Heavenly Creatures Page #4

JULIET:

You toad!

Pauline sheds the cardigan and runs through the bushes, with Juliet in

hot pursuit!

RRRRIP! . . . Juliet tugs at Pauline's blouse and the buttons pop off.

Pauline is laughing too hard to run anymore. She pulls off her skirt

and waves it around her head as she dances around the bushes, singing

"The Donkey Serenade."

PAULINE:

(Singing) "There's a light in her eye, Though she may try to hide it,

She cannot deny, There's a light in her eye."

Now Juliet is cracking up at the sight of Pauline spinning around in

her underwear, shoes and socks.

Pauline circles around and around Juliet, singing. Juliet hurriedly

starts undressing down to her underwear.

Juliet giggles and starts jumping up and down.

Pauline suddenly breaks into a run and races through the bushes. Juliet

follows.

Both girls are screaming and hooting loudly. Pauline and Juliet burst

out of the bushes and . . .

PAULINE:

& JULIET

(Singing) "Her face is a dream, like an angel I saw . . .

. . . into a field. They find themselves face to face with a FARMER,

mending a fence.

without missing a beat, they continue singing . . .

PAULINE:

& JULIET

(Singing) "But all that my darling can scream . . ."

. . . then break down into convulsive laughter. They turn and flee back

into the bushes.

ON THE SOUNDTRACK . . . Mario Lanza picks up "The Donkey Serenade" at

the point that Pauline and Juliet stopped. The song builds to a rousing

final chorus as . . .

Pauline and Juliet collapse on the ground, rolling and tumbling in an

embrace.

As Mario sings the last exhilarating notes . . .

CAMERA RISES UP VERTICALLY . . . up through the foliage . . . past the

branches of a tree which abruptly BLOCK CAMERA.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS - NIGHTThe final "OLE!" from "The Donkey Serenade"

resounds over a SHOT of Pauline cycling furiously through dark

Christchurch streets.

EXT. ILAM - NIGHTTRACKING . . . down the drive as the dark shape of the

Ilam house looms ahead.

EXT. ILAM/SHRINE - NIGHTA corner of the garden . . . Moonlight glistens

off the slow-moving stream.

Three candles illuminate a little shrine, nestled flower bed in a

remote corner of the Ilam garden.

Bricks have been stacked to form a miniature temple, decorated with

flowers and tinsel.

Pauline and Juliet are kneeling on the ground, clipping pictures from

film magazines. Clipped-out photos lie scattered about.

Pauline holds James Mason's photo.

PAULINE:

(Enraptured) I wish James would do a religious picture . . . he'd be

perfect as Jesus!

JULIET:

Daddy says the Bible's a load of bunkum!

Pauline reacts with a degree of shock.

PAULINE:

But, we're all going to Heaven!

JULIET:

I'm not! I'm going to the Fourth World! It's like Heaven, only better

because there aren't any Christians.

Pauline giggles.

JULIET:

It's an absolute Paradise of music, art and enjoyment.

Pauline is entranced. Juliet plucks up some photos.

JULIET:

James will be there . . . and Mario! Only they'll be saints.

PAULINE:

(Giggling) Saint Mario!

Juliet places Mario Lanza's photo in the shrine.

JULIET:

To be known as He!

PAULINE:

He . . .

Juliet places James Mason's photo in the shrine.

JULIET:

Him.

PAULINE:

Him . . .

Juliet picks up a photo of Mel Ferrer and places it in the shrine.

JULIET:

This.

PAULINE:

This . . .

Juliet places Jussi Bjoerling's photo in the shrine.

JULIET:

That.

PAULINE:

That . . .

Pauline places the last photo in the shrine . . . Orson Welles.

PAULINE:

It.

Juliet screws her face up and throws the photo into the stream.

JULIET:

Absolutely not! Orson Welles! The most hideous man alive!

Juliet dramatically sweeps her hand over the photos in the shrine and

bows her head.

JULIET:

We give praise to . . . the saints!

Candlelight flickers on Pauline s enraptured face.

The crumpled photo of Orson Welles floats down the stream. With a

sudden violent burst of sound, it is sucked into the weir.

CUT TO:

INT. RIEPERS' HOUSE/LOUNGE - CHRISTMAS DAY, 1952

CLOSE-UP . . . a Christmas present is torn open . . . followed by

several more, in QUICK CUTS. Typical 1952 presents.

A Christmas tree adorns the Riepers' lounge. Some simple streamers and

ornaments decorate the room.

SUPER:
"Christmas, 1952"

Honora, Herbert, WENDY and Pauline are sitting on the floor, amid

presents and discarded wrapping paper, GRANDMA PARKER is sitting in a

chair.

Pauline unwraps her present . . . a diary. Her eyes light up. HERBERT

leans over.

HERBERT:

Hope it's all right. It's from Whitcomb and Tombs . . .

Pauline opens the diary . . .

CUT TO IN1:
RIEPERS' HOUSE/PAULINE'S BEDROOM - DAYCLOSE-UP of the Jan.

1st page. Pauline's pen starts to write . . .

PAULINE:

(Diary V.O.) I decided that my New Year's resolution is to be more

lenient with others.

CUT TO:

INT:
RIEPERS' HOUSE/DINING ROOM - DAYThe table is laid with plates of

sausage rolls and sandwiches. Pauline is laying napkins out. STEVE

Bayliss wanders in.

STEVE:

Pikelets! Yum!

PAULINE:

(Appalled) Aren't you going out?

STEVE:

Not till two-thirty . . .

He reaches for a pikelet-Pauline pushes him away from the table.

PAULINE:

This is a private function! Go away!

STEVE:

retreats, hurt and confused. HONORA

brings in a plate of scones.

The doorbell rings.

HONORA:

Come on! Sausage rolls.

HERBERT:

(O.S.) Come on through.

HONORA:

and Pauline hurriedly work together, setting out plates and cutlery.

HERBERT:

Look who I've found!

HONORA:

whips off her pinny as HERBERT

leads Juliet into the dining room.

HONORA:

Hello, Juliet.

JULIET:

Hello, Mrs. Rieper . . . it's so nice to meet you.

Juliet shakes hands with Honora.

CUT TO:

LATER IN THE LUNCH:

Herbert, Honora, Pauline and Juliet are sitting at the table, in the

middle of lunch.

JULIET:

And so, in a blazing fury, Charles runs Lancelot Trelawney through with

his sword . . . leaving Deborah free to accept Charles's proposal of

marriage!

HONORA:

and HERBERT

exchange a glance. HONORA

smiles at Juliet.

HONORA:

I've heard your mother on 3YA. The Woman's Session has lots of lively

debate.

JULIET:

Well, actually, Mummy's left that programme now . . she's far too busy

with The Marriage Guidance Council.

HERBERT:

They sound like a queer mob!

PAULINE:

Dad!

HONORA:

I wouldn't want my private business being discussed with a complete

stranger!

JULIET:

Oh, no . . . Mummy's awfully good at it.

INSERT SCENE:

INT. MARRIAGE GUIDANCE - DAYSEVERAL QUICK SHOTS . . . of Hilda chatting

to UNHAPPY COUPLES as Juliet's V.O. continues . . .

JULIET:

(V.O.) She has deep discussions with unhappy couples and persuades them

to have another go at it. In two years, she's only had four divorces.

She should really be working for the U.N.!

WALTER PERRY is now sitting across the table from Hilda. He is ruggedly

handsome, in his mid-40s

WALTER My wife's blaming me . . . says it's all my fault.

HILDA And how do you feel about that, Mr. Perry?

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