<back            
 

'At Debt's Door' - Draft 3 (final shooting script)

 

Scene One.

Ext.                                    Jessie's House.                                                Day.

Long-Shot of chldren playing in the front garden.

Int.                                    Jessie's Conservatory.                                    Day.

Camera begins on an ashtray on the ground with a lighted cigarette in it. There is a prayer book beside the ashtray. An elderly hand reaches down and lifts the cigarette slowly up. The camera tilts up following the cigarette to Brigid's face. She takes a drag but does not inhale. She expels a dense cloud of smoke and tightens her lips as she thinks of numbers to put on the Lotto card.

Off-camera Jessie makes a telephone call. Margaret answers and we hear Jessie's side of the conversation.

JESSIE:

"Hello. Margaret?

Hi it's Jessie.

Look, it isn't working.

She's driving me crazy. Your'e going to have to take her earlier than usual.

Letters? Yes. She's had more.

No. I've tried but theyr'e always hidden. "

CUT visually to Jessie on the phone. One of the children from the front garden comes running in to her and she lifts him up.

"Okay. I'll get her stuff ready."

She puts the phone down.

FADE OUT.

 

Scene Two.

FADE UP.

Ext.                                     Front Of Margaret's House.                        Day.

A Taxi pulls up and Brigid gets out with her bags. She walks up to the front door.  There are many doorbells. Brigid presses one of them. The buzzer sounds faulty.

Int.                                    Margaret’s Kitchen.                                                Day.

There is the sound of noisy maintenance work being done somewhere in the house.

We see in close-up a boiling kettle, water being poured into a teapot, chipped tea-cups being put on the work-top and tea poured into them. These sounds are exaggerated.

The kitchen is plain, less lived in than Jessie's. Margaret walks to the table with a pot of tea. She sits down opposite her mother.

MARGARET:

"So Mum. What are all these love-letters Jessie tells me you've been getting?"

 BRIGID:

She dismisses this with her hand and looks at the tattered wallpaper. She speaks with a country accent.

“How is Frank? Any luck?”

MARGARET:

CLOSE-UP. Taken aback.

“No. He’s been trying loads of places. ”

BRIGID:

“And he hasn't found anything yet? Strange, and him looking so hard.”

She sips her tea.

“You must get so depressed on the dole. It’s so degrading.”

MARGARET:

“But. But what can you do?”

BRIGID:

Thinking.

“Jessie works so hard.

Oh ! Is that the time? I have to say my Holy Hour.”

MARGARET:

Sarcastically.

“What? Priests say a Holy Hour.  You’re not a priest are you?”

BRIGID:

CLOSE-UP.

“WHAT?"

A phone is heard ringing out (from the handset).

CUT.

 

 

Scene Three.

Ext.                                    Front Of Cafe Where Jessie Works.                        Day.

Several men enter.

Int.                                    Jessie Is Talking To A Friend.                                    Day.

Traffic sounds fill the room. Many people are talking. The camera tracks past Jessie talking to a friend and circles round the cafe as they speak to show the occupants, lorry drivers, labourers.

JESSIE:

"She's freaking me out. I can't take much more. And the mortgage forms are so complicated. I thought saving the money was hard but filling in those forms is murder. I'm amazed they don't ask for your cup size."

They roar with laughter.

CUT.

Camera pans to Jessie talking on the phone.

JESSIE:

Children's screaming voices can be heard.

CLOSE-UP.

“But Margaret, I know she wants somewhere permanent. But what about money?”

CUT Visuals. The following dialogue is dubbed over images in bold.

Brigid shopping in a small grocery shop and signing the credit book.

MARGARET:

“Well why can't she get a pension. That’s pretty straight forward. The money Dad gives her could pay off her debt.”

Brigid standing in a long bus queue with heavy bags. Behind her 'Harry Moore's'  offers credit on all new electrical goods. Brigid is looking at the goods in the window.

JESSIE:

Getting irritated.

“She has no pension because she never paid stamps. Dad never gives her money regularly. I don’t want the debt collectors around at MY house.”

Brigid approaching her house. She sees someone at the front door and turns and walks away in fear. She looks very depressed.

"Look I've got a job to do. Talk to me later.”

She puts the phone down. A child is standing in front of her with a ketchup bottle. He sprays it over her and runs.

“WHY? WHY me?”

FADE TO BLACK.

 

 

Scene Four.

FADE-UP.

Int.                                      Jessie's Bedroom.                                                            Evening.

[Long-Shot. Track In To Mid-Shot.]

Jessie takes a brown box with a bow on it from under a floorboard. She is dressed in her cafe uniform. The clock can be heard ticking. She takes her wage packet from her uniform and pulls out the money. She counts out two ten pound notes and puts them in the box.

Brigid is in her own room writing. She looks on the table for something; unable to find it she gets up and leaves the room.

When walking past Jessie's room she sees Jessie holding the money.

Jessie fills in the amount on a slip of paper from the box and replaces the lid. She puts the box under the floorboard.

[Track In to Close-Up of Brigid. Film speed slows as Brigid's head turns to look,]

Brigid's eyes light up.

FADE OUT.

 

Scene Five.

FADE UP.

Int.                                    Jessie’s House.                                                Day.

Some weeks later.

Margaret is opening a present from Brigid. It is a large T.V..

MARGARET:

"But Mum. Where did you get the money?"

BRIGID:

Grinning proudly.

"Didn't I tell you St. Francis would provide."

The doorbell rings. Brigid walks to the front door.  She opens the door to a young man with a leather bag. The street is noisy with traffic and children.

YOUNG MAN:

"Hello. Mrs Coyle? Mrs Brigid Coyle?"

BRIGID:

"Yes."

The young man smiles.                                                     

CUT to Brigid bursting into Jessie's room and goes straight to where she saw Jessie put the box of money. She lifts the floorboard but the box is not there. She mouths the word "Shit!"

Cut to Close-Up of the young man at the door.

When we see the room again it is a mess but Brigid has found the box. She opens it and the money is gone. She lifts out a letter and reads it. Her face drops and her body droops lifelessly. She lets the letter fall to the ground and the camera tracks in to show that it is a deposit on a house.

FADE TO BLACK.

MUSIC. 'If I Should Fall From Grace With God."

END.