C L E M E N T I N E S

SHOOT SCRIPT

Frankie Meredith
 2

1 1.INT. CAR. LABASTIDE. MORNING.

A young woman CLEM, 24, drives through a quaint French

provincial village. Scanning the area, she arrives into a
small town square. A large church across a footbridge
dominates the skyline. She parks in a space next to the
bridge.

Pulling down the visor to check her reflection, she

starts rummaging in her bag to find her makeup. She
hurriedly applies LIPSTICK, clips in some earrings, and
looks into the mirror. It'll do.

She takes off her WHITE SHIRT to reveal a BLACK DRESS and
changes her trainers into a pair of low heels. She slams
the car door shut and heads towards the church.

CUT TO:

2 2.EXT. CHURCH. LABASTIDE. MORNING.

CLEM rushes over the bridge. We hear the sounds of a

service inside. She reaches the door of the church and
heads in, trying to be quiet.

CUT TO:

3 3.INT. CHURCH. LABASTIDE. MORNING.

PREIST O/S
(FRENCH)...of sorrow and joy
today we thank you for Pascal,
for what he has given and
received. Help us in our mourning
and teach us to live for the
living in the time that is still
left to us.

A small Catholic church. We see the altar and flowers.

Pews, bibles, beautiful stone carvings but still unable
to identify the type of service.

PRIEST
(FRENCH) Thank you for eternal
life that can give light and joy
to our days and years already
here on earth. God, we thank you
for your Son, Jesus Christ.

CLEM opens the large door to the church. She slips in the
back, crosses herself quickly and sits at a pew.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 3

She scans the room and it doesn't take long to notice

CLEMENTINE, 25, sat at the front. No signs of emotion.
She just looks exhausted.

PRIEST
(FRENCH) Help us to see that it
is he who opens the gate to the
life that shall never die.

CLEMENTINE instinctively looks back at the late arrival

and catches CLEM's eye. A look of total surprise washes
across her face.

CUT TO:

4 4.EXT. CHURCH. MORNING.

CLEM is having a cigarette outside the church. The

service has ended and people are filing out.

We see CLEMENTINE walk out and pause by the door to thank

the mourners.

She immediately locks eyes with CLEM and doesn't take

them off her. The mourners offer condolences as they
leave.

MOURNER
(FRENCH) He was a very talented
man your father, we're all sorry
for your loss.

CLEMENTINE
(FRENCH) Thank you, thank you for
coming.

CLEMENTINE walks slowly yet deliberately up to CLEM. She

kisses her on both cheeks.

CLEM
Hi, Clementine.

CLEMENTINE
Why, er, what are you doing here?

CLEM
My mum sent me the invite. She
wanted to come but...

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 4

CLEMENTINE
Is she ok?

CLEM
Yeah she's fine, she just wasn't
up to it. How are you?

CLEMENTINE
I wasn't expecting to see you.

CLEM
I know... It's good to see you.

CLEMENTINE
I have to go, I have to deal with
the, errr...le cercueil? The
coffin? (Beat) See you at the
house?

CLEM
Yeah

CLEMENTINE
(Walking off)
You remember the way? People are
driving up. You can follow them.

CLEM nods. She knows the way. CLEMENTINE heads back into
the church.

CUT TO:

5 5.INT. CAR. JOURNEY TO JASSES. MORNING.

CLEM drives along winding country roads. A huge house

appears over the hill.

She pulls into the long, treelined drive.

TITLES. C L E M E N T I N E S.

CUT TO:

6 6.EXT. FRONT OF HOUSE. DAY

CLEM parks up, looking up at the giant house as she

climbs out of the car. Its elegant, faded facade has
clearly lived through the centuries
 5

7 7.INT. RECEPTION ROOM. HOUSE. DAY

CLEM comes into a large, stately reception room. It's

filled with mourners, including the PRIEST, but there's a
nice, gentle buzz to it. There's a 'spread' on a table
with canapés, glasses and bottles of wine. A couple of
children run around the place.

CLEM hovers near the table, she grabs a glass. Any glass.
CLEMENTINE is nowhere to be seen. The PRIEST notices CLEM
and walks over. CLEM picks up a grape and is mid-chew
when...

PRIEST
Ma chère. Cela doit faire des
années. Comment vas-tu?

CLEM, trying to quickly swallow her food, smiles

awkwardly. Maybe she can muddle her way through this.

CLEM
Hello Pere Francois.

PRIEST
Combien ça fait plaisir de te
revoir ici. Je me souviens
clairement du jour de ta
confirmation. Et ta mère, comment
vas-t-elle? Une dame
impressionnante.

CLEM
(Giving up)
I'm so sorry... my French... I
can't...

PRIEST
(Laughing)
Ne t'inquiète pas. je vais nous
trouver un interprète ma chère.
Permets-moi.

The PRIEST gives her a warm touch on the arm and heads
back to the group. Embarrassed, she skips over to a door
in the corner. She tries the handle. It's engaged.

WOMAN O/S
C'est occupé!

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 6

CLEM
Sorry!

CLEM is even more exposed now. She spurts out of the

room, overwhelmed and still with no sight of CLEMENTINE.

CUT TO:

8 8.INT. STAIRS/LANDING. DAY.

CLEM climbs a spiral staircase. She comes out to a

gorgeous landing and heads straight for a door in the
middle.

9 9.INT. BATHROOM. DAY.

Water running, CLEM is washing her hands. She looks

around for a towel, there isn't one, so shakes her hands
and wipes them on her dress.

A little agitated, she picks up her glass of wine and

necks the rest of it. She gives herself a long look in
the mirror.

CUT TO:

10 10.INT. LANDING. DAY.

CLEM comes out of the bathroom and back onto the

beautiful landing. We can hear the buzz from the wake
downstairs. She pauses - and sneaks into the room next
door

11 11.INT. CLEMENTINES BEDROOM. DAY.

CLEM enters a beautifully arranged bedroom. Though it's

lived in and clearly belongs to a young woman, it retains
an antique, timeless quality.

CLEM starts to nose around. She opens the wardrobe and

fingers through the clothes. She does the same with the
underwear draw. She pulls out some expensive looking lace
PANTS and smiles to herself.

She moves onto a small collage of photographs pinned to a

mirror. She finds a PHOTO OF HERSELF AS A TEENAGER. She's
visibly touched by the memento.

Standing by a window, she looks out at the stunning view.

The mountains in the distance, fading away into the
clouds.
 7

12 12.EXT. GARDENS. DAY.

CLEM walks around the back of the house. We see the

gardens. The trees swaying in the wind. The beautiful
statues hidden by the growth.

CUT TO:

13 13.INT. KITCHEN. DAY.

CLEMENTINE brings some empty plates into the kitchen and

puts them in the sink. Through the window, she catches
CLEM walking round the gardens.

CUT TO:

14 14.EXT/INT. STUDIO. DAY

CLEM walks cautiously up an old set of stairs attached to

a separate part of the house.

She comes into a cavernous artist's studio. Paintings,

paints and tissues are all strewn everywhere. The life's
work of a painter. CLEM stands absorbed by its weight.

CUT TO:

15 15.EXT. THE GARDENS. AFTERNOON.

CLEM is sat at a small table by the swimming pool,

smoking. Several butts stew in the glass next to her. She
is staring into the depths of the pool.

CLEMENTINE arrives down the path. CLEM looks up, a little

embarrassed.

CLEMENTINE
Have you been down here this
whole time?

CLEM
Yeah. I don't really know anyone
up there, anymore. Has everyone
gone?

CLEMENTINE
Yes. (Beat)
Pére François was looking for
you...

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 8

CLEM
Oh god... I can't believe he
remembered me. I think I
embarrassed myself.

Nothing from CLEMENTINE. CLEM offers her packet over.

CLEMENTINE
Non merci.

CLEM
What??

CLEMENTINE
Apparently they are bad for you.

CLEM
Even in France?

They both look out, at the pool, now green with leaves
and dirt.

CLEM (CONT'D)
I like the new pool.

CLEMENTINE
Yeah. I think Dad just needed a
project or something. It took,
like, three years.

CLEM
It's nice.

CLEMENTINE
He only went in it twice I think.

CLEM
What happened to the old pool?

CLEMENTINE
Nothing. It's still there.

There's a silence. A silence of the years between them.

CLEM stands up and walks up to the pool.

CLEM
Remember when we got married
under the archway up there?

(CONTINUED)
CONTINUED: 9

CLEMENTINE
Oui.

CLEM
Do you, er, do you think that
means we're still married?

CLEMENTINE
We were thirteen, Clem.

CLEM takes a drag. The women look out over the hills.

CLEM
And then I pushed you in, in your
wedding dress.

CLEMENTINE
Oui. I remember.

CLEM
Were you angry?

CLEMENTINE
Probably not.

CLEM
Why?

CLEMENTINE
Because I was used to it.

CLEM
Yeah.

CLEMENTINE
I haven't been in this pool
since...since... Papa got sick.

CLEM takes a final drag and puts out her cigarette. She
takes off her coat.

CLEMENTINE
What are you doing?

CLEM takes off her shoes.

CLEM
I'm going in.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 10

CLEMENTINE
What?? Why?

CLEM
I can't think of a single reason
not to.

CLEMENTINE
Clem!

CLEM boldly stands by the edge. She leans into the pool.
CLEMENTINEs arm instinctively reaches out to stop her,
but CLEM grabs it and pulls her in.

CLEMENTINE screams. It's absolutely freezing. As they

come up CLEM is laughing, turning expectantly to
CLEMENTINE who is furiously swimming to the edge.

CLEMENTINE pulls herself up onto the side of the pool.

She storms back to the house in silence.

CLEM pulls herself out of the pool. She's shivering and

looking a little sheepish. She grabs her coat and shoes
and trudges back to the house.

CUT TO:

16 16.INT. STAIRS. AFTERNOON.

CLEM, now a shivering wreck, walks upstairs.

CLEM
(calling)
Clementine? I'm sorry!

We hear the sounds of a shower.

17 17.INT. LANDING. AFTERNOON.

As she reaches the landing, she sees a towel and pile of

clothes on a little table. A peace offering.

CLEM
(Calling) Thank you!

CUT TO:

18 18.INT. BATHROOM. AFTERNOON.

Steam rises out of the bath, filling the room.

CLEM slides blissfully under the water.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 11

CUT TO:

SCENE 18 B

CLEM, drying off, pulls on the clothes CLEMENTINE left

for her. She checks herself out in the mirror. The T-
SHIRT is a little tight, but she's not unhappy about it.

CUT TO:

19 19.INT. KITCHEN. EARLY EVE.

A messy kitchen. All the dishes and glasses from the wake
are left on the table and by the sink. CLEMENTINE is
furiously washing up.

CLEM ambles in.

CLEM
Thanks for all this stuff.
(Grabbing the t-shirt)
Is this mine??

CLEMENTINE barely acknowledges her.

CLEM
I'm sorry Clementine. I thought
it would be funny.
(Beat)
You used to find that kind of
stuff funny.

CLEMENTINE has not found this funny. In fact, she's

crying. CLEM'S face falls as she realises. She
approaches, cautiously.

She stops suddenly. It hits her.

CLEM
I'm sorry I'm here.

CLEMENTINE starts to sob. CLEM comes up behind her and

puts her arms around her, grasping and calming CLEMENTINE
down. CLEMENTINE accepts the embrace but doesn't
reciprocate anything.

20 20.EXT. FRONT OF HOUSE. EARLY EVE.

NOTE: MIGHT BE OUTSIDE BACK OF HOUSE.

CLEM is sat in the doorway of her car, pulling on her

trainers.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 12

CLEMENTINE comes out, pulling on her jacket, she motions

for the cigarette. CLEM hands it over and CLEMENTINE
takes a long, deep drag. Exhales slowly, exorcising her
body of something.

She hands the cigarette back to CLEM. They just exist

together for a moment.

CLEM
This place hasn't changed at all.

CLEMENTINE
Come with me.

21 CUT TO:21.EXT. OLD POOL. SUNSET.

The two women walk with trepidation around an abandoned,

overgrown swimming pool. It looks like a plane wreck in a
jungle. Forgotten. Eaten by the trees.

CLEM
Oh my god. Look at it.

CUT TO:

They clamber up onto a ledge and sit beneath an archway,

looking out over the horizon.

CLEM
What are you going to do with the
place?

CLEMENTINE
I dunno, sell it.

CLEM
You can't do that.

CLEMEMTINE
If I stay here I'll go crazy.

CLEM
I'll stay with you.

CLEMENTINE
No you won't.

Silence.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 13

CLEMENTINE
The night you left, I came up
here. My Dad found me and sat
with me till, like, 2am. I don't
know.
(Beat)
After that, we never really spoke
about you again.

CLEM puts her hand on CLEMENTINES hand. Their fingers

intertwine slowly. It's not electric, it's just right.

CLEM rests her head on CLEMENTINES shoulder who in turn

rests her head upon hers, they pull in close.

22 22.INT. BEDROOM. NIGHT.

CLEM is stood by the window, looking out over to the

mountains, CLEMENTINE is sat on the bed, arms across her
legs.

CLEMENTINE
Are you happy in London?

CLEM
I think so.
(Beat)
You know you always said this
thing I thought was weird. But
now I think I get it.

CLEMENTINE
What?

CLEM walks slowly towards the bed.

CLEM
You said you always wore orange
'cause your name was Clementine,
and that I didn’t, because it was
mine.

CLEMENTINE
I remember.

CLEM
(Trying not to laugh)
Oh my darling, oh my darling, oh
my darling Clementine.

CLEMENTINE joins in.

(CONTINUED)
 CONTINUED: 14

BOTH
You are lost and gone forever
Dreadful sorry, Clementine.

Both giggle. CLEM leans in and kisses CLEMENTINE.

CLEMENTINE
Will you stay with me?

CLEM
Of course.

CLEM almost visibly gulps down the lump in her throat.

She kisses her again.

CUT TO:

SCENE 22: B

CLEMENTINE is asleep. CLEM lies next to her with her arm

around her, wide awake.

23 23.INT. CLEMENTINES BEDROOM. MORNING.

CLEMENTINE wakes up. Still wearing the clothes she had on

last night. She turns, expecting CLEM. She's not there.
CLEMENTINE sits up.

CLEMENTINE
Clem?

CLEMENTINE gets up out of bed.

24 24.INT. LANDING. MORNING.

She walks to the window facing the front of the house.

She sees CLEM's car is gone. She slumps down onto the
chair by the window.

CUT TO:

25 25.EXT. CAR. ROAD. MORNING.

CLEM is driving away from the house. She never looks back
into the rear view mirror, she just keeps driving.
Without taking her eyes off the road, she opens the glove
compartment and rummages inside. She pulls out a
beautiful engagement ring and slides it onto her finger.

She keeps on driving.