UNTITLED SHORT FILM

Hancock & Beck hausofharry@gmail.com

SCENE 1 - stairs

From the upstairs staircase Jack (a young

autistic boy) ’bumps’ down the stairs, as he

descends the stairs his clothes change

every-step showing a progression of time and

routine. His final outfit is the pyjamas.

SCENE 2 - morning routine

Jack enters and sits in the central chair at the

breakfast table. Emma (Jack’s mother) is setting

up food on the breakfast table, she’s wearing a

dressing grown, has messy hair and last nights

make-up on. She precisely places seven cereal

boxes, aligned in alphabetical order, a

placemat, napkin and spoon. The table looks very

neat and framed, like a display kitchen.

Emma brings over a glass of juice and a jug of

milk, she kisses him on the head, then exits to

the office room with a cup of coffee. Jack picks

a variety of flakes from each cereal packet and

places them in his bowl. He pours milk to just

below the cereal line then puts the milk back,

takes his spoon and begins eating.

SCENE 3 - watching tv

Jack is now in the living room sitting on the

carpet with his legs crossed. He is sitting

staring at the cupboard in-front of the sofa.

After over 10 seconds he moves forward, opens

the cabinet and picks out a Rubik’s cube. He

takes the exact same place back on the floor. He

solves the Rubik’s cube in nearly 20 seconds. He

puts the cube down and continues staring at the

cupboard.

Jack moves onto the sofa and turns on the TV,

the cupboard folds and a TV rises from the

centre of it. He chooses discovery channel and

we hear David Attenborough’s voice over is

describing animal activities in the Amazon

rainforest where a certain species of tree frog

carry out the exact same morning routine

everyday.

SCENE 4 - emma in her office

Emma is in her office at the laptop, on the

windowsill is a row of framed pictures, some of

her & Jack, others and some of her much younger

with friends at work and at bars. The office is

far messier than the rest of the house, there

are files and paper booklets on chairs around

the room and the desk is covered in mugs and a

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 2.

few wine glasses. Her mobile rings, she searches

underneath the files and papers, trying to find

it. It continues to ring. She finds the mobile

underneath a photo on the coffee table. The

screen flashes "Rob Morgan Calling," Rob is her

boss.

EMMA

Rob, hi... no I have a couple of minutes ...

SCENE 5 - emma tidying kitchen

Jack is sitting on sofa watching an Animal

Programme.

Emma enters to the kitchen on the phone, her

conversation continues as she pours another cup

of coffee and tidies some of the kitchen.

EMMA

It shouldn’t take longer than a week, I have a couple

of issues with the last placements also... Well to

start I’m worried he’s got the gross wrong, what was

last years overall? So that makes the gross 33%? She

goes back to office with coffee continuing

conversation.

Seeing her leave Jack turns the TV off, the TV

begins to fold back into the cupboard out of

focus as he gets up and follows her to the

office, taking the Rubik’s Cube with him.

SCENE 6 - emma’s phonecall

Dialogue during stage directions,

not SEPARATELY

Emma’s sitting at the desk again talking to Rob

on the phone. Jack enters from the hallway into

the office, peeking his head round the door at

first.

EMMA

Did you get through to him? I can’t exactly put

through the last payments if we haven’t got the final

numbers... We could do with a breakdown on mondays

meeting ...

He winces slightly at the clutter of the room

and her untidiness. He focuses back to Emma and

walks over to her, the Rubik’s Cube

outstretched.

EMMA

Part of my thinking was that if we got to grips with

the ... well yes Rob ... It’s more a question of

whether or not they choose us, it’s going round that

Burgess has offered them a lower claim

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 3.

She notices him in her peripheral vision but

pays little attention, she simply holds his head

briefly, squashing him and the Rubik’s Cube

accidentally. He struggles free. She pays no

attention and continues her conversation.

EMMA

I think once Deni has the numbers in and we breakdown

everything we can formulate a new proposal by

wednesday but everyone’s going to need to get

involved ... well what do you propose

Jack holds the Cube up with some anger now in

her face so she can see it clearly, she gives

him a patronising smile and pulls his hand down

from in-front of her face. She turns away from

him and moves to sit on the opposite chair. Jack

stamps his feet in-front of her. She gestures to

shh.

JACK

Grunting, gurgling noises begin

Jack walks to centre of the room and kicks a

pile of papers which turns his mood from anger

to fit, he now realises the mess that is

surrounding him and can’t cope.

EMMA

Jack, quiet now, Mummy’s trying to talk. Jack! Yes

Rob everything’s fine ... Just Jack’s a bit upset, no

you keep going, I’m all ears.

Scene 7 - jack’s fit

Jack stumbles out of the room and down the

stairs to the kitchen where he collapses onto

the floor and shakes in fits and tensed muscle

spasms. He is having an internal fit, unable to

communicate or act out, his body is completely

tensed.

Emma runs after him, realising what is about to

happen and seeing him lying on the hard stone

kitchen floor, grabs him, holding him close

while he shakes.

EMMA

Rob, yes, listen can you email ...

JACK

No.

Jack just manages to knock the phone out of her

hand and its falls to the floor. She tries to

reach it but Jack has taken priority. She now

strokes his head and tries to calm him. She has

experienced many of these episodes before now.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 4.

Jack finally calms down and slumps onto Emma

from exhaustion, he is numb looking.

EMMA

That’s it sweetheart, ok come on then...

She helps him up and over to the sofa where she

restarts the TV and puts in a Planet Earth DVD.

She sits with him watching it for a while and

she sees he is calmed she sneaks back to the

office.

Scene 8 - emma’s office

Emma slumps in her chair with her head in her

hands. She takes a sip of coffee. She looks once

again over the photos on the windowsill.

Emma runs upstairs and reappears 10 seconds

later changed into casual clothing, jeans and a

t-shirt.

She goes into the office, looks once again over

the photos and picks up her bag and a photo of

her and friends when they were much younger and

her handbag from the desk.

scene 9 - outside the house

Emma closes the office door quietly and then

opens the front door with equal caution, closing

it quietly behind her. She leans against the

front porch. Digs in her bag and pulls out a

packet of Marlboro cigarettes and a lighter. The

daylight is refreshing, everything in the scene

is brighter and more colourful. She lights her

cigarette and gazes over the other houses and

her front garden while smoking. She stubs out

the cigarette and throws it into the garden. She

walks puts them bag in her bag, clutching the

picture frame close to her chest. She closes her

eyes and breathes.

She bends down, picks up milk bottles that are

by the door and gets the keys out from her bag.

She opens the door and goes back into the house.

END