Dear Katie | An Unproduced Short Film Screenplay

"Dear Katie" Draft 3 By Jay Moussa-Mann

00447748170616 5 Bohouse, Sussex Street, Middlesbrough, TS2 1BF

FADE IN: INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM - AFTERNOON Moving boxes on the floor with "FRAGILE" taped across some of them. A woman’s hands (MARY) lift a pan out of one of the boxes. A bottle of diazepam sits on the bare table next to a toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste.

INT. APARTMENT STUDY - AFTERNOON Mary’s pink slippered feet walk in and placed a box of paintbrushes on the floor. Paints stick out of another box, overflowing. Canvases cover the study, some finished, some half-finished. They are all different sizes, different variations on the same pose: a faceless man and a woman kissing. They are not lewd or provocative, they are romantic paintings.

INT. APARTMENT. BEDROOM - EVENING MARY (40) wears large framed deep red glasses with a chain.

She doesn’t wear makeup, except for a green eyeshadow that doesn’t work and her uncontrolled, short bob is boring. She wears a high, frilly collared sweater. She drags a set of drawers next to the frame of her bed.

INT. APARTMENT. BEDROOM - EVENING (SAME DAY LATER) Mary heaves her mattress onto her bed.

INT. APARTMENT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING She is sketching another variation on the man and woman kiss. A whimsical smile plays on her face as she starts to paint a short bob onto the woman.

INT. APARTMENT LANDING - MORNING Mary comes out of the apartment and locks the door behind her, the number 5 clearly displayed on her front door.

CUT TO:

2.

EXT. BUS STOP - MORNING Mary is in the line waiting for the bus. The bus pulls up.

The line tightens, people get ready to board. A woman pushes in front of Mary. She looks around, nervously, tries vaguely to get his attention by raising her hand but gives up quickly and falls behind him, looking down at the ground, pushing her hair back from her face, awkwardly.

CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT. KITCHEN - EVENING Mary places one boiled egg onto one plate beside one cup of tea and one piece of toast. She takes a diazepam.

INT. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM - SAME DAY EVENING Mary watches TV and eats her dinner. Alone.

DIP TO BLACK: INT. APARTMENT LANDING. POSTBOXES - NEXT DAY - EVENING Mary tries to open her postbox but the key won’t work.

She looks at the key. On the key tag is the number 6, NOT the number 5. Mary frowns, realising she has the wrong key.

She turns to go back upstairs and stops and looks down at the key in her hand. Beat. She turns back to the postbox, puts the key in the lock and opens it. Letters fall out onto the floor. She stares at them. Beat. She scoops them up, hurriedly, like a naughty child and runs upstairs with them.

INT. A FLAT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING Mary eats her microwave meal, half-watching the TV. The letters sit unopened in front of her. She glances at them then quickly looks away.

Suddenly she pushes her food away and grabs one of the envelopes. She opens it in a flurry and unfolds it. She settles down on the sofa and begins to read.

ROBERT (VO) Dear Katie, I should have said these words to you a very long time ago. I hate myself for having kept (MORE) (CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

ROBERT (VO) (cont’d) them hidden and secret for so long.

What kind of man must I be? Not the kind of man you need or deserve.

The thing is, Katie, beautiful Katie, I love you. I’ve always been in love with, you see. Deeply, deeply in love with you...

Mary lets out a little sound and puts a hand to her mouth.

She looks around, guiltily. Slowly, she continues to read the letter.

ROBERT (VO) ...you are to me as the waves are to the sand, shaping them, defining them, making them more beautiful every day with their strength and their constancy. You are a constant wonder.

INT. APARTMENT. BEDROOM - NEXT DAY - MORNING Mary drags the dresser to another spot in the room.

ROBERT (VO) Do you remember that night we moved your apartment together?

Mary eats a sugar snap pea from the packet beside her and sips a cup of tea.

ROBERT (VO) It was just you, me, haribo and copious cans of coke. We were on a sugar high all night.

Mary drags the dresser back to it’s original spot.

ROBERT (VO) You stood on the stairs directing me with your dresser. We were so full of energy we kept laughing at everything, even when it wouldn’t fit through the door.

4.

INT. APARTMENT. LIVING ROOM - LATER SAME DAY - MORNING Mary opens another letter. A silver necklace with a blue pendant falls out. She dangles it from her fingers, staring at it, watching the light play through it.

ROBERT (VO) I found this in a boutique and thought of you.

INT. APARTMENT. BEDROOM Mary opens a box from House of Fraser. She pulls out a cream silk blouse.

ROBERT (VO) I thought it would go with that silk blouse you have - the cream one.

She takes of her top and puts on the blouse in front of the mirror, feeling it’s texture. She sits down at her dresser.

She smiles as someone walking into the room behind her.

Robert walks up to her and slowly fastens the necklace round her neck.

ROBERT You have such a beautiful laugh, Katie.

Mary touches the necklace and brushes his fingers.

MARY (laughing a little) Thank you The blue gem of the necklace glistens DISSOLVE TO: INT. APARTMENT. LIVING ROOM - SAME DAY - AFTERNOON Close up of cobalt blue paint being mixed on a palette.

ROBERT (VO) It’s the colour you always loved, the one I painted your walls in while you read your magazine and laughed at me getting paint on my cheeks.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

Mary puts brush to canvas, her usual, a couple kissing, but now she adds a blue necklace to the woman. The letters lie next to her paintbrushes and paints.

ROBERT (VO) I hope you like this, it’s a sketch I did of you...

Mary pick up Robert’s sketch and holds it up to the light, analyzing it.

ROBERT (VO) ...I tried to capture the way that one piece of hair just touches your cheek and catches the light...

Mary lightly touches a piece of her own hair that’s come loose. She looks closely at the address on the letter.

EXT. BUS STOP - NEXT DAY - MORNING Mary is in the line again waiting for the bus. The bus pulls up. The line tightens.

ROBERT (VO) I just wanted to remind you how strong you are. I’m sure you are doing fine in your new job, I remember how nervous you were about it.

A man pushes in front of Mary. She looks around, nervously, but then steps up to him.

MARY Excuse me, but you cut in The man looks both embarrassed and surprised at the confrontation and Mary, smiles sweetly and steps in front of him, pushing her hair back from her face, confidently.

ROBERT (V/O) Never forget your talent Katie.

Don’t let anyone make you feel less than you are.

CUT TO:

6.

EXT. A SEASIDE TOWN. - AFTERNOON Mary is sitting outside a small cafe in her hat and coat, with a cup of tea in front of her. She is watching intently.

ROBERT (V/O) I’m guessing now, that you haven’t replied to any of these letters yet that I’ve freaked you out. I’m sorry.

Robert is in a shop opposite the cafe. Mary watches him, the curve of his face, the crease of his smile.

ROBERT (V/O) I never meant for that. I just, thought that maybe, you felt this way too.

Mary gets up and determinedly walks across the road. She gets to the shop door as Robert exits shop. He walks straight past her, almost touching her. She stands still, staring straight ahead.

Beat.

She walks away.

CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT. - SAME DAY - LATE AFTERNOON Mary lets herself into the apartment. She looks drained.

INT. APARTMENT. LIVING ROOM - LATE AFTERNOON Mary sits down with a cup of tea. One unopened letter remains.

She opens it and begins to read.

ROBERT (VO) If I’d known you were engaged I never would have written, please believe me. I’m not like that, you know me. You know I care about you.

You were bound to make someone else fall in love with you...

Mary throws the cup against the wall. It smashes. She watches the tea dribble down it. Mary wipes away tears and fondles the necklace at her neck.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

7.

She picks up the letter and looks at the address again.

CUT TO: VISION - EXT. A SEASIDE TOWN - GOLDEN HOUR Robert and Mary walking, arms round each other on the beach.

They kiss.

CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT. LIVING ROOM - EVENING Mary grabs the letters and stuffs them in her bag. She snatches her keys and opens the door. KATIE (38) is standing with her hand held up in a fist, about to knock.

KATIE Hi Mary stares.

KATIE I’m sorry, you’re going out. I won’t keep you, it’s just I moved out of the next apartment a while ago and I think you’ve been left the key to my postbox. I have some letters I need to pick up.

Mary opens her mouth no words come out.

KATIE (smiling generously) So, have you got any letters for me?

Marys grip tightens on the bag in her hands. Beat She smiles at Katie.

CUT TO BLACK