Strictly Ballroom Page #2

---

SHIRLEY:

Fran!

LIZ:

Hey, Wayne, come over here

and meet Ken.

SHIRLEY:

Kylie, feed the fish!

SHIRLEY:

Doug, are you coming?

VANESSA:

- He's my partner.

WAYNE:

- Fiance.

KEN:

G'day.

SHIRLEY:

Doug... Doug?

Doug? Doug?

Doug, will you hurry up,

please?

Doug?

LES:

There, there, there, there...

where's that happy face, huh?

There, there...

VANESSA:

Let's go.

Come on, Wayne.

LES:

Don't worry.

We're not going to give up yet.

We'll find Scott a new partner.

SHIRLEY:

Oh, Lessie, he's my only son.

LES:

I know, I know, I know.

Don't worry, love. Don't worry.

We'll start try-outs

tomorrow, hmm?

Now, here's Doug.

He'll take you home.

DOUG:

Come on, Shirley.

SHIRLEY:

Good night, fishes!

Good night, Uncle Les.

Good night, good night.

LES:

Night, night.

Sleep tight.

SHIRLEY:

Off we go, huh?

Good. Huh.

Happy face.

Scottie, l...

Scott...

you're still our number one.

And we've got three weeks.

We'll start try-outs tomorrow.

We'll find you a new partner.

SCOTT:

Yeah.

Bullshit.

LES:

Well, to pick

what was actually wrong...

you'd have to be

an experienced professional...

like myself.

FRAN:

That's looking good.

SCOTT:

What are you doing here?

FRAN:

Oh, I-I just...

SCOTT:

How long have you been here?

FRAN:

Two years.

I was just looking for someone.

SCOTT:

Everyone's gone home.

FRAN:

Yeah, I know.

It's just I've got this idea...

Like... I mean... it's... um...

It's...

I want to try to...

I want to dance with you.

SCOTT:

What?

FRAN:

I want to dance with you.

I want to dance with you

your way at the Pan Pacifics.

SCOTT:

The Pan Pacifics?

You want to dance my way

at the Pan Pacifics?

FRAN:

Yeah.

SCOTT:

You can't dance my way.

You don't win.

FRAN:

It's just because

you've been overdoing it.

If you kept it simpler

and danced from the heart...

SCOTT:

What?

FRAN:

And had the right partner...

SCOTT:

Oh, I see. That's you, is it?

FRAN:

When you dance your steps,

I understand how you feel...

because I make up

my own steps, too.

SCOTT:

You make up your own steps?

FRAN:

Yeah, and now we both

haven't got partners.

SCOTT:

Look, what are you

carrying on about?

You've never had a partner.

You've been dancing with a girl

for two years, haven't you?

FRAN:

- Yeah, but...

SCOTT:

- Yeah.

And now you've come up to me...

who's been dancing

since I was six years old...

and you say you want

to dance non-Federation...

and convince the judges

at the Pan Pacific Grand Prix...

with three weeks to train?

FRAN:

Yeah.

SCOTT:

I don't think so.

FRAN:

Just give me a try-out.

SCOTT:

- Look, go home.

FRAN:

- Just one hour.

SCOTT:

This is very embarrassing.

FRAN:

I just need a chance.

SCOTT:

You're going to wake up

tomorrow...

and feel like

a real idiot about this.

FRAN:

Do you want to dance

your own steps or not?

SCOTT:

It's none of your business.

FRAN:

Well, do you?

SCOTT:

Look, a beginner has no right

to approach an open amateur.

FRAN:

Yeah, well, an open amateur

has no right...

to dance non-Federation steps,

but you did, didn't you?

SCOTT:

- That's different.

FRAN:

- How is it different?

You're just like

the rest of them.

You think you're different,

but you're not...

because you're just

really scared.

You're really scared

to give someone new a go...

because they might just

be better than you are.

You're just pathetic,

and you're gutless.

You're a gutless wonder!

Vivir con miedo

es como vivir a medias.

SCOTT:

What's your name again?

FRAN:

Fran.

SCOTT:

Yeah? Fran what?

FRAN:

Just Fran.

SCOTT:

All right, then, just Fran,

don't push me.

Rumba.

Oh, great.

You can't even do a basic.

FRAN:

- You said one hour.

SCOTT:

- One, two, three, four.

One, two. One hold two.

One hold two, three, four.

One, two, three.

Two, three, four.

One, two, three...

We're telling a story.

The rumba's the dance of love.

Look at me like you're in love.

That's it. Good.

Turn, two, three, four.

And one, two, three, four.

Good, that's it.

We'll do one basic

into a spin and a lunge, OK?

And one, two...

and one, turn and...

One, turn, and lunge.

OK.

Lunge.

Drag, pull, drag.

One, turn, there.

FRAN:

I know...

Wait, wait, I know...

one and two...

Hey, we could...

Wait.

SCOTT:

Where did that come from?

FRAN:

It's a step

I've been working on at home.

SCOTT:

Show me.

FRAN:

Well...

KYLIE:

She's got no body flight.

SCOTT:

Good.

Stronger.

KYLIE:

A bit of musicality, please.

SCOTT:

Good.

Good, yeah.

Come back in, but not too far.

KYLIE:

She's terrible.

They're either

too tall...

they're too short,

they're too tubby.

Well, you know, fat.

It's as if he doesn't

want to find...

anyone who's compatible.

Now this one's Island Fantasy,

and that's 11.95.

Oh, see, that's you.

WAYNE:

He was supposed

to help me and Vanessa...

with our bogo pogo step.

He never even showed up.

With a guy like Scott

it could be anything...

sexuality, drugs, you know...

He's obviously lost it, Sweetie.

VANESSA:

He's all washed up.

SCOTT:

- No!

FRAN:

- Sorry.

SCOTT:

Take a break.

FRAN:

How are the try-outs going?

Good... really good.

Mmm.

Your mum and Les were really

great dancers, weren't they?

SCOTT:

Yeah, they were.

FRAN:

They don't talk

about it very much.

SCOTT:

No... because of Dad.

Look, Fran...

The roof.

FRAN:

What's he doing?

SCOTT:

He's always hiding away

doing something.

Can you dance without those?

It might help.

Come on, we've got work to do.

(Lying in my bed

I hear the clock tick

and think of you

Caught up in circles

Confusion is nothing new

Flashback, warm nights,

almost left behind

Suitcase of memories,

time after

Sometimes you picture me

I'm walking too far ahead

You're calling to me

I can't hear what you've said

Then you say go slow,

I fall behind

The second hand unwinds...

If you're lost, you can look

and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall,

I will catch you

I'll be waiting

Time after time

Again.)

SHIRLEY:

Yes, yes.

It was his year!

It was his year!

It was his year!

It was Scott's year, Luke...

and he's gone and

thrown it all away.

You wouldn't do that,

would you, Lukey?

LUKE:

No.

DOUG:

Les will find a partner.

SHIRLEY:

There's no time, Doug!

She'd have to be a champion.

You think someone

like Tina Sparkle...

is wandering around going...

"I wonder who

I'll dance with?"

VANESSA:

Why don't you

and Mrs. Hastings...

go in the over 35s,

Mr. Hastings?

DOUG:

I don't like competition.

SCOTT:

Dad doesn't go

into competitions.

VANESSA:

But you should

have a go, Mr. Hastings.

SHIRLEY:

Doug, will you stop that?

Stop that shuffling,

you stupid man!

I can't bear it.

I just can't bear it.

KYLIE:

Don't cry, Mum.

Scott will find a new partner.

Don't worry... he will.

(If you're lost, you can look

And you will find me

Time after time

If you fall,

I will catch you

I'll be waiting

Time after time

If you fall,

I will catch you

I will be waiting

Time after time)

SCOTT:

You're ready.

FRAN:

What for?

SCOTT:

I want you and me to try out

for Les tomorrow night.

FRAN:

At the State? Really?

SCOTT:

Yep.

FRAN:

Aah! Ha ha ha!

(Time after time

Yay!

Time after time

Time after time

Vivir con miedo

es como vivir a...

Vivir a medias.)

FRAN:

Vivir con miedo

es como vivir a medias.

SCOTT:

Yeah.

FRAN:

Um, to live with fear

is like to half live.

I mean, is a life half lived.

Rate this script:3.7 / 11 votes