Without Benefit of Ghouls and Goblins: A Sleepy Hollow Blog

The following idea first presented itself to me last year while reading the novelization. After enough time had passed for me to forget the small details, I wondered if Ichabod, Katrina, and Mary Archer had all at one point lived in the same small cottage. This idea was encouraged by viewing the film and seeing, what is in my opinion, Ichabod's unsettled reaction after learning of the archer in the back of the fireplace, as well as Katrina reenacting a scene previously acted out by his mother. The windows and doors of the exterior dream cottage are similar in their placement to those in Katrina's childhood cottage. However, the layout of the former is confusing. From the exterior, shown in the background whilst Lady Crane blindly searches for her son, the dwelling is a small, if undersized cottage. When we see the interior it has a long hall which affixes to his father's church.

There are many parallels between Lady Crane and Katrina in the film which are also noted in the Peter Lerangis novelization and The Art of Sleepy Hollow . The novelization goes into the greatest depth, often mentioning details that are changed or cut from the final film/script draft. An interesting variation found in the novelization is of Ichabod's first dream, the one in which he sees his mother blindfolded just as Katrina was the first time they met. In this version, it seems as though young Ichabod is interacting with Katrina, who later turns into his mother. "They had left him there to stamp out the fire. Only Gunpowder had stayed with him. Now he is safe in his room at the Van Tassels'. Katrina is in the house too, sleeping in her room. Not far away. In his dream she is even closer. She's blindfolded, the way he'd first seen her in the parlor. But she isn't there or in the Van Tassel manor at all. She is standing in a kitchen doorway - his family'...

Ichabod has at least three different hair lengths and many varying styles throughout the film. One of which has proven useful in determining which scenes were filmed at a later date, the pick-ups spoken of by Tim Burton and others. Some examples: The style shown in the photos below is the one that comes from dates later than those above. The later shots tend to be more humorous in nature. In these scenes, Ichabod seems very different from the Ichabod whose eyes betray his desire for Katrina as he wakes from dark dreams. The Ichabod who says farewell to Young Masbath is more akin to that soul than the comical Crane who confronts Notary Hardenbrook. The changes made to Ichabod's hair and nature cause one to wonder just how many changes were made to the story and characters in the length of the film's development.

Pictured are scenes I can place as deleted from the film. Reading the scenes simultaneously with the script, there are a few that do not fit their descriptions, such as one scene of Beth Killian looking over her shoulder into the next room, watching Thomas. A few of Ichabod as well, especially the scene of Ichabod waking from a nightmare at the end of the US theatrical trailer. The dialogue in the deleted scene between Katrina and Ichabod remains intact, as in the script, unlike the clip shown in trailers.  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.  88. INT. KILLIAN'S HOME, KITCHEN -NIGHT Small home. Killian, Thomas and BETH, Killian's wife, have finished supper. Beth clears plates as Killian picks his teeth with a knife. Thomas gets down from his chair. He goes to the fireplace to light a tallow wick, which he takes to the next room.

In the film, Katrina's mother's maiden name is Fenwick, though in the novelization it is Kierstadt. It is also Kierstadt in the alternate drawing of the Van Tassel family tree found in The Art of Sleepy Hollow (page 33). You'll notice that Lady Van Tassel/Mary Archer has her maiden name as Preston in the film version of the Van Tassel family tree. Though in The Art of Sleepy Hollow, seen on the same alternate drawing as mentioned earlier, her name appears to be Abigail Fletcher. In the alternate Van Tassel tree, there is a Phillip Van Garrett, but no Peter or Dirk. There is no other Van Garrett among the final and highest branches other than that of Phillip. His death is dated as taking place in 1799, so one can assume he is none other than the patriarch of the family.

Within the Tree of the Dead's entrance, there is the head of a mysterious woman I believe to be Emily Winship. The head, however, is supposed to belong to the servant girl, Sarah (Jessica Oyelowo). The woman's face is fairly clear in the following photos: The last photo is slightly clearer in the footage from the Behind the Legend Featurette:

In the film, we are shown a close-up of the Van Tassel family tree  within their Bible.