Margot is grieving the loss of her grandmother and struggling with how to process her emotions. She avoids dealing with her grief by listening to Frank Sinatra and distracting herself. When her boyfriend Oliver confronts her about withdrawing, she breaks down and tells him she hasn't cried since her grandmother's death and doesn't know how to grieve. Oliver comforts her and says there is no right way to grieve. One year later, Margot has made progress in her grieving process and seems happier, though is still working through her emotions as shown when she is given her grandmother's old radio.
2. 2
EXT. DAY - A CHURCHYARD
‘Softly as I leave you’ by Matt Monro plays. LONG SHOT of
MARGOT and MAYA sitting together on a bench. They are
both dressed in all black. Margot stares into the
distance and Maya sits with her knees to her chest, her
arms crossed, also staring into the distance. It is clear
Maya has been crying.
Cuts to MID SHOT of a gravestone
Cuts back to a MID SHOT Margot and Maya sitting on a
bench.
Cuts to black. ‘HOW TO GRIEVE’ appears on screen. Music
fades out.
INT. DAY – MARGOT'S BEDROOM
MID SHOT of Margot as she lays on her bed.
MARGOT
(singing quietly)
Softly as I... no.
She stops and changes pitch. She smiles.
MARGOT
(singing quietly)
Softly as I...
She stops again. This time as if she has remembered
something. Her smile changes to a look of sorrow.
MARGOT
(quietly)
As I leave you.
She is silent. She closes her eyes and reaches for a
pillow behind her. She screams into the pillow.
(Continued)
3. 3
Margot removes the pillow from her face and takes a deep
breath. She sits up and looks towards her bedside table.
MARGOT
Alexa, play Frank Sinatra.
INT. NIGHT – MARGOT'S BEDROOM
‘It had to be you’ by Frank Sinatra plays. LONG SHOT of
Margot as she slow dances around the bedroom with her
teddy bear as if it was a real person.
Cut to a LONG SHOT of Margot sitting on the floor
surrounded by photos. ‘I’ll never smile again’ by Frank
Sinatra plays. She picks up a photo and stares at it in
despair.
Cut to a CLOSE UP of the photo. It is a picture of a
young girl and an older woman.
Cut to a CLOSE UP of Margot’s face. She looks as if she
is about to cry but she doesn’t.
Cut to a MID SHOT of Margot in bed. ‘Put your dreams
away’ by frank Sinatra plays. She tosses and turns in
bed, struggling to get to sleep.
CLOSE UP of Margot a face as she stops trying and lays
still staring at the ceiling.
INT. DAY – MARGOT'S BEDROOM
MID SHOT of Margot staring into the camera as if it was
her mirror. ‘That’s life’ by Frank Sinatra plays quietly
in the background as she hums along. She looks tired and
gloomy.
EXTREME CLOSE UP of Margot’s lips as she pats red
lipstick faintly on to her lips, as if to distract from
her tired eyes and lifeless face. The music is
interrupted by an aggressive knock on the door.
MARGOT
(she sighs)
Alexa, pause.
(continued)
4. 4
MARGOT
(shouting)
Yeah?
LONG SHOT as Maya opens Margot’s bedroom door. OLIVER is
standing next to her.
MAYA
Oliver’s here.
Oliver walks into the bedroom and Maya shuts the door
behind him.
Cut to a MID SHOT of Margot. She seems unhappily
surprised. She walks over to Oliver; they stand opposite
each other in a LONG SHOT with some distance in between
them.
MARGOT
(surprised)
What are you doing here?
OLIVER
(angrily)
What am I doing here? Margot, I
haven't seen you in two weeks. You’ve
been ignoring my calls and messages,
and if you’ve been at college then
you’ve been avoiding me there too.
What's going on with you?
Margot sits on her bed; she doesn’t say anything. It is
painfully silent.
OLIVER
(emotionally)
Right. So that’s it then. It's over.
Fine I’ll...
Oliver stops suddenly. Cut to a CLOSE UP of the order of
service from Margot’s Grandmothers funeral on her bed
side table. Cut to a MID SHOT as He immediately sits down
next to her and puts his head in his hands.
(Continued)
5. 5
OLIVER
(shocked)
Margot I... I'm so sorry... I
Margot interrupts Oliver. She remains facing forward, but
he turns and looks at her.
MARGOT
I didn’t cry. When my mum told me. I
didn’t cry. She just... she held me
in her arms. I hated it. I hated that
moment. I knew it had happened before
she told me, I could tell as soon as
I walked downstairs that morning.
Everything was... still.
Cuts to a CLOSE UP of Margot.
MARGOT
I didn’t cry. I still haven't cried.
It's been two weeks now! I hear Maya
crying every night through the walls
and I... I just lay awake and wonder
what's wrong with me, why am I not
crying.
Cuts to an OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT as Margot turns to look
at Oliver.
MARGOT
I don’t know what I'm supposed to be
doing. I don’t get it. I don’t know
how to grieve.
Cuts to an OVER THE SHOULDER SHOT as Oliver looks at
Margot.
OLIVER
Everyone grieves in different ways,
there's no step by step guide. Do it
your way and take as much time as you
need. You are so strong and I'm
always here... even if you don’t want
to talk to me.
(Continued)
6. 6
Cut to a MID SHOT as they smile at each other. Oliver
puts his arm around Margot as she rests her head on his
shoulder.
INT. DAY – MARGOTS BEDROOM
Text on screen ‘ONE YEAR LATER’
LONG SHOT of Margot. She is sitting on her bed and
talking to Oliver on the phone. She is noticeably more
cheerful than when we last saw her and she is wearing
brighter clothing.
MARGOT
Yeah, I'm good but I miss you! How
was the first night of freshers?
There is a knock on the door.
MARGOT
Hold on, I'll call you back... Come
in!
MID SHOT of Maya as she opens the door and walks into
Margot’s bedroom holding a radio.
MAYA
Mum just brought in the last box of
stuff from grans house, she thought
you’d want this.
Maya hands Margot the radio. Cut to a MID SHOT Margot
looks at the radio and her mood suddenly changes. She
doesn’t know how to react but eventually she smiles.
MARGOT
Thank you.
Maya leaves the room and shuts the door. Margot turns on
the radio and ‘softly as I leave you’ by Matt Monro
plays. A tear falls down Margot's cheek as she smiles
softly.
Cuts to black.
