Cast Away/Transcript

(A large octopus is seen. It turns out to be a picture on an advertisement for the “Creatures of the Deep” exhibition at the Museum of Natural History which Arthur is reading. His dad calls.)

David Read: Arthur, hurry up! We only have a few hours before the museum closes!

D.W. Read: Can I come, too?

Arthur Read: Coming!

D.W.: Can I?

Arthur: No. This is for me and Dad.

Father: You're spending the day with Mom, D.W.

D.W.: But I want to go to the museum, too!

(sounds of crying)

(Arthur holds his ears shut and bumps into his mother as he tries to reach the door)

Jane Read: Could you take D.W. today? Kate's sick, and I've got to get this account finished by tonight.

(Arthur, D.W., and their dad are going to the museum. There is a poster advertising a unicorns exhibition.)

D.W.: Unicorns! Can we—?

Arthur: No!

D.W.: Daddy, this is scary! Can't we see the uni—?

Arthur: No!

D.W.: Can't we see the uni—?

Arthur: NO!

Woman: Sir, this might not be the exhibit for your daughter.

Arthur: I SAID NO!

(D.W. cries)

Father: Arthur, she's right. Why don't I take D.W. to see the unicorn dolls and meet you back here in an hour.

(Arthur gives the museum staff his ticket and walks into the exhibition.)

Arthur: I used to wonder what little sisters were for, and I've finally figured it out. They're there just to wreck things for us guys and our dads. (He sees a scary fish.) Whoa.

(Title Card)

CAST AWAY

Written by: Dietrich Smith --- Storyboard by: Gerry Capelle

Francine Frensky: (voice-over) Cast Away!

(Pal barks)

Arthur: Hey!

(Back to the story)

#

(That evening, the Read family sits around the dinner table. D.W. shows pictures of unicorns while Arthur looks depressed)

D.W.: Then there was this pretty ballerina unicorn. She did pirouettes. And I didn't like the Super Unicorn Man one. That was dumb. And then there was a Japanese unicorn in a kimono. And then, oh yeah, there was a Russian dancing one. And look, ha, doesn't this clown unicorn look just like Arthur?

Arthur: Can I be excused? I wanna do my homework.

(He goes out. The parents exchange looks)

D.W.: Oh, and look how they put glitter all over this ice skating one. And they shine lights on her and you can…

(Arthur does his homework looking angry. D.W.’s voice can still be heard from downstairs. His dad comes in)

Mr. Read: Arthur? Are you okay? Listen, I’m sorry, I know you were hoping it would be just the two of us at the museum today.

Arthur: Yeah.

Mr. Read: Which is why I was thinking, next weekend, we could go fly-fishing at Whale Lake!

(He holds a fishing rod. D.W. appears beside him.)

Arthur: Why? Are there unicorns there?

David Read: No, just you and me. And it's such a great place, Arthur. My dad used to take me there when I was a kid. The fish practically leap into your lap.

(Arthur smiles.)

D.W. Read: Dad! It’s time for my bedtime story!

David Read: In a minute, D.W.

(She leaves.)

Arthur Read: Really? Just you and me? No D.W.?

David Read: That's right. No D.W.

(In Arthur’s imagination, he and his dad stand in a river.)

David Read: It's okay if you don't catch anything on your first day. Fly-fishing isn't easy. Proper casting takes years of experience and...

(His cell phone rings. He takes it out of his bag.)

D.W. Read: (on phone): Daddy! It's D.W.! Can you come home right now because I'm just a little girl.

David Read: Oh, poor D.W.! Arthur casts his line and a fish immediately bites. Whoa.

(He drops the phone which sinks to the bottom.)

D.W. Read: (on phone): Daddy? You’re still hearing me?

David Read: Whoa, let me help you.

Arthur Read: It's okay. I got it.

(The fish pulls him away and he waterskis on his boots.)

David Read: Arthur! He takes out his camera and takes pictures. On the last picture, Arthur is below the surface. Oh, no, Arthur, I'll save you! Whoa!

(The fish jumps past him and he falls into the river.)

(The fish lies on the bank and Arthur stands on top of it, still holding the rod. It spits out several smaller fish. The cell phone rings again.)

D.W. Read: (on phone): Daddy, you hung up on me! Daddy, it's me! D.W.!

David Read: D.W. who?

(The fantasy ends.)

(Arthur and Mr. Read pack the car wearing outdoor clothes.)

D.W. Read: I still don't get why I can't come.

David Read: Because it's my weekend with Arthur. Next weekend will be your weekend.

(Mrs. Read stands in the door.)

Jane Read: David, you've got a call.

David Read: Okay, thanks.

(He leaves.)

D.W. Read: Well, next weekend is gonna be so much more fun than this weekend. Dad and I are going to... um… Unicorn Lake... And I won't have to fish for unicorns, because they'll want to come play with me. And you won’t be able to come with us, no matter how much you beg.

Arthur Read: I won't be begging, because this is my weekend! M-I-N...

David Read: Er, kids, bad news. Looks like I have to work next weekend.

D.W. Read: What?! (cries)

Arthur Read: Oh, that's okay with me, Dad.

D.W. Read: No, it's not okay! What about my weekend! I'm supposed to get next weekend! It's not fair if Arthur gets another weekend and I don't! It’s not fair! It’s not fair!

(Arthur looks at his dad and sadly nods.)

(Some time later, the whole Read family sits in the car which drives out of the city.)

D.W. Read: (singsong:) “I'm gonna go fishing. I'm gonna go fishing. I’m gonna go...”

David Read: No, D.W., you're gonna stay at camp and go swimming with Mom and Kate while Arthur and I go fishing.

(D.W. holds up a cassette.)

D.W. Read: Hey, can we play my...?

Arthur Read: No! No Mary Moo Cow! That's all I ask! Please, Dad!

David Read: Sure. Er, what'll we listen to?

(They drive on listening to an audio book. Arthur smiles while D.W. looks annoyed.)

Audiobook: “Henry Skreever Book 6: Henry Skreever and the Cauliflower Queen. Chapter 7..."

(There is a squeaking noise and loose tape comes out of the cassette recorder.)

David Read: Uh oh, I think we have a problem.

(They drive on, now listening to a Mary Moo Cow tape.)

Mary Moo Cow (on tape): “The best word I know is F-U-N / F-U-N spells fun.”

#

(They drive through a forest.)

Mr. Read: Okay, now, Arthur, get ready. The road to this camp is very hard to find, so keep your eyes peeled for a tree with a white arrow.

Arthur: Wait, Dad! Is that it?

(There is a tree with a black arrow.)

David Read: No, I don't think so. It’s gotta…

D.W. Read: Wait, Dad! Is that it?

(There is a parking lot with big signs. One of them says "Whale Lake".)

David Read: Thanks, D.W. Hm. I guess things have changed.

D.W. Read: You just have to keep your eyes peeled.

Arthur Read: (sighs)

(Mr. Read's old camping spot is now a busy campground featuring a carousel with unicorns.)

D.W. Read: You were right, Dad. Nature's great.

#

(Arthur and his dad fish by the side of the lake. The fish in the lake are holding umbrellas.)

(Arthur and his dad return to camp where Mrs. Read and D.W. have packed the car.)

Cassette: “Mary Moo Cow, Mary Moo Cow...”

Jane Read: Did you catch anything?

(She turns off the recorder. Arthur and his dad notice that the rain has just stopped)

Arthur Read: What's that smell?

D.W. Read: You guys just missed the fish!

Jane Read: Yes, you should have seen it. It was the weirdest thing! They were practically leaping out of the water!

D.W. Read: Mary does it again!

(She turns on the recorder.)

Cassette: “When you’re with a Moo Cow…”

(In front of the next tent, Alex’s dad is barbequing fish which Alex is eating. Maryann’s family waves at the Reads.)

Alex’s Dad: Hey, buddy, thanks! Your little girl's a fish magnet.

Campers: (singing) “Mary Moo Cow, Mary Moo Cow, I love you. Yes, I do.”

Arthur Read: I can't take it anymore!

(He throws down his equipment and his cap and walks off.)

(Arthur walks to the lake and kicks a stone into it.)

Arthur Read: Ow! It's not fair.

David Read: Arthur.

Arthur Read: She always gets what she wants. Now she even fishes better than me.

David Read: She was pretty lucky this time, but what you did was even rarer.

Arthur Read: What was that?

David Read: Not many boys would be kind enough to let their little sister come on their own private fishing trip.   Pause.    In my book, that beats catching fish any day.

(Arthur notices a whale blowing water in the lake.)

D.W. Read: Come on! It's time to go!

David Read: Okay, Arthur, what do you say we start...?

Arthur Read: No, Dad, wait! Dad ...it's... Dad! Look!

David Read: (gasps)

(They return to the car.)

David Read: We saw the whale! Arthur spotted the whale!

D.W. Read: What whale? Where?

(She comes out of the car holding binoculars.)

David Read: No, no, it's gone already, but... but we saw it! I waited my whole life to see it and Arthur spotted it!(He hugs Arthur.)

(Mr. Read starts the car.)

D.W. Read: Wait, Dad! Can't we go back? I wanna see it too! Please!

(As they drive off, Arthur and D.W. look through the rear window and Arthur sees the whale again. D.W. spots it, too.)

D.W. Read: Wow!