Famous Movie Moments Reimagined as Scenes By First-Year Improv Students

EXT. LOS ANGELES FREEWAY - DAY

JACK TRAVAN and ANNIE PORTER are in the front seats of a city bus that hurtles dangerously through the streets. Annie steers, turning the wheel rapidly from left to right and back again. We hear HOWARD PAYNE’S voice.

Howard (off-screen)
Pop quiz, hotshot. There’s a bomb on a bus. Once the bus goes 50 miles an hour, the bomb is armed. If it drops below 50, it blows up. What do you do?

Jack
There’s a bomb on the bus.

Annie
That’s the ninth time this week.

Jack
What should we do?

Annie
That’s a question.

Jack
Dang it.

Annie grabs the bomb from her lap.

Annie
I’ll throw it out the window.

Annie throws the bomb through the closed window.

Jack
Why did you do that?

Annie
It wasn’t a real bomb anyway.

Annie begins putting on lipstick. After a beat, Jack grabs the steering wheel on the passenger side of the bus.

Jack
Are we in England?

Annie
No, we’re in New York.

Jack
Then why is the steering wheel on this side of the car?

Annie
Good QUESTION.

Jack
I mean, the steering wheel is on this side of the car, isn’t it?

Jack shifts the bus into second gear, using the gearshift next to the passenger seat door.

Annie
(Revealing a British accent) Jolly good! Fancy a spot of tea?

Jack
Aren’t we in Los Angeles?

Annie
We should switch drivers.

Jack
Good idea.

Jack throws on the brakes and the bus stops instantly. He swings open the passenger-side door of the bus and exits. Annie steps out of the large hole in the driver’s side where a door would normally be. They walk around the rear of the bus, revealing that it is only two feet long.

Annie
(Turning the key in the ignition)It won’t start.

Jack
(Handing her another key) Did you forget the keys?

Annie puts the key in the ignition alongside the first key. She makes engine noises with her mouth as if to coax the engine into catching, but the bus still won’t start.

Annie
It still won’t start.

ANNIE’S MOTHER opens a door to the freeway and ENTERS.

Annie’s Mother
What are you kids up to?

[Blackout.]

The Empire Strikes Back

INT. CLOUD CITY CENTRAL AIR SHAFT — EARLY EVENING

The climax of a fearsome lightsaber duel. LUKE SKYWALKER falls to the ground and grasps a railing with his remaining hand, cowering in fear as the towering figure of DARTH VADER stands over him. Vader reaches out toward Luke.

Darth Vader
Obi-Wan never told you what happened to your father.

Luke
He told me enough. He told me you killed him.

Darth Vader
No. I am your father.

Luke
Nooooooooo!

Darth Vader
Yes.

Luke
No!

Darth Vader
Yes.

Luke
No.

Darth Vader
Yes.

Luke
No.

Darth Vader
Yes.

Luke
No.

Darth Vader
Yes.

Luke
No.

Darth Vader
Yes.

Luke
No.

Darth Vader walks to a cupboard on the wall of the air shaft and gets a glass. He pours himself a drink from a bottle that stands on the counter.

Darth Vader
Yes. In fact, in The Joiner King, book one of the Star Wars Authorized Dark Nest Series, Zakarisz Ghent accesses R2-D2’s memory files and finds a recording of Anakin Skywalker talking to a woman who is later revealed to be his wife. Luke and Leia watch this recording, which proves that before Anakin became Darth Vader when he fell into the volcano on the planet Mustafar at the end of Revenge of the Sith, he could have fathered both Luke and Leia. Of course, it is well-known that George Lucas didn’t intend for Darth Vader to be Luke Skywalker’s father when he wrote the original screenplay for Empire, and it was only after Lawrence Kasdan was brought in to polish the script that they made this change.

Luke
I’m a fish.

Luke swims away, using his hands to indicate gills.

[Blackout.]

When Harry Met Sally

INT. KATZ’S DELICATESSEN— DAY

HARRY BURNS and SALLY ALBRIGHT sit across from each other in a booth at the iconic New York restaurant. It’s crowded at lunchtime and we hear the hustle and bustle of waitresses taking orders, people eating and cooks shouting in the kitchen.

Sally
Most women at one time or another have faked it.

Harry
Well they haven’t faked it with me.

Sally
How do you know?

Harry
Because I know.

A WAITER enters wordlessly and refills their water glasses, using a pitcher that is holstered to his belt. Harry picks up his sandwich and takes a bite. Sally grabs her sandwich out of midair, takes a bite, then releases it back into the air.

A SECOND WAITER enters and refills their water glasses.

A THIRD WAITER enters and refills their water glasses.

A FOURTH WAITER enters and refills their water glasses.

A FIFTH WAITER enters and pulls a notepad and pencil from the inside pocket of his jacket.

Waiter
(With a French accent) Are ze ready to order?

Sally
What do you recommend?

Waiter
(With a German accent) I do not know. It eez my first day working here.

Sally
I’m a vegetarian.

The waiter produces a lighter, lights his pencil and begins smoking it thoughtfully.

Waiter
I believe ze have ze French dip, ze French fries and ze French onion soup.

Sally
I’ll have the French dip.

The waiter exits. Harry and Sally each take a sip of water, being careful not to use any of the glasses that were just refilled.

Harry
I hope I win the science fair … Mom.

Sally
It was canceled, Billy.

The waiter returns and places a plate in front of Sally.

Waiter
Here you go. Ze french onion soup.

Sally picks up the bowl of soup and takes a large bite.

Harry
You don’t look anything like your profile picture.

[Blackout.]

Forrest Gump

EXT. BUS STOP — DAY

FORREST GUMP sits on a bench, in front of a small city park. On his lap is a box of chocolates. After a moment, a WOMAN, weary from her late shift at the hospital, sits down next to him, not so close as to invite conversation. She takes out a book and begins reading.

Forrest
Hello. My name’s Forrest. Forrest Gump. You want a chocolate?

The woman shakes her head, barely acknowledging him.

Forrest
I could eat about a million and a half of these. My mama always said that life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.

The woman stands up and flushes the park bench.

Woman
(Waving her hand) Peeeee-uuuuu! Do NOT go in there.

[Blackout.]

The Wizard of Oz

EXT. EMERALD CITY — LATE AFTERNOON

DOROTHY pulls TOTO THE DOG into her arms and wipes the tears from her eyes. She hugs THE SCARECROW, THE TIN MAN and THE COWARDLY LION. She turns to face GLINDA, whose eyes twinkle with a knowing compassion.

Dorothy
Yes, I’m ready Glinda. I’m ready to go home.

Glinda
Then close your eyes, tap your heels together three times, and think to yourself, ‘There’s no place like home … there’s no place like home…’

Dorothy begins tapping her heels together.

Tin Man
Wait!

Dorothy stops tapping.

Tin Man
You need to pack your suitcase!

Dorothy
Yes … and … I’d like all of you to help.

Scarecrow
Hand me her suitcase.

Glinda
It’s not here!

Cowardly Lion
Here it is!

The Cowardly Lion hands a heavy suitcase to the Scarecrow. They struggle under its weight.

Tin Man
Help me put her clothes in it.

Everyone begins pulling clothes from mid-air and placing them in the suitcase.

Tin Man
Help me close it.

The Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion each grab half of the suitcase and they push it closed.

Cowardly Lion
OK, it’s closed!

Tin Man
It won’t close.

Glinda
I’ll use my powers to make it close. (She waves her wand) Bippity-bippity-bop!

Tin Man
It’s not working!

Cowardly Lion
There, it’s closed!

Dorothy
I didn’t bring a suitcase.

Glinda
NOW, you’re ready to go home.

Dorothy
(Clicking her heels) There’s no place like…

Scarecrow
Wait!

A WAITER enters and wordlessly pours a pitcher of water in front of each person.

Scarecrow
I am your father!

[Blackout.]