A Cappella
By Michael Dale
Int. THE CAR -DAY
The world seems a little grey, a little washed
out...
DEE is sitting in the back seat watching the
scenery rush by dreamily. Every time a car passes she taps the window. Dee's
SISTER is driving the car and a FRIEND is in the passenger seat.
The Friend is tugging at her seat belt, making it
slide back and forth with a swish. Dee listens intently.
Her Sister turns on the indicator and Dee cocks
her head to the side, listening to the tick tick, drumming in time with it on
the glass.
The indicator clicks off and Dee turns her
attention back to each car that passes.
The Friend turns and looks at Dee with a puzzled
look.
FRIEND
(To Sister)
She alright?
SISTER
Huh?
The Friend gestures to Dee, who is smiling sweetly
and bobbing her head back and forth.
SISTER (CONT'D)
What Dee? Oh yeah. She's always like that.
The Friend turns to look at Dee again and sees her
tapping her hand against her thigh rhythmically.
FRIEND
What is she doing?
SISTER
No idea. She does all sorts of weird stuff. Never
speaks neither.
(Shouts to Dee)
Do ya?
Dee doesn't react.
SISTER (CONT'D)
See! Nothing. I only brought her cos she plonked
herself in the car at 6am and refused to get out.
FRIEND
Weird.
SISTER
You have no idea.
Dee listens intently to all the sounds in and out
of the car, listening to them make a rhythm. A clear beat begins to emerge.
Song 1 - dee sings about hearing the rhythm in the
world when no one else can
As Dee sings her Sister and the Friend appear to
be oblivious and carry on chatting, though their dialogue is indiscernible.
As Dee finishes singing the car pulls in to the
amusement park.
Ext. Amusement park car park - day
Sister and the Friend step out of the car. Dee
presses her nose up against the window and stares out curiously, looking a
little scared. Sister locks the car remotely. The Friend starts to say something
but Sister is already strolling off.
Her Sister is half way across the car park with
her Friend.
FRIEND
Uh. Aren't you forgetting something?
SISTER
(Rolling her eyes)
Ugh. She is such a pain.
Sister makes her way to the back door and sees
Dee's face pressed up against the glance, eyes like saucers. Sister pulls the
door open and Dee practically tumbles out.
SISTER (CONT'D)
Coming?
She slams the door shut and remote locks the car
again, immediately walking away.
SISTER (CONT'D)
See you back here at five. 'K?
Sister grabs her Friend's arm and drags her off,
shrugging off any protestations before her Friend can say them.
Dee stands and watches them walk away, the Friend
turning her head once, before being dragged off by Sister.
Dee closes her eyes and listens to the screams,
noise and clatter of machinery wafting from the amusement park.
There is no music.
She closes her eyes and listens to herself
breathing before re-opening her eyes and stepping towards the entrance.
Ext. AMUSEMENT PARK -DAY
Dee steps through the entrance and stares,
wide-eyed at all the stalls and rides, people walking here and there. Her ears
are full of the chatter and clatter, yet still she can hear her own breathing,
almost creating a natural tempo that the other sounds complement.
Dee reprises a key line from her earlier song
about the rhythm in the world.
Dee is stopped in her song when wafting across the
wind a male voice sings the next line.
All the sounds drop away and only her breathing
remains. Frantically she searches through the park, hunting out this mysterious
voice.
Dee again sings a line from the first song.
The male voice again finishes, louder now. Dee is
now running through the park, past the rollercoaster, past the wurlizter, past
the dodgems, none of which have music playing.
The crowds part and there, sitting on a bench on
his own is D, a young man. Dee freezes and stares at him.
Dee sings another line breathlessly.
D looks up in surprise.
D sings the next line.
Tentatively Dee steps towards D. Suddenly the
sounds all around her burst back into her ears. She makes her across the
pathway to the bench, watched with suspicion by D. Cautiously she sits herself
down at the opposite side of the bench, not daring to make eye contact.
D also stares right ahead.
The noise of the park and the crowds walking by
begins to sound rhythmic again; footsteps, coughing, laughing, eating,
everything adds to the beat.
Unconsciously both are tapping their thighs to
this otherwise unnoticed tune.
Dee's eyes spot his hand tapping in perfect unison
with hers. A voice makes her jump.
GROUNDSMAN
Wouldn't bother with him love. D is mute as a
mule. Just sits there all day like a moron.
And with that the GROUNDSMAN ambles off cackling
to himself.
Slowly Dee turns her head and dares to look at D.
She shuffles herself along the bench. He pretends
not to notice. Dee places her hand on the bench and begins tapping out the same
beat again. Slyly D slides his hand down from his thigh and to the bench, his
hand also tapping out the beat. Suddenly their little fingers touch and they
both freeze.
Their heads turn and they eyes meet.
Song 2 - Dee AND D sing a fun duet about finding
someone just like them.
As they start to sing they get up from the bench
and begin to move through the park.
As they move past each ride, the colours suddenly
start to seem more vibrant, a little less dull.
By the time the song ends the world seems bright
and exciting.
The happy pair laugh as they reach the centre of
the park. They clasp hands tightly and for a moment all the sounds fade away.
They kiss.
In a flash not only do the sounds re-appear, but
the rides start blaring music out. Everyone nearby stops and gapes, including
her Sister and the Friend.
SISTER
Wha? What's that?
The Friend shrugs with a bemused look.
Dee and D run past, hand in hand.
FRIEND
Hey. Isn't that your sister?
SISTER
Dee?
Dee stops and turns with a beam. She proffers up D
silently, who offers his hand to Sister shyly. With surprise, Sister shakes his
hand. Turning to her Friend who raises her eyebrows and smiles at the young man
approvingly.
Song 3 - Dee and D break out into a big fun song
about sharing the rhythm with everyone in the world. Much to dee's and sister's
surprise, sister, her friend and others around start to join in.
FRIEND
(shouting)
What are we doing?
SISTER
(shouting)
I dunno. But I love it!
The song builds to a climax.
As the song finishes the whole park is abuzz with
music from all the rides. The world is colourful and vibrant and Dee's sister
grabs her and gives her a big hug.
Montage of the four enjoying the park
The clock is ticking away and it's soon time to
leave. The park is emptying and as people leave they are all chattering about
the music.
D and Dee are at the gates holding hands, but D
stops suddenly. Dee doesn't notice until her arms stretches and she is stopped
by him. She turns and he looks back at her sadly. She gestures for him to come
with her. He shakes his head and gestures to a man standing in the corner.
SISTER (CONT'D)
What's wrong Dee?
Sister looks at D and then spots the man waiting
in the background.
SISTER (CONT'D)
That your Dad?
D nods.
SISTER (CONT'D)
C'mon Dee. He lives here. We gotta go.
Dee tugs at D's hand again, but he doesn't move.
Sadly she pulls her hand away from his and begins to walk away. He watches her
walk away.
Every step she takes away from him, the colour in
the world seems to fade away. Music that was still drifting from the park also
fades and eventually dies.
Dee can't bear to even look back.
D watches her walk away. Soon she is out of view
and he turns to his Dad., who flicks his head to the side, gesturing for D to
follow him.
Song 4 - D starts to sing about losing the music
after seeing his love walk away.
When he sings alone his Dad seems oblivious to the
song.
Int. THE CAR -DAY
Dee is singing the same song AS D.
Her Sister and Friend are also clearly oblivious
to the song again. From their point of view Dee is again mute and is simply
moving her lips with no sound.
Dee stares out at the expanse of car park.
Her song stops dead as the car begins to move.
The world seems almost grey.
DEE
(near silent)
S.
Nobody notices.
DEE (CONT'D)
(a little louder)
St.
Dee's face looks pained.
DEE (CONT'D)
(quiet)
Sto.
The car is on the open road and Dee is close to
tears. With one great effort she scrunches up her face.
DEE (CONT'D)
(screams at the top of
her voice)
Stop.
The car skids to a halt. In a heartbeat Dee is out
of the car and sprinting down the road.
SISTER
(shouts)
Dee!
FRIEND
Let her go.
Ext. AMUSEMENT PARK -DAY
Dee sprints through the entrance and stares all
around frantically, out of breath. Seeing no one and unsure where to start, she
looks devastated. She sinks to her feet in despair.
She hears a tap, tap, tapping. She looks up and
sees a silhouetted figure tapping his feet.
Her face lights up and she bounds to her feet,
running full pelt at the figure.
D is beaming as she arrives, flinging herself into
his arms.
In an instant colour burst back into the world and
the whole park seems to burst to musical life.
Dee and D sing a medley of their earlier songs.
FADE TO BLACK.
End credits
Fade IN:
INT. THE CAR - night
Sister and her Friend are driving along. The
Friend points to the radio dial.
FRIEND
What does that do?
Sister shrugs and turns the dial to on. Much to
their surprise and delight music bursts out.
FADE TO BLACK.
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