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The first 27 odd pages of my Anna and the French Kiss film adaptation.
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Anna and the French Kiss
Written By
David Raygoza
Based on the novel by Stephanie Perkins
Feb 2011
BLACK TITLE SCREEN
ANNA (V.O.)
Here is everything I know about
France:
A children’s book SLIDES into the frame
ANNA (V.O.)
"Madeline",
Then a movie SLIDES into the shot, next to the book
ANNA (V.O.)
"Amélie",
a final third movie slides into the frame
ANNA (V.O.)
and "Moulin Rouge".
The book and two movies are lined up horizontally in the
center, suddenly two postcards of landmarks SLIDE in, one
from above and the other from below
ANNA (V.O.)
The Eiffel Tower and the Arc de
Triomphe, although I have no idea
what the function of either
actually is.
A series of historical figure portraits FALL onto the shot
consecutively
ANNA (V.O.)
Napolean, Marie Antoinette, and a
lot of Kings named "Louis".
Photos of Louis Kings RAIN down
As she carries on, images of Paris locales appear as the
Opening Credits are imposed over
ANNA (V.O.)
There’s the art museum called the
Louvre and it’s shaped like a
pyramid. The Mona Lisa lives there
along with that statue of the woman
missing her arms. And there are
cafes or bistros or whatever they
call them on every street corner.
And mimes. The food is supposed to
be good and the people drink a lot
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 2.
ANNA (V.O.) (cont’d)of wine and smoke a lot of
cigarettes.
THE IMAGES OF FRANCE FADE OUT
INT. AIRPORT DAY
White sneakers step along tiled airport floors, as a
suitcase on wheels is dragged along, a PAN UP reveals ANNA
OLIPHANT,a pretty 17 year old girl who looks a bit grumpy.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
I’ve heard they don’t like
Americans, and they don’t like
white sneakers.
As she narrates we watch ANNA go through the tedious process
of baggage check, airport security, etc.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
A few months ago, my father
enrolled me in boarding school.
Since then, I’ve tried yelling,
begging, pleading, and crying, but
nothing has convinced him.
Finally she sits, waiting to board, alone and bored.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
It’s not that I’m ungrateful. I
mean, it’s Paris. The City of
Light! I’m not immune to that. It’s
just this whole international
boarding school thing is a lot more
about my father than it is about
me.
CUT TO:
INT BOOK STORE DAY
A tan, middle-aged man with bright whitened teeth, a peach
polo shirt, and boating shoes signs books and smiles.
There’s a huge crowd and a long line of women, all of
various ages. There’s even a poster for a film adaptation of
his novel, which proclaims "BASED ON THE BESTSELLING JAMES
OLIPHANT NOVEL". Very Nicholas Sparks reminiscent.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 3.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
Ever since he sold out and started
writing lame books that get turned
into even lamer movies, he’s been
trying to impress his big-shot New
York friends with how rich and
cultured he is.
BLACK SCREEN
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
He writes these novels set in Small
Town Georgia about,
As ANNA continues text appears on the poster, verbatim what
ANNA tells us
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
"Folks with Good American Values
who Fall in Love and then Contract
Life-Threatening Diseases and Die"
THE POSTER FADES OUT AND WE’RE BACK TO
INT BOOK STORE DAY
The tan man who we now know is JAMES OLIPHANT, Anna’s
Father, is shaking hands with his fans, while employees pack
things up, the book signing has finished. He’s all smiles.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
The ladies eat it up. They love my
father’s book and they love his
bleachy smile and orangey tan. They
have turned him into a bestseller
and a total dick. And I hope Dad
doesn’t expect me to fill out
college applications to Russia and
Romania now.
JAMES leaves the book store and we follow him through...
EXT. STREETS OF FRANCE DAY
He walks through the streets of France, a smile on his face
as ANNA continues to narrate
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
My dream is to study film theory in
California. I want to be our
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 4.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD) (cont’d)
nation’s greatest female film
critic. Someday I’ll be invited to
every festival, and I’ll have a
major newspaper column and a cool
television show and a ridiculously
popular website. So far I only have
the website, and it’s not so
popular. Yet.
By this time JAMES has arrived at what seems to be an
apartment complex of sorts, but what is actually
INT. ANNA’S DORM HALLWAY
HE walks through the hallways, briskly, as students move
things in and out of rooms.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
I just need a little more time to
work on it, that’s all.
HE knocks on her door.
JAMES OLIPHANT
Anna, it’s time
INT. ANNA’S DORM ROOM
ANNA, who was folding shirts, is a bit startled by the
knock. She opens the door and her father offers a smile.
JAMES OLIPHANT
Well, kiddo. Guess you’re all grown
up now.
ANNA is frozen at the door, her eyes starting to get wet.
JAMES cocks his head and wraps her in a hug.
JAMES OLIPHANT
Take care of yourself. Study hard
and make some friends.
HE releases her slightly and takes a good look at her
JAMES OLIPHANT
And watch out for pickpockets,
sometimes they work in pairs.
Now JAMES lets go for good. HE gently kisses her on the
forehead, and then leaves. ANNA bursts into tears.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 5.
ANNA (V.O.)
And then it happens. Something that
would have happened in a year
anyway, once I left for college.
But no matter how many months or
years I’ve yearned for it, I’m
still not prepared for when it
actually happens.
ANNA closes the door behind her and falls onto her bed.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
My parents have left. I am alone.
Silence for a beat, and then THREE KNOCKS and we hear the
voice of a girl
GIRL
Hello? Hello? Are you okay?
ANNA sits up and makes a face
ANNA (V.O.)
No! I am not okay! My parents left
me! THEY LEFT ME IN FRANCE!
The girl on the other side of the door keeps calling
GIRL
Hello?!
ANNA moans and gets up from her bed to open the door.
A blonde with long, tight curls waits on the other side.
She’s tall and big, but not overweight-big. Volleyball
player big. A diamondlike nose ring sparkles in the hall
light.
GIRL
Are you all right?
Her voice is gentle
GIRL
I’m Meredith. I live next door.
Were those your parents who just
left?
ANNA nods
ANNA
My father.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 6.
MEREDITH
I cried the first night, too.
She tilts her head thinks for a moment, and then nods
MEREDITH
Come on. Chocolat chaud.
ANNA
A chocolate show?
ANNA (V.O.)
Why would I want to see a chocolate
show? My mother has abandoned me
and I’m scared to leave my room
and-
MEREDITH
No. Chaud. Hot. Hot chocolate, I
can make some in my room.
ANNA (V.O.)
Oh.
MEREDITH
Don’t forget your key. The doors
automatically lock behind you.
ANNA
I know.
She tugs her necklace out from underneath her shirt to prove
it.
ANNA follows MEREDITH to her room and gasps.
INT. MEREDITH’S DORM ROOM
Every inch of wall and ceiling is covered with posters and
pictures and shiny wrapping paper and brightly colored
flyers written in French
ANNA
How long have you been here?
MEREDITH hands ANNA a tissue and she blows her nose
MEREDITH
I arrived yesterday. This is my
fourth year here, so I didn’t have
to go to the seminars. I flew in
alone, so I’ve just been hanging
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 7.
MEREDITH (cont’d)out, waiting for my friends to show
up. Not bad, eh? White walls don’t
do it for me.
ANNA walks over to a poster of The Beatles, which is
surrounded by pictures of a soccer player
MEREDITH
The Beatles are all I listen to. My
friends tease me, but-
ANNA
Who is this?
ANNA points at the soccer player
MEREDITH
Cesc Fàbregas. God, he’s the most
incredible passer. Plays for
Arsenal. The English football club?
No?
ANNA just shakes her head
ANNA
I don’t keep up with sports. Nice
legs, though.
MEREDITH
I know right? You could hammer
nails with those thighs.
ANNA notices a photograph tucked into MEREDITH’s mirror.
It’s gray and shodowy and printed on thick, glossy paper.
Four people stand before a giant hollow cube, and the
abundance of stylish black clothing and deliberately mussed
hair reveals Meredith belongs to the art clique.
MEREDITH breaks into a wide smile.
MEREDITH
Yeah. Ellie took that at La
Defense. That’s Josh and St. Clair
and me and Rashmi. You’ll meet them
tomorrow at breakfast. Well,
everyone but Ellie. She graduated
last year.
ANNA (V.O.)
Was that an invitation to sit with
her?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8.
MEREDITH
But I’m sure you’ll meet her soon
enough, becuase she’s dating St.
Clair. She’s at Parsons Paris now
for photography She’s really
talented.
The edge in her voice suggests otherwise, but ANNA doesn’t
push it.
MEREDITH
Josh and Rashmi are dating, too
ANNA (V.O.)
Ah. Meredith must be single.
WE CUT TO:
BLACK SCREEN
As ANNA recounts to us her history with relationships,
polariod pictures of what she’s describing SLIDE into frame
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
Unfortunately, I can relate. Back
home I’d dated my friend Matt for
five months. He was tall-ish and
funny-ish and had decent-ish hair.
All we’d ever done was kiss, and it
wasn’t even that great. Too much
spit. Always had to wipe off my
chin. We broke up when I learned
about France, but it wasnt’ a big
deal. Now he’s going out with
Cherrie Milliken, who is in Choir
and has shiny shampoo-commercial
hair. It doesn’t bother me. Not
really. Besides, the breakup freed
me to lust after Toph, multiplex
coworker babe extraordinaire. Not
that I didn’t lust after him when I
was with Matt, but still. It did
make me feel guilty. And things
were starting to happen with Toph
when summer ended.
He hear a CHIPTUNE rendition of "Strawberry Fields Forever"
and suddenly cut back to:
9.
INT. MEREDITH’S DORM ROOM
ANNA turns away from the photograph and turns to MEREDITH,
who is answering a phone call
MEREDITH (INTO THE PHONE)
Mom, it’s midnight here. Six-hour
time difference, remember?
ANNA glances at an alarm clock, shaped like a yellow
submarine, and is surprised to find she’s right, it’s
midnight.
ANNA
I should get going, sorry I stayed
so long.
MEREDITH (INTO THE PHONE)
Hold on a sec.
She covers the mouthpiece
MEREDITH
I was nice meeting you! See you at
breakfast?
ANNA
Yeah. See ya.
ANNA tries to act casual, but she’s so excited she
practically SKIPS into the hallway.
INT. ANNA’S DORM HALLWAY
ANNA, in her excitement, promptly runs into something
BOY
Oof.
ANNA
Sorry! I’m so sorry, I didn’t know
you were there.
The BOY shakes his head, a little dazed.
ANNA (V.O.)
I always notice people’s hair. And
this boy has artist hair. Musician
hair.
I-pretend-I-don’t-care-but-I-really-do
hair.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 10.
BOY
It’s okay, I didn’t see you either.
Are you all right, then?
ANNA (V.O.)
Oh my. He’s English.
BOY
Er. Does Mer live here?
ANNA (V.O.)
Seriously, I don’t know any
American girl who can resist an
English accent.
The BOY clears his throat
BOY
Meredith Chevalier? Tall girl? Big,
culry hair?
He looks at ANNA as if she were crazy or half-deaf
BOY
I’m sorry.
He takes a step away
BOY
You were going to bed.
ANNA
Yes! Meredith lives there. I’m
Anna! I’m new here!
ANNA (V.O.)
Oh God. What. Is with. The scary
entusiasm.
The BOY smiles
BOY
Étienne. I live one floor up.
ANNA
I live here.
She points at her room
ANNA (V.O.)
French name, English accent,
American school. Anna confused.
ÉTIENNE knocks twice on MEREDITH’s door
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 11.
ÉTIENNE
Well I’ll se you aren’t then, Anna.
ANNA (V.O.)
Eh-t-yen says my name like: Ah-na.
My heart is having a party in my
chest.
MEREDITH opens the door, still on the phone
MEREDITH
St. Clair! Come in! How was your
flight? When’d you get here? Have
you seen Josh?
MEREDITH (INTO THE PHONE)
Mom, I’ve gotta go.
MEREDITH’s phone and door snap shut simultaneously
ANNA fumbles with her key-necklace. Two girls in matching
pink bathrobes strut behind her, giggling and gossiping. A
crowd of guys across the hall snicker and catcall. MEREDITH
and ÉTIENNE laugh through the thin walls.
ANNA (V.O.)
I’m still the new girl.
ANNA walks into her room and closes the door behind her
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
And I’m still alone
CUT TO:
EXT. STREETS OF FRANCE DAY
ANNA is walking to breakfast, while RAIN trickles the french
streets. The School of America’s entrance is through a grand
archway, set back in a courtyard with MANICURED trees.
Geraniums and ivy TRAIL down from window boxes on each
floor, and MAJESTIC lion’s heads are carved into the center
of the dark green doors, which are three times ANNA’s
height. On either side of the doors hangs a red, white, and
blue flag- one American, the other French.
As ANNA enters she thinks to herself
ANNA (V.O.)
It looks like a film set. A Little
Princess, if it took place in
Paris. How can such a school really
exist.
12.
She pushes the door and enters
INT. SCHOOL OF AMERICA’S LOBBY
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
How is it possible that I’m
enrolled?
The ceiling on the first floor is impossible high, DRIPPING
chandeliers and FRESCOED with flirting nymphs and lusting
satyrs. Beneath her feet is a marbled mosaic of interlocking
sparrows. Mounted on the wall, at the far end of the hall,
is a gilded clock that’s CHIMING the hour.
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
My father is insane to believe I
belong here.
ANNA opens the doors to the cafeteria
INT. SCHOOL OF AMERICA’S CAFETERIA
ANNA (V.O. CONTD)
I used to eat lunch in a converted
gymnasium that reeked of bleach and
jockstraps. It had long tables with
preattached benches, and paper cups
and plastic straws. The hairnetted
ladies who ran the cash registers
served frozen pizza and frozen
fries and frozen nuggets, and the
soda fountains and vending machines
provided the rest of my so called
"nourishment"
Unlike the historic opulence of the lobby, the cafeteria is
SLEEK and MODERN. It’s packed with round birch tablesand
plants in hanging baskets. The walls are tangerine and lime,
and there’s a DAPPER Frenchman in a white chef’s hat serving
a variety of food that looks suspiciously FRESH.
The chats are already filled with people GOSSIPING with
their friends over the SHOUTING of the chefs and the
CLATTERING of the dishes. ANNA stalls in the doorway.
Students BRUSH past her, spiraling out in all directions.
SUDDENLY a voice calls out
MEREDITH
Anna!
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 13.
ANNA scans the crowd and spots a FIVE RINGED hand waving at
her. She WEAVES her way toward MEREDITH
MEREDITH
I thought about knocking on your
door so we could walk together, but
I didn’t know if you were a late
sleeper. I’m sorry. I should have
knocked. You look so lost.
ANNA
Thanks for saving me a spot.
ANNA takes a seat. There are two others at the table, and
she recognizes them from the photograph on the mirror.
MEREDITH
Guys, this is Anna, the girl I was
telling you about.
A LANKY guy with short hair and a long nose salutes ANNA
with his cup of coffee
JOSH
Josh,
He nods to the girl next to him, who holds his other hand
inside the front pocket of his hoodie
JOSH (CONTD)
and Rashmi.
RASHMI has blue-framed glasses and thick black hair that
hangs all the way down her back. She gives only the barest
of acknowledgments
MEREDITH
Everyone’s here except for St.
Clair. He’s usually running late.
JOSH
Always. He’s always running late.
ANNA
I think I met him last night. In
the hallway.
MEREDITH
Good hair and an English accent?
ANNA (TRYING TO BE CASUAL)
Um. Yeah. I guess.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 14.
JOSH
Everyone’s in looooove with St.
Clair.
MEREDITH
Oh, shut up.
RASHMI
I’m not.
JOSH
Well, I am. I’m asking him to prom.
This is our year, I just know it.
ANNA
This school has a prom?
RASHMI
God no, and yeah Josh, you and St.
Clair would look really cute in
matching tuxes.
ÉTIENNE
Tails.
MEREDITH and ANNA practially JUMP out of their seats at the
English accent. ÉTIENNE’s hair is damp from the rain.
ÉTIENNE
I insist the tuxes have tails, or
I’m giving your corsage to Steve
Carver instead.
JOSH
St. Clair!
JOSH SPRINGS from his seat, and they give each other the
classic two-thumps-on-the-back hug.
ÉTIENNE
No kiss? I’m crushed, mate.
JOSH
Thought it might miff the ol’ ball
and chain. She doesn’t know about
us yet.
RASHMI
Whatever.
But RASHMI is smiling now, and ÉTIENNE points at ANNA’s
umbrella
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 15.
ÉTIENNE
Nice umbrella. Could have used that
this morning.
Notices that ANNA hasn’t gotten a plate yet
ÉTIENNE (CONTD)
You ought to feed yourself,
He leans in CLOSE and WHISPERS
ÉTIENNE (CONTD)
Unless you’re one of those girls
who never eats. Can’t tolerate
that, I’m afraid. Have to give you
a lifetime table ban.
ANNA (EMBARRASSED)
I’m not sure how to order.
ÉTIENNE
Easy, stand in line. tell them what
you want. Accept delicious goodies.
And then give them your meal card
and two pints of blood.
RASHMI
I heard they raised it to three
pints this year.
ÉTIENNE
Bone marrow works too. Or your left
earlobe.
ANNA
I meant the menu, thank you very
much.
She gestures to the chalkboard above one of the chefs. An
EXQUISITE, cursive hand has written out the morning’s menu
in PINK, YELLOW, and WHITE. In French.
ANNA
Not exactly my first language.
MEREDITH
You don’t speak French?
ANNA
I took Spanish for three years.
It’s not like I ever thought I’d be
moving to Paris.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 16.
MEREDITH
That’s okay, a lot of people here
don’t speak french.
JOSH
But most of them do.
RASHMI
But most of them not very well.
JOSH
You’ll learn the language of food
first. The language of love.
JOSH rubs his belly like a skinny Buddha
JOSH
Oeuf. Egg. Pomme. Apple. Lapin.
Rabbit.
RASHMI
Not funny.
RASHMI punches him
RASHMI (CONTD)
No wonder Isis bites you. Jerk.
ANNA
And, um, until then?
ÉTIENNE
Right.
ÉTIENNE stands up
ÉTIENNE (CONTD)
Come along, then. I haven’t eaten
either.
As they WIND their way through the crowd several girls gape
and follow ÉTIENNE’s path to the cafeteria line
ÉTIENNE
Time for your first French lesson.
Breakfast here is simple and
consists primarily of breahs-
croissants being the most famous,
of course. This means no sausage,
no scramble eggs.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 17.
ANNA (HOPEFULLY)
Bacon?
ÉTIENNE
Definitely not. Second lesson, the
words on the chalk board. Listen
carefully and repeat after me.
Granola. Means: Granola, you see?
And this one? Yaourt-
ANNA
Gee, I dunno. Yogurt?
ÉTIENNE
A natural! You say you’ve never
lived in France before?
The Frenchman behind the counter barks at them
ANNA (V.O.)
Sorry, Chef Pierre. I’m a little
distracted by this English French
American Boy Masterpiece.
ÉTIENNE
Yogurt with granola and honey, soft
boiled egg, or pears on brioche?
ANNA
Yogurt.
ÉTIENNE places the orders in PERFECT french. CHEF PIERRE
relaxes and stirs the granola and honey into ANNA’s yogurt.
A sprinkling of blueberries is added to the top before he
hands it over to ANNA. They continue through the line
picking FRUITS and side dishes
ANNA
No Pop-Tarts? No Cocoa Puffs? I’m,
like, totally offended.
ÉTIENNE
Pop-Tarts are Tuesdays, Eggo
waffles are Wednesdays, but they
never, ever serve Cocoa Puffs.
You’ll have to settle for Froot
Loops Fridays instead.
ANNA
You know a lot about American junk
food for a British dude.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 18.
ÉTIENNE
I’m not British. I’m American
ANNA
Sure you are.
ÉTIENNE
I am. You have to be American to
attend SOAP, remember?
ANNA
Soap?
ÉTIENNE
School of America in Paris, "SOAP"
ANNA (V.O.)
Great. My father sent me here to be
cleansed.
ÉTIENNE
My father is French, my mum is
American, I was born in San
Francisco, and I was raised in
London.
ANNA
A true international.
ÉTIENNE
That’s right. I’m not a poser like
the rest of you.
ANNA
What’s your real name? Lsat night
you introduced yourself as-
ÉTIENNE
St. Clair is my last name. Étienne,
is my first.
ANNA
Étienne St. Clair...
ÉTIENNE
Terrible isn’t it?
As they walk back to the table, ANNA admires him but
REPEATSS to herself
ANNA (V.O.)
He has a girlfriend. He has a
girlfriend. He has a girlfriend.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 19.
They’ve made their way back to the table, and sit with the
others
JOSH
Eat up, you two, we’ve still got to
get our schedules.
CUT TO:
EXT. STREETS OF FRANCE DAY
The rain has STOPPED and MEREDITH, RASHMI, and ANNA all wait
outside of the School of America holding their schedules.
MEREDITH grabs ANNA’s
MEREDITH
Three with me and four with Rashmi!
MEREDITH BEAMS and hands back ANNA’s schedule.
ANNA
What’s the French class like?
MEREDITH
She can be intimidating at first,
but she’s really nice once you get
to know her.
RASHMI
Mer is her star pupil, she’s taking
French and advaned Spanish.
ANNA
Maybe you can be my tutor, I stink
at foreign languages. The only
reason this place overlooked my
Spanish grades is because the head
reads my Father’s dumb novels.
They give ANNA a look
ANNA
My dad is a novelist.
MEREDITH
Really? Who?
ANNA
James Oliphant. The Decision. The
Entrance. They were made into
movies. Forget it, they all have
vague names like that-
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 20.
MEREDITH
No, my mom loves The Entrance! I
watched it with her once and
totally cried. Twice. So how do you
know the head reads his novels?
ANNA
She mentioned it once or twice in
my phone interview. She kept asking
questions about casting decisions,
as if my Dad has any say in that.
Or like I care. She didn’t realize
my cinematic tastes are a bit more
sophisticated.
ÉTIENNE and JOSH step out of the building with their
schedules and suddenly MEREDITH switches gears
MEREDITH
I’d like to learn Italian, but they
don’t offer it here. I want to go
to college in Rome next year. Or
maybe London. I could study it
there, too.
ANNA
I bet Rome is a better place to
study Italian.
MEREDITH
Yeah, well...
She steals a glance at ÉTIENNE
MEREDITH
I’ve always liked London.
When ÉTIENNE and JOSH join the group, ANNA turns to ÉTIENNE
and they all walk along the French streets
ANNA
How about you?What do you want to
do?
ÉTIENNE shrugs
ÉTIENNE
I’ve always wanted to be one of
those blokes they interview on BBC
or PBC specials. You know, with the
crazy eyebrows and suede elbow
patches.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 21.
MEREDITH
St. Clair’s head is always in
history books the sixe of
dictionaries, it’s hard to get him
out of his room.
JOSH
That’s because Ellie’s always in
there.
ÉTIENNE
You’re one to talk!
ÉTIENNE gestures toward RASHMI
ÉTIENNE
By the way, everyone, I’m meeting
Ellie tonight.
MEREDITH
Tell her we miss her!
RASHMI goes cold.
JOSH interjects
JOSH
Hey Anna, is this your first
weekend away from home?
ANNA
Yes.
JOSH
Your first weekend without parental
supervision in Paris? And how do
you plan on spending it? In your
bedroom? Alone?
They all stare at her.
ANNA
I’m not quite sure yet.
CUT TO:
INT. ANNA’S DORM ROOM
ANNA sits in her room wearing a Mayfield Dairy T-shirt, and
hot pink flannel pajama bottoms covered in giant
strawberries, organizing her new textbooks and sorting
papers.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 22.
ANNA (V.O.)
Sure enough, every teenager at SOAP
is partying tonight. Instead I have
opted to spend it tinkering with
the layout of my blog, because I
haven’t seen any movies so I can’t
write any reviews. Just me, an
empty email inbox, and a couple of
French textbooks.
THREE KNOCKS on her door
ÉTIENNE
Anna?
ANNA jumps up startled
ANNA
Hold on a sec! I’ll be right there!
She JETS over to her closet, grabs a black hoodie and zips
it up over the cow’s face before wrenching open the door.
ANNA
Hisorryaboutthat. Come in.
She opens the door wide and ÉTIENNE grins
ÉTIENNE
Nice strawberries.
ANNA
Shut up.
ÉTIENNE
No, I mean it. Cute.
ÉTIENNE enters her room
ANNA (V.O.)
Although he doesn’t mean it like
I-want-to-leave-my-girlfriend-and-start-dating-you
cute, something flickers inside me.
ÉTIENNE
It’s really...er...clean.
ANNA (V.O.)
And the flicker fades.
ANNA
Is it?
ÉTIENNE maneuvers around
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 23.
ÉTIENNE
Yes. Alarmingly so.
He begins to inspect a collection of banana and elephant
figurines lined up on ANNA’s dressed
ANNA
It’s my nickname
ÉTIENNE
Elephant? Sorry I don’t see it.
ANNA
Anna Oliphant. Banana Elephant. MY
friend collects those for me, and I
collevt toy bridges and snadwiches
for her. Her name is Bridgette
Saunderwick.
ÉTIENNE
So can anyone call you Elephant?
ANNA
Banana Elephant. And no. Definitely
not.
ÉTIENNE
I’m sorry. But not for that.
ANNA
What? Why?
ÉTIENNE
You’re fixing everything I set
down.
Sure enough, she has been
ÉTIENNE (CONTD)
It wasn’t polite of me to come in
and start touching your things.
ANNA
OH it’s okay, You can touch
anything of mine you want.
ÉTIENNE freezes and a smile runs across his face
ANNA (V.O.)
I didn’t mean it like that. Not
that "that" would be so bad. But I
like Toph, and St. Clair has a
girlfriend. And even if the
(MORE)
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 24.
ANNA (V.O.) (cont’d)situation were different, Mer still
has dibs. I’d never do that to her
after how nice she was on my first
day.
ÉTIENNE
Is that your boyfriend?
ÉTIENNE is pointing at a picture of TOPH and ANNA at the
movie theater.
ANNA
Oh. Uh...no. Not really. I mean,
Toph was almost my boyfriend. I
moved away before...before much
could happen.
He nods and then points to a picture aboce her bed.
ÉTIENNE
Your brother?
It’s a photograph of a young boy pointing at a group of
turtles, smiling at the camera.
ANNA
Yep, that’s sean.
ÉTIENNE
How old is he?
ANNA
Seven. He’s in second grade.
ÉTIENNE
That’s a big age difference.
ANNA
Well he was either a last
ditch-effort to save a failing
marriage, or an accident. I’ve
never had the nerve to ask which.
ANNA (V.O.)
Wow. I can not believe I just
blurted that out.
ÉTIENNE
Your parents are divorced?
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 25.
ANNA
Yeah. My dad left six months after
Sean was born.
ÉTIENNE nods again, he seems to genuinely understand
ÉTIENNE
I’m sorry. Mine are sperated.
ANNA
Then I’m sorry too. That sucks.
ÉTIENNE
It’s all right. My father’s a
bastard.
ANNA
So is mine. I mean, obviously he
is, if he left us when Seany was a
baby. Which he totally did. But
it’s also his fault I’m suck here.
In Paris.
ÉTIENNE
I know.
ANNA (V.O.)
He does?
ÉTIENNE (CONTD)
Mer told me. But I guarantee you
that my father is worse.
Unfortunately he’s the one here in
Paris, while my mum is alone,
thousands of miles away.
ANNA
Your dad lives here?
ÉTIENNE
He owns an art gallery here and
another in London. He divides his
time between them.
ANNA
How often do you see him?
ÉTIENNE
Never, If I can help it.
There’s a beat of silence between them.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 26.
ANNA
Why are you here?
ÉTIENNE
I didn’t say?
He straightens up
ÉTIENNE (CONTD)
Oh. Well. If someone didn’t come
and physically drag you outside,
you’d never leave. So we’re going
out.
ANNA (V.O.)
I feel this strange mix of
butterflies and churning in my
stomach, all of a sudden.
ANNA
Tonight?
ÉTIENNE
Tonight.
ANNA
Right. And Ellie?
ÉTIENNE
Our plans fell through.
ANNA gestures at her pajama bottoms
ANNA
I’m not exactly dressed for it.
ÉTIENNE
Come on, Anna.
ANNA gives him a doubtful look, and then a pillow FLIES at
her head. ANNA SLAMS it back, ÉTIENNE grabs it and
TACKLES ANNA, playfully hiting her twice before letting her
catch it. They’re both cracking up with laughter on ANNA’s
bed.
ÉTIENNE
Okay. Here’s the plan.
ANNA turns her head and looks at him
ÉTIENNE (CONTD)
Put on some proper trousers and
I’ll show you Paris.
(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 27.
ANNA
That’s it? That’s the plan?
ÉTIENNE
The whole shebang.
ÉTIENNE
Wow. "Shebang." Fancy.
ÉTIENNE grabs the pillow and playfully whacks her again.
Suddenly the phone RINGS.
ANNA reaches for it, but before she picks up, she reads the
name: TOPH
