* * DREAMING * *

A 'Best of' Love-Hounds Collection

The Ninth Wave

An unofficial screenplay
by Dennis Bergstrom

Back to the Hounds of Love album page

From: btd@carina.cray.com (Bryan Dongray)
Date: Fri, 28 Jul 1995 23:11:50 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: The Ninth Wave - The Screenplay

Hello all, and here's a hopefully well received Katemas present.

I was fortunate enough to be able to download the megaposting from a while back, and found a PDF viewer, then converted the posting into straight normal ASCII, well, lots of typing, I tried to copy exactly but typos might exist, but content is not from me, but from: Dennis_Bergstrom@online.idg.se Comments to the author, but I'd prefer posting for us all to read, be nice or constructive! We can all say "What a load of ...", if you feel that way please give valid reasons, and how you'd improve it, don't just nitpick on grammar, typos, and/or minor inconsistancies, ie think of the whole concept of the story. Come on, let's be mature! Aim for getting an excellent screenplay out of this idea.

I know it is 700 lines, but there are many blank lines, on a 2400 baud modem it should take about a minute to download. Surprising how such a small(ish) document can expand to such a MEGA posting (as before)!

I'll comment in another posting, read on, listen to the track (if necessary).

Bryan Dongray


The Ninth Wave

Screenplay by Dennis Bergstrom


Based on a soundtrack by Kate Bush

First Draft March 1993

Please note:

Although I submit my work to Internet, this doesn't mean that I submit my Copyright of it! I grant ou the right to copy the file, print it out and maybe pass it on to your friends but nothing more.

Copyright 1993-1995 by Dennis Bergstrom



TIGHT ANGLE ON oil painting of a fishingboat.


SLOW PULL BACK TO REVEAL that we are behind the counter in a small pub somewhere in England.

PAN along the counter to the RIGHT. We PAN past SEVERAL PEOPLE sitting at the counter drinking beer. In the b.g. we can see the door of the pub.

ANGLE ON DOOR as the door swings open.


Denise is about nineteen years old. She has red hair, green eye and is pretty in an unusual way. On her forehead a scar is visible.

It looks like she's been crying.


She approaches the counter.

REVERSE SHOT of Denise's mother ANN who is standing behind the counter. Red-haired as her daughter, she's about 45-50 years old.

ANN (smiling)

Hi Sweetheart!

(she notices something's wrong)

What's the matter?

Denise shakes her head.


Let's go into the kitchen.

They walk into the pub's kitchen.



What's the matter, Denise?


We talked about the accident and David again.

ANN (she looks sad)

Brad still doesn't remember, does he?




Does he know that you remember?

DENISE (shakes her head)


You haven't told him?

DENISE (shakes her head)

We can see that Denise is crying. Ann hugs Denise.


It's OK now. (a beat; then)

It's OK. It's OK, honey. (a beat; then)

It wasn't your fault.


But it was, mum! (a beat; then)

It was. (pause)

Do you think Brad's going to hate me when he gets his memory back, Mom? I'm afraid he'll hate me.


I know that Bard loves you very much, Denise. He won't hate you. He'll understand it was an accident.


Do you really think so?


It know it. He'll understand.

When he remembers, he'll understand.

Trust me.



WIDE ANGLE of the sea, the rising sun, and a fishingboat.

The COLORS OF THE SUNRISE are breathtaking. It's a clear morning, there is a little haze in the air.


Standing against the rail is BRAD; he is around 22-23, has brown hair and is about average in height. He's wearing the typical fisherman's outfit and an old lifejacket.

He looks out to the open sea, his eyes locked on something beyond the horizon. He looks sad and is obviously somewhere else in thought.

ARON (offscreen)

Brad, are you all right?

No reaction from Brad.


(offscreen) Brad!

Brad looks up at HIS FATHER ARON, a middle-aged fisherman.




I said, are you all right?

BRAD (shrugs)

I tried to remember, that's all. (pause)

It feels so strange, Dad.

I feel so ---(pause)

so empty inside. I know David's dead but I can't remember it. Yet somehow I remember bits and pieces.

It was dusk... and there was a big tree. And then... (he shrugs and looks sad)

everything is black. My brother is dead and I can't even remember it.


Brad, It's going to take some time before it all comes back to you. But I'm sure it will, sooner or later.


You really think so?


Yes, I really think so. Sooner or later. Trust me.

Brad joins the other CREWMEMBERS who are working with the nets.

MONTAGE of the hectic fishing business. As the day passes the sky gets darker and darker.


WIDE ANGLE ON THE FISHINGBOAT as huge, dark storm-clouds roll in from below the horizon.

Big waves hit the fishingboat. The wind gets stronger and rain starts to fall on the fishingboat and its crew. The boat is now rocking back and forth on the waves, exposed to the forces of nature.


ANGLE ON CABIN as Brads father tries to hold a steady steady course through the bad weather.

Big waves flood the deck, the crew heads for the cabin.

Suddenly a huge wave knocks Brad flat on the deck. He swallows water and starts to cough. When the water goes back to the sea again the current drags Brad towards a port in the rail.

Brad's father Aron orders a crewmember to take over the wheel. Aron gets out of the cabin but is forced back in again by the wind and the water. He quickly gets a rope from the cabin and tries to throw it to Brad.

The wind is now very strong and the rope lands too far from Brad to reach.

Another wave hits the deck. This times Brad is dragged over the edge, into the raging ocean. He SCREAMS as he goes.

ANGLE ON Aron as he screams Brad's name.

ANGLE ON DECK as the fishermen try to get Brad out of the water One fisherman has a lifebuoy in his hands.


WIDE ANGLE ON THE RAGING SEA and the fishingboat. The sky is almost covered with towering dark stormclouds. At the horizon the sun still struggles to send its last rays into the awakening storm.


Start of "And Dream of Sheep"

WIDE ANGLE ON Brad, alone in the water.

The small emergency lights of Brad's lifejacket illuminate his face with a faint red glow.

ANGLE ON Brads face.

He's starting to chill down. We can see that his lips are bluish. Brad shuts his eyes, he's very sleepy, on the edge to unconsciousness.

Synching with the song we can hear LOUD CRIES OF SEAGULLS.

PULL BACK/UP TO REVEAL some SEAGULLS circling above Brad. In the distance, at the horizon the sun is almost gone behind the dark clouds.

We do a SLOW ZOOM at the sun, letting the brightness fill the view until the songs ends. Then WHITE OUT.


Start of "Under Ice"


CLOSE on a snowdrift on a hill.

RAISE CAMERA TO REVEAL that we are on top of a SNOWCOVERED HILL in a vast beautiful winterlandscape. In all directions there are other snowcovered hills and lots of snowcovered trees. The sky is filled with white fluffy clouds and the sun sends it rays into the hazy air. The small valleys between the hills are in shadows, interrupted by tiny rays of sunlight.

SLOW PAN TO THE RIGHT revealing more of the beautiful landscape. Far away, below us, we can see A FROZEN RIVER, winding through the landscape, its banks occasionally flanked by trees.

We can see a SMALL FIGURE SKATING on the river.

Synchronzing with the song ("only me skating FAST"), we MOVE VERY FAST down the hill, into the valley and over the river.


We speed behind the skater, then moving alongside and finally moving before the skater, all the time holding the skater in view.

It is Brad, but not in his fisherman's outfit, but in casual clothes. It looks like Brad really enjoys being here, he smiles to himself.

PULL BACK/UP to reveal the Shadow!

Not far away, UNDER THE ICE, there is a Shadow the size of a man following Brad as he skates. The Shadow has two red dot, like eyes, in the front. It moves fast and is likely to catch up with Brad.


Brad reaches A FROZEN POND, where the river ends at one side and starts again, a little wider on the other side.

He makes A SMALL PIROUETTE, turns around and catches a glimpse of the Shadow! Brad stumbles and falls on the ice.

The shadow is closing in.

Brad stands up, trying to reach the shore.

Brads POV as the ice under his skates begins to break, first thin little lines, then bigger ones.

ANGLE ON the Shadow under the ice closing in.

ANGLE ON Brads face. He is real scared now.

Brads POV as the cracks under his skates are getting bigger and bigger.

ANGLE ON Brad as the ice breaks apart, sending him deep down into the cold dark water. He disappears under the ice.

ANOTHER ANGLE on the Shadow as it speeds towards the open hole in the ice.


The Shadow breaks the surface. It's Brad in his fisherman's outfit! Brad has apparently swallowed some water. He coughs and gasps for air.

BRAD'S POV as a wave wash over him.

All goes black.


Start of "Wake The Witch"


It's DARK so we don't know yet what is happening.

Suddenly the darkness is LIT UP and a young man stands here telling Brad to get up. Although we don't know this yet, the young man is DAVID, Brad's late brother.

Darkness again.

The darkness is LIT UP again. This time it's Aron, Brad's father, telling Brad to wake up.

Then in rapid order there is Denise, Brads former teacher, Brad's father again etc. all of them telling Brad to wake up.

TILT UP as a huge CELLDOOR opens, sending bright light into what we now can see is a prison-cell.

A GUARD, dressed as in medieval times, comes in and drags Brad from the floor. We now see that Brad is dressed as in medieval times too and has his hands tied together befre him , His clothes are in rags and he looks dirty.


Brad is pushed by the guard into a HUGE COURTROOM.

In the middle of the room behind a table there are a judge and a jury. The judge is looking down, reading something from a book.

Accused before the bar stands Denise. Her hands are tied before her, her clothes are in rags and she looks dirty.

The Judge RAISES HIS HEAD, facing Denise.

He LOOKS EXACTLY like Aron, Brad's father, only meaner.

The Judge nods to a guard in the far end of the room. The guard opens two huge doors. Outside we can see a big pond.

Another guard PUSHES Denise in front of him, through the doors and onto a small landing stage, where a hooded man stands waiting.

THROUGH THE OPEN DOORS we can see the hooden man tying a long rope around Denise's waist. He ties the other end of the rope to a small ring on the landing stage.

Synching with the song, ("I question your innocence") we can see the hooded man pushing Denise into the pond. Denise struggles with the rope that ties her hands together. Synching with the song, she sinks under the surface. ("What say you good people/Guilty Guilty Guilty").


Brad lunges forward and before the guard can react, Brad races out through the big doors, out onto the landingstage.

Brad dives into the water, after Denise.


ZOOM INTO the dark calm water.

For the flow of the story we must cut the sound of the helicopter in the song at this point

Start of "Watching You Without Me"

Suddenly we can see raindrops rippling the calm surface.


We PULL BACK/UP TO REVEAL that the surface belongs to a small pool of water in front of Denise's home (though we don't know that yet). The house is located just beside the pub.

With someone's POV we move closer to the FRONTDOOR of the house.

On the door is a sign saying ANN, PHILIP AND DENISE WILKERSON. The door swings open like someone unseen is opening it.


We still have someone's POV as we move slowly (to sync with the song) inside the house. On both sides of the hallway we can see doors to different rooms but apparently we're heading for the big livingroom. We move to the doorway of the livingroom.

REVERSE SHOT OF DOORWAY. Semi-transparent, Brad is standing there, his hair and clothes are damp as from the rain.


We PULL BACK TO REVEAL a worried Denise walking back and forth in the room.

We synch with the song as Denise LOOKS AT A CLOCK hanging over the doorway where Brad is standing.

Brad walks into the livingroom but Denise can't see him. He tries to talk to her but she can't hear him. Brad moves his hand before her eyes to get her attention but to no success.


Denise walks up to a chest of drawers. The top of it is covered with photographs.

She picks up a photo.


The photo shows Denise, Brad and David, Brad's late brother. David and Brad have soccer outfits on. They have a number and their names (Brad Philips/David Philips) printed on the front of the T-shirts. David holds a football in his hands. Denise stands in the middle holding Brad and David over their shoulders. They are all smiling.


Denise puts down photo and walks to a window which is facing the village's small harbour. She opens the window.


Outside we can see the stormclouds over the sea, rain creates a haze in the air.


To the LEFT of the window hangs an OLD MIRROR, almost the size of Brad.

Brad walks up to it and looks into the mirroe

ANGLE ON MIRROR as Brad looks at his semi-transparent reflection and touches the surface. The reflection gets distorted.

Instead of Brad there's a middle-ages LADY looking AT HIM, also touching the surface of the mirror. She has red hair and a scar on her forehead. She looks like how Denise is going to look in 40-50 years.

Start of "Jig of Life"

BRAD (synch with the song)

Hello old lady!

I know your face well!

I know it well!

THE FUTURE DENISE (synch with the song)


I'll be sitting in your mirror.

Now is the place where the crossroads meet.

Will you look into the future?

THE FUTURE DENISE stretches out her hand from the mirror-surface and grabs the hand of Brad, dragging him INTO the mirror.


Brad, no longer semi-transparent now, emerges in a SMALL CLEARING in a greenish forest. In the distance, mist is slowly drifting beneath the trees. It's a very weird eerie place.

In the middle of the clearing A PATH splits up in two, the two goes in different directions.

Brad looks at the BACK OF THE MIRROR, which stands leaning against an old oak tree. Through the back of the mirror we still can see some of the livingroom.

THE FUTURE DENISE (synch with the song)

This moment in time,

It doesn't belong to you!

It belongs to me

And to your little boy and to your little girl

And the one hand clapping,

Where on your palm is my little line

When you're written in mine

As an old memory

(etc. Follow the song)

Suddenly the song fades away and is replaced by folkmusic.


The Future Denise starts to dance along one of the two paths. She makes gestures with her arms to Brad to follow.

With a last look at the back of the mirror, Brad follows along the small path.


Brad reaches a small hill. At the foot of the hill, beside a small, winding countryroad, a huge tree stands in solitude. A big pool of water is in the middle of the road. We can see raindrops rippling the surface. The road looks muddy.

The folkmusic FADES OUT. The Future Denise stops at the very edge of the hill facing the small road.


I put this moment...


She is instantly in another location halfway down the hill.


Brad looks in AMAZEMENT as she continues.


I put this moment...


Again she appears in another location, this time almost down at the road.



I put this moment...

ZAP! For the third time The Future Denise appears in another location, now beside the huge tree.


The Future Denise stands immediately beside the big tree.

Suddenly the sound of car is heard from down the road.

ANGLE ON TREE AND ROAD as a small car drive into view from the right.

FAST CUT TO ANGLE ON Brad's face. He closes his eyes.

FAST CUT TO ANGLE ON Brad. He covers his ears with his hands and screams.

FAST CUT TO ANGLE ON Brad in the water. Covering his ears, he screams.

FAST CUT TO TILT ANGLE ON Brad on the hill. He's still screaming and covers his ears with his hands.

FAST PULLBACK to the wreaked car and the tree.

We PAN ALONG the car to the RIGHT.

First we see the backseat. Brad is sitting here, blood on his face, apparently unconscious.

We CONTINUE THE PAN to the RIGHT, PULLING BACK/UP until we can see the front of the car.

With her face covered in blood from a wound on her forehead. Denise sits unconscious in the driver's seat. In the passenger-seat to her left. David sits dead. The trunk of the tree has pressed the left front of the car inward, creating a deathtrap for David.

We hold this scene for some time, then DISSOLVE TO:


ANGLE ON BRAD lying facedown in the water.


Start of "Hello Earth"


The darkness is gradually sprinkled with bright stars. We are in space, the Earth is very small. Following the song we car HEAR ASTRONAUT COMMINCATION. We don't see Brad yet but we suspect he's out here in the darkness.

A glowing object is moving fast from LEFT to RIGHT.

PULL BACK TO REVEAL Brad standing looking at the object. What he is standing on we cannot see.

When Brad turns his head to the RIGHT to follow the object, he sees an enormous bright light.

Brad starts walking towards the light in SLOWMOTION.

Following the song we can HEAR A MALE CHOIR.

We circle Brad, TILTING THE CAMERA. We ZOOM IN on his face, blurring the b.g. out.

IN MIX we can see

THE ACCIDENT in slowmotion with the car slamming into the trunk of the big tree.

THE PHOTO of David, Brad and Denise from the mantelpiece.


ANGLE ON Brads face.

We can see that tears are trickling down Brads cheeks. Brad halts and turns his head slowly, looking over his left shoulder.

The b.g. is now clear, revealing the distant Earth, but Brad's head is BLURRED OUT.

We can see huge stormclouds forming in Earths atmosphere over the American continent. The clouds move out to sea.

Synching with the song, we can see Aron's fishingboat. It's dark and the storm is fierce. A searching mounted on top of the cabin is touching the waves, seaching for Brad.


Brad's head is now back IN FOCUS.

Again we can HEAR A MALE CHOIR.


Brad turns his head and starts walking again towards the bright light.

Suddenly a football bounces against Brads legs. In the bright light stands a young man. It's hard to see his face in the light but we catch a glimpse of DAVID'S smiling face. Brad runs to greet his dead brother and they hug each other.

WIDE ZOOM OUT as the two brothers disappear into the bright light, walking beside each other, talking gesturing vividly.



From nothing to almost EARSHATTERING we hear THE SOUND OF A HELICOPTER.

The bright light becomes THE SEARCHLIGHT OF A COASTGUARD HELICOPTER, turning away from the camera and coming back again.

We can HEAR RADIO COMMUNICATION from the coastguard helicopter.


Start of "The Morning Fog"


THE BRIGHT UPCOMING SUN and the sea. The storm is gone. There is faint mist hanging over the calm sea.

Suddenly the coastguard helicopter flies into the scene from below. We can see it while it speeds away into the sun.

We hold the scene until the helicopter is gone and the only thing we can see is the blazing sun.




Date: Mon, 31 Jul 1995 22:07:58 -0700
From: stev0@zuni.chaco.com (stev0)
Subject: The Ninth Wave: The Motion Picture

After plodding through most of that "Ninth Wave Screenplay" that somehow oozed onto my monitor, I have to say: You're beautiful, bubba, love the soundtrack, we'll do lunch. It just needs a MINOR change here or there to make it saleable. I humbly present those changes here.


Or: Die Hard in a Shipwreck

Opening Scene:

MAN (Keanu Reeves) and WOMAN (Julia Roberts) are making love in what is obviously a ship's cabin. Background music:


Suddenly MANIAC BAD GUY (Dennis Hopper) bursts in the cabin in a blaze of gunfire. BIG GUN FIGHT with LOTS OF EXPLOSIONS

Background music:


(MANIAC BAD GUY comes right after the word "Wonderful" in the first line).

Song ends, MANIAC BAD GUY blows huge wall in cabin, escapes with WOMAN under arm. MAN pulls out Uzi from under coat, wings MANIAC BAD GUY who drops WOMAN in water. MANIAC BAD GUY escapes in waiting speed boat without WOMAN. MAN is knocked unconcious by a COMICAL BUT ANNOYING HENCHMAN (Gilbert Gotfried).

Scene II

MAN wakes up to WAKING THE WITCH. Everything is spinning and blurry. During the line "Look who's here to see you!", MAN realizes he's in a roomful of HENCHMEN. Big gunfight ensues, MAN kills everyone except COMICAL BUT ANNOYING HENCHMAN who escapes.

Scene III:

Cut between SLOW MOTION SHOTS of MAN having FLASHBACKS of wonderful suburban life with WOMAN (running in park laughing, etc.) and shots of WOMAN in water clutching onto a crate (NOTE TO DIRECTOR: This would be a good place for product placement).

Background music:

Watching You Without Me

Scene IV:

MAN fights his way in smoke-filled ship to main cabin with backround music THE JIG OF LIFE. Just before the jig part, MAN bursts into main cabin. During the jig part, he has HAND TO HAND COMBAT with COMICAL YET ANNOYING HENCHMAN. During the "I put this moment here" part, MAN suddenly pushes COMICAL YET ANNOYING HENCHMAN into something large and pointy. COMICAL YET ANNOYING HENCHMAN dies. During the "Poetry" part, MAN has HAND TO HAND COMBAT with MANIAC BAD GUY. At the end, MANIAC BAD GUY has MAN pinned down and is about to slit MAN's throat. Suddenly, WOMAN bursts through the door, shoots MANIAC BAD GUY with bazooka she's holding. MANIAC BAD GUY dies(?), MAN and WOMAN hug each other, panting. He is a bruised, bloodied, sweaty mess. Her hair is slightly mussed.

Background music:

Hello Earth

Scene V:

MAN and WOMAN escape in speedboat WOMAN had beside ship. Suddenly, MANIAC BAD GUY leaps up from under the water into the boat. Then a shark swallows MANIAC BAD GUY, and MAN shoves oxygen tank in shark's mouth, sails quickly away, and shoots the oxygen tank with a grappling hook. SHARK and MANIAC BAD GUY blow up real good.

MAN and WOMAN sail off to the sunset. Start to roll credits with THE MORNING FOG.



From: btd@carina.cray.com (Bryan Dongray)
Date: Sat, 5 Aug 1995 03:13:25 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: Re: The Ninth Wave - Screenplay/Motion Picture

Back to the real screenplay, which hopefully most of you received with no download problems, I'd have to agree with Stev0, it was a tad slow in places, but thinking about the music it also is slow and is difficult to really have major ACTION to!

There was a little error in the last names in the family I thought, they're either the Philips (as in the photo) or the Wilkersons (as on the front door).

I did not see why the helicoptor sound at the end of "Waking the Witch" had to be cut, since it could switch back to "reality" of a helicoptor being dispatched and telling the fishing boat to "get out of waves...", searchlights etc.

I thought the end was such a cliche, a real riding off into the sunset, as in so many westerns! BUT I see how the music does really sound like that compared to the rest of it.

On a positive note, I'd never really been able to put the various sounds of the track into a single story as was done, I congratulate you on that. I'll admit now when I listen to this, I see the image in my head of the screenplay you put forward.

I noticed the family consisted of two sons and a younger daughter, this sounds much like Kate's own family, although I hope they do not end up in the same situation.

Bit of a downer ending, he dies, as well as his brother had, I know that is real life, but I like happy endings, I guess he got to see his brother again, but the rest of the family got a bad deal, two sons/brothers died.

I thought the medieval judge scene might have been better if the jury/crowd and other non-family members had blank masks on, making it more eerie. Or perhaps masks with his own face on, like in the RutH video.

Did not many people receive the screenplay, I've not seen much talk on it, maybe my Love-Hounds/rec.music.gaffa connection is losing stuff, I know some homeless people burned down some shack under a bridge, and it turned out to be a major fiberoptic cable station for a lot of the Minnesota part of the Internet!

Bryan Dongray

"When the actor reaches his death, You know it's not for real. He just holds his breath."

On to The Ninth Wave songs

written by Love-Hounds
compiled and edited
Wieland Willker
Sept 1995 June 1996