Stealing Moses: First Scenes of Screenplay - presented to BAFTA TV April, 2012
INT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. JOSH’S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING
A PAIR OF BATTERED LADIES’ SHOES.
The owner is unconscious and someone is pulling her along the hall.
The woman is BRITNEY (30) - she’ll tell you she’s 24.
Her 14 year old son, JOSH is the proof of that lie.
Britney is a party girl and at the moment, she’s the aftermath. Josh has done this a dozen times before.
INT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. BRITNEY’S BEDROOM - EARLY MORNING
BRITNEY is snoring on her back.
JOSH is undressing her to her bra and pants. The situation doesn’t phase him.
He places the money, probably given by customers on the bedside table.
He places a cover over his mother and then studies her.
He KISSES her on the forehead. This is LOVE.
INT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. KITCHEN - MORNING
JOSH, the ‘little man of the house’ is making a cup of tea. He sits at a breakfast table which is a little too big for him.
He sips his tea. He’s used to making his own breakfast.
EXT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. DOORWAY - MORNING
A communal corridor that all the front doors share.
As JOSH is leaving for school, OPRAH, black(35), Josh’s next door neighbour is leaving her flat with MOSES, black (10), her son. She is holding him with a more than normal grip. She doesn’t want him to escape.
OPRAH pulls MOSES to face forward. MOSES keeps looking back at JOSH, then he smiles, a smile that would break even the hardest of hearts.
OPRAH turns to see what MOSES is looking at. When she sees it’s JOSH , she rushes away pulling MOSES even faster.
She doesn’t want her son to mix with this boy.
INT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. HALLWAY - NIGHT
A reborn BRITNEY is touching up her makeup using the hall mirror. She is blinged up for another night out.
She’s not a prostitute but if her gentlemen friends want to leave a little something next to the bed, then who is she to argue.
INT. JOSH’S BEDROOM - NIGHT
Josh is lying in his room with a computer screen he’s drawn on a piece of paper. He’s making the noises as if he’s playing a game on the fake computer.
BRITNEY (O.S.)
Remember....don’t answer...
JOSH
Answer the door to no one.
I won’t.
BRITNEY (O.S.)
No staying up late.
The CLOCK in the bedroom says 10.30pm.
JOSH
I won’t.
BRITNEY (O.S.)
Love you. Kiss, kiss.
JOSH
Love you too.
From the hallway the DOOR SLAMS. JOSH continues to play his game.
There is a DISTANT MOANING and CRYING from through the wall.
JOSH puts his ear to the wall.
He can hear MOSES crying.
EXT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. DOORWAY - AFTERNOON
JOSH is dragging his feet returning home. As he passes Oprah’s house, MOSES is at the window. MOSES smiles at JOSH.
Then MOSES disappears as if he’s been yanked away from the window.
OPRAH appears at the window. She waves to JOSH to get away from her window.
OPRAH
Shoo! Shoo!
She stares at him until he leaves.
INT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. JOSH’S BEDROOM - AFTERNOON
The bedroom is full of Josh’s imagination and very little else.
JOSH is drawing the face of MOSES. This boy IS an artist.
SCREAMING FROM THE BEDROOM NEXT DOOR.
It sounds as if someone is being murdered.
JOSH, who’s heard it all, even he is alarmed.
EXT. OPRAH’S FLAT. DOORWAY - AFTERNOON
JOSH stands at the door and even out here, the screaming is LOUD.
JOSH knocks on the door, then BANGS, then THUMPS. There is no response but the screaming is gaining in intensity.
JOSH sees a top window is open. He climbs onto the window sill and reaches inside to open the larger window.
INT. OPRAH’S FLAT. LOUNGE - AFTERNOON
JOSH climbs in the window and immediately notices how much more like a home this room is.
The screaming brings him back to the present.
JOSH rushes through the flat (which is the exact opposite of his) he finds the room without problem.
JOSH tries to open the door of Moses’ bedroom but it’s locked.
He takes a run at it with his shoulder but JOSH comes off the worst.
The screaming from inside, continues and gets more severe.
JOSH
Hold on, I’m coming.
JOSH is just about to take a huge run at the goddamn door when he sees the key in the lock.
INT. OPRAH’S FLAT. MOSES’ BEDROOM - AFTERNOON
What ever JOSH was expecting to find it wasn’t this.
MOSES is lying on the floor screaming and in the midst of a mental meltdown.
The room is covered with religious paraphernalia. Posters, symbols, bibles.
JOSH kneels down on the floor and comforts the younger boy. The screaming changes to sobbing.
The sobbing moves to whimpering.
MOSES is calming down, at last.
JOSH looks around the room and spots the only non-religious item on the walls.
A POSTCARD OF HASTINGS.
Trying not disturb MOSES, JOSH leans over and takes the postcard from the wall.
Josh turns the card over and on it is written:
“We’ll go here one day, promise”
JOSH
Your Dad’s gone?
MOSES rubs his runny nose and eyes, then nods.
JOSH (CONT’D)
Would you go, if I took you - to Hastings. I know I’m not your dad.
MOSES gives the biggest smile in the history of smiles.
MOSES gives JOSH a hug.
EXT. BLOCK OF FLATS. YARD - DAY
JOSH sits in the yard watching the doors of the flats. This morning, it’s a Saturday and things are more relaxed.
OPRAH leave her home alone after locking the front door.
JOSH hides behind a wall until she’s disappeared towards the bus stop.
INT. BRITNEY’S FLAT. BRITNEY’S BEDROOM - DAY
Britney lies snoring.
JOSH has a look on his face that says he’s fighting his conscience.
He makes a decision by displaying a ‘whatever’ expression.
JOSH takes the money from his mother’s bedside table and pockets it.
Thinks about it and counts out a few notes and puts some of the money back on the table.
JOSH shrugs - he’s just being fair as far as he can see.
INT. OPRAH’S FLAT. LOUNGE - DAY
JOSH coming through the window of Oprah’s place in his usual house-breaking fashion.
INT. OPRAH’S FLAT. KITCHEN - DAY
JOSH is stuffing food from Oprah’s kitchen into a small rucksack. He eats a couple of the nicer things.
EXT. OPRAH’S FLAT. DOORWAY - DAY
JOSH looks out of the door to make sure the coast is clear.
JOSH and MOSES make a run for it.
MOSES has all the wrong gear on - you get that feeling that JOSH has had a hand in the fashion advice.
EXT. BUS STATION - DAY
At the bus station, JOSH and MOSES escape aboard the bus for HASTINGS.
INT. BUS - DAY
MOSES’ mouth is covered in all the crap he’s been fed by JOSH. Moses is probably having a sugar rush.
The two of them are HAPPY.
MOSES points to everything out of the window.
JOSH is pleased with himself.
EXT. HASTINGS. SEAFRONT - DAY
JOSH buys MOSES a ‘KISS ME QUICK’ hat (assuming they still have them).
JOSH hands MOSES a T-shirt he’s just bought for him, but MOSES won’t change in public.
JOSH
(indicating behind a hut)
Go over there.
JOSH stands to the side of the hut as MOSES hands out his old shirt.
MOSES comes out pleased as punch with an ‘I’m With Stupid’ type shirt.
MOSES looks down at his shirt as his face grows from concern into the biggest of grins.
JOSH (CONT’D)
You like it, then?
MOSES nods his head, enthusiastically. JOSH ruffles MOSES’ hair.
INT. HASTINGS. CHIP SHOP - DAY
Looking through the counter glass MOSES’ face appears and disappears.
MOSES is bobbing up and down to see the battered fish and hamburgers on the hot plates.
Eventually JOSH takes pity and lifts MOSES up who points to the biggest fish in the oven. Followed by a grin.
EXT. HASTINGS. BEACH - DAY
JOSH and MOSES are sitting on the stony beach next to the fishing boats devouring their food.
The seagulls have smelled the fish and chips and are gathering like Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds’.
JOSH
Maybe we’d better move. Quick.
EXT. HASTING. CAR PARK - DAY
As they run along the car park the seagulls are going mental - the Hasting’s Angry Birds always do this.
JOSH
Throw a chip.
MOSES throws a few chips on the car park and this distracts the seagulls for a short time.
MOSES and JOSH keep throwing part of their fish and chips ‘overboard’ to get rid of the birds.
Eventually they dump their food and save themselves.
INT. OPRAH’S FLAT. HALLWAY - DAY
OPRAH enters her flat and her hall and immediately senses something is wrong.
Moses’ door is lying open.
INT. OPRAH’S FLAT. MOSES’ BEDROOM - DAY
OPRAH rushes into the room and SCREAMS in fear and anger.
There is a gap where the POSTCARD of HASTINGS was stuck on the wall.
It takes a moment, then it hits her.
EXT. OPRAH’S FLAT. DOORWAY
OPRAH dashes out of her flat and starts BANGING on Josh’s door.
There is NO ANSWER
Oprah slides down the door and starts SOBBING.
EXT. HASTINGS. STREET - DAY
MOSES and JOSH come flying around the corner. JOSH stops and leans against a wall to catch his breath.
He puts out a hand to stop MOSES. They both lean against the wall and MOSES looks up to JOSH as if he’s starting to see him as the big brother he’s never had.
MOSES is starting to thaw out and holds JOSH’s hand.
EXT. OPRAH’S FLAT - STREET
A CAR pulls up with THREE MEN AND TWO WOMEN.
The CAR HORN is SOUNDED.
Oprah looks over the bannister.
She runs down several flights of stairs then jumps in the car.
INT. HASTINGS. CAFE - DAY
Josh and Moses are licking ice cream and sitting looking out the window like the big kids they are.
They are HAPPY!
EXT. MOTORWAY - DAY
The Oprah Posse Mobile is heading to Hastings. OPRAH is reading the Bible.
MAN
God will look after your boy. Be not afraid.
EXT. HASTINGS. FAIRGROUND - EVENING
It’s a SMALL family run fairground.
Whatever this ride JOSH and MOSES are on, it obviously suits someone of MOSES’ age rather than JOSH’s.
MOSES has transformed into a happy little boy, his smile is lighting the sky.
EXT. HASTINGS. STREET - EVENING
Oprah and her friends have arrived in HASTINGS.
EXT. HASTINGS. FAIRGROUND. BIG WHEEL - EVENING
While MOSES and JOSH are spying on the world from the wheel - Josh spots OPRAH WITH A POSSE OF THREE MEN AND TWO WOMEN.
OPRAH has come for her boy and nothing is going to stop her.
The big wheel can’t drop fast enough for JOSH. As it reaches the bottom, he’s hanging from the side.
JOSH gets impatient and makes himself and MOSES jump from the Big Wheel Cabin before it reaches the drop off point.
MOSES thinks this is some sort of game.
JOSH makes MOSES run through and out of the back of the fairground. So they’re heading the opposite way from Oprah.
EXT. BUSH - DUSK
MOSES and JOSH are hiding behind a bush. Josh has a look.
JOSH
I think we’ve lost them.
MOSES
Who?
JOSH can see that MOSES is in some discomfort.
JOSH
What wrong with you?
MOSES
I need to pee.
JOSH
What about over there?
MOSES SHAKES his head. He’s having none of it.
MOSES
I need to pe-e-e-e.
JOSH
So you said.
MOSES
I don’t like going out side. God can see you.
JOSH and MOSES run off.
INT. PUBLIC TOILETS - NIGHT
JOSH is standing in front of a cubicle, guarding his new wee brother.
JOSH
You wont even pee in here?
MOSES (O.C.)
No. I told you.
A VERY SUSPICIOUS LOOKING MAN enters the toilet. He goes over to the urinal but keeps looking back at JOSH.
JOSH
(To MAN)
What? I am not a bum boy, if that’s what you’re thinking.
MOSES thinks he’s being talked to.
MOSES (O.C.)
What’s a bum boy, Josh?
The MAN looks forward and pees.
JOSH
I wasn’t talking to you, I was talking to this pervert out here.
MOSES (O.C.)
God will punish him, Josh.
JOSH
More like the Old Bill. Don’t worry, he’s not a real pervert, just some sad old bloke.
The MAN hurries out the toilet.
A NEWSPAPER CUTTING is slid under the door by MOSES.
JOSH looks down.
JOSH (CONT’D)
Is that what you wiped your ass with?
MOSES (O.C.)
It’s about my dad.
JOSH picks up the newspaper cutting and starts to read.
JOSH
Blimey! Who’s Jesus of Bromley?
MOSES (O.C.)
That’s him, my dad.
JOSH
It says here he ran off with one of his church members. She was only 17. Blimey! And now he preaches in Bromley High Street seeking forgiveness from the Lord. Hasn’t you mother gone round and belted him one?
MOSES (O.C.)
She says he is the devil.
JOSH
A bloomin’ lucky devil, more like.
MOSES (O.C.)
I miss him, Josh. I miss my dad so much.
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