The Birds Page #5

MELANIE:

Lovebirds.

Taking this as a further indication of Melanie's relationship

with Mitch:

ANNIE:

Mmm.

(pause)

Well, good luck, Miss Daniels.

MELANIE:

Thank you.

She nods pleasantly, starts the car, pulls away.

CLOSE SHOT - ANNIE

watching the car, a look of sad resignation on her face.

DISSOLVE:

MED. SHOT - MELANIE

coming out of Brinkmeyer's General Store, carrying a small

paper bag, walking toward her car out front. The CAMERA

FOLLOWS her as she gets in. She opens her purse and reaches

in for the paper bag.

CLOSE SHOT - HER HANDS

She pulls out a birthday card from the paper bag.

MED. SHOT - MELANIE

reaching into her purse again for a fountain pen. She unscrews

the cap, braces the card on her closed purse.

INSERT - THE CARD

Happy Birthday, the usual rhyming sentiments. The pen writes:

To Cathy

DISSOLVE:

FULL SHOT - MELANIE'S CAR

crossing the highway down into the parking area behind the

Tides, close to the docks.

HIGH SHOT:

She gets out of the car and walks onto one of the docks, the

bird cage in her hand. Melanie approaches a waiting fisherman.

She asks for her boat. The fisherman nods. He leads her to

the dock and the waiting boat. She gets into the outboard

motorboat, the fisherman helping her. He hands down the

lovebirds in their cage.

FULL SHOT - THE BOAT

pulling away from the dock, heading across the bay.

VERY LONG SHOT (MATTE) - THE BOAT

and the wide expanse of the bay, as it heads on a direct

course for the house on the other side.

VERY LONG SHOT (MATTE)

Another spectacular SHOT of the small boat.

FULL SHOT - THE BOAT

coming head-on toward CAMERA, Melanie at the tiller. She

cuts the motor. The motor drifts to a stop. The bay is silent

except for the cry of the gulls.

LONG SHOT - THE BRENNER HOUSE - MELANIE'S P.O.V.

There is not a sign of activity as the boat drifts just a

little closer. As Melanie watches, the front door opens and

a woman comes out, walks to a red pickup truck, starts the

engine. A little girl comes out of the house, goes to the

truck, gets in. The woman shouts something to a man -- Mitch

Brenner, probably, though it is difficult to tell from this

distance -- and he comes over to the truck.

The truck grinds into gear, goes around the turnabout, and

heads down the road away from the farm, a huge cloud of dust

behind it. The farm is still again. Mitch stands looking

after the truck for a moment, and then begins walking up

toward the barn in the distance.

CLOSE SHOT:

watching, biting her lip.

LONG SHOT - THE BRENNER HOUSE

Mitch reaching the barn and entering. Silence.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE

watching, waiting.

LONG SHOT - THE BRENNER HOUSE

Not a sign of life.

MED. SHOT - MELANIE

picking up paddle from deck, beginning to paddle in toward

dock.

FULL SHOT - THE BOAT

edging in toward the dock. Closer, closer, Melanie puts down

the paddle. The boat drifts in.

MED. SHOT - MELANIE

leaping ashore, tying up the boat, reaching down for the

cage. She climbs onto the dock and approaches the CAMERA

until she is in WAIST SHOT. The CAMERA STARTS to RECEDE in

front of her as she walks forward.

THE CAMERA MOVING TOWARD THE HOUSE AND BARN

The barn door closed, still no sign of Mitch.

WAIST SHOT - MELANIE

Coming off the dock and onto the lawn, the CAMERA still

RETREATING in front of her. She makes her way carefully across

the lawn, glancing toward the barn, carrying the bird cage.

FULL SHOT - CAMERA GETTING NEAR THE HOUSE AND BARN

WAIST SHOT - MELANIE

crossing the lawn, the CAMERA RETREATING in front of her.

FULL SHOT - CLOSER - CAMERA APPROACHING THE HOUSE AND BARN

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE - WALKING

CAMERA RETREATING in front of her: Excitement and anticipation

on her face. She wets her lips. The CAMERA PANS WITH her as

she goes to front door and lets herself in.

FULL SHOT - INT. THE BRENNER HOUSE ENTRY

as the door opens. Melanie ENTERS quickly, and closes the

door behind her. She glances around for a moment, getting

her bearings. The house is silent.

MED. SHOT - MELANIE

entering the dining room. Hastily, she puts the cage on the

dinning room table, props the card up against it, then glances

through the lace curtains on the dinning room window.

FULL SHOT - THE BARN - CLOSER - THROUGH THE CURTAINS

as before.

EXT. BRENNER HOUSE - WAIST SHOT - MELANIE - MOVING P.O.V.

as the front door opens and Melanie EMERGES. CAMERA PANS AND

FOLLOWS her back down front walk. Melanie glances over her

shoulder toward the barn.

EXT. BARN - MOVING P.O.V.

Mitch has not emerged.

MOVING P.O.V. - MELANIE

CAMERA CONTINUES MOVING on Melanie's back toward the end of

the dock. Melanie again glances over her shoulder toward the

barn.

MOVING P.O.V.

further along the dock toward the barn. Still no Mitch.

BACK TO MELANIE:

CAMERA CONTINUES on her back for a short distance and STOPS

as Melanie continues to the end of the dock and climbs into

the boat.

MOVING P.O.V. - MELANIE

CAMERA CONTINUES on her back for a short distance and STOPS

as Melanie continues to the end of the dock and climbs into

the boat.

MOVING P.O.V. - MELANIE

CAMERA FOLLOWS Melanie as she paddles away from the dock.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE (PROCESS)

as she looks toward the house and barn. She starts to duck

down.

EXT. BARN - MELANIE'S P.O.V.

as Mitch EMERGES from the barn and goes toward the house. He

goes INSIDE.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE (PROCESS)

peering over the stern of the boat.

EXT. HOUSE - MELANIE'S P.O.V.

Mitch dashes OUT of the front door and looks around.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE

as she watches Mitch.

MELANIE'S P.O.V.

as Mitch runs back INTO the house.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE (PROCESS)

peering over stern of the boat.

MITCH - MELANIE'S P.O.V.

as he EMERGES from the front door and raises binoculars.

EXTREME CLOSE SHOT - MITCH

as he looks towards Melanie's boat through the binoculars.

The Bay is reflected in the glass.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE (THROUGH BINOCULARS)

She is pulling at the cord which starts the motor. She sits

down and grabs the tiller. She looks back over her shoulder,

as the boat moves away.

CLOSE SHOT - MITCH

He is smiling with amused recognition; he lowers the

binoculars and dashes OUT OF FRAME.

CLOSE SHOT - MELANIE (PROCESS)

The CAMERA IS MOVING WITH her as she looks toward Mitch.

LONG SHOT - THE BRENNER HOUSE

Mitch is running for his car. The car door SLAMS. The ENGINE

STARTS. The car practically leaps out of the driveway.

CLOSE SIDE-ON SHOT - MELANIE

as she watches the car race along the shore.

LONG SHOT - CAR - MELANIE'S P.O.V.

Mitch's car racing along the shore.

CLOSE SHOT - THREE QUARTER BACK LEFT - MELANIE (PROCESS)

She looks off RIGHT toward car.

CAR - MELANIE'S P.O.V.

Mitch's car racing along the shore road, turns inland at

Keesport.

CLOSE SHOT - STRAIGHT BACK - MELANIE (PROCESS)

Melanie looks CAMERA RIGHT, her eyes slowly turn CAMERA LEFT.

CAR - MELANIE'S MOVING P.O.V.

Mitch's car races past wrecked ferry boat.

CLOSE SHOT - STRAIGHT BACK - MELANIE (PROCESS)

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