Willow

Willow  

Screenplay by       Bob Dolman

Produced by       Nigel Wooll

Directed by       Ron Howard

Cast List:

Val Kilmer     Madmartigan

Joanne Whalley-Kilmer   Sorsha

Warwick Davis      Willow

Jean Marsh      Queen Bavmorda

Patricia Hayes     Fin Raziel

Billy Barty      High Aldwin

Pat Roach      General Kael

Gavan O'Herlihy    Airk Thaughbaer

FADE IN:
 

EXT. NOCKMAAR CASTLE – DAY

Under gloomy sky a huge fortress looms on a volcanic mountainside. From within WE HEAR the agonizing scream of a woman giving birth.

INT. NOCKMAAR CASTLE – DAY

The scream continues as WE MOVE THROUGH the grim corridors of the castle TOWARD stairs leading down to a dungeon.

INT. DUNGEON – DAY

Silhouetted in sadows, three Nockmaar MINIONS stand guard. In a jail cell, sex fully pregnant WOMEN watch from behind iron bars. The screaming stops. There's a moment of silence. As WE MOVE INTO another jail cell WE HEAR a slap and the first cry of a newborn BABY.

In the cell a black-robed DRUID watches intensely as ETHNA, a midwife, leans over the MOTHER and wraps the baby in swaddling.

DRUID

Is it a girl?

ETHNA

It is a girl.

DRUID

Show me its arm.

Ethna peels back the swaddling. On the baby's arm is a small marking.

DRUID

It's true then. I must tell Queen Bavmorda.

With great urgency the druid hurries up the dungeon stairs. Ethna gently places the baby on the mother's breast. The mother comforst the baby lovingly until it stops crying. Then she reaches out and clasps the midwife's wrist.

MOTHER

Ethna, please. Help me. They're going to kill my baby.

Ethna nervously looks out at the guards, then shakes her head at the mother.

ETHNA

They'll kill you.

MOTHER

Please save my baby.

Ethna hesitates. Then decides. She quickly wraps together some rags and gives them to the mother.

ETHNA

Pretend this is the child.

 MOTHER

Thank you, Ethna. Thank you.

The mother kisses her baby and hands it to Ethna, who hides the baby inside the basket of rags. Ethna carries the basket past the guards and up the stairs.

The mother lies back and sighs with relief. Then she hears clinking bootsteps and her eyes widen with fear.

QUEEN BAVMORDA sweeps down the dungeon stairs, her black robes flowing behind her. The druid hurries alongside.

BAVMORDA

We will start the ritual at dusk. You're certain this is the one?

DRUID

It bears the markings.

BAVMORDA

I must see for myself! Just as the omen foretold!

The guards fearfully move aside as Bavmorda enters the cell.

BAVMORDA

So. You were the one.

 MOTHER

Yes. But nothing you can do will stop the prophecy.

 BAVMORDA

This child will have no power over me... .

Bavmorda grabs the rags away from the mother and anxiously tears them apart.

BAVMORDA

(furiously)

Where's the baby!

One of the guards looks up the stairs.

GUARD

The midwife!

Bavmorda flies into a rage.

BAVMORDA

Find that baby! Use the dogs! Sorsha!

Two guards draw swords and charge upstairs. Bavmorda grabs the third guard and nods toward the mother.

BAVMORDA

Kill her.

Bavmorda storms away with the druid. WE SEE the shadow of the guard move over the terrified mother. War drums begin to beat out an alarm.

EXT. SNOWY MOUNTAINSIDE – DAY

TITLES BEGIN. The midwife hurries through swirling show, clutching the baby.

EXT. VILLAGE – DAY

Nockmaar troops on horseback charge into a desolate village, driving ferocious DEATH DOGS into huts, violently searching for the baby. The oppressed, poor VILLAGERS are yanked into the street. Some of them are beaten. One is killed.

The midwife hides behind a hut, still holding the baby, then runs away from the village.

EXT. GRASSLAND – DAY

Ethna treks across an open grass field.

EXT. WOODS – NIGHT

She huddles by a fire, exhausted and hungry, her clothes filthy and torn, and she rocks the crying baby. She hears dogs howling in the distance. She clutches the baby, kicks out the fire, and runs.

EXT. OCEAN CLIFFSIDE – DAY

She scrambles over rocks on a windswept coastline.

EXT. FOREST – DAWN

Ethna runs desperately for her life. Chasing her are two vicious DEATH DOGS. She scrambles across a shallow river. She claws at rock and tears away sticks and driftwood matted together with weeds. Into this she places the baby and sets it afloat downstream.

DEATH DOG

Bordak!

The dogs lunge from the woods and splash across the river. The midwife claws her way up a steep bank, luring the dogs. As they attack her:

MIDWIFE

I don't have her! No! No!

She grabs a stick and tries to defend herself, thrashing at the snarling dogs.

From the baby's view, as it floats down the river, WE SEE the dogs kill the midwife beyond the distant trees.

EXT. DOWNRIVER – DAY – MONTAGE

The little raft of sticks swirls precariously in the current. It glances off jutting rocks, tumbles over rapids, and scrapes under overhanging trees.

EXT. RIVERBANK – DAY

At last the raft catches in some weeks, almost dumping the baby.

TITLE SEQUENCE ENDS

Suddenly WE HEAR rustling leaves, possibly another Death Dog. Then WE HEAR giggling. Two children, RANON and MIMS, watch in amazement from the riverbank.

EXT. UFGOOD FARM – DAY

Holding onto a plow, WILLOW UFGOOD struggles behind a huge hog. From a heavy sack slung over his shoulder he tosses seeds.

RANON

Dada! We found something in the river!

Willow beams with joy as his son and daughter race toward him. They grab his sleeves and tug him away from his plow.

WILLOW

I can't run off and play with you now. I've got work to do.

RANON/MIMS

But Dada, you gotta see it! Hurry!

Willow drops his sack of seeds. The ugly hog glares at him like a guilty conscience. The children squeal with excitement as their father runs toward the river with them.

EXT. RIVERBANK – DAY

WE SEE Willow from the baby's view. His eyes pop open. He quickly backs his children away.

WILLOW

Back! Don't go near it. We don't know where it's been. It could be diseased.

MIMS

It's a baby!

RANON

It's not a Nelwyn baby.

WILLOW

No, it's too big to be a Nelwyn baby. It looks like a daikini...

MIMS

Ooh, it's so cute...

WILLOW

Mims! Get back here! It might bite you.

Willow drags Mims away. Then the baby starts crying.

RANON

Can't we keep it, Dada?

WILLOW

Absolutely not.

BURGLEKUTT

Ufgood! Willow Ufgood!

Willow, in a sudden panic, sees BURGLEKUTT in the distance. He splashes into the river, grabs the raft, plunks it on the bank and tries to hush the crying baby.

WILLOW

Shhh, shhh! It's the Prefect – that's all I need. Mims, Ranon, keep this thing hidden...

EXT. UFGOOD FARM – DAY

Burglekutt's beady eyes spot Willow making a mad dash for his plow. Swinging his fat stomach, he angrily points his walking stick and goes after him.

KIAYA

Mr. Burglekutt! He hasn't done anything wrong!

Willow's wife KIAYA chases Burglekutt across the field, her beautiful long hair flowing behind her. Willow quickly gets behind his plow like he's been there all day.

BURGLEKUTT

Ufgood! What do you think you're doing! I tell the planting seeds in this village.

KIAYA

I told him we didn't steal it, Willow.

Burglekutt furiously scoops a handful of seeds out of Willow's sack and shakes them under Willow's nose.

BURGLEKUTT

You haven't paid your debts. Where did you get these seeds?

With pride, Willow puts his arm around his wife.

WILLOW

In the forest. My family's been gathering them since last fall. There's no law against that, Burglekutt.

Suddenly the children laugh in the distance.

KIAYA

Willow! You left the children alone by the river??

In alarm she runs off before Willow can stop her. Burglekutt sweeps the horizon with his walking stick.

BURGLEKUTT

Too late, Ufgood. You'll never get your planting done before the rains start. You're gonna lose this land.

He raises the seeds high above his head, then smashes them down at Willow's boots. He waddles away toward two of his MEN who wait by the road. Then: Kiaya SHRIEKS from the river. Burglekutt stops in his tracks and shakes his head as if to say "the whole family's crazy." Off he trudges. Willow watches and waits. Then runs as fast as he can to the river.

EXT. RIVER – DAY

Kiaya cradles the baby in her arms. Willow runs up, and with patriarchal authority, puts his fists on his hips.

WILLOW

Absolutely, under no condition, is anyone in this family going to fall in love with that baby.

They all fall in love as he speaks. The children follow Kiaya up on the bank, walking right past Willow.

WILLOW

Kiaya! We can't keep that baby. Mims, Ranon. Hey! I will not be ignored!

Ignored, Willow huffs after them across his unplowed field.