VANITY FAIR BY September 2, 2004 2037542 FAV 2102 Murray Oliver Monday 1pm-5pm
SYNOPSIS A modern take on the Greek myth of Narcissus, the youth who fell in love with his own reflection. Natalie is obsessed with her looks, which is having a negative effect on everyone around her. Consequently, she has to deal with her vanity fixation when her life is turned upside-down. Characters : : MORGAN: TOMMY: (18) a beautiful teenager, obsessed with her looks. She has dated MORGAN for three months. loves getting her way with other people, loves the attention, and is very selfish. (41) a lonely Christian mother of two children, and TOMMY. She is worried about S behaviour. (22) is S boyfriend. He is both faithful and patient with his girlfriend. (9) S annoying little brother, curious about everything. Locations S BEDROOM: STREET: HOSPITAL: lives with her mother and brother in a small townhouse. Her room is on the second floor. The walls are covered with posters of models, and girl stuff is scattered everywhere. A built up traffic area in front of the townhouse. A neat and tidy hospital room, for severe injuries.
FADE IN: INT. BEDROOM NIGHT is leaning over into the mirror carefully applying eye shadow. Makeup is scattered all over her dressing table. Pop music is playing in the background. Her room, reflected in the mirror, is messy. Unexpectedly, there is a loud knock on her door. She tries to ignore it. Go away Tommy! The knocking continues. drops her eye shadow brush on the floor. Damn it! TOMMY enters. He has a mischievous grin on his face. Get out! He moves in closer, teasing. TOMMY You and Morgan are going to kiss tonight aren t you? rolls her eyes, picks up a magazine and throws it at TOMMY who blocks it. She runs to the door and yells. Mom. Tommy is being an asshole! TOMMY drops down on her bed and looks through a stack of magazines. He stumbles across S yearbook, picks it up, and begins to look through the photos. At the mirror is admiring herself while applying more makeup. On the dressing table are a cell phone and a tiara. The cell starts ringing. jumps in excitement, while looking angrily at her brother. She answers the phone. A slight pause Get out Tommy! (To phone) Hey, Morgan. MORGAN (V/O) What is Tommy doing in your room? I ve been waiting outside for fifteen minutes. 1
INT/EXT. BEDROOM/STREET NIGHT spots MORGAN in his car on the other side of the road, from her bedroom window. She waves her hands angrily towards TOMMY, signalling for him to leave. He is just looking at photos of the prettiest homecoming queen this world has ever seen. She touches her hair and applies lip-gloss in the mirror, feeling her seamless skin with her fingertips. Baby, you know I have to get dressed properly before I go outside. (Then angrily) Even if I have to be here all night. So don t pressure me! S mother,, runs in wearing her bathrobe. TOMMY sees her and slips out of the bed. What s with all this yelling Natalie? You re not swearing in front of your brother are you? shakes her head in disbelief. Her grip tightens around her brush. Mom, get the hell out of my room, I m on the phone. (Through phone) I ll come down when I m ready. INT. BEDROOM NIGHT hangs up the phone. is shocked by S behaviour, and looks back at TOMMY who is slinking towards the door. Tommy, go downstairs. TOMMY leaves and turns to the mirror again. She picks up her mascara and starts to apply it. (Whispering angrily) Did you know that Morgan s been waiting for you in his car for nearly half an hour? 2
is busy changing clothes. She is panting and stumbles on the magazine she threw at her brother. Her body jerks, causing her sweater to slide across her face. The collar gets covered in makeup. Quickly she inspects the stain in the mirror. The pop music stops. Oh shit! She throws the sweater on the floor. frowns. No one speaks like that in our house young lady! Now get going, your date is waiting. smiles, and places a reinsuring hand on S shoulder. Hey, you look just fine to me. Don t touch, you are cramping my style. turns and pushes her hand away. Still looking into the mirror she applies more makeup fiercely. She then turns on her mother. Just because you look like trash doesn t mean I have to! can t believe what she is hearing. Outside MORGAN is honking his horn. grabs her purse and runs out of the room with her mother in hot pursuit. Come back here right now! You are not leaving this house until I say so. They hurry down the stairs. slips on the bottom step and falls. She moans, and grabs her knee. continues towards the front door. EXT. STREET NIGHT walks out the front door and slams it shut. She walks straight over to MORGAN, but makes a stop in the road. She opens her purse and takes out a hand mirror, to check her hair isn t messed up. Meanwhile she fails to see the car speeding up behind her, approaching in the mirror. Morgan screams. 3
Natalie!! MORGAN A gasp, the sound of tyres screeching and glass breaking fill the scene. S hand mirror is catapulted into the air, and lands on the ground and shatters. S cries and rushing footsteps, fades into a blurry mix. DISSOLVE TO INT. HOSPITAL DAY SUPER: SEVERAL DAYS LATER is lying in bed. Her body is covered in bandages. She can hardly move. Natalie, who is waking up from heavy drugs, looks up into the mirror on the other side of the room. Her mother is sitting next to her. Praise the lord. You are lucky to be alive. Amanda wipes the tears that are running down her daughter s face. Natalie keeps starring into the mirror, without moving. After a long pause she manages to stutter. Is my hair okay? 4