Atonement

England

- I finished my play.

- Well done.

Have you seen Mummy?

Well, she'll be in the drawing room, I expect.

I hope you're not gonna be getting under

our feet today, Miss Briony.

We got a dinner for 10 to prepare.

- Hello, pal, I hear you're putting on a play.

- Who told you?

Jungle drums.

- Will you come and see it?

- I'm not sure that would be quite...

Why don't you let me read it?

You used to make me those beautiful

bound copies of all your stories.

- I've kept them all.

- I still want you to come.

- Let's see.

- I have to go now.

Mummy, I need you!

Stupendous. It's stupendous, darling.

Your first play.

Do you think so?

Do you think Leon will like it?

Well, of course he will.

The Trials of Arabella, by Briony Tallis.

- BRIONY:
Cee.

- Yes?

What do you think it would feel like

to be someone else?

CECILIA:
Cooler, I should hope.

- I'm worried about the play.

- I'm sure it's a masterpiece.

But we only have the afternoon to rehearse.

What if the twins can't act?

You have to be nice to them.

I wonder how'd you feel if your mother

had run off with Mr What's-his-name

who reads the news on the wireless?

Perhaps I should have written Leon a story.

If you write a story, you only have to

say the word "castle," and you could see

the towers and the woods

and the village below, but...

In a play, it's...

It all depends on other people.

- Cee.

- Yes?

Why don't you talk to Robbie any more?

I do.

We just move in different circles, that's all.

- Do we have to do a play?

- Why do we have to?

- It's to celebrate my brother Leon's visit.

- PIERROT:
I hate plays.

- JACKSON:
So do I.

- How can you hate plays?

- It's just showing off.

- You'll be in this play or you'll get a clout.

- And I'll tell the parents.

- JACKSON:
You're not allowed to clout us.

We're guests in this house. And what did

the parents say we were to make ourselves?

- Well, Pierrot?

- Amenable.

- Jackson?

- Amenable.

Amenable, that's right.

Now, Briony, what's your play about?

Well, it's about how

love is all very well,

but you have to be sensible.

- I suppose you're going to be Arabella.

- Well, not necessarily.

- In that case, do you mind if I play her?

- PIERROT:
Lola was in the school play.

Do say yes. It'd be the first decent thing

to happen to me in months.

Well, yes, all right.

I suppose we should start by reading it.

If you're going to be Arabella, then I'll be

the director, thank you very much.

Sorry.

I'm going to do the prologue.

"Prologue.

"This is the tale of spontaneous Arabella,

"who ran away with an extrinsic fellow.

"It grieved her parents to see their firstborn

"evanesce from her home

to go to Eastbourne."

Yes?

- Nothing. Just thought I'd watch.

- BRIONY:
Rehearsals are private, I'm afraid.

You can see the play this evening.

- I'll have to work then.

- Well, I'm sorry, Danny.

JACKSON:
Can we go for a swim now?

PIERROT:
Yes, yes, yes!

- No, I don't really think there's time!

- PIERROT:
Cecilia will let us.

I'm sure a half-hour break

would do us all good.

PIERROT:
Cecilia? Cecilia!

Cecilia!

Cecilia! Cecilia, Cecilia.

Please, can we go for a swim, Cecilia?

Yes, I don't see why not.

Don't go out of your depth!

Can you do me

one of your Bolshevik roll-ups?

- CECILIA:
Beautiful day.

- I suppose so. Too hot for me.

- Are you enjoying your book?

- No, not really.

It gets better.

I prefer Fielding any day.

Much more passionate.

- Leon's coming down today, did you know?

- I heard a rumour.

He's bringing a friend with him.

It's Paul Marshall, the chocolate millionaire.

- Are the flowers for him?

- Why shouldn't they be?

Leon says he's very charming.

The Old Man telephoned last night.

He says you're planning on being a doctor.

- I'm thinking about it, yes.

- Another six years of student life.

- How else do you become a doctor?

- You could get a fellowship, now,

- couldn't you? With your First?

- I don't want to teach.

I said I'd pay your father back.

That's not what I meant at all.

- Let me help with that.

- No, I'm all right, thanks.

- Take the flowers. Take the flowers.

- I'm all right. I'm all right.

Oh, you idiot.

Do you realise that's probably

the most valuable thing we own?

Not any more, it isn't.

Careful!

I'm...

LEON:
Hello, Robbie!

No need to encourage him.

Cee?

Mother?

- Where is everyone, Danny?

- I don't know, sir.

DANNY:
Sir.

LEON:
Gasping for a drink.

- Will you have one?

- PAUL:
Rather.

- Whisky?

- Please.

- Leon!

- Here she is.

CECILIA:
Oh, I've missed you.

I've been going completely doolally up here.

- This is my sister, Cecilia. Paul Marshall.

- I've heard an awful lot about you.

- Likewise.

- LEON:
Where are we putting him?

In the blue room. Mother's lying down,

she's got one of her migraines.

I'm not surprised, with this heat.

It's the big room next to the nursery.

Is the Old Man staying in town?

LEON:
Looks like it.

Some sort of rush on at the Ministry.

PIERROT:
So aren't we doing the play?

LOLA:
No.

- JACKSON:
Why not?

- Don't ask me.

PIERROT:
I don't like it here.

PAUL:
There's always a problem

when a new brand comes about.

The remarketing, the re-packaging,

the re-shaping.

Even the re-flavouring in some cases,

or whole new technology.

I think our main challenge is whether or not

to launch the new Amo Bar.

The Army Amo. Do you see? Pass the Amo?

(PAUL CHUCKLES)

My source at the Ministry is very reliable,

I used to clean his shoes at Harrow,

informs me we have a good chance

of including it

in the standard issue ration pack.

Which means that I'd have to open

at least three more factories.

More if they bring in conscription,

which I say is bound to happen

if Herr Hitler doesn't pipe down.

He's about as likely to do that as buy shares

in Marks and Spencer's,

wouldn't you agree?

- This isn't very good.

- I make a cocktail with crushed ice,

rum and melted dark chocolate.

It's absolutely scrumptious.

- LEON:
Guess who we met on the way in?

- Robbie.

- I told him to join us tonight.

- Oh, Leon, you didn't.

So, Robbie, the housekeeper's son,

whose father did a bunk 20 years ago,

gets a scholarship to the local grammar,

the Old Man puts him through Cambridge,

goes up at the same time as Cee, and

for three years she hardly speaks to him.

Wouldn't let him within a mile

of her Roedean chums.

Anyone got a cigarette?

I don't know what the hell he's doing

these days, messing about in flower beds.

As a matter of fact, he's planning on doing

a medical degree.

LEON:
And the Old Man said yes to that?

Look, I really think you should go down

to the lodge and ask him not to come.

Why? Has something happened

between you?

For God's sake.

- When can we go home?

- LOLA:
Soon.

We can't go home. It's a divorce.

- How dare you say that?

- Well, it's true!

LOLA:
You will never, ever use that word

again! Do you understand?

- Now what are we going to do?

- I'm always asking myself that.

My name is Paul Marshall.

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