ONE SUMMER'S DAY
Short Film
Email: [email protected]
FADE IN:
INT.CAR – RESIDENTIAL ROAD – LEAFY LONDON SUBURB - DAY
A youngish couple aged about thirty-five are seated in the driver’s seat and passenger seat of a fairly ordinary car.The car is stationary.The man,JACK,appears to be deep in thought,and the woman,LOUISE,is staring blankly out of the window.There is a strained atmosphere between them.JACK,(In the driver’s seat)is the first to speak.
JACK
I want a divorce,Louise,
(Pause)I know about your
affair,(Pause)and anyway
it hasn’t been working for
us now for at least a year.
LOUISE
(Sighs)Look,Jack,do we have
to talk about this now?I
told my sister,liz,that we’d
arrive by about ten,and it’s
quarter to twelve already.
Half the day’s been wasted,
and she’ll bw wondering
where we got to.
JACK
Okay,I’ll drop the subject for
now.After all,we don’t want to
go upsetting your little sister,
do we?
JACK and LOUISE both get out of the car.they head towards a large Victorian house,which has been divided into flats,and ring the doorbell.After a second or two a young woman of about twenty-five appears at the door.She looks like LOUISE,but is younger,and much more scruffily dressed.
LOUISE
Jack,this is my sister,Liz….
LIZ
I’ve been really looking
forward to meeting you,Jack.
Louise has told me so much
about you.It’s strange how
we haven’t met until today.I
mean,you two have been
married for four years now.
I suppose the fact that
I’ve been living abroad
for the last three years
hasn’t helped much.
Mind you,if you hadn’t kept
your wedding in the
Seychelles a secret,we might
have met back then.Anyway,
let’s not chatter on the door-
step.Come in and meet my
flatmate,Emma.
JACK,LOUISE,and LIZ,go up a short flight of stairs,and into the living room of a typical student house.It is untidy with magazines and books strewn all over the floor.there are empty crisps packets,and coke tins on the coffee table.Sitting on one of the armchairs is a young woman of about twenty-five.She is pretty in a rather studious way.When the others enter the room,she gets up to greet them.
EMMA
Hello,you must be Louise and
Jack!I’m Emma,Liz’s flatmate.
LOUISE
It’s nice to meet you,Emma.
(Turning to LIZ)If you don’t
mind,Liz,Jack and I will go
and freshen up a bit.That
drive down was very sticky.
LIZ
Okay,well,I’m off to prepare
Some lunch.See you later.
All the characters exit from the living room.The next sene is later in the aftrenoon.JACK is sitting in kitchen,reading the newspaper.There is a huge pile of unwashed dishes in the sink.(Everything about this room is cheap and cheerful.It is just as untidy as the living room).Emma enters the kitchen.
EMMA
Where are the others?
JACK
They’ve gone shopping.I
couldn’t face it myself.It’s
far too hot.(Pause)You look a
bit annoyed.What’s up?
EMMA
Oh,nothing much.Somebody’s sent
me a package,but it’s gone to
my old address in Kingston.So
now I’ll have to go and fetch
it from the post office sorting
depot down there.
JACK
You don’t have a car?
EMMA
No,I don’t………
JACK
I’ll give you a lift if you
like.I don’t have anything
better to do anyway.Perhaps
we could have a drive through
Richmond Park.That’s supposed
to be quite nice,isn’t it?
EMMA
Er,yes,all right,if you really
don’t mind.
JACK
Okay then,when you’re ready
we’ll get going!
INT.– JACK’S CAR – VEHICLE IN MOTION – DAY
JACK and EMMA are seated in the car.JACK is in the driver’s seat,and EMMA is seating in the front passenger seat.The car is heading towards Richmond Park from Putney.
JACK
So what do you normally do
when you’re not chasing half
way across town after lost
packages?
EMMA
I’m a librarian.Only I’m on
leave at the moment.
JACK
I hope you won’t mind me
saying so,but you look as
if you might be something
like that.You look sort of
brainy,smart.
EMMA
I’m not sure it’s that much
of a compliment to be told
you look like a librarian!
JACK
Actually,I do mean it as a
compliment.You remind me of
Louise when I first met her.
I thought she was the
smartest girl I’d ever
encountered.And she looked
meek and mild like you,but
beneath the surface she was
tough and determined.She had
to be with someone like me
around.
EMMA
Why do you say that?
JACK
When we first met I was
drinking too much.My life
was going nowhere.I was
slowly going off the rails.
Louise helped me turn my
JACK(Continued)
life around.I owe her a lot.
(Pauses)I don’t understand
how we could have gone from
that to the brink of divorce.
EMMA
You’re getting divorced?
JACK
I asked Louise for a divorce
today(Pauses)The last year or
so we’ve just grown apart.Our
jobs haven’t helped.My respon-
sabilities have meant that I
quite often work late,and at
weekends.Louise’s job has
become a lot more high
powered lately,and it quite
often takes her out of town.
We’ve just not had a lot of
time together this last year.
(Pauses)Then about three
months ago I found out she’d
been having an affair,and I
have’nt been able to feel
the same way about her since.
In fact I haven’t been able
to bring myself to look her
straight in the face since
then.
EMMA
It seems such a shame.After
meaning so much to each other.
JACK
We’re just coming up to
Richmond Park.You know,I’ve
been to London loads of times,
but I’ve never visited this
park.
EXT.– RICHMOND PARK – LONDON – DAY
The camera takes a wide view across the park.Taking in its trees,horse riders,deer etc.
INT.– CAR – DAY
JACK and EMMA are both admiring the view.JACK is the first to speak.
JACK
It’s an absolutely glorious
day.Let’s get out of the car
and stretch our legs a bit.
EMMA
Yeah,okay.I could do with a
breath of fresh air.
EXT.– RICHMOND PARK – DAY
JACK and EMMA are walking down towards the lake.
EMMA
Look,I know it’s none of my
business,but why don’t you
try to patch things up with
Louise?
JACK
You’re right,it isn’t any
of your business!(Pause)
I’m sorry,I didn’t mean
that.But I don’t think we
can patch things up.It’s
gone too far.
EMMA
Do you know if Louise is
still seeing the man she
had an affair with?
JACK
She says it’s over……
EMMA
Well,maybe there’s hope
then.(Pauses)My parents
got divorced.My Mum has had
a couple of failed
relationships since then.
most of the time she’s
complaining about how
shabbily her last boyfriend
treated her.And my Dad’s
EMMA(Continued)
last girlfriend was younger
than I am.Needless to say,
his relationships don’t last
long either.The point
I’m trying to make is,my
parents split up after
about twenty years of
marriage,and they’ve
never found anyone else.
I mean,I don’t have that
much experience with
relationships myself,but I
do know that real,true love,
is a rare thing,and you
shouldn’t give up on it that
easily.
JACK
You know,Emma,you’re very
wise.I wish I’d had such
a good head on my shoulders
when I was your age.(Pause)
You’re right,I’m not going
to give up on Louise.I’m
going to find out what’s
wrong.(Pauses)Maybe we
just need to spend more
time together,and talk
more,like we used to.
EMMA
Just tell her what you’ve
told me.Tell her how much
she means to you,how much
you owe her,and I’m sure
she’ll listen.
JACK
Emma,(Pauses)I just want to
say that before I talked
to you today,I was all set
on getting a divorce,but
you’ve made me realize,just
what I might be losing.
You’ve helped me save my
marriage.(Pauses)And I have
a confesssion to make.When
I offered you a lift
earlier on,I suppose I was
JACK(Continued)
half hoping something might
happen between us,I mean,
you’re a pretty girl,and I
felt rejected by Louise.
but now I’m glad nothing
has,because,you given me
something more precious,
you’ve helped me get my
life back.(Blushing)Hey,
I’m getting all emotional
here.Let’s get back to the
car,and pick up that package
of yours!
INT.– FLAT – LANDING - LATE EVENING
JACK and LOUISE are saying goodbye to LIZ.Both JACK and LOUISE look happier,and calmer than when they arrived.
LOUISE
Well,we’ll be off now.Jack’s
brother lives in London too,
and his wife’s just had a new
baby,so we promised we’d go
over when we came down.
LIZ
It’s a shame it was such a
short visit,I do understand
about your work commitments,
though.(Pauses)Anyway,it
doesn’t matter,because I’ll
be up to visit you in about
a month.it’s about time,we
tried to keep in touch more.
INT.– FLAT – BOTTOM OF STAIRCASE – LATE EVENING
LOUISE
We’ll be off then!See you
soon,Liz!Nice meeting you,
Emma.(LOUISE then turns her
back to LIZ and EMMA).
JACK
(Still facing LIZ and EMMA,
silently mouths)Thank you.
(Only EMMA sees this).
EMMA
(Raises her hand slightly
in acknowledgement).
FADE OUT:
Download Script