His Rendition Of Events By A. Dawson
INT. HIS GRANDMA’S HOUSE, HALLWAY - DAY
1
HE (12) hovers at the top of the stairs. CRYING can be heard in another room. HIS MOTHER approaches. HIM (V.O.) Today my Grandpa has died. HIM I’m coming to the funeral. HIS MOTHER You’re too young to come. HIM (V.O.) I’m four months older than the last funeral. HIM I have to go. HIS MOTHER I’m sorry but it’s not a place for children. HIM When Papa died I didn’t go because Phillip went. HIM (V.O.) Phillip is the oldest grandchild on my mother’s side. HIM I know I am still too young but I am Grandpa’s oldest grandchild. I need to be there. HIM (V.O.) In four months time it will be my Bar Mitzvah - the day I become a man in Jewish tradition. Today is the day I become a man for my family. INT. SCHOOL CAFETERIA - DAY
2
He (14) chats with HIS Friend. HIM (V.O.) Today I go to school. (CONTINUED)
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2.
Hey.
HIS FRIEND HIM
Hi. HIS FRIEND Don’t take this offensively, I know you won’t. HIM What is it? His Friend offers him a polo. HIS FRIEND Your breath stinks. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day my obsession with mints begins. INT. HIS BROTHER’S BEDROOM - MORNING
3
HIS BROTHER sleeps. He (15) enters. HIM (V.O.) Today I come out to my brother. He wakes His Brother up. HIM Hey, sorry for waking you up. Can we talk? HIS BROTHER What is it? HIM I know you’ve been hearing stuff at school about me and people are bullying you for no reason. Well I have something to tell you but you have to swear you won’t tell Mum or Dad. HIS BROTHER Ok. HIM You promise? (CONTINUED)
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3.
HIS BROTHER
I promise.
HIM I’m gay. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day my brother outs me to my parents. EXT. CRUISE SHIP DECK - DAY
4
He (16) and His Brother lie on sun beds. He reads a book. They are surrounded by holiday-goers. HIM (V.O.) Today is the first day of my holiday cruise. HIS BROTHER You not hot in that top? HIM Not really. HIM (V.O.) I’m sweltering. I will need to change shirts in a bit. He looks up to the outside jogging deck. HIM Those people must be hot. It’s like forty degrees. He looks around at the holiday-goers. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I begin losing seven stone. EXT. ODESSA SLUMS - NIGHT
5
He (17) approaches a bus with a group of teenagers and HIS TEACHER. They carry torches. Stray dogs line the street. HIS FRIEND 2 CRIES onto the bus. HIM (V.O.) Today I go to Ukraine.
(CONTINUED)
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4. HIM Should we leave him alone? HIS TEACHER I think that’s best.
HIS FRIEND 3 approaches. HIS FRIEND 3 I can’t believe you took photos. HIM I asked first. HIS FRIEND 3 That doesn’t make it alright. HIM I know that. But when we get home we can show those photos to everyone and then they will help us raise money. HIS FRIEND 3 I don’t care. You shouldn’t take photos. They aren’t animals. HIM Did you see all the stray dogs? HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I appreciate the bigger picture. INT. HIS SCHOOL COMMON ROOM - DAY
6
He (17) wanders about aimlessly as life passes by. HIS FRIEND 4 approaches. HIM (V.O.) Today I return to sixth form. HIS FRIEND 4 Hey. Are you alright? (beat) You haven’t spoken to me since you got back. You haven’t spoken to anyone. (beat) Well when you’re ready to talk I’m here. His Friend 4 leaves. His Teacher approaches. (CONTINUED)
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5.
HIS TEACHER Hi. I hear you’re not talking to anyone. HIM They weren’t there. They didn’t go. How can they possibly understand? HIS TEACHER Understand what? HIM I have a lot of scarves. I have a whole drawer of scarves. Do you know how stupid that is? It just doesn’t make sense. HIS TEACHER I know. HIM They don’t even have good shelter and I have a drawer of scarves. HIS TEACHER You can’t look at it like that. You can’t blame yourself for the opportunities you were given. But you can help them. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I am thankful for what I have. INT. HIS OPTICIAN - DAY
7
He (17) sits in the examiner’s chair in pain, head down at the floor. HIS OPTICIAN enters. HIM (V.O.) Today I have an emergency eye check-up. HIS OPTICIAN So how long have you not been able to look at lights for? HIM A week, maybe ten days.
(CONTINUED)
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6.
HIS OPTICIAN (placing a dye in His eyes) Look up. Blink a couple of times. I’m just going to look in your eyes now. Do you change your lens solution daily? (beat) You have a major eye infection. HIM What does that mean? HIS OPTICIAN I’m going to have to refer you to a hospital. HIM I’m going on holiday tomorrow. HIS OPTICIAN Well you need to go. They’ll most likely give you hourly drops. And obviously you’ll need to go back to your glasses. HIM But I still can’t look up at the sky. HIS OPTICIAN You’re going to need to wear sunglasses on top. (beat) You could permanently damage your eyes. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I learn to take better care of myself. INT. HIS MOTHER’S CAR - DAY
8
His Mother is driving. He (18) sits in the passenger seat. MAINSTREAM MUSIC plays. HIM (V.O.) Today my Mum confronts me. HIS MOTHER You know, if you meet a guy you can bring him back to the house. (CONTINUED)
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7.
HIM Oh my god Mum shut up. HIS MOTHER I’m just saying we’d like to meet him. If you do meet someone. HIM Mum, please stop talking. I will jump out this car. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I know my Mum accepts me. INT. ABERYSTWYTH UNIVERSITY, INTERVIEW ROOM - DAY
9
He (18) shows his portfolio to HIS TUTOR. HIM (V.O.) Today I show my art work to a stranger. The tutor flips through the work. HIM Actually, would you mind if I go back to a piece I really like? HIS TUTOR Of course, no problem. HIM I know it doesn’t look like much. But basically I pretended to be a person on a chat website called Omegle - a girl, knowing the kind of conversation I would get as a response to that character. The text conversation was recorded and then transcribed into a script, with all the typos and emoticons. The times the text entered onto the screen were also added on the side. I then gave the script to two people who didn’t know each other and asked one to read the part of the girl and the other as the stranger. I re-recorded this, which is where these stills come from. They had to say all the typos, act all the (MORE) (CONTINUED)
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8.
HIM (cont’d) emoticons and stay silent for the time it took for the next sentence on the script to appear on screen. Obviously they found it very awkward and embarrassing - I just wanted to highlight how unnatural digital conversation is when repeated during physical interaction. I realise visually it’s not that great. HIS TUTOR It’s a great concept though. Shame I can’t see the video. (long beat) I’d like to give you an unconditional offer. HIM Really? HIS TUTOR Unless you don’t want it? HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I feel like I’m an artist. INT. HIS UNIVERSITY HOUSE, BEDROOM - DAY
10
He (19) is surrounded by luggage. HIS FATHER brings a suitcase in. His Mother sits on the bed. HIM (V.O.) Today I move into my new home. HIS MOTHER This mattress is terrible. Look at that massive dip and those stains. His Mother flips the mattress over - it’s equally stained, if not more. HIS FATHER That’s everything. HIM Thanks for helping me bring it in.
(CONTINUED)
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9.
HIS FATHER Nothing I can’t do for my son. HIM Okay. You can go now. HIS MOTHER Don’t you want us to stay? HIM Nah, don’t worry. I’ve got stuff to sort out and it’ll be easier to put everything away by myself. You sure?
HIS MOTHER HIM
Aha. HIS MOTHER Okay. I love you. HIM Love you too. HIS FATHER (leaving) Don’t forget to sort out the internet and the bills. And write down the meter readings. His Mother and His Father leave. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I learn to live for myself. EXT. PADDINGTON STATION - EVENING
11
He (19) exits with a suitcase. His Mother and His Father jump out the car. HIM (V.O.) Today I return home for the first time. HIS MOTHER Oh my god. My big boy! They hug and she bursts into tears. (CONTINUED)
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10. HIM Chill out Mum. HIS FATHER Yeh chill out. HIS MOTHER Shut up.
He and His Father hug. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I realise how much my parents love me. INT. ROMAN BATHS KITCHEN, BAR - MORNING
12
He (20) enters slightly allebriated. HIS MANAGER approaches. HIM (V.O.) Yesterday I went out drinking with my colleagues - again. HIS MANAGER Oh, you’re here. Yep.
HIM
HIS MANAGER We saw you go off in an ambulance last night. HIM Yeh I was in hospital until about four this morning. They let me out but I was still drunk and I got lost going home. Got in about six after directions from my housemate, woke up at nine and here I am. HIS MANAGER I see. Well, you’re in the cafe bar. You know you were going to get fired and made an example of if you didn’t turn up? He walks into the cafe bar and works from 10:30am - 5:30pm. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I think I can get as fucked as I want and people will trust me to stick to my duties.
11.
EXT. HIS PARENT’S HOUSE - EVENING
13
He (20), His Mother, His Father & His Brother exit the car. His Brother storms off. HIM (V.O.) Today we have one of our family fights. HIS FATHER Yeh that’s it - run off. You’re not a man. His Father locks the car. His Brother runs back, catches His Father off guard and pushes him into the car. They fight and He puts himself in the middle. His Brother runs off again. His Father enters the house. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I lose faith in my father. INT. HIS PARENT’S HOUSE, HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS
14
He (20) brings his suitcase down the stairs. His Brother enters. HIM (V.O.) Tomorrow I am going back to university. HIS BROTHER Where are you going? HIM I’m going home. HIS BROTHER Mum - he says he’s going back to uni! His Mother enters and places herself in front of the door. HIS MOTHER Please don’t go. Stay. HIM I’m sorry. HIS MOTHER Please, for me. (CONTINUED)
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12.
HIM I want to leave. You’re in the way. HIS MOTHER Why? HIM Because I don’t want to live here anymore. Why should I? I can’t come back home for this - I can’t. Because then I can’t go back to uni and I have to go to uni. HIS MOTHER I’ll divorce him. If you go, I’ll divorce him. Beat. He exits. HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I want to move out of my parents’ house indefinitely. EXT. HIS PARENT’S STREET - CONTINUOUS
15
He (20) walks with his suitcase. His Mother approaches in the car, devastated. HIM (V.O.) Today I promise never to return home. HIS MOTHER Please get in the car. HIM I want to go home. HIS MOTHER You are home. HIM I want to go back to uni. I don’t want to be here. Please.
HIS MOTHER
He gets in the car.
(CONTINUED)
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13.
HIM (V.O.) Today is the day I realise you can not escape your people.