TODAY – COMING OF AGE FILM

Written by Harriot Bentata

EXT: ESTABLISHING SHOT - DAWN 1
We open onto an establishing shot of our locations: the roads and streets of the
upcoming adventure (these to become relevant later) at the same time we hear:

RADIO (V.O)
(PIPS) This is BBC radio 2… The solar flare has continued to wipe out all
telecommunications over the world. The sun has had a burst of high energy radiation
disrupting our internet and magnetic disturbances on earth. It is not certain when or if,
we will get our systems back – but we are urged by the government not to panic. FM
radio will continue to serve you – the people - with the news of the flare. I will now
be handing over to our correspondent Tim Henderson with the… (fades out)

MUSIC fades in
INT: FAMILY HOME – DAWN
A girl starts frantically searching through books – she is making a mess and flipping
pages, she eventually finds the one she wants – muttering the numbers out loud she
starts dialling the number of her best friend on an OLD ROTARY DIAL PHONE.
(Split screen between the two of them)

MUM #1
Hello?
PHOEBE

Hi Mrs Bradshaw! Is Jess there?

MUM #1
Hold on…

She holds the phone out whilst Jess runs down the stairs. She openly accepts the
phone with a smile on her face.

JESS 2
 Phoebe? Is that you?
PHOEBE
Jess!! (loudly) Can you believe this?!!
JESS
How did you even get our home phone number?
PHOEBE
Address book.
JESS
Well do you have the other’s numbers in there?
PHOEBE
No. It’s my parents, they have your parents. And Lola’s house phone but she
won’t pickup
JESS
This is insane. How do we get hold of her?

They both pause. On the phone whilst the music slows.

PHOEBE
See you at yours in ten?
JESS
(SHRUGS)(calmly) Okay.

They both slam the phones down in unison and the scenes cuts away. The music
swells.
EXT: STREETS/HOUSE – DAY
MONTAGE:
--Running around the streets and down long roads
--pulling each other by the hand they’re laughing and running.
They both have BAGS packed for what’s ahead. They get to a halt when they reach
LOLA’S house. They look at each
 3
other and ring the ring doorbell (shot from here of them smiling and making silly
faces.). LOLA opens the door and smiles.
LOLA
(tiredly) Oh, hi guys.
They barge through the door and start looking for her bag and keys, grabbing any
extra items on the way.

LOLA
(amused but sarcastically) oh yes come inside, that’s definitely what I said.
(she smiles as she lets the chaos ensue)

They finish packing stuff away and one of them pulls Lola out of the door and shuts it
behind them.

PHOEBE
Come on let’s get going before the day goes!!

LOLA
Oh my god Phoebs its 10 on a Saturday why are you doing this to me.
(whining)

PHOEBE
Because I’m sick of not doing anything and today feels like a great
opportunity…

EXT: COUNTRY LANE – DAY

Walking together down a country lane they are all looking more relaxed now –
hoodies tied around waists – one of them wielding a large stick (the most childish of
the group) They are having a random teenage conversation and eating Jaffa cakes.

4
(pose questions to the actors and allow them to improvise for a more natural scene –
but here is a scripted version if in doubt.)

JESS
It is a cake the clues in the name.
LOLA
No, it’s a biscuit – its literally in the biscuit aisle.
JESS
NO. IT’S A CAKE THE CLUES IN THE NAME.

PHOEBE
Lola how is it a biscuit – its biscuit sized that’s why it’s in the biscuit aisle you
idiot.
LOLA
It just is.
PHOEBE
“It. Just. Is…?”

JESS
Remind me not to hire you as my lawyer in the future.
LOLA
Its small and has chocolate on top and-
PHOEBE
If I had chocolate on my head would that make me a biscuit?
LOLA
(laughing) No but-
JESS
Case closed!! All rise.
They all laugh about – LOLA pushing JESS jokingly 5
LOLA
(Laughing) I actually hate you so much.
BEAT.
LOLA
Phoebs where are we actually going?
PHOEBE
I don’t know I was following Jess
JESS
What the hell were you following me for?!!
PHOEBE
I don’t know you just seemed like you knew where you were going.
JESS
Phoebs I don’t even live round here…
PHOEBE
(confidently) LOLA you live around here, you know where we are right?
LOLA
(Somewhat seriously) oh you- oh you think I go outside?
JESS
Oh, for God’s sake, we’ve only walked for about half an hour. How can we be
lost already?
PHOEBS
We aren’t lost. We are… exploring.
JESS
Come on let’s try and find some land marks and get back to civilisation.
LOLA
Nah come on let’s have some fun. Like Phoebs said today feels like a good
opportunity. I haven’t lived in a while.
JESS 6
Jeez that’s a bit deep Lola. True. But deep.

EXT: A LARGE FIELD – DAY

Someone slides a cassette into a Walkman and music begins playing
COMING OF AGE MUSIC BLASTING.
MONTAGE: Having a mini picnic and messing around
-- They are messing about having fun/ dancing
-- Sun bathing/ reading BOOKS/ DRAWING each other (but it’s just stick
figures – someone gets annoyed)
-- Picking flowers and putting them in each other hair
-- Eating SNACKS, laughing and filming on an OLD CAMERA
-- Pouring DRINKS and doing a “cheers!” and flicking water at each other.
-- They push HATS onto each other’s heads
-- Playfighting like siblings
-- playing a competition of slaps
BEAT.
The music quietens so we can hear their real conversations. They are sitting around
(possibly staring up at the sky looking at clouds together. Everything starts becoming
more emotional for the group. They’ve had the best time – they don’t want it to end.
LOLA
(Lola is seriously thankful – it almost upsets her but she won’t crack) I’m so
glad you made us do this Phoebs.
JESS
(Softly) Yeah me too. This was nice.
PHOEBE
I’m glad you both came… (pause) Even though I kinda forced you into it by
dragging you out of your houses but we won’t talk about that.
LOLA 7
Yeah, we won’t (lightly laughing)
They all sit in silence for a moment – enjoying each other’s company.
PHOEBE
You know… No one knows where we are right now?
JESS
So?
PHOEBE
Doesn’t it feel freeing.
 JESS
(smiling/ said slowly) We are in our own little world.
LOLA
I like the sound of that.
JESS
Me too.
PHOEBE
Same.
They all smile and look at each other. They have lived a story for today and that’s
enough for them. They know it won’t be the same but they want this moment to last
forever.
LOLA sits up properly and reaches into her bag. She pulls out a KitKat – the others
are looking at each other as she spoils the moment.
LOLA takes a large bite out of it without snapping the two fingers.

JESS
What is wrong with you?!!!
PHOEBE
Oh my god.

JESS 8
(sarcastically) What is it with you and not knowing the basics of confectionary
law.
LOLA
I’m just eating what’s wrong with you all?!
PHOEBE
We were having a moment Lola, and then you did that.
LOLA
I’m sorry!! And what the hell is confectionary law.
PHOEBE
I have to admit even I don’t know what Jess means by that. Or I do but it’s a
bit dumb.
 JESS
I think we are missing the main point here. Lola is some sort of maniac – I
wasn’t the one to ruin the moment

LOLA
I’m just living. Going out of my comfort zone.
They all start laughing again – gently chatting and playfully hitting each other (again
like siblings)

PHOEBE
Quick question though. Urrm – how are we going to get home?
JESS
Can’t you like, navigate using nature or something?
I think moss prefers to grow on the north-side of trees if that helps?
LOLA
Yeah but what way is my house you prick.
JESS
Oh, up yours (she sticks some fingers up at JESS who also laughs.
9
As they argue PHOEBE has been looking through a pair of BINOCULARS. She
quickly spots the cluster of houses where they came from and a quicker path out.
PHOEBE
Guys.
JESS AND LOLA
Yeah?
PHOEBE
(Annoyed) (pointing out the path with her hand) We went ALL the way
around here when there is literally a path over there right from Lola’s road.
JESS
(gently annoyed) wow.
LOLA
We are actually idiots.
 (Pauses and breaths) well I guess we can go home now.

They all seem disappointed but want to hide it from each other.
JESS
(Trying to hide the disappointment) I guess so.
They stand again in silence for a while – looking out at the view before them.
Knowing that if they go home they go back to normal life. School, work, boredom – a
normal life.
LOLA
What If I don’t want to.
PHOEBE
huh?
LOLA
What if I don’t want to go back. Why can’t we just stay like this forever… Or
at least for now?

JESS 10
I don’t want to go back either. Not yet at least.
PHOEBE
Me too. But no one knows where we are. They’ll have the police out here
looking.
LOLA
(blankly) Then let them look.
They all think for a minute – letting the idea sink in. Lost in their own thoughts.

JESS
(seriously) Where would we live? How would we eat?

LOLA
Freely and unhealthily. (she goes from serious to laughing as a smile grows
wider on her face.)
Their smiles all start growing – the idea of freedom setting in. None of them bothering
to consider how they would actually live in the wild. They can’t believe she actually
just said that.

They drop their BAGS and PHOEBE begins to run, they all look at her then take her
same direction. They run around the field proudly – living for today. Energy enthused
– They can’t believe the decision they have just made.

THE END.

POST CREDITS SCENE IDEA

EXT: WOODS – DAY
They are all sat in boredom in the woods next to the field, looking at the floor and
playing with sticks. Hungry – they’ve only been out a day. They are in silence but
then –
LOLA 11
I think I’ve had enough of this freedom thing
JESS
Yeah Me too
PHOEBE
Let’s go
They all pick up their bags immediately and start walking – the film cuts here.