Tài liệu Writing the short film 3th - Part 41 pptx

THE LADY IN WAITING
by Christian Taylor
1. EXT. FORTLEY MANOR. EARLY MORNING
All is quiet as the first rays of sunlight hit FORTLEY
MANOR.
At the front gate is a large sign which reads:
“Bartle and Johnson of London announce the sale of
Fortley Manor, an extensive country estate.” Across the
bottom is plastered SOLD.
2. INT. FORTLEY MANOR. MORNING
Large rooms lie empty of furniture, everything is
spartan and clean, and nothing moves save the morning
light that gradually increases throughout the building. A
distant RUSTLING is heard.
3. INT. DINING ROOM. MORNING
A pair of woman’s hands sifts through a packing box
filled with newspaper-wrapped objects. A small bundle is
added, and the box is closed. A sticker is placed on the
box which reads AUCTION. There is a sigh from the owner
of the hands, MISS PEACH. Miss Peach is a grey-haired,
formal-looking woman in her late fifties. She sits
awkwardly on a suitcase in the middle of the dining room,
which is bare of furniture save a few packing boxes and
the odd piece of newspaper. Miss Peach is conservatively
dressed in a drab woolen coat and unassuming hat. Miss
Peach lifts a cardboard box from the floor in front of her
and places the box on her lap. Carefully, she opens the
box and reveals inside an array of letters and
correspondence. At the top lies a faded postcard of New
York skyline. Miss Peach turns over the postcard and it
reads: “Dearest Walter, I Miss You, New York Misses You.

Oh how stubborn you British are! Love Always, Catherine.”
Miss Peach replaces the postcard and closes the box.
SARAH, a plump rosy-cheeked maid, enters; she too is
dressed in a coat and hat. She carries a box.
SARAH
I believe this is the last box from his Lordship’s
study.
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MISS PEACH
Thank you, Sarah. This box contains Lord Walter’s
private correspondence. They can be destroyed.
Miss Peach places the box on the floor.
3. INT. DINING ROOM. MORNING (CONT.)
SARAH
That lawyer in charge of the will, Mr. Case, came
by earlier; he brought this.
Sarah withdraws from her coat pocket a white envelope
and hands it to Miss Peach.
SARAH
He said you would know what it was.
Miss Peach takes the letter and examines it. It reads:
“Catherine Spencer, 356 Park Avenue, Penthouse, New
York, NY 10022.” She pauses and then places it in her
handbag. STEVENS, a young butler, enters.
STEVENS
Will that be all, Miss Peach?
MISS PEACH
Yes, yes. I believe our jobs are finished here.

SARAH
Miss Peach, I’d just like to say you ran a beautiful
house. It was a pleasure to work on your
housekeeping staff.
Miss Peach gathers her things.
SARAH
If his Lordship was alive I’m sure he would have
said the same.
MISS PEACH
Indeed. When you’ve finished closing up the house,
Stevens, drop the keys at Mr Case’s office.

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4. INT. HALLWAY. MORNING
Miss Peach exits the dining room and walks down the
marble hallway.
CUT TO:
3. INT. DINING ROOM. MORNING (CONT.)
STEVENS
Where is she going?
SARAH
I think Miss Peach may be travelling to meet her
rival.
5. EXT. FORTLEY MANOR. DAY
Miss Peach exits Fortley Manor, and, carrying her
suitcase, she walks down a quiet country lane.
THE TITLE: THE LADY IN WAITING appears on the
screen.
CUT TO:

6. EXT. NEW YORK CITY SKYLINE. NIGHT
Seventies MUSIC builds over a BRIDGE view of New York
City, glistening and alive. Cars whiz along avenues, and
a myriad of lights shine from an array of windows. This
is New York in its heyday—vibrant and energetic.
Over the view comes the title card:
Wednesday, 13 July 1977.
9:15 p.m.
CUT TO:
7. EXT. CAB. NIGHT
Miss Peach sits in the back of a cab as it enters the city.
She peers out of the windows, mesmerized as the lights
of the city flash past.
CUT TO:
8. EXT. APARTMENT BLOCK. NIGHT
A taxi drives up and stops outside an apartment
building. Out steps Miss Peach dressed similarly as
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before. She looks up at the high-rise block (#8A) and
then enters the building.
CUT TO:
9. INT. APARTMENT BLOCK LOBBY. NIGHT
A doorman wrestles with a large bouquet of flowers,
which is being delivered by a young man on roller
skates. The young man holds out a receipt card, which
the doorman struggles to sign. Miss Peach enters the
lobby and walks right past the busy doorman. Arriving
at the elevators, she presses the button and waits. From

her purse she withdraws the letter, takes a quick look,
and then quickly returns it to her bag. The elevator
arrives and Miss Peach enters.
CUT TO:
10. INT. ELEVATOR. NIGHT
Miss Peach enters the elevator and presses the button
for the penthouse. The doors close, and Miss Peach
stands alone. Miss Peach presses the penthouse floor
button again, a DOORBELL sounds. The sound of a DOOR
OPENING and . . . Miss Peach begins to mumble to
herself as the numbers of the floors flick past.
MISS PEACH
Oh hello . . . Miss Spencer?
Miss Peach pauses.
Miss Spencer? Miss Catherine Spencer? I am Miss
Peach. I have a letter from Lord Walter. Could I
come in?
The elevator continues to rise, 25 . . . 26 . . . 27 . . . 28,
and, PING, it comes to a stop. Miss Peach is jolted from
her day dream as the doors open, and there stands
SCARLET, a stunning and heavily made-up black woman.
She boasts a pair of sunglasses, a large wig, a fancy
theatrical dress, and a large leather zipper bag. She
rushes in, ignoring Miss Peach, and presses the lobby
button. The doors close and the elevator continues to
RISE.

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SCARLET

I don’t believe this.
Miss Peach stares at the dramatic and chaotic figure of
Scarlet who now stands slumped against the wall. Miss
Peach is silent but continues to stare. Scarlet stares
back.
10. INT. ELEVATOR. NIGHT (CONT.)
SCARLET
I know. It’s like a crash on the highway—you can’t
look at it and you can’t look away.
Miss Peach attempts a smile, but Scarlet stares blankly
back. Miss Peach quickly turns away. There is a moment
of awkward silence as the elevator continues to glide up.
Suddenly the lights in the elevator begin to flicker, and
there echoes a loud SOUND of energy being drained.
CUT TO:
11. EXT. NEW YORK CITY. NIGHT
A traffic signal goes blank.
A DON’T WALK signal stops blinking.
A street light fades.
Blocks of apartment buildings go dark.
The Empire State Building switches out . . .
SOUNDS of a chaotic city echo out.
CUT TO:
12. INT. ELEVATOR. NIGHT
The DRAINING SOUND CONTINUES; the lights in the
elevator become dimmer and dimmer and dimmer; there
is a loud ZAP; the elevator comes to an abrupt halt,
followed by a bright flash . . . and then BLACK.
MISS PEACH
What’s happened?!

Silence in the dark. A lighter is lit revealing Scarlet.
SCARLET
Lady, we’ve broken down.
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12. INT. ELEVATOR. NIGHT (CONT.)
MISS PEACH
Oh dear . . . we can’t do that . . . what now.
Miss Peach stares at Scarlet utterly nervous and
mesmerized. Scarlet reaches down into her large leather
bag, which is on the floor.
MISS PEACH
Wait! What are you doing?
Scarlet ignores Miss Peach and crouching over her bag
continues her search. Miss Peach opens a panel and
removes an emergency telephone.
MISS PEACH
Hello . . . I’m trapped in the lift . . . anyone
there?
There is no reply. Miss Peach fiddles with the telephone
and then replaces the receiver. Scarlet continues to
rummage in her bag.
MISS PEACH
How long do you think . . . how long are we going
to be stopped?
SCARLET
I don’t know.
Scarlet continues to rummage in her bag. An emergency
light flickers on.

MISS PEACH
Oh. We might be trapped for hours.
Scarlet finds some cigarettes and looks up frustrated.
SCARLET
Lady, I’m aware of that!

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12. INT. ELEVATOR. NIGHT (CONT.)
MISS PEACH
I wish you would stop saying that. I’m not a Lady.
No Lady this, Lady that. Just Miss Peach. My
name’s Peach.
Scarlet stands.
SCARLET
Scarlet. How do you do?
Scarlet lights a cigarette. Miss Peach gives a disapproving
cough.
SCARLET
I have to smoke!
MISS PEACH
Scarlet is that . . . a stage name?
SCARLET
You could call it that.
MISS PEACH
I knew it. My mother was a theatre person. And
what do you do in the theatre, Miss Scarlet?
SCARLET
People . . . hire me for private parties and things.
I sing mostly.

MISS PEACH
All that excitement . . . never saw the point really.
Scarlet notices an ornate diamond broach on Miss
Peach’s lapel and removes her sunglasses to make a
closer inspection.
SCARLET
No room for glitter maybe, but give me diamonds
anytime.
12. INT. ELEVATOR. NIGHT (CONT.)
Miss Peach makes a small protective gesture to check
her broach.
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