Author: Howard Neil Pugh Turtles Can Fly (working title)
Writers Guild America WEST Registered: 2072312
Expiry: 8/5/2025
A Computer-Animated, Adventure-Action-Comedy
(A Christmas Cartoon)
Logline:
A flying turtle meets a singing butterfly. Assisted by a Wizard, the Turtle and Butterfly strive for great literary recognition. Will success 'transform' them?
Taglines:
How High Can You Fly?
A Flying ‘Shell-ebrity’
Through The Fire
Synopsis:
Given a turbulent world at war, and life’s uncertainty, a soldier’s ‘dream’ transformation from human being to a flying Turtle becomes his deliberate choice of escape. In a universe of human and animated characters, the Turtle chances upon a beautiful, singing Butterfly whose novel has been nominated for the Greatest Literary Prize of all. The only problem is, the Butterfly keeps dropping her manuscripts into a cauliflower field owned by Shotgun Vinny, an angry, unforgiving farmer whose land and airspace is protected by a predatory National Air Guard - two Swallows and a Fish Eagle. Rescuing the Butterfly’s lost manuscripts becomes the Turtle’s life or death mission. A mission that culminates in a prestigious Literary Awards evening. Will their love of life and adventure inspire the Turtle and Butterfly to find their true selves?
TURTLES CAN FLY (WORKING TITLE)
CHAPTER ONE: THE TRANSITION
A black screen
SOUND
The tapping of a microphone
MICHAEL JACKSON:
If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself, then make that change!
SOUND
Silence, followed by background voices
FADE IN:
EXT. ARID AFRICAN BUSH - NIGHT - FIRELIGHT
An eighteen year old soldier in camouflage (bush warfare)
uniform lies by a fire side - his head rests on his back
pack. His face a glow with the flickering orange fire light. He
stares up at the clear starlit sky. Out of nowhere a bright
orange butterfly lands on his military, two-stripe, Corporal epaulettes.
CORPORAL
(he carefully rests on his
elbows and looks sideways
at the Butterfly,
seemingly attracted by
the light of fire. He lowers his voice)
Hello there! Where have you come from?
(He puts out his finger
and to his surprise the
Butterfly jumps on to his
extended digit)
Well! You are friendly
BUTTERFLY
I am! How do you do? My name is
Marta
(she extends one of her
six limbs)
SOLDIER
(he sits up abruptly, not
believing his ears.
Whispering loudly, then looking around quieter so as not too wake
anyone)
You...you spoke...to Me!
He looks around to see if this is real. All he can see in the
dark of night are the sleeping bags of other soldiers
distantly scattered around him. His FN rifle lies across his lap. He is
on night, guard duty...supposedly.
BUTTERFLY
(gripping his finger
tightly as the soldier
adjusts his supine to
seated posture)
You spoke to me first!
CORPORAL
(whispers)
I know...but how? I mean... I’m human.
We can...speak
BUTTERFLY
So can I. Your indoctrination is
human. I have just proved ‘how’.
(enthusiastically)
I 'can' speak!
(She angles her head, raises her eyebrows to make her point)
CORPORAL
Yes? Yes! I can hear you
BUTTERFLY
You hear what you want to hear, you
believe what you want to believe
CORPORAL
I am sorry. My name is Howard
(he puts out the little
finger of his other hand
to shake the Butterfly’s
limb)
This is incredible! I am so pleased
to meet you! Aren’t you afraid...?
BUTTERFLY
Of what?
(she glances at the orange flames)
Flying through the fire?
CORPORAL
Don’t do that! Afraid of me of
humans? We’re not very nice people!
Although, I really enjoy talking to
you
BUTTERFLY
Oh? Why is that?
CORPORAL
You free me. I want to escape,
fly away like... a butterfly
BUTTERFLY
You’re too big to be a butterfly!
(she giggles)
Escape from
what exactly, Corporal?
(she eyes up his Corporal
epaulettes... with a teasing look)
CORPORAL
(very serious)
War. Escape war... life as a
soldier, a human... my
indoctrination...I Want to...start
over again
(he holds his finger up
near his eye to study
this brave, colourful
butterfly - she is
cartoon-like in
appearance)
BUTTERFLY
(her big eyes stare
deeply into his fire-lit
lenses)
You need a... a shell! To hide and
find yourself.
(she stops to think)
A tortoise! No!
(she shakes her head)
...A Turtle!
CORPORAL
Of course, of course!
(Realisation strikes him.
He loves this freeing
conversation)
A Turtle... A flying Turtle!
BUTTERFLY
Then be a flying Turtle! Corporal
CORPORAL
Yes. But how Butterfly? How?
BUTTERFLY
You need to believe and...
CORPORAL
And?
BUTTERFLY
And be prepared...
CORPORAL
Prepared? Prepared for what?
BUTTERFLY
To fly through the FIRE EEEEEE
(the butterfly lets go his
finger and flies into the
fire)
SOUND
The butterfly’s voice echoes and fades into the crackling of
flames
CUT TO:
The silhouetted outline of her winged body lights
up like a fire resistant metal alloy. And then
explodes. Gunpowder. Up in a puff of smoke. Her
residual particles fall - glitter dust to the fire
CORPORAL
(Frowning. Whispering
loudly, in desperation)
No! No! Oh!
(He scrambles across the
ground to the fire
throwing dirt and stones
eventually killing the
flames. Only smoke and
white ash remain)
Why did you
do that?
(pointlessly he pries the hot white
ash apart with a stick. Searching...nothing)
CUT TO:
The sound of boots treading over earth
SMASH CUT TO:
The camouflaged face of his Sergeant approaches the fire
SERGEANT
Corporal Pugh!
(Urgent, angry whisper)
What the... what is going on!?
CORPORAL
(he thinks quickly,
anything)
Serg; I saw something Serg. I had
to put the fire out
SERGEANT
(kneels in cautious
observation)
What? Where?
CORPORAL
12 o’clock Serg
SERGEANT
(he looks ahead. Recognition. He sighs and
shakes his head)
Well done Corporal
(he looks ahead and then in resignation back at
the Corporal )
...That was me, you ass!
(he looks down at the smoking, extinguished fire)
Now I’m going to freeze my ass the
rest of the night! Go on get out of
here...your four hours are up. Get
some sleep. If I leave you here any
longer you’ll shoot one of us!
CORPORAL
(deeply apologetic)
So sorry Serg! Thank you Serg
SERGEANT
(a slight, forgiving smile)
Get out of here!
CUT TO:
The Corporal climbs into his sleeping bag. The sky is white
with stars. His eyes are wide with recollection of what just
happened.
CORPORAL
(to himself)
Be prepared. Prepared to fly
through the fire. Fly through the
fire. The fire, the fire, fire,
fire...fiiiire.
(he exhales, slowly. He
begins to dream)
SOUND
CHAKA KHAN SONG: THROUGH THE FIRE (BACKGROUND MUSIC)
CUT TO:
A make-do, bush-cleared, volleyball court. Tribal and
Caucasian soldiers in military Fatigues (shirtless,
camouflage trousers and military boots) mingle around two
wooden poles and a high volleyball net that divides a
rectangular reddish-brown dirt ‘court’.
SOLDIER 1
Who's playing who?… Musingarabwi!?
Which side?
MUSINGARABWI
(shouts too enthusiastically)
Zimbabwe!
(Raucous laughter)
SOLDIER 2
Whoa! Hey man! Zimbabwe v Rhodesia.
2nd test!
(More laughter)
CUT TO:
A volleyball is thrown into the air by a Caucasian hand
CUT TO:
A black fist smashes the volley ball back over a net
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. POST MATCH CASUAL DRINKS - A MIXED GATHERING OF
CAUCASIAN AND RHODESIA AFRICA RIFLE SOLDIERS. TWO GROUPS
SOCIALISING - SEGREGATED BY RACE
CUT TO:
RHODESIA AFRICA RIFLE SOLDIER
An African soldier walks up to the Corporal and hands him a
cold coke. The Corporal thanks the soldier and accepts the
bottle of coke. He is surprised by the black soldier’s
gesture.
CUT TO:
The Rhodesian Africa Rifle(RAR) soldier walks away.
CUT TO:
A barrel chested, tall Aryan Corporal with thinning blond
hair over a large sun-tanned skull engages the red-headed
equally athletic, Corporal
MELONIC
(smug Afrikaner face)
Ooaa, Doc’s popular! Drinks on the
kaffirs. What favours you doing the
kaffirs eh Boetie?
(Laughs and looks towards
his fellow NCO’s for
reaction)
OTHER NCO’S
More general laughter.
CUT TO:
MELONIC.
A sun-dried, shrivelled piece of cartilage (an African ear)
hung by nylon cord around his tanned neck. The cartilage
necklace rests on his sweat-soaked, barrel chest. In ink,
across his chest, the tattoo
‘To the Victor Belong the Spoils’
CUT TO:
In the distance a tribal man runs, desperate to escape, but
nowhere to hide in the arid lowveld
SLASH
Melonic raises his FN rifle against his shoulder and cheek.
His rifle sights fixed on the runaway. He does not bat an
eye. No words. Calmly he squeezes the trigger.
SOUND
A single shot
CUT TO
In the distance the tribal man falls, lifeless
CUT TO:
INTERIOR. A MEDICAL ROOM - NIGHT TIME.
A bare ceiling light illuminates the white walls of a small
medical office.
CUT TO
The Corporal converses with a black RAR soldier, a machine
gunner in his early twenties. His skin black, shiny, an
equatorial black. His smile genuine, white as snow.
CUT TO:
Next to the RAR soldier his army issue, belted, machine gun.
CUT TO:
A baboon spider (an African Tarantula) appears behind the
black soldier on the white wall of the office. The Corporal
points to the spider. The soldier reaches out with a closed
fist and crushes the life out of the hairy insect. They both
recognise the symbolism of the large lifeless spider as it
slithers down the wall
CUT TO:
RIFLEMAN
I can’t take ‘this’ war anymore Corp...
FADE TO BLACK.
FADE IN:
A TYPEWRITER
SOUND
Typing
CUT TO:
A Government of Rhodesia seal. Below in ribbon typed ink on
white Croxley, a definitive Southern African stationery
brand, a death warrant is issued
SOUND
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL
(Reading a death sentence
in a coarse Rhodesian
farmer accent, not unlike
the old Dutch Afrikaner
dialect)
December 23, 1978.
GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL (CONT'D)
By order of the Rhodesian
Government, ex-rifleman Gently
Mathuthu of the Rhodesia Africa
Rifles is found guilty of murdering
three non-commissioned officers
(namely the Rhodesian
volley ball team)
On a second count ex-Rifleman
Mathuthu is found guilty of an act
of Treason against the Rhodesian
Government. He is hereby sentenced
to be hung by the neck until
pronounced dead.
CUT TO:
EXT. MIDDAY - AFRICAN SUNSHINE - A BARBED WIRE PRISON CAMP
CUT TO:
45 degree sunshine, two men stand either side of a barbed
wire fence called ‘fate’. One Caucasian, the other Condemned.
CUT TO:
The Corporal passes a water bottle and chocolate through the
fence. The condemned man courteously accepts his last
‘supper’
SMASH CUT TO:
EXT. BARBED WIRE PRISON CAMP - DAWN'S SOFT ORANGE LIGHT
In the distance a small, helpless, silhouetted figure hangs
by the neck from a wire fence. The wind blows gently across his face. Eyes closed
SMASH CUT TO:
A lifeless Tarantula spider slithers down a white wall
SMASH CUT TO:
The Baboon spider suddenly comes to life and springs on to
the face of the Corporal. Its hairy legs and body almost
cover his mouth nose and eyes!
SMASH CUT TO:
The corporal jack knifes upright, entangled in his sleeping bag. He is sweating, fighting to be
free of his sleeping bag, desperately swiping at his face to
remove the Tarantula . Was it a nightmare? He climbs out of his sleeping bag turns it inside out to make sure there is no tarantula around. Nothing...
DISSOLVE TO:
EXT. NIGHT
Dim outlines of sleeping soldiers lying in their sleeping
bags SOUND ASLEEP in the darkness
CUT TO:
The Corporal looks around and in the distance he sees the
Sergeant. 'Serg' has got the fire started again...
CUT TO:
EXT. DIRT FARM ROAD - DAWN - STORM CLOUDS ABOVE THREATEN
An open army Vehicle speeds along a dusty farm road.
CUT TO:
Camouflaged dark faces. Tired soldiers sit on bolted down
wooden benches bouncing up and down to the rhythm and
geography of the dirt road. Thunder claps and lighting bolts
above them.
CUT TO:
CORPORAL
(thinking aloud to
himself)
Be prepared. Prepared to fly
through the fire...
(Relieved to be on his way
back to base camp, he
looks up at the ominous
storm clouds...and exhales)
SOUND
BBBOOM!
SLASH
The front right side of a military vehicle lifts abruptly as
the right wheel disintegrates. Black tyre rubber and dirt
explode into flames
SMASH CUT TO:
Thunder and lighting. Heavy rains begin to fall and douse the
flames of a fire
FADE OUT.
FADE IN:
EXT. SKY - STORM CLOUDS
SOUND
Sheets of rain falling through storm clouds
CUT TO:
The Corporal's facial expressions in slow motion - tense to
total relaxation. He appears in and out of dark and light
storm clouds. He is soaked, flying. Free!
SMASH CUT TO:
Strong winds blow heavy rain across the face of the Corporal
His hair and skull are drenched, saturated by sheets of
rainwater. Water droplets strike his features to the point
where he becomes unrecognizable.
DISSOLVE TO:
A human skull’s metamorphoses to the harder scute mosaic of a
turtle shell - a hard patterned exterior that deflects the
barrage of rain water.
CUT TO:
The weather alleviates. A turtle’s golden tufted head
protrudes fully from it’s shell. Goggled and in full flight,
a flying Turtle cartoon character.
SOUND
JOHNNY NASH SONG: I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW
CUT TO:
The Turtle picks up speed gaining in altitude. The higher he
flies the better the weather, the clearer the music...
SMASH CUT TO:
The Turtle flips upside down to
smile - Turtle’s smiles are upside down - their beak
curves downwards.
CUT TO:
Sunshine and blue sky. The Turtle floats across an endless
backdrop of blue sky. His golden tufts are swept back over
the green crown of his amphibian skull. For a moment he drops
out of view, leaving nothing but blue sky.
DISTANT UNIDENTIFIED VOICEOVERS
Where's Corporal Pugh?
Serg!
(respectfully)
No idea Serg
What do you mean no idea?
Serg... He vanished!
Voices fade to silence.
Re-enter the Turtle. Gently bouncing up and down in a gentle
turbulent pocket of air thousands of miles above the ground.
He drifts across acres of blue sky and soft white clouds
COMPLETION OF THE PRODUCTION CREDITS
FADE OUT the Jonny Nash, 'I can see clearly ' song
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Turtles Can Fly (the trilogy)
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