The 10th Kingdom
written by Simon Moore
Snow White (Camryn Manheim): My mother was a queen, and every day she sewed by a window, staring at the falling snow, longing to have a baby girl. But one day she pricked her finger with her needle, and into the snow fell three drops of blood, and she knew she would die giving birth to me. My father was sad for a very long tim, but eventually he remarried because he was lonely. My new mother brought no possessions to the castle except for her magic mirrors. And every day she locked her bedroom door and took off all her clothes off and said, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" And the mirror would gaze at her, and shudder and scan all the other mirrors in the world, and all the people looking at themselves and then answer, "My lady is the fairest of them all." This satisfied her, for she knew that the mirror spoke the truth. That is the function of mirrors, even wayward, willful mirrors, Virginia. To let you see yourself as you truly are. But you must be sure you wish to know the truth. But, I was growing older and by the time I was seven, I was as pretty as you. And one day when she asked her mirror who was the fairest of them all, the mirror said, "My lady is most fair to see, but Snow White is fairer far than she." So she called her huntsman and told him to take this child into the woods, I am sick of the sight of her. Can you imagine that moment, Virginia, when you realize that you are so awful that your stepmother is going to have you murdered? As the huntsman drew his knife I fell to my knees and I said, "Let me live. Let me live." And he put away his knife, and I ran into the woods. I was so terrified, I just ran in the darkness. I ran until I was exhausted, and there, in front of me, was a tiny cottage. Everything inside was exactly my size. the table had seven little settings and upstairs were seven tiny beds all in a row. And I was so tired that I fell asleep in one of the beds, and when I woke up I heard voices coming up the stairs. they had lanterns, mining lanterns and they were swinging back and forth, back and forth. I was so afraid. Then they saw me and that all said as one, "What a lovely little girl." They said that if I did all the cooking and the cleaning and the sewing and the knitting and kept the house spotless that I could stay and would never want for anything. I told them about the queen and they became completely paranoid about her. they told me never to talk to strangers, or go into town, or open the door for anyone. Her mirrors found me eventually. Three times she came. oncce with a corset to crush my ribs, once with a poison comb to drug me. The third time she came with the most beautiful apples you ever saw, and this time she stayed to watch me die to make sure. She held me until I died in front of her, choking on a piece of poison apple. I often think, why did I let her in? Didn't I know she was bad? And I did, of course I did, but I also knew that I couldn't keep that door shut all my life, just because it was dangerous, just because there was a chanc of getting hurt. My husband was a good man, but he did not rescue me. I rescued myself.
Kudos and much thanks go to Face5090 for this monologue, it is very much appreciated.