An Education (14 page)
Authors: Nick Hornby
MARJORIE
and
JACK
look at each other.
DAVID
swings the car round and they drive home in silence.
88and
JACK
look at each other.
DAVID
swings the car round and they drive home in silence.
EXTERIOR: JENNY’S HOUSE - NIGHT
The Bristol draws up outside
JENNY’S
house. Everyone gets out of the car.
JACK
starts to walk towards the house and then stops.
JENNY’S
house. Everyone gets out of the car.
JACK
starts to walk towards the house and then stops.
JACK
(
desperately
)
desperately
)
You can take care of this, can’t you, David?
JENNY
Go inside, Dad.
JENNY
and
DAVID
watch
JACK
and
MARJORIE
go into the house.The moment the door is closed,
JENNY
turns towards
DAVID.
She’s holding a bunch of letters that she took out of the glove compartment. She starts to go through them, one by one.
and
DAVID
watch
JACK
and
MARJORIE
go into the house.The moment the door is closed,
JENNY
turns towards
DAVID.
She’s holding a bunch of letters that she took out of the glove compartment. She starts to go through them, one by one.
Mr and Mrs David Goldman, Mr and Mrs David Goldman, Mr and Mrs David Goldman . . . (
thrusting an envelope angrily at him
) You’re MARRIED!
thrusting an envelope angrily at him
) You’re MARRIED!
DAVID
Legally, yes, but . . .
JENNY
is distraught and tearful.
is distraught and tearful.
JENNY
When were you going to tell me?
DAVID
Soon. It just never seemed like the right time. You seemed so happy, and I was happy . . .
JENNY
You were living with your wife all this time
. . . round the corner. Byron Avenue! It’s no wonder we kept bumping into each other, then, is it? What number?
DAVID
Thirty-four.
JENNY
picks out one of the envelopes and looks at it, as if to check he’s not lying again.
picks out one of the envelopes and looks at it, as if to check he’s not lying again.
Don’t be like this. Come on.
JENNY
I have nothing. I didn’t take my exams. I - I left school. Where’s it all gone, now?
DAVID
I can get a divorce. Everything will turn out for the best.
We can see
JACK
and
MARJORIE
peering through the lace curtains anxiously.
JACK
and
MARJORIE
peering through the lace curtains anxiously.
JENNY
Go and tell them. Go and tell them, then go and tell your wife.
DAVID
stands on the pavement, looking towards the house.
stands on the pavement, looking towards the house.
DAVID
They won’t listen now. I’ll come round tomorrow. When everyone’s feeling a bit calmer.
JENNY
(
suddenly desperate
)
suddenly desperate
)
Please don’t make me . . . Please don’t make me tell them on my own.You owe me that much.You owe them that much.
DAVID
(
sadly
)
sadly
)
I owe them much more than that.
He opens the boot. It’s full of cases of whisky.
JENNY
doesn’t even bother asking what they are doing there.
DAVID
takes one of the bottles.
JENNY
doesn’t even bother asking what they are doing there.
DAVID
takes one of the bottles.
JENNY
Two minutes. And then I’ll come out and drag you in.
JENNY
marches into the house and slams the door.The camera stays on
DAVID.
He gets back into the car, opens the bottle and takes a slug of whisky.Then his shoulders begin to shake, and he starts to cry.
marches into the house and slams the door.The camera stays on
DAVID.
He gets back into the car, opens the bottle and takes a slug of whisky.Then his shoulders begin to shake, and he starts to cry.
INTERIOR: JENNY’S HOUSE - NIGHT
JENNY s
tands in the hall, waiting, tears in her eyes. She walks into the sitting room. Her parents are sitting on the sofa looking at her anxiously.They haven’t put the lights on yet.
tands in the hall, waiting, tears in her eyes. She walks into the sitting room. Her parents are sitting on the sofa looking at her anxiously.They haven’t put the lights on yet.
JACK
What’s going on?
JENNY
He’s helping himself to some Dutch courage before facing you. Stolen Dutch courage, from the look of it. He has something to tell you.
She sits down, pale and young-looking again, opposite her parents. Suddenly they are all three lit up by headlights. Shot from their point-of-view of the Bristol roaring off up the street.
JACK
He just drove off.
We close slowly in on
JENNY’S
face. But of course he’d drive off!
JENNY’S
face. But of course he’d drive off!
(
pathetic
)
pathetic
)
Can you tell us? Jenny, please?
JENNY
can’t deal with her own pain, let alone his. He already looks like a broken, foolish old man.They should hug. But they don’t.
90can’t deal with her own pain, let alone his. He already looks like a broken, foolish old man.They should hug. But they don’t.
INTERIOR: DANNY’S FLAT - DAY
JENNY
is sitting on the sofa in
DANNY’S
flat.
DANNY
is in his dressing gown; there are newspapers strewn around.
HELEN
is sitting next to her, holding her hand.
is sitting on the sofa in
DANNY’S
flat.
DANNY
is in his dressing gown; there are newspapers strewn around.
HELEN
is sitting next to her, holding her hand.
HELEN
I wouldn’t worry about it too much. When I found out that . . .
DANNY
Not now, Helen.
HELEN
shrugs and goes to get a drink.
shrugs and goes to get a drink.
I tried to tell him. I’m not speaking to him now, if that’s any consolation.
JENNY
(
bitterly
)
bitterly
)
It’s a funny world you people live in.You both watched me . . .
carrying on
with a married man, but you didn’t think it was worth saying anything about it.
carrying on
with a married man, but you didn’t think it was worth saying anything about it.
DANNY
Yes, well, if you want that conversation . . . You watched David and I help ourselves to a map, and you didn’t say much, either.
He holds
JENNY’S
gaze,
HELEN
joins him.
JENNY
looks down.
91JENNY’S
gaze,
HELEN
joins him.
JENNY
looks down.
EXTERIOR: STREET/DAVID’S HOUSE - DAY
A suburban street, full of semi-detached houses, not far from
JENNY’S
house.
JENNY
walks down the road tentatively - she’s looking at the numbers on the houses. She looks young again - tired, no make-up, no elegant clothes. She can’t bring herself to wear anything that
DAVID
bought her.
JENNY’S
house.
JENNY
walks down the road tentatively - she’s looking at the numbers on the houses. She looks young again - tired, no make-up, no elegant clothes. She can’t bring herself to wear anything that
DAVID
bought her.
She hesitates at the gate to the house, steels herself to walk up the path. But just at that moment the door opens; there’s a homely-looking woman, early thirties
(SARAH).
She is holding the hand of a four-year-old.
JENNY
is stunned.The woman holds the boy’s hand as they walk away from the house, then she stops in her tracks.
(SARAH).
She is holding the hand of a four-year-old.
JENNY
is stunned.The woman holds the boy’s hand as they walk away from the house, then she stops in her tracks.
SARAH
Oh. Hello.
JENNY
(
almost inaudible
)
almost inaudible
)
Hello. Sorry. I think I must have the wrong number.
The woman stares at her.
I was looking for my . . . cello lesson. I wanted . . .
She dries up and looks at the woman helplessly.
SARAH
Oh, no. Don’t tell me. Good God.You’re a
child
.
child
.
JENNY
blushes. Beat.
blushes. Beat.
You didn’t know about any of this. Presumably?
JENNY
shakes her head.
shakes her head.
No. They never do.You’re not in the family way, are you? Because that’s happened before.
JENNY
shakes her head.
shakes her head.
Thank God for that.
JENNY
turns and walks away from the house.
turns and walks away from the house.
(
calling after her
)
calling after her
)
No, no.You stay here.
But
JENNY
heads off down the street.
92JENNY
heads off down the street.
INTERIOR: JENNY’S HOUSE - DAY
MARJORIE
and
JACK
are in the kitchen.
MARJORIE
is smoking. Normal life has clearly been suspended during this crisis.
JENNY
comes in the front door and they both rush to the hallway.
and
JACK
are in the kitchen.
MARJORIE
is smoking. Normal life has clearly been suspended during this crisis.
JENNY
comes in the front door and they both rush to the hallway.
MARJORIE
Did you see her?
JENNY
Yes, I saw her. I didn’t talk to her. There wasn’t any need.
JACK
We have to have this out. Well, if you won’t do it, I will. I’m still your father.
He grabs his coat.
JENNY
You’re my father again, are you? What were you when you encouraged me to throw my life away? Silly schoolgirls are always getting seduced by glamorous older men. But what about you two?
JENNY,
exasperated, disappears upstairs, leaving
JACK
and
MARJORIE
not knowing what to say.
exasperated, disappears upstairs, leaving
JACK
and
MARJORIE
not knowing what to say.
JACK
storms into the sitting room and slams the door, leaving
MARJORIE
alone in the hall.
93storms into the sitting room and slams the door, leaving
MARJORIE
alone in the hall.
INTERIOR: UPPER HALLWAY - NIG HT
JACK
stands outside
JENNY’S
bedroom door with a cup of tea. He knocks tentatively.
94stands outside
JENNY’S
bedroom door with a cup of tea. He knocks tentatively.
INTERIOR: JENNY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Close-up of the floaty print dress that
HELEN
gave her. The dress is suddenly jerked out of shot, and we pull back to reveal a weeping
JENNY
stuffing it into an already full box of things she is throwing out.The contents represent her now-despised,
DAVID
-created adult self.We can see Juliette Greco albums, photos, expensive-looking jewellery boxes. She continues to stuff things into the box.There’s a knock on the door.
HELEN
gave her. The dress is suddenly jerked out of shot, and we pull back to reveal a weeping
JENNY
stuffing it into an already full box of things she is throwing out.The contents represent her now-despised,
DAVID
-created adult self.We can see Juliette Greco albums, photos, expensive-looking jewellery boxes. She continues to stuff things into the box.There’s a knock on the door.
JACK (
out of sight
)
out of sight
)
Jenny.
She continues to put her
DAVID
-life away into bags. She ignores him.
95DAVID
-life away into bags. She ignores him.
INTERIOR: UPPER HALLWAY - NIGHT
JACK
is almost in tears.
is almost in tears.
JACK
Jenny. I’m sorry.
No answer.
I know I’ve made a mess of everything.
He waits for an answer - nothing.
All my life I’ve been scared, and I didn’t want you to be scared. That’s why I wanted you to go to Oxford. And then along came David, and he knew famous writers, he knew how to get to classical music concerts. But he wasn’t who he said he was. He wasn’t who you said he was, either.
INTERIOR: JENNY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
JENNY
is sitting on the bed, a tear rolls down her cheek and she closes her eyes.
97is sitting on the bed, a tear rolls down her cheek and she closes her eyes.
INTERIOR: UPPER HALLWAY - NIG HT
JACK
The other day, your mother and I were listening to a programme about C. S. Lewis on the radio, and they said he’d moved to Cambridge in 1954. I said, Well, they’ve got that wrong. Our Jenny wouldn’t have his name in her book . . . if he’d moved to Cambridge.
INTERIOR: JENNY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
JENNY’S
face crumples. She knows he’s right.
99face crumples. She knows he’s right.
INTERIOR: UPPER HALLWAY - NIGHT
JACK
There’s a cup of tea and some biscuits out here.
He puts them down on the floor outside her door.
100INTERIOR: JENNY’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
JENNY
puts her head in her hands and sobs.
101puts her head in her hands and sobs.
INTERIOR: HEADMISTRESS’S OFFICE - DAY
JENNY
has dressed soberly in clothes not unlike a school uniform for this meeting: it completes a circle. She’s back where she started from, or would like to be, anyway. If she seems older than she did when we first met her, it’s because things have happened to her, and they’ve left a mark on her face. She’s worried and tired.The
HEADMISTRESS,
meanwhile, is delighted by her return - but only because of the opportunities for smugness and schadenfreude it provides.
has dressed soberly in clothes not unlike a school uniform for this meeting: it completes a circle. She’s back where she started from, or would like to be, anyway. If she seems older than she did when we first met her, it’s because things have happened to her, and they’ve left a mark on her face. She’s worried and tired.The
HEADMISTRESS,
meanwhile, is delighted by her return - but only because of the opportunities for smugness and schadenfreude it provides.
HEADMISTRESS
How do you think we can help?
JENNY
I want to repeat my last year at school and take my exams.
HEADMISTRESS
I got the impression the last time we spoke that you didn’t see the point of school. Or of me, or of any of us here.
JENNY
I know. I was stupid . . . The life I want - there’s no shortcut. I know now that I need to go to university.
HEADMISTRESS
It gives me absolutely no pleasure whatsoever to see our schoolgirls throw their lives away. Although, of course, you are not one of our schoolgirls any more. Through your own volition.
JENNY
I suppose you think I’m a ruined woman.
HEADMISTRESS
You’re not a woman.
Beat.The
HEADMISTRESS
is pleased with her line.
HEADMISTRESS
is pleased with her line.
No, I’m afraid I think that the offer of a place at this school would be wasted on you.
INTERIOR: BUS - DUSK
JENNY
looking dejected.The bell goes and she suddenly gets up and heads off the bus.
103looking dejected.The bell goes and she suddenly gets up and heads off the bus.
INTERIOR: MISS STUBBS’S FLAT - DUSK.
It’s a proper Bohemian flat.There are books and papers and pictures covering every available surface.
JENNY
looks around. Finally, for the first time, we see her in somewhere she can feel at home.
JENNY
looks around. Finally, for the first time, we see her in somewhere she can feel at home.
MISS STUBBS
Come in. I didn’t expect to see you again.
JENNY
looks around.
looks around.
JENNY
This is lovely.
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