Dearest Ada
Draft 1
Screenplay
by:
Francesca
Wallace
Will
Pallant
Scene 1 - Beach - The proposal - 1964
Flashback.
The beach. They are alone on the beach. Arthur and Ada walk hand in hand along
the beach. Ada goes over to pick something up, a shell or something similar.
Arthur is hesitating, almost stuttering when he talks.
Arthur
So Ada
I was wondering…
Arthur
get’s down on one knee.
Ada
Look
Arthur isn't this pretty.
As
Ada turns around she notices Arthur on one knee, there’s a slight hesitation as
she begins her next sentence as an element of surprise begins to grow on her
face.
Arthur
I mean
I have been wondering since we’ve met.
Ada
walks towards Arthur slowly.
I was
wondering, if you would marry me?
A
tear exits from Ada’s eye as she almost runs to Arthur who greets her running
with a hug of which Ada squeezes him.
Is that
a yes?
Ada
Yes,
Arthur, Yes, I will most definitely marry you.
A
shot of them hugging zooms in. Arthur places a ring on her finger.
2015,
back in the lounge, Ada has a reminiscent look on her face, Ada is sitting in
the lounge alone, surrounded by many boxes, of which she is trying to decide
whether to keep or not, her grandson Charlie walks in with yet another box.
Charlie
I’ve
found this box nanny, would you like to keep it or are we getting rid of it.
Ada
Let me
have a look Charlie…
Long
pause as she is looking through the box at the contents, slight hesitation. She
notices a record by The kinks.
Oh my,
i think i recognise this box… you see your grandfather and I collected these
items through our marriage. Charlie grandad and I were married for a very long
time.
Ada
begins looking rather emotional however quite reflective, as all the memories
of her and her husband's 55 years together are flashing back on her. She
notices a letter in the box, picks it up and begins to read it. Ada begins to
read the letter aloud.
Dearest
Ada, When I reflect on our 51 years together, there are a number of memorable
days. I cannot help but be reminded of the moment I first met you. It was the
year of 1964.
Ada’s
narration of the letter then changes to a voiceover of her late husband; Arthur
in which there is a flashback of the memory her husband, Arthur is narrating.
Scene 2 - Dreamland - Ada and Arthur roller
skating - 1964
Arthur
The
date of the memory is narrated by Arthur, it also appears on the right bottom
corner of the screen, in a typewriter font, the sound of a typewriter is
narrating the date. In the background you can see a room full of people roller
skating.
Friday
7th November 1964.
Fade
out of font.
You
Really Got Me by The Kinks begins to play.
I can recall the first day i laid eyes on you,
we were both rollerskating at dreamland, the kinks were playing in the
background, I had been watching you rollerskate, not in a weird way, it was
just i couldn’t help but acknowledge your beauty, you had this element of
surprise in your face, as if you were waiting for the next moment you could
share your excitement with someone, whatever that excitement was.
Ada
takes a glimpse at Arthur from the other side of the room of where Arthur is,
Ada smiles then turns back to her friend.
I saw
you take a glimpse at me. I couldn’t hold a smile back, you looked like you had
so much to tell, it was as if you were just waiting for the moment to tell all
of these wonderful secrets.
Arthur
and his friend begin rollerskating at which point we see Ada and Arthur
collide, not enough to fall, but enough to acknowledge who each other are.
As my
friend and I entered the roller skating rink, i felt this body collide with me
as i turned around I saw you giggle.
Ada
giggles, Arthur cracks a smile.
You
were very apologetic, both of our friends must have known each other as, as we
had had our collision (Arthur giggles) our friends had begun talking, I took
this opportunity to start talking to you, somehow I managed to persuade you into
going on a date with me.
Ada
Return
back to the lounge scene where Ada is crying slightly, her granddaughter who is
now in the room starts comforting her. The narration of the scene is now by
Ada, who continues to narrate the next stage of the letter. Ada picks up the
pocket watch.
Soon
after we had gone on a date, we were married and everything seemed to happen
extremely fast as I can then just remember it being my 21st birthday and you
gave me this silver pocket watch, because i never had a watch and you were
always the one telling me the time.
Zoom
into pocket watch which is in Ada’s hand, Flashback of Arthur's 21st birthday,
Pocket watch is in Arthur's hand zoom out and we see Arthur opens the pocket
watch, date appears in the bottom right hand corner of the screen, as Arthur
narrates the date.
Arthur
Monday
10th January 1965.
At this moment we see a room filled with
people form, Arthur is presented with a cake and we see him blow the candles
out, someone is taking a picture with an old camera, in which we focus on this
person, see them take the photograph through their view and then flashback
returns to 2015 where grandson; Charlie is putting the camera down; graphic
match, we are back in 2015.
Ada
Ada
picks up a cork.
Ada
It was
1965, we were married and I had just received a promotion, you brought home a
bottle of champagne to celebrate.
Flashback
to 1965. Arthur and Ada are both at home, she walks through the door with a
bottle of champagne and gives him a hug, they are both smiling.
Arthur
Thursday
22nd May 1965.
The
date appears on the bottom right hand corner of the screen as Arthur narrates
the date and the next stage of the letter.
I
recall never being able to get rid of the cork because we didn’t have much
money and we still celebrated as you were so excited for me. This was one of
our happiest memories as this job meant that everything was going to be ok, as
I had a pay rise and you would no longer have to work at that awful cafe
anymore.
We
see them drink the champagne and celebrate. Flashback, then back to 2015. Ada
continues to sit in the lounge, with her two grandchildren. Her face shows her
emotions towards the letter and how emotional she feels.
Ada
Continues
to read the letter, the narration has now switched back to her.
After I
got my new job it meant that finally we could have a holiday and since we never
had the chance to go on a honeymoon, this was our first holiday as a married couple. You were so excited and
couldn't stop talking about it until we actually arrived.
Ada
picks up a shell. Flashback to beach scene of them on holiday.
Arthur
Arthur
narrates the date.
Saturday
7th August 1966.
We
stayed in a small B&B in Cornwall, right next to the beach, I think we must
have visited the beach everyday, because
you just loved picking up new shells, even if they were identical to the one
you found before.
Arthur
and Ada walk along the beach hand in hand. Ada continues to collect shells.
Arthur is patient, he admires her.
Once
they have walked along the beach we return to 2015, Ada still sat in the lounge
narrating the letter from Arthur that she is reading.
