posted April 26, 2006 08:50 AM
FORESTFRODO: Guys? The leaves are swirling in a particularly evil way. I suggest we hide.
They hide under a log. RINGWRAITH looms above them. Meanwhile, FRODO fondles the RING.
RING: So - "Frodo," is it? Has anyone ever told you you've got the most beautiful eyes? Hey, want to try me on? Go ahead - what could happen?
SAM slaps the RING for its audacity. RINGWRAITH gets distracted by ice cream truck down the road, and trots off.
MERRY: Frodo, you dog. Why didn't you tell us you were running from the law too?
FRODO: Listen, um - if you two don't have anything to do for the next few months and happen to have some clothes and food packed, do you want to come on a dangerous and possibly fatal mission with us?
MERRY and PIPPIN: Yeah! Sounds fun!
ISENGARD
SARUMAN: Come into my dark, foreboding, black tower. Can I take your coat?
GANDALF: Sure! Thanks.
SARUMAN: Tell me what you know.
GANDALF: It's definitely the One Ring. Frodo Baggins has it - here, I brought you a dossier on him. He should get to the Inn of the Prancing Pony about 6:05 tonight. He and his friends will probably go to bed around 11:00, and not bother to lock their door.
SARUMAN: Very useful. Can I take your staff?
GANDALF: Uh, I'd rather you didn't.
SARUMAN: Too late; already did. Can I throw you against the wall?
GANDALF: Oof! Hey!
SARUMAN: Can I bloody your nose? Can I polish the floor with your head? Can I lock you on the top of the tower? Excellent! So long, sucker.
GANDALF: (locked on top of tower) Okay, that didn't go so well.
BREE
MERRY: So we're miles away from home, being chased by Black Riders, and seem to be missing a wizard. What should we do?
PIPPIN: Get drunk?
MERRY: My thoughts exactly.
Meanwhile, the RING continues to chat up FRODO.
RING: You know, I've seen a lot of hobbits in my time, but you're taller than some, and definitely fairer than most. No, you really are. Can I, uh, get on your finger? It'll be fun. Come on.
FRODO swoons and falls over. RING pounces onto his finger. EVERYONE IN BREE stares at the Amazing Disappearing Hobbit trick.
FRODO: Oops.
ARAGORN intervenes, getting all four hobbits into a private chamber in thirty seconds flat.
ARAGORN: You lads have a lot to learn. You're staying in my room tonight.
FRODO: Um...that's very kind of you, but we'd rather not.
ARAGORN: It's okay; there's plenty of space in the beds.
MERRY: We're really not interested, sir - but thank you, all the same.
ARAGORN: No no: you four would get in the beds; I'd keep watch.
SAM: Can I whack him in the knees with a candlestick, Mr. Frodo? Please?
ARAGORN: Look - I'm not a perv; I'm just trying to keep you safe. Oh, forget it.
BREE, LATER THAT NIGHT
RINGWRAITHS knife the hobbits' beds. Goosedown explodes into the air.
RINGWRAITH: Screeeeee!* (*An expression which here means: "My word! They're made of feathers! How did they go running around like that?")
BREE, ARAGORN'S ROOM
ARAGORN: Told you.
FRODO: Fine.
WEATHERTOP
ARAGORN: Don't worry. I'll protect you. So, see you after dinner.
ARAGORN wanders off. RINGWRAITHS show up. HOBBITS brandish swords pathetically.
SAM: Go away! Shoo!
RINGWRAITH bats him aside.
MERRY: We kindly request that you go away!
PIPPIN: In the name of common decency!
RINGWRAITHS bat them aside.
FRODO: I haven't had time to practice using this sword yet, so I think it's safer if I just drop it and roll around on the ground.
SAM: No, Mr. Frodo! That's if you're on fire!
FRODO: Oh, damn it, I always mix those up.
Meanwhile, RING insinuates itself onto FRODO's hand again.
RING: Nazgul! My darling saviors! Over here, over here!
FRODO: Shut up! Whose side are you on, anyway?
RING: Take a wild guess, pansy.
RINGWRAITH wanders over and stabs FRODO. ARAGORN appears with a torch and drives RINGWRAITHS away.
ARAGORN: Hm. Frodo seems to be dying. Let's get a move on.
SAM: Hey, great job protecting us, by the way.
FOREST
ARWEN rides up.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK: Hey, Arwen, what'd you do, knock out Glorfindel and steal his horse?
ARAGORN: Sam, help me take off Frodo's shirt. Oh, hi, Arwen! Um, this isn't what it looks like.
ARWEN: Hi, dear. I'm kidnapping your friend.
FRODO: (wheeze) It's okay...I can ride by myself...
ARWEN: Nonsense. You're totally helpless; didn't you get the memo?
ARWEN picks him up and whisks him away.
RIVENDELL
FRODO awakens and looks around.
FRODO: Where am I? A candle store?
GANDALF: Rivendell. Close enough. Sorry I'm late, my boy. I got detained and had to catch a red-eye on Deus Ex Hawkina.
FRODO: What?
GANDALF: Never mind. Stupid pun.
ELROND strolls in.
ELROND: Welcome to Rivendell, Mister Anderson.
FRODO: Oh, so I took the blue pill? No wonder everything's so soft and comfy.
ELROND: No, that's just because it's Elven. Long have my people studied feng shui.
SAM runs into the room and jumps on the bed, knocking FRODO flat and showering kisses upon him.
FRODO: Goodness! Hello, Sam.
SAM: Hello, sir! Glad to see you're awake. Sorry for this show of affection, but Ian McKellen said this was how they did it in the book.
GANDALF is watching with a slightly pervy smile.
GANDALF: Yes, that's right, that's right, keep going.
RIVENDELL, DIFFERENT ROOM
GANDALF: So, Elrond, you're going to take the Ring and hide it behind one of these candle sconces, and nobody will ever know. Sound good?
ELROND: No way. I was there, Gandalf. I was there when Men ran out of strength. And conditioner.
FLASHBACK: MT. DOOM
ELROND watches as fuzzy-headed ISILDUR stands with the RING in the special Place to Throw Stuff Into Lava Room.
RING: (sniffle) You wouldn't destroy poor, sweet, little ol' me, would you, Isildur? You handsome... strong... powerful man?
ISILDUR: Mmm...'scuse me, Elrond, the Ring and I need some privacy.
ISILDUR walks out, cuddling the RING.
ELROND: Noooo!
RIVENDELL
GANDALF: Wait a second: you just let him walk by you? Right out of Mount Doom, with the Ring in his hand?
ELROND: Um...well...
GANDALF: Why didn't you stop him? Didn't you have a sword on you?
ELROND: Look, we're not here to talk about ME, all right?
RIVENDELL, NIGHT
ARAGORN and ARWEN sneak out to meet each other on a bridge.
ARAGORN: Hi, babe. Hey, you said you would bind yourself to me, so I brought this rope...
ARWEN: Not till we're married, darling.
ARAGORN: (pouts) Fine. Can we still make out?
ARWEN: Of course.
ARAGORN and ARWEN make out for a little while.
PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ THE BOOK: Just F.Y.I., these two minutes, right here, contain more kissing than Tolkien ever wrote in his whole life.
COUNCIL OF ELROND
ELROND: This Ring must be destroyed. It has to be taken, by one of you, back into the dark land where it was created.
BOROMIR: Taiwan?
ARAGORN: Mordor, you idiot.
BOROMIR: Don't call me an idiot, dork.
LEGOLAS: This is no mere dork. This is your King. And my boyfriend.
Silence as entire COUNCIL stares at ARAGORN and LEGOLAS.
ARAGORN: (in Elvish) Great, Legolas. Just great.
LEGOLAS: I...meant that in a..."we're boys and we're friends" kind of way.
ELROND: Ahem. Regardless, somebody still needs to get rid of the Ring.
FRODO: Oh, hell, I'll do it.
BOROMIR: But you're so tiny and fragile.
FRODO: Yeah, well, the rest of you appear to be spineless jerks, so I guess it's down to me.
GANDALF: Then I'll come too.
ARAGORN: Me too!
LEGOLAS: Me too!
GIMLI: Me too!
BOROMIR: Me too!
SAM: Me too!
MERRY: Me too!
PIPPIN: Me too!
ELROND: Enough. Stop. Nine's a good number: one to be killed by each Ringwraith.
FRODO: What?
ELROND: Nothing. Okay, let me get my camera. Stand close together. Everyone in the Fellowship of the Ring, say, "Cheeeeese!"
FELLOWSHIP: Cheeeeese!
*snapshot*
SNOWS OF CARADHRAS
FRODO falls over. BOROMIR picks up RING.
BOROMIR: It's strangely cute, you know?
RING: Hi, big boy. Steward of Gondor, huh? Wow. That's totally hot.
BOROMIR: Really, you think so? Hey, do you want to come home to meet my dad?
ARAGORN: Boromir. No no. Give the skanky thing back to Frodo.