Bridget Jones's Baby Page #17

BRIDGET:

What’s the emergency?

MUM:

The Argus wants a family portrait.

What are you wearing?

Then she notices Bridget’s bump and stops dead.

MUM (CONT’D)

Oh my god, Bridget, are you...

Bridget nods, half nervous, half excited. Mum’s face lights

up.

MUM (CONT’D)

Why didn’t you say anything?

BRIDGET:

I was worried you might be angry...

MUM:

Why would I be?...(the penny drops)

Oh no Bridget. Who’s the father? Is

it Mark’s Bridget, do say it is?

BRIDGET:

Well, yes in a manner of speaking,

sort of. What I mean is, there is

at least a fifty per cent chance.

MUM:

A fifty percent chance?

BRIDGET:

Mark and Jack Quant, he’s an

American.

MUM:

Oh no Bridget...An American? Did

you have a three way?

Mum’s face drops. She sees the photographer heading over and

her face fills with fear. She sees the coat rack, grabs a few

coats and thrusts them at Bridget.

SHOOTING SCRIPT.

84

MUM (CONT’D)

Oh no. Here, carry these, act as if

everything’s fine.

BRIDGET:

What? Everything is fine.

As they walk the photographer spots her and wants a picture.

PHOTOGRAPHER:

Mrs. Jones can we...

Before Bridget can answer, Mum barks.

MUM:

Here, this is a lovely place for

you to stand.

She places Bridget behind a counter where her bump is hidden.

Mum frantically starts to arrange sandwiches and cakes in

front of the bump to obscure it.

BRIDGET:

What are you doing? Are you ashamed

of me? Are you hiding your first

born grandchild behind a pile of

mini quiches?

Somebody comes over to take a mini quiche - Mum slaps their

hand away.

MUM:

Look, darling it’s just the

circumstances, I’m running for high

office and I’m presenting myself as

a paragon of family values, see?

She points to a poster that reads ‘PAMELA JONES, IF YOU LOVE

FAMILY AND YOU LOVE VALUE VOTE PAMELA JONES FOR FAMILY

VALUES’.

BRIDGET:

Wait.... Still reading... It’s so

long...

(she finishes reading)

... Look, you might not be proud of

the circumstances, but at least you

can be proud of me. This isn’t the

1950’s. It’s not all nuclear

families and 2.4 Children any more.

Look around you; Mavis Enderbury’s

daughter is raising 2 kids on her

own, Una’s son’s a single father,

two lesbians have adopted at Number

32. If you don’t change the way you

look at the world you’re not only

going to lose your daughter, you’re

going to lose your precious

election as well.

She storms off, pauses, turns back, grabs a handful of mini

quiches and storms off again. As she marches out she passes

Una who spots her bump.

SHOOTING SCRIPT.

85

UNA:

Bridget, so lovely to see you...

are you...?

BRIDGET:

(Defiant)

Pregnant? Yes. Yes I am.

UNA:

How wonderful! We thought you’d

just got all fat again.

119 EXT. COMMUNITY CENTRE. DAY.

Lots of pregnant women with loving partners go in and out of

the entrance. Bridget waits alone and consults her watch

nervously.

BRIDGET (V.O)

Am suddenly freak in weird social

experiment. But why couldn’t this

work? We were all mature,

sophisticated adults who wanted the

best for the baby. People might

look back and see this as the dawn

of a new vanguard of parenting.

Perhaps I was a visionary, ahead of

my time.

Jack swoops in on his Vintage Triumph motorbike and dashingly

removes his helmet. Bridget looks relieved to see him.

JACK:

Our first ante-natal class.

Exciting stuff, huh?

TIME CUT TO:

119A EXT. COMMUNITY CENTRE. MOMENTS LATER 119A

Bridget and Jack are about to go in when Bridget sees Mark

running up the street towards her and she can’t help but let

out a big smile, he decided to come!

Mark hands her a small paper bag.

MARK:

I brought you a nice tea.

BRIDGET:

Thank you. I’m glad you came.

JACK:

Me too, awesome to see you buddy.

He grabs the tea.

SHOOTING SCRIPT.

86

JACK (CONT’D)

There’s a heck of a lot of caffeine

hidden in that tea.

Jack takes out a smoothie from his bag and swaps it out for

the tea. Bridget looks slightly horrified by Jack’s hideous

looking concoction.

BRIDGET:

Thank you... both. Shall we go in.

JACK:

Here, let me carry that for you.

He takes Bridget’s big handbag from her, she’s genuinely

appreciative of the gesture. Mark looks put out.

MARK:

Right, do you want me to carry your

phone for you?

She is also carrying a tiny mobile phone. She hands it to

him.

BRIDGET:

Thank you.

120 INT. HALL. COMMUNITY CENTRE. LATER.

All the couples sit together in a semi-circle around DAISY, a

very pretty young woman, who listens with earth-shattering

brightness to one particularly lovely couple who are

addressing the group. Bridget, Mark and Jack are the oldest

people in the class, and obviously stand out as the only trio

in the room. Bridget looks anxious and self conscious as the

couples all introduce themselves.

DAISY:

And who do we have here then?

BRIDGET:

I’m Bridget. This is Mark and this

is Jack.

DAISY:

(reading her list)

Oh lovely! You’re our second same

sex couple tonight.

Everyone claps. A lesbian couple look over and wave.

MARK:

No, actually....

JACK:

(looks at Mark

mischieviously)

Absolutely, and we just need the

gift of a baby to make us complete.

SHOOTING SCRIPT.

87

DAISY:

(Looking at Bridget)

And you must be ...the surrogate?

Bridget plays along, looking at Mark and Jack.

BRIDGET:

Exactly, just trying to make this

wonderful couple’s dream come true.

DAISY:

Well the plan is to take you

through some of the basic things to

expect during the birth. To start

off, perhaps someone can tell me

what signs to look out for that

might indicate labour is starting?

Jack’s hand shoots up. Daisy points to Jack who leaps in.

JACK:

Early labour will be characterized

by mild to moderate contractions,

up to thirty to forty-five minutes

apart, and often, but not always, a

rupture of the amniotic membrane.

Jack looks pleased with himself. Daisy looks surprised. Mark

speaks quietly.

MARK:

Right yes, absolutely. Of course. I

mean, isn’t this something one

would normally leave to the

midwife?

JACK:

Mark gets nervous about all of

this, it’s very new to you isn’t

it, lamb chop?

Mark could not look more uncomfortable.

BRIDGET (V.O.)

Like all visionaries I would

encounter bumps along the road, but

still had faith in my grand plan.

121 INT. SWIMMING POOL. NIGHT.

Jack with a row of dads watching the new mums-to-be including

Bridget in the water, mid aqua-ante-natal class. Jack is

referring to a pregnancy book. Suddenly Mark joins them, late

and hassled, still in his court clothes.

JACK:

(book in hand)

How would you like to give birth to

your placenta?

SHOOTING SCRIPT.

88

BRIDGET:

(laughing)

Quickly?

Water sloshes over Bridget.

Suddenly she begins to choke, then sink.

At once, Jack strips off his clothes, revealing a rippling

six pack, and leaps in to save her.

On Mark, catching his reflection in the window. He looks old,

tired and grey.

122 INT. MARK’S OFFICE. CHAMBERS. NIGHT 122

Rate this script:4.5 / 4 votes