Belle (short film script)

FADE IN:

EXT. PARK - DAY

LOVERS stroll hand in hand. FAMILIES stroll by.

BELLE, a woman, aged by many years of neglect, wears a ragged old coat over her worn-out dress. Her shoes have seen many miles of wear and tear. Her hair is wild. She tries to tame it by constantly running her fingers through it. She pushes a cart full of bags containing her personal belongings -- all that she has in the world.

She smiles as a well-dressed MAN walks towards her.

BELLE
Hi! Beautiful park --

He ignores her, hurries by.

BELLE
-- isn’t it?...

She sighs, continues to push her cart down the path.

She sees a bench where a MAN WITH GLASSES is reading a book.

She sits on the bench beside him, flashes him a smile. He doesn’t look her way. She coughs, moans, then moves as if her back hurts. She looks over at the man. He turns to focus on his book.

BELLE
These benches really aren’t all that comfortable --

The man snaps his book shut, gets to his feet.

MAN WITH GLASSES
No. They’re not.

He leaves in huff.

Belle, clasps her hands and sighs loudly.

Her loneliness is echoed by the stillness of the trees and the emptiness of the park.

A YOUNG WOMAN strolls in view. Belle gets to her feet, purposely bumps into her.

BELLE
Oh, I’m so sorry! I was just admiring --

The woman gives her a dirty look and hurries off.

BELL
-- the trees.

She watches the woman run off.

BELLE
Busy little bee...

Belle purses her lips. She turns sadly back to her cart.

She sees something --

-- it looks like an infant’s foot sticking out of the bushes.

Alarmed, she rescues --

-- The doll. It is very “loved”, with a tattered dress, a dirty face and matted hair.

BELLE
Well, Hello...

She looks around for its owner.

No child is in sight.

She fixes the doll's dress.

BELLE
Beautiful day, isn't it?
 
The doll stares back at her with large glass eyes. She looks around again.

BELLE
(confidentially to the doll)
I was abandoned, too, you know.

She licks her fingers, wipes dirt from the doll’s face. She sits the doll on her cart.

BELLE
There! Now isn’t that so much better?

She smiles at the doll, admires it.

BELLE
My name is Belle...  short for Elizabeth... I can call you Belle, too, if you like...

She starts pushing the cart.

BELLE
When I was little girl, I had a pretty little doll just like you, only she was porcelain and had a silky dress and pretty green eyes...

She slows her cart, as she recalls an unpleasant memory.

BELLE
I had a child once... I don't know where she is... she never comes to see me... she knows where to find me... I think... but that really doesn't matter all that much... She’s such a busy little bee...

She chatters happily to the doll as she strolls forward.

BELL
We’re having such lovely weather today! Oh, don’t you think this is such a beautiful park???

She ignores the people who give her peculiar looks as she passes them by.

FADE OUT.
THE END.