Away from Her Page #5

...must every few months learn to

compensate for new shortcomings

with makeshift remedies;must

negotiate impossible requests and

fantastic observations;must put up

sometimes with deranged but at the

same time very personal insults;

and must somehow learn to smile

through it all.

(MORE)

23.

FIONA (V.O.) (cont'd)

Caregivers must be able to diagnose

a wide variety of ordinary ailments

under extraordinary circumstances.

Imagine the person you love the

most suddenly upset about something

but completely unable to

communicate the problem or even to

understand it himself.

CUT TO:

39 INT ANDERSSON’S LIVINGROOM -NOVEMBER 2003-DAY 39

FIONA ponders this.

She smiles.

FIONA:

Sounds like a regular marriage.

40 EXT LAKE - DECEMBER 2003 - LATE AFTERNOON 40

FIONA and GRANT ski side by side. They glance at each other,

in much the same way as we saw in the first scene.

GRANT:

I think I’m done. I’m going to head

in and get supper ready.

FIONA:

You have to try to keep up. You’re

with a younger woman,

old man.

He laughs.

GRANT:

You’ll come back when you’re

hungry.

FIONA:

I might.

He skis towards the cottage. Leaving her to contemplate the

lake.

41 EXT LAKE/WOODS - DECEMBER 2003- LATE AFTERNOON 41

Fiona continues on skiing by herself. She stops at the edge

of the woods on the other side of the lake. She takes off her

skis and enters the woods. The woods are thick. The

occasional branch lightly touches her hair or her face. At a

certain point she decides to sit down. She sits in the snow.

Lies back and looks up at the trees.

23A.

Mesmerized by the pink sunset light pouring through the tops

of the pines. She smiles.

24.

42 INT ANDERSSON’S LIVINGROOM - DECEMBER 2003- MAGIC HOUR 42

The sun is down. Grant stands alone, looking out the window

and contemplating the ski tracks in the snow. A concerned

look on his face.

43 EXT BRIDGE - DECEMBER 2003 - MAGIC HOUR 43

Fiona is walking across the bridge into town. A train goes by

over the river bridge in the distance. She is in her ski

boots. It’s awkward. She looks worried, lost. Stops and looks

first one way, then the other.

44 EXT WOODS -DECEMBER 2003- EVENING 44

Grant follows the ski tracks. He follows them to the edge of

the woods on the other side of the lake. The skis lie

unattended. Grant looks around. Worried now.

44a EXT COUNTRY ROAD - DECEMBER 2003 44a

Grant drives, worried.

44A EXT PARIS ONTARIO - DECEMBER 2003 - NIGHT 44A

Grant drives across the bridge through town. He sees Fiona,

staring out at the river. He stops the truck and watches her

for a moment. Then he rolls down the window.

GRANT:

Fiona.

FIONA:

Hello. I was just thinking how nice

it is that it hasn’t changed too

much in this part of town.

Grant gets out of the truck and puts his arms around her,

keeping her warm as they look at the limestone backs of the

buildings on the river. Grant looks very concerned.

47 INT CAR - DECEMBER 2003-NIGHT 47

Grant drives Fiona home. They sit in silence for a long time.

GRANT:

Where were you going Fiona?

FIONA:

I was trying to get home by

following the fence line. I’ve

counted on fences always taking you

somewhere.

25.

She says this lightly, as a joke. Grant isn’t amused. She

looks at his furrowed brow.

FIONA:

You’re going to have to put me in

that place. Shallowlake?

Grant breathes deeply.

GRANT:

Meadowlake. We’re not at that stage

yet.

FIONA:

Shallowlake, Shillylake, Sillylake.

Sillylake it is.

He is irritated by her light manner.

48 INT ANDERSSON’S LIVINGROOM-DECEMBER 2003- NIGHT 48

They sit in silence at the dining room table.

FIONA:

We are at that stage. Grant.

She puts his hand gently on his.

FIONA:

We are at that stage.

Grant holds his head in his hands, his elbows on the table.

GRANT:

If we do think of it- If we do, it

must be as something that isn’t

permanent. A kind of experimental

treatment. A rest cure of sorts.

FIONA:

Alright. Alright. We can think of

it that way.

She strokes his hand lovingly.

49 INT MARIAN’S HOUSE - FEBRUARY 2005-MORNING 49

MARIAN leads GRANT down the front hallway and past the

Livingroom. It is very neat and organized. The house of a

truly practical person. Everything polished and organized. A

plastic runner down the hall to protect the carpet. It stands

in sharp contrast to the comfortable disorder of his house.

26.

MARIAN:

We’ll have to sit in the kitchen

where I can hear Aubrey.

50 INT MARIAN’S KITCHEN - FEBRUARY 2005 - MORNING 50

MARIAN pulls out a chair for GRANT to sit in. From a room off

the kitchen, he can hear the sounds of a television. The door

is slightly open and he can just see a man’s feet, supported

on a wheelchair.

MARIAN:

You might as well have a cup of

coffee.

GRANT:

Thanks.

MARIAN:

My son got him on the sports

channel a year ago Christmas, I

don’t know what we’d do without it.

GRANT:

It must be a struggle.

MARIAN:

Well. You know. You know what

struggle is by now. Don’t you?

She pours him a coffee.

51 INT ANDERSSON’S LIVINGROOM -DECEMBER 2003-MORNING 51

Grant is standing in his coat in front of Fiona, who is

sipping her tea while she looks out the window.

GRANT:

You’re sure.

FIONA:

I’m sure.

GRANT:

You don’t want to just get a sense

of the place? I don’t want to make

this decision alone.

Fiona furrows her brow.

FIONA:

What place?

27.

Grant sighs, goes to answer.

FIONA:

Just kidding.

She allows herself a little laugh. He shakes his head.

Smiles.

FIONA:

You’re not making this decision

alone Grant. I’ve already made up

my mind.

52 EXT MEADOWLAKE - DECEMBER 2003-MORNING 52

Grant stands in the parking lot outside the Meadowlake

Retirement Facility.

53 INT MEADOWLAKE CHECK IN AREA - DECEMBER 2003-MORNING 53

It’s a clean, bright facility. A few elderly people walk past

on walkers. Grant watches a woman look carefully at ten

walkers that are parked together. She examines each one,

trying to figure out which one is hers. Finally chooses one

and goes on her way. Grant looks at her, wondering if Fiona

is really at the point where she needs to be here. He watches

a nurse tend to one of the women, THERESA, who is also helped

along by her son, LIAM. The nurse, Betty, talks to the woman

as though she is three years old. Grant watches with concern.

BETTY:

Now, Mrs. Taylor. Are you ready for

your bath? It’s bath time

Mrs.Taylor. That’ll be nice won’t

it?

THERESA:

Yes, that’ll be fine.

LIAM:

I’ll come with you Mom.

Madeleine, the very prim looking supervisor comes out from

behind the desk to meet Grant. Shakes his hand sharply, with

a pasted on smile.

28.

MADELEINE:

Mr. Andersson. Madeleine

Montpellier. I’m the supervisor

here at Meadowlake.

GRANT:

Hi there.

MADELEINE:

Now I’m just going to take you on a

quick tour of the facility and then

we can sit down and discuss Mrs.

Andersson’s condition and the

appropriate time for admitting her.

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