Up: a Story of Romantic Love

The Giving Tree: a Story of Parental Love

INT. DILAPIDATED HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY INT. DILAPIDATED HOUSE, UPSTAIRS
“What are you doing!?!” “There it is.”
Carl screams. He lets go of his balloon. It floats through a Carl and Ellie look across the attic at the balloon. Between
broken part of the ceiling and disappears. them the floor has collapsed, save one rickety beam. Carl gulps.
Ellie circles Carl accusingly. “Well, go ahead.”
“Don’t you know this is an exclusive club? Only explorers get in She pushes him out onto the beam.
here. Not just any kid off the street with a helmet and a pair of
goggles. Do you think you got what it takes? Well, do you?!?” “Go on.”

Carl fumphers. Carl steels his courage. He puts on his goggles, starts
forward... and falls through the floor.
“Alright, you’re in. Welcome aboard.”
She offers her hand. Carl looks down, embarrassed.
CUT TO: EXT. SMALL TOWN NEIGHBORHOOD STREET - DAY
“What’s wrong? Can’t you talk?”
Ambulance. Siren blaring.
Carl is frozen. Ellie softens.
“Hey, I don’t bite.”
EXT. CARL’S HOUSE - NIGHT
She takes off her helmet. Her hair frizzes out in all directions.
She removes a homemade grape soda cap pin from her shirt and pins One lone light on upstairs.
it on Carl.
“You and me, we’re in a club now.” INT. CARL’S ROOM
Carl smiles. Carl in bed, reading a book by flashlight, his arm in a cast.
“I saw where your balloon went. Come on, let’s go get it!” Into the room floats Carl’s lost blue balloon. Carl jumps and
calls out in fright.
Carl watches her stride out of the room. She pops back in.
“Ow!”
“My name’s Ellie.”
A head pops up from outside the open window.
She grabs his hand. Carl blushes as she pulls him out of the room.
“Hey kid!!”
Carl screams, hitting himself in the face with the cast.
“Ow!!”
Ellie climbs in the window.
“Thought you might need a little cheerin’ up. I got somethin’
to show ya!”
INT. CARL’S ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
The two hunker under a blanket tent with a flashlight.
Ellie whispers, as if to protect a National Secret.
“I am about to let you see something I have never shown to
another human being. Ever. In my life.”
Carl’s eyes widen in alarm.
“You’ll have to swear you will not
tell anyone.”
Carl nods.
“Cross your heart. Do it!”
Carl crosses. Ellie unveils... “My Adventure Book!”
It’s a reused photo album with the words “My Adventure Book”
written across it. She opens it to a photo of Charles Muntz.
“You know him.” Carl smiles excitedly.
“Charles Muntz, explorer. When I get big, I’m going where he’s
going: South America.” She turns the page to a map. “It’s like
America... but south. Wanna know where I’m gonna live?”
She turns to an engraving of a large waterfall. A small hand-
drawn picture of Ellie’s clubhouse is glued to the top.
(reading caption)
“Paradise Falls, a land lost in time.” I ripped this right out of
a library book.
Carl GASPS in horror.
“I’m gonna move my clubhouse there, and park it right next to the
falls. Who knows what lives up there? And once I get there...”
She flips through her book, revealing a page marked, “STUFF I’M
GOING TO DO.” Past that, the pages are blank.
“Well, I’m saving these pages for all the adventures I’m gonna
have. Only... I just don’t know how I’m gonna get to Paradise
Falls.”
Ellie closes the book, disappointed. Carl has a thought. He
looks at his toy dirigible.
“That’s it! You can take us there in a blimp! Swear you’ll take
us. Cross your heart! Cross it! Cross your heart.”
Carl does.
“Good. You promised. No backing out.”
Carl shakes his head “no.”
“Well, see you tomorrow kid! Bye.”
Ellie hops up and jumps out the window.
“Adventure is out there!!”
She pops back in.
“You know, you don’t talk very much. I like you.”
Carl looks out the window after her in amazement. He rests his
head on his balloon.
“Wow.”
The balloon pops.
CUT TO: INT. CHURCH - DAY
Flash! A photo is taken of the wedding couple: Carl and Ellie,
now 19. She jumps at him and gives him a big kiss. Ellie’s side
of the church erupts like wild frontiersmen. A gunshot is fired
in the air. Carl’s side, rigid puritans in black, clap politely.

EXT. DILAPIDATED HOUSE - DAY

Carl carries her past a “sold” sign. It’s the same house where
they met as kids.

EXT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE - DAY

Still in their wedding clothes: She saws as he hammers.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY

They push two chairs into place side by side in the living room.

EXT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE - DAY

Ellie finishes painting “Carl & Ellie” on their mailbox. Carl
leans in to admire her work but leaves a messy paint handprint
on the mailbox! Oh well; Ellie adds her handprint as well. They
smile.

EXT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE - DAY

Their house now matches Ellie’s colorful club house drawing from
her childhood Adventure Book.

EXT. RURAL HILLSIDE - DAY

They run up a hillside together. They lie side by side on a
picnic blanket. She describes the clouds. He watches as a cloud
transforms into a turtle. Carl closes his eyes and smiles.
He’s lucky to be with her.
EXT. ZOO - DAY
Ellie emerges from the South America House, dressed in her
Zookeeper’s uniform. Carl shows off his new balloon cart and
uniform. Behind him the balloons lift his cart off the ground.
Carl jumps to catch it. She giggles.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - DAY

Carl and Ellie sit side by side in their chairs, reading.
Without looking up from their books, they hold hands.

EXT. RURAL HILLSIDE - DAY

Again at their picnic spot, they watch clouds. Ellie sees an
elephant with wings. Carl gives it a try and points out a baby.
Ellie lights up, excited. She sees ALL the clouds as babies!
Carl is stunned... but smiles.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, BABY ROOM - DAY

Ellie finishes painting a wall mural of a stork carrying a bundle
in its beak. Carl hangs a mobile above the crib.

INT. DOCTOR’S OFFICE - AFTERNOON

Carl touches Ellie’s shoulder as the doctor explains. Ellie
drops her head in her hands.
EXT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON
Carl looks out the window. Ellie sits alone under a tree, the
wind in her hair.

EXT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, YARD - AFTERNOON

Carl joins Ellie. He hands her the Adventure Book. She smiles.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON

Ellie paints a mural of their house atop Paradise Falls over
the mantle. Carl organizes a compass, map, binoculars, and
native bird figurine beneath the painting. It’s their shrine to
Adventure.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON

Carl sets a jar on a table, “Paradise Falls” written on it.
Ellie drops in a few coins. She looks at Carl and crosses her
heart. Carl crosses his.

A SERIES OF SHOTS
The jar slowly fills as Carl and Ellie toss in spare change.
Their car blows a tire. The two stand by the jar, reluctant.
Carl breaks the jar. New tire. Carl in the hospital with a
broken leg. Breaking jar. A storm rages. A tree falls, crushing
the roof. Breaking jar.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, FRONT HALL - MORNING

Carl struggles to tie his tie. Ellie helps. They walk out the
front door arm in arm.
INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, FRONT HALL - 3 YEARS LATER
Ellie struggles to tie Carl’s tie as they rush out the door.

A SERIES OF SHOTS
Ellie straightens Carl’s ties. Stylish 1950’s ties. Wide 60’s
ties. Paisley 70’s ties.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, FRONT HALL - 30 YEARS LATER

Older Carl and Ellie smile at themselves in the hall mirror.

EXT. ZOO - DAY

Carl in his 60’s. They still work happily side by side at the
zoo. Carl’s cart lifts off the ground. He casually
leans an elbow on it.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - NIGHT

Carl and Ellie dance in the evening candlelight. The Paradise
Falls jar sits off to the side, now dusty and forgotten.

INT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM WINDOW - AFTERNOON

Carl cleans the inside of the window. Ellie cleans the outside.

INT. CARL’S HOUSE, LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON

Carl vacuums the Adventure Shrine on the mantle. Carl smiles
at a photo of Ellie as a child, wearing her flight helmet and
goggles. He looks up at the mural of their house at Paradise
Falls. His smile fades. Behind him, Ellie sweeps the floor. Their
dream has gone unfulfilled.
Carl has an idea.

EXT. TRAVEL AGENCY - DAY

Carl buys two tickets to South America.
INT. CHURCH - AFTERNOON
Carl sits alone, next to a huge bouquet of balloons.

EXT. CARL AND ELLIE’S HOUSE - DUSK

Carl walks into the house, holding a single blue balloon.
Once there was a tree....
and she loved a little boy.
And everyday the boy would come
and he would gather her leaves
and make them into crowns
and play king of the forest.
He would climb up her trunk
and swing from her branches
and eat apples.
And they would play hide-and-go-seek.
And when he was tired,
he would sleep in her shade.
And the boy loved the tree....
very much.
And the tree was happy.
But time went by.
And the boy grew older.
And the tree was often alone.
Then one day the boy came to the tree
and the tree said, “Come, Boy, come
and climb up my trunk and swing from
my branches and eat apples and play
in my shade and be happy.”
“I am too big to climb and play”
said the boy. “I want to buy things
and have fun. I want some money.”
“I’m sorry,” said the tree, “but I have
no money. I have only leaves and apples.
Take my apples, Boy, and sell them
in the city. Then you will have money
and you will be happy.”
And so the boy climbed up the tree
and gathered her apples and carried
them away. And the tree was happy.
But the boy stayed away for a long time....
and the tree was sad.
 And then one day the boy came back
and the tree shook with joy and she said,
“Come, Boy, climb up my trunk and swing
from my branches and
be happy.”
“I am too busy to climb trees,” said
the boy. “I want a house to keep me
warm,” he said. “I want a wife and I want
children, and so I need a house. Can you
give me a house?”
“I have no house,” said the tree. “The
forest is my house, but you may cut off my
branches and build a house. Then you
will be happy.” And so the boy cut off her
branches and carried them away to build
his house.
And the tree was happy.
And when he came back, the tree was so
happy she could hardly speak. “Come,
Boy,” she whispered, “come and play.”
“I am too old and sad to play,” said the boy.
“I want a boat that will take me far away
from here. Can you give me a boat?”
“Cut down my trunk and make a boat,”
said the tree. “Then you can sail away...
and be happy.”
And so the boy cut down her trunk and
made a boat and sailed away. And the
tree was happy...
but not really.
And after a long time the boy came
back again.
“I am sorry, Boy,” said the tree, “but I have
nothing left to give you - My apples are
gone.”
“My teeth are too weak for apples,”
said the boy.
“My branches are gone,” said the tree. “You
cannot swing on them -”
“I am too old to swing on branches,” said
the boy.
“My trunk is gone,” said the tree.
“You cannot climb -”
“I am too tired to climb” said the boy.
“I am sorry,” sighed the tree. “I wish that
I could give you something.... but I have
nothing left. I am just an old stump. I am
sorry....”
“I don't need very much now,” said the boy.
“I just a quiet place to sit and rest. I am very
tired.”
“Well,” said the tree, straightening herself up
as much as she could,
“well, an old stump is good for sitting and
resting. Come, Boy, sit down. Sit down and
rest.”
And the boy did.
And the tree was happy.