“TINA”
Screenplay by
Helen Kendall
29 October 2008
BLACK SCREEN – SOUND OF KEYS LOCKING A DOOR
LIGHTS UP - INT. A GARISHLY LIT HALLWAY – NIGHT – BLOCK OF FLATS IN A SEEDY PART OF SOUTHEAST LONDON
HELEN, a graduate student heading out to the library to get away from Facebook and get some work done, is bundled up against the unseasonably cold weather that seems to have sprung from nowhere. She walks briskly down the stairs, her shoes clack-clacking against the pink tile floor. As she exits, the building’s heavy metal door slams behind her. She opens the outer gate, and shuts it carefully, noting the sign that says “PLEASE CLOSE THIS GATE QUIETLY!” Turning the corner past the bus stop where the noisy riff-raff seem to congregate at all hours of the day and night, keeping her awake with dramatic fights and off-key pub songs, she makes her way down the block toward the crosswalk. But, barely beyond the corner newsagent, she notices a young woman who is having so much trouble walking that she nearly staggers into the metal security screen pulled down over Bake & Bite storefront. There is no one else in the immediate vicinity, and Helen is concerned this poor woman might actually fall over.
HELEN
(stops next to the woman)
Are you OK?
WOMAN
(with slurred speech)
I’m juss DRUNK. Where’re you goin? You goin thiss way?
HELEN
Well, I’m going to the library over there. Which way are you going? Are you going home?
WOMAN
Yeeaah, I’m tryna get home. But I’m too drrunk.
HELEN
(grabs her arm)
OK, well let me help you. What street do you live on?
WOMAN
(utters something unintelligible)
HELEN
What?
WOMAN
(utters same unintelligible “words”)
HELEN
Well, you lead the way. I’ll just help you walk.
WOMAN
Thhankks. I’m reaally drunnk.
HELEN
It’s OK.
The two walk arm in arm up to the crosswalk. While waiting for the signal to change, the woman turns back to Helen.
WOMAN
Wait...‘re you American?
HELEN
Yes.
WOMAN
Damn! No, no...you Americans! Always trying to help. You should stop.
HELEN
No really, it’s OK.
WOMAN
But yur nod even goin thiss way.
HELEN
(imagining the woman falling and injuring herself, getting lost, being taken advantage of, attacked...)
...Really, I don’t mind.
WOMAN
Bud I live alll th’ way up on th’ill [hill].
HELEN
(wondering just how far she’s going to have to walk)
No, no. It’s OK. I just want to make sure you get home all right.
They walk across the street to the island in the middle, where another crosswalk waits. After a short pause, the woman tries to start the conversation again while they wait.
WOMAN
Whass yur name?
HELEN
Helen.
WOMAN
Oh.
HELEN
And yours?
WOMAN
Tiinna. Sorry I can’ talk to you, I’m too drunnk. I los’ my engagemen’ ring tonigh’.
HELEN
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you lose it in the pub?
TINA
Nah, I loss it in mah pocke’. I loss it.
HELEN
I’m sorry, I hope you find it.
TINA
Yah. I lookt, but I can’ find’t.
HELEN
(takes her arm as they cross the street)
I’m sure it will turn up.
They walk – with great difficulty - in silence for a minute or so. Then Helen hears a man’s voice, a distant yell: “Tina!” She stops and turns to Tina.
HELEN
Was that someone calling your name?
TINA
I thin’ so.
Helen hears the voice again, but louder this time: “TINA!!!” A small, slight man with blond eyebrows and eyelashes and a shaved head is walking quickly toward them. He is wearing no coat, which Helen finds surprising, given the cold. He must have left in a hurry.
MAN
That’s my drunken girlfriend! Cummon Tina.
Helen hands Tina over to the man, her concerned boyfriend/fiancé. He looks exasperated. Like he’s been sick with worry, but also like he’s had to rescue Tina from similar scrapes many times before. It is a “Sigh, not AGAIN” kind of exasperated look.
BOYFRIEND/FIANCÉ
(to Helen)
Thanks.
HELEN
Sure, no problem.
Boyfriend/fiancé leads Tina away. As they walk down the street, Tina babbles at him, staggering all the way.
TINA
(her voice trailing off)
Bud I loss ma engagemen’ ring! It was in ma pocked!
BOYFRIEND/FIANCÉ
I know, I know. It’s OK. Cummon.
Helen watches them disappear around the corner, then laughs to herself. Why she seems to draw such strange people (or strangely behaving people, or drunk people) to her with a powerful magnetism, she isn’t sure. But she knows this will make an entertaining story. Perhaps not as entertaining as the one about the CTA Holy Man. Or the ex-con who proposed to her at a bus stop. But entertaining nonetheless. She turns and heads back toward the library.
CAMERA STATIONARY – HELEN WALKS AWAY DOWN SIDEWALK
FADE OUT.
Screenplay by
Helen Kendall
29 October 2008
BLACK SCREEN – SOUND OF KEYS LOCKING A DOOR
LIGHTS UP - INT. A GARISHLY LIT HALLWAY – NIGHT – BLOCK OF FLATS IN A SEEDY PART OF SOUTHEAST LONDON
HELEN, a graduate student heading out to the library to get away from Facebook and get some work done, is bundled up against the unseasonably cold weather that seems to have sprung from nowhere. She walks briskly down the stairs, her shoes clack-clacking against the pink tile floor. As she exits, the building’s heavy metal door slams behind her. She opens the outer gate, and shuts it carefully, noting the sign that says “PLEASE CLOSE THIS GATE QUIETLY!” Turning the corner past the bus stop where the noisy riff-raff seem to congregate at all hours of the day and night, keeping her awake with dramatic fights and off-key pub songs, she makes her way down the block toward the crosswalk. But, barely beyond the corner newsagent, she notices a young woman who is having so much trouble walking that she nearly staggers into the metal security screen pulled down over Bake & Bite storefront. There is no one else in the immediate vicinity, and Helen is concerned this poor woman might actually fall over.
HELEN
(stops next to the woman)
Are you OK?
WOMAN
(with slurred speech)
I’m juss DRUNK. Where’re you goin? You goin thiss way?
HELEN
Well, I’m going to the library over there. Which way are you going? Are you going home?
WOMAN
Yeeaah, I’m tryna get home. But I’m too drrunk.
HELEN
(grabs her arm)
OK, well let me help you. What street do you live on?
WOMAN
(utters something unintelligible)
HELEN
What?
WOMAN
(utters same unintelligible “words”)
HELEN
Well, you lead the way. I’ll just help you walk.
WOMAN
Thhankks. I’m reaally drunnk.
HELEN
It’s OK.
The two walk arm in arm up to the crosswalk. While waiting for the signal to change, the woman turns back to Helen.
WOMAN
Wait...‘re you American?
HELEN
Yes.
WOMAN
Damn! No, no...you Americans! Always trying to help. You should stop.
HELEN
No really, it’s OK.
WOMAN
But yur nod even goin thiss way.
HELEN
(imagining the woman falling and injuring herself, getting lost, being taken advantage of, attacked...)
...Really, I don’t mind.
WOMAN
Bud I live alll th’ way up on th’ill [hill].
HELEN
(wondering just how far she’s going to have to walk)
No, no. It’s OK. I just want to make sure you get home all right.
They walk across the street to the island in the middle, where another crosswalk waits. After a short pause, the woman tries to start the conversation again while they wait.
WOMAN
Whass yur name?
HELEN
Helen.
WOMAN
Oh.
HELEN
And yours?
WOMAN
Tiinna. Sorry I can’ talk to you, I’m too drunnk. I los’ my engagemen’ ring tonigh’.
HELEN
Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Did you lose it in the pub?
TINA
Nah, I loss it in mah pocke’. I loss it.
HELEN
I’m sorry, I hope you find it.
TINA
Yah. I lookt, but I can’ find’t.
HELEN
(takes her arm as they cross the street)
I’m sure it will turn up.
They walk – with great difficulty - in silence for a minute or so. Then Helen hears a man’s voice, a distant yell: “Tina!” She stops and turns to Tina.
HELEN
Was that someone calling your name?
TINA
I thin’ so.
Helen hears the voice again, but louder this time: “TINA!!!” A small, slight man with blond eyebrows and eyelashes and a shaved head is walking quickly toward them. He is wearing no coat, which Helen finds surprising, given the cold. He must have left in a hurry.
MAN
That’s my drunken girlfriend! Cummon Tina.
Helen hands Tina over to the man, her concerned boyfriend/fiancé. He looks exasperated. Like he’s been sick with worry, but also like he’s had to rescue Tina from similar scrapes many times before. It is a “Sigh, not AGAIN” kind of exasperated look.
BOYFRIEND/FIANCÉ
(to Helen)
Thanks.
HELEN
Sure, no problem.
Boyfriend/fiancé leads Tina away. As they walk down the street, Tina babbles at him, staggering all the way.
TINA
(her voice trailing off)
Bud I loss ma engagemen’ ring! It was in ma pocked!
BOYFRIEND/FIANCÉ
I know, I know. It’s OK. Cummon.
Helen watches them disappear around the corner, then laughs to herself. Why she seems to draw such strange people (or strangely behaving people, or drunk people) to her with a powerful magnetism, she isn’t sure. But she knows this will make an entertaining story. Perhaps not as entertaining as the one about the CTA Holy Man. Or the ex-con who proposed to her at a bus stop. But entertaining nonetheless. She turns and heads back toward the library.
CAMERA STATIONARY – HELEN WALKS AWAY DOWN SIDEWALK
FADE OUT.
2 comments:
Love it! Your first screenplay! You should have take a picture of her with your phone!
Okay...so I can't spell. You should have TAKEN a picture...
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