Jamaica Inn Page #4

.

JAMAICA INN EPISODE 1 SHOOTING SCRIPT 23.9.13

PATIENCE (O.S.)

No, Joss. Please, I didn’t mean it -

JOSS (O.S.)

Then why’d you say it?

PATIENCE:

I know you love me. Please, you’re

hurting me

Another moan, and the low rumble of her uncle’s voice.

MARY freezes, tears pricking in her eyes as her heart breaks

for her aunt, her sense of justice galvanised.

She looks at the bundle in her arms, and towards the front

door and freedom - she wants to go. But how can she leave her

AUNT to this?

With grim resignation, MARY forces herself to tiptoe back up

the stairs and into her room. The door clicks shut.

FADE TO BLACK.

20

INT. MARY’S BEDROOM, JAMAICA INN - DAY 2 20

A pale sun shines, wind rattling the window as MARY wakes,

stiffening as she remembers where she is. She steels herself.

21

INT. LANDING, JAMICA INN - DAY 2 21

MARY stands in the door to her room but the inn is quiet.

She takes her chance to look round the dark, rambling inn,

opening doors on guest rooms, all dusty and unused -

MARY looks in JOSS and PATIENCE’s room, small and tatty

- and at the far end of the corridor, a door that won’t open.

MARY tries it again, but it’s locked.

22

INT. PASSAGEWAY, JAMAICA INN - DAY 2 22

MARY comes down the stairs, but the inn is still quiet, so

she continues exploring, opening doors on various storerooms-

-messy with barrels and old chairs, rat chewed horse

blankets, a box of shrivelled turnips -

glancing into the empty front bar - neglect everywhere.

But as she glances out of the window, she stops in shock at

the view; the moors around them are vast and breathtaking.

.

JAMAICA INN EPISODE 1 SHOOTING SCRIPT 23.9.13

23 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - DAY 2 23

MARY crosses the courtyard, which is even messier in the

daylight.

The wooden hut that houses the toilet is dilapidated; there

are stables, cow-house and chicken run to one side and a

water trough in the centre.

24 EXT. BODMIN MOOR - DAY 2 24

MARY reaches open moorland and we share her POV of

-the isolation; gorse covered or brown and soggy moors

stretching out in all directions as far as the eye can see.

The wind-blown rough-grass landscape has a wild, magnetic

beauty and is broken by enormous granite rocks piled high in

strange formations, with a dark brooding power.

The sky above is low and flat and heavy with clouds and the

sound of tinkling sheep bells in the distance.

For a moment, MARY forgets herself. She shuts her eyes and

tips her head back, listening to the silence - just the wind

and distant sheep bells; and she sucks in a big deep breath

-but as she opens her eyes she glimpses a dark silhouette

flit between the distant stones. MARY stares, but it’s gone.

She turns towards the inn, alarmed to see a mist has suddenly

come in, quick and silent and rather frightening.

She hurries back but as she disappears in the mist, we share

a POV behind the stones… someone definitely watching her.

25 INT. FRONT BAR, JAMAICA INN - DAY 2 25

MARY returns, windswept and PATIENCE enters and sees, laughs,

a little too forced, perhaps slightly nervous

PATIENCE:

You’ve seen how castaway we are

then. I don’t go out there. Happy

with my chicken run.

MARY watches PATIENCE cleaning the bar, remembering her cries

in the night and wanting to help and save her somehow.

PATIENCE turns - sees her look and adds

PATIENCE (CONT’D)

Your uncle’s out.

Beat.

.

JAMAICA INN EPISODE 1 SHOOTING SCRIPT 23.9.13

MARY:

Aunt Patience, why are there no

customers? The guest rooms are all

stored with lumber and

PATIENCE:

(stiffens)

-your uncle doesn’t like folk

staying. Lonely spot like this we

could be murdered in our beds MARY

But how do you live if there’s no

custom - ?

PATIENCE:

People come from all around, thank

you very much. The farms and mine

cottages. S’evenings when the bar

is full of ‘em.

(bristles)

Now, we need to get cleaned up,

can’t sit here all day.

PATIENCE turns and heads outside. MARY frowns, then follows.

26 EXT. COURTYARD, JAMAICA INN - DAY 2 26

MARY puts her back into it as she and PATIENCE move the

broken furniture into a heap and sweep broken glass, imposing

a new female order.

MARY glances at her from time to time, wondering how she

might resume her questioning, but as though she senses it,

PATIENCE smiles brightly

PATIENCE:

So tell me, Mary? Did you have a

beau back there at home?

A beat - MARY guesses this is PATIENCE changing the subject

MARY:

No.

PATIENCE:

Ooh just you wait. He’ll be along

soon enough. A man to stop you

thinking straight. Then off you’ll

go to church before you know it.

MARY:

I don’t know that I want to marry

PATIENCE:

Pah!

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

17

MARY:

-unless I really loved the man. It

seems to me too many just make

slaves of women.

PATIENCE bristles as she pushes in the torn up cobbles, and

purses her lips, won’t meet MARY’s eye-

MARY (CONT’D)

I’d sooner do a man’s work on a

farm.

PATIENCE:

You’ll change your mind, of course *

you will.

She smiles enticingly, hiding a steely ulterior motive -

PATIENCE (CONT’D)

Now your uncle says there’s silk *

for sale at Camelford. Lovely

Chinese silk, and goin’ cheap as *

well. Thought we’d get down there’n

we can make ourselves new dresses.

But MARY is uncomfortable as she turns away to patch holes in

the toilet hut with wood, hay and paper but can’t help asking-

MARY:

Is it smuggled silk?

PATIENCE was hoping for MARY’s acceptance and collusion, and

the girl’s judgement is the last thing she wanted. PATIENCE

flashes sudden hardness -

PATIENCE:

Now listen here, young missy, your

uncle’s got another mouth to feed

now so we can’t go paying out for

everything. We need to

MARY:

I’ll starve then, if it helps you.

(off PATIENCE’s look)

It was smugglers who killed my

father, you surely know that? So

you can’t put money in their

pockets.

PATIENCE bites back knowing several things that MARY doesn’t,

and we see it. She stares, but then snaps

PATIENCE:

Fine. I’ll stay in this one til it

falls right off my back then, shall

I? Leaves me naked to the four

winds! What do I care?

.

JAMAICA INN EP1 FIRST REVISION SET PINK 25.9.13

18

She turns inside leaving MARY unsettled by her mercurial

unpredictability.

27 INT. MARY’S BEDROOM, JAMAICA INN - EVENING 27

MARY is still troubled by her exchange with PATIENCE as she

enters and sits on the bed. Her father’s coat is lying on a

chair and MARY looks at it, and has an idea.

She stands and roots through her trunk for her two dresses,

then lays them on the bed.

Neither is pristine, but one is clearly better than the

other. MARY holds it up.

28 INT. JOSS AND PATIENCE’S BEDROOM, JAMAICE INN - EVENING 28

PATIENCE is sitting on her bed, troubled. She looks up as

MARY enters, offering out the dress to her, a little shyly-

MARY:

I brought this for you? It isn’t

new but - well, it’s got no holes

at least.

PATIENCE is moved as she takes it, assumes it is an act of

peace and acceptance. She squeezes MARY’s hand tightly-

PATIENCE:

Thank you, love. *

MARY sits beside her, pleased for her acceptance.

PATIENCE (CONT’D)

I suppose you think me dowdy.

MARY:

No. Of course not.

PATIENCE looks at her with love -

PATIENCE:

You must take care, Mary, love.

You’ve got to fit in round here.

I’ve missed your mother all these

years and having you here, it’s the

next best thing.

(MARY smiles gratitude)

I’d hate for any harm to come to

you.

As PATIENCE stands to hold the dress up in front of her for

size, the smile freezes on MARY’s lips; was that a threat?

29 CUT 29

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes