The screenplay for Tim Burton’s next Alice in Wonderland has been successfully held behind lock and key by Linda Woolverton. As a result, there has been some uncertainty, if not outright misrepresentation, surrounding reviews of the movie. Fortunately, having seen a whole copy, I can now say that all of the early information I received from sources close to the movie looks to be entirely accurate.
The fact that this is both an adaptation of and a sequel to the Lewis Carroll works will likely come as a major surprise to most people, in my opinion. This is due to a plot twist that is at least as ingenious as Abrams’ Star Trek. In essence, Wonderland is both a real location and an ongoing dream of Alice. There are certain differences because she dreams of it in this movie much later in life than she does in the books. This is but one witty component of a wonderfully endearing and unexpected screenplay that, I’m now positively certain, will be turned into a genuine blockbuster.
One would require a dictionary of terminology to quickly comprehend the script in its entirety. Fortunately, Woolverton made one and distributed it to the actors and crew. After the break, I’ll share with you what I know now that I’ve had it explained to me.
The different terms you’d need to understand the script in its entirety are listed below in alphabetical order. While a few are taken directly from the books, the most seem to be brand-new.
- Bandersnatch, The: evil creature under the control of the Red Queen.
- Brillig: 4 o’clock in the afternoon. When one begins broiling things for dinner.
- Crims: The central area of Underland.
- Downal wyth Bluddy Behg Hid: Down with the Red Queen, the slogan of the Resistance.
- Ezel: High, go higher, go up.
- Fairfarren: Farewell. May you travel far under fair skies.
- Frabjous day: The day Alice slays the Jabberwocky and frees Underland from the oppression of the Red Queen.
- Frumious: Dirty and smelly.
- Futterwacken: The Underlanders’ dance of unbridled joy.
- Gallymoggers: Crazy.
- Gribling: The day Alice will return to Underland.
- Guddler’s scut: Thief’s butt.
- Gummer Slough: Dangerous swamp of thick viscous mud.
- Horunvendush Day: The day the Red Queen took control of Underland.
- Jabberwocky: A deadly creature employed as the Red Queen’s ultimate weapon.
- Jubjub Bird: A Bird under the control of the Red Queen.
- Kiotchyn: ‘Heads’ up or ‘pay attention’.
- Naught for usal: It’s no use trying.
- Noge: Go low down.
- Nunz: Wait or ‘Don’t go, not now’.
- Oraculum: The Calender of all the days of Ulnderland. Each day has its own title and illustration.
- Orgal: To the left.
- Outlands: The untamed land to the west of Witzend.
- Outlandish: The old language spoken only in the Outlands and used by the Underland resistance as a secret code in the revolution against the Red Queen.
- Pishsalver: A potion that makes one shrink.
- Queast: A land to the east, but ‘not in the least’.
- Quillian: The following day after Alice returns.
- Saganistute: A wise person of poetry and vision.
- Salazen Grum: A port city where the Red Queen lives.
- Shukrn: Faeces. Ewww.
- Sloth: Slowly
- Stang: To the right.
- Slurvish: Selfish or self-centered.
- Snud: A region in the south of Underland.
- Tulgey Wood: Where Alice meets the Jabberwocky.
- Underland: The real name for the place Alice calls Wonderland.
- Upelkuchen: A cake that makes one grow.
- Slurking urpal slackush scrum: rude or dirty words of the most foul meaning.
- Witzend: The western land where the Mad Hatter and March Hare were born.
- Yadder: Far away. Way yadder beyond the Crossling in Snud.
- Zounder: A warning to ‘look out behind you!’
