Banjo the Woodpile Cat (film)/Transcript

Chapter 1
(Song "He Couldn't Be Good" plays as the scene cuts to a map of Utah followed by the opening credits. It eventually zooms to a map of Payson, Utah. Finally, it zooms to a small farm with a woodpile as the song and credits. It is nighttime at the farm and the camera zooms to the house)

Narrator: Our story begins one night at the Jones residence. On this special night, three kittens are born...

(In the living room, a family and their cats look at the basket of hairless kittens with their eyes closed)

Banjo’s father - ah. Two girls and a boy.

Banjo’s mother - and one of them looks a lot like you.

Banjo's father: Heh, he sure does. Hmm... what names do you suggest?

Banjo’s mother - One will be called Emily, one will be Jean. And He’ll be called...?

Banjo’s Father - Uh... (Sees a banjo in the hall.) Banjo?

Banjo's mother: Banjo? Very cute name. And once a few days pass...

Man: (To the woman) Well, Mary, I guess we have the luckiest cats in the world.

Mary: Indeed we do, George.

(Mary and George's daughter, Penelope, goes by Banjo's mother and father)

Penelope: They're all adorable! (To her parents) Mama, papa, do we have enough cat food to feed them?

Mary: Of course, Penelope. We just bought enough food.

(Banjo's parents look out the window. The stars are twinkling tonight)

Banjo's mother: Rusty, it looks like we've got a bright future ahead of us.

Rusty: Yes. You’re right, Amber.

(A few days later, On a moonless night, Banjo and his sisters have grown a little with fur and are about to open their eyes in a few minutes. Penelope, Rusty, Amber, George and Mary notice this and smile)

Amber - Here it comes, Rusty. (Emily opens Her Eyes first, then Jean, then Banjo.)

Rusty: Hello there. (in Banjo’s point of view, He sees a blurry Rusty, then the blurs even out.)

(Each of the kittens rise up and look around in curiosity. Banjo slowly approaches Rusty.)

Rusty: Hello there, Banjo.

(Banjo looks up and sees His father’s face. Then Banjo feels His father’s wrist, and falls asleep.)

Amber: Isn't he cute?

Rusty: He sure is.

(Rusty softly scratches Banjo‘s head as Emily and Jean approach Amber)

Mr. Jones: If I have my camera, this would have been a moment that we can treasure for generations.

(Rusty, along with Amber and their kittens look up at the night sky.)

Rusty - Amber, Kids, look at the sky. (They look up.) It’s a beautiful sight, isn’t it? And with that many stars in the sky, You can only imagine.

(Transition to a few weeks later...)

Narrator: However, as Banjo grew up, the real trouble began...

Chapter 2
(At sunrise, Banjo sees a chicken leave the coop and He tries to stop the chicken from leaving.)

Banjo - Hey, come back! stop!

Emily - Jean, looks like Banjo’s having some trouble.

Jean - I’ll say. Chickens can be tricky to control.

(Rusty chases Banjo)

Rusty - Banjo, chasing a chicken will make them more erratic!

Banjo - What?!

(Mr. Jones steps outside and notices Banjo, Rusty and the chicken running)

Mr. Jones: Doggone it, Banjo!

(Mr. Jones chases Banjo, as well.)

Banjo - (To the running chicken) Come on, go back to the coop!

Rusty - Son, I said chasing a chicken will make them erratic.

Banjo - What's erratic mean? (Rusty sighs exasperatedly)

Rusty - It means unpredictable!

Mr. Jones - (To Banjo) Stop chasing that chicken!

(Banjo trips, then the chicken turns around and pecks Banjo mercilessly.)

Rusty - Banjo!

(Mr. Jones shoos the chicken away from Banjo.)

Mr. Jones: Henrietta, you leave Banjo alone and go back to the coop!

(Henrietta does so)

Mr. Jones: That was close.

Rusty - Son, I hope You learned something.

Banjo - Yes, dad. Never let the chicken leave the coop, ever.

Rusty - No, No. never chase a chicken to go back to the coop.

Narrator - Of course, that wasn't the end of it...

(Transition to Banjo gathering twigs and broken branches in a pile, with Rusty noticing.)

Rusty - What are you doing, Banjo?

Banjo - Well, Dad, I’m constructing a woodpile. I mean, that includes branches and twigs, right?

Rusty - Uh... Yes. Just... make sure you don't get yourself hurt. Um... are some of the branches rotting? Because rotted wood could have poison ivy or termites.

(Banjo checks the branches)

Banjo - Hmm. I can’t tell. most of the bark is intact, but... the insides are dark. (He moves on to make His woodpile as His father starts to worry, the a scene changes to morning)

Narrator - After a few days went on, Banjo was determined to make as big a woodpile as possible.

Banjo - Whew. it took three days, but it's complete. and it's all mine.

Emily - Banjo, what is that?

Jean - Looks like a tree half-buried.

Banjo - It's a woodpile. (Climbs up on the woodpile) and if You think You can steal it from Me, you're sorely mistaken.

Emily - Well, He's got the "sorely" part right.

Jean - I don't think Our brother should even be on the woodpile at all.

(Banjo starts to twitch)

Banjo - Uh-oh. (He falls down and twists His ankle.) Ow!

Emily - Ow is right.

Jean - You heard something like “the bigger they are”, right? (They both laugh, but they stop the second they see Rusty.)

Rusty: (Checking the ankle) Uh oh. I better take you to the vet.