Script
- 1. 1 DRAFT ONE
- 2. 2 FADE IN: SCENE #1 EXT. HENRY’S HOUSE - DAY AN OVERCAST AUTUMN DAY. A SMALL, QUINTESSENTIALLY ENGLISH BUNGALOW SITS AMOUNGST A WELL-KEPT GARDEN AND PLANT POTS. THERE IS A “FOR SALE” SIGN ATTACHED TO THE GATE. PULL FOCUS TO SEE THE HOUSE CUTS TO: ESTABLISHING SHOT CUT TO: MEDIUM CLOSE-UP A TEENAGE GIRL, EMILY, IS LOOKING AT THE HOUSE BLANKLY CUT TO: MID SHOT A WOMEN, GEN, OLDER THAN HER, APPEARS BESIDE HER GEN (looking concerned) Are you alright? CUT TO: CLOSE-UP FROM THE SIDE EMILY (sighing unconvincingly) Yeah… PULL FOCUS GEN (not convinced) Are you sure? PULL FOCUS EMILY (sighing) It just… it just doesn’t seem real… PULL FOCUS GEN I know sweetheart, but it’s what we need to do. Come on… CUT TO: CLOSE-UP
- 3. 3 (gets the keys out of her pocket) We’re not standing out here all day. CUT TO: EXTREME CLOSE-UP, KEYS The sooner we get in the sooner we’ll be out. CUT TO: MID SHOT GEN STARTS TO WALK INTO THE HOUSE, LEAVING EMILY BEHIND. A MID SHOT TRACKS EMILY AS SHE FOLLOWS HER MUM, SHE LOOKS NERVOUS. CUTS TO: ESTABLISHING SHOT OF THEM ENTERING THE HOUSE
- 4. 4 SCENE #2 INT. THE KITCHEN - DAY GEN AND EMILY ENTER THE HOUSE INTO THE KITCHEN. THEY AWKWARDLY LINGER IN THE KITCHEN, NOT REALLY SURE WHAT TO SAY TO EACH OTHER. GEN PICKS UP A BOX, EMILY IS DISTANT. GEN (trying to act as if everything is fine, she thinks Emily is listening) Right, I think the best way to go about this is if we split up and do a room each, just putting all the little things away and then anything big we can move together another day. Don’t forget if anything is breakable put it in bubble wrap… GEN LOOKS UP TO REALISE EMILY ISN’T LISTENING Em? EMILY IS TRANSFIXED ON SOME MINOR DETAIL IN THE ROOM. SHE DOESN’T LOOK UP EVEN WHEN SHE FINALLY SPEAKS. EMILY It’s like he’s died. GEN (sighing) Emily, you know how hard it was to for me to make this decision. He can’t look after himself anymore, and the nursing home is nice, a lot closer to our house so you can visit him more often… EMILY We’re just packing up his entire life into boxes while he sits in a home he doesn’t even recognise. He was fine and now… GEN CUTS EMILY OFF
- 5. 5 GEN (hurt) He wasn’t fine though was he? We were all just too blind to see it/You know he can’t live on his own anymore. EMILY LOOKS AWAY FROM HER MUM, KNOWING SHE IS RIGHT. GEN’S PHONE STARTS RINGING AND SHE TAKES IT FROM HER POCKET. (apologetically) It’s work. I’ll be two seconds. There’s some boxes through there. Go and make a start with the living room, please. For me. EMILY DOESN’T RESPOND AS GEN WALKS RUSHES OUT OF THE HOUSE ANSWERING THE PHONE. AS THE DOOR SLAMS, EMILY PICKS UP A BOX FROM THE HALLWAY. SHE LOOKS LOST IN A HOME THAT SHE KNOWS SO WELL. SHE TURNS AROUND AND FACES THE KITCHEN, WHERE A MEMORY BEGINS TO UNFOLD.
- 6. 6 SCENE #3 INT. DAY – THE KITCHEN (FLASHBACK) PRESENT DAY EMILY LOOKS TO THE DOOR, WHERE A SLIGHTLY YOUNGER LOOKING EMILY AND HER MUM ENTER. THEY ARE WEARING DIFFERENT CLOTHES, THIS IS CLEARLY A MEMORY FROM THE PAST. THE SOUND SOMETHING BUBBLING CAN BE HEARD FAINTLY EMILY (calling through the house) Hiya Grandad! GEN LOOKS PUZZLED AS SHE SPOTS A PAN OF WATER BUBBLING ON THE SIDE. SHE TAKES IT OFF THE STOVE AS SHE SAYS… GEN (casually) You know you’ve got a pan about to boil over in here, Dad! SLOW TRACKING SHOT, GEN STARTS WALKING INTO THE FRONT ROOM. Don’t worry, I’ve sorted it now. CUTS BACK TO THE PAN ON THE SIDE (o.s) What are you like! Anyway… Emily would like to know if we can stay for tea! DIALOUGE FADES OUT. CUTS TO EMILY BACK IN THE KITCHEN, STARING AT WHERE THE PAN WOULD BE. EMILY TURNS AND WALKS INTO THE LIVING ROOM, SHE IS NOW CARRYING A BOX.
- 7. 7 SCENE #4 INT. DAY – LIVING ROOM EMILY WALKS OVER TO THE FIREPLACE, WHERE THERE ARE ORNAMENTS LINED UP ALONG THE TOP OF IT. SHE PICKS ONE UP AND LOOKS AT IT, SMILING TO HERSELF. SCENE #5 INT. DAY – LIVING ROOM (FLASHBACK) CUT TO: MEDIUM LONG SHOT SHOT OF HENRY SAT IN HIS ARMCHAIR HENRY (smiling) Do you remember when you used to play with those when you were younger? CUT TO: REVERSE SHOT EMILY Of course I do! How could I forget? In fact… CUT TO: OVER THE SHOULDER CLOSE-UP (looking for specific ornament) This one was my favourite! CUT TO: HENRY Oh you had hours, hours of fun! CUT TO: Making up your own little stories in your own imaginary world. You know I told your Mum they were just cheap tat, but she insisted ‘No, Gen likes them’, and that’s why we kept them. The amount of times I nearly bagged them all up for the car boot… EMILY CUTS HENRY OFF EMILY (concerned, nervous) Grandad? EMILY’S SUDDEN WORDS BRING HENRY OUT OF HIS DAZE
- 8. 8 EMILY You just called me Gen. HENRY (laughing it off) Oh, well you know what I meant, Emily! You look so much like your Mum did at your age, apart from the hair, of course. EMILY IS CONVINCED, AND LAUGHS IT OFF, PICKING BACK UP ANOTHER ORNAMENT AND LOOKING AT IT. CUT TO HENRY, LOOKING EMBARRASSED/CONFUSED/UPSET. EMILY DOESN’T NOTICE. CUTS BACK TO PRESENT DAY EMILY IN THE ROOM, SHE PICKS UP THE ORNAMENT AND PUTS IT IN THE BOX, ALONG WITH A FEW OTHERS. SCENE #6 INT. DAY – BATHROOM/BATHROOM FLASHBACK EMILY STANDS IN THE DOORWAY OF THE BATHROOM. THE FRONT DOOR OPENS AND SHE CAN HEAR HER MUM TALKING TO PEOPLE IN THE KITCHEN. SHE LOOKS AT THE TIME ON HER WATCH/PHONE. HER LOCSCKREEN IS HER AND HENRY. SHE SMILES. EMILY WALKS FURTHER INTO THE BATHROOM AND UP TO THE MIRROR. SHE ADJUSTS THE MIRROR, AND THIS TRIGGERS ANOTHER FLASHBACK, HENRY IS STARING AT HIMSELF IN THE MIRROR, HE IS WEARING DIFFERENT CLOTHES (MAYBE PYJAMAS) AND LOOKING CONFUSED. CUTS TO A CLOSE-UP, HE LOOKS AS IF HE HAS FORGOTTEN WHY HE IS IN THE ROOM. A POINT OF VIEW SHOT SHOWS HIM LOOKING DOWNN AT HIS HANDS OVER THE SINK, SLIGHTLY SHAKING. HE PICKS UP…
- 9. 9 SCENE #7 INT. DAY – BEDROOM SCENE #8 INT. DAY - BEDROOM (FLASHBACK) SCENE #9 INT. DAY – CONSERVATORY EMILY WALKS THROUGH INTO THE SECOND BEDROOM. IT CLEARLY HASN’T BEEN SLEPT IN FOR YEARS, WITH THE ROOM USED AS STORAGE. SHE LOOKS THROUGH THE CONSERVATORY DOORS AND SEES HERSELF, HER GRANDAD AND HER MUM AROUND THE TABLE. SCENE #10 INT. DAY - CONSERVATORY EMILY AND HENRY ARE SAT AT THE TABLE. EMILY IS ON HER PHONE, HENRY IS EXPRESSIONLESS. GEN ENTERS THE FRAME CARRYING A DISH OF FOOD. GEN (placing dish on the table) Here we are! GEN SITS DOWN AT THE TABLE AND CONTINUES SPEAKING. SHOTS OF HENRY SHOW THAT HE SEEMS DISTRACTED AND NOT LISTENING. I’ve been looking forward to this all day! GEN NOTICES THAT EMILY IS ON HER PHONE (to Emily) Put that away now. EMILY ROLLS HER EYES AT GEN AND RELUCTANTLY PUTS HER PHONE AWAY, BUT GOING ON IT AGAIN AS SOOM AS GEN TURNS AWAY. HENRY STILL HASN’T ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION, BARELY ACKNOWLEDGING GEN AND EMILY’S PRESENCE.
- 10. 10 GEN (happily, dishing out food) It’s been a long time since we did this. all here, together. I bet it’s nice to have someone cook for you for a change Dad… and Emily is going to do the washing up for you… How about that, Dad? Being treated like a king… GEN STOPS DISHING OUT THE FOOD AND REALISES HENRY IS STARING BLANKLY INTO SPACE. (concerned, trying to get Henry’s attention) Dad? HENRY DOESN’T RESPOND Dad, what’s wrong? EMILY FINALLY PUTS HER PHONE AWAY AND SITS QUIETLY, NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. HENRY SITS AT THE TABLE, SILENTLY, LOOKING CONFUSED AND CLOSE TO TEARS. UNTIL HE SPEAKS… HENRY (confused)
- 11. 11 SCENE #11 EXT. NIGHT – HENRY’S HOUSE THE SUN IS SETTING ON A WINTER EVENING. EMILY WALKS DOWN THE DRIVE TOWARDS HER GRANDAD’S HOUSE JUST LIKE ANY NORMAL VISIT. ALL OF THE LIGHTS ARE ON, NOTHING LOOKS SUSPICIOUS. SCENE #12 INT. NIGHT – HENRY’S HOUSE EMILY ENTER THROUGH THE FRONT DOOR AND CLOSES IT BEHIND HER. EMILY (casually) Hi Grandad, it’s Emily! Mum asked me to pop round and see how you’re feeling. NO RESPONSE, EMILY WALKS THROUGH INTO THE LIVING ROOM AND LOOKS AROUND, HE IS NOT IN THERE. THE T.V IS ON AND HIS WALKING FRAME IS NEXT TO THE CHAIR. SHE PUTS HER BAG DOWN IN THE CORNER OF THE ROOM. GROWING WORRIED, EMILY CONTINUES THROUGH THE HOUSE, INTO THE BATHROOM, HALLWAY… EMILY (confused) Grandad? SHE PROGRESSES TO THE BEDROOM AND HENRY IS NOT HERE EITHER. EVEN MORE WORRIED NOW, SHE CONTINUES RUNNING THROUGH THE HOUSE AND CALLING OUT FOR HENRY. EMILY (worried) Grandad?! SHE GETS TO THE CONSERVATORY WHERE THE LIGHT IS ON, WHICH IS UNUSUAL. SHE STRUGGLES TO OPEN THE DOOR. WHEN SHE GETS IN THERE, SHE REALISES THE DOOR TO THE GARDEN IS OPEN. RUNNING OUT, SHE SEES THAT HENRY HAS FALLEN IN THE GARDEN.
- 12. 12 SCENE ENDS WITH A LOW ANGLE SHOT OF HER LOOKING DOWN AT HIM. (SCENE POSSIBLY INTERWEAVED WITH SHOTS OF WHAT HAPPENED LEADING UP TO THE FALL) SCENE #13 INT. DAY – REWIND SEQUENCE? SCENE #14 EXT. DAY/NIGHT – VOICEOVER PHONECALL SEQUENCE MONTAGE EDIT OF INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR SHOTS OF THE HOUSE. DOCTOR (v.o) Hello Mrs ______, my name is Sarah I’m a doctor at The General. Your Dad’s test results are back, it looks as if Henry’s had a mini stroke as a result of his condition. Can you give me a call back when you get this, I assume you’re aware that once the dementia reaches this stage, we need to seriously think about whether Henry can carry on living independently. Speak to you soon, bye. SCENE #16 HELPLINE CREDITS