Clara's Nutcracker (2022 film)/Transcript

This page is dedicated to the full transcript of Clara's Nutcracker. It is based off of E.T.A. Hoffman's story The Nutcracker and the Mouse King and the original screenplay of 1990's The Nutcracker Prince by Patricia Watson, so some dialogue is retained from the latter.

Script
(The movie begins with the first ever appearance of the Chronoarts/Chronofilms logo, as a great fanfare plays in the background. Fade out.)

(Fade into the opening text amidst a fancy red background with a golden frame of sepia images.)

CHRONOFILMS PRESENTS

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH WALT DISNEY ANIMATION STUDIOS

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CLARA'S NUTCRACKER

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A FILM BY PAUL SCHIBLI

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PRODUCED BY KEVIN GILLIS

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SCREENPLAY BY RAYMOND BOUCHER AND PATRICIA WATSON

BASED ON "THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING" BY E.T.A. HOFFMAN

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MUSIC BY ALAN MENKEN AND VICTOR DAVIES

ADAPTED FROM PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY'S "THE NUTCRACKER" BALLET

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PERFORMED BY LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

CONDUCTED BY BORIS BROTT

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WITH LYRICS BY KEVIN GILLIS AND RAYMOND BOUCHER

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EXECUTIVE PRODUCER - SHELDON S. WISEMAN

(While the opening credits are playing, the opening song "Faraway Place" plays in the background, song by a chorus.)

Chorus:

Come with me to a faraway place

Of peace and love and hope

And happiness everywhere

There’s a magical world to behold

 

Please join me in a story long told

Of wonder, magic, rhyme

It’s everything you asked for

So let us tell it now, for all time

 

There is flair

Adventure

And a bright, shimmering dream

Where it goes

No one knows

But it’s an eternal stream   

Now let’s bask in this wonderful tale

Of memories we knew

Our bravery and faith

For a faraway place awaits you

(After the opening credits, we hear a narration by Drosselmeyer as moving images and shapes show us the idea of true love and the story to behold.)

Drosselmeyer (voiceover): This is a story about love, but not just any love - true love between people with a shared wish. In most fairy tales, a princess would need to be saved or helped by a brave youth who would be rewarded for his virtue. But this story, although much alike those fairy tales, is different. An enchanted prince, befallen upon a wicked curse, must win the hand of a young maiden and she must love him regardless of who or what he is. Although one of them is the story's true hero, this tale begins with the other, on a most happy time of the year...

(During Drosselmeyer's last sentence, an image of the sky is created, which transitions to a morning sky at sunrise. The camera pans to reveal the snow-covered town of Nuremburg, Germany. Townsfolk and families walk joyously through the streets, singing about the time of "Lovely Christmas Eve".)

Townsfolk:

Oh, winter’s come and snow has fallen down on the ground

It is the time we know where happiness is all around

Today is quite a special day, now don’t you believe?

For it’s the day we celebrate a lovely Christmas Eve

(A couple hold hands together as they walk through the streets. Other passerbys take notice.)

Woman 1: Can't you believe it’s Christmas Eve?

Man 1: I certainly cannot, my dear.

Woman 2: Well, hurry up. You’d better get your food and your presents ready.

Woman 3: I hear the Stahlbaums' daughter gave us wonderful presents at our door.

Man 2: She’s quite the honor, isn’t she?

Woman 2: Indeed she is.

(Not too far from them, a 12-year old girl in a pink cloak, Clara, is walking to the front door of a nearby house, holding a present. She knocks on the door.)

Clara:

Here's one more gift before we go on our merry way

Our family is sure to have the best of holidays

(The houselady, Mrs. Miller, opens the door and sees Clara holding her gift.)

Mrs. Miller: Good morning.

Clara: Merry Christmas, Mrs. Miller.

(Mrs. Miller kindly takes Clara's present.)

Mrs. Miller: Merry Christmas, Clara, to you and your family. And thank you.

Clara: You're welcome.

(Mrs. Miller's door closes, and Clara covers her head with her hood.)

Clara: Well, last gift before Christmas...

(sung)

A visit to someone who we can’t wait to see

He’ll bring joy and magic on this lovely Christmas Eve

(Nearby, Clara's 9-year old brother Fritz  winds up for a snowball throw, and the ball hits the local bakery sign. He turns to his sister.)

Fritz: Come on, Clara, let's go!

Clara: Fritz, wait up!

(Clara chases after Fritz, while the baker opens the door to shout at them.)

Baker: You kids stop throwing snowballs at my sign!

Clara: We're sorry! (under her breath) Silly Fritz...

(The children run past a local shop, with the road full of slippery ice which they slide on. Clara tries not to slip and fall.)

Fritz:

The snow and ice is fun to slide around on, whee!

Clara:

I like it too but brother Fritz, slow down and wait for me!

(Clara and Fritz regain traction, running through the snow and onto a bridge.)

Fritz (spoken): Waiting? Ha! That’s not my middle name.

(sung)

We’ve all been waiting a long time

Now hear the holiday bells chime

And I can’t dawdle neither wait

For it’s a moment far too great

To just pass up

Our Uncle’s love

He throws us for a whirl

Clara:

I know him well, he holds us dear

And we do too, I have no fear

Fritz/Clara:

He’s the greatest maker of toys

For all the girls and all the boys

And families

Around the town

And in the whole wide world

(The two run through the other side of town and stop at Drosselmeyer's workshop of toys, dolls, and clocks.)

Fritz/Clara:

From home, he’s not too far; it’s just the way to be

We wonder what he’ll bring us on this lovely Christmas Eve

(Looking through the display window, Clara and Fritz see wonderful wind-up toys and dolls running, and a joyful music box melody plays.)

Fritz (in awe): Wow!

(Drosselmeyer exits the door, greeting his godchildren.)

Drosselmeyer: Clara, Fritz! Merry Christmas.

Clara/Fritz (in unison): Merry Christmas, Uncle Drosselmeyer.

Fritz: We're going home to light the Christmas tree!

Clara: Why don't you come with us?

Fritz: I'll help you carry your presents.

(Drosselmeyer pats Fritz's head affectionally.)

Drosselmeyer: Haha, that's very kind of you, Fritz! But there's something I must do first, for my nephew.

(Curiosity stirs in Clara.)

Clara: Your nephew? I didn't know you had a nephew. How old is he?

Fritz: Will we meet him?

Clara: Is he really your nephew, or does he call you "Uncle" like we do?

Drosselmeyer: Enough, enough, stop! (chuckles) Yes, yes, he really is my nephew. And I hope you'll meet him soon. Now you better be running along. You don't want to keep your mother and father waiting.

(Both children bid farewell to their godfather and dash away happily, with Drosselmeyer waving back.)

Fritz: Bye, Uncle Drosselmeyer!

Clara: Come as soon as you can!

Drosselmeyer: Good-bye! (to himself) Well, Hans, my boy... (He waves his hand with a sparkle of magic.) Tonight...

(The townspeople continue their holiday carols while Clara and Fritz prepare to return home.)

Townsfolk:

It’s just the perfect time to sleigh-ride on the soft snow

But don’t forget; inside to open all our gifts we’ll go

Clara: I wonder what he made for us?

(Fritz breaks an icicle off a building and pretends to be shooting it like a soldier's rifle, while Clara balance-walks on a wall.)

Fritz: I hope it's a fort, full of soldiers... With guns that fire! Pow! Pow!

Clara: I hope it's a magical garden, with swans swimming on a lake, wearing golden necklaces...

Fritz: Swans don't wear necklaces!

Clara: ...flying up into the sun. Whoa! (Clara loses her balance and falls off the side of the wall and into the snow.)

(Fritz checks on his fallen sister, who recovers from the fall, and laughs naughtily.)

Fritz: Some swan! See you home, slowpoke!

Clara: (dusting snow off her clothes) Fritz, that's not fair! (stumbles)

(The children rush out of town and back home, with Fritz far ahead of Clara, who struggles to keep up. The former approaches a wooden fence near a forest among the open snow-white field.)

Fritz:

Come on and catch me if you can

But look how far ahead I am

I bet you that I’ll get home first

My heart is just about to burst

In the moment

I’m waiting for

And I can’t let it leave (Prepares to climb over the fence, but has trouble getting over the top.)

Just one more step here and- Whuh-oh! (Clara catches up to her little brother and climbs over the fence faster than he can, knocking him off in surprise.)

Clara: See you home, slowpoke!

Fritz: (getting up) Oh no, you don't!

(Clara takes a direct path through the woods to the family house, while Fritz stops and sees a shortcut, thinking.)

Fritz:

I can't give up, I've come so far

To beat you home, and here we are

Clara:

Run through the wood

I know I should

Fritz:

Just watch and you'll believe

(Clara appears to be ahead of Fritz and runs to the family house's gate. Suddenly, Fritz slides down a snowy hill hoping to beat her to the front porch, but his hat falls off, leading him to go back around for it.)

Clara/Fritz:

I'll be the first one home on this

Lovely Christmas Eve

(The Stahlbaum children run inside, and Clara is the first to reach the front porch.)

Clara: I win!

Fritz: (upset) Aw, no fair!

(The house's front door opens to reveal Louise, the oldest sibling in the Stahlbaum family. Her younger siblings come inside the warmth of their house.)

Louise: It's about time. Mama and Papa are waiting, and the guests will arrive soon.

Clara: Especially Eric. (The door shuts closed.)

(From the window, we can see Pavlova, the family's adorable pet cat. Pavlova falls onto the bedroom floor and untangles themselves from their yarn ball, before running out into the hallway, down the stairs, and to the family's sitting room. The door unexpectedly closes shut, and Pavlova mews for attention.)

Clara: (opening the door) Oh, Pavlova, we wouldn't start the party without you. Come see the Christmas tree.

(The proud family {Clara, Fritz, Pavlova, Louise, Mr. Carl and Mrs. Ingrid}, dressed appropriately for Christmas Eve, gathers around at the Christmas tree.)

Clara: Oh, Mama, it's the most beautiful Christmas tree we ever had!

Ingrid: Every tree is the most beautiful we've ever had.

Carl: But this surely must be the tallest tree we've had, right, Sugar Plum? (Clara lights the last candle on the tree.)

Clara: And the widest.

Fritz: Can we look at our presents now, Papa?

(Carl chuckles and nods in approval to his son. Fritz opens his present and sees a box of toy soldiers and other military toys.)

Fritz: Wow! Soldiers, and cannons, and real cannon balls!

Clara: (spots Pavlova by an opened box with a Southern Belle doll) Oh, she's pretty... (Holds the doll in her hands and looks it over fondly) Marie. I shall call her Marie.

Mrs. Ingrid: (sighs) I think this will probably be Clara's last doll.

(Louise opens her gift to find a ravishing orange and red dress.)

Louise: Oh, Mama, Papa! It's beautiful... I love it, I love it! (sees her reflection in the mirror holding the dress) It's just so adorable- *gasp* It's perfect! (turns to Clara) Clara, isn't this the cutest dress you've ever seen? I'm going to put it on right now. (Leaves the room)

(Carl fits a shining necklace on his wife Ingrid.)

Ingrid: Oh, Carl, it's magnificent!

(Clara opens another present to find dancing shoes.)

Clara: Dancing slippers! Oh, thank you, mama, thank you!

Carl: Our little ballerina.

(Clara tries on her new shoes and performs a few ballet moves as her parents look on admiringly.)

Clara: One day, I'm going to dance in the grand ballet and travel all over the world.

Ingrid: I'm sure you will, dear. You're growing up so fast. (Clara hugs her and sees her necklace.)

Clara: That's pretty, mama.

(A horn sound fills the room - Fritz is wearing a soldier's hat and is blowing into his horn.)

Fritz: Soldiers, prepare for battle. Charge!! (March of the Toy Soldiers begins playing in the background.)

(Fritz runs around the room in his moment of a soldier's pride and glory, playing loud horn music. The family covers their ears, and Louise returns in her astonishing new dress.)

Louise: Well, how do I look?

Ingrid: It fits perfectly.

Carl: Louise, you look just like a princess.

Louise: Thank you, papa. (The jealous Clara walks by, imitating her graceful posture, and nearby Fritz ends up giggling.) You're such kids.

(The door bell rings, interrupting the activity.)

Ingrid: Our guests!? They're here already.

Louise: (gasps) Oh, I'll get the door.

(Most of the family leaves the room to welcome the guests.)

Carl: Is the food out. Do we have enough of everything?

Louise: Darling, we have enough to feed Napoleon's army.

(Pavlova meows in confusion, while Fritz plays with his toy cannon, imitating a cannon fire sound. A cannonball lands onto the floor, drawing Pavlova's attention. The cat pounces and chases after the ball, which rolls underneath a table in the dining hall.)

Ingrid (off-screen): Merry Christmas!

Carl (off-screen): Come in, come in!

(As soon as Pavlova runs into the dining hall, the doors are opened by Carl and Ingrid, who lead the guests into the room for refreshments and food.)

Ingrid: You're just in time.

Carl: You must try some of Ingrid's apple strudels.

Female Guest (Mrs. Schaffer): I'm sure it's delicious. She's the best cook in the village.

(We cut to a shot underneath one of the tables, where Pavlova is hiding amidst all the dining and conversation. Feeling lonely, the cat mews out for attention.)

Male Guest: Such a feast! It all looks so good!

Ingrid: Thank you. Try some mulled wine. It takes away the chill.

Mrs. Schaffer: Don't mind if I do.

Carl: Can I interest you in some shortbread, Mrs. Schaffer?

Carl (off-screen): Yes, the full family life! Prospering, aren't you, my boy?

Ingrid (off-screen): How's your arthritis, Mrs. Schaffer?

Mrs. Schaffer (off-screen): Terrible, thank you very much.

(Clara wanders from the parlor and into the dining hall. She hears Pavlova from under the table, and ducks underneath the tablecloth to find the cat.)

Clara: There you are, Pavlova. I've been looking everywhere for you. (Picks up Pavlova and holds them, not long before turning to Mrs. Schaffer).

Mrs. Schaffer: My, Clara, look how tall you're getting. Shooting up just like a string bean.

Clara: (embarrassed at the remark) T-Thank you, Mrs. Schaffer. (Walks outside the room and back into the parlor.)

Carl (off-screen): Come see the Christmas tree! It's the best we've ever had.

(Near Clara, Louise greets her financé Eric, a well-dressed man at the front door.)

Louise: Eric! Hello... Merry Christmas.

Eric: Merry Christmas, Louise. Allow me? (Holds out a ring of flowers for Louise.)

Louise: Oh... Eric, they're so beautiful.

Eric: You're the one who looks beautiful.

Louise: (blushing) And you look so... very... distinguished.

(A concert band enters the front door, startling the lovers who make room for the performers.)

Band Performers: Yes, uh, excuse me. / Pardon us. / Make way, make way. / Coming through.

(Eric and Louise walk side-by-side into the sitting room.)

Louise: Oh, Eric. (laughs)

Clara: (looking on Pavlova admiringly) And you look so... very, very distinguished. (giggles)

(To be continued.)