Page One: “The Little Mermaid” (1989)

Written by John Musker and Ron Clements, based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen

The movie version of the opening:

The movie adds some dialogue:

Eric: Isn’t this great? The salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face . . . a perfect day to be at sea! 
Grimsby: [Leaning over side.] Oh, yes. delightful. (RETCHES) 
Sailor 1: A fine strong wind and a following sea. King Triton must be in a friendly-type mood. 
Eric: King Triton? 
Sailor 2: Why, ruler of the merpeople, lad. Thought every good sailor knew about him. 
Grimsby: Merpeople! Eric, pay no attention to this nautical nonsense. 
Sailor 2: But it ain’t nonsense, it’s the truth! I’m tellin’ you, down in the depths o’ the ocean they live.

Why not use the opening song to introduce Eric … the love interest … while raising the subject of merpeople?

Download the script here.

FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY!

Page One is a daily Go Into The Story series featuring the first page of notable movie scripts from the classic era to contemporary times. Comparing them is an excellent way to study a variety of writing styles and see how professional writers start a story.

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