A Monster Calls Page #10

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GrandMA

Pick up your rucksack, please.

Don’t want your father to think I’m

keeping you in a pigsty.

ConOR

(muttering)

Not much chance of that.

His Grandma opens a front closet, puts on a coat.

GrandMA

Now, Conor, when you go to the

hospital, your father may not

notice how tired your mum’s been

getting, okay? So we’re going to

have to make sure he doesn’t

overstay his welcome.

Final check in the mirror.

GranDMA (CONT’D)

(to herself)

Not that that’s historically been a

problem.

She gives one last appraising look at Conor.

Grandma (CONT’D)

If you get hungry before your dad

gets here, there’s steamed broccoli

in the fridge. No eggs. You’ve

already had eggs twice this week.

(frowns, sighs)

Be good.

And lets herself out.

116.

68 InT. granDMA’S Kitchen - moments LATER 68

Montage as Conor looks around his Grandma’s house for

something to do. First in her spotless kitchen, cupboards

full of nothing a boy might like to eat.

117.

69 InT. grandma’s kiTCHEN - momENTS LATER 69

Conor now stands on the counter-top, digging deep into a

cupboard. He finds a packet of cookies.

CONOR:

Get in.

118.

70 InT. grandma’s TV room - momentS LATER 70

Conor in a sterile TV room, eating the cookies. Only dull

channels (BBC, Living) are available. Every channel he wants

to watch blocked by a PIN code.

119.

71 InT. grandma’s guEST ROOM - momENTS LATER 71

Conor opens the door to his temporary bedroom. His suitcase

is open, clothes removed, but the room is bright white,

pictures of sailboats on the wall. It could be a hotel room.

120.

72 EXT. grandma’s back garden - momentS LATER 72

Conor steps out into his Grandma’s back garden which has no

green space at all, just stone paths, sheds and an office

she’s had built in the back.

No hilltop on the horizon. No tree to be seen anywhere.

121.

73 InT. grandma’s CORRIDOR, upstairs - momenTS LATER 73

Conor climbs the steep steps up to the door of Grandma’s loft

conversion. It’s locked. He can’t believe it.

He tries to look through the keyhole, but can only see

glimpses of a room inside.

Then Conor JUMPS at the sound of the DOORBELL. He hurries

down the stairs to...

122.

74 InT. granDMA’S FRONT HALLWAY - conTINUOUS 74

...the front door. He opens it on: HIS DAD, late thirties,

handsome, slightly too boyish for his own good.

Conor’s gives him a genuinely free smile.

123.

75 InT. CHINESE Restaurant - later that EVENING 75

Conor and his Dad sit at a table, waiting for their food. Dad

has a glass of RED WINE, Conor a clear soft drink. Dad isn’t

quite sure how to talk to this son he doesn’t see very often.

His accent is HALF-IRISH/HALF-AMERICAN.

DAD:

How you hanging in there, champ?

ConOR

“Champ”?

DAD:

Sorry. America is almost a whole

different language.

Dad fidgets with his wine glass. Conor drums lightly with his

chopsticks.

Dad (CONT’D)

Your mom seemed pretty good

tonight. A real fighter, that one.

Conor shrugs.

DAD (CONT’D)

You look tired, Con. How are you

holding up?

ConOR

That’s like the eight hundredth

time you’ve asked me that.

DAD:

Sorry.

CONOR:

I’m fine. Mum’s on this new

medicine. It’ll make her better.

Why is everyone acting like

she’s...

He stops. Takes a drink.

DAD:

“Everyone”?

CONOR:

Grandma. Wants me to come live with

her.

DAD:

You mean when your mum

124.

CONOR:

If.

DAD:

(takes the correction)

If your mum...

CONOR:

But that’s not going to happen.

DAD:

Still. You’re going to need to be

brave for her. You’re going to need

to be real, real brave.

CONOR:

You talk like American television.

Dad takes this in good humour.

DAD:

Your sister’s doing well. Almost

sitting up by herself.

CONOR:

Half-sister.

DAD:

I can’t wait for you to meet her.

I’ve been talking to your grandma

about getting you out to LA.

Conor looks up surprised and with nascent hope.

ConOR

You want me to come to LA?

DAD:

Absolutely! Would you like that? I

was thinking maybe over Christmas,

so we can get you back in time for

school...

Dad smiles, pleased he’s connected. Then he blows it.

CONOR:

(suspicious)

But... you mean... just for a

visit, then.

DAD:

Yeah, it’ll be great...

Beat as he realizes that’s not what Conor was hoping for.

CONOR:

I don’t want to live with Grandma.

It’s an old lady’s house.

(MORE)

125.

CONOR (CONT'D)

You can’t touch anything or sit

anywhere and you can’t leave a mess

for even two seconds.

DAD:

We can talk to her about that. I’m

sure there are plenty of ways to

make you comfortable-

CONOR:

I don’t want to be comfortable! I

want my own room in my own house.

DAD:

(wincing)

You wouldn’t have that in America.

We barely have room for the three

of us. Besides, your school is

here, your life is here. It’d be

unfair to take you out of it.

CONOR:

Unfair to who?

DAD:

(sighing)

This is what I meant. When I said

you were going to have to be brave.

conor

(pouring cold water)

Can we talk about the visit when

mum gets better?

Dad, resigned, can’t find the strength to talk to Conor

honestly. Gives in.

DAD:

Of course, champ. That’s exactly

what we’ll do.

A WAITRESS sets their meals down in front of them. Neither of

them make a move to eat.

126.

76 ExT. Grandma’s House - later that EVENING 76

Conor and his Dad pull up outside his Grandma’s house in his

father’s rental car.

Dad

Doesn’t look like your Grandma’s

home yet.

ConOR

She sometimes goes back to the

hospital after I go to bed. The

nurses let her sleep in a chair.

DAD:

Your Grandma may not like me much,

but that doesn’t mean she’s a bad

lady.

CONOR:

She says you’re all start and no

finish.

DAD:

(laughs, wounded)

That might be true.

CONOR:

How long are you here for?

DAD:

As long as I can.

CONOR:

How much is that?

DAD:

(sighing)

We don’t have a ton of money. And

Americans don’t get much holiday.

CONOR:

You’re not American.

DAD:

But I live there now. You’re the

one who made fun of my accent all

night.

CONOR:

Why did you come then?

DAD:

Because your Mum asked me to.

Beat, as seriousness of this is absorbed.

127.

Dad (CONT’D)

I’ll come back, though. You know,

when I need to. And you’ll visit us

at Christmas!

ConOR

In your cramped house, where

there’s no room for me.

DAD:

Conor-

CONOR:

(again)

Why did you come?

Dad doesn’t answer. Reaches out to put a hand on Conor’s

shoulder, but Conor avoids it and gets out of the car.

DAD:

(through open door)

Conor, wait. I’ll see you tomorrow,

yeah? There’s still plenty of time.

Conor doesn’t really believe this. He shuts the car door.

128.

77 INT. GRANDMA’S SITTING ROOM - EVENING - MOMENTS LATER 77

We hear Conor come in the front door. He enters the sitting

room, slumping down unhappily on the settee.

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