"The Watchmakers" Script Sample

Logline: A young woman comes of age in a society that decides when every person will die and bands together with rebels to save their community.

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EXT. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD - LATE AFTERNOON

The sun is shining. Chairs are lined up in front of a podium on one side of the field, while students line up on the other side, dressed in graduation robes.

ROBIN, a tall girl with long brown hair, is standing in line looking around nervously at her classmates.

A few students behind Robin, we see two blonde girls. One is nonchalant, staring at her sister, KENNEDY, while the other seems to be chattering away, SERENITY.

The blonde twins catch Robin's eyes, and the three wave to one another.

Robin faces forward as the school band begins to play the Pomp and Circumstance Graduation Walking March song.

The line of students begin walking across the football field to their seats. Their friends and family watch and support from the bleachers on the side.

BLAIR

Robin! Look up here! Let me get a picture!

Robin looks up to the bleachers to see her mother, BLAIR, a short woman with short brown hair, late 30s, standing in the bleachers with tissue at her eye, camera in hand. She's wearing a maroon, knee length dress that is covered in white signatures-- signed by previous students that are graduating today.

The students stand before their seats. From beside Robin, her classmate JASPER BURNS chuckles.

JASPER BURNS

Mrs. B could never wear a normal outfit.

ROBIN

(smiling proudly)

Yeah, that's my momma.

The band stops playing and the students sit down as the principal walks up the podium. PRINCIPLE WINKMAN, a stout man of 50 with a bald head, stands at the podium.

PRINCIPLE WINKMAN

Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for gathering out here tonight as we recognize our lovely class of 2021

The audience of friends and family clap, some whoop and shout.

PRINCIPLE WINKMAN

As you know, I'm Principal Winkman and it is my honor to introduce the 2021 class president, Francine Kelly. Francine, if you will, come on up and give her farewell address.

FRANCINE KELLY, a short girl with braided hair, up to the podium as everyone claps for her.

FRANCINE KELLY

Hello friends of ‘21. It has been an honor to guide you all through our time in high school and I am so proud to see each and everyone of your faces sitting before me now. We have been together through it all: Mrs. B’s kindergarten class for some of us...

The crowd of students-- those who had Blair's class-- erupts into cheers. Blair laughed from her seat in the bleachers, blotting tears away from her face.

FRANCINE KELLY (CONT.)

...studying to tears to pass Mr. Dennis’ Chemistry exams,

Boos erupts from the students, Kennedy included, as a tall, slender man of his 30s with salt and pepper hair laughs manically from the back row filled with high school teachers.

FRANCINE KELLY (CONT.)

...and picking one another up after watching loved ones die.

(beat)

Now, we will go out in the world and figure out our next paths. Some of us will go to college and have ample time in this world to fulfill dreams; others will spend their short time left here with their friends and family. One thing is certain: the 20 year reunion is sure to be a much smaller crowd.

Francine finishes her speech and the students and audience clap as she walks back to her seat.

Principle Winkman makes his way back to the podium.

PRINCIPLE WINKMAN

Thank you, Francine, and with that, we will begin handing out the diplomas. If you will, please hold the applause until the very end.

The first row is ushered to stand and line up at one side of the make shift stage.

Principle Winkman begins naming students, students walk across the stage, shake hands and pose with Winkman, and circle back to their seat.

The students are seated alphabetically, so ROBIN CLARKE is in the first row of students.

PRINCIPLE WINKMAN

Robin Clarke

Robin walks across the stage, stopping to shake hands and receive her diploma, smiling happily at the camera man knelt below them.

PRINCIPLE WINKMAN (CONT.)

(whispers)

Congratulations, Robin.

BLAIR

(screaming from the bleachers)

Go, Robbie! That's my baby girl!

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL FIELD - AFTER GRADUATION

After graduation, the graduates are scattered around the field with friends and family. Robin is waiting for her mother to make her way over, watching as Kennedy and Serenity talk with Francine.

Blair is making her way to the field with MR.MCDONALD, Kennedy and Serenity's father. A tall, toned man with dark hair, blue eyes, and a beard; he's almost never NOT in a nice suit with his phone in hand.

BLAIR

Robbie! Congratulations! I'm so proud of you!

(whispering in ear)

I love you so much, Robbie.

Blair wraps Robin in a big bear hug, her face stained with tears.

ROBIN

Thanks, mom. I love you, too.

(beat)

(to Mr. McDonald)

Hi, Mr. McDonald. Kennedy and Serenity are talking to Francine, but I'm sure they're on their way over

Kennedy and Serenity's father, MR. MCDONALD, raises an index finger as his phone begins to ring.

MR. MCDONALD

Hold that thought will, ya, Robin?

(into phone)

What's happened? Do I need to come in?

Mr. McDonald paces away on his call while Kennedy and Serenity make their way to Robin and Blair.

SERENITY

Hi, Mrs. B!

BLAIR

(wrapping the twins in a hug)

Hi, girls! I'm so proud of you guys!

Serenity beamed happily at the praise, not minding her father's phone call. Kennedy stares at his back, listening into the conversation until he turns to rejoin them.

KENNEDY

Hey, dad.

MR. MCDONALD

Hey kiddo. Great job, you two. Your mother would be proud.

An awkward beat passes accompanied by sly looks-- Kennedy and Serenity's mother has been dead for years.

BLAIR

Come on girls, get together. It's time for photos.

Robin, Serenity, and Kennedy get together as Blair takes photos, passing the camera to Mr. McDonald so she can be in some, and vice versa.

MR. MCDONALD

(claps his hands to get attention)

So, should we go out to eat now?

Another silent beat, they all know he is a busy man who prefers emails to people. He's simply doing what he thinks is expected; he does not want a family dinner with them.

ROBIN

That's very nice, but I have to open the bookstore in the morning. I shouldn't be out late.

MR. MCDONALD

Of course.

(to the twins)

Girls? Are you too old to be seen out with your old man now?

Serenity is looking to Blair as though she would rather be with her, but Kennedy is smiling widely.

KENNEDY

Of course we aren't. We love food, right, Ren?

SERENITY

(nodding)

Yeah, we can get lunch or something with Robin another time.

ROBIN

(nodding)

Anytime, Ren.

INT. ROBIN'S BEDROOM - MORNING

An alarm goes off, waking Robin up for the day. She turns it off, rolling over to ignore it, but instead hears clattering from outside her bedroom door.

She gets up and walks to the door, opening it to see her mother sitting on the living room floor surrounded by containers of various art supplies and fabric-- she's making a dress.

INT. BLAIR AND ROBIN'S LIVING ROOM - MORNING

ROBIN

Good morning?

BLAIR

(cheerfully)

Good morning, high school graduate!

Robin sighs at the cheer so early in the morning, stepping over the mess surrounding her mother to get a cup of coffee.

ROBIN

What are you doing, mom?

BLAIR

(dumbfounded)

It's the end of the School year, Robbie. Test week.

ROBIN

(sipping coffee)

So it's a test day dress?

BLAIR

Of course it is!

Blair raises the fabric up for Robin to see over her coffee, smiling proudly. It's not nearly finished yet, but you can make out the yellow colored fabric with letters, numbers, and different shapes stitched into it.

BLAIR (CONT.)

(while stitching)

The littles have to tell me their alphabet, count as high as they possibly can, point out their shapes... and their colors--

ROBIN

(cuts her off mid thought)

So, it's a test day dress.

BLAIR

(victoriously)

It's a test day dress.

(beat)

ROBIN

That's very cute mom, but I've got to head out soon. I'm going to ask Gertie for more hours now that I don't have classes during the week.

Robin moves to pour a bowl of cereal, perching herself at the kitchen counter as her mother lowers her dress, focusing on her daughter.

BLAIR

Speaking of classes... have you considered college Robbie?

ROBIN

(sighs deeply)

Not yet. I just wanted to breathe for a minute-- not worry about the future, or if I have one.

Blair looks down to her dress, hurting but attempting to hide it.

ROBIN

I’ll start thinking about it after my birthday, Mom. Just give me until tomorrow to not think or worry and then I swear I will get back to thinking and worrying.

BLAIR

(chuckles and nods)

Okay, you're right. Until tomorrow.

Robin clears her mess, toeing around the mess and her mother once more to go back in her room.

ROBIN

Time to head to work, mother dear. The books are waiting for me

INT. THE COFFEE SHOP - LATER

Robin opens the door to a coffee shop, there are a couple other patrons in the store, on their laptops and phones, drinking their beverages.

She walks up to the counter, the barista working is JOSSLYN, a late 20s, tall woman with dyed hair and a tan line where a watch used to be.

ROBIN

Good morning, Joss.

JOSSLYN

Good morning, Birdy. Congrats on graduating last night!

ROBIN

Thank you, Josslyn, thank you.

JOSSLYN

Today your Oat Milk Caramel latte is on the house-- a recent alumni special.

ROBIN

Thank you, Joss. You don't have to do that

JOSSLYN

(raises the sharpie in her hand to shush Robin)

Anything for my little Birdy.

Josslyn begins mixing the coffee together while Robin waits patiently.

JOSSLYN

So, do you like have plans now? For the future or the summer or...

ROBIN

(shakes her head)

No, not yet. Just taking it a moment at a time until I get my watch.

JOSSLYN

(nods knowingly)

Tomorrow right?

ROBIN

yeah... don't wanna get my hopes up, yet.

Josslyn doesn't acknowledge the statement outwardly, simply slides the freshly made coffee over the counter with a smile

JOSSLYN

Order up for...

(pretends to read the name on the cup)

Birdy?

INT. BOOKSTORE OF EDEN - MOMENTS LATER

Robin walks into the bookstore she works in, owned by GERTRUDE/GERTIE, an elderly woman of 60s, long silvered hair, walks with a cane. Gertie is sat behind the cash register, knitting silently, not realizing anyone has come into the store.

ROBIN

Good morning, Gertie.

GERTIE

Oh, there you are, Robin. We've got the new arrivals in the back to stock. I tried picking the box up to do it, but...

ROBIN

Gertie, what have I told you about lifting those boxes off the floor? You're not a, what is it you call me?

GERTIE

(laughing)

a young sprite. No, I suppose you're right. Haven't been considered a young sprite in

(thinks for a moment)

well, you get the point.

Robin slides her belongings under the cash register in a cabinet, allowing a moment of silence as Gertie continues her knitting... which is simply a mess of yarn in her lap, on the floor, and on the needles.

ROBIN

is that for me? Are you making me a birthday present, Gertie?

GERTIE

(tossing the mess into her lap)

It's for the trash can, that's where it's for. I can't get the hang of knitting, and that purse I made you for Christmas proves it.

ROBIN

(confused and thinking)

Oh, you mean the hanging plant holder in my bedroom? I actually really like that-- thanks, Gertie.

Gertrude laughs, picking up her knitting once more as Robin slides to the back room and comes back with the box of new arrivals.

ROBIN

Hey, Gertie. Since I graduated last night, I can pick up more hours in the store. Help out a little more.

GERTIE

What about College, sprite? Got plans for college yet

ROBIN

(pulling books out and placing them on displays)

Not yet... I told mom I would start thinking about it tomorrow.

(beat)

After I get my watch...

(beat)

Gertie says nothing, the silence is incredibly loud before Robin continues explaining herself.

ROBIN

I just wanted a moment or two to not worry about the future or death or if I will have a future... you know?

(beat)

(huffs)

So, how about those hours?

GERTIE

Of course you can have more hours, Robin. That young man never comes in when I ask him to anyway. What's his name?

ROBIN

Tyler?

GERTIE

George?

ROBIN

(shrugs)

Don't think I've ever met him

GERTIE

That's what I mean; he's never here.

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