Birthday party film script

The Birthday Party

Scene 1
Opening sequence

The film opens with a long shot of an outside of a house in the earlier hours of a cold winter morning. It then cuts to a long shot of a couples bed. The couple is sleeping deeply its dark and the only noise to be heard apart from the heavy sound of breathing whilst they sleep is bird’s songs outside. The shot jumps to a close up of a bedside alarm clock, still no dialogue just the ticking of the clock which when it hits seven goes of in a violent alarm this is also confirming that it is indeed early in the morning. A cut effect to the next shot which is a close up of a woman’s legs putting on a pair of slippers this cuts to a shot of some stairs and the same woman’s legs with slippers on rushes down them.

Scene 2

The shot opens with a long shot for the hall way through the door way of a little boy’s room with a little boy who is nine today. The boy sat up in his bed and the woman who is his mother knelt down beside the bed handing the boy a present.

Mother: Happy birthday Josh! Here is your present from me and your father.

The boy does not reply but is simple sat up looking at the present pleasantly.

The mother continues to get excited about the boys birthday and present eager to know if the boy will like it.

Mother: Well come on then Josh you silly sausage open it, do you want me to open for you? It is nicely wrapped isn’t it Ok I’ll open it for you.

The mother continues to open the present for the boy at this point the father walks past the door way stops at the edge peers in hesitantly, shakes his head, turns around and goes back towards the bathroom to get ready for work.

The mother continues with her excitement.

Mother: Look its that new ‘Star Wars’ Toy you wanted! Do you like it?

The boy says nothing but looks happy.

Mother: Oh I knew you’d like it.

Looking very please with herself she stands up and says come on then get dressed and come down for breakfast and we will plan your day and leaves towards the camera.

Scene 3

The scene jumps to the kitchen the shot is a long shot from the bottom of the table looking towards the boy at the end of the table with a bowl of cereal and the mother sitting on the side with a cup of tea.

Mother: So I was think I’ll go get dressed and you can watch some TV and then I thought we would go shopping and get you some party things? Maybe ’Ben 10’ or ’Spiderman’? Then we could go to the park for a bit and then come home where if I know your father, (jokingly) which unfortunately I do, he would have plan some sort of surprise party like he does every year for everyone’s birthday. So their will be a bunch of mine and your fathers friends there which I know is boring for you but it means more presents and cake. So how about that for a plan batman? Sound good?

The boy says nothing but smiles with a big smile on his face.

The shot changes to a shot from behind the mother looking towards the doorway where the father enters in the doorway.

Father: Well I’m off to work now, so I’ll give you your gift tonight.

Mother: (Playfully) I hope you haven’t planed any party’s or anything?

Father: (Playfully) No I wouldn’t dream of it.

The father leaves and the scene ends

Scene 4

The shot opens with a low down medium shot of the boy sitting on the stairs and the mother, who is dressed now to show the change in time, is putting on his shoes.

The shot changes to a worm eyed camera angle of a garden path leading towards a driveway the Mother and Josh walk up the pathway and get into the car.

Scene 5

This scene opens with a shot from out side ‘Tesco’ the car enters and the shot changes to a shot to a low down shot of beside the car so we see Josh’s feet step down out of the car.

The view is then changed to the front of the shop where the mother is entering the shop pushing a trolley with Josh in the front.

The shot jumps to a shot of a medium shot of a supermarket aisle the mother pushing the now fairly full trolley with the boy in the front come into the shot from the side.

The mother picking up some party plates turns to the boy.

Mother: These are very nice aren’t they Josh?

She puts them into the trolley the shot changes to a medium shot of in front of them and as the mother pushes the trolley towards the camera she continues to talk to the boy in an excited tone.

Mother: You know Josh I believe this Birthday is going to be the best one yet. Seems like only yesterday you where small enough to fit in my hand and look at you now, nine! (jokingly) You’ll be leaving home soon off to uni to become a Dr or something. Get married have me some gorgeous grand children. Then you’ll be looking after me and putting my shoes on.

The shot changes to a medium shot of a check out desk, the mother is having her items scanned, The man is smiling at her she responds to this friendly smile.

Mother: Its someone’s birthday today don’t you know Mr Shopkeeper?

She looks down at Josh with a playful smile. Weirdly the check out boy looks confused he looks down to see what the woman is smiling at strangely he looks down and around but doesn’t see josh he just looks past him.

There is a long pause as he does this then he says in a reassuring yet confused tone.

Check out boy: ….Oh right

The shot fades.


Scene 6

The scene opens with a medium shot from inside the car the camera is looking from Josh’s point of view at is mothers reflection in the front mirror.

Mother: Are you ok Josh? You’re a bit quiet today…

The boy doesn’t reply but the mother takes a gesture that we don’t see as a yes and continues.

Mother: Well good we wouldn’t want you being Mr grumpy on your birthday know would we? Come on lets go to the park.

Scene 7

At the park now with a long shot from behind the mother who is sitting on the bench reading a magazine and the boy is playing on the swing.

The shot jumps to a long shot from behind the mother and child it shows them walking across the park to leave.

Scene 8

The scene opens with another long shot of the house the same as the opening shot but this time with the mother and child standing at the door way and as they enter it changes to a shot from the living room looking into the kitchen where many gests are looking towards the mother and child smiling with party hats on, the table has a few presents on and there is a cake on the kitchen side. The father is standing there smiling and he turns to light the candles for the cake. The mother rushes over to help when the candles are a light the mother takes the cake for out of the fathers hands the father looks confused.

The camera angles is the from the position of the cake looking up at the mother in a worms eyed angle. It switches from this shot to a shot from the mothers point of view. The boy is sitting at the table and the guest around him begin to sing happy birthday. The shot switches back again the mother and farther join in. The shot switches back to the mothers point of view all the time she is slowly getting closer to the table.

Everyone (except the boy): Happy birthday to you happy birthday to you…

The shot switches back to the mothers face.

Everyone (except mother and boy): Happy Birthday dear Sue! Happy birthday dear Sue!
The mother however at the same time sing something different.

Mother: Happy birthday dear Josh! Happy birthday Josh!

The atmosphere becomes awkward the mothers face becomes confused and distorted. The shot switches back to the guests who now look confused to and start looking at each other in their shared confusion. Josh looks upset and as the mother puts the cake down the shot changes back to the mothers face a rush of realisation hits her and she is devastated and tears begin to roll down her cheeks. When the shot changes back to the guest the boy is gone, the guest look confused and sad. The shot change to the guest point of view we see what they see the mother is crying on her husbands shoulder.

The shot fades into the final shot which is a close up of the birthday cake with the candle numbers 45 on it. Using editing effects the shot fades to the same shot with the candles melted more and more this fade into shot continues to show the progression in time until finally the candles have melt completely and the film ends.

The End.