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
RUBY 
EXT.FLATS.DAY. 
A young girl, 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.MOTHERS HOUSE.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? 
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. 
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2. 
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 
DAD
3. 
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. 
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. 
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.
4. 
INT.MUM KITCHEN.DAY. 
Asks her mum why her dad told her Santa is not real and the 
mums reaction 
INT.MUM BATHROOM.EVENING. 
Mum looking in mirror showing how hes struggling with the 
reality 
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. 
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. 
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 
(MORE) 
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5. 
RUBY (V/O) (cont’d) 
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 
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.

Script draft one

  • 1.
    Ruby By ArchieLeigh, Katie Moulder and Cora Corre An origional screenplay Fine Arts College 24 Lambolle Place Belsize Park London nw3 4pg 0207 586 0312
  • 2.
    RUBY EXT.FLATS.DAY. Ayoung girl, 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.MOTHERS HOUSE.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? 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. (CONTINUED)
  • 3.
    CONTINUED: 2. 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 DAD
  • 4.
    3. EXT.PARK.DAY. Rubyswinging 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. 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. 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.
  • 5.
    4. INT.MUM KITCHEN.DAY. Asks her mum why her dad told her Santa is not real and the mums reaction INT.MUM BATHROOM.EVENING. Mum looking in mirror showing how hes struggling with the reality 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. 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. 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 (MORE) (CONTINUED)
  • 6.
    CONTINUED: 5. RUBY(V/O) (cont’d) 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 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.