Moonrise Kingdom Scene 5

REDFORD: You’re doomed, Shakusky.

[Redford revs the motor, pops the clutch, and races across the clearing toward Sam and Suzy. The rest of the troop converges, yelling crazily.]

CUT TO: The wide canyon echoing with shouts, screams, and a small explosion. One by one, Deluca, Nickleby, Panagle, Izod, and Lazy-Eye come running out of the trees and down the hill. Finally, Redford hobbles after them, limping and groaning and clutching his side.

CUT TO: Redford’s charred, partially demolished motorcycle smoldering in the branches of a tree.

[Suzy stands on the edge of the ravine staring at the pair of bloody scissors in her hand. She looks shaken. Sam takes the scissors, cleans them with his fingers, and hands them back to Suzy. He says gently:]

SAM: It was him or us.

[Suzy nods. She turns slowly away. Her eyes widen.]

SUZY: Oh, no.

[Suzy points. The wire-haired terrier lies on his back on the ground with an arrow sticking out between his shoulder blades. The kitten licks at the wound. Sam and Suzy run over to the wounded dog. Sam crouches down, gently presses the kitten away, and says bleakly:]

SAM: They got Snoopy through the neck.

[Suzy has tears in her eyes. She slides her hands under the wire-haired terrier’s body. She begins to hyperventilate as she says:]

SUZY: He needs a doctor.

[Sam puts his finger to the wire-haired terrier’s neck. He says sadly:]

SAM: No, he doesn’t. He needs a morgue.

SUZY: *trying to catch her breath* He’s losing blood. Hurry. Where do we go?

[Suzy lifts the bleeding dog into her arms. Sam grabs her by the shoulders. He locks eyes with her and says with grit and melodrama:]

SAM: Suzy. Look at me. Snoopy’s not going to make it.

SUZY: *starting to cry* Don’t say that.

SAM: They’re after us. We got to move.

SUZY: *raising her voice* He’s dying! We can’t just leave him!

SAM: *shouting* It’s too late! He’s already gone!

SUZY: *screaming* Stop yelling at me!

[Sam slaps Suzy in the face. She falls silent. He says slowly:]

SAM: I’m sorry I had to do that, but you’re panicking. The first rule in any emergency is you never --

[Suzy drops the wire-haired terrier which hits the ground with a thud. She slaps Sam back with a huge, roundhouse smack. Sam falls over sideways. Suzy stands over him.]

SUZY: Don’t ever do that again. No one’s allowed to slap me.

[Sam stands up and dusts himself off. He and Suzy stare down at the lifeless animal. Suzy says quietly:]

SUZY: You’re right. He’s dead.

[Sam reaches into a side-picket of his back-pack and takes out an army-shovel. He assembles it. Suzy says hopefully:]

SUZY: Was he a good dog?

[Pause. Sam shrugs. He says distantly, even cosmically:]

SAM: Who’s to say -- but he didn’t deserve to die.

[Suzy slowly wraps her arm around Sam’s shoulder. They squeeze each other tightly. Sam sighs. He begins to dig.]

[INT. STATION WAGON. DAY]

[Captain Sharp speeds bouncing down a winding dirt road. Lazy-Eye, Deluca, and Gadge sit next to him crowded into the passenger seat. Lazy-Eye yells into the hand-set of the police radio:]

LAZY-EYE: She stabbed Redford in the back with lefty scissors!

[A voice responds over the speaker:]

JED *V.O.*: Repeat that, please? Over.

[Captain Sharp grabs the hand-set out of Lazy-Eye’s hand. He shouts into it:]

CAPTAIN SHARP: Puncture wound. Lower lumbar. Make room for a stretcher in the cockpit!

[Redford is lying on his stomach on a towel in the rear of the vehicle. Scout Master Ward kneels next to him pressing his hand firmly into the middle of his back. There is significant blood. Redford moans loudly. Scout Master Ward reassures him:]

SCOUT MASTER WARD: You’re going to be OK. Thank goodness, she missed the artery. Bite on this.

[Scout Master Ward puts a pencil in Redford’s teeth. Redford grimaces, crunching it. In the back seat, the rest of the troop excitedly re-cap:]

NICKLEBY: I tried to chop him, but he dodged my tomahawk.

PANAGLE: Who else got hit?

IZOD: Not me. I ran away when the girl went berserk.

SKOTAK: He’s got great marksmanship. He shot Deluca in both arms.

[Skotak points to the front seat. Deluca sits glumly in silence. He has numerous small welts all over his arms. Gadge says suddenly:]

GADGE: Where’s Snoopy?

[EXT. POLICE STATION. DAY]

[Captain Sharp’s station wagon skids to a stop next to his office while the seaplane pulls up to the dock as Mr. and Mrs. Bishop approach pedalling furiously on bicycles. Mr. Bishop wears boating shoes. Captain Sharp and Scout Master Ward jump out of the car. Skotak and Gadge help them remove Redford on a stretcher from the back of the station wagon. Mr. Bishop struggles with his kick-stand. He shouts:]

MR. BISHOP: What happened? Who’s that? Why’s he bleeding?

CAPTAIN SHARP: Clear the dock, Edgar!

[Captain Sharp motions for the two old fishermen to get out of the way. He and Scout Master Ward run with the stretcher onto the dock. Mrs. Bishop is frantic:]

MRS. BISHOP: Is Suzy with you?

GADGE: No, she’s in the woods with Shakusky.

[Gadge points toward the hills. A man wearing a jumpsuit and aviator sunglasses stands next to the seaplane. He is Jed. He shouts as the stretcher approaches:]

JED: Where’m I going?

CAPTAIN SHARP: The infirmary at Fort Lebanon. We’ll be right behind you.

[Captain Sharp motions for Skotak, Gadge, and Lazy-eye to help Jed load the stretcher into the small cockpit. He tosses a set of keys to Scout Master Ward and says:]

CAPTAIN SHARP: Warm up the motor. I’ll be right back.

[Scout Master Ward takes the keys and starts untying the police launch. Captain Sharp heads toward his office. Mr. Bishop says firmly:]

MR. BISHOP: Hold it right there. You’re not leaving this island. Our daughter’s been abducted by one these beige lunatics.

CAPTAIN SHARP: Walt, it’s very clear: the two of them conspired in this together.

SCOUT MASTER WARD: Don’t worry, Mr. Bishop. She’ll be safe. Sam’s got excellent wilderness skills.

[Mr. Bishop wheels on Scout Master Ward. He explodes:]

MR. BISHOP: Why can’t you control your scouts?

[Scout Master Ward recoils. He says quietly, troubled:]

SCOUT MASTER WARD: I’m trying.

[Mr. Bishop takes off his shoe and throws it at Scout Master Ward. Scout Master Ward ducks, and the shoe bounces off his back. Captain Sharp blocks Mr. Bishop.]

CAPTAIN SHARP: Stop.

[Mr. Bishop scuffles with Captain Sharp. Mrs. Bishop jerks him backwards and shouts:]

MRS. BISHOP: Stop it, Walt!

[Mr. Bishop faces Mrs. Bishop and Captain Sharp, breathing heavily. Scout Master Ward looks depressed. Jed, Gadge, Skotak, and Redford watch frozen from a gangplank alongside the seaplane.]

CAPTAIN SHARP: I do blame him --

CAPTAIN SHARP: *pointing to Scout Master Ward* -- but I also blame myself and both of you. With all due respect: you can’t let your children stab people.

MRS. BISHOP: *hesitates* What are you talking about?

SCOUT MASTER WARD: She’s violent, Mrs. Bishop. Look.

[Scout Master Ward shows Mrs. Bishop the blood all over his hands and uniform. Mrs. Bishop looks confused.]

MRS. BISHOP: I don’t get it. Were there witnesses?

SCOUT MASTER WARD: Of course. It’s assault.

MRS. BISHOP: I beg your pardon. Are you a lawyer?

SCOUT MASTER WARD: No, ma’am, but --

MRS. BISHOP: *furious* Well, I am!

[Captain Sharp gently draws Mrs. Bishop away by the shoulder. He links arms with her as he tries to placate the group:]

CAPTAIN SHARP: Easy does it. Calm down, Laura.

MR. BISHOP: Stay away from my wife.

[Mr. Bishop pushes Captain Sharp away from Mrs. Bishop into Scout Master Ward. Scout Master Ward lunges at Mr. Bishop but is intercepted by Captain Sharp and Mrs. Bishop. They shout repeatedly:]

CAPTAIN SHARP/MR. BISHOP              SCOUT MASTER WARD/MRS. BISHOP

Dammit! Christ!                                 Shit! Jesus!

[At this moment, a voice interjects from the shore:]

NARRATOR (O.S.): Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me, Captain Sharp?

[Captain Sharp, Scout Master Ward, and Mr. and Mrs. Bishop stop fighting and turn around at once. They see: the narrator. He stands at the foot of the dock holding a journal with rubber bands wrapped around it. They all stare at him blankly. He continues:]

NARRATOR: As some of you know, I taught Sam for the cartography Accomplishment Patch. He’s a smart boy, and he expressed a keen interest in the history of the island’s indigenous peoples. In particular, I recall his fascination with the idea of retracing the original path of the old Chickchaw harvest migration.

[Long pause. Everyone looks utterly perplexed. The propeller of the seaplane starts up, and they all shield their eyes from the blast of wind and dust. The narrator hesitates. He yells over the noise:]

NARRATOR: What I’m getting at is this: I think I know where they’re going.

[The narrator removes the rubber bands from his journal.]

[INSERT:A carefully hand-drafted nautical chart. A cove is marked with a red arrow and the caption Mile 3.25 Tidal Inlet.]

[INSERT:The portable record player. Suzy’s fingers place the needle onto a spinning disc.]

[EXT. TIDAL LAGOON. DAY]

[A small cove enclosed by a low, rocky cliff. It forms an almost complete circle and is overgrown with vines, flowers, and branches. A thin channel leads out to the ocean. The sand on the shore is white, and the water is perfectly clear and crowded with shells at the bottom. Birds echo and fly from tree to tree.]

[Sam’s and Suzy’s luggage is piled on the beach. The kitten wanders, exploring. The lid of the portable record player is open. The voice of Leonard Bernstein says over the speaker:]

RECORD PLAYER *V.O.*: Onto the bird-house, where every kind of bird imaginable is whirling and wheeling around. This is a real acrobatic act for our gifted young flute player, Paula Robeson.

[As they listen, Sam and Suzy take off their shoes and socks and run in opposite directions around the edge of the cove. They each climb up a rock over the water. They look at each other across the lagoon. They both laugh. Suzy shouts, smiling:]

SUZY: This is weird.

SAM: I know!

[Sam takes off his coon-skin cap and throws it aside. Suzy removes her cardigan and drops it on the ground. Sam strips off his uniform down to his white briefs. Suzy take off everything except her underwear and a training bra. They throw their clothes into the water. Sam yells:]

SAM: On three!

[Suzy immediately counts very quickly. They both scream as they leap into the water. They swim toward each other, laughing and shouting.]

CUT TO:A clothesline hung with Sam’s and Suzy’s wet clothes swaying like flags and snapping in the wind. The tent has been pitched on a low, sandy plateau close to the water. Two lines of shells mark a path to the entrance. A long stick is jammed into the ground with a flickering safety-candle stuck into the Y at the top. The kitten is asleep.

[Sam sits on a folding stool in front of a portable easel. He dips his brush into a tin cup and paints. Suzy poses stretched out and propped up on one arm. She adjusts herself slightly.]

SUZY: I like it here, but I don’t like the name.

SAM: Me, neither.

SUZY: Mile 3.25 Tidal Inlet. It’s got no ring to it.

SAM: Let’s change it. What should it be?

SUZY: Let me think for a minute.

[Sam continues to paint while Suzy thinks.]

CUT TO:A binocular shot of a deep blue, star-filled sky.

[Suzy lies on her back on a flat rock in the middle of the cove looking up into the night. Sam wades out to her and climbs up beside her.]

SAM: I made you some jewelry.

[Sam holds up two dead, shimmering, opalescent beetles with fish-hooks threaded into their shells. Suzy looks enchanted.]

SAM: Are your ears pierced?

CUT TO:Inside the tent, lit by a lantern. Sam clenches his teeth as he forces one of the fish-hooks through Suzy’s earlobe. Suzy screams murderously. Sam releases her. The beetle dangles neatly. A line of blood runs down the side of Suzy’s neck. Sam holds up a little mirror. Suzy nods.

SUZY: It’s pretty. Do the other one.

[Sam switches to Suzy’s other earlobe. She resumes her screaming.]

CUT TO: Sam and Suzy standing on the beach listening to the French singer’s record. They face each other, bobbing their heads and tilting awkwardly to the music. Suzy eventually begins to dance. Sam does something vaguely like the Twist. They press against each other and kiss. Suzy says quietly:

SUZY: It feels hard.

SAM: *embarrassed* Do you mind?

SUZY: I like it.

SAM: *pause* Tilt your head sideways.

[Sam and Suzy kiss again. Sam pushes his hands through Suzy’s hair and draws it back behind her ears. Suzy whispers:]

SUZY: You can touch my chest.

[Sam slides his hand up under the training bra and presses it onto Suzy’s breast.]

SUZY: They’re going to grow more.

[Sam nods. He looks to be in a trance.]

CUT TO: Sam and Suzy sitting on a tree branch over the water eating raisins from Sam’s hand. Suzy has flowers in her hair. She looks down into the water with her binoculars.

SAM: Why do you always use binoculars?

[Suzy thinks for minute. She says finally:]

SUZY: It helps me see things closer. Even if they’re not very far away. I pretend it’s my magic power.

SAM: *impressed* That sounds like poetry. Poems don’t always have to rhyme, you know. They’re just supposed to be creative.

[Suzy gives Sam the binoculars. He points them at her and stares.]

SAM: What do you want to be? When you grow up.