In Dreams: Screenplay
Page 4
down and turns to speak to Romeo and Benvolio.
OLIVER
Nay gentle Romeo, we must have you dance
ROMEO
Not I, believe me. You have dancing shoes
With nimble soles: I have a soul of lead
So stakes me to the ground I cannot move
OLIVER
Um...
He coughs.
EMILY
You are a lover; borrow cupids wings
OLIVER
You are a lover; borrow cupids wings
EMILY
And soar with them above a common bound
OLIVER
And soar with them above a common bound
ROMEO
I am too sore enpierced with his shaft
To soar with his light feathers; and so bound
I cannot bound above dull woe
Under loves heavy burden do I sink
EMILY
And to sink in it
OLIVER
Should you burden love;
EMILY
Too great oppression
OLIVER
For a tender thing
ROMEO
Is love a tender thing? It is too rough,
Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn
OLIVER
If love be rough with you be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
Give me a case to put my visage in
(Putting on
a mask)
A visor for a visor! What care I
What curious eye doth quote deformities?
Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me
BENVOLIO
Come knock and enter; and no sooner in
But ever man betake him to his legs
ROMEO
A torch for me, let wantons light of heart,
Tickle the senseless rushes with their heels;
For I am proverb’d with a grandsire phrase;
I’ll be a candle holder and look on;
The game was ne’er so fair, and I am done
OLIVER
Tut, dun’s the mouse, the constables own words;
If thou art dun we’ll draw thee from the mire
Of this sir-reverence love, wherein thou stickest
Up to the ears. Come, we burn daylight, ho!
ROMEO
Nay that’s not so
OLIVER
I mean sir in delay
EMILY
We waste our nights in vain - like lights by day
OLIVER
Take our good meaning, for our judgement sits
EMILY
Five times in that ere once in our five wits
ROMEO
And we mean well in going to this mask;
But ‘tis no wit to go
OLIVER
Why, may one ask?
ROMEO
I dreamt a dream tonight
OLIVER
And so did I
ROMEO
Well what was yours?
EMILY
That dreamers often lie
OLIVER
That dreamers often lie
EMILY
In bed asleep, while they do dream things true
Emily holds out her hand to Oliver and he takes hold of it. She pulls him up to her. Oliver looks down towards the ground beneath them and closes his eyes tightly. After several moments he opens them.
CUT TO:
EXT. THE SKY ABOVE THE GROUND - DAY
Oliver and Emily fly through the air hand-in-hand and at great speed. Oliver looks at the ground below them as they fly. They travel over land, lakes, seas, woods, hills and valleys before eventually descending towards and into a Forest.
CUT TO:
EXT. Forest - DAY
Oliver and Emily stand together in a clearing. They are surrounded by bluebells and are still holding hands. Oliver turns to her.
OLIVER
Of course knickers doesn't begin with an 'N' and Norwich doesn't begin with a 'K
Emily laughs.
EMILY
Well what were you expecting?
(Pulling him
to the ground
and then
a beat or
two as they
both lie on
their backs
among the
bluebells)
It's just something I remember from when I was little... It was on ‘The Two Ronnies’ and I didn't understand it or anything but I thought it was funny because it had the word knickers in it
OLIVER
(Smiling)
Well, yeah that is hilarious!
EMILY
Shut up... I was little
Oliver turns onto his side to look at her.
OLIVER
And I bet you were oh so innocent back then
EMILY
Still am!
OLIVER
I'm sure you are.
Emily
(Smiling and
fluttering
her eyelashes)
You'd better believe it baby...
(Turning her
head fully
to look
at him)
Nothing silly like that when you were little then?
OLIVER
Nah not really
EMILY
I thought so... That's why you're prematurely aged!
(A beat)
I think you could do with rediscovering your innocence young man... Didn't you ever play around in the snow on a winter day? Or just lay back and catch snowflakes on your tongue. Or something like that?
OLIVER
Nope can’t say I ever did any of that
Several moments pass in silence and then snow begins to fall in the clearing. Oliver and Emily both get up. The ground is soon completely covered in snow. They run hand-in-hand through it and then Oliver watches Emily fall back onto the snow and begin to flap her arms and legs, leaving the shape of an angel in the snow beneath her. She sits up and grabs his hand, pulling him down so that they both sit in the snow.
EMILY
(Opening her
mouth wide
and arching
her head
upwards as
she speaks)
You just have to catch the snowflakes on your tongue and let them melt
Oliver copies her, arching his head upwards, opening his mouth wide and sticking his tongue out. The snow continues to fall and lands on his tongue, melting on contact. He begins to laugh.
EMILY
I can’t believe you never did this
OLIVER
I can hardly believe we’re doing it now
EMILY
(Smiling)
You’re a natural
(A beat or
two and then
speaking more
seriously)
This is probably a really stupid thing to ask...
OLIVER
(A beat)
What?
EMILY
No, it's nothing... Honestly, it's just stupid
OLIVER
Go on
She takes a deep breath.
EMILY
Okay... It just kind of popped into my head to ask if you'd ever read any Byron
OLIVER
I dunno. I might've done
EMILY
You’d probably remember if you had
OLIVER
Well there are bits I think. 'She walks in beauty like the night', and all that stuff. But, it's not like I knew his nickname as a kid or anything like that
EMILY
Yeah, it's cool
OLIVER
What is it about Byron that's so interesting to you then?
EMILY
I don't really know...
(A beat)
You just made me think of him
OLIVER
I made you think of a dead English poet?
EMILY
Yeah, I know. It sounds strange to me too. It's hard to explain. There’s a lot to love in his poems but that's not really the reason... I don't know... It might just be that he wrote so beautifully about loss and desire because he knew those things so well. He knew they went together. And it still didn’t stop him taking risks and living his life without limits, without guarantees. He made himself into an outcast and even that didn't stop him trying to make reality out of his fantasies
OLIVER
(A beat and
he shrugs
his shoulders)
So what?
EMILY
Um well young man... I was thinking that I'd quite like to know what happened to you. Because you seem like someone who lost something and got left with regrets and sadness in its place
OLIVER
So it would appear
EMILY
(A beat)
You can tell me you know
(A beat as
Oliver looks
away)
I only ask because I care
OLIVER
(Looking back
at her)
And I only keep my mouth shut for the same reason
EMILY
(A beat as
she smiles)
To be honest, a girl only really needs to know the important things
OLIVER
Like what?
EMILY
Well... For a start it’d be good to know if you're ever going to step out from under the big black cloud that’s following you around.
She smiles at him and he looks at the ground.
OLIVER
I’ll do my best... But I think I might need some help
EMILY
Hey come on! Is it time for the waterworks or are you just in need of another prompt young man?
(Smiling as he
looks up at
her face
before leaning
down to whisper
in his ear)
I think I love you... And I’ve barely scratched the surface
OLIVER
(Whispering in
her ear)
And I think I love you... And I think that might be for the best
Emily lies down and snuggles in close to him. Oliver closes his eyes.
END DREAM SEQUENCE.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - MORNING
Oliver sits up and pulls the bed covers away as he gets out of bed.
CUT TO:
EXT. HOTEL NELSON - MORNING
Oliver walks out of the hotel and begins to walk along Prince of Wales Road.
CUT TO:
EXT. NORWICH - MORNING
Oliver stands in a telephone box making a phone-call.
OLIVER
Hi mum... It’s Oliver...
(A beat)
Yeah, yeah, no. I'm just calling because I'm not at home at the minute... No, no. I've taken a little trip... Norwich, I just... No, they don't know I'm here... No mum I haven't been sacked, it's just... It's something I had to do... Don't worry, that's why I called... In case you called me at home or something and worried, okay...
(A beat)
Yeah, it's a hotel in Norwich, it's nice... I... The Hotel Nelson... Yes, all right...
(A beat)
Look mum, I'm really sorry but I've got to go, I'm running low on change...
(A beat)
Yes I know. I don't like mobile phones... I've got to go... It costs more for me to phone out...
(A beat)
I'm... I'm sorry I really must go... There's lots I have to do today...
(A beat)
Okay, bye, yeah all right, bye
He hangs up the phone, takes a very deep breath, and puffs his cheeks out.
CUT TO:
EXT. CASTLE