Heavenly Creatures Page #3

EXT. SCHOOL GROUNDS - DAY

PAULINE:

Osteomyelitus turns your bones to chalk. It took them two years to

drain all the muck out.

Pauline looks despondently at her leg.

JULIET:

Cheer up! All the best people have bad chests and bone diseases! It's

all frightfully romantic!

CUT TO:

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAYPauline is furiously pedalling her bicycle along

a country road.

EXT. ILAM/DRIVEWAY - DAYLOW ANGLE . . . a tree-lined driveway.

Pauline rides her bicycle up the drive. She pauses, wide-eyed.

PAN TO . . . ILAM - a large stately house, set amongst beautiful

gardens . . .

Pauline puts her bike on its stand. She pulls the Mario Lanza album out

of her bicycle bag.

Pauline is about to approach the house when she glances across the

garden, and is transfixed by an enchanting sight:

Juliet on a sunlit bridge that spans the Ilam stream. She is wearing a

shredded chiffon dress, with a Christmas tinsel crown and a necklace

made from tinfoil. Sunlight filters through the trees, lending Juliet a

magical quality. She's casting flowers onto the water. Pauline stands

transfixed. Juliet sees her and smiles.

JULIET:

Hi, Paul!

SUDDENLY! . . . an 8-year-old boy - JONATHON HULME - comes charging out

of the bushes and lays into Juliet with a wooden sword. He is dressed

in a "prince's" costume.

JULIET:

0www!

Jonathon runs away. Juliet gives chase, yelling to Pauline.

JULIET:

The evil Prince Runnymeade is escaping! Get him, Paul!

Pauline joins in the chase after Jonathon, careening through garden and

bushes.

Juliet and Pauline lose sight of Jonathon. They pause in a clearing,

catching their breath.

JULIET:

The blighter's gone to ground!

JONATHON Yaaaa!

Jonathon drops from a tree, onto Pauline, sending, her sprawling. He

whacks her on the bottom with his wooden sword.

JULIET:

God! Jonty! Jonty-stop it! Go away! We're not playing anymore . . . go

on, bugger off!

Jonathon pokes his tongue at Juliet, turns and runs away.

Juliet offers her hand and pulls Pauline up. She pauses, a look of

shock on her face . . .

The Mario Lanza record lies broken on the ground. Pauline looks

distraught.

JULIET:

0h, God . . . I'm so sorry!

PAULINE:

(Upset) It doesn't matter.

JULIET:

Of course it matters! It's Mario!

I NT. ILAM/LOUNGE - DAYCLOSE ON . . . HENRY HULME - a 44-year-old

bespectacled academic. He is sniffing, with a disdainful look on his

face. He pulls a packet of mouldy sandwiches his jacket pocket.

HENRY What on earth are these?

HILDA HULME, elegant, 36 years old, is setting down a tray of tea on a

small table.

HILDA They're egg and salmon sandwiches . . . I gave them to you

several days ago.

HENRY I thought I could smell sulphur.

HILDA God, Henry! You're hopeless! You can't be trusted with something

as simple as lunch.

JULIET:

(O.S.) Mother!

Hilda looks up as Juliet bursts into the room from the garden, followed

by Pauline. Hilda smiles at Pauline.

HILDA Hello . . .

JULIET:

Jonty broke Paul's record!

HILDA Oh, dear!

JULIET:

We must buy her another one!

Juliet drops to the floor, hauling records out of the radiogram

cabinet.

Pauline looks around, taking in the sumptuousness of her surroundings:

ornate fireplace, paintings, antique furniture.

HILDA Would you like a cup of tea . . . Paul?

PAULINE:

No, thank you.

HILDA Well, Juliet's told us all about you. I hear you're fond of

opera.

Before Pauline can reply, Juliet fans Mario Lanza albums across the

floor.

JULIET:

Which one shall we play?

Pauline shrugs awkwardly. Henry looks up from his papers, rather

annoyed at this intrusion. Pauline notices a row of beautifully

sculpted Plasticine horses adorning the mantelpiece.

Juliet puts a record on the turntable.

HILDA Juliet . . . your father's trying to study.

JULIET:

Daddy can study while we're playing records!

HENRY Why don't you go back outside, mmm? I'll be finished soon.

The record drops on the turntable. The arm swings across.

Henry and Hilda glance at each other. Henry silently gathers up his

papers and leaves the room.

The needle drops and Mario Lanza's rendition of "The Donkey Serenade"

booms into the room.

SWIRLING CAMERA as Juliet takes Pauline's hand and whirls her around,

leading her into . . .

INT. ILAM HALLWAY - DAY. . . the hallway, laughing and singing. Pauline

stares wide-eyed as the wood paneling, carved sideboard and curved

staircase flash past her eyes.

The Donkey Serenade continues over a MUSICAL SEQUENCE:

EXT. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND - DAYCAMERA RUSHES around a netball court as the

class run about in the middle of a game.

FAST TRACK IN toward Pauline and Juliet sitting on the sidelines,

reading. Juliet laughs as Pauline reads to her from a Biggles book.

EXT. ILAM/GROUNDS - DAYPauline and Juliet cavorting around bushes and

shrubs, arms outstretched, acting like dogfighting aeroplanes.

INT. ILAM/DINING ROOM - NIGHTCAMERA MOVES around Hilda, Henry,

Jonathon, Pauline and Juliet at the table, having an evening meal. They

are all sipping soup. Silver glistens, crystal sparkles.

Pauline watches Hilda out of the corner of her eye. She c*cks her

little finger in the same fashion as Hilda, and she spoons her soup up.

INT. ILAM/JULIET'S BEDROOM - DAYPauline and Juliet kneading and shaping

Plasticine with their fingers . . .

PULL BACK to reveal sculpted horses, knights and dragons on the table

top.

EXT. ILAM GARDENS - DAYHenry is showing TWO DISTINGUISHED GUESTS (a MAN

and WOMAN) around the Ilam gardens, when Pauline and Juliet come

bursting out of the bushes and run between them, dressed in medieval

clothing. They vanish into the bushes again.

EXT. CINEMA/STREET - DAYPauline and Juliet rush out of the cinema in a

state of high excitement . . .

. . . FAST TRACK as they bound down the street, pirouetting and dancing

as they pass bewildered PEDESTRIANS.

CUT TO:

EXT. COUNTRY ROAD - DAYFAST TRACK - CLOSE-UP . . . bicycle wheel

spinning.

Pauline and Juliet are pedalling their bicycles like mad down a narrow,

tree-lined lane.

The "Donkey Serenade" continues . . .

They have a near-miss with an angrily tooting car.

Pauline wobbles out of control! . . . She goes flying into a bush.

The Donkey Serenade finishes abruptly in mid-verse.

Pauline is lying on her back.

Pauline's POV . . . looking straight up into treetops and blue sky.

Juliet's face looms over, looking concerned.

JULIET:

(Worried) Paul? Oh, God! Paul . . . are you all right?

Pauline's eyes are shut. She speaks with great effort.

PAULINE:

(Gasping) I think I'm dying . . .

JULIET:

(Upset) Don't . . . please! Please, don't!

Dying breath escapes from Pauline's mouth . . . she goes limp.

Juliet shrieks!

JULIET:

(Crying) Paul!!!

Juliet collapses over Pauline's body, crying.

Pauline's eyes flick open! She sniffs and pulls a face.

PAULINE:

Urrrgh! You've been eating onions.

Before Juliet has time to react, Pauline pushes her off, giggling

maniacally. She leaps to her feet and attempts to run. Juliet grabs

Pauline's cardigan, pulling her backwards.

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