The most talked about deleted sequences revolve around the "Worm" subplot. This involves five characters from the film:
Marcie
Her Husband (The Dead Guy in the Closet)
The Worm (Marcie's Son)
Dixon (Worm's Son/Marcie's Grandson)
Stanley Spector
Dixon was featured prominently in the teaser trailer ("I'm Dixon") & this subplot was included in the preview screening done in Australia in late August 1999 & Fall 1999 in New York (critics screenings).
Here are some of PTA's comments on why it was cut out:
"there was more of that, and I took it out, but here's the thing. I stand by the fact that it does function really well the way it is now. It is the most truncated and elliptical bit of the movie, but I thank God that there is something truncated and elliptical in the movie, which does pretty much hit its points. The movie needs something that has mystery, and this one is sort of a representation of spending a couple of days in the Valley: that's how much color would come into your life."
Courtesy of Nitrate Online - Cynthia Fuchs - 1/7/00
"Yeah, the worm stuff. There’s sort of, a little bit more of a follow through on the mystery character, who’s in it now. It’s better to remain sort of a mystery character. The brown jacket and the little kid (Dixon). And that stuff is sort of better served as something to truly think about as opposed to something to answer and in an effort to make it more mysterious and make it shorter…I just took it out."
© 2000 cigarettes & coffee - Greg Mariotti - 12/11/99
Here's the complete script excerpt. As you know, Magnolia is constantly switching back & forth between the various plots & characters. To make things easier, I've combined all the various segments below (with a quick description of where they fit in the movie).
(After Kurring loses gun, during
Partridge's monologue)
INT. HOLDING ROOM - THAT MOMENT
CAMERA pushes in on Marcie. She's crying and looking down.
She lifts her head, speaks to an UNSEEN OFFICER nearby, guarding
her cell;
MARCIE
I wanna confess what I've done.
(Frank meets Phil right before his "reunion" with
Earl)
INT. LAMPLIGHTER - THAT MOMENT
CAMERA with Stanley, sitting alone in a booth with a Coke and a cookie.
He's reading a book. BEAT, HOLD, THEN:
CAMERA pans/dollies away and booms up -- moving across the
restaurant -- across the way, sitting in a booth by the opposite
window, out of view from Stanley;
Dixon, the little kid from earlier, sitting in a booth with a
young black male, WORM (20s) This is clearly the back figure
we've been seeing glimpses of --
ANGLE, AT THE BOOTH.
Dixon eats same pudding. Worm mumbles to him, various jabs.
"...sit up straight..." "...world is hard..." "..little brat..."
HOLD. Worm glances across the coffee shop -- he sees Stanley.
Worm HOLDS his look, thinks a moment. He looks up at the
WOMAN behind the counter...she's doing a crossword puzzle.
Worm looks back to Dixon, subtle mumbles and gestures and
few moments later, Dixon stands from the booth and exits the
coffee shop.
HOLD w/WORM. He sticks a finger down his throat, makes himself
well with tears. He stands up OUT OF FRAME.
ANGLE, COUNTER NEAR STANLEY.
Worm sits into FRAME, near to Stanley. Stanley glances up, they
make a quick moment of eye contact, then look away. BEAT. HOLD.
CUT TO:
EXT. PARKING LOT/BEHIND LAMPLIGHTER - MOMENTS LATER
CAMERA follows Dixon as he walks towards an old beat up PARKED CAR.
He stops, hesitates, looks across the way --
LINDA'S MERCEDES is parked.
He hesitates a moment, looks left and right and all around
and then he starts to walk over to the car...
AT LINDA'S CAR. Dixon sees that she's passed out, knocks on
the window...
DIXON
Lady...hey Lady...Lady....you ok?
you alive...huh...hey?
He looks around again, then gets in the passenger's side of the
car, shakes her same more.
DIXON
Lady. Lady. Hey wake up. Lady?
Dixon reaches down and takes her PURSE, takes the MONEY out of the
WALLET and then reaches for her CEL PHONE and dials 911.
DIXON
Hello? Hello? I have an emergency
situation -- this lady -- this lady
seems like she's dead -- hello?
She's in the parking lot -- (etc. gives
information regarding location. etc.)
Then he gets out, walks back across parking lot...and into the
concealed parked car he came from –
(Jimmy confesses to Rose)
INT. LAMPLIGHTER - THAT MOMENT
Through the window, the AMBULANCE passes in the b.g., heading
nearby...and OC we hear the siren throughout scene;
Stanley looks up at Worm, who's crying harder now, they make
another moment of eye contact. BEAT, THEN:
WORM
Hi.
STANLEY
Hi.
WORM
..sorry...
STANLEY
It's ok.
BEAT.
STANLEY
Are you alright?
Worm looks up.
(Frank with Earl on his deathbed)
INT. LAMPLIGHTER - THAT MOMENT
Worm is in tears, talking to Stanley. SLOW ZOOM IN.
WORM
....you have it...easy....you know?
You have a father who loves you, huh?
STANLEY
Yes.
WORM
You know what it's like to come home
scared, scared that maybe if you don't
have the money you're supposed to
go out each day and get that you're gonna
get beaten....by a belt...he hits me
with a belt, Stanley....
(beat)
I'm supposed to sell those candy bars,
and if I don't, I come home without
the money....
STANLEY
....Why does he do it...?
WORM
Cause he hates me....he hates me so much.
STANLEY
It's not right.
WORM
I hate it.
CU - Worm. He hesitates...looks at Stanley and says:
WORM
I'm sorry to put all this on you, Stanley --
STANLEY
I have money.
WORM
...what...?
STANLEY
I have money to give you.
WORM
No. No. I have to do this on my own.
STANLEY
I can take you to get money. I don't
need it...I don't need it -- listen to me:
I can let you have money so your father
won't hit you ever again -- you'll have the
money because I don't need it.
CAMERA pushes in a little on Worm, he looks up. 30fps.
WORM
Where do you have it?
CAMERA holds 2-shot, looking out the window onto the street.
We PUSH PAST THEM AND THROUGH THE WINDOW, picking up with
a YELLOW CAB as it drives by, PAN with it....
(The rain of frogs has begun.)
INT. LAMPLIGHTER - THAT MOMENT
Stanley and Worm. CAMERA holds as all around...through the glass
windows...it RAINS FROGS....smashing to the ground.....hitting a couple
odd parked cars...they sit, watching, stunned...in a sort of daze.
Stanley seems almost happy. Worm shocked, scarred;
WORM
What is that?
STANLEY
It's frogs. It's raining frogs.
WORM
...fuck you mean, it's raining frogs?
STANLEY
It's raining frogs from the sky.
WORM
....what the fuck, what the fuck....
STANLEY
This happens....this is something that happens.
WORM
What the fuck is goin' on, WHAT THE
FUCK IS GOING ON?
CU - STANLEY. HOLD ON HIS FACE extremely tight.
In the reflection of his eye, we see the Frogs falling....
past the neon sign that reads "Fresh Coffee."
ANGLE, DIXON. He comes running into the Lamplighter and over to Worm
and Stanley....he's scarred shitless and frantic --
DIXON
DADDY! DAD! DAD WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN' ON?
WORM
Stay quiet...stay quiet, son --
DIXON
LET'S GO, LET'S GO, LET'S GET HIS MONEY
AND GO -- DID YOU GET HIS MONEY? DID
YOU GET IT? DID YOU GET HIS MONEY, DAD?
WORM
No, Son...be quiet...be quiet now...
DIXON
C'mon, Dad. We gotta just GET HIS
MONEY AND GO, LET'S GO. Let's get the money --
WORM
We're not gonna do that now. We're
not gonna do that now and that's over.
DIXON
BULLSHIT. BULLSHIT, DAD WE NEED
TO GET HIS MONEY AND GO.
Dixon takes out a large POLICE ISSUED REVOLVER, AIMS at STANLEY'S FACE.
DIXON
GIVE US YOUR MONEY MAN.
WORM
Son, don't --
DIXON
BULLSHIT, BULLSHIT DAD WE GOTTA GET
HIS MONEY --
WORM
-- no.
DIXON
(to Stanley)
GIVE US YOUR MONEY.
WORM
Put the gun down, please, boy.
DIXON
GIVE US YOUR MONEY, KID.
WORM
Son, please, now....
DIXON
DAD --
WORM
Please, boy, put it down and it's ok.
Dixon starts to get nervous and well with tears...he shakes a
little....
WORM
It's ok --
DIXON
We gotta get his money so we can get
outta here -- we gotta --
WORM
That idea is over now.
We're not gonna do that now.
Dixon starts crying and shaking and backing away --
DIXON
DADDY, FUCK, DADDY, DON'T GET MAD AT ME.
DON'T GET MAD AT ME --
(to Stanley)
JUST GIMME YOUR MONEY.
WORM
I'm not mad, son, I will not be mad
at you and it's ok and please put it
down and I won't be mad and I won't --
DIXON
DAD.
Dixon starts to lower the gun a bit, crying and shaking....He lowers
the gun and hands it over to his Father....Dixon is sort of
flinching....the possibility that his Father may strike him...
...Stanley is frozen...Dixon is hyperventilating....
DIXON
I - just - thought - that - I - didn't
want - I - didn't - I - didn't -
WORM
It's ok, boy.
HOLD. Que. "Bein Green," by Kermit the Frog/Aimee
CUT TO:
EXT. LAMPLIGHTER/VENTURA BLVD. - THAT MOMENT
CAMERA holds a wide angle on the Lamplighter Coffee Shop.
Frogs falling from sky onto and around the streets....
CUT TO:
EXT. THE SKY - THAT MOMENT
CAMERA up with the Falling Frogs....CAMERA is moving down with them...
it becomes almost musical....like Busby-Berkely-style choreography of
Frogs That Fall In The Sky...
MUSIC/KERMIT THE FROG
"It's not that easy bein' green...
Having to spend each day the color
of the leaves..."
EXT. EMPTY PARKING LOT AREA - DAWN
CU - Dixon as he gets into the old beat up car with Worm.
Their call pulls away and drives off. Dixon looks at Linda's Mercedes
which is still parked way across the lot -- they exit FRAME.
CUT TO:
EXT. MAGNOLIA - DAWN
Worm's car drives down the street. LONG LENS. ANGLE, at the car,
Dixon leans up and out the window a bit....he's got the gun wrapped
in newspaper, taking the fingerprints from the gun....he throws
the POLICE ISSUED WEAPON from the speeding car...
CUT TO:
INT. LAMPLIGHTER - DAWN
Stanley sits in the back of a squad car....an OFFICER watching
him...probably supposed to be comforting him, but instead drinking
coffee, chatting with other OFFICERS questioning the coffee shop
employees --
(Right after Earl's body is taken away)
INT. POLICE STATION - MARCIE
Marcie looking down at the table in front of her, tape recorder
and microphone in front of her, (and all that goes along w/full
confession/etc.)
MARCIE
I killed him. I killed my husband.
He hit my son and he hit my grandson
and I hit him. I hit him with the ashtray
and he was knocked out and I killed him,
I strangled him. I strangled my husband
to protect my boys. I protected my boys.
