Far from the Madding Crowd Page #9

JOSEPH POORGRASS, meanwhile, has conquered his nerves enough

to sing a song, a truly awful dirge, literally MONOTONOUS.

JOSEPH POORGRASS

I sowed the seeds of love/It was

all in the spring....

It’s all too much for LIDDY, who has the tablecloth stuffed

into her mouth to suppress laughter.

JOSEPH POORGRASS (CONT’D)

O the willow tree will twist...

The fit of giggles is spreading along the table. BATHSHEBA

struggles with a straight face. Then she sees a new arrival;

MR BOLDWOOD.

BATHSHEBA:

(premature applause)

Thank you Joseph! That’s enough.

(JOSEPH sits)

Mr Boldwood! Will you join us?

Where -

(MORE)

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013 45

BATHSHEBA (CONT'D)

(a place for him to sit)

Gabriel, would you mind...

A brief moment of awkwardness as the social order reestablishes

itself. But -

LIDDY/MARYANN/TEMPERANCE AND SOBERNESS

There’s a space next to me,

Gabriel!/Over here, Mr Oak!/Come

and sit with us, Mr Oak!

He joins LIDDY further down the table.

JACOB SMALLBURY:

A song, ma’am?

General approval at the notion.

BATHSHEBA:

Me? I couldn’t possibly!

(LIDDY and GABRIEL share

an ironic smile)

I don’t know what to say! Very

well.

She sits at the piano and begins to play. The song is ‘The

Banks of Allan Water’ and, after a moment’s nervousness, she

sings it beautifully.

GABRIEL watches her, then turns to look at BOLDWOOD,

enthroned at the head of the table, the heir apparent.

GABRIEL notes the devotion in his eyes. To everyone’s

surprise, he starts to sing too. A faltering baritone that

grows in confidence.

The song becomes a duet then ends with LOUD APPLAUSE. GABRIEL

realises that this is a battle that he can never hope to win.

He joins in the applause.

75 EXT. EVERDENE GARDEN - NIGHT 75

In the exquisite evening, a lantern between them, BATHSHEBA

and BOLDWOOD walk away from the party.

BOLDWOOD:

I thought we were rather good.

BATHSHEBA:

So did I!

(They laugh. A beat.)

I wanted to thank you for not

approaching me again on...that

subject.

BOLDWOOD:

It has not been easy.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

46

BATHSHEBA:

And I’m grateful for your

restraint, Mr Boldwood. I can’t

give you my answer tonight but by

the end of the summer, in six weeks

time, my mind will be clearer and

you’ll have my decision then.

BOLDWOOD:

It’s enough. It’s more than I hoped

for.

BATHSHEBA:

Was there...anything else?

A moment. Will he kiss her? Her face is raised towards him,

exquisite in the glow of the lamp.

She smiles - granting permission. But -

BOLDWOOD:

Do you wish me to accompany you

back to the house?

With disappointment, BATHSHEBA registers the hesitation.

BATHSHEBA:

No, I like to walk around the farm

myself each night, to make sure all

is safe.

BOLDWOOD:

Then I’ll walk with you

BATHSHEBA:

I’ve done it many times alone.

Goodnight, Mr Boldwood.

And she walks off, leaving BOLDWOOD hopeful, BATHSHEBA

thoughtful.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

47

76 EXT. PLANTATION - NIGHT 76

A narrow, overgrown footpath through a fir plantation. The

passage is barely wide enough for one and she’s disconcerted

to see another figure enter the corridor ahead of her.

A MAN.

A moment of fear and hesitation. She gathers her nerves,

lowers the lantern and proceeds to walk. The male figure gets

closer. A scarlet jacket, unbuttoned, an uncertain step.

They are about to pass. Head down, she squeezes by and -

-is immediately stopped in her tracks. Her dress has become

entangled with the spurs -

SOLDIER:

Have I hurt you?

BATHSHEBA:

No -

SOLDIER:

We are entangled. Let me -

He turns on the lantern. She places the lantern on the

ground, sending great shadows dancing in the trees.

He takes it from her, and raises it so that their faces are

illuminated. SERGEANT FRANK TROY.

The sudden sight of all that silver and scarlet is like the

blare of a trumpet. BATHSHEBA is taken aback. TROY too.

TROY:

Good God!

They kneel together simultaneously, then with the lantern

shining onto their faces, they untangle the knot.

BATHSHEBA:

We’ve got hitched together somehow.

TROY:

Then it seems you’re my prisoner

BATHSHEBA:

You’re making it worse on purpose

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013 48

TROY:

Now why would I do that?

BATHSHEBA:

Let me do it myself-

TROY:

Why such a hurry? Husband waiting?

(BATHSHEBA is silent)

I have a knife here.

BATHSHEBA:

No! Here, let me try-

(He can’t look away.)

Please don’t stare.

TROY:

I can’t help myself.

BATHSHEBA:

You’re drunk. I smell it on your

breath.

TROY:

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a

woman as beautiful as you.

BATHSHEBA:

How dare you!

TROY:

Take it or leave it, it’s the

truth.

The knot comes undone suddenly, causing her to stumble

backwards. He pulls her to her feet.

A moment as they face each other, then she bustles off. To

her back

TROY (CONT’D)

At least tell me your name! Where

do you live? I want see you again!

And he watches her as she disappears into the night.

77 EXT. FIELDS, EVERDENE FARM - DAY 77

A bright SUMMER’s day and the FARM WORKERS are making hay.

The MEN lead, scythes flashing in the sun. The WOMEN, wearing

tilt bonnets to protect them from the sun, follow on behind,

raking the cut hay into windrows - ranked piles left to dry

in the sun before binding into sheaths.

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013 49

LIDDY and BATHSHEBA join in the work.

LIDDY:

Miss, look -

Amongst the dull yellow smocks, a bright white shirt; TROY,

with a scythe, energetically mowing ahead.

BATHSHEBA:

Who is he, Liddy?

LIDDY:

Sergeant Francis Troy. Mother was a

French governess, father was a

doctor. Or an Earl, depending on

what you believe. Noble blood, full

of promise, very sharp and trim.

Well educated, good things expected

of him, and he threw it all in to

be a soldier. And a walking ruin to

decent girls.

(BATHSHEBA gives her a

look.)

So they say.

BATHSHEBA:

(tuts, strides off)

Well I won’t have it.

LIDDY:

What are you doing, Miss?

BATHSHEBA:

I’m going to tell him to leave!

And she strides towards TROY. LIDDY watches, amused.

78 EXT. FIELDS, EVERDENE FARM - CONTINUOUS 78

TROY watches her approach. The other workers too, stop and

stare, GABRIEL amongst them.

BATHSHEBA:

Sergeant Troy, I must absolutely

insist that you leave this very

moment!

TROY:

I can’t, I have to work off my sin.

He goes back to work.

BATHSHEBA:

Well...I wish you wouldn’t.

TROY:

Why not?

FFMC Shooting Script Sept 2013

50

BATHSHEBA:

Because I’d rather not thank you.

TROY:

And I’d rather not leave. So I

won’t.

And he returns to work. BATHSHEBA left staring at his back.

GABRIEL lays down his scythe and is about to intervene.

BATHSHEBA:

(To TROY, sternly-)

Will you follow me, please?

And she strides off through the tall grass. TROY puts down

his scythe, and follows, grinning.

TROY:

Farmer Everdene, you’re quite the

local legend.

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