2004 Movie - Deleted Uncle Monty Subplot
Dec 25, 2022 4:12:29 GMT -5
Liam R. Findlay, Invisible, and 7 more like this
Post by gothicarchiesfan on Dec 25, 2022 4:12:29 GMT -5
Hello everyone. I hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the festive season.
Please accept this small gift of script excerpts from one of the shooting drafts for the 2004 movie, which detail a deleted subplot where it's Uncle Monty who saves the kids from the train, small traces of which can still be seen in the finished film.
Presented here are the three sections of the film where it has been cut out, followed by the script excerpts and proof that some variation on them was likely shot.
This is how the scene appears in the finished film.
OUT THE WINDOW
THE TRAIN COMES RIGHT TOWARD US. THE WHISTLE BLARES. ITS so CLOSE WE CAN SEE THE PANICKED FACE OF THE ENGINEER AS HE PULLS THE WHISTLE.
ON THE RUSTED TRACK SWITCH-It starts to move slightly.
POV FROM UP THE ROAD
A FIGURE moves toward the tracks with a SPYGLASS attached to his belt.
IN THE CAR - the kids put their feet against the door for leverage and give a mighty HEAVE HO. But still NOTHING.
THE KIDS PULL... THE RUSTED SWITCH POLE continues CREAKING forward.THE TRACK SWITCH - Starts to MOVE, switching the rails...
ON THE PANICKED FACES OF THE CHILDREN AS THEY LOOK UP TO SEE
THE TRAIN FILLING THEIR VIEW!
Violet puts her hands over Sunny's eyes as they CRINGE, waiting for the impact!
A QUICK FLASH OF A HAND
Pulling on the switcher handle
Olaf closes his eyes too, in anticipation. A string of drool drips from the corner of his mouth.
THE TRAIN RUSHING BY THE WINDOW
He cocks his head.. Hmmm. No sound of collision, he moves back to the window as...
THE CHILDREN
Open their eyes to see the train rushing by alongside them on the alternate tracks! Then they look forward to see:
THE LITTLEST ELF HEAD.
It's now tied back onto the switcher handle, swinging delicately back and forth.
As the train wipes past. the kids turn back to see:
The mysterious man is now a receding figure heading up the road opposite them, spyglass catching the light.
(In the movie this shot takes place after Mr Poe honks his car horn, but I find it fairly likely it was repurposed from this earlier cut moment, in the editing room.)
(Notice how in this shot from before Mr Poe shows up, Violet and Klaus' heads are already turned and looking out of the back window.)
THE GROCERY STORE:
Olaf opens his eyes, disappointed to see the kids safe and sound.
He looks out the window
OLAF'S CAR
The kids breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly MR POE pulls up alongside them. He's positioned right between Olaf and the kids in the car. He turns to look at the kids in the car (Sunny in the drivers' seat) and frowns, displeased. Then he turns to see Olaf in the store window. He glares at Count Olaf, a disappointed look on his face.
Mr. Poe leads the children to his car.
This is how the scene appears in the finished film.
COUNT OLAF
Take them Mr. Poe, before I lose my strength!
O.S we hear a saccharine NARRATOR continuing the saga of "THE LITTLEST ELF."
This is how the scene appears in the finished film.
Uncle Monty's countenance turns serious.
Violet shakes her head no.
Monty removes his lab coat revealing a familiar BRASS SPYGLASS. Violet and Klaus' eyes light up in recognition.
The kids are astonished at how well Uncle Monty seems to know them. There is a DING from the kitchen.
Montage:
Klaus measures distances on a map with a compass and ruler, and, consulting a book called "PERUVIAN TERRAIN FEATURES" calculates a safe route through Machu Picchu. Monty looks over his shoulder, nodding, impressed.
Violet finishes a prototype of her snake cage invention: A small garden snake winds its way in, and before the trap door closes, a small wooden arm reaches out and gently tucks the snake's tail safely inside. Monty applauds, delighted.
(From the deleted scenes section on the DVD.)
Please accept this small gift of script excerpts from one of the shooting drafts for the 2004 movie, which detail a deleted subplot where it's Uncle Monty who saves the kids from the train, small traces of which can still be seen in the finished film.
Presented here are the three sections of the film where it has been cut out, followed by the script excerpts and proof that some variation on them was likely shot.
This is how the scene appears in the finished film.
KLAUS
Nice shot Violet!
VIOLET
PULL!
The three kids PULL on the rope. Sunny grips the rope in her teeth, tugging along with Klaus and Violet.OUT THE WINDOW
THE TRAIN COMES RIGHT TOWARD US. THE WHISTLE BLARES. ITS so CLOSE WE CAN SEE THE PANICKED FACE OF THE ENGINEER AS HE PULLS THE WHISTLE.
ON THE RUSTED TRACK SWITCH-It starts to move slightly.
POV FROM UP THE ROAD
A FIGURE moves toward the tracks with a SPYGLASS attached to his belt.
(A shot kept in the finished film which would have likely echoed the one described here.)
IN THE CAR - the kids put their feet against the door for leverage and give a mighty HEAVE HO. But still NOTHING.
THE KIDS PULL... THE RUSTED SWITCH POLE continues CREAKING forward.THE TRACK SWITCH - Starts to MOVE, switching the rails...
ALL THREE CHILDREN
It's working! It's almost there! Just a little bit---
SNAP! The piping BREAKS. The kids fall backwards as the Elf head FALLS into the mechanism of the switcher, grinning upward.ON THE PANICKED FACES OF THE CHILDREN AS THEY LOOK UP TO SEE
THE TRAIN FILLING THEIR VIEW!
Violet puts her hands over Sunny's eyes as they CRINGE, waiting for the impact!
A QUICK FLASH OF A HAND
Pulling on the switcher handle
INT. GROCERY STORE
Olaf closes his eyes too, in anticipation. A string of drool drips from the corner of his mouth.
THE TRAIN RUSHING BY THE WINDOW
He cocks his head.. Hmmm. No sound of collision, he moves back to the window as...
THE CHILDREN
Open their eyes to see the train rushing by alongside them on the alternate tracks! Then they look forward to see:
THE LITTLEST ELF HEAD.
It's now tied back onto the switcher handle, swinging delicately back and forth.
As the train wipes past. the kids turn back to see:
The mysterious man is now a receding figure heading up the road opposite them, spyglass catching the light.
(In the movie this shot takes place after Mr Poe honks his car horn, but I find it fairly likely it was repurposed from this earlier cut moment, in the editing room.)
(Notice how in this shot from before Mr Poe shows up, Violet and Klaus' heads are already turned and looking out of the back window.)
THE GROCERY STORE:
Olaf opens his eyes, disappointed to see the kids safe and sound.
He looks out the window
OLAF'S CAR
The kids breathe a sigh of relief when suddenly MR POE pulls up alongside them. He's positioned right between Olaf and the kids in the car. He turns to look at the kids in the car (Sunny in the drivers' seat) and frowns, displeased. Then he turns to see Olaf in the store window. He glares at Count Olaf, a disappointed look on his face.
EXT. GROCERY STORE - LATER
Mr. Poe leads the children to his car.
COUNT OLAF
Perhaps we could talk about this, Mr. Poe...
Mr. Poe puts the kids in the car and closes the door.This is how the scene appears in the finished film.
COUNT OLAF
Take them Mr. Poe, before I lose my strength!
As the car drives away...
LEMONY SNICKET (0.S.)
There is an expression "out of the frying pan and into the fire." If you are a fish being cooked, you might try to escape your frying pan, just to find yourself in an even less pleasant situation.
EXT. LOUSY LANE - DAY
Mr. Poe's car makes its way through the dreary landscape on the outskirts of the City, where marshland and unregulated industry collide. O.S we hear a saccharine NARRATOR continuing the saga of "THE LITTLEST ELF."
NARRATOR (O.S.)
And so the Littlest Elf skipped through Bumbleshire Forest, over Gumdrop creek. "Isn't life wonderful?", he said. "Why look, it's my bestest friend, Rascally Snail!..."
INT. MR. POE'S CAR - DAY
KLAUS
(hushed to Violet)
Violet, what just happened?
VIOLET
Our relative just tried to kill us?
KLAUS
No... Who tried to save us?
MR. POE
Children, please, this is very important, I'm trying to tell you about your new guardian, Dr. Montgomery...
(Promotional Still. As you can see, the VFX backgrounds have been completed, which suggests it was cut fairly late into post-production.)
VIOLET
(slightly annoyed)
Okay... How is he related to us again?
MR. POE
(hacks, then)
Dr. Montgomery is -- let me see your late father's cousins wife' brother. I think that's right. Either that, or your uncle.
KLAUS
(under his breath to Violet)
How removed is this one?
Violet gives Klaus a shrug.
MR. POE
(oblivious)
He's a scientist! Now you should call him Dr. Montgomery, unless he tells you to call him Montgomery. Both his first and last names are Montgomery.
KLAUS
His name is Montgomery Montgomery?
MR. POE
Yes, and I'm sure he's very sensitive about that, so don't ridicule him.
MR. POE (cont'd)
(coughs)
Ridicule means 'tease'.
KLAUS
(sighs)
We know what ridicule means.
MR. POE
Well, here we are!
(In an article from CINEFEX Magazine, the VFX artists talk about how there were 10 shots of Mr Poe's car driving down Lousy Lane, as well as 2D paintings of Uncle Monty's house exterior in the distance. Note how, in the finished edit, it cuts abruptly to Mr Poe pulling up the drive.)
EXT. UNCLE MONTY'S HOUSE DAY
Do you know what sort of scientist he is?
MR. POE
No, I don't -- I was too busy making arrangements for you three, and I didn't have time for chit-chat.
MR. POE (cont'd)
(coughs)
Ridicule means 'tease'.
KLAUS
(sighs)
We know what ridicule means.
MR. POE
Well, here we are!
(In an article from CINEFEX Magazine, the VFX artists talk about how there were 10 shots of Mr Poe's car driving down Lousy Lane, as well as 2D paintings of Uncle Monty's house exterior in the distance. Note how, in the finished edit, it cuts abruptly to Mr Poe pulling up the drive.)
EXT. UNCLE MONTY'S HOUSE DAY
As they approach up the walk-
VIOLETDo you know what sort of scientist he is?
MR. POE
No, I don't -- I was too busy making arrangements for you three, and I didn't have time for chit-chat.
This is how the scene appears in the finished film.
VIOLET
Uncle Monty, why are we going to Peru?
UNCLE MONTY
Well just this morning as I was wondering how we were all going to get out of town together, I remembered that Spring is mating season for the Peruvian swamp crawler, so I though, no time like the present, so-
VIOLET
Wait. Why were you wondering how to get us out of town?
Uncle Monty's countenance turns serious.
UNCLE MONTY
Violet, did you know that snakes are generally more frightened of you than you are of them?
UNCLE MONTY
Few people do, but it's true.
(quiet)
When threatened, all a snake truly wants is to retreat to a place that is quiet and safe and remote. A sanctuary where it will be away from danger.
VIOLET
It was you. At the train... You saved us!
(Notice how both children react to the spyglass, even though in the finished cut, it's only Klaus who has seen one. Also, if you look closely, you can see that it's Violet who begins to open her mouth, and yet, it cuts away and Klaus' voice is heard.)
(Notice how both children react to the spyglass, even though in the finished cut, it's only Klaus who has seen one. Also, if you look closely, you can see that it's Violet who begins to open her mouth, and yet, it cuts away and Klaus' voice is heard.)
UNCLE MONTY
Oh, we're going to have such a wonderful time in Peru.
(to Klaus)
A spectacular reader like you will be indispensable in reading maps and navigating Peruvian terrain. I'll need your notes,
(turns to Violet)
And I could certainly use a skilled inventor along to help me design a new snake trap. The ones I have all pinch their tales! Have at it will you?
(to Sunny)
And I'm in desperate need of small, neatly cut sections of rope,
Sunny?
SUNNY
Nuu.
("I'd be delighted.")
The kids are astonished at how well Uncle Monty seems to know them. There is a DING from the kitchen.
UNCLE MONTY
And afterwards - how about coconut cake. Let's get after it, shall we?
INT. REPTILE ROOM - DAY
Montage:
Klaus measures distances on a map with a compass and ruler, and, consulting a book called "PERUVIAN TERRAIN FEATURES" calculates a safe route through Machu Picchu. Monty looks over his shoulder, nodding, impressed.
Violet finishes a prototype of her snake cage invention: A small garden snake winds its way in, and before the trap door closes, a small wooden arm reaches out and gently tucks the snake's tail safely inside. Monty applauds, delighted.
(From the deleted scenes section on the DVD.)
Sunny works away on sectioning the rope, with Monty feeding her rope like ammunition into a machine gun...
INT. UNCLE MONTY'S HOUSE LIVING ROOM NIGHT
The kids sit on the floor of the living room, finishing up their coconut cake, and absorbed with their preparations for Peru. A fire roars in the background. Klaus flips through atlases of Peru, and Sunny bites rope into little pieces. Uncle Monty strums a guitar, singing a pretty, soulful little tune as a black and white snake coils around and around his forearm. We linger a beat after the last chord disappears into the air...UNCLE MONTY
(to Sunny)
What on earth is wrong with you, child? No coconut cake?
KLAUS
She prefers something harder to chew on.
VIOLET
I know that song...I think my parents used to sing it to us.
UNCLE MONTY
They did...as I did to mine.
(to snake wrapped around his arm)
Now Petunia I thought we'd talked about this!
(to kids)
Little beast thinks I'm a tree.
