SCRIPT TO SCREEN - IDEA 3 - 'Y4'

TITLE













Y4 Title is for 3 reasons, the first is because Annie is based on the personality of my great grandmother and she used to say "Why for", its not the correct English but she never was articulate, the second reason is because 'Y' equals 4 in a scrabble game and that game is paramount to my story and the third reason is that 'Goodbye' has a 'Y' in the word and that is a high score so even though Annie has gone and writes 'Goodbye' on the scrabble board, she wins with the high score. 

PITCH - Young Josh, meets dying 78 year old Annie who will teach him one of life's most precious gift, the gift of time.

I have once again changed my idea after a couple of workshops on characters and making the audience relate. I laid in bed one night and I thought about something that is really close to my heart and a lot of people relate to but also taking an element of my second idea of basing it on my son with autism yet not stating that he is autistic, but in this idea I have give the young boy another issue to deal with which is his mother has cancer.

STORY

78 Year old Annie has terminal cancer, she is fed up being stuck in the hospital for weeks having treatment, whilst she waits in the day room, she encounters 10 year old Josh, who's main concern is that his battery has just died after flicking through Instagram, he gets bored and starts getting frustrated because there is nothing that he can do whilst he waits for his mum to have her treatment.
Annie gives the boy a talking to about life before technology, Josh spots a board game and asks Annie how it is played, whilst playing the game Josh forgets that his phone is dead, they have some beautiful moments but it is time for Annie to go and go for good she must.

DRAMATIC STRUCTURE

SET UP

• Annie sits in the day room, she has an intravenous drip in her arm and a scarf on her head around her are magazines and board games, scrabble is on top of the table in the middle of the room.
• Annie flicks through printed photographs but shows no emotion on her face.
• A nurse enters the room with 10 year old Josh, he is looking on his mobile phone at Instagram paying no attention to Annie.
• Annie puts the photos in her dressing gown and shakes her head at Josh.
• Josh Battery Dies on his phone, he gets frustrated
• Annie is vocal about her views on Social Media.
• Josh starts flicking through the magazines, not happy that he cant find anything he wants to read.
• Josh Finally looks at Annie - Asks if she is sick
• Annie doesn't respond

TWIST

• Annie points at the game of scrabble, Josh looks confused.
• Annie picks it up herself and snaps at him asking if he wants to play or not.
• A photograph falls out of Annie's pocket, its a photo of a young girl.
• Annie snatches the photo of him and explains that her great-granddaughter is just like him 'Don't know your born' speech.
• Josh tries to work out how to play this 'Alien Looking' Board game.
• Annie tells him the rules.
• Josh tells Annie that his mum is sick too.
• Annie ignores him and applauds him for getting a high score.

PUNCH LINE

• Josh is thirsty and asked Annie if she would like a drink, she asks for a glass of water.
• Josh comes back with the glass of water, the nurse is in the room.
• Annie explains she is just tied but they can continue the game tomorrow at the same time.

Next Day

• Josh arrive to the dayroom at 1:50, he looks down at his phone and turns it off.
• The game of scrabble is still on the table with the same set up.
• The clock ticks by 2'oclock , 3'oclok , 4'oclock. 
• The nurse opens the door, its time for Josh to go, he asks about Annie.
• The nurse shakes her head, Josh says he will be out in a minute.
• Josh goes and looks back at the scrabble board it reads 'Goodbye' with the scrabble letters.
• Josh leaves his phone on the table and walks towards the door with one final look before he leaves.

END