Our first task that we were given was to read 'The Open Window', which was a short story we were given written by Munro (Saki), and to recreate the story into our own screenplay. We were required to research other screenplays in order to maintain the initial structure.
EXT. FRAMPTON’S CAR ON SAPPLETON’S PROPERTY - DAY
FRAMPTON NUTTEL drives onto the property of MRS SAPPLETON. As he drives in he looks up anxiously, through the car window, and sees the niece peering down at the car through a curtain on the top floor.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
The NIECE opens the front door and welcomes Frampton into the house and encourages him to sit down when entering the dining room. He notices his surroundings by looking around. There is a great fireplace that has not been lit, from the looks of it, for a while. The great oak table surrounded by matching oak chairs seemed to be perfectly laid out. He hardly notices the open window. The niece announces:
NIECE
My aunt will be down presently, Mr Nuttel.
When he sits down she asks him a set of questions while she is standing over him. Frampton replies awkwardly to all of the questions that he is being asked as he feels quite intimidated by the way she has to look down on him.
NIECE
Do you know many people around here?
FRAMPTON
Hardly a soul. My sister gave me a letter of instructions to some of the people here.
NIECE
(Curiously wondering why she is asking him these irrelevant questions)
So then you know practically nothing about my aunt?
FRAMPTON
Only her name and address.
NIECE
(sadly)
Her great tragedy happened just three years ago.
FRAMPTON
Her tragedy?
NIECE
You may wonder why we keep that window wide open on an October afternoon.
(Niece points to the large French window that opens to the lawn)
INT. DINING ROOM – DAY (ALSO DINING ROOM – NIGHT)
The French window is wide open and looks out over the lawn.
FRAMPTON
(Confused)
It is quite warm for this time of year but has the window got anything to do with the tragedy?
The niece smiles sadly before starting her story. She seems to be comforting Frampton as if he is the one that had experienced the tragedy. He looks up at her waiting for her to inform him of the incident.
NIECE
(Slow and dramatic)
Out through that window, three years ago to a day, her husband and her two young brothers went of to their day’s shooting...
Throughout the time that the story is being told there is a flashback from a dark, windy night. Mrs Sappleton walks slowly towards the doors in her night gown with tears leaking down her face. She stands at the window... The light wind is causing the curtains to blow inwards into the house. She stares out into the night sky, with no emotion shown on her face… just hope.
NIECE
(Continues)
They never came back. Their bodies were never recovered; that was the dreadful part of it. Poor aunt thinks that they will come back some day, they and the little brown spaniel that was lost with them, and walk in at that window just as they used to shouting ‘Bertie, why do you bound?’.
(The story is interrupted by the niece’s sobs she has her face in her hands and is looking down to the floor)
The flashback finishes with just a view of the open window. Frampton sits up halfway as if he considers whether or not to comfort her.
NIECE
No, I’m fine…
(She straightens up and continues her story)
That is why the window is kept open every evening till it is quite dusk...
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
The niece’s facial expression changes to a glare and her piercing eyes slice straight through Frampton.
NIECE
(Continues menacingly)
Do you know, sometimes on still, quiet evenings like this, I almost get a creepy feeling that they will walk in through that window –
(The speech was interrupted)
Mrs Sappleton bustles into the room and her apologies break the eerie atmosphere. The niece’s head snaps around in a second of surprise. Mrs Sappleton repeatedly apologises for her late appearance.
MRS SAPPLETON
(Apologetically)
Please forgive me, I have been quite busy recently and I was not expecting any visitors!
Frampton stands up to greet her fully aware of the niece’s presence behind him. He smiles at Mrs Sappleton in a way to say that she has nothing to apologise for.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
All three of them are standing up facing each other, standing on either side of the window. Frampton feels as if the window is dividing them into two groups as the aunt is not aware of his knowledge of the window. He feels out of place and as if he is intruding in her personal business and therefore he stands awkwardly, not knowing what to do with his hands.Eventually he put his hands in his pocket.
Frampton faces the window, with the niece still behind him and Mrs Sappleton faced them but constantly had the corner of her eye towards the window.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
Frampton feels extremely awkward as the aunt starts to talk about her family and the open window as if nothing had ever happened.
MRS SAPPLETON
(Happily)
I hope you don’t mind the open window, my husband and brothers will be home directly from shooting, and they always come in this way. They’ve been out for a snipe today, so they’ll make a fine mess on my poor carpets.
Frampton feels uncomfortable and looks around to avoid catching Mrs Sappleton’s eyes. He feels the niece shuffling behind him which makes him feel even more uncomfortable; as if he knows too much. She has a slight smirk on her face, which can be seen behind Frampton’s shoulder, when the aunt mentions the family.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
Frampton makes a desperate attempt to change the subject and he starts to talk about himself and his conditions in order to ease the tension. Mrs Sappleton is looking out of the window and out into the distance as if she is in a daydream. Frampton doesn’t notice the lack of attention from his host and carries on speaking. The niece is out of view.
FRAMPTON
The doctors agree in ordering me complete rest, an absence of mental excitement… Oh and the avoidance of anything in the nature of violent physical exercise…
(He trails of his sentence as he realises that not even a fragment of the aunt’s attention is on him and their conversation)
Mrs Sappleton’s eyes were out in the distance waiting for the return of her ‘long lost’ family. Frampton doesn’t say a word as he does not want to interfere in her thoughts. He sits there uncomfortably waiting for the aunt to speak. As she does not say a word he looks around for the niece in order to help him in his situation. Mrs Sappleton suddenly shakes her head as if to snap out of a trance and looks up at Frampton in surprise.
MRS SAPPLETON
(Apologetic)
I’m so sorry! I was listening to you but my mind seems to be elsewhere today.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
At this point the aunt is not looking towards the window but towards Frampton who is facing the window.
FRAMPTON
It’s fine… really…
(Trails off as he looks past the aunt and into the distance outside the window)
The aunt goes out of focus and he concentrates on something moving in the background. He sees three tall figures and the shape of a dog. He starts to panic and does not believe what he’s seeing until they start to get closer and closer.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
His eyes show extreme fear as he looks around for the niece. His eyes are wide open with shock and beads of sweat start to stream down his forehead.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
He looks over to the niece to see her reaction in hope for reassurance. When he looks at her she is staring at the same three figures as he is with her eyes wide open with fear and, what seems to be, in a state of shock. Mrs Sappleton seems to notice what they are looking at and turns around. Her voice can be heard in the background…
MRS SAPPLETON
(happily)
Here they are at last! Just in time for tea and don’t they look as if they were muddy up to the eyes!
Mrs Sappleton stands by the window looking out at the family happily. Frampton hears an echo in his head repeating and getting louder by every step closer the three figures took.
FIGURES
(Echoes)
Bertie, why do you bound. Bertie, why do you bound! BERTIE, WHY DO YOU BOUND!
Frampton stands frozen with the echoes of the voices pounding his brain.
EXT. SAPPLETON’S LAWN - DAY
Frampton turns to run out of the house through the window. He runs towards the camera and the niece and the aunt are in the background, looking at him, confused at his reaction to seeing the other members of the family. Frampton runs as fast as he possibly can in the opposite direction to the three figures still in shock horror.
EXT. SAPPLETON’S PATH & THE ROAD - DAY
He runs down the path as fast as he can to get as far away from the creepy house as soon as he possibly can. In his drastic attempt he stumbles a few times and even falls to the ground at one point after colliding with an unknown cyclist. He looks behind him in case he is being followed by the ‘ghostly’ figures and rushes to get up in order to carry on running. He runs out into the distance without stopping to look behind him even once.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
The aunt is looking out into the distance in the direction of where Frampton ran with her arms open with confusion. The husband and brothers look over their shoulders in the direction of which Frampton ran also looking confused.
HUSBAND
Here we are, my dear…
(Curiously)
Who was that man that bolted out as we came?
They all walk back into the house as Mrs Sappleton turns to answer the question that she had just been asked.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
The aunt stands to answer the question with the niece behind her out of view. She replies to her husband while walking out of view of the camera.
MRS SAPPLETON
An extraordinary man, a Mr Nuttel. Could only talk about his illnesses and dashed off without a word of goodbye when you arrived. One would have thought he had seen a ghost.
INT. DINING ROOM - DAY
NIECE
(Still smirking devilishly)
I expect it was the spaniel. He told me he had a horror of dogs. He once went to a cemetery somewhere in the banks of the Ganges where a pack of pariah dogs attacked him. He had to spend the night in a newly dug grave with the creatures snarling and grinning just above him; enough to make anyone lose their nerve.
