Little Red Screenplay

LIST OF CHARACTERS1

RED ~ Red is a girl in her midteens. She has bright red hair, which brings about her nickname, along with her faded red hoodie. She and her mother live in a small apartment together. Her grandmother is elderly and sick. Red brings drinks and food to her so that she doesn't have to cook for herself.2

MOTHER ~ A tall frantic woman. Red's mother is unreasonable about about most things.3

GRANDMOTHER ~ An elderly bent woman who has been diagnosed with cancer. HEr daughter sends Red with food to her house nearly everyday. She is easily confused, and usually happy. She doesn't think ill of people and gives trust to everyone.4

MR. WOLF ~ A middle aged man. He was once jailed as a sex offender. He has taken a liking to watching Red on her way to her grandmother's house. But he hungers for more.5

SETTINGS6

SMALL APARTMENT ~ Where Red and her mother live. It is dark but clean.7

CENTRAL PARK ~ New York's central park. Red cuts through part of the park to get to her grandmother's house. 8

GRANDMOTHER's HOUSE ~ A quaint house where Red's grandmother lives. The interior is cluttered, but cheery. Everything is a pastel color.9


INT. SMALL APARTMENT ROOM, NEW YORK CITY - MIDDAY 10

A small dark apartment. Gloomy but clean. 11

A stream of light comes in through the single window. Outside, the world is bleak and gray. Rain clouds cover the sky. 12

A dying light bulb hanging over a table lights the apartment. RED and her MOTHER stand by the table, putting sandwiches and bottles of beer into a backpack. 13

Red is in her mid-teens. Her hair is black, and sticks out in short curls that hang wildly around her pale face. She is of medium height and has sharp angular features. She wears a pair of black jeans and a rust red hoodie. Her mother is tall with curly brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail. Wrinkles line her face and she wears a worn pair of blue jeans and T-shirt.14

MOTHER15

Okay, Red, I want you to hurry to your grandmother’s and then hurry back. Your grandmother is very sick, and I don’t want you catching what she has--16

RED17

(mumbling)18

She has cancer. I can’t catch--19

MOTHER20

(nervous and high-pitched)21

I don’t care what she has, I don’t want you staying long enough to catch it! Just take the sandwiches and beer to her and then come right back! Okay…?22

RED23

(muttering)24

Yeah, sure, fine, whatever.25

MOTHER26

What did you say…? Do you need me to repeat myself? 27

RED28

(louder and slightly annoyed)29

Yeah, I heard you mom. I’ll be home soon okay. Geez, I have a knife, I can take care of myself. Don’t have a heart attack.30

Red picks up the backpack and zips it closed. She slides it on to one of her shoulders and stomps out of the apartment, SLAMMING the door on her way out. Her mother is left to wring her hands nervously alone in the apartment.31

EXT. SMALL APARTMENT BUILDING, NEW YORK CITY - MIDDAY32

Red walks quickly away from the apartment, with her red hood pulled up over her head, dark wisps of her dark hair sticking out of the hood. 33

She heads off in the direction of Central Park. 34

Many of the pedestrians around her are carrying umbrellas or have on rain coats. A cold wind moves through the city making the clouds even less welcome. 35

Red reaches the park just as it begins to rain. Mild sprinkles at first and then a drizzling downpour. She walks quicker into the park and tries to stay under the trees as much as she possibly can. 36

INT. CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK CITY - MIDDAY37

The sky darks with the rain. It seems more like night than day. 38

Red makes her path beneath the branches of the trees, trying to avoid the rain as much as she possibly can. She keeps her hands beneath her armpits, hugging herself. She hunches forward to protect herself from the cold. 39

Others walk just as quickly through the park, attempting to reach their destinations before being soaked through.40

A lone MAN stands beneath a tall tree, unmoving. He is tall with graying hair and weather worn skin. He wears a dark trench coat, the collar turned up to shield his neck. His hands are buried in his pockets. His head is tilted downwards, and his eyes look up, darting around the people walking past him.41

Red is unknowingly moving towards the man. 42

Looking at her feet, she bumps into the man and stops. 43

RED44

(breathless from walking)45

Oh, hey man, sorry. 46

MAN47

It’s fine.48

Red starts to walk around the man. He reaches out a hand and grabs her by the arm, pulling her to a stop. Red whirls around to glare at the man.49

RED50

(angrily)51

Let go of me you asshole!52

MAN53

Tell me what’s in the backpack first.54

RED55

No!56

Red tries to yank her arm away but fails. The man has her firmly in place.57

RED (CONT’D)58

Fine. It’s sandwiches and beer. Happy?59

MAN60

(curious)61

Who for? Not your little friends, I hope. Young girls shouldn’t be drinking beer, after all…62

RED63

(angrily)64

No. It’s for my grandma.65

MAN66

Your grandma, huh?67

The man puts a hand under Red’s chin and forces her face up to look at it. 68

MAN (CONT’D)69

You look familiar. Maybe I know her. Where does she live?70

RED
I'm not telling you, Freak!71

The man pulls her closer and whispers something in her ear.72

RED
(glaring)
She lives on the other side of the park. There.73

Smiling the man lets go of Red's arm.74

Glaring at him, Red continues on her path through the park. When she is a good distance away, she turns her back to him. The man disappears through the trees and begins to sprint through the park. 75

EXT. CENTRAL PARK - AFTERNOON76

The man walks calmly out of the park, long before Red.77

He watches the buildings on the other side of the street. Through one window he sees a woman that looks like an older version of Red, her GRANDMOTHER.78

With the rain gently falling around him, the man strides across the street to the house.79

Opening the door, he disappears inside.80

INT. CENTRAL PARK - AFTERNOON81

The rain is falling less heavily. Red is walking out in the open. Streams of light randomly appear on the ground around her.82

A hotdog man is CALLING out to bring customers to his stand.83

Red stops. Her stomach RUMBLES. She stops to purchase a hotdog. Afterwards, she continues on her path as she eats.84

INT. GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON85

The inside is sweet and cheery. Old collectibles gather dust on shelves. Everything is pastel.86

The man walks slowly through the room, looking for the grandmother.87

He bumps a coffee table. A music box on the table DWINDLES out a small tune. A tiny ballerina twirls to the music.88

GRANDMOTHER
(calling from the other room)
Red? Is that you deary? I'm in here! Why don't you come and visit with your old grandmama?89

The man walks without speaking into the other room. Lying on a bed next to the window is Red's grandmother. Her face is small and wrinkled. Whisps of thin hair poke out from under her head scarf. She wears round glasses that magnify her drooping eyes.90

Her checkered quilt is pulled almost up to her chin.91

She smiles happily up at the man.92

GRANDMOTHER (CONT'D)
Why, Red, I hardly recognize you! You've grown! I bet you're taller than me now!93

The man nods agreement.94

GRANDMOTHER
But your shoulders are so wide... Maybe you should cut back on your protein. You don't want to look manish. 95

Red's grandmother sits up a little straighter in the bed, and pushes the covers away a little. She laces her wrinkled fingers together, and beams up at the man. 96

GRANDMOTHER
So, tell me how you've been. What have you been up to? 97

The man pauses a little before answering. His eyes dart side to side before answering.98

MAN
(falsetto)
I have something I want to show you, Grandma.99

GRANDMOTHER
(excitedly)
Okay! I want to see it, then! Do you have it with you, or did you leave it in the otehr room?100

MAN
(falsetto)
I... uh, put it in your... uh, closet.101

GRANDMOTHER
Okay. I'll wait here while you get it.102

MAN
(falsetto)
No, you have to come with me! 103

GRANDMOTHER
Alright. You'll just have to forgive me for being a little slow. These legs aren't what they used to be!104

She laughs a little as she pushes the covers away from her frail body. Slowly she climbs out of the bed, sliding out to the floor slightly. There is a soft THUMP as she lands on the ground. 105


She smiles at the man as she scuttles out of the room, her back hunched from old age. 106

Together, the man and Grandmother walk back into the living room. They head for a white door several feet from the front door. Red's grandmother stops next to the door and stares up, expectantly at the man. 107

GRANDMOTHER
(excitedly)
Oh, I can't wait to see my surprise! I wonder what it is!108

The man opens the door and holds it open. Inside is a lonely broom and vacum. Grandmother looks shocked when she sees the empty closet. 109

GRANDMOTHER
(confused and disappointed)
Wha- I don't understand... You said that you had a surprise for me in there, Red...110

MAN
(viciously without falsetto)
Surprise! 111

He pushes Red's grandmother into the closet. There is a CRASH as she falls against the broom and vacum. Before she can get up, the man SLAMS the door shut on her and locks the door. Her distressed muffled voice can be heard as the man moves away from the closet and back to her bedroom. She goes quiet a minute later.112

He moves slowly around the room. Occassionally, he picks up an object and looks it over. He puts each one down and moves away from it. 113

A sharp KNOCK on the door rouses the man from his activities. Hurriedly he grabs a candlestick and head scarf. Jumping into the bed, he arranges her head scarf over his hair and pulls the blanket up to his chin.114

MAN
(falsetto, calling)
Come in!115

EXT. GRANMOTHER'S HOUSE - AFTERNOON116

Red moves her hand away from the door. She pauses for a fraction of a second, before reaching for the knob. Grasping it firmly, she gives it a turn and pushes the door inward. There is a feeling of dread as she crosses the threshold into the normally cheery interior. 117

Red looks around the house, analytically. She walks slowly forward. Cautiously.118

MAN
(falsetto)
Red? Dear? Come here, and visit your old grandmama.119

Red says nothing, but she moves carefully to her grandmother's bedroom. Slipping one hand into her pocket, her hand closes around the pocket knife hidden there. The other hand holds the strap of her backpack. Her knuckles are white with tension. 120

Entering the bedroom, she stops short and stares at the man in her grandmother's bed. She can tell that it is the man from the park. His speckled whiskers poke out from the blankets that are pulled up to his chin. A blue and green spotted head scarf is wrapped loosely around his hair, and his eyes gleam hungrily as he observes her. The only sound for several moments is the TICKING of a large grandfather clock beside the door. 121

MAN
(falsetto)
Why don't you come sit over here by me, sweetie?122

Red looks over him suspiciously, but moves towards the bed slowly. Her hand tightens around her knife.123

RED
(observing)
Grandma, I never noticed your whiskers before.124

MAN
(falsetto, nervously)
Why, I, uh, I grow them out to keep my cheeks warm.125

RED
(noting)
I've never noticed how strong your jaw is either.126

MAN
(falsetto, even more nervous)
Well, I, I like to keep my teeth... strong. In old age you have to keep your teeth strong.127

The man's hands come out from under the blanket and nervously toy with a string on the edge. Red's eyes immediately focus on his large hands.128

RED
(curious)
But I don't know why your hands are so big. I always remember them being small...129

MAN
(falsetto, calculating)
They're big so that I can hold things down.130

RED
(suspiciously)
Like what?131

MAN
(losing falsetto and gaining confidence)
Little girls like you!132

The man leaps from the bed at Red. The head scarf falls from his head as jumps at her. Red yanks the knife from her pocket just as the man lands on top of her. Flipping it open, she shoves it into his stomach. 133

The man SHRIEKS in pain and jumps backwards away from Red. He clutches his stomach. Blood leaks from the puncture wound on his abdomin. 134

Angrily, he grabs a candlestick off a table and charges at at Red. She turns and runs out of the house. The man is right behind her. When they come out on to the sidewalk, Red SHOUTS for help and the man stops dead, wide-eyed. 135

People begin to crowd towards them to see what the commotion is. The man bolts away as the scene fades away and Red shouts accusations at the man.136

INT. BROOM CLOSET - AFTERNOON137

The tiny space is dark. Only an outline of Red's grandmother can be seen. She is being very quiet, sitting in the corner. There is a patient, confused air about her. 138

GRANDMOTHER
(calling softly out of the closet)
Red? I don't think I very much like this surprise. Could you let me out now? 139

The final scene fades away with the grandmother's soft calls of "Red? Red?"140

END