“The Wishmaker”
Genre: Screenplay
Product: Short Film Fairy Tail
This short film screenplay was written when I lived, literally, in the middle of the forest on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state. The original version includes an abundance of directorial actions because I intended to direct it. The version below contains a minimum of actions, although much of the story is action.
FADE IN
Scene One
EXT. SUBURBAN HOME – NIGHT
One dimly lit upstairs room in a large suburban house. That room belongs to LEAH, a twelve-year old who practices her violin with increasing detachment from her music, her Father, and herself. She slumps in front of the mirror of her dresser.
INT. DIMLY LIT BEDROOM – NIGHT
She continues to PRACTICE HER VIOLIN (“Fiddles on Fire”) while eyeing herself critically and her violin and sounds like a novice.
She STOPS PLAYING abruptly. While Leah holds the violin under her chin and elbow up, her Father opens the door and leans against the doorjamb. Leah then lowers her violin and bow, slumping despondently, but still eyeing herself in the mirror.
(PAUSE)
FATHER
You’ve been practicing everyday for, what, over a year now. Right? You still sound like a beginner.
(PAUSE)
LEAH
I’m sorry.
SAME ROOM – BEHIND LEAH
FATHER
Keep up the good work and mom’s and Grandma’s legacy will come to a disappointing end. PAUSE. Mom would have been disappointed, anyway.
End Scene One
Scene Two
INT. LEAH’S BEDROOM – MORNING
Leah lying on her well-made bed, on her back, arms behind her head.
LEAH
I wish…
EXT. WISH MAKER’S FOREST – MORNING
Full face shot of WISH MAKER, a young boy, eyes closed.
LEAH’S BEDROOM
Leah’s full face shot.
WISH MAKER’S FOREST
Wish Maker’s face, eyes still closed.
BEDROOM
Leah’s contemplative face, neck and shoulders.
FOREST
Wish Maker’s face, neck and shoulders.
BEDROOM
Leah lying in bed.
FOREST
Wish Maker sitting in the forest.
EXT. LEAH’S BEDROOM WINDOW
Leah’s bedroom window.
FOREST
Wish Maker’s full view under tree.
EXT. LEAH’S HOUSE
Leah’s street.
FOREST
Distant view of Wish Maker sitting, looking straight ahead as if to concentrate, and his main path in view.
EXT. LEAH’S NEIGHBORHOOD
Aerial view of houses.
FOREST, CLEARING
Distant, aerial view of forest.
LEAH’S NEIGHBORHOOD
Same aerial view of Leah’s house but farther out.
FOREST
Wish Maker runs down his main path, then distinctly different forest path.
FOREST
Wish Maker chooses mushrooms, and then we see him deposit them into his satchel. He then runs, then jumps over a ledge, out of sight. Wish Maker chooses herbs, and then we see him deposit them into his satchel.
EXT. LEAH’S FRONT PORCH – DAY (FLASHBACK)
Father and MOTHER. She holds bouquet of flowers, their faces are close in mutual adoration; only long enough to recognize it’s Leah’s father and mother sharing an intimate moment.
FOREST
Wish Maker runs across shallow stream, fills small bottle with stream water, then he corks it and puts it into his satchel.
INT. DINNER TABLE – NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Brief shot of Mother and Father OPENING WINE, celebrating.
FOREST
Wish Maker runs out of stream area. Exits forest onto dirt road, stops, looks around, then barrels forward.
EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY
Wish Maker on roadside hitchhiking. Then a car picks him up.
INT. FRONT SEAT OF CAR
Wish Maker feigns innocence and worry in the passenger seat of the car.
WISH MAKER
My mom was supposed to take me to the ferry to meet my dad…but she never showed up. I’m supposed to be a wizard in a play, but now I don’t know if I’ll even make it.
EXT. FERRY TERMINAL
Wish Maker waving good-bye to the driver as the car pulls away.
EXT. FERRY TERMINAL
Wish Maker wears a phony smile, offers a phony wave. While the car drives out of sight, he rolls his eyes and breaks for the ferry terminal entrance.
INT. FERRY TERMINAL
Wish Maker’s POV, Camera running down catwalk toward ferry.
LOUDSPEAKER (VO)
Last call to Seattle, this is the last call to Seattle.
INT. FERRY
Wish Maker finds seat and slumps into seat staring out window. After a short rest, he incidentally moves his hand onto his satchel; the lump of the bottle reminds him he still has ingredients to collect and mix. Wish Maker finds a table. He opens a couple packets of sugar and carefully pours them into the bottle.
INT. FATHER’S BEDROOM – DAY (FLASHBACK)
Father sits on the side of his bed and holds a framed photo of his wife. Father begins to cry, but it is only detectable in his body movements, not sobbing aloud.
EXT. OTHER FERRY TERMINAL
Distant shot of the whole Terminal, a ferry or two, and the water, but close enough to see Wish Maker coming down the stairs and run to the bus.
EXT. BUS ZONE
Behind Wish Maker. He pleads with the BUS DRIVER.
WISH MAKER (VO)
Excuse me, sir (ma’am), can I have a free ride? I’m supposed to be at a play really soon and I don’t have any money. My mom was supposed to pick me up, but it’s been over an hour!
INT. ON THE BUS
Wish Maker slouches in seat, he is bored and tired. Suddenly, he sits up, eyes wide, and pulls the string. DING.
INT. BREAKFAST ROOM (FLASHBACK)
Mother lay out at the bottom of the stairs, mouth open, and eyes open, as dead as possible. POV going up the stairs.
CUT TO BLACK
(PAUSE)
End Scene Two
Scene Three
FADE FROM BLACK
EXT. LEAH’S HOUSE – DAY
Front view of Leah’s house with Wish Maker arriving. He walks toward it, crosses the street, and then breaks for the alley behind the house.
INT. BREAKFAST ROOM
Father reads the paper. POV shows both Father reading the newspaper and Wish Maker outside sneaking through the gate and into the back yard.
INT. BREAKFAST ROOM
Wish Maker peeks his head into window from outside. After seeing no one, reaches for door.
INT. KITCHEN
Father CHOPPING tomatoes on large freestanding wooden block. He hears the DOOR CLOSING LIGHTLY. He stops chopping, lifts his head.
FATHER
Leah?
After hearing NOTHING, Father goes back to chopping, finishes, turns around, and heads toward sink.
POV from the Father at the sink, Wish Maker sneaks up the stairs behind him.
POV from stairwell, Father turns around to see, because he had heard very light FOOTSTEPS.
POV from Father at sink, seeing nothing on the stairwell.
INT. UPSTAIRS HALLWAY
POV set up to split Leah’s open bedroom door and Wish Maker ascending the stairs. Leah’s feet can be seen at the foot of her bed. Wish Maker sneaks to the door’s edge and peeks around the corner.
INT. BOTTOM OF STAIRWAY
Father looking up the stairs.
FATHER
(SHOUTS)
Leah?
INT. LEAH’S BEDROOM
Leah’s POV, Wish Maker jumps into her room, alarmed by the Father.
WISH MAKER
Shh! Please, shh!
Wish Maker’s POV, Leah sits up quickly at the edge of bed, alarmed as well, but remains quiet and wide-eyed.
FATHER
(VO)
Leah? You up there?
LEAH
Yeah, dad.
FATHER (VO)
Dinner’s ready, let’s go.
LEAH
(PAUSE)
OK…coming.
Leah’s POV, Wish Maker approaches slowly, pulling out the potion.
Wish Maker’s POV, Leah readjusts herself on the bed as if to be more ready for escape.
WISH MAKER (VO)
Drink this, and your wish will come true.
Same POV, Wish Maker has the potion in hand and the cork off in order to hand it to Leah. Leah eyes the potion.
LEAH
Are you kidding? You sneak into my room with this bottle of…what is that? Who are you?
(PAUSE)
Which wish? I’ve wished for a lot of things lately.
Wish Maker looks confused, but too proud to admit he wasn’t sure which wish he was there for.
LEAH
(CONT’D)
Who are you?
Leah’s POV
WISH MAKER
I’m the Wish Maker. Take a drink, and your wish will come true
Leah’s POV, she tentatively reaches for and grabs the bottle. Both kids’ hands hold it for several seconds. Another angle of the potion and hands, Wish Maker’s lets go. Leah takes the bottle. Leah takes a tiny sip at first, then a large gulp. She hands the bottle back to Wish Maker.
Leah’s POV, Wish Maker puts the bottle back into his satchel, backs up slowly toward door, smiles, keeping eye contact throughout, then goes out.
INT. KITCHEN
POV from kitchen sink, toward stairway, Wish Maker sneaks down and goes out the door, PULLING IT CLOSED NOTICEABLY.
FATHER
Leah! Get down here! Now!
LEAH (VO)
(STARTLED)
Coming!
End Scene Three
Scene Four
INT. BREAKFAST ROOM – MORNING
Magnificent sunrise. Beautiful Classical VIOLIN PLAYING.
INT. FATHER’S BEDROOM
Because of the music, Father wakes prematurely to find his alarm clock reading 6:34 a.m. He grimaces with sheets and blankets pulled up underneath his chin. His brows furrow, struggling to sleep over music. After his failed attempt to sleep, Father whips off blankets and flies out of bed.
FATHER
Damn!
INT. LIVING ROOM
VIOLIN gets louder as he gets closer to living room. Leah’s POV from living room, Father comes charging out of the hallway, as if to go into dining room and toward Leah’s room, but he stops in his tracks, and without turning around, he freezes. PAUSE, then Father slowly turns around.
BEAUTIFUL SOLO VIOLIN PLAYS THROUGHOUT. Father’s POV, he sees the silhouette of his wife (big hair) sitting on an ottoman or stool with a violin held loosely beneath her chin. Bright light shines through the living room window behind her and Leah—who stands behind her Mother, her hands resting on her shoulders.
Brief close-up of Father’s eyes, torn between tears and smiles.
Brief close-up of Leah’s eyes, which express a big smile.
Brief close-up of Mother’s eyes, which express a calm smile.
Brief close-up of Father’s eyes, same as above.
Father’s POV, Leah is sitting exactly where Mother was, but Mother is gone. Leah holds her violin loosely under her chin the way Mother had previously. Hold that angle with Leah still silhouetted for about 3 seconds. Father walks toward Leah, gets on both knees and hugs her. Leah hugs back. Father is crying, but again, not aloud.
SLOW FADE TO BLACK.
End Scene Four
END