GROUP I
INT. THE STUDY - NIGHT - CONT.
CHARLES KINGSLEY has just described his new venture to his friends,
including LORD ASCOT.
LORD
ASCOT
Charles,
you have finally lost your
senses.
A
COLLEAGUE
This
venture is impossible.
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
For
some. Gentlemen, the only way to
achieve
the impossible is to believe
it
is possible.
A
COLLEAGUE
That
kind of thinking could ruin you.
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
I’m
willing to take that chance.
Imagine
trading posts in Rangoon,
Bangkok,
Jakarta...
He stops. His nine year-old daughter ALICE stands at the
door in her nightgown, clearly frightened. He goes to her.
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
The
nightmare again?
She nods. He takes her hand and turns to his guests.
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
I
won’t be long.
GROUP II
INT. YOUNG ALICE’S BEDROOM - LATER
He sits on her bed, listening with utmost seriousness.
ALICE
I’m
falling down a dark hole, then I
see
strange creatures...
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
What
kind of creatures?
ALICE
Well,
there’s a dodo bird, a rabbit in
a
waistcoat, a smiling cat...
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
I
didn’t know cats could smile.
ALICE
Neither
did I. Oh, and there’s a blue
caterpillar.
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
Blue
caterpillar. Hmm.
ALICE
Do
you think I’ve gone round the bend?
He feels her forehead as if for a fever.
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
I’m
afraid so. You’re mad. Bonkers.
Off
your head. But I’ll tell you a
secret...all
the best people are.
She smiles and leans against him.
CHARLES
KINGSLEY
It’s
only a dream, Alice. Nothing can
harm
you there. But if you get too
frightened,
you can always wake up.
Like
this.
GROUP III
INT. THE CARRIAGE - DAY
ALICE KINGSLEY is on the verge of womanhood, beautiful, but
slightly off-kilter. She sees the world with different eyes
than other people her age. Presently, she’s tired and grumpy
as her mother fusses with her wild mane of blonde hair.
ALICE
Must
we go? I doubt they’ll notice if
we
never arrive.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
They
will notice.
She re-ties her waist sash, feeling for her corset.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
Where’s
your corset?
She pulls back her dress to see bare legs.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
And
no stockings!
ALICE
I’m
against them.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
But
you’re not properly dressed.
ALICE
Who’s
to say what is proper? What if
it
was agreed that “proper” was
wearing
a codfish on your head? Would
you
wear it?
HELEN
KINGSLEY
Alice.
ALICE
To
me a corset is like a codfish.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
Please.
Not today.
Frustrated, Alice looks out the window and mutters.
ALICE
Father
would have laughed.
She sees the hurt on her mother’s face and instantly regrets
her words.
ALICE
I’m
sorry. I’m tired. I didn’t sleep
well
last night.
Her mother pats her hand in a forgiving gesture.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
Did
you have bad dreams again?
ALICE
Only
one. It’s always the same ever
since
I can remember. Do you think
that’s
normal? Don’t most people have
different
dreams?
Alice’s mother removes her own jewelry and puts it on her.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
I
don’t know. There! You’re
beautiful.
Now, can you manage a
smile?
GROUP IV
The garden party is in full swing. Everyone has turned out
in their summer finery. Guests play croquet on the great
lawn. Skiffs drift lazily on a meandering river.
Alice approaches LORD and LADY ASCOT with a fixed unnatural
smile. Lord Ascot is a stately, aristocratic man. Lady
Ascot is red-faced with annoyance.
LADY
ASCOT
At
last! We thought you’d never
arrive.
Alice, Hamish is waiting to
dance
with you. Go!
She pushes Alice off and turns on Helen.
LADY
ASCOT
You
do realize it’s well past four!
Now
everything will have to be rushed
through!
HELEN
KINGSLEY
I
am sorry. We...
LADY
ASCOT
Never
mind!
She rushes off.
LORD
ASCOT
Forgive
my wife. She’s been planning
this
affair for the last twenty years.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
If
only Charles were here...
LORD
ASCOT
My
condolences, madame. I think of
your
husband often. He was truly a
man
of vision.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
Thank
you.
LORD
ASCOT
I
hope you don’t think I have taken
advantage
of your misfortune.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
Of
course not. I’m pleased that
you’ve
purchased the company.
LORD
ASCOT
I
was a fool for not investing in his
mad
venture when I had the chance.
She smiles.
HELEN
KINGSLEY
Charles
thought so too.
GROUP V
Alice does a line dance with HAMISH who takes after his
mother, refined and immaculate with aristocratic arrogance.
ALICE
Hamish,
do you ever tire of the
Quadrille?
HAMISH
On
the contrary. I find it
invigorating.
He struts like a peacock. Alice laughs.
HAMISH
Do
I amuse you?
ALICE
No.
I had a sudden vision of all the
ladies
in top hats and the men wearing
bonnets.
He doesn’t even crack a smile.
HAMISH
It
would be best to keep your visions
to
yourself. When in doubt, remain
silent.
Alice’s smile fades. Without her father, she feels there’s
no one like her in the whole world. They dance on. Alice
sees a flock of geese overhead. Distracted, she bumps into
the dancers in front of them.
HAMISH
Pardon
us! Miss Kingsley is
distracted
today.
(to Alice)
Where
is your head?
ALICE
I
was wondering what it would be like
to
fly.
HAMISH
Why
would you waste your time thinking
about
such an impossible thing?
ALICE
Why
wouldn’t I? My father said he
sometimes
believed in six impossible
things
before breakfast.
She
laughs at the memory. Hamish looks pained. He sees his
mother
nearby. She waves him on impatiently.
HAMISH
Meet
me under the gazebo in precisely
ten
minutes.
GROUP VI
He goes off. Suddenly two giggling girls appear in front of
Alice. It’s the Chattaways.
FAITH
We
have a secret to tell you.
ALICE
If
you’re telling me, then it’s not
much
of a secret.
FIONA
Perhaps
we shouldn’t.
FAITH
We
decided we should!
FIONA
If
we tell her, she won’t be
surprised.
FAITH
Will
you be surprised?
ALICE
Not
if you tell me. But now you’ve
brought
it up, you have to.
FAITH
No
we don’t.
FIONA
In
fact, we won’t.
ALICE
I
wonder if your mother knows that you
two
swim naked in the Havershim’s
pond.
FAITH
You
wouldn’t!
ALICE
Oh,
but I would. There’s your mother
now.
Alice starts to walk toward her. Fiona blurts out.
FIONA
Hamish
is going to ask for your hand!
Alice stops dead. Her sister, MARGARET, suddenly pulls her
away.
MARGARET
You’ve
ruined the surprise!
(to Alice)
I
could strangle them! Everyone went
to
so much effort to keep the secret.
ALICE
Does
everyone know?
MARGARET
It’s
why they’ve all come. This is
your
engagement party. Hamish will ask
you
under the gazebo. When you say
“yes”...
ALICE
But
I don’t know if I want to marry
him.
MARGARET
Who
then? You won’t do better than a
Lord.
She looks at Hamish who blows his nose, studies the contents
of his kerchief, then folds it and puts it in his pocket.
MARGARET
You’ll
soon be twenty, Alice. That
pretty
face won’t last forever. You
don’t
want to end up like Aunt
Imogene.
They look at their middle-aged AUNT IMOGENE with over-rouged
cheeks and a yellowing white dress that’s too young for her.
MARGARET
And
you don’t want to be a burden on
mother,
do you?
ALICE
No.
MARGARET
So
you will marry Hamish. You will be
as
happy as I am with Lowell and your
life
will be perfect. It’s already
decided.
Lady Ascot’s face suddenly looms in hers.
LADY
ASCOT
Alice
dear, shall we take a leisurely
stroll
through the garden? Just you
and
me?
She jerks her away quickly.
GROUP VII
EXT. THE ROSE GARDENS 8
Lady Ascot steers her through the gardens at a fast clip.
LADY
ASCOT
Do
you know what I’ve always dreaded?
ALICE
The
decline of the aristocracy?
LADY
ASCOT
Ugly
grandchildren. But you’re so
lovely.
You’re bound to produce
little...
(she gasps)
Imbeciles!
The gardeners planted
white
roses when I specifically asked
for
red!
ALICE
You
could always paint the roses red.
Lady
Ascot looks at her strangely.
LADY
ASCOT
What
an odd thing to say. Come along.
She hurries her along the path. Alice hears a jingling
sound.
LADY
ASCOT
You
should know that my son has
extremely
delicate digestion...
Alice sees SOMETHING LARGE AND WHITE dart past.
ALICE
Did
you see that?
LADY
ASCOT
See
what?
ALICE
It
was a rabbit, I think.
LADY
ASCOT
Nasty
things. I do enjoy setting the
dogs
on them. Don’t dawdle.
She rushes Alice toward the gazebo. Alice looks for the
rabbit.
LADY
ASCOT
If
you serve Hamish the wrong foods,
he
could get a blockage.
And there it is, a LARGE WHITE RABBIT in a waistcoat,
standing on its hind legs and staring directly at Alice. She
blinks. The White Rabbit darts behind a tree.
ALICE
Did
you see it that time?
LADY
ASCOT
See
what?
ALICE
The
rabbit!
LADY
ASCOT
Don’t
shout! Pay attention. Hamish
said
you were easily distracted. What
was
I saying?
ALICE
Hamish
has a blockage. I couldn’t be
more
interested, but you’ll have to
excuse
me.
GROUP VIII
Alice dives into the wooded area off the path and stands for
a moment, mind reeling. A hand lands on her shoulder. She
jumps.
ALICE
Aunt
Imogene! I think I’m going mad.
I
keep seeing a rabbit in a waistcoat.
IMOGENE
How
very strange. What kind of
waistcoat?
ALICE
Brocade,
I think. What does it
matter?
It’s a rabbit in a waistcoat!
IMOGENE
I
can’t be bothered with your fancy
rabbit
now. I’m waiting for my
fiance.
ALICE
You
have a fiance?
The
White Rabbit darts by.
ALICE
(CONT’D)
There!
Did you see it?
IMOGENE
He’s
a prince. But, alas he cannot
marry
me unless he renounces his
throne.
Isn’t it tragic?
ALICE
Very.
She backs away and runs into her sister’s husband, LOWELL,
kissing a strange woman. The woman runs off.
ALICE
Lowell?
LOWELL
Alice.
We were...Hattie is an old
friend.
ALICE
I
can see you’re very close.
Lowell
is bright red and highly flustered.
LOWELL
You
won’t mention this to your sister,
will
you?
ALICE
I
don’t know. I’m confused. I need
time
to think.
LOWELL
Think
of Margaret. She would never
trust
me again. You don’t want to
ruin
her marriage, do you?
ALICE
Me?
I’m not the one...
No comments:
Post a Comment