Tag: FILM

HEART OF CLOUDS – SCREENPLAY – 15

Posted on by Adrienne in Adaptation, Novel, Art Direction, Ecopsychology, Heart of Clouds, Screenwriter

Heart of Clouds

by Adrienne Wilson

(for Walter Halsey Davis, of the Santa Barbara Writers Conference)

*page 94, in my novel Heart of Clouds

EXT. VILLAGE. SUNSET

Teenie leaves Mr. Honeygartens, walking her bike home, watching the sunset. Sad at what Mr. Honeygarten told her, about Claire.

VOICEOVER as Teenie looks out to the island, Honeygarten

HONEYGARTEN

She is with me every single day, Teenie. Every single day. And you see my dear, this is why I use her spoons as I do. I feel that when I stir the tea, it’s almost like she is here with me.

*establishing, love lives forever, even after loss

INT. TEENIE APT. COLD DIM LIGHT.

Teenie wants to talk to her mother, but she is passed out, rolled into a ball on the couch. Teenie spends a long time looking at her mother’s face, which is relaxed and beautiful in sleep.

TEENIE

(whispers)

It’s been so long since I have seen you smile, Mom.

INT. DEVLIN BEDROOM. NIGHT.

Devlin kisses her note to him as he falls asleep with it tucked safely in his breast pocket, against his heart.

Devlin tosses and turns in sleep, dreaming of a squadron of sea turtles who have come to take him to the sea kingdom. Tut, the largest of these, is weeping. Devlin sees the tears in his eyes.

Photo by Richard Segal on Pexels.com

TUT

You will ride me, Devlin. I shall take you to the source of the Wave.

Tut moves so that Devlin can climb aboard his giant ancient shell, as the other turtles in the squadron watch. Devlin hold’s Tut’s ancient flippers as the other turtles form a giant flotilla that the whales and dolphins also join.

BLUE WHALE

One of the blue whales swims up close to TUT, with Devlin aboard. He communicates with his eyes, to Devlin, Devlin can understand through the looks in their eyes to each other.

BLUE WHALE VOICEOVER

The sea gods are angry Devlin because people have not shown them respect.

INT. DEVLIN BEDROOM. MORNING. DREAM SEQUENCE.

Devlin awakes again with a start from his dream. He thinks he sees Tut in the tree limbs outside his window, he’s tired and wants to go back to sleep again, but he is back in the seadream. Tut awaits him, beckoning with a flipper. They press on through the sea, and the Orcas have joined them. The sea turns a sickening color of green, purple yellow and magenta. Devlin sees hundreds of the plastic shoes floating in a vortex. Tut halts the other sea animals with his flipper, as Devlin sits up, astride him. The Orcas swim away in disgust as the sea turned blackish green.

(Devlin wakes up and feels for Teenies note. Sigh of relief. Rubs his chest at his heart.)

VOICEOVER TUT

Devlin you are the last boy on earth who can understand the sea gods wrath, because you know the language of the air

DEVLIN

Does Teenie know how to speak my language?

TUT

You could teach her Devlin Underwood. She knows how to speak the language of the heart Devlin.

TUT VOICEOVER continues

The language of the heart is a very, very old language Devlin. Some people said that the trees taught it to the human race, or the clouds, or the sun and moon. Some say it comes from walking alone for miles in the mountains and others say it comes from gazing into a flower, or sometimes the eyes of another human being.

DEVLIN

Tut why didn’t the Orcas speak?

TUT

Their hearts are broken

INT. GRANDMA JESS KITCHEN. MORNING GOLDEN LIGHT

Grandma Jess bustles in the kitchen cooking breakfast for Devlin, Oatmeal with raisins and brown sugar.

GRANDMA JESS

Did you sleep well Devlin?

DEVLIN

Not exactly Grandma

I had a very strange dream about the Wave

GRANDMA JESS

Your grandfather is still asleep, Devlin, but I’m sure he’d like to hear about it when he wakes up.

DEVLIN

(eating the oatmeal)

I’m going to the beach today, right after I finish this. I want to work on the seahut some more.

GRANDMA JESS

Photo by RODNAE Productions on Pexels.com

GRANDMA JESS

How has it been coming along?

DEVLIN

It’s getting there slowly Grandma

GRANDMA JESS

Well, you run along then, Dev.

DEVLIN

(carries bowl to sink, and washes it off, then kisses his grandmother on the cheek)

GRANDMA JESS

(eyes twinkling at her grandson)

I think Grandpa Jess has a surprise in mind for you, Devlin

DEVLIN

He does?

GRANDMA JESS

(smiling as Devlin leaves, warmly)

*chapter “Hearts” in my novel Heart of Clouds, to page 101. Adaptation of book to film.

Advertisement

HEART OF CLOUDS – SCREENPLAY – 4

Posted on by Adrienne in Adaptation, Novel, Screenwriter

Heart of Clouds

by Adrienne D. Wilson

Adaptation chapter 4

Apple and Feather

(for Walter Halsey Davis, of the SB Writers Conference, my teacher)

INT. PRESENT TEENIE KITCHEN. DISMAL BLUE LIGHT.

(Teenie sighs in frustration)

Takes apples from the basket one by one, thinking of her father and better times. She rummages through the kitchen trying to find what she needs for the pie. Draws a list up, in her notebook. Close in on her hands with the apples, startling red and green. She shines one on her jeans, it glistens like a ruby.

(in handwriting)

we close in on her handwriting what she needs for the pie

FLASHBACK. JAX. OLD HOUSE KITCHEN. MAGIC HOUR LIGHT

(we see Teenie and Jax baking a pie together, he teaches her to cut the apples, they fall into flower shapes, smiling and laughing. Close in on his face, full of love for his daughter.

TEENIE

Mom do you feel like helping me?

MOM……….

CHRISTINA

No, honey, I don’t

TEENIE

Please?

CHRISTINA

Teenie I am trying to watch the news

TEENIE

But, Mom…

CHRISTINA

(sharply, angrily)

Teenie

CHRISTINA

Another species just went extinct, Teenie

The Wave is on its way now

TEENIE

Mom can we just make this pie together

Mom…….

FLASHBACK. TEENIE’S OLD HOUSE. DAY

Teenie and her parents having to move, throwing everything out, including all her childhood toys, FOR SALE sign on the house

CHRISTINA

What are we going to do, Jax

INT. PRESENT. TEENIE KITCHEN. DISMAL LIGHT

TEENIE

(Teenie whispers to the apples)

I just want to make the pie Mom. I just want things to be normal again.

Teenie begins to cut the apples into flowers, while her mother sits wrapped in grey on the sofa, eyes glued to the television, she makes the pie, rolling out the crust, shaping it for Mr. Honeygarten. The apartment kitchen has such a sad atmosphere she can barely breathe. She touches a golden locket, her father’s picture inside. Close in as her hand opens it, heart shaped. Smiles at his face.

EXT. DRIFTWOOD HUT. MORNING. SATURATED LIGHT.

(Devlin, puzzled, at her note, wonders how he can answer)

FLASHBACK

Devlin and his father, and his grandparents at the funeral for his mother.

*location SB Cemetary at Butterfly Beach

A plain pine coffin, flowers. Close in on all their faces. Devlin’s father with his arm around the boy. Tears. Devin stoic.

EXT. DRIFTWOOD HUT. PRESENT.

DEVLIN

How am I supposed to answer a question like that

Maybe she cries in private like I do

Devlin takes off down the beach running – long shot as we pan, seabirds scattering before him. His arms are outstreched like a birds wings, almost a dance against the waves near his castles, where the red tails roost. We see them against the sky twirling and gliding, riding the currents.

Devlin’s castle at Loon

(Devlin finds a feather)

DEVLIN

(screams into the wind)

This is who I am. I’m going to leave this for her.

INT. DRIFTWOOD HUT. BRIGHT SATURATED LIGHT

(Devlin smiling)

He pockets her note, and the origami bird, smooths the sand around the abalone shell, and replaces the stones in a stack. He scoops sand in the shell, and places the feather there for her. We see him walking through the waves, in his jeans pant legs wet to the knees, in the seafoam.

(to page 32, in my book)