Writings · Short film
Breast
Stroke.
Two years after her father vanished into the sea, shy fifteen-year-old Sam won’t let go of the side of the pool. Over one Brighton weekend, a new friend from the pier and a grandmother once known as Dolly the Dolphin pull her back into deep water.
Form
Short film screenplay
Setting
Brighton: the pool, the pier, the seafront
Characters
Sam (15), Robbie (17), Barbara (45), Evelyn (78), Peter (50)
Written by
Julie Everton
BREAST STROKE
Written by
julie@julieeverton.com
Synopsis
Sam is fifteen and hides her changing body under a T-shirt at the local pool. Her mother Barbara swims glamorous widths beside her new boyfriend Peter, and her gran Evelyn, who once swam for the papers as Dolly the Dolphin, is slipping into confusion. When Sam collides with Robbie underwater, something opens up.
Over a weekend of penny falls on the pier, sharks at the aquarium, Sunday cod in butter sauce and a grandmother gone missing on the seafront, Sam has to decide whether to stay at the edge or swim. A short film about grief, first feelings and the families we keep afloat.
From the script
The opening scene.
1.
INT. SWIMMING POOL – DAY
The poolside entrance from the Ladies changing room. SAM, a shy fifteen-year-old, clutches her float to her chest. She wears a T-shirt over her swimming costume to conceal her adolescent shape. At the same time, from the Men’s changing room, ROBBIE steps through the verruca pool. As Sam hovers on the edge, Robbie gets in and begins underwater breaststroke. Sam’s friend SUZANNE, all fluorescent mini bikini, pushes her in the water, jumping in after her.
From Sam’s point of view the pool looms up. As Sam goes under, the title sequence comes up.
BREAST STROKE
Sam breaks the surface of the water, spluttering and coughing as she gasps for air.
In the pool is BARBARA (45), glorious in full makeup and a flowered cap, floral costume with padded bra inserts, and Barbara’s boyfriend PETER (50), who sports a curly hair Tom Jones swimming hat. Peter strides back and forth along the width of the shallow end, as if going for a jog in the water.
BARBARA
Breathe!
She beckons to Sam.
BARBARA (CONT’D)
Head up. Arms out and wide. Come on. Twenty widths! You know you can do it.
She swims off, with beautiful, ladylike breaststroke, smiling a gritted, lipstick smile. MR. FOWLER (50), the lifeguard, his whistle at the ready, watches Barbara as she swims.
Extract ends
The full script
Read the whole screenplay.
The complete script of Breast Stroke is available to producers, directors and festival programmers on request.
or write to julie@julieeverton.com