Ruby

By

Archie Leigh, Katie Moulder and Cora Corre

An origional screenplay

Fine Arts College 24 Lambolle PlaceBelsize ParkLondonnw3 4pg0207 586 0312

RUBY

EXT.FLATS.DAY.

A young girl, aged 10, hair tied in plaits, with a rucksackon her back, standing between two buildings. She looks atone, standing in the middle of the road, then turns to lookat the other and then knocks on the door of it.

INT.MOTHERS HOUSE.EVENING.

Dinner with both parents, awkward tension alongside younggirl enthusiastic and energetic asking parents generalquestions

RUBYI’m so excited for christmas. I’venearly finished my list to send toSanta...I really want a new teddy

DADWell that will depend on if youhave been a good girl this year!

RUBYAre we still going to grandmas onchristmas day?

DADOf course we are darling, whywouldn’t we

Mum gives a strong angry look towards the dad

MUMAlan, we don’t know what ishappening yet...we need to speak toyour mum about it

DADBut we are all going to be togetherfor christmas, right?

INT.RUBY BATHROOM.EVENING.

Ruby is getting ready to go to bed and is brushing herteeth. Through the crack of the door you can see the Mum onthe phone. You can hear a muffled voice and can faintly hearher spelling out words and shouting down the phone.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 2.

MUMWhat the f-u-c-k is wrong with you?All I want is for Ruby to behappy...

Ruby pauses brushing her teeth so that she can try to hearwhat her mum is saying on the phone

MUMAll this s-h-i-t about a-l-a-n isdriving me crazy. It’s not fair onRuby. Just because of herf-u-c-k-i-n-g dad, she is missingout

Ruby continues brushing her teeth and gets in to bed feelingconfused.

INT.RESTAURANT.EVENING.

VOICE OVER WHILST PARENTS SITTING LOOKING ANGRILY ATEACHOTHER

MUMI had a call from Ruby’s danceteacher today saying she has missedfour dance lessons in a row.

DADWell I’m not the one responsiblefor that

MUM(sigh)

DADYour the one who is meant to takeher every week, im at work, i cantdo that, you have to sort this oneout

MUMWhy are you always turning thisonto me you were the one who wantedher to go to dance in the firstplace

DAD

3.

EXT.PARK.DAY.

Ruby swinging on the swing by herself, in the playarea inthe park and looks to her left to see another young girl whois the same age as her, being pushed on the swing by both ofher parents laughing and having fun.

INT.DAD KITCHEN.DAY.

Presents placed under the Christmas tree which are labelled’From Santa and Dad’.

RUBYDaddy, why do my presents say thatthey are from you and Santa? Santais meant to deliver them separatelyon Christmas Eve.

DADRuby, Santa is not real. I am’Santa’, just like your friendsparents are Santa too.

RUBY(call mum)

MUMMY IS SANTA REAL? DADDY SAIDTHAT HE IS SANTA BUT HE DOESN’THAVE A BIG BELLY AND A RED SUIT

SO SANTA IS REAL?

Ruby ends the call, looks at her dad in a confused anddisappointed way and then walks out the room

INT.DAD BATHROOM.EVENING.

Dad has just got out of the shower and the mirror andwindows are all steamed up. He lifts his hand up to wipe themirror so that he can see his reflection and just stares athimself in disgust and you can see he is in deep thoughtabout how he is struggling with the reality.

INT.RESTAURANT.EVENING

Mum and Dad sitting in restaurant, not saying a word to eachother. Mum is playing around with the food on her plate asthe Dad eats and does not look up at Mum at all.

4.

INT.MUM KITCHEN.DAY.

Asks her mum why her dad told her Santa is not real and themums reaction

INT.MUM BATHROOM.EVENING.

Mum looking in mirror showing how hes struggling with thereality

INT.RESTAURANT.EVENING.

Mum and Dad out for dinner to try to sort their problemsout. Dad is ordering drink after drink seeming not to careas the Mum is having a go at him.

INT.DAD HOUSE,GIRL BEDROOM.EVENING.

Ruby asleep in bed and is woken up by the noise of her dadcoming through the front door being very aggressive andbumping into the walls and falling onto the ground. Alsohear the smashing of beer bottles as they are dropped ontothe ground as he finishes another one.

INT.A&E.EVENING.

Ruby sat in the waiting room in A&E, looking very worriedand lonely. Dad approaches Ruby with black eye and arm in asling and takes her hand to go home without saying anything.

EXT.PARK.DAY.

Ruby is being taught to ride her bike in the park by a manwho is shown to be a new ’fatherly figure’, as you see theMum in the background laughing and smiling. Ruby gets in astrop and starts running off as this man is helping her whenreally all she wants is her Dad.

MONTAGE SEQUENCE.

A montage of shots from the previous scenes appear whilsthearing a voice over of the girl.

RUBY (V/O)I need both of you to stay involvedin my life. Please make phone callsand ask me lots of questions. If

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 5.

RUBY (V/O) (cont’d)you don’t stay involved, I willfeel as if you don’t really love meand I am not important to you both.

Please stop fighting and work hardto get along with each other sothat I don’t have to be amessenger. Try to agree on mattersthat are related to me. When youargue about me, I think that I didsomething wrong and I feel guilty.

I want to love you both and enjoythe time I spend with both of you.If you act jealous or upset, I feellike I need to take sides and loveone parent more than the other.

When talking about my other parent,please only say nice things, ordon’t say anything at all. When yousay mean, unkind things about myother parent, I feel like you areexpecting me to take your side.

Please remember that I want both ofyou to be part of my life. I counton my mummy and daddy to raise me,to teach me what is important, andto help me when I have problems.