.V.s, no monitors, nothing.

Coming up to the bed --

WILLDad?

Edward cracks open an eye, a beat before he focuses. Hetries to say something, but no words come out.

He looks over at a pitcher on the nightstand. Will pours hima glass of water, helping him hold it to his parched lips.

Finished, Edward sets down the glass by himself. A verylong, tense beat. Will almost speaks again to fill thesilence.

Finally...

EDWARDYou --

(he points)-- are in for a surprise.

WILLAm I?

EDWARDHaving a kid changes everything. I

mean, theres the diapers and theburping and the midnight feedings...

WILLDid you do any of that?

EDWARDNo, but I hear its terrible. Then youspend years trying to corrupt and

mislead this child, fill its head withnonsense and still it turns outperfectly fine.

WILLYou think Im up for it?

EDWARDYou learned from the best.

20.


23/122

Will doesnt rise to the challenge. A beat, then heremembers the can of Ensure. Holds it up. Edward recoils.

WILLJust drink half the can. Ill tell heryou drank the whole thing. Everyone

wins.

A beat, then Edward rolls his eyes. Fine. Will cracks openthe can, finding a straw on the nightstand.

EDWARDPeople neednt worry so much. Its not

my time yet. This isnt how I go.

WILLReally.

EDWARD

Truly. I saw it in The Eye.

WILLThe Old Lady by the swamp.

EDWARDShe was a witch.

WILLNo, she was old and probably senile.Maybe schizophrenic.

EDWARD

I saw my death in that eye. And thisis not how it happens.

WILLSo how does it happen?

EDWARDSurprise ending. Wouldnt want to ruinit for you.

Edward slurps down as much of the Ensure as he can stand,then pushes the can away. He swallows with difficulty.

EDWARD (contd)There was this panhandler who used tostop me every morning when I came outof this coffee shop near the office.

WILLOkay.

21.


24/122

EDWARDAnd every day I gave him a quarter.Every day. Then I got sick and was outfor a couple of weeks. And when I wentback there, you know what he said?

WILLWhat did he say?

EDWARDYou owe me three-fifty.

WILLReally.

EDWARDTrue story.

A beat.

WILLWhen did you ever work in an office?

EDWARDTheres a lot you dont know about me.

WILLYoure right.

Edward gives a wry smile. He walked into that.

EDWARD

Your mother was worried we wouldnttalk again. And look at us. Weretalking fine. Were storytellers, bothof us. I speak mine out, you writeyours down. Same thing.

Will wont commit to Edwards assessment.

WILLDad, Im hoping we can talk about somethings while Im here.

EDWARDYou mean, while Im here.

WILLId just like to know the true versionsof things. Events. Stories. You.

Edward LAUGHS a little, which becomes a COUGH. The HACKINGescalates until another drink of water gets it under control.

22.


25/122

Its not clear whether any of this was an act to keep fromtalking.

EDWARDYour mother hasnt been keeping up thepool. If you wanted to you could...

WILLI will.

EDWARDYou know where the chemicals are?

WILLI used to do it when you were gone,remember? I used to do it a lot.

He didnt mean for that to sound so pointed. Taking the half-empty Ensure, Will gets up to go. Hes at the door when...

EDWARDI was never much for being at home,Will. Its too confining. And this,here. Being stuck in bed. Dying isthe worst thing that ever happened to

me.

He smiles at his joke.

WILLI thought you werent dying.

EDWARDI said this isnt how I go. The lastpart is much more unusual. Trust me onthat.

INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY - DAY

Shutting the door behind himself, Will drinks the rest of theEnsure himself. Edward was right. It tastes horrible.

Heading for the stairs, Will walks past an open door. As heleaves frame, we STAY BEHIND to look inside...

INT. WILLS BEDROOM - DAY [FLASHBACK]

...where an eight-year old Will is propped up in bed, hisface covered with chicken pox and pink calamine lotion. Hesshowing Edward how many bumps there are on his arm.

YOUNG WILLDr. Bennett says Im going to have tobe home for a week.

23.


26/122

EDWARDThats nothing. I once had to stay inbed for three years.

YOUNG WILLDid you have chicken pox?

EDWARDI wish.

CUT TO:

INT. TINY CHURCH - DAY

Wearing a white shirt and tie, YOUNG EDWARD -- still about 10-- sings Down to the River My Lord along with theCONGREGATION. His voice is high and thin, but he gives ithis all.

Suddenly, his voice CRACKS and DROPS a half-octave. And thenanother. His friends Wilbur Freeley and Ruthie look over,

wondering whats wrong. Embarrassed, Edward just keepsSINGING, trying to follow along with the baritone part.

He pulls at his collar. Then pulls again, his face gettingred. Starting to panic, he loosens his tie. Hes startingto undo the collar button when it POPS off by itself. Two

more buttons fly off. One hits a CHUBBY WOMAN in the neck.

ON HIS SHOES

As we watch, Edwards pant cuffs rise inch by inch -- thatshow fast hes growing.

EDWARD (V.O.)Truth is, no one quite knew what was

wrong. Most times, a person grows upgradually. I found myself in a hurry.

INT. YOUNG EDWARDS BEDROOM - DAY

Young Edward lies in bed, his limbs connected to various

pulleys and levers to support his weight. He has a dozenencyclopedias around him, and another dozen on the floor.

EDWARD (V.O.)My muscles couldnt keep up with mybones, and my bones couldnt keep up

with my bodys ambition.

24.

(MORE)


27/122

So I spent the better part of threeyears confined to my bed, with theWorld Book Encyclopedia being my only

means of exploration. I had made itall the way to the Gs, hoping tofind an answer to my

gigantificationism, when I uncovered anarticle about the common goldfish.

INSERT: The encyclopedia article, complete with drawings.

YOUNG EDWARD(reading)

Kept in a small bowl, the goldfishwill remain small. With more space,the fish can grow double, triple, orquadruple its size.

Young Edward thinks this through.

EDWARD (V.O.)It occurred to me then, that perhapsthe reason for my growth was that I wasintended for larger things. After all,a giant man cant have an ordinary-sized life.

EXT. BASEBALL FIELD - DAY

The CRACK of a bat announces the game-winning home run. Thecrowd CHEERS the swing, and especially the batter as herounds the bases.

Although weve seen him briefly before, this is our firstreal exposure to GROWN-UP EDWARD, who well follow fromroughly the ages of 18 to 30.

EDWARD (V.0.)As soon as my bones had settled intheir adult configuration, I set upon

my plan to make a bigger place formyself in Ashton.

EXT. SCHOOL FIELDS - DAY

SINGLE SHOTS: Football hero Edward leads his team tovictory. On the sidelines, a PRETTY GIRL admits the name ofher secret love:

GIRLEdward Bloom!

The other GIRLS SQUEAL in agreement. Don Price looks over,glowers.

25.

EDWARD (V.O.) (cont'd)


28/122

EXT. NEIGHBORHOOD - DAY

SINGLE SHOT: A lawnmower ROARS along the grass. We LOOK UPto see whos pushing it, but its not Edward. Its one ofhis teenage EMPLOYEES.

Edward is back at the truck, which is painted to read, BloomLandscaping. He has workers on every lawn.

He signs an autograph for an ADMIRING CUB SCOUT.

INT. BASKETBALL COURT - DAY

Edward takes an impossible shot at the buzzer from the otherend of the court. Naturally, he makes it, winning the game.

As the crowd goes wild for Edward, Don Price is the onlyteammate who doesnt mob him.

EXT. TOWN - DAY

Edward carries a dog out of a burning house.

INT. SCIENCE FAIR - DAY

Edward wins a blue ribbon for his invention, a machinelabelled Perpetual Motion. He and the JUDGE pose for aphotograph. A FLASH.

Pissed, Don Price throws his crappy lima bean plants in thetrash.

INT. HIGH SCHOOL STAGE - DAY

A dashingly handsome Edward leads the CAST out for a curtaincall. Hes the star of the show. Off to the side, we seeDon Price is the ass-end of a horse costume.

Edward soaks in his applause, smiling and gracious.

EXT. GRADUATION STAGE - DAY

Edward accepts his diploma. The PRINCIPAL hugs him tight.

EDWARD (V.O.)I was the biggest thing Ashton had everseen. Until one day, a strangerarrived.

EXT. FARM - DAY

As two FARMERS shake their heads, we REVERSE to a show amassive hole punched through the side of a barn. Itsroughly the shape of man, but no human could be that large.

26.


29/122

EXT. SHEEP PEN - DAY

Two fat ewes look up, a shadow falling across them. TheyBLEAT in panic as

TWO OVERSIZED HANDS

reach in and scoop them up. Their protests continue astheyre carried away, one under each arm. We still haventseen the full stranger.

EXT. COURT HOUSE - DAY

A MOB of about 50 have gathered, many of them with shotguns.Amid the crowd we see Don Price.

SHARECROPPERHe ate an entire cornfield!

LITTLE GIRLHe ate my dog!

HOT-BLOODED SHOTGUN TOTERIf you aint gonna stop him Mayor, we

will!

MAYORI wont have mob violence in this town.Now, has someone tried talking to him?

SOME FARMERYou cant reason with im!

SHEPHARDHes a monster!

Agreement from the crowd. And then...

A VOICE (O.S.)Ill do it.

Everyone turns to see who said that. The crowd parts toreveal none other than Edward Bloom. Don Price glowers.

EDWARDIll talk to him. See if I can get himto move on.

MAYORSon, that creature could crush you

without trying.

EDWARDTrust me, hell have to try.

27.


30/122

EXT. HILL OUTSIDE ASHTON - DAY

Edward climbs up the last bit of the steep hillside, reachingthe mouth of a cave. Outside, buzzards squabble over theremains of the giants feast: broken barrels, bones pickedclean.

In his most serious voice, Edward calls out:

EDWARDHello!

Theres no answer.

EDWARD (contd)My name is Edward Bloom! I want totalk to you!

From deep in a cave, a thunderous voice:

VOICE (O.S.)GO AWAY!

The giants voice has such force, it blows Edwards hairback.

EDWARDIm not going anywhere until you showyourself.

A beat, then we hear a RUMBLE, like a train coming. Edwardbraces himself, fists ready for a fight, if thats what its

going to take.

As the RUMBLE gets louder, the ground starts to shake. EvenEdward starts to worry. Just how big is this guy?

EDWARD (V.O.)(contd)Armed with the foreknowledge of my owndeath, I knew the giant couldnt kill

me. All the same, I preferred to keepmy bones unbroken.

Edward picks up a stone, ready to play David to Goliath.

Then suddenly, the giant bursts forth. Hunched over, heslams into a stunned Edward, knocking him halfway down thehill.

KARL THE GIANT is bigger than any man youve ever seen. Notjust tall, but massive. Hes completely feral, with a beardto his elbow and skin scratched and blistered. What remainsof his clothes are ragged and muddy. God knows whats livingin his matted hair.

28.


31/122

Karl leans over Edward, blocking the sun. Edward throws hisrock, but it just bounces off. The giant didnt even noticeit.

KARLWhy are you here?

Edward ponders the best response, settling on...

EDWARDSo you can eat me. The town decided tosend a human sacrifice, and Ivolunteered.

Karls eyes narrow, confused. Edward stands up.

EDWARD (contd)My arms are a little stringy, buttheres some good eating on my legs. I

mean, Id be tempted to eat themmyself.

(beat)So I guess, just, if you could get itover with quick. Because Im not muchfor pain, really.

Edward closes his eyes, hands at his side, ready to be eaten.Karl just stares at him, not sure what to do.

After a beat, Edward opens his eyes a tiny bit, just to seewhat the giant is doing. Relieved to see hes not lickinghis chops --

EDWARD (contd)Look, I cant go back. Im a humansacrifice. If I go back, everyone willthink Im a coward. And Id rather bedinner than a coward.

Karl sits down with a BOOM, dejected.

EDWARD (contd)Here, start with my hand. Itll be anappetizer.

Reaching up, Edward shoves his hand into Karls mouth. Butthe giant spits it back out.

KARLI dont want to eat you. I dont wantto eat anybody. Its just I get sohungry. Im too big.

29.


32/122

And thats the sad truth. Karl is less a monster than afreak -- a giant man, but in the end, just a man.

Edward takes a seat beside him.

EDWARD

Did you ever think maybe youre not toobig? Maybe this towns just too small.I mean, look at it.

Circling behind them, we look down at Ashton -- a tiny townin a tiny valley.

EDWARD (contd)Hardly two stories in the whole place.Now Ive heard in real cities, theyvegot buildings so tall you cant evensee the tops of em.

KARLReally?

EDWARDWouldnt lie to you. And theyve gotall-you-can-eat buffets. You can eat alot, cant you?

KARLI can.

EDWARDSo why are you wasting your time in a

small town? Youre a big man. Youshould be in the big city.

Karl smiles, but then it fades. A certain sad suspicion --

KARLYoure just trying to get me to leave,arent you? Thats why they sent youhere.

EDWARDWhats your name, Giant?

KARLKarl.

EDWARDMines Edward. And truthfully, I do

want you to leave, Karl. But I want toleave with you.

(closer)

30.

(MORE)


33/122

You think this town is too small foryou, well, its too small for a man of

my ambition. I cant see staying herea day longer.

KARL

You dont like it?

EDWARDI love every square inch of it. But Ican feel the edges closing in on me. A

mans life can only grow to a certainsize in a place like this.

(beat)So what do you say? Join me?

Karl thinks a moment. Then --

KARL

Okay.

EDWARDOkay.

They shake on it.

EDWARD (contd)Now first, we gotta get you ready forthe city.

EXT. RIVER - DAY

IN A SINGLE SHOT, Karl cuts his hair with hedge clippers,while Edward cuts up a surplus army tent to make him a shirt.

EXT. MAIN STREET OF ASHTON - DAY

Spirits buoyed by the high school MARCHING BAND, all the goodCITIZENS of Ashton are gathered to see off Edward and Karl.Theres a few tears amid the familiar faces.

MAYOR(loudly, for the crowd)

Edward Bloom, first son of Ashton, its

with a heavy heart we see you go. Buttake with you this Key to the City, andknow that any time you want to comeback, all our doors are open to you.

Edward ducks a bit so the Mayor can put the key around hisneck. The crowd CHEERS. And with that, Edward and Karlstart walking, waving as they go.

31.

EDWARD (cont'd)


34/122

Only DON PRICE, smoking on the corner, isnt sad to seeEdward go. He crushes his cigarette under his heel. He

wishes he could crush Edward.

Many of the townfolk come onto the street to hug Edward orshake his hand.

EDWARD (V.O.)That afternoon as I left Ashton,everyone seemed to have advice.

VARIOUS TOWNFOLKFind yourself a nice girl! Dont trustanyone in Kentucky! Watch your pride,Edward Bloom!

EDWARD (V.O.)But there was one person whose counselI held above all others.

As the crowd parts, he finds himself face to face with

THE OLD WOMAN.

The ruckus slows and quiets, as if a strange spell has beencast. She motions for Edward to lean down, so she can

whisper something to him. Although were VERY CLOSE, wecant hear her voice.

EDWARD (V.O.) (contd)She said that the biggest fish in theriver gets that way by never being

caught.

The advice only succeeds in confusing Edward.

EDWARD (contd)(to the Old Woman)

Okay. Thanks.

Edward and Karl keep walking. The Old Woman shuffles off,somehow knowing her advice will go unheeded.

KARL

What did she say?EDWARD

Beats me.

EXT. ROAD - DAY

We TILT UP from the road to reveal Edward and Karl walkingout of Ashton. Each wears a backpack with all his earthlypossessions.

32.


35/122

EDWARD (V.O.)There were two roads out of Ashton, anew one which was paved, and an olderone that wasnt. People didnt use theold road anymore, and it had developedthe reputation of being haunted.

Edward and Karl come to a bend, where the paved road veersleft and an overgrown dirt road runs straight. The old roadis blocked with signs and warnings of danger.

EDWARD (V.O.) (contd)Since I had no intention of everreturning to Ashton, this seemed asgood a time as any to find out what laydown that old road.

Karl looks at the dirt road, wary.

KARLYou know anyones whos taken it?

EDWARDThat poet, Norther Winslow did. He wasgoing to Paris, France. He must haveliked it, because no one ever heardfrom him again.

(beat)Tell you what. You take the other wayand Ill cut through here. Meet you onthe far side.

A little paranoid...

KARLYoure not trying to run away?

EDWARDJust to be sure, you can take my pack.

Karl perks up, even though it means more for him to carry.

EXT. DIRT ROAD - DAY

The road is overgrown, but not altogether creepy. The sun isstill shining, and the birds still CHIRPING.

Spinning the Key to the City, Edward WHISTLES, because its aday meant for whistling.

33.


36/122

EXT. FURTHER ALONG - ROUGH PATH

The road has narrowed to a rough path. Spikes of sunlightbreak through the thick canopy, catching particles in theair. Still, Edward WHISTLES.

Coming around a bend, his PITCH DROPS as he sees thick,thorny vines growing across the path. He stops. For thefirst time, he realizes the birds have stopped singing. Theforest is dead quiet.

He looks back the way he came. Its tempting to go back. Itwould be easier to go back. But Edward presses on.

He carefully steps through the thorns. His trouser legscatch on the barbs. We can hear the fabric TEAR.

FURTHER ALONG

A scratched and sweaty Edward waves off various STINGING BUGSflying at him, finally whipping off his hat to swat at them.Just then a CAWING crow swoops down and grabs the hat rightout of his hands.

EDWARDYou stupid sonofa...

He stops his swearing, but grabs a rock and throws it. Thestone ricochets off a tree and into a BEES NEST. The swarmroars out.

Edward high-tails it, each step still precarious.

EXT. THE DARK FOREST - DAY [LATER]

Edward is bruised, battered and bee-stung.

A half-broken sign lies in the road. Edward picks it up.Reads it:

WARNING!

JUMPING SPIDERS!

Sure enough, up ahead he sees the path is overgrown withthick cobwebs, heavy from the rain.

EDWARD (V.O.)There comes a point where a reasonable

man will swallow his pride and admithes made a terrible mistake. Thetruth is, I was never a reasonable man.

Edward tosses the sign and forges ahead, into the spiderwebs.

34.


37/122

EDWARD (contd)And what I recalled of Sunday Schoolwas that the more difficult somethingbecame, the more rewarding it was inthe end.

EXT. CLEARING / THE ROAD - DAY

Edward emerges from the forest, brushing the last cobwebs offand shaking the spiders from his shirt. One is stuck in hissleeve, and he has to dance to get it out. Even then, hestill keeps twitching, convinced another one is left behind.

At his feet, the gravel road has returned, smooth and dustyand comforting.

Ahead lies a tiny one-street town -- smaller even than Ashton-- with powerlines emerging from the woods to feed it.Dangling from the line above he sees two dozen pairs of

shoes, their laces tied together.

He passes a sign that reads Welcome To Spectre!

EXT. THE TOWN OF SPECTRE - DAY

Its a main street with stores on each side: ColesPharmacy, Talbots Five and Dime, Als Country Store.Everything is old, but this isnt a ghost town. In fact,theres a group of about 20 CITIZENS spilling out to seeEdward approach. Most are smiling. There are even a fewtears of joy.

Whats more, all of these people are barefoot.

MANS VOICEFriend!

A forty-year old man named BEAMEN comes out of the seed storeto greet Edward. Friendly but a little drunk, hes theclosest thing the town has to a mayor. Hes carrying aclipboard.

BEAMENWelcome to ya. Whats your name?

EDWARDEdward Bloom.

Beamen checks the clipboard. Not finding the name, he flipsforward a few pages. Still looking...

BEAMENBloom like a flower?

35.


38/122

EDWARDYes.

BEAMENOh. Here! Right here. Edward Bloom.We werent expecting you yet.

Still confused...

EDWARDYou were expecting me?

BEAMENNot yet.

A helpful woman named MILDRED chimes in:

MILDREDYou must have taken a shortcut.

EDWARDI did. It nearly killed me.

BEAMENMmm-hmm. Lifell do that to you. Andtruthfully, the long way is easier, butits longer.

MILDREDMuch longer.

BEAMEN

And youre here now, and thats whatmatters.

Beamens daughter JENNY (8) hides behind her father, peeringaround to look at the handsome stranger.

EDWARDWhat is this place?

BEAMENThe town of Spectre. Best kept secretin Alabama. Says here youre from

Ashton, right? Last person we had fromAshton was Norther Winslow.

EDWARDThe poet? What ever happened to him?

BEAMENHes still here. Let me buy you adrink. Ill tell you all about it.Hell, Ill have him tell you.

36.


39/122

EDWARDNo. Ive gotta meet somebody. Imalready running late.

He didnt mean it as a joke, but for some reason, everyoneslaughing.

BEAMENSon, I already told you. Youre early.

INT. BEAMENS HOUSE - DAY

Sitting at the kitchen table, Edward takes a second slice ofapple pie. He and Beamen are joined by NORTHER WINSLOW (30),

who fancies himself a cultured artist, though hes never leftthe state.

BEAMENNow tell me if that isnt the best pie

you ever ate.

EDWARDIt truly is.

UNDER THE TABLE

Young Jenny is stealthily untying the laces on Edwardsshoes.

NORTHER WINSLOWEverything here tastes better. Eventhe water is sweet. Never gets too

hot, too cold, too humid. At night thewind goes through the trees and youdswear there was a whole symphony outthere, playing just for you.

Suddenly, Jenny YANKS OFF Edwards shoes. She races for thedoor.

EDWARDHey!

He chases after her.

EXT. TOWN / MAIN STREET - DAY

As she runs, Jenny ties Edwards laces together. Reachingthe edge of town, she tosses the shoes up and around thepower line -- a perfect throw. Theres no way hes evergetting them down.

37.


40/122

The gathered citizens of Spectre CHEER for Edward, who isconfused and overwhelmed. The women hug him. Men shake hishand.

Still focused on his shoes...

EDWARDWait! I need those!

NORTHER WINSLOWThere is no softer ground than town.

MILDREDThat rhymes!

BEAMENHe is our poet laureate.

The townsfolk continue to congratulate Edward...

EDWARD (V.O.)Sometimes in a dream, youll visitplaces that seem instantly familiar,filled with friends youve never met.

EXT. UNDER A TREE - DUSK

Edward sits with Norther Winslow. The fireflies are out.Thousands of them.

EDWARD (V.O.)A man might travel his entire life and

never find a place so inviting. Myjourney had scarcely begun, and I hadarrived.

Norther hands him his noteboook.

NORTHER WINSLOWIve been working on this poem for 12years.

EDWARDReally.

NORTHER WINSLOWTheres a lot of expectation. I dont

want to disappoint my fans.

A beat.

EDWARDIts only three lines long.

38.


41/122

Norther grabs his notebook back.

NORTHER WINSLOWThis is why you dont show work inprogress.

EDWARDNorther, do you ever regret not makingit to Paris?

NORTHER WINSLOWI cant imagine any place better thanhere.

EDWARDYoure a poet. You oughta be able to.

And maybe if youd seen more, youcould.

Norther doesnt answer. Just goes back to his notebook.

EXT. BY THE RIVER - NIGHT

By the light of the full moon, Edward soaks his feet in thewater, trying to make sense of it all. The Key to the Citydangles around his neck.

He stares at himself in the reflection. He smiles.

Its then that a WOMAN emerges at the far side of the river.No telling where she came from -- she must have been swimmingunderwater. We never see her face.

She stands in the river with her bare back to Edward,squeezing the water out of her golden hair, oblivious to hispresence. Edward is breathless. Its the first woman hesseen in her natural state, and he doesnt dare move lest hefrighten her away.

Then he sees the snake.

Its a cottonmouth, has to be. It leaves a break in thewater, its small reptilian head aiming for her flesh.Theres no decision to be made. On pure instinct, Edward

dives in. He swims as hard as can,GRABBING THE SNAKE

just as its about to strike.

The woman dives back underwater, understandably terrifiedthat a man is coming at her.

39.


42/122

EDWARDNo, its okay! I got it. I got thesnake.

As the splashing subsides, Edward looks at what he holds inhis hands. Which isnt a snake at all, but rather a common

stick. And a non-threatening one at that.

While Edward ponders his mistake, he looks around to discoverthat the Girl in the River is gone. He never even saw herface.

EDWARD (CONTD)Wait! Im sorry. Hello?!

Edward keeps expecting her to surface, somewhere, but shenever does. He stands alone in the river, wondering whattricks his eyes are playing on him.

EXT. BY THE RIVER - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

A GIRLS VOICE (O.S.)Theres leeches in there!

Edward looks to the bank, where young Jenny Hill is watchinghim.

EDWARDDid you see that woman?

JENNYWhat did she look like?

EDWARDWell, she...uh...

JENNYWas she nekkid?

Embarrassed to admit it...

EDWARDYeah.

JENNY(matter-of-fact)Its not a woman, its a fish. No oneever catches her.

Given the day hes had so far, Edward isnt inclined tofollow up on the issue. He starts to wade back to the bank.

40.


43/122

JENNY (contd)Fish looks diffrent to diffrentpeople. My daddy said it looked likethe coon dog he had when he was kid,back from the dead.

Edward climbs up onto the shore, completely drenched. Hepulls up his pant legs to reveal three shiny leeches clingingto his skin.

EDWARDShoot.

He starts to work pulling them off.

EXT. PATH BACK TO TOWN - NIGHT

Edward and Jenny walk back.

JENNYHow old are you?

EDWARDEighteen.

JENNYIm eight. That means when Imeighteen, youll be 28. And when Im28, youll only be 38.

EDWARD(a little wary)

Youre pretty good at arithmetic.

JENNYAnd when Im 38, youll be 48. Andthats not much difference at all.

Eager to get off this subject...

EDWARDSure is a lot now, though, huh?

EXT. MAIN STREET - NIGHT

As Edward and Jenny approach Main Street, they finddowntown has been transformed. Lanterns and streamers hangon cables across the street, and a small stage has been builtat one end to hold FIDDLERS.

The whole town is there in celebration of its newest citizen,Edward Bloom. Before he can protest, two WOMEN have grabbedhim by the arms, pulling him in to dance with them.

41.


44/122

The resulting dance number seems both choreographed andcomplete chaos. From FARMER to BAKERS WIFE, everyone wantsto dance with Edward, who finds himself tossed around like astick caught in a whirlpool. Still, hes having a blast.

Jenny grabs both his hands, and they spin wildly.

Beamen plucks his LAUGHING daughter away to dance with her.Then Mildred cuts in to dance with Edward. Its hard to hearover the MUSIC.

MILDREDJenny thinks youre quite a catch. Weall do.

EDWARD(not hearing)

What?

MILDREDI said youre quite a catch!

Edward stops dancing. A beat, then he heads for the edge ofthe crowd. Beamen is there, with Jenny on his shoulders.

EDWARDI have to leave. Tonight.

BEAMENWhy?

EDWARD

This town is everything a man could askfor. And if I were to end up here, Idconsider myself lucky. But the factis, Im not ready to end up anywhere.

BEAMENNo ones ever left.

JENNYHow are you gonna make it without yourshoes?

EDWARDI suspect it will hurt a lot.

And with that, Edward walks down Main Street. Thetownspeople stop dancing, disbelieving, some shaking theirheads.

Poor Edward Blooms gone crazy.

42.


45/122

BEAMEN(calling after him)

You wont find a better place!

EDWARDI dont expect to.

Jenny runs to him. Shed tackle him if she could.

JENNYPromise me youll come back.

EDWARDI promise. Someday. When Im reallysupposed to.

Its not good enough, but it will have to do. Edward keepswalking.

EXT. THE DARK FOREST - NIGHT

VARIOUS SHOTS: Edward negotiates the thorns in his barefeet. Its horrible. Almost unendurable.

And then it gets worse.

The trees ahead are moving. At first, it just seems to bethe wind blowing the branches, but as we hear the woodCRACKING and GROANING, theres no mistaking it: theyretrying to block him.

Snake-like WHITE ROOTS shoot out of the ground, grabbing for

his ankles. He leaps up, kicking off one tree trunk to grabanother ones branches. He swings off, lands and rolls. Nowall the trees are moving to block him, their dark shapestowering over him in the flashes of LIGHTNING.

EDWARD (V.O.)As difficult as it was to reachSpectre, I was fated to get thereeventually. After all, no man canavoid reaching the end of his life.

As he ducks under branches, the chain holding the Key to the

City gets caught. Hes almost strangled, but the chainfinally breaks. The silver key disappears into the mud.

Scrambling forward, he looks for a way out. But the treeshave encircled him, their spiky crowns bending down to crushhim.

He SCREAMS up at the night, until his breath is gone.

43.


46/122

EDWARD (V.O.) (cont'd)And then I realized, this wasnt theend of my life.

With a sudden calm...

EDWARD (contd)(aloud)This isnt how I die.

Another lightning FLASH, and suddenly the trees are backwhere theyve always been. Edward is lying shoeless and tornin a muddy puddle, staring up at the rain. And LAUGHING.

EXT. THE ROAD - DAY

His bare foot steps onto asphalt.

A DEEP VOICE

Friend!

Edward turns to see

KARL

to his right, coming down the larger, paved road.

KARLWhat happened to your shoes?

Edward looks down at his muddy, bloody feet.

EDWARDThey got ahead of me.

With that, the men start walking down the larger road.

CROSSFADE TO:

INT. DINING ROOM - NIGHT

Edward and Will sit at opposite ends of the table, withSandra and Josephine in the middle. Although Edward has asmall plate of food in front of him, he hasnt touched it.

Hes exhausted from the trip downstairs, but determined tomaintain the family dinner ritual.

The other three eat awkwardly, each CLINK and SCRAPE of aknife or fork resonating. Will finally breaks the silence.

WILLI dont know if youve seen it, butJosephine has some photos in the mostrecent Newsweek.

44.


47/122

SANDRAReally! Thats wonderful.

JOSEPHINEI spent a week in Morocco for thestory. It was incredible.

SANDRAWell have to pick up a copy.

A beat. As Will scoops out another serving of potatoes,Edward suddenly speaks:

EDWARDI dont know if youre aware of this,Josephine, but African parrots, intheir native home of the Congo -- theyspeak only French.

All three stop to listen.

JOSEPHINE(amused)

Really.

EDWARDYoure lucky to get four words out ofthem in English. But if you were to

walk through the jungle, youd hearthem speaking the most elaborateFrench. Those parrots talk abouteverything: politics, movies, fashion -

- everything but religion.

Taking the bait...

WILLWhy not religion, Dad?

EDWARDIts rude to talk about religion. Younever know who youre going to offend.

A beat.

WILLJosephine actually went to the Congolast year.

EDWARDOh, so you know.

45.


48/122

INT. GROCERY STORE - NIGHT

Will shakes a shopping cart free from the pile-up while hismother checks her list.

AT THE PRODUCE SECTION

Sandra starts to bag string beans.

WILLMom, would you say you understand Dad?

SANDRAOf course.

WILLWhat I mean is, do you really know

whats going on in his head?

SANDRAYes.

WILLHow is that possible? I mean, you tryto ask him a question and suddenly itsanother one of his stories.

(decidedly)You cant honestly say you know him.

SANDRAYes, Will, I do. And dont presumethings you dont know.

Shes more amused than annoyed, but Will is enteringdangerous territory.

SANDRA (contd)Would you say you understand Josephine?

WILLYes. But thats a different...

SANDRANo its not. Its exactly the same.

Your father and I met, we dated, and wemarried -- we chose each other --because we understood each other onsome fundamental level. Just the sameas you two.

She moves on to the carrots.

WILLJosephine and I have a lot in common.

46.


49/122

SANDRAYes, you both think William Bloom is avery smart man.

(beat)The problem is, you only see me as your

mother, and not as someones wife. And

Ive been his wife longer than Ivebeen your mother. You cant discountthat.

WILLTrue. But Ive known him my wholelife, and I dont feel like I know himat all. Or ever will.

With a look, Sandra acknowledges the stakes.

SANDRAI know its not easy. Just remember,

he didnt choose to be your father andyou didnt choose to be his son. Youjust ended up together. You could picknumbers out of a dark bag and itd bejust the same. If you ask me, its a

wonder parents and children can standeach other at all.

WILLBut I understand you, Mom. I alwayshave.

SANDRA

Well, clearly you dont. But Im notthe mystery youre trying to solveright now.

INT. AT THE CHECKOUT - NIGHT

Reaching the CASHIER, Sandra hands over her coupons. Will isapproaching with a Newsweek magazine.

Two checkstands over, an ATTRACTIVE BLONDE WOMAN in her 50sis getting her change. Though shes Sandras generation, shecarries herself like a much younger woman, with blue jeans

and sneakers.She accidentally makes eye contact with Will as he passes.We HOLD ON the woman, who tracks Will as he reaches Sandra.Its hard to read her reaction: does she recognize him, orjust find him attractive?

Will notices the gaze. The woman turns away.

Will racks his brain -- does he know this woman?

47.


50/122

SANDRABefore I forget, your father has papersin the basement Id like you to gothrough. I wouldnt know whatsimportant.

WILL(distracted)Mom, do you know who that is? Blondehair.

Sandra looks. After a beat, the Blonde Woman turns again,semi-casually. Noticing that both Will and Sandra arelooking, she smiles a little before taking her cart to leave.

SANDRA(no idea)

Was she one of your teachers?

WILLNo. But its weird. She seemed torecognize me.

SANDRA(to the cashier)

Do you know who that is?

The Cashier turns to look. He can only get a profile as thewoman leaves.

CASHIERNever seen her before. Pretty, though.

INT. GUEST BEDROOM - NIGHT

A portable fan quietly WHIRRS in the corner. Turned low, theRADIO on the nightstand is playing a call-in AM sports show,just a wash of background chatter. Edward lies asleep on hisback.

At the window, Josephine quietly lowers the shade. Shereaches over Edward to switch off the radio. He stirs fromthe silence -- he wasnt fully asleep -- and sees Josephinestretched over him.

EDWARD(playfully lecherous)

Hello.

She smiles.

JOSEPHINEHi. How are you feeling?

48.


51/122

EDWARDI was dreaming.

JOSEPHINEWhat were you dreaming about?

He tries to recollect, but its already gone. Josephinemotions, is it okay for her to sit on the bed? He nods.

EDWARDI dont usually remember unless theyreespecially portentous. You know whatthat word means, portentous?

She shakes her head.

EDWARD (contd)Means when you dream about somethingthats going to happen.

(beat, gathering)Like one night, I had a dream wherethis crow came and told me, Your Auntis going to die. I was so scared I

woke up my parents. They told me itwas just a dream, to go back to bed.But the next morning, my Aunt Stacy wasdead.

JOSEPHINEThats terrible.

EDWARD

Terrible for her, but think about me,young boy with that kind of power.Wasnt three weeks later that the crowcame back to me in a dream and said,Your Grampa is going to die. Well, Iran right back to my parents. Myfather said, no, Gramps is fine, but Icould see there was trepidation. Andtrue enough, that next morning myGrampa was dead.

He sits up a bit in bed, his strength returning.

EDWARD (contd)For the next couple weeks, I didnthave another dream. Until one nightthe crow came back and said, YourDaddy is going to die.

(beat)Well, I didnt know what to do. Butfinally I told my father.

49.

(MORE)


52/122

And he said not to worry, but I couldtell he was rattled. That next day, he

wasnt himself, always looking around,waiting for something to drop on hishead. Because the crow didnt tell howit was going to happen, just those

words: your Daddy is going to die.Well, he went into town early and wasgone for a long time. And when hefinally came back, he looked terrible,like he was waiting for the axe to fallall day. He said to my mother, GoodGod. I just had the worst day of mylife.

(beat)You think youve had a bad day, shesaid. This morning the milkmandropped dead on the porch!

Josephine smiles, a half-laugh, which gets him smiling too.

A long beat. Then, deadpan...

EDWARD (contd)Because see, my mother was banging the

milkman.

JOSEPHINENo, I understand.

EDWARDHe was slipping her a little extra

cream.

She nods, a bit more of a laugh.

EDWARD (contd)He was filling her basket. He was

making deliveries around back.

As Edward continues, she cant help but laugh harder,especially as the metaphors get more vulgar.

EDWARD (contd)

He was buttering her rolls. Pumpingher churn. Splashing milk in her box.

JOSEPHINEStop.

EDWARDThey were squeezing the cheese.Clanking the bottles. Licking thepopsicle.

50.

EDWARD (contd)


53/122

Shes starting to cry from laughing.

EDWARD (contd)Cracking the eggs and making an omelet.

With that, he stops. She regains her composure.

EDWARD (contd)Spooning the sherbet.

JOSEPHINE(interrupting)

Can I take your picture?

EDWARDYou dont need a picture. Just look uphandsome in the dictionary.

JOSEPHINE

Please?

He rolls his eyes, why not.

Josephine leaves, heading down the hall to get her camera.We STAY WITH Edward in bed.

JOSEPHINE (O.S.) (contd)I have photos from the wedding to showyou. Theres a great one of you and myfather. I had an extra print made.

Edward grimaces, a flash of pain. Around others, hes hiding

how much it hurts, but alone we can see how bad it is.

He controls his breathing, trying to push through it.

JOSEPHINE (O.S.) (cont'd)I want to see pictures of your wedding.Ive never seen any.

She returns with her camera. Edward smiles, doing a good jobmasking the pain.

EDWARD

Thats because we didnt have awedding. Your mother-in-law was neversupposed to marry me. She was engagedto somebody else.

JOSEPHINE(loading film)

I never knew.

51.


54/122

EDWARDWill never told you that?

(she shakes her head)Probably just as well. He would havetold it wrong anyway. All the factsand none of the flavor.

JOSEPHINEOh, so this is a tall tale?

EDWARDWell, its not a short one.

A devilish smile. Pushing past Edward, we settle on thewhirling fan.

MATCH CUT TO:

A SPINNING PINWHEEL

held by a LITTLE BOY. Hes slumped over his FATHERsshoulder, being carried towards a big-top tent. We are...

EXT. OLYMPIA CIRCUS - NIGHT

...where the second-rate carnival is parked for the moment inan Alabama field. To the left, we spot Edward, 20-ish,halfway through a bag of peanuts. Hes still carrying thebackpack we saw earlier, and scratched up from his tripthrough Spectre.

EDWARD (V.O.)

I had just left Ashton, and was on myway to discover my destiny. Notknowing what that would be exactly, Iexplored every opportunity thatpresented itself.

Joining the crowd, he heads into the big-top.

INT. BIG TOP - NIGHT

A troupe of STILT-WALKING FIREBREATHERS finishes their act totremendous APPLAUSE.

As the performers clear away, the circus owner-and-ringmaster AMOS CALLOWAY (50) approaches the stands. He mayonly be four feet tall, but Amos has a titanic presence.

AMOSLadies and Gentlemen, you may thinkyouve seen the unusual. You may thinkyouve seen the bizarre.

52.

(MORE)


55/122

But Ive travelled to the five cornersof the world, and let me tell you, Ivenever seen anything like this.

From behind Amos, CARNIES start rolling a massive balltowards the crowd.

AMOS (contd)When I found this man, he was pickingoranges in Florida. His fellow workerscalled him El Penumbra -- The Shadow --because when you were working besidehim, he blocked out the daylight. Hecould take a whole tree in his handsand shake off the fruit. I had to payhis crew boss $10,000 just so I couldtake him with me.

Amos comes up to a MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN in the first row, a

quieter moment.

AMOS (contd)Not to alarm you, Maam. But if this

man wanted to, he could crush your headbetween his toes.

(she trembles)But he wont.

(a long beat)Hes not going to hurt her, folks,because hes our own Gentle Giant.Ladies and Gentlemen, I give youColossus!

The carnies back away from the ball as a deep DRUM ROLLbegins. A moment, then the ball starts to bulge from inside.

A foot suddenly bursts out from within. GASPS from thecrowd. That foot is massive. In the stands, Edward lookscloser. Intrigued.

As the drum beat intensifies, a second foot breaks out.Followed by hands. Shoulders. Finally, the head. This isCOLOSSUS.

From a very LOW ANGLE, we look up to see just how massive heis. He seems to fill the Heavens. With his shaved head andgiant club, he seems more ogre than man.

In the bandstands, a YOUNG BOYs jaw drops in awe. Colossuswalks down the row, letting the crowd get a better look athim. Some reach out to touch him, disbelieving. A tightspotlight follows him, revealing faces in the crowd.

53.

AMOS (cont'd)


56/122

Colossus passes Edward, who seems unimpressed. He leans withthe spotlight, WHISTLING to get the big mans attention.

He points to the edge of the stands, where his friend issitting on the dirt --

KARL THE GIANT

stands up, so big the spotlight has to widen just to holdhim. Hes a good foot taller than Colossus. Theres a GASPfrom the crowd, along with nervous anticipation -- what willhappen next?

ANGLE ON Amos, stunned, megaphone dangling.

ANGLE ON Colossus, realizing the gig is up. With a resignedshrug, he rests his club on his shoulder and walks away intothe shadows.

CUT TO:

INT. BIG-TOP - NIGHT / LATER

As the stands empty, Edward and Karl talk to Amos.

AMOSWhats his name? Does he talk? Itsnot important.

KARLKarl.

AMOSTell me Karl, have you ever heard ofthe term involuntary servitude?

Karl shakes his head.

AMOS (contd)Unconscionable contract?

Nope.

AMOS (contd)

Great, great. Thats fantastic.EDWARD (V.O.)

It was on that night Karl met hisdestiny. And I met mine. Almost.

INT. BIG TOP - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS

As Amos pulls Karl aside to give him the hard sell, Edwardnotices a BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN (16) leaving with her family.

54.


57/122

Shes wearing a blue dress and hat. For no good reason, shelooks back at Edward.

The two make eye contact. And as they do, all motionFREEZES.

A fiery baton remains mid-twirl, flames locked in place. Aspilled box of popcorn hangs in mid-air, each kernel like asnowflake. Even the elephant is mid-poop.

Only Edward is free to move, winding his way between thefrozen bodies, ducking underneath arms to get closer andcloser to this woman.

EDWARD (V.O.)(CONTD)They say when you meet the love of yourlife, time stops. And thats true.What they dont tell you, is that oncetime starts again, it moves extra fast

to catch up.

Suddenly, everything RUSHES. The crowd becomes a blur, andthe young woman is lost in its wake. Now its Edward whosfrozen, helpless in time.

EXT. DIRT PARKING LOT - NIGHT

Edward checks in windows as cars pull out, searching for hisfated love. Not finding her, he becomes more frantic,running down the rows.

CROSSFADE TO:

THE EMPTY LOT

Colossus is thumbing for a ride. The last pickup truck stopsand lets him climb in back.

As the truck pulls out, it passes a dejected Edward. Hellnever find that girl, the love of his life.

INT. BIG-TOP - NIGHT

Amos leans over so Karl can sign a contract on his back. He

spots Edward walking back into the tent.AMOS

Hey kid! Your friend just made himselfa star.

EDWARDThats great.

Amos hands off the contract to a CLOWN.

55.


58/122

AMOS(introducing)

My attorney, Mr. Soggybottom.

EDWARDGood to meet you.

Mr. Soggybottom HONKS his horn, then waddles off.

AMOSWhats the matter with you, kid? Ihavent seen a customer so depressedsince the elephant sat on that farmers

wife.(beat)

Get it? Depressed?

Karl chuckles.

AMOS (contd)See! The big guy likes it.

EDWARDI just saw the woman Im going to

marry, I know it. But then I lost her.

AMOSTough break. Most men have to get

married before they lose their wives.

EDWARD(with absolute conviction)

Im going to spend the rest of my lifelooking for her. That or die alone.

AMOSJesus, kid.

(realizing)Let me guess. Real pretty, blondehair, blue hat?

EDWARDYes!

AMOSI know her uncle. Friends of thefamily.

EDWARDWho is she? Where does she live?

AMOSKid. Dont waste your time. Shes outof your league.

56.


59/122

As Amos starts to walk away, Edward hurries to catch up withhim. Karl follows as well.

EDWARDWhat do you mean? You dont even know

me.

AMOSSure I do. You were hot shit back inHickville, but here in the real world,you got squat. You dont have a plan.You dont have a job. You dont haveanything but the clothes on your back.

EDWARDIve got a whole backpack full ofclothes!

He points to the bleachers, where no backpack is to be found.

EDWARD (contd)(realizing)

Someone stole my backpack.

AMOSKid, you were a big fish in a smallpond. This here is the ocean, andyoure drowning. Take my advice and goback to Puddleville. Youll be happythere.

Getting in front of Amos, Edward stops him.

EDWARDWait. You said I dont have a plan. Ido. Im going to find that girl and

marry her and spend the rest of my lifewith her.

Amos smiles, amused.

EDWARD (contd)I dont have a job, but I would have ajob if you gave me one. And I may not

have much, but I have moredetermination than any man youre evergoing to meet.

AMOSSorry, kid. I dont do charity.

57.


60/122

EDWARDIll work night and day, and you wonthave to pay me. You just have to tell

me who she is.

Amos takes a long look at him. Ultimately, theres no way he

can say no. He shrugs. What the hell.

AMOSEvery month you work for me, Ill tellyou one thing about her. Thats myfinal offer.

Edward shakes Amoss hand before he can retract the offer.We move into a MONTAGE:

INT. BIG TOP CENTER RING - NIGHT

CLOSE ON Edward, smiling nervously. His head is tilted to

the side, and as we PULL BACK, we see why: hes holding itin a MASSIVE LIONs open mouth. The beasts sharp teeth arejust poking his skin. If the lion so much as flinches,Edward is dead.

The CROWD applauds, which makes the lion antsy. Which makesEdward antsier.

EDWARD (V.O.)From that moment on, I did everythingMr. Calloway asked, and a lot of thingshe didnt. Id go three days withoutstopping to eat, and four days without

sleeping.

EXT. THE HYDRA - DAY

His eyes droopy from lack of sleep, Edward mans the whirlingamusement park ride.

EDWARD (V.O.)The only thing that kept me going wasthe promise of meeting the girl who

would be my wife.

Nodding off, Edward falls backward, into the path of thespinning arms. One of the Hydra cars hits him square in thegut, throwing him up and away, sailing 200 feet through theair.

EXT. FIELD - DAY

Edward chases a costumed pig, tripping over tent cords,falling in the mud.

58.


61/122

His hunt leads him through the back of a tent, where hesunwittingly stepped in front of a line of motorized birds.To the left, CUSTOMERS are shooting with rifles. He dodgesfour SHOTS that knock down the birds around him.

He catches his breath, lucky.

Then a half-blind OLD WOMAN pulls her trigger, hitting him inthe shoulder.

EXT. BEHIND A TENT - DAY

Karl the Giant bandages Edwards arm as well as he can. Amosis walking past.

EDWARDMr. Calloway! Its been a month today.

Amos stops, looks at the young man. Finally...

AMOSThis girl, the love of your life. Herfavorite flower is daffodils.

He walks away. We PUSH IN on Edward, enraptured by theconcept.

EDWARDDaffodils.

(to Karl)Daffodils!

INT. STABLES - DAY

Edward shovels shit in the nastiest stables youve ever seen.But all he can think about is...

EDWARD(to himself)

Daffodils!

The wonder of it. He goes back to shoveling, a smile on hisface.

EDWARD (V.O.)(contd)True to his word, every month Amoswould tell me something new about thewoman of my dreams.

INT. A DARK PLACE - NIGHT

CLOSE ON Edward, lost in quiet reverie, pondering his latestbit of information.

59.


62/122

EDWARDCollege! Shes going to college!

A sudden EXPLOSION as Edward is shot...

INT. BIG TOP - NIGHT [CONTINUOUS]

...out of a giant cannon.

INT. STABLES - NIGHT

Under a full moon, Edward feeds the animals.

EDWARD(to himself)

Music! She likes music. I like musictoo!

EDWARD (V.O.)

Over the months, I learned a lot aboutthe woman I was going to marry, but nother name, and not where to find her.That time had come. I couldnt waitany longer.

EXT. AMOS CALLOWAYS TRAILER - NIGHT

Under a full moon, Edward walks up to the battered camper,and is about to knock when he notices its rocking. A lot.Not just that, theres MOANING coming from inside.

But Edward KNOCKS anyway.

EDWARDMr. Calloway! Its Edward Bloom. Ineed to talk to you.

Suddenly, the rocking and moaning stop. A beat, then thedoor handle begins to RATTLE. It seems to be stuck.

Edward turns the knob.

Suddenly, the door BURSTS OPEN. Edward is knocked down by amassive black dog, biggest youve ever seen. It has green

glowing eyes and a lick of fire for a tongue.Edward wrestles with the beast, its mouth snapping at histhroat. Blocking with an arm, Edward tries to push himselffree, but the creatures hands -- it has hands instead ofpaws -- hold on tight.

Entwined, they roll across the dirt. The other nearbyCARNIES scatter for cover. Mr. Soggybottom pulls a revolverout of his clown suit. Loads a silver bullet.

60.


63/122

Edward finally succeeds in throwing the beast off. He rollsto his feet.

The hell hound squares back on its haunches, GROWLING, readyfor another leap. Mr. Soggybottom sheds a clown tear, aimingthe revolver at the dog.

At the last moment...

EDWARD (contd)No, wait!

Edward moves just as Mr. Soggybottom FIRES. The bulletcatches Edward in the shoulder, knocking him down.

The carnies GASP.

Licking its chops, the dog approaches the helpless Edward,who feels the ground around him, looking for some kind of

weapon. He finds only a small stick. He waves it at thedog, ready to strike it.

Like magic, the dogs whole demeanor changes. It bouncesexcitedly, ready to play fetch.

Seeing an opportunity, Edward throws the stick as far as hecan. The dog bounds after it,

SMASHING DOWN THREE CARS.

It returns a beat later with the flaming stick, which itdrops at Edwards feet. Its tail whips back and forth.

EDWARD (V.O.) (cont'd)It was that night I discovered that

most things you consider evil or wickedare simply lonely, and lacking in thesocial niceties.

Edward throws the stick again. The dog takes off in a newdirection.

TRANSITION TO:

EXT. FIELD - PRE-DAWNExhausted from playing fetch all night, Edward throws thestick into the woods. The still-spry dog goes after it.Its gone for a long time, long enough that Edward becomesconcerned.

He follows it into the woods.

61.


64/122

INT. WOODS - DAWN

Amos Calloway stands up behind a bush, buck naked and hairy.He still has the stick in his mouth, which he takes out asEdward approaches.

AMOSDidnt kill anything, did I?

EDWARDA few rabbits, but I think one of themwas already dead.

AMOSThat would explain the indigestion.

Edward tosses him his jacket to cover his privates.

AMOS (contd)

I was wrong about you kid. You may nothave much, but what you got, you got alot of. You could get any girl.

EDWARDTheres only one I want.

A beat.

AMOSHer name is Sandra Templeton. Shesgoing to Auburn. The semesters almostover, so you better hurry.

EDWARDThank you.

AMOSGood luck, kid.

Edward walks away. Then starts running. He has to get thereas soon as possible.

Amos sits down and scratches his ear with his foot.

EXT. BIG TOP - DAYEdward shakes Karls giant hand. They hug.

EDWARD (V.O.)After saying my goodbyes, I hoppedthree trains to get to Auburn thatafternoon.

62.


65/122

EXT. AUBURN UNIVERSITY - DAY

We DESCEND ON the main quad, to find Edward Bloom dunking hishead in the fountain.

He changes out of his grubby shirt into a new one, just out

of the package. Its the mid-1960s, but by the conservativedress of the passing STUDENTS, it could be any era.

EXT. SORORITY HOUSE - DAY

Edward stands with a bouquet of daffodils in front of a half-open door. Through the crack we can see the edge of a YOUNGWOMAN, talking in hushed tones with another girl we cantsee.

Finally, a decision is reached. The door opens to reveal thewoman of Edwards dreams, Sandra Kay Templeton. Sheseffortlessly beautiful, pure and simple as sunlight.

He cant believe hes finally reached her. He half-laughs,nervous. That makes her laugh, not sure whats going on.

EDWARDYou dont know me, but my name isEdward Bloom and I am in love with you.Ive spent the last three years workingto find out who you are. Ive beenshot and stabbed and trampled a fewtimes, had my ribs broken twice, butits all worth it to see you here, now,and to finally get to talk to you.

Because I am destined to marry you. Iknew that from the first moment I sawyou at the circus. And I know it now

more than ever.

ON SANDRA, overwhelmed. All she can finally think of to sayis...

SANDRAIm sorry.

EDWARD

Dont need to apologize to me. I mean,Im the luckiest person youre going tofind today...

She puts her hand on the door frame. On her left ringfinger, we see a diamond.

SANDRANo Im sorry, I...Im engaged to be

married.

63.


66/122

ON EDWARD as his heart falls 20 floors. He tries to suppressthe reaction, put on a brave front.

EDWARDOh.

SANDRABut youre wrong. I do know you, atleast by reputation. Edward Bloom from

Ashton. See, Im actually engaged to aboy from Ashton. Don Price. He was afew years older than you.

FLASHCUTS TO:

EXT. CREEPY OLD HOUSE - THE GATE - NIGHT

Young Don Price shines his flashlight on Edward.

VARIOUS H.S. ATHLETIC COMPETITIONS

Recapping earlier football, baseball and basketballhighlights, we find Edward beats Don every time.

THE STREET CORNER / ASHTON PARADE

A smoking Don Price crushes his cigarette as Edward leavestown.

BACK TO:

EXT/INT. SORORITY HOUSE - THE DOORWAY

Edward is dumbstruck. With all the strength he can muster...

EDWARDWell. Congratulations. Im sorry tohave bothered you.

He turns and walks down the front steps.

She stays in the doorway for a few beats, feeling genuinelyhorrible for whats happened. But eventually she goes backinside. We hear GIGGLES from inside as her sorority sisters

get to the bottom of this.SANDRA

Stop it. Its not funny. That poorboy.

We LEAD Edward as he walks away, tears just starting to form.

64.


67/122

EDWARD (V.O.)Fate has a cruel way of circling aroundon you. After all this work to leave

Ashton, the girl I loved was nowengaged to one of its biggest jerks.

He EXITS FRAME, leaving only the sorority house in thebackground.

EDWARD (V.O.) (contd)Theres a time when a man needs tofight, and a time when he needs toaccept that his destiny is lost, thatthe ship has sailed, and that only afool would continue.

A beat. Edward steps back INTO FRAME, looking at thesorority house.

EDWARD (V.O.) (contd)The truth is, Ive always been a fool.

We CIRCLE as he shouts:

EDWARD (contd)Sandra Templeton! I love you! And Iam going to marry you!

INT. SORORITY HOUSE FOYER - DAY

Sandra and her SISTERS peer out through the curtains. Isthis guy crazy?

INT. LECTURE HALL - DAY

The tweedy ECONOMICS PROFESSOR continues his explanation.Sandra isnt paying a lot of attention.

He switches on the overhead projector without looking at it.Theres a TITTER from the STUDENTS, but he doesnt notice.

A classmate nudges Sandra, who looks up. Written on theprojector is I Love Sandra Templeton. Shes horrified andexcited at the same time. The professor finally notices

whats written there.EXT. QUAD - DAY

Walking with her books, Sandra shakes her head, disbelieving.We look up to the blue sky, where a giant sky-written heartfloats in the wind.

65.


68/122

INT. SANDRAS BEDROOM - [THE NEXT] MORNING

At her Sisters prompting, a just-woken Sandra looks out thesecond-story window to find the lawn filled with

TEN THOUSAND DAFFODILS.

Edward stands amid the sea of flowers. Hes waited there sixhours.

EXT. SORORITY HOUSE - DAY

Sandra walks out to him. Shes smiling, confused, joyful andscared. All down Greek Street, STUDENTS are coming out tosee the display.

SANDRADaffodils?

EDWARDTheyre your favorite flower.

SANDRAHow did you get so many?

EDWARDI called everywhere in five states andexplained this was the only way I couldget my wife to marry me.

Out of nowhere, a tear drops down Sandras cheek. She wipesit off.

SANDRAYou dont even know me.

EDWARDI have the rest of my life to find out.

From down the street

Documents

Big Fish Screenplay - John August