Re: The Ninth Wave - The Screenplay

[btd@carina.cray.com (Bryan Dongray)]

Hello all, and here's a hopefully well received Katemas present.

I was fortunate enough to be able to download the megaposting from a
while back, and found a PDF viewer, then converted the posting into
straight normal ASCII, well, lots of typing, I tried to copy exactly
but typos might exist, but content is not from me, but from:
	Dennis_Bergstrom@online.idg.se
Comments to the author, but I'd prefer posting for us all to read, be
nice or constructive! We can all say "What a load of ...", if you feel
that way please give valid reasons, and how you'd improve it, don't
just nitpick on grammar, typos, and/or minor inconsistancies, ie think
of the whole concept of the story. Come on, let's be mature! Aim for
getting an excellent screenplay out of this idea.

I know it is 700 lines, but there are many blank lines, on a 2400 baud
modem it should take about a minute to download. Surprising how such a
small(ish) document can expand to such a MEGA posting (as before)!

I'll comment in another posting, read on, listen to the track (if necessary).

			Bryan Dongray

========================================================================
				The Ninth Wave
				--------------
			Screenplay by Dennis Bergstrom
		       <Dennis_Bergstrom@online.idg.se>
		      Based on a soundtrack by Kate Bush

			    First Draft March 1993

Please note:
Although I submit my work to Internet, this doesn't mean that I submit my
Copyright of it! I grant ou the right to copy the file, print it out and
maybe pass it on to your friends but nothing more.

Copyright 1993-1995 by Dennis Bergstrom
========================================================================
FADE IN.

INT. INSIDE PUB - EVENING

TIGHT ANGLE ON oil painting of a fishingboat.

We can HEAR THE SOUND OF PEOPLE TALING AND OF A RADIO
PLAYING FOLKMUSIC IN THE B.G.

SLOW PULL BACK TO REVEAL that we are behind the counter in a
small pub somewhere in England.

PAN along the counter to the RIGHT. We PAN past SEVERAL PEOPLE
sitting at the counter drinking beer. In the b.g. we can see the door of the
pub.

ANGLE ON DOOR as the door swings open.

Enter DENISE.

Denise is about nineteen years old. She has red hair, green eye and is pretty
in an unusual way. On her forehead a scar is visible.
It looks like she's been crying.

INT. INSIDE PUB/COUNTER - EVENING

She approaches the counter.

REVERSE SHOT of Denise's mother ANN who is standing behind the
counter. Red-haired as her daughter, she's about 45-50 years old.

			ANN

		(smiling)
	Hi Sweetheart!

		(she notices something's wrong)
	What's the matter?

Denise shakes her head.

			ANN

	Let's go into the kitchen.

They walk into the pub's kitchen.

INT. KITCHEN - EVENING

			ANN

	What's the matter, Denise?

			DENISE

	We talked about the accident and David again.

			ANN

		(she looks sad)
	Brad still doesn't remember, does he?

			DENISE

	No.

			ANN

	Does he know that you remember?

			DENISE

		(shakes her head)

			ANN

	You haven't told him?

			DENISE

		(shakes her head)

We can see that Denise is crying. Ann hugs Denise.

			ANN

	It's OK now.
		(a beat; then)
	It's OK. It's OK, honey.
		(a beat; then)
	It wasn't your fault.

			DENISE

	But it was, mum!
		(a beat; then)
	It was.
		(pause)
	Do you think Brad's going to hate me when he gets
	his memory back, Mom? I'm afraid he'll hate me.

			ANN

	I know that Bard loves you very much, Denise. He won't
	hate you. He'll understand it was an accident.

			DENISE

	Do you really think so?

			ANN

	It know it. He'll understand.
	When he remembers, he'll understand.
	Trust me.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE OPEN SEA - DAWN

WIDE ANGLE of the sea, the rising sun, and a fishingboat.

The COLORS OF THE SUNRISE are breathtaking. It's a clear morning,
there is a little haze in the air.

EXT. FISHINGBOAT - DAWN

Standing against the rail is BRAD; he is around 22-23, has brown hair and
is about average in height. He's wearing the typical fisherman's outfit and an
old lifejacket.

He looks out to the open sea, his eyes locked on something beyond the
horizon. He looks sad and is obviously somewhere else in thought.

			ARON
		(offscreen)
	Brad, are you all right?

No reaction from Brad.

			ARON
		(offscreen)
	Brad!

Brad looks up at HIS FATHER ARON, a middle-aged fisherman.

			BRAD

	What?

			ARON

	I said, are you all right?

			BRAD

		(shrugs)
	I tried to remember, that's all.
		(pause)
	It feels so strange, Dad.
	I feel so ---
		(pause)
	so empty inside. I know David's dead but I can't remember
	it. Yet somehow I remember bits and pieces.
	It was dusk... and there was a big tree. And then...
		(he shrugs and looks sad)
	everything is black. My brother is dead and I can't
	even remember it.

			ARON

	Brad, It's going to take some time before it all comes back
	to you. But I'm sure it will, sooner or later.

			BRAD

	You really think so?

			ARON

	Yes, I really think so. Sooner or later. Trust me.

Brad joins the other CREWMEMBERS who are working with the nets.

MONTAGE of the hectic fishing business. As the day passes the sky gets
darker and darker.

EXT. THE OPEN SEA - DAY

WIDE ANGLE ON THE FISHINGBOAT as huge, dark storm-clouds roll in
from below the horizon.

Big waves hit the fishingboat. The wind gets stronger and rain starts to fall
on the fishingboat and its crew. The boat is now rocking back and forth on
the waves, exposed to the forces of nature.

EXT. FISHINGBOAT - DAY

ANGLE ON CABIN as Brads father tries to hold a steady steady course through
the bad weather.

Big waves flood the deck, the crew heads for the cabin.

Suddenly a huge wave knocks Brad flat on the deck. He swallows water and
starts to cough. When the water goes back to the sea again the current
drags Brad towards a port in the rail.

Brad's father Aron orders a crewmember to take over the wheel. Aron gets
out of the cabin but is forced back in again by the wind and the water. He
quickly gets a rope from the cabin and tries to throw it to Brad.

The wind is now very strong and the rope lands too far from Brad to reach.

Another wave hits the deck. This times Brad is dragged over the edge, into
the raging ocean. He SCREAMS as he goes.

ANGLE ON Aron as he screams Brad's name.

ANGLE ON DECK as the fishermen try to get Brad out of the water
One fisherman has a lifebuoy in his hands.

EXT. THE OPEN SEA - DAY

WIDE ANGLE ON THE RAGING SEA and the fishingboat.
The sky is almost covered with towering dark stormclouds.
At the horizon the sun still struggles to send its last rays into the awakening
storm.

DISSOLVE TO:

			Start of "And Dream of Sheep"

WIDE ANGLE ON Brad, alone in the water.

The small emergency lights of Brad's lifejacket illuminate his face with a
faint red glow.

ANGLE ON Brads face.

He's starting to chill down. We can see that his lips are bluish.
Brad shuts his eyes, he's very sleepy, on the edge to unconsciousness.

Synching with the song we can hear LOUD CRIES OF SEAGULLS.

PULL BACK/UP TO REVEAL some SEAGULLS circling above Brad.
In the distance, at the horizon the sun is almost gone behind the dark clouds.

We do a SLOW ZOOM at the sun, letting the brightness fill the view until
the songs ends. Then WHITE OUT.

DISSOLVE TO:

			Start of "Under Ice"

EXT. HILL - DAY

CLOSE on a snowdrift on a hill.

RAISE CAMERA TO REVEAL that we are on top of a SNOWCOVERED
HILL in a vast beautiful winterlandscape. In all directions there are other
snowcovered hills and lots of snowcovered trees. The sky is filled with
white fluffy clouds and the sun sends it rays into the hazy air. The small
valleys between the hills are in shadows, interrupted by tiny rays of
sunlight.

SLOW PAN TO THE RIGHT revealing more of the beautiful landscape.
Far away, below us, we can see A FROZEN RIVER, winding through the
landscape, its banks occasionally flanked by trees.

We can see a SMALL FIGURE SKATING on the river.

Synchronzing with the song ("only me skating FAST"), we MOVE VERY
FAST down the hill, into the valley and over the river.

EXT. THE RIVER - DAY

We speed behind the skater, then moving alongside and finally moving
before the skater, all the time holding the skater in view.

It is Brad, but not in his fisherman's outfit, but in casual clothes.
It looks like Brad really enjoys being here, he smiles to himself.

PULL BACK/UP to reveal the Shadow!

Not far away, UNDER THE ICE, there is a Shadow the size of a man
following Brad as he skates. The Shadow has two red dot, like eyes, in the
front. It moves fast and is likely to catch up with Brad.

EXT. THE FROZEN POND - DAY

Brad reaches A FROZEN POND, where the river ends at one side and starts
again, a little wider on the other side.

He makes A SMALL PIROUETTE, turns around and catches a glimpse of
the Shadow! Brad stumbles and falls on the ice.

The shadow is closing in.

Brad stands up, trying to reach the shore.

Brads POV as the ice under his skates begins to break, first thin little lines,
then bigger ones.

ANGLE ON the Shadow under the ice closing in.

ANGLE ON Brads face. He is real scared now.

Brads POV as the cracks under his skates are getting bigger and bigger.

ANGLE ON Brad as the ice breaks apart, sending him deep down
into the cold dark water. He disappears under the ice.

ANOTHER ANGLE on the Shadow as it speeds towards the open hole in
the ice.

EXT. THE OPEN SEA - DAY

The Shadow breaks the surface. It's Brad in his fisherman's outfit!
Brad has apparently swallowed some water. He coughs and gasps for air.

BRAD'S POV as a wave wash over him.

All goes black.

DISSOLVE TO

			Start of "Wake The Witch"

INT. PRISON-CELL - DAY

It's DARK so we don't know yet what is happening.

Suddenly the darkness is LIT UP and a young man stands here telling
Brad to get up. Although we don't know this yet, the young man is DAVID,
Brad's late brother.

Darkness again.

The darkness is LIT UP again. This time it's Aron, Brad's father, telling
Brad to wake up.

Then in rapid order there is Denise, Brads former teacher, Brad's father
again etc. all of them telling Brad to wake up.

TILT UP as a huge CELLDOOR opens, sending bright light into what we
now can see is a prison-cell.

A GUARD, dressed as in medieval times, comes in and drags Brad from the
floor. We now see that Brad is dressed as in medieval times too and has his
hands tied together befre him , His clothes are in rags and he looks dirty.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

Brad is pushed by the guard into a HUGE COURTROOM.

In the middle of the room behind a table there are a judge and a jury. The
judge is looking down, reading something from a book.

Accused before the bar stands Denise. Her hands are tied before her, her
clothes are in rags and she looks dirty.

The Judge RAISES HIS HEAD, facing Denise.

He LOOKS EXACTLY like Aron, Brad's father, only meaner.

The Judge nods to a guard in the far end of the room.
The guard opens two huge doors. Outside we can see a big pond.

Another guard PUSHES Denise in front of him, through the doors and onto
a small landing stage, where a hooded man stands waiting.

THROUGH THE OPEN DOORS we can see the hooden man tying a long
rope around Denise's waist. He ties the other end of the rope to a small ring
on the landing stage.

Synching with the song, ("I question your innocence") we can see the
hooded man pushing Denise into the pond. Denise struggles with the rope
that ties her hands together. Synching with the song, she sinks under the
surface. ("What say you good people/Guilty Guilty Guilty").

IN SLOWMOTION:

Brad lunges forward and before the guard can react, Brad races out through
the big doors, out onto the landingstage.

Brad dives into the water, after Denise.

END SLOWMOTION.

ZOOM INTO the dark calm water.

For the flow of the story we must cut the sound of the helicopter in the
song at this point

			Start of "Watching You Without Me"

Suddenly we can see raindrops rippling the calm surface.

EXT. OUTSIDE DENISE'S HOME - DAY

We PULL BACK/UP TO REVEAL that the surface belongs to a small pool
of water in front of Denise's home (though we don't know that yet). The
house is located just beside the pub.

With someone's POV we move closer to the FRONTDOOR of the house.

On the door is a sign saying ANN, PHILIP AND DENISE WILKERSON.
The door swings open like someone unseen is opening it.


INT. HALLWAY - DAY

We still have someone's POV as we move slowly (to sync with the song)
inside the house. On both sides of the hallway we can see doors to different
rooms but apparently we're heading for the big livingroom. We move to the
doorway of the livingroom.

REVERSE SHOT OF DOORWAY. Semi-transparent, Brad is standing
there, his hair and clothes are damp as from the rain.

INT. LIVINGROOM - DAY

We PULL BACK TO REVEAL a worried Denise walking back and forth in
the room.

We synch with the song as Denise LOOKS AT A CLOCK hanging over the
doorway where Brad is standing.

Brad walks into the livingroom but Denise can't see him. He tries to talk to
her but she can't hear him. Brad moves his hand before her eyes to get her
attention but to no success.

INT. LIVINGROOM/CHEST OF DRAWERS - DAY

Denise walks up to a chest of drawers. The top of it is covered with
photographs.

She picks up a photo.

INSERT OF PHOTOGRAPH:

The photo shows Denise, Brad and David, Brad's late brother. David and
Brad have soccer outfits on. They have a number and their names
(Brad Philips/David Philips) printed on the front of the T-shirts. David
holds a football in his hands. Denise stands in the middle holding Brad and
David over their shoulders. They are all smiling.

BACK TO SCENE.

Denise puts down photo and walks to a window which is facing the
village's small harbour. She opens the window.

We can hear THE SOUND OF WAVES AND THE CRIES OF
SEAGULLS.

Outside we can see the stormclouds over the sea, rain creates a haze in the
air.

INT. LIVINGROOM/MIRROR - DAY

To the LEFT of the window hangs an OLD MIRROR, almost the size of
Brad.

Brad walks up to it and looks into the mirroe

ANGLE ON MIRROR as Brad looks at his semi-transparent reflection and
touches the surface. The reflection gets distorted.

Instead of Brad there's a middle-ages LADY looking AT HIM, also
touching the surface of the mirror. She has red hair and a scar on her
forehead. She looks like how Denise is going to look in 40-50 years.

			Start of "Jig of Life"

			BRAD

		(synch with the song)
	Hello old lady!
	I know your face well!
	I know it well!

			THE FUTURE DENISE
		(synch with the song)
	Ooh-na-na-na-na
	I'll be sitting in your mirror.
	Now is the place where the crossroads meet.
	Will you look into the future?

THE FUTURE DENISE stretches out her hand from the mirror-surface and
grabs the hand of Brad, dragging him INTO the mirror.

EXT. CLEARING - DUSK

Brad, no longer semi-transparent now, emerges in a SMALL CLEARING in
a greenish forest. In the distance, mist is slowly drifting beneath the trees.
It's a very weird eerie place.

In the middle of the clearing A PATH splits up in two, the two goes in
different directions.

Brad looks at the BACK OF THE MIRROR, which stands leaning against
an old oak tree. Through the back of the mirror we still can see some of the
livingroom.

			THE FUTURE DENISE
		(synch with the song)

	This moment in time,
	It doesn't belong to you!
	It belongs to me
	And to your little boy and to your little girl
	And the one hand clapping,
	Where on your palm is my little line
	When you're written in mine
	As an old memory
	(etc. Follow the song)

Suddenly the song fades away and is replaced by folkmusic.

EXT. PATH - DUSK

The Future Denise starts to dance along one of the two paths.
She makes gestures with her arms to Brad to follow.

With a last look at the back of the mirror, Brad follows along the small path.

EXT. HILL - DUSK

Brad reaches a small hill. At the foot of the hill, beside a small, winding
countryroad, a huge tree stands in solitude. A big pool of water is in the
middle of the road. We can see raindrops rippling the surface. The road
looks muddy.

The folkmusic FADES OUT. The Future Denise stops at the very edge of
the hill facing the small road.

			THE FUTURE DENISE

	I put this moment...

ZAP!
She is instantly in another location halfway down the hill.

	...here!

Brad looks in AMAZEMENT as she continues.

			THE FUTURE DENISE

	I put this moment...

ZAP!
Again she appears in another location, this time almost down at the road.

	...here!

			THE FUTURE DENISE

	I put this moment...

ZAP!
For the third time The Future Denise appears in another location, now
beside the huge tree.

	...OVER HERE!

The Future Denise stands immediately beside the big tree.
Suddenly the sound of car is heard from down the road.

ANGLE ON TREE AND ROAD as a small car drive into view from the right.

FAST CUT TO ANGLE ON Brad's face. He closes his eyes.

FAST CUT TO ANGLE ON Brad. He covers his ears with his hands and
screams.

FAST CUT TO ANGLE ON Brad in the water. Covering his ears, he screams.

FAST CUT TO TILT ANGLE ON Brad on the hill. He's still screaming and
covers his ears with his hands.

FAST PULLBACK to the wreaked car and the tree.

We PAN ALONG the car to the RIGHT.

First we see the backseat. Brad is sitting here, blood on his face, apparently
unconscious.

We CONTINUE THE PAN to the RIGHT, PULLING BACK/UP until we
can see the front of the car.

With her face covered in blood from a wound on her forehead. Denise sits
unconscious in the driver's seat. In the passenger-seat to her left. David sits
dead. The trunk of the tree has pressed the left front of the car inward,
creating a deathtrap for David.

We hold this scene for some time, then DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. THE OPEN SEA

ANGLE ON BRAD lying facedown in the water.

FADE OUT.

			Start of "Hello Earth"

EXT. IN SPACE - NIGHT

The darkness is gradually sprinkled with bright stars. We are in space, the
Earth is very small. Following the song we car HEAR ASTRONAUT
COMMINCATION. We don't see Brad yet but we suspect he's out here in
the darkness.

A glowing object is moving fast from LEFT to RIGHT.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL Brad standing looking at the object. What he is
standing on we cannot see.

When Brad turns his head to the RIGHT to follow the object, he sees an
enormous bright light.

Brad starts walking towards the light in SLOWMOTION.

Following the song we can HEAR A MALE CHOIR.

We circle Brad, TILTING THE CAMERA. We ZOOM IN on his face,
blurring the b.g. out.

IN MIX we can see

THE ACCIDENT in slowmotion with the car slamming into the trunk of the
big tree.

THE PHOTO of David, Brad and Denise from the mantelpiece.

BACK TO SCENE:

ANGLE ON Brads face.

We can see that tears are trickling down Brads cheeks. Brad halts and turns
his head slowly, looking over his left shoulder.

The b.g. is now clear, revealing the distant Earth, but Brad's head is
BLURRED OUT.

We can see huge stormclouds forming in Earths atmosphere over the
American continent. The clouds move out to sea.

Synching with the song, we can see Aron's fishingboat. It's dark and the
storm is fierce. A searching mounted on top of the cabin is touching the
waves, seaching for Brad.

BACK TO SCENE:

Brad's head is now back IN FOCUS.

Again we can HEAR A MALE CHOIR.

IN SLOWMOTION:

Brad turns his head and starts walking again towards the bright light.

Suddenly a football bounces against Brads legs. In the bright light stands a
young man. It's hard to see his face in the light but we catch a glimpse of
DAVID'S smiling face. Brad runs to greet his dead brother and they hug
each other.

WIDE ZOOM OUT as the two brothers disappear into the bright light,
walking beside each other, talking gesturing vividly.

END SLOWMOTION.

Suddenly: