Script

Audition Central: Disney's Mulan JR.

Script: Mulan

SIDE 1

MULAN
Now, there was one more thing I needed to remember for the Matchmaker. Hmmm... what was it?

ANCESTORS
Punctual!!

MULAN
Was it tidy? No. What about a good sense of humor? That should be on the list...

(MUSHU crows like a rooster. Now MULAN gets it.)

Punctual! Ai-ya, I'm late!

(FA ZHOU enters, walking with a limp.)

FA ZHOU
Mulan, hurry. The Matchmaker does not like to be kept waiting. You might not want to anger the one who is deciding your future.

MULAN
Don't worry father.

(she points to her head)
I've got it all up here!

MUSHU
Yeah.

(points to his hand)
And here.

(points to his arm)
And here.

(points to his ankle)
And here!

MULAN
I promise to uphold the family honor.

(MULAN begins to run offstage.)

FA ZHOU
Mulan!

(points in the other direction)

The Matchmaker is that way.
MULAN
Right.

(changes direction)
I mean, left.

(As MULAN runs out, she trips and falls.)

SIDE 2

MULAN
Why does it matter if I'm a girl? Isn't what I can do more important than what I look like?

MUSHU
I was this close - this close - to impressing the Ancestors and getting back into the Temple. But they were right. All I'm good for is banging a gong.

MULAN
I should have never left home.

MUSHU
Hey, c'mon. You went to save your father's life. Who knew you'd end up shaming him, disgracing your Ancestors, and losing all your friends?

MULAN
Maybe I didn't go just for my father. Maybe what I really wanted was to prove I could do something right. To know that I could be more than just someone's daughter or someone's wife. So when I looked in the mirror...

(MULAN picks up her helmet and looks at her reflection. The ANCESTORS appear behind MULAN.)

SIDE 3

MULAN
I see nothing.

MUSHU
(MUSHU takes the helmet from MULAN.)

Now that's just because this needs a little spit, that's all. Let me shine this up for you.

(MUSHU spits on the helmet, polishes it, and then holds it up to MULAN.)

I can see you. Look at you, you look so pretty.

(MULAN turns away. MUSHU looks at himself in the helmet.)

MUSHU
The truth is, we're both frauds. Your Ancestors only sent me because they had no other choice. They don't even like me. I don't deserve a place between Love and Honor  I deserve a place between Liar and Loser.

MULAN
I guess we both failed.

MUSHU
But you risked your life to help people you love. I risked your life to help myself.

MULAN
Well, I'll have to face my father sooner or later. Let's just go home.

(Suddenly, there is movement from under the snow.)

MUSHU
Oh no! Is that an earthquake? I'm not ready for another act of nature.

MULAN
No. It's worse than an earthquake. It's Shan-Yu. Stay down.

(MULAN and MUSHU hide, just as SHAN-YU, MAGYAR and SUBARTU pop out from under the snow.)

SHAN-YU
Do they really believe that they can conquer the Hun Army? On! On to the Imperial City! The Emperor and all of China will now know what it means to anger Shan-Yu!

(The ENSEMBLE provides war sounds. The HUNS run offstage.)

MUSHU
Did you see that? Those are some scary Huns.

(MULAN scrambles and begins to follow the HUNS. MUSHU points in the opposite direction.)

Uh, home is that way.

MULAN
Not for me!

SIDE 4

MULAN
Yao, Ling, Qian-Po! Did you hear what I said? The Huns are here!

(YAO, LING and QIAN-PO ignore her.)

Why won't anyone listen to me?

MUSHU
You're a girl again, remember?

(The EMPEROR enters his balcony above the crowd. Behind him, two masked GUARDS hold a banner between them.)

EMPEROR
Citizens of China! Heaven smiles down upon the Middle Kingdom! China will sleep safely tonight, thanks to our brave warriors!

(The CROWD cheers.)

I offer thanks to Captain Shang.

(to SHANG)
I know that your father would have been very proud. I present to you the sword of Shan-Yu!

(The EMPEROR holds the sword over his head. The GUARDS drop their masks  they are MAGYAR and SUBAR-TU. From behind their banner emerges SHAN-YU. He takes the sword from the EMPEROR'S hands and grabs the EMPEROR. HUNS storm the stage.)

CHI FU
Note to self: Run!

(CHI FU runs off.)

SHAN-YU
Say goodbye to your Emperor. Soon there will be a new leader of China! And his name is... Shan-Yu!

(SHAN-YU and the HUNS whisk the EMPEROR offstage. The crowd disperses in a panic. SHANG, YAO, LING and QIAN-PO huddle together. MULAN stands beside them.)

SHANG
We'll storm the palace!

MULAN
(MULAN interrupts.)
Wait! A battle would take too long. We'll never reach the Emperor in time.

YAO
He she Mulan's got a point.

LING
Yeah.

QIAN-PO
Perhaps we should listen to her.

SHANG
Mulan, you're not a soldier. You're just a girl.

(to the GUYS)
We have to fight. We have no other choice.

MULAN
But I have a plan!

SHANG
Ignore her. Come on, men!

MULAN
You said you'd trust Ping! Why is Mulan any different?

(This stops SHANG.)

SHANG
What's your plan?

MULAN
Maidens!

LING
Uh, maidens are a great idea, but I don't really think that we have time for a date.

YAO
Not with the Emperor abducted and all.

MULAN
No... think! What's the one thing that the Huns would never be afraid of?

QIAN-PO
Kittens?

MULAN
Girls! Remember, what can't be achieved with one's muscle can be achieved with one's mind.

LING
Like the tug-of-war! We'll catch them off guard!

MULAN
Exactly. We'll be able to sneak into the palace dressed as maidens. Harmless little girls. All we need are some cheongsams.