Daily Dialogue — December 18, 2013

Mike and Sulley step down into the basement. One candle is lit in the middle of the room. A ROBED MONSTER (Don) suddenly steps from the shadows.

DON: Do you pledge your souls to the Oozma Kappa brotherhood?!

A robed Terri and Terry step out from the shadows. Terry whacks Mike on the butt with a paddle.

MIKE: Ow!
TERRY: Do you swear to keep secret-
TERRI: All that you learn here?
ART: No matter how horrifying!

Squishy whacks Sulley on the butt with a paddle.

SULLEY: Hey!

A robed Squishy rises from the shadows, paddle in hand.

SQUISHY: Will you take the sacred oath of the S —

Suddenly, a super-bright light comes on, flooding the basement in light. A middle-aged monster mom comes down the stairs carrying a basket of laundry.

MISFITS: (bright light reaction) Whoa!/Hey, for crying out loud.
MS. SQUIBBLES: Sweetie, turn the lights on while you’re down here. You’re going to ruin your eyes.
SQUISHY: Mom, we’re doing an initiation!
MS. SQUIBBLES: Oh scary! Well, carry on, just pretend I’m not here.
SQUISHY: This is my mom’s house.

Squishy tries to pretend she’s not there.

SQUISHY: Do you promise to look out for your brothers, no matter what the peril….

Ms. Squibbles goes about her business, turning on both the washer and the dryer. The noise gets much louder.

SQUISHY: (louder) …will you defend Oozma Kappa, no matter how dangerous, no matter how insurmountable the odds may be? From evils — both great and small — in the face of unending pain and — (then, giving up) Oh, forget it. You’re in.

— Monsters University (2013), screenplay by Daniel Gerson & Robert L. Baird & Dan Scanlon, story by Dan Scanlon & Daniel Gerson & Robert L. Baird

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is awkward, suggested by Sabina Giado. Today’s suggestion by Alejandro.

Trivia: Mike’s parents were originally planned to be included in the story. They would drop Mike off for his first day at Monsters University. However, director Dan Scanlon decided to drop them from the finished film to make Mike seem just that much more vulnerable.

Dialogue On Dialogue: Oftentimes awkward is dependent upon the surrounding circumstances of a scene as here, the contrast of the scary initiation and Mom in the background cheerily doing the laundry.

Comment Archive