SCREENPLAY
Screenplay THE DRESS By Nguyen Mai Anh
INT.HOUSE'S KITCHEN.DAY FATHER is cooking in the kitchen FATHER (V.O) For long time ago, there are two woman in my life: my mother and my wife Now, there is just one, and she is evil!
Dad!!!!
DAUGHTER (O.S) (shouting) FATHER (V.O) There, that's her! DAUGHTER comes into the kitchen. Father keeps cooking and answers without turning his head. What?
FATHER DAUGHTER Dad! Where is my bra? FATHER Which one? Blue or Pink? DAUGHTER The pink one! FATHER (still focuses on cooking) It's dried outside.
Oh! OK.
DAUGHTER (smiling)
FATHER (V.O) From the day her mother gone, I have to raise her alone.Be a father of a daughter... (sigh) so tired CUT TO:
(CONTINUED)
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2.
MONTAGE - VARIOUS: INT.DAUGHTER'S ROOM.DAY DAUGHTER peeks out of her room door and shouts Dad!
DAUGHTER INT.BATHROOM.DAY DAUGHTER peeks out of bathroom door, tower on her head. She is shouting Dad!!
DAUGHTER INT.DAD'S ROOM.DAY DAUGHTER peeks in her Dad's room and shouting Dad!!
DAUGHTER
END OF MONTAGE CUT TO:
INT.DAD'S ROOM-TABLE.DAY IMAGINATION SCENE FATHER (V.O) Sometimes I just want to .. FATHER is working at his desk. DAUGHTER steps in and shouts out loud Dad!!
DAUGHTER FATHER holds DAUGHTER and shakes her angrily: FATHER (shouting) God, Just shut up for God shake! END OF IMAGINATION
(CONTINUED)
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3.
CUT TO: INT.LIVING ROOM - DOOR.DAY FATHER (V.O) No matter what, she's still my daughter. FATHER is sitting at the table, drinking tea. DAUGHTER runs in, her knee is bleeding from a scratch.
Dad!
DAUGHTER (pouting with her father) FATHER gently patches his daughter's knee. FATHER (gently speaking) You wouldn't fall if you used your leg properly CUT TO: INT.LIVING ROOM'S TABLE.DAY FATHER (V.O) Without her mother, everyday is a struggle FATHER and DAUGHTER are sitting face to face at the table. There is a sanitary pad on the table, between them. FATHER (V.O) Especially when she reached puberty, I didn't know what to do. DAUGHTER looks at the pad with astonished eyes. On the other side of the table, FATHER looks like he has just gone through a heart attack. FATHER (V.O) Luckily, she is smart likes her mother! DAUGHTER takes the sanitary pad away. CUT TO: INT.LIVING ROOM. NIGHT FATHER is siting at the tea table, calculating money. FATHER (V.O) My daughter is scary as heck but her being gentle is even scarier.
(CONTINUED)
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4.
DAUGHTER comes near and sits next to her FATHER, tries to cuddle.
Daddy! What?
DAUGHTER (being sweet) FATHER DAUGHTER Do you have any money? I want to buy a dress to go to Trang's birthday. I have nothing to wear! FATHER Who is Trang? Boy or girl? Strange name ! DAUGHTER Trang, my class president. Please give me some money, Daddy! Please, please, please! FATHER Wait there! FATHER opens his notebook to check monthly money expenses. He takes out 10.000VND and gives to his daughter. Here!
FATHER DAUGHTER (annoyed) This is not enough, Daddy!! FATHER Why don't you wear your mother's old dress, the money is for your savings DAUGHTER Huh? I cannot wear that dress, it's too old. FATHER You don't like it? DAUGHTER I won't wear it to go out. It's old fashion. FATHER OK, fine! Your choice DAUGHTER lies down on table and chair, laments with her father, pretends to be miserable.
(CONTINUED)
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5.
DAUGHTER Oh my god! Why my life is so pitiful! FATHER stands up and goes straight ahead with no hesitation, then he turns his head back and says: FATHER Cry then! I just can't care less CUT TO: INT.FATHER'S ROOM.NIGHT FATHER (V.O) Nonetheless, she's grown up and she's just as beautiful as her mom... FATHER holds his wife's old dress in front of him and looks at himself in the mirror. He sighs. He takes the picture of his wife on the table, sits down on the bed and talks to the picture. FATHER Dear, she will stay single for the rest of her life if she still behave like that. I cannot live with her forever! FATHER takes a teenage magazine which his daughter left in his room. He opens the magazine to see how modern girl dress up. He cringes at the view of some girls with sexy clothes. Then he sees a gorgeous girl in a beautiful dress and he pictures his daughter in that dress. He smiles. FATHER (V.O) Girls look nice in a dress, no doubt! FATHER goes back to the living room. He sees DAUGHTER is sleeping on the coach. He looks at her with gentle eyes, then wakes her up. FATHER Hey! Go sleep in your room. CUT TO: MONTAGE - VARIOUS: EXT.ON THE STREET. DAY FATHER goes to work. He deliver a bunch of goods on a small bike in a hot sunny day. INT.HOUSE. DAY He fixes the electronic in the customer house. THE HOUSE OWNER pays him money and he thanks them with a huge appreciation.
(CONTINUED)
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6.
INT.HOUSE. NIGHT FATHER goes back home from work. He looks for his daughter and finds her in her bed room. He looks through the door. DAUGHTER takes out all the clothes in the closet. She try on all of them but she isn't satisfied with what she sees in the mirror. After a while, she gives up and angrily throws the clothes away and sits down hard on the bed. INT.RESTAURANT. DAY FATHER works hard in the restaurant, he sweeps the floor and cleans the table. INT.LIVING ROOM. NIGHT FATHER is calculating money while DAUGHTER is reading a magazine. He looks up to his daughter and says: FATHER It's my birthday this weekend. Want to go eat in a restaurant? DAUGHTER looks up. She pouts her lips. DAUGHTER (angrily) We have no money to eat at the restaurant! Beside, I'll go to Trang's birthday party this weekend. You go eat by yourself! EXT.HALLWAY WITH WINDOWS. DAY FATHER is cleaning all the windows in the apartment's hallway, sweat running on his face. END OF MONTAGE FATHER (V.O) People ask me if I'm happy, eh, i don't even know, but as long as my girl get all what she needed then I'm OK. CUT TO: EXT.STREET. DAY FATHER is riding motorbike on the street. He looks smaller and smaller, immersing himself in the big and busy city.
(CONTINUED)
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7.
CUT TO: EXT. A DRESS SHOP. DAY FATHER stands in front of a beautiful girl's clothing shop. Then he steps inside. He goes around and looks at all the beautiful clothes. He uses his hands to describe his daughter to the SALE-LADY in an awkward way (measuring her height, her waist, her breast) FATHER (V.O) She will be so happy if she know I buy her a new dress. CUT TO: INT.DAD'S ROOM.DAY FATHER is sitting in his bed, holding the new dress in his hand and imagines his daughter looking beautiful in the new dress. He smiles satisfactorily. Dad!
DAUGHTER (O.S) FATHER looks up then stands up and walks out. FATHER There there, what happen now? CUT TO: INT.HOUSE'S KITCHEN.DAY He steps into the kitchen. He is excited to give the new dress to his daughter; but, instead, he is surprised to see his daughter wearing her mother's dress. The DAUGHTER looks at her father, happily blushes and smiles. FATHER (confuse) Huh? I though you didn't like it? DAUGHTER (jokingly) I have just found out, this is trendy now , hihi. FATHER looks at his DAUGHTER full of surprise. He remembers the new dress which is still in his hand. He pulls out the dress. FATHER I bought something for you! Do you like it?
(CONTINUED)
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8.
DAUGHTER (yelling) NO! Why did you waste money on that ? FATHER (angrily) What do you meant by NO? I've worked hard for this. DAUGHTER (angrily) Did I make you to work to buy me this dress? This is ridiculous! IMAGINATION SCENE FATHER throw the dress at his DAUGHTER and yells angrily. FATHER You little evil! Do you know how hard I have worked to buy you this dress? Wear it now! You ungrateful kid! END OF IMAGINATION FATHER just can not understand his daughter reaction, he is both disappointed and angry FATHER (angrily) What's wrong with you? Why aren't you happy, you asked for money to buy new dress. DAUGHTER (angrily) And you have no money for that, that's fine! I don't need this! FATHER is surprise with his daughter reaction but he's still angry. FATHER (angry and confuse) So why didn't you tell this at first? So i don't need to buy a new one ? DAUGHTER (talk softly, a bit shy) I didn't know you could go this far, I wear mom's dress for your birthday, don't you like it ? FATHER and DAUGHTER looks at each other for a while.
(CONTINUED)
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9.
DAUGHTER (shy) So? Do I look beautiful? FATHER (gently & awkwardly) You look great! DAUGHTER smiles happily. FATHER looks at her and also feels happy. FATHER (V.O) (proudly, smile triumphantly) My girl! The evil hunts my life. My forever debt... DAUGHTER takes her purse and walks to the house door. Then she makes a 180 degree turn to show off her dress while talking to her dad DAUGHTER Just return the dress won't you, I can look great in anything, especially in mom's dress? I'm going out now. DAUGHTER walks straight out of the house. FATHER (V.O) .. The greatest love of my life. People ask if I am happy? He then sees, on the kitchen table, all the delicious food that his daughter has made for him and a note with the daughter handwritting "Happy Birthday Dad". He smiles. FATHER (V.O) Uhmm, yeah, I am happy. DAD!
DAUGHTER (O.S) The daughter calls for her father from outside the house. CUT TO: EXT. OUTSIDE THE HOUSE. NIGHT The father walks out. DAUGHTER (smile) You're wearing the shirt inside out. Bye Dad! Then, the daughter hops on her BOYFRIEND's motorbike and they rides away. Leaving the father with a big proud smile on his face.
(CONTINUED)
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10.
FATHER (V.O) (proudly, smile triumphantly) That's my daughter! God bless her future husband! FADE OUT END