Away from Her Page #18

just have to make a decision to be

happy. You just decide. Things

aren’t ever what you hoped they’d

be. Not ever. Not for anybody. The

only thing that separates one kind

of person from the other, is that

there are some who stay angry about

it, and there are some who accept

what comes their way.

GRANT:

Which kind of person are you?

MARIAN all of a sudden looks very vulnerable. All her

hardness just melts away.

MARIAN:

I was pretty damn mad. But right

now...I’m looking at what came my

way...and I think...maybe I could

become the other kind of person.

Marian gets embarrassed by how much she has revealed and

laughs it off.

99.

MARIAN:

Quite the philosopher eh?

She takes a moment. Looks at him knowingly.

MARIAN:

I know what you’re doing Grant. I

know why you’re here. I’m a little

unpolished but I’m not stupid. It’d

be easier on me if you could

pretend a little. Pretend you’re

here for me. Not just to get Aubrey

back to Fiona. Think you could do

that for me?

Grant takes her hand.

MARIAN:

I’m just trying to make the

decision to be happy. I could use a

little help here.

Grant nods, moved. He takes her hand. They ride the rest of

the way in silence. We see them from a distance, the ski lift

taking them further and further up the hill and away from us.

172 INT MARIAN’S BEDRROM- DECEMBER 2005 172

Grant and Marian have sex. It is quite intense. They are both

in their own worlds. Both, for their own reasons, on the

verge of tears. When it is over, they fall back overcome.

They are silent for a long while.

MARIAN:

(with tears streaming down

her face)

Now what were we talking about

again?

Grant looks at her. They both laugh.

TITLE CARD:

THE RETURN:

100.

173 INT CHECK IN AREA 173

KRISTY:

Hello there Mr. Andersson.

Madeleine peeks out.

MADELEINE:

We didn’t get to see you yesterday.

GRANT:

No. I went skiing.

MADELEINE:

Good for you to get away.

Grant nods.

174 INT FIONA’S ROOM - JANUARY 2006 - MORNING 174

GRANT knocks at the door, opens the door slowly. FIONA is

still in bed, looking even paler, even skinnier. He sits

beside her. She has her back to him, and slowly reaches out

her fingers to touch one of Aubrey’s drawings which is pasted

on the wall.

175 INT MEADOWLAKE ELEVATOR AREA- JANUARY 2006 -MORNING 175

MADELEINE catches GRANT just as he is leaving.

MADELEINE:

Mr. Andersson. As you can see,

we’re going to have to move Mrs.

Andersson to the second floor quite

soon. She hasn’t been out of bed

for the last few weeks and...

GRANT whirls around on her, screaming, tears flying out of

his eyes.

GRANT:

Yes! Yes! I’m quite aware of your

policy! I’m more than aware of your

f***ing policies!

KRISTY watches him from behind the counter. A lot of empathy

in her eyes. Frank, the play-by play guy for the Winnipeg

Jets walks through the doors, escorted by an attendant.

101.

FRANK:

...and We’re back in Meadowlake,

going back to the second floor, and

passing a man with his heart broken

on the left, broken in a thousand

pieces...

Grant stares at him for a moment and then leaves.

176 EXT MEADOWLAKE - JANUARY 2006-MORNING 176

Grant stands outside Meadowlake, staring at Eliza who is

walking around the pond, being followed by her daughter who

signs to her, trying to get her attention. She keeps looking

back at him, irritated and confused. Finally she stops

chasing her. Stands alone, weeping at the edge of the pond

while Eliza hurries back into Meadowlake. Kristy appears

beside him, smoking.

KRISTY:

She was the only one in the family

who bothered to learn sign

language. Now she doesn’t remember

how, or maybe even who she is.

GRANT:

Her daughter?

KRISTY:

Yup. It’s left her pretty stranded.

Marooned.

Grant stares at the sight of the woman, alone, looking to

where her mother disappeared.

KRISTY:

I thought of you the other day. You

know the billboard in front of the

United Church in Brantford? They

post different biblical type stuff.

The other day it said “It’s never

too late to become what you might

have been.”

Grant laughs at the irony of this.

GRANT:

That doesn’t sound all that

biblical.

102.

KRISTY:

Well. Maybe they’re gettin creative

on us.

Grant smiles at her. She gives him a little squeeze on the

shoulder and leaves. It means the world to him. He stares out

at the pond and thinks.

177 OMITTED 177 OMITTED

178 INT MARIAN’S HOUSE-FEBRUARY 2006- SUNSET 178

Marian’s house is full of moving boxes. Grant stares out of

Marian’s kitchen window. She passes by with a box she has

just packed. She pauses. She looks at him. She keeps going

into the other room. He looks out the window.

179 INT MEADOWLAKE CORRIDOR - FEBRUARY 2006 - DAY 179

Kristy and Madeleine push Fiona in her bed, down the hall,

Grant follows.

180 INT ELEVATOR - FEBRUARY 2006 - DAY 180

They are silent as the elevator takes them to the 2nd floor.

181 INT SECOND FLOOR -FEBRUARY 2006- DAY 181

The elevator doors open on a group of very far gone

residents. They eat in silence. Someone drops a plate and it

crashes on the floor. They push the stretcher past the group

and into a room.

182 INT FIONA’S NEW ROOM -FEBRUARY 2006- DAY 182

They put the bed beside the window. Fiona stares outside.

Grant watches her look out the window.

183 EXT MARIAN’S HOUSE -MARCH 2006- EARLY MORNING 183

Grant and Marian load the last of Marian’s belongings into a

moving truck. The moving truck drives off. And then, as

though he is another box, they load Aubrey and his wheelchair

into Grant’s car. Marian gives him a kiss on the forehead.

MARIAN:

I’ll see you soon Aubrey.

103.

184 EXT COUNTY ROAD -MARCH 2006- EARLY MORNING 184

Grant and Aubrey drive in silence. Aubrey looks straight

ahead. He very slowly, almost ominously turns his head to

look at Grant. Grant turns to make eye contact. They lock

eyes for a moment. Then look away.

185 INT MEADOWLAKE CHECK IN AREA -MARCH 2006- MORNING 185

Kristy looks up as Grant wheels Aubrey in the door. Her jaw

drops. She looks up at Grant, understanding what he’s doing.

She smiles at him. Grant looks at her and shrugs.

186 INT 2ND FLOOR CORRIDOR -MARCH 2006- MORNING 186

Grant walks down the hallway. Kristy pushes Aubrey in his

wheelchair towards Fiona’s room. Grant takes a deep breath.

They stop outside the door. Grant turns to Kristy and Aubrey.

GRANT:

If you wouldn’t mind...Could I have

a moment alone before you come in?

To explain things?

Kristy looks up at Grant with all the respect in the world.

Aubrey nods.

Grant enters Fiona’s room.

187 INT FIONA’S NEW ROOM - MARCH 2006-MORNING 187

Fiona is in her room but not in bed. She is sitting by the

open window, wearing a seasonable but oddly short and bright

dress. She has the Auden book in her lap. She looks up at

Grant and smiles.

FIONA:

Look at this beautiful book I

found, it’s about Iceland. You

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