Mrs Brown
- PG
- Year:
- 1997
- 101 min
- 508 Views
EXT. THE GROUNDS OF WINDSOR CASTLE, FOREST - NIGHT
Begin on black. The sound of rain driving into trees.
Something wipes frame and we are suddenly hurtling through
a forest on the shoulders of a wild-eyed, kilted JOHN
BROWN. Drenched hair streaming, head swivelling left and
right, as he searches the lightening-dark. A crack to his
left. He spins round, raises his pistol, smacks past
saplings and plunges on.
EXT. THE GROUNDS OF WINDSOR CASTLE, FOREST - NIGHT
Close-up on BROWN as he bangs against a tree and heaves for
air. A face in its fifties, mad-fierce eyes, handsome,
bruised lips, liverish. He goes on searching the dark.
Stops. Listens through the rain. A beat. Thinking he
hears a faint thump in the distance, he swings round and
races on.
EXT. THE GROUNDS OF WINDSOR CASTLE, FOREST - NIGHT
BROWN tears through the trees, pistol raised at full arm's
length, breath coming harder and harder. But even now
there's a ghost grace, a born hunter's grace. He leaps
fallen branches, swerves through turns in the path, eyes
forward, never stumbling once.
EXT. THE GROUNDS OF WINDSOR CASTLE, FOREST - NIGHT
BROWN bursts into a clearing, breaks to the centre and
stops. With his pistol raised, he turns one full slow
circle. His eyes take in every swerve and kick of the
wildly swaying trees.
There's a crack and a branch snaps behind him. He spins
round, bellows deep from his heart:
BROWN:
God save the Queen!!
And fires.
Nothing happens. The trees go on swaying, the storm goes
on screaming and BROWN just stands there, staring into
empty space. A pause.
Slowly, he starts to frown as the fact begins to dawn on
him that he is alone. He stares at the thrashing trees,
waving their mocking arms at him. His hand lets the pistol
drop to his side. He feels the rain drench down his face.
And now, for the first time, we see that his socks have
fallen to his ankles and his knees are cut to shreds. He
shifts a foot. His dress-shoes are covered in mud. He
goes on staring into the dark. Nothing.
Just the wind and rain. Gradually, we pull back, higher
and higher. As we do, we hear the quiet cultivated voice:
FADE TO BLACK.
CAPTION:
"1864"FADE IN:
PONSONBY (V.O.)
I have sent for a Mr. John BROWN from
Balmoral. Her majesty has mentioned
him, on one or two occasions, as being
a most devoted outdoor servant to
Prince Albert during his last days
there...
John BROWN is now just a tiny figure dwarfed by the storm.
CUT TO:
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, QUEEN VICTORIA'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY
The screen is black. As the camera pulls back, we discover
that we are looking at a black night-gown.
Queen VICTORIA is sitting at her dressing table, while an
elderly HAIRDRESSER, also in black, works at her hair.
PONSONBY (V.O.)
... The depths of the Queen's sorrow
remain impenetrable. She has now
restricted herself to a regime of such
ferocious introspection that we are
all at our wits' end...
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, PRINCE ALBERT'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY
A bust of the Prince Consort is draped in black. His desk
is laid out as if for work. A VALET is brushing one of his
suits before laying it carefully on the bed.
PONSONBY (V.O.)
... The Household continues, at her
instruction, to observe the rituals
now so familiar to her, in a vain
attempt to render vivid that which can
never be revived...
Close-up on a small table as a shaving brush is placed
carefully beside a dish of freshly poured water.
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, QUEEN VICTORIA'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY
The hairdresser is pulling VICTORIA's hair back into the
widow's cape. For the first time, we see her face. It is
set in a mask of severity.
PONSONBY (V.O.)
... It will not surprise you to hear
that she continues steadfast in her
refusal to accept any public
engagements, however trivial...
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, QUEEN VICTORIA'S BEDCHAMBER - DAY
A bronze cast of Prince Albert's hand hangs above the Royal
bed. His sleeping-gown is laid out on one side.
A somberly dressed middle-aged man stands by the bed:
DOCTOR JENNER, the Queen's physician. He is placing
potions and medicaments in a row on the bedside table.
Behind him, TWO MAIDSERVANTS are busy stripping and
remaking the bed while another raises the window to air the
room.
PONSONBY (V.O.)
... Family and staff expend all their
efforts endeavouring to draw her out
of this state of unfettered morbidity,
but to no avail. Indeed, Doctor
Jenner will not undertake to vouchsafe
her sanity, unless some remedy is
found...
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, QUEEN VICTORIA'S DRESSING ROOM - DAY
VICTORIA is turning slowly around as a young ASSISTANT
DRESSER completes the fastening on her black crepe dress.
PONSONBY (V.O.)
... We must hope, therefore, that this
Mr Brown will appeal to the Queen's
sentimental, though deeply-held, view
that all Highlanders are good for the
health. If she can at least be
persuaded to take the air, the
prospect of further recovery may seem
less remote...
The assistant dresser pulls too tightly on her dress.
VICTORIA winces slightly.
ASSISTANT DRESSER
(terrified)
Sorry, ma'am.
EXT. THE SEA FRONT, ISLE OF WIGHT - DAY
We glide slowly past the coastline as a caption reads:
"ISLE OF WIGHT. 1864."
A DRIVER stands against the sea front with a horse and cart
bearing the Royal coat of arms.
John BROWN leads his pony along the dockside, towards the
waiting driver. He is in his late thirties, fit, handsome
and dressed in tartan kilt and short jacket.
PONSONBY (V.O.)
... He is arriving by boat this
afternoon, by which time it is hoped
Her Majesty will be in a fit state to
consider riding out...
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, PRIVATE SECRETARY'S ROOM - DAY
SIR HENRY PONSONBY, the Queen's Private Secretary, is
sitting at his writing desk, completing a letter.
PONSONBY (V.O.)
... As to that decision, along with
all others, we remain, as ever,
prisoners of the Queen's grief.
(beat)
Ever your devoted husband, Henry.
He folds the letter and slips it into an envelope. He is a
middle-aged man in a dark mourning suit; tall, Saturnine
and with a civil servant's stoop. As he looks up, we see a
white-stockinged FOOTMAN standing to attention by the door.
PONSONBY hands the letter to him.
PONSONBY (CONT'D)
Windsor.
CUT TO:
CAPTION:
"OSBORNE HOUSE, ISLE OF WIGHT"INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, CORRIDOR AND QUEEN'S DINING ROOM - DAY
A series of windows are being slammed open by white
stockinged FOOTMEN as members of the ROYAL FAMILY and UPPER
HOUSEHOLD hurry by in silence, all dressed in mourning and
rushing to make the luncheon hour.
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, QUEEN'S DRAWING ROOM - DAY
Queen VICTORIA heads down the empty corridor with two
ladies-in-waiting, LADY ELY and LADY CHURCHILL, hurrying
along a pace behind.
INT. OSBORNE HOUSE, QUEEN'S DINING ROOM - DAY
Members of the Royal family and upper household hurry into
the icy dining room and take their designated places at the
luncheon table. Everybody is dressed in mourning and
nobody speaks. Wind whistles through the open windows.
Silence.
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"Mrs Brown" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 23 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/mrs_brown_905>.
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