Final Screenplay - Lost

LOST

by Dominic Griffiths

OPEN ON –

INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM 

Grey overcast. Cold domestic lighting. No music. Ambient sound of quiet house with infrequent passing cars and sirens in the far distance. Distant sound of one continuous synth bass begins to play. Over the next six shots synth gradually increases in volume. Extreme close up shot. Slow pan across a dark marble dust covered mantelpiece.

CUT TO –INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM

Close up shot of the frame of a mirror. Slow track up the frame of the mirror.

CUT TO - INT. DAY.  KITCHEN

Close up shot of a shelf filled with mugs. Tracking parallel with the shelf past multiple mugs with various tourist style prints. 

-       ‘Findhorn, Scotland’

-       ‘Orlando, Florida’

-       ‘Niagara Falls, New York’.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM

Close up shot of a white marbled drawer top. Tracking across the surface

-       Orchid

-       Family picture with faces blurred

-       Family picture with faces blurred

-       Older photo with MAN. Middle-aged, mixed race.

CUT TO - INT. DAY. HALL

Static establishing long shot. Hall. Edwardian style. On the left side are stairs upwards. On the right side the hall continues. One pair of leather loafers are set neatly against the wall on the right. Introducing the voice of LAURA.

LAURA (O.S.) 

Anyway, so now Daniela wants to come with us to the party after

CUT TO - INT. DAY. KITCHEN

Blurred Close-up side profile of a mixed-race man, appearing to be in his early fifties. He wears a plain shirt with a dark green woolen jumper over the top. He stands parallel to a window on the left side of the shot. He looks out. The shot gradually become more blurred. An increasing high-pitched frequency paired with white noise begins. 

LAURA (O.S.) (CONT’D)

I asked her three weeks ago if she wanted to car share and she said “no”. Now our car is full because I offered my sister a lift and I can’t let her down especially after our argument about commitment to plans last week.

SFX have reached a climax. All SFX cut out leaving the ambient sound of the house. Simultaneously, the shot becomes clear and you can see man’s face clearly for the first time. It is the same man as in the old photo.

LAURA (O.S.)

 Are you listening to me?

MAN (continuing to stare forward) 

Yes, yes. Party at 19:00.

CLAIRE (O.S.)

Dad?

MAN blinks suddenly and looks downwards. The shot pans down with him onto a shot of two mugs sitting on a counter. One mug has a polka dot design. The other is slightly turned away, however, you are able to make out ‘NUMBER ONE G’

LAURA (O.S.)

So, what am I supposed to do now Clai-

MAN

 -Coffee?

LAURA (0.S.)

 Please! You know how I feel about interrupting.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. KITCHEN

Zoomed out mid-shot of kitchen. CLAIRE on the right side of the kitchen in the forefront of the shot. Thirties, wearing a light blue shirt with a smart black jacket over the top. Similar complexion to her father, with dark hair that is tied in a neat bun. Due to a shallow depth of field, in the back of the shot you can make out the blurred image of LAURA wearing a light floral dress with a lighter complexion and dark blonde hair.

CLAIRE

 For me please.

0.2s excerpt of ‘Wish someone would care’ (WSWC) by Irma Thomas plays, accompanied by a crackling record noise. Distant effect, giving the illusion it came from next door. During the excerpt…

CUT TO – INT. DAY. KITCHEN

The prior profile shot of MAN looking up suddenly.

MAN

 Did you hear that?

CLAIRE

What?

Another 0.2s excerpt of WSWC plays. During the excerpt… 

CUT TO - INT. DAY. KITCHEN

Close up, parallel with the kitchen surface. Full mugs. 

MAN reaches to pick them up, however, these hands appear much older and wrinkled.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. KITCHEN

Prior midshot. LAURA still not in focus.

LAURA

We’ve got to sort out the frame for the present as well.

MAN turns around holding both the mugs.

LAURA

 Did you find the photos of them because we’ve got to get that sorted by tonight?

MAN

 I’ll go get them now.

CLAIRE

Get what?

MAN

The photos from the attic.

LAURA (irritated tone)

 I asked you last week. So, are you gonna go and get the frame later from the shops?

MAN hands over the polka dot mug to CLAIRE. CLAIRE smiles warmly as she receives it.

MAN (winking at CLAIRE)

 Yes sir. 

CLAIRE wraps her hands fully around the mug

CLAIRE

 Cheers dad.

Beat

MAN walks past CLAIRE moving more into the foreground and exits left out off shot. Camera turns with him, to see the man turn a corner into the hall.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. HALL

Static longshot. MAN walks from the back of the shot into the foreground. Turns at the bannister and begins to walk up them.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. STAIRCASE

Close-up side profile of MAN’s head walking up the stairs.

Camera tracks with him perfectly level and smooth. 

Behind him on the wall he passes three family photos.

As he reaches the top of the stairs he walks out right of the shot. Camera coming to rest on the final picture of ELDERLY MAN with CLAIRE. The ELDERLY MAN is wearing the same outfit as MAN and mixed race, but appears much older, around 80.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LANDING

Wide shot of MAN from behind. Similar narrow hall with closed doors leading up the hall. In the ceiling is a square hatch. 

MAN lets out a small grunt as reaches up and pulls down the hatch from which a ladder unfolds.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. HALL

Close-up CLAIRE’s face. Looking up the stairs.

CLAIRE (slightly shouting)

I’m off now. Are you gonna be ok?

MAN (pulling the ladder further down, loudly, joking tone) (O.S.) 

Don’t worry about me, I’ve got Laura to protect me.

Beat

CLAIRE glances down at the floor for a moment.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LANDING

MAN begins to climb up the ladder.

LAURA (raised voice from downstairs, stern tone) (O.S.)

Careful

CLAIRE (subtle nervous tone) (O.S.)

Ok dad. Be safe.

SFX of front door closing.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. ATTIC

Shot level with the ground in a dim attic.

Natural light is shining upwards from the bottom of the shot where the hatch can be seen. You can make out several stacked boxes with various dates scribbled on in black permanent marker. One reads ‘10/04/1946’ 

MAN’s hands come into shot, wrapped around the side of the hatch as to pull himself up.  He pulls himself up so his head is poking through the hatch. He looks upwards and reaches up for a light cord. He pulls it, the click matches to the following cut and a 0.2S excerpt of WSWC plays.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. ATTIC

Pitch black. Rustling sound effect. Lid is lifted of the lens of the camera (the camera is placed upwards inside one of the previous seen cardboard boxes. MAN’s hand reaches in towards the camera.

CUT TO - INT. DAY. ATTIC

Over the shoulder, POV shot.

MAN pulls out an extremely knackered black photo album. 

He begins to flip through the album.

CUT TO – 

Photo centred on black photo album card. A man in a garden, face blurred. 

CUT TO - 

Similar photo, slightly off centre. The man, still blurred, is now looking down at a baby crawling into the frame of the photograph

CUT TO – 

Photo centred on black photo album card. House. 1970s British bungalow. SFX of a building bus horn.

CUT TO - INT. DAY. ATTIC

Close up side profile of MAN’s face. Bright unnatural white light begins to intensify on his face, along with SFX. He turns to look pass the camera.

The light almost washes out his face. MAN squints and scrunches his face.

Sound reaches climax.

CUT TO – EXT. DAY. BUS STOP

A wide shot of a bus passing by a bus stop, filling the shot at first. shot frames MAN sits in the centre of the centred bus stop. Introduction of ambient road side sound. Light rain. Man is still wearing the same jumper, appearing slightly underdressed.

Another bus passes, filling the shot from left to right. Before the bus parts with the left side of the shot…

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

A graphic match of the doors of a super market opening. Wide shot in which MAN is centred between the doors. 

CUT TO - INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Wide shot panning smoothly across the aisles of the bright supermarket.

MAN walking along the other end of the aisle. Camera rests as MAN walks down the long aisle towards the camera. Camera mirrors this, smoothly going down the aisle towards MAN. When the camera is around a meter away from MAN, it curves round into an over the shoulder shot as he pulls a frame from the shelf. Focus is pulled away from his shoulder and onto the frame.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Midshot of MAN looking down at the frame. WSWC plays over the supermarket speakers. MAN looks up.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Close-up shot of one of the supermarket speakers.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Close-up shot of another supermarket speaker.

CUT TO - INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Prior mid shot of MAN staring up in a different direction. In the back right of the shot you see FRIEND, a woman in her late 40s, white, trousers and a belted trench coat on. She steps forward.

FRIEND (muffled)

 Hi. Hello? Are you alright?

MAN turns to FRIEND. 

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Wide shot with MAN on left and FRIEND on right.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Close-up shot of MAN 

MAN

Yes, sorry. In my own world.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Close-up shot of one of FRIEND

FRIEND

Don’t be silly. How are you doing?

CUT TO MAN SHOT

MAN

Good, just doing some house chores.

CUT TO FRIEND SHOT

FRIEND (rub his arm)

It’s so nice to see you out and about.

CUT TO MAN SHOT

MAN (laughing slightly uncomfortably, looking down at arm): 

I try

CUT TO FRIEND SHOT

FRIEND

 How are you getting on at home?

CUT TO MAN SHOT

MAN (laughing)

 This Mrs isn’t that bad.

CUT TO FRIEND SHOT

FRIEND’s face drops discreetly and she looks down for a moment and then back up.

FRIEND

 Yes, of course.

Focus pulled away from FRIEND and onto supermarket speaker in the background. SFX of static plays mixed with short excerpt of WSWC. Followed by a normal staff announcement ‘Please can spare cashiers come to check out 3’. FRIEND continues to talk but it is completely muffled. Focus remains on speaker. 

Heavy bass begins to grow. Camera pulls in smoothly onto the shelfs in the background. Items begin to vibrate, gradually more aggressively. FRIEND begin to look worried and repeat the same phrase, although still muffled.

FRIEND

Are you alright? Are you alright?

CUT TO MAN SHOT

MAN begins looking uncomfortable.

Behind him the items in the shelves are also vibrating, even more aggressively. 

CUT TO FRIEND SHOT

Items behind FRIEND are almost all falling off the shelves now.

She appears more concerned, repeating the same phrased, although still muffled.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. SUPERMARKET

Close up on frame in his hand. Bass continues to grow.

MAN’s hands begin to tremor and as he drops the frame. As the frame falls the shot goes into slow motion. As it is about to hit the ground, speed returns to normal. Instantly…

CUT TO – EXT. DAY. FRONT DOOR

Regular roadside ambient sound. Wide shot of man in his doorway, as the frame smashes on the floor.

MAN (looking down)

Bugger.

MAN rings the doorbell. He bends down to pick up the glass.

CUT TO – EXT. DAY. FRONT DOOR

Extreme close up on hands picking up glass. However, the hands, once again, are an older man’s hands.

CUT TO – EXT. DAY. FRONT DOOR

Return to wide shot. 

MAN rings the doorbell again. He opens the letter box and peeks through.

CUT TO - INT. DAY. FRONT DOOR

Long shot from inside the house, metres away from the front door.

MAN can be seen peeking through the letterbox.

Complete silence.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM

Extreme close up. Slow pan across a dark marble dust covered mantel piece.

You can make out the bottom of some birthday cards reading 80th. 

CUT TO – INT. DAY. KITCHEN

Close up shot of a shelf filled with worn out mugs.

The same tourist mugs are visible as before but extremely worn with their prints barely legible.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM

Close up shot of a white marbled drawer top. Landline resting on surface. The healthy orchid from before is now drooping, with all the petals fallen onto the surface.

Tracks on to a series of family photos. The faces in the photos are no longer blurred out.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. FRONT DOOR

MAN raises his mouth to the letter box.

MAN

Laura?

Halfway through ‘Laura’…

JUMP CUT TO -

MAN on the inside of the house finishing the line, as he closes the door.

Walks towards the camera.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. KITCHEN

Midshot of kitchen.

MAN (raised voice)

Laura?

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM

Wide shot. Mantelpiece and mirror on left hand side, set of drawers in the centre, and door to the right.

OLD MAN (O.S.) (Almost shouting)

Laura!?

Footsteps can be heard coming down the stairs.

MAN walks into the living room.

CUT TO – INT. DAY.  LIVING ROOM

Close up. OLD MAN’s hand picks up phone of the counter.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM 

Prior wide shot.

MAN walks up to the mirror, calling a number of the landline. SFX of dialling.

MAN holds the phone up to his ear as he reaches the mirror.

CUT TO – INT. DAY.  LIVING ROOM

Mid shot/Over the shoulder. MAN looking into mirror and reflection is visible.

On the mantel piece below the mirror, the 80^thcards are still visible.

SFX phone ringing.

CLAIRE (O.S.) (Recorded message)

Sorry I’m not at the phone right now. Leave a message although I’m not amazing at checking.

SFX tone.

MAN (rushing through the line)

Is Laura with you? I just went to the- the-. Out, and now I can’t find her anywhere. Is she with you? Please call me back.

MAN puts down the phone on the mantel piece. He catches eyes with a grey hair on his head. He grips onto it and jolts his hand to pull it out. 

CUT TO – 

Exact same shot except with OLD MAN staring at himself in the exact same position for 1 second.

CUT TO – 

MAN in same position. His eyes flicker. A blurred red light in the reflection comes on. Focus is pulled to the record player it is coming from. The needle moves itself onto a now turning record.

SFX of crackling. WSWC begins to play.

Focus is pulled back onto MAN. He appears shocked, and his eyes come to meet his reflection.

SFX of static and bass return, growing.

As they reach climax, a series of super impositions commence, in which OLD MAN in the same position is layered over MAN. Both MAN and OLD MAN appear in pain. They contort their face and bodies. The super impositions are distorted, slowed and sped up.

All SFX and music cuts out leaving MAN standing breathless staring at himself in the mirror.

MAN turns towards the camera and passes it, appearing very relaxed and casual. In the reflection, you can see him walking out of the room.

CUT TO – INT. DAY. KITCHEN

Midshot of kitchen.

MAN (casual tone, as he enters the kitchen) 

So, have you organised the carpool then Lau-

CUT TO – INT. DAY.  KITCHEN

Close up on his face as MAN looks worried SFX of phone ringing from the other room. He turns, walking out of shot of close up.

CUT TO – INT. DAY.  HALL

MAN (walking down hall and shouting up the stairs as he passes them by) 

I’ll get it Laura.

CUT TO - INT. DAY LIVING ROOM

Prior midshot of mirror. Phone is visible ringing on the mantel piece. MAN can be seen entering the room. He reaches the mirror and picks up the phone.

CLAIRE (O.S.)

Dad? Are you alright?

MAN

Hello darling. How are you?

MAN goes to sit down on the sofa. The camera turns with him resulting in a wide shot of the sofa as he sits down.

CLAIRE (O.S.)

You left a message on my phone talking about mum, are you alright?

MAN (confused)

I -

CLAIRE (O.S.)

Dad, we’ve talked about this-

MAN (confused)

I can’t find Laura.

CLAIRE takes a big sigh.

CLAIRE (disheartened) (O.S.)

I know Dad. Hang on I’m coming over.

MAN lowers the phone down.

CLAIRE (O.S.) (more distant)

Dad? Dad? Stay there.

MAN looks at the table to his right with the record player. 

CUT TO – INT. DAY. LIVING ROOM

Close up, POV shot. Record player turns on by itself again and the needle lifts itself and lands on the now spinning record. WSWC plays.

CUT TO – INT. DAY LIVING ROOM

Prior wide shot. MAN staring blankly forward.

CUT TO EXTREME CLOSE UP OF OLD MAN’S EYES ON BEAT

CUT TO EXTREME CLOSE UP OF OLD MAN’S LIPS ON BEAT

CUT TO EXTREME CLOSE UP OF OLD MAN’S HAND, STILL HOLDING THE PHONE ON BEAT 

CUT TO PRIOR WIDE SHOT. ON BEAT

As the lyrics begin ‘Sitting home alone, thinking about my past.’ the camera begins to pan in a semi-circle around the MAN. Passes behind one of the 80^thcards, completely covering the shot. As it passes the OLD MAN is now sitting on the sofa with MAN also staring forward. MAN is looking at OLD MAN. OLD MAN turns his head slowly to look at MAN also. They hold eye contact. They both look forward and close their eyes simultaneously. 

After a second of their eyes being closed…

CUT TO BLACK

W.O.B. graphics of ‘LOST’ appear on screen 

CUT TO BLACK

W.O.B. graphics of ‘Alzheimer’s Society’ followed by ‘https://www.alzheimers.org.uk’ followed by graphics of the logo.

CUT TO BLACK

CREDITS

THE END.