Shine

INT. TRANSIT LOUNGE. AIRPORT - NIGHT

David HELFGOTT wakes with a start in an indistinct place

somewhere in the world. Late thirties, eyelids at

half-mast, he stares into the wet night, mesmerized by a

flashing red light.

David

(mumbling)

Kissed them all, I kissed them all, always kissed cats,

puss-cats, kissed them, always did; if a cat'd let me kiss

it, I'd kiss it - Cat on a fence I'll kiss it - always,

always, I will - didn't I? I did because I was different

wasn't I, I was - gotta be different again, haven't I darl -

He realizes the seat beside him is empty and panics.

David

Where-oh-where, Gillian? Where did she go, where-oh -

His weird begaviour draws attention.

Gillian

(returning)

It's alright David, I'm right here.

David

Here - here Gillian, right here. The thing is I thought you

were gone.

She emanates calmness, warmth and is an endless source of

energy. The effect is instantaneous. David settles '

Gillian

Where is there to go?

David

I don't know darling, I don't know, I'm hopeless without my

glasses.

Gillian

You've got your contacts in, silly.

David

I'm a silly, it's true, it's true.

A braying laugh.

Whooahh!

Gillian

Shhhh.

David

Oooh, shhh - shhh, sorry darling, sorry -

Gillian

It's alright. Stretch your legs.

David

Do you think so? Perhaps I should, perhaps I should stretch

my legs, should I stretch my legs?

He stands.

Gillian

Good idea.

David

Good idea, that's right -

AIRPORT ANNOUNCEMENT : Flight 313 to London via Frankfurt

will be re-boarding in 15 minutes -

David

Whooahhh, London, Gillian, London!

Gillian

Yes ' Shhh.

David

Shhh '

He looks out the rain-spattered window at the flashing red

light from an aircraft being fuelled immediately outside the

window.

David

Shhh, softly, softly, new story '

Dissolve to iridescent neon raindrops coursing down a window

in the night somewhere, Suddenly a desperate face fills the

frams. It's David in his late twenties. The full head of

hair, falling around his soaking wet face, tells us this is

years earlier; a sodden cigarette hangs from his lips

spectacles dangle off the end of his nose. He's looking

into ...

INT/EXT. MOBY'S WINEBAR - NIGHT

A pianist croons the last few bars of 'Only the Lonely'. A

waiter, TONY, shows the last two patrons to the door. TONY

and a woman in her mid-forties, Sylvia, put up chairs; the

PIANIST, SAM, slips into a stool at the bar. They chat but

all we hear is David's anxious breathing as we are seeing it

all from his POV. He raps on the window.

Sylvia

What does he want?

Sam

A drink probably. Get lost!

David disappears from the window and appears at the door.

Sylvia

Poor thing. Let him in.

Tony

He's a derro'!

Sylvia

He's saturated.

Resume David's POV as more words are exchanged then TONY

comes over and opens the door to him.

Tony

What's the problem, mate?

David

(a hundred miles an hour)

Sorry, sorry, sorry, mate, I'm the problem, I think I'm the

problem, such a problem. And wet! But it's not an ideal

world. Is it an ideal world? We just have to make the most

of it, I mean, this is the way we find it isn't it,

yeah-yeah-yeah! But it's more ideal than it was, I mean,

you know, we're privileged, we're privileged, we're

priviliged, aren't we, because not long ago, people would be

burned to a steak wouldn't they, er '

He sees 'MOBY'S' embroidered on TONY's tunic.

David

Moby, yay Moby, pleased to meet you -

Tony

Tony. Who are you?

David

(hugs Tony)

Tony, Tony not Moby Tony. Who am I Tony? Who knows Tony?

I don't know myself. Whooahh! David, I'm David, I'm David

Tony ' How does that sound?

Sylvia

Hello David. How can Sylvia help?

David

Sylvia? Is it Sylvia? How are you Sylvia? Good to see

you, Sylvia.

He throws an arm around her neck as though greeting a

long-lost friend.

David

Sylvia Tony, Tony Sylvia.

Sylvia

What can we do for you, David?

David

Do for me, Sylvia, what, yes, got to stop talking, got to

stop, got to stop, it's a problem isn't it? Is it a

problem?

Sylvia

It's alright David; just tell Sylvia why you're here.

David

Ahhhh! Well it's a mystery, a mystery, a mystery -

Sylvia

Are you lost?

David

Am I lost? Perhaps that's it. I'm lost, I'm lost, I'm

lost. How does that sound?

He sees the piano.

David

Ooh you have a piano. Is that your piano, Sylvia?

Beautiful Sylvia,. Isn't Sylvia beautiful Tony? You too

Tony. Perhaps I could play it. Could I play it? You say,

you say.

Sam

Like hell baby.

Sylvia

Shut up, Sam.

David

(lurches towards SAM)

Hell baby, the Devil, Diablerie Sam baby!

SAM:

Get outta here.

TONY is in fits of laughter '

Sylvia

David -

David

Sylvia, such a beaitiful piano exquisite Sylvia, Sylvia-Tony.

He moves towards it.

David

Could I play, you say, you say?

Sylvia

Why don't you tell Sylvia where you live?

David

Live, Sylvia, ligve - live and let live - that's very

important isn't it? Molto, molto. But then again it's a

lifelong struggle, isn't it Sylvia-Tony, to live, to

survive, to survive undamaged and not destroy any living

breathing creature. The point is, if you do something wrong

you can be punished for the rest of your life so I think

it's a lifelong struggle; is it a lifelong struggle?

Whatever you do it's a struggle, a struggle to keep you head

above water and not get it chopped off. I'm not

disappointing you am I Sylvia-Tony-Moby-Sam, yay Sam!

EXT. STREETS - NIGHT

Sylvia's old Humber belts past in the heavy rain.

INT. Sylvia'S CAR - NIGHT

TONY is driving. Sylvia is in front, both laughing along

with David in the back.

David

(a braying laugh)

'Helfott' - 'with the help of God' - that's what it means

Sylvia. How's that? You see, Daddy's daddy was religious,

vee-eery religious, very strict; and a bit of a meanie. But

he got eterminated, didn't he, so God didn't help him.

Whooahhh. Not very funny is it, Sylvia? Very sad, really

sad - I'm callous aren't I, such a meanie because I haven't

got a soul, is that right - that's right isn't it?

Sylvia - (O.S.)

What do you mean?

David

Daddy, daddy said so. No such thing as a soul.

A train whiste sounds in the distance.

Sylvia

That's ridiculous

David

Ridiculous; you're right. I'm ridiculous Sylvia-Tony, and

callous Daddy said because it was a tragedy, a tragedy '

The car drives into a tunnel. Blackness in the tunnel.

David - (V.0.)

' a ridiculous tragedy.

The sound of the train wheels rattling, blasting a signal

sweeps us into bright light.

INT. OLD HALL - DAY

As if in a dream, children's faces turn to look at camera in

soundless slow-motion. Some are made up, prissy, perfectly

dressed for a performance, accompanies by 'stage mothers',

fanning themselves in the stifling heat, all eyes focused on

the next contestant as he makes his way up the centre aisle.

His POV. Over this we fade up.

ANNOUNCER:

Let's hear it for our next young contestant, David Helfgott.

David, nine, makes his way down the aisle clutching a score.

His hair is meticulously parted and he wears spectacles. A

little uncertain, he stops and looks back to his father.

Peter HELFGOTT is a thickset Polish man in his fifties. He

motions for David to keep going, then sits, anxious and

excited. David walks up some steps onto the stage.

Rate this script:5.0 / 1 vote