draft 2

1. Ruby
By
Archie Leigh, Katie Moulder and Cora Corre
An origional screenplay
Fine Arts College 24 Lambolle Place
Belsize Park
London
nw3 4pg
0207 586 0312

2. RUBY- HER CLOTHES START REALLY BRIGHT TO SHOW HER EMOTION
AND AS THE FILM GOES ON SHE STARTS WEARING DARKER AND MORE
DEPRESSIVE CLOTHING UNTILL SHE IS WEARING BLACK CLOTHES AT
THE END
EXT.FLATS.DAY.
A young girl,RUBY, aged 10, hair tied in plaits, with a
rucksack on her back, standing between two buildings. She
looks at one, standing in the middle of the road, then turns
to look at the other and then knocks on the door of it.
INT.PARENTS KITCHEN.EVENING.
Dinner with both parents, awkward tension alongside young
girl enthusiastic and energetic asking parents general
questions
RUBY
I’m so excited for christmas. I’ve
nearly finished my list to send to
Santa...I really want a new teddy
DAD
Well that will depend on if you
have been a good girl this year!
RUBY
Are we still going to grandmas on
christmas day?
DAD
Of course we are darling, why
wouldn’t we
Mum gives a strong angry look towards the dad
MUM
Alan, we don’t know what is
happening yet...we need to speak to
your mum about it
DAD
But we are all going to be together
for christmas, right?

3. 2.
INT.RUBY BATHROOM.EVENING.
Ruby is getting ready to go to bed and is brushing her
teeth. Through the crack of the door you can see the Mum on
the phone. You can hear a muffled voice and can faintly hear
her spelling out words and shouting down the phone.
MUM
What the f-u-c-k is wrong with you?
All I want is for Ruby to be
happy...
Ruby pauses brushing her teeth so that she can try to hear
what her mum is saying on the phone
MUM
All this s-h-i-t about a-l-a-n is
driving me crazy. It’s not fair on
Ruby. Just because of her
f-u-c-k-i-n-g dad, she is missing
out
Ruby continues brushing her teeth and gets in to bed feeling
confused.
INT.RESTAURANT.EVENING.
VOICE OVER WHILST PARENTS SITTING LOOKING ANGRILY AT
EACHOTHER
MUM
I had a call from Ruby’s dance
teacher today saying she has missed
four dance lessons in a row.
DAD
Well I’m not the one responsible
for that
MUM
(sigh)
DAD
Your the one who is meant to take
her every week, im at work, i cant
do that, you have to sort this one
out
MUM
Why are you always turning this
onto me you were the one who wanted
her to go to dance in the first
place
(CONTINUED)

4. CONTINUED: 3.
DAD
EXT.PARK.DAY.
Ruby swinging on the swing by herself, in the playarea in
the park and looks to her left to see another young girl who
is the same age as her, being pushed on the swing by both of
her parents laughing and having fun. Close up of Rubys
sighing in disapointment and jealouly and looking lookingly
at the happy family.
INT.DAD KITCHEN.DAY.
Presents placed under the Christmas tree which are labelled
’From Santa and Dad’.
RUBY
Daddy, why do my presents say that
they are from you and Santa? Santa
is meant to deliver them separately
on Christmas Eve.
DAD
Ruby, Santa is not real. I am
’Santa’, just like your friends
parents are Santa too.
RUBY
(call mum)
MUMMY IS SANTA REAL? DADDY SAID
THAT HE IS SANTA BUT HE DOESN’T
HAVE A BIG BELLY AND A RED SUIT
SO SANTA IS REAL?
Ruby ends the call, looks at her dad in a confused and
disappointed way and then walks out the room
INT.DAD BATHROOM.EVENING.
Dad has just got out of the shower and the mirror and
windows are all steamed up. He lifts his hand up to wipe the
mirror so that he can see his reflection and just stares at
himself in disgust and you can see he is in deep thought
about how he is struggling with the reality.

5. 4.
INT.RESTAURANT.EVENING
Mum and Dad sitting in restaurant, not saying a word to each
other. Mum is playing around with the food on her plate as
the Dad eats and does not look up at Mum at all, in contrast
to lively christmas music and enphasis on the sounds of the
knife and scraping of the glasses.
EXT.PARK.DAY.
Ruby is being taught to ride her bike in the park by a man
who is shown to be a new ’fatherly figure’, as you see the
Mum in the background laughing and smiling. Ruby gets in a
strop and starts running off as this man is helping her when
really all she wants is her Dad.
Wide shot of Mums boyfriend tyring to teach Ruby how to ride
a bike with Ruby getting frustrated and running off. Mums
runs to catch up with Ruby and crouches down to speak to her
MUM
Come on Rubes, come on
darling, Richards just trying to
help you ride your bike, give him a
chance... Mummy really likes him
you know ,you do want Mummy to to
be happy dont you....?
RUBY
Wha Wha, But but, Daddy, Daddys
makes you happy doesnt he? Why isnt
Daddy here to ride my bike? he
promised me?
MUM
Yes Ruby, your father promised a
lot of things
RUBY
What? I, I, I dont understand, I
just wanna go home Mum
shot of mum looking towards Richard, not knowing what to say
INT.MUM BATHROOM.EVENING.
Mum looking in mirror showing how hes struggling with the
reality

6. 5.
INT.RESTAURANT.EVENING.
Mum and Dad out for dinner to try to sort their problems
out. Dad is ordering drink after drink seeming not to care
as the Mum is having a go at him.
INT.DAD HOUSE,GIRL BEDROOM.EVENING.
Ruby asleep in bed and is woken up by the noise of her dad
coming through the front door being very aggressive and
bumping into the walls and falling onto the ground. Also
hear the smashing of beer bottles as they are dropped onto
the ground as he finishes another one.
INT.A&E.EVENING.
Ruby sat in the waiting room in A&E, looking very worried
and lonely. Dad approaches Ruby with black eye and arm in a
sling and takes her hand to go home without saying anything.
MONTAGE SEQUENCE.
A montage of shots from the previous scenes appear whilst
hearing a voice over of the girl.
RUBY (V/O)
I need both of you to stay involved
in my life. Please make phone calls
and ask me lots of questions. If
you don’t stay involved, I will
feel as if you don’t really love me
and I am not important to you both.
Please stop fighting and work hard
to get along with each other so
that I don’t have to be a
messenger. Try to agree on matters
that are related to me. When you
argue about me, I think that I did
something wrong and I feel guilty.
I want to love you both and enjoy
the time I spend with both of you.
If you act jealous or upset, I feel
like I need to take sides and love
one parent more than the other.
When talking about my other parent,
please only say nice things, or
don’t say anything at all. When you
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)

7. CONTINUED: 6.
RUBY (V/O) (cont’d)
say mean, unkind things about my
other parent, I feel like you are
expecting me to take your side.
Please remember that I want both of
you to be part of my life. I count
on my mummy and daddy to raise me,
to teach me what is important, and
to help me when I have problems.