Philomena Page #3

ANUNCIATA enters, looks at YOUNG PHILOMENA in such pain. She

sees again the forceps on the side and cries out in anguish:

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ANUNCIATA:

I don’t know how to do it!

Mother Barbara’s words are in her head... ‘it’s in God’s

hands now’... but she cannot do it - she cannot just stand by

and let the girl die. She picks up the forceps and plunges

between YOUNG PHILOMENA’S legs. On the girl’s scream...

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CUT TO:

8 INT. MOTHER BARBARA’S STUDY, ROSCREA - DAY 8

Jump back to two months earlier. YOUNG PHILOMENA stands

before MOTHER BARBARA and YOUNG SISTER HILDEGARDE, Mother

Barbara’s number two, thin-faced, early 40s. Ashamed of her

swollen, pregnant belly, she can barely meet their eyes.

YOUNG SISTER HILDEGARDE

Did you let him put his hands on

you?

YOUNG PHILOMENA:

(Beat, humiliated)

Yes sister.

MOTHER BARBARA:

And did you enjoy that? Did you

enjoy your sin?

YOUNG PHILOMENA doesn’t answer.

YOUNG SISTER HILDEGARDE

Did you take your knickers down?

YOUNG PHILOMENA looks at the two older women, their eyes

boring into her. She is too petrified to answer.

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PHILOMENA - Final Shooting Script 11.

MOTHER BARBARA:

Answer Sister Hildegarde - did you

take them down?

YOUNG PHILOMENA:

(Tears in her eyes)

Yes.

YOUNG SISTER HILDEGARDE settles back into her chair, turns

sniffily to Mother BARBARA:

YOUNG SISTER HILDEGARDE

He got an awful lot for his toffee

apple.

YOUNG PHILOMENA:

Oh Reverend Mother the sisters at

school never told us anything about

babies or... the thing.

MOTHER BARBARA:

Did your mother not tell you?

YOUNG SISTER HILDEGARDE

Her mother died ten years ago.

MOTHER BARBARA:

Oh, God rest her soul...

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(Sudden venom)

But don’t dare to blame the

sisters! You are the cause of this

shame. You and your indecency!

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CUT TO:

9 INT. DELIVERY ROOM, ROSCREA - NIGHT 9

Back to the birth. With the forceps and her strong fingers,

ANUNCIATA pushes and twists the tiny body inside YOUNG

PHILOMENA, lying back, drenched in sweat, moaning in pain.

Finally, with a gush of pale red liquid onto the white sheet,

ANUNCIATA pulls out the baby’s head, dragging a new life into

God’s world. It’s over and ANUNCIATA, overcome with emotion,

holds up the newborn baby to his mother.

ANUNCIATA:

It’s a boy.

She hands him to YOUNG PHILOMENA, who takes him to her chest.

YOUNG PHILOMENA:

I knew.

Caption:
Roscrea, 1952

The door to the delivery room opens. MOTHER BARBARA stands in

the doorway, taking in the sight of YOUNG PHILOMENA cradling

her baby. She makes the sign of the cross.

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PHILOMENA - Final Shooting Script 12.

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MOTHER BARBARA:

Thank the Lord.

Aware of MOTHER BARBARA’S icy glare but bitter at her

hypocrisy, ANUNCIATA is forced to also make the sign.

CUT TO:

10 EXT. MARION’S HOUSE - NIGHT 10

To establish a white stucco-fronted Georgian town house,

bathed in the golden sun of late evening. SFX sounds of a

party from inside.

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CUT TO:

11 INT. MARION’S HOUSE - NIGHT 11

A drinks party at a central London town house, an informal

gathering for journalists and New Labour types. WAITRESSES

serving drinks to GUESTS.

JANE, worried, is serving canapes (or maybe she is going

round with bottles of wine topping up glasses). And now we

REVEAL behind her MARTIN, looking ill at ease, wishing he

wasn’t there. DAVID, an old friend, same age, chatting with

KEITH, 50s, and a woman, 40s, a no-nonsense look about her

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(SALLY MITCHELL).

DAVID:

Martin!

MARTIN forces a smile and joins them.

DAVID (cont’d)

(Gestures to KEITH)

Keith you know.

(Then to SALLY)

Sally Mitchell this is Martin

Sixsmith, used to be the BBC’s man

in Moscow.

MARTIN:

And Washington.

DAVID:

And then became a spin doctor for

the government, until it all went a

bit tits up. Is that a fair

summation Martin?

DAVID is not drunk but has obviously had a few drinks.

JANE, serving, is all ears.

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PHILOMENA - Final Shooting Script 13.

MARTIN:

Yes. Pretty much. I suppose if you

shovel sh*t for long enough, you’ll

end up with some on your shoes.

They laugh politely.

DAVID:

Yeh but you got it on your head -

how did you manage that?

They laugh louder - MARTIN too.

MARTIN:

Yes, well, you’ve got to have a

sense of humour about these things.

DAVID:

What are you up to at the moment?

MARTIN:

I’m thinking of writing a book. On

Russian history..?

They look at him and no-one responds. Horrible eggy moment.

MARTIN (cont’d)

Or something else. Might try going

back to journalism-

SALLY:

I remember you! You’re the one who

sent that terrible e-mail saying-

MARTIN:

No I didn’t. Common mistake.

SALLY:

(Line overlaps with his)

-it was a good day to bury bad news

on 9/11... I thought that was you?

MARTIN:

No, that was someone else. What I

actually did was, one year later,

on the day of Princess Margaret’s

funeral, send an e-mail saying

let’s make sure the only thing we

‘bury’ today - inverted commas - is

Princess Margaret.

DAVID:

Which is slightly different.

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PHILOMENA - Final Shooting Script 14.

MARTIN:

It’s totally different. But the

papers said it was another e-mail

about burying bad news, nobody from

the government defended me and... I

got royally f***ed up the arse by a

bunch of self interested spineless

shits.

SALLY:

(Sarcastic)

But you’ve still got a sense of

humour about it?

MARTIN:

(Defiantly)

Yes.

DAVID:

Well if you want to get back into

journalism, talk to Sally.

SALLY:

Oh I just do, you know, sob

stories, human interest stuff - not

really your cup of tea is it.

MARTIN looks at her awkwardly. It isn’t, but he doesn’t want

to say it isn’t.

SALLY (cont’d)

But I’ll be happy to have a look if

you want to push any ideas my way?

MARTIN:

Yes... please.

To escape his embarrassment he walks over to JANE, standing

close by.

MARTIN (cont’d)

Could I get a glass of... Pinot

Grigio please?

JANE is obviously not in the mood for niceties:

JANE:

It’s just red or white.

MARTIN:

Oh yes, sorry. White then please.

But as she pours it, there is the first glimmer of

recognition. She’s sure she’s seen Martin before.

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PHILOMENA - Final Shooting Script 15.

JANE:

I hope you don’t mind me asking but

didn’t you used to be a reporter on

News At Ten?

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