Film Synopsis Four

Several young adults are hanging around in a modern kitchen where a small gathering of friends is taking place. The sound of pop music plays in the background while various decorations are dotted around the room, one a banner saying “Happy Birthday” and another a balloon saying “Happy 21st”. One girl stands out from the crowd (Fearne, aged 20); she looks withdrawn and subdued, quietly chatting with her friends in the midst of the group. The doorbell goes and a young male arrives (Jack, aged 21); he is casually dressed in jeans and a T-shirt. Most of the party go over to greet him except Fearne who now looks tense and uneasy. She finds it difficult to look at Jack, fiddling with the glass of drink in her hand and constantly looking at the floor. Jack keeps glancing over at her while being yanked away to a table full of shots by a mass of guys and girls all the while still glancing at Fearne. She catches his eye once, twice, three times and instantly looks away every time, finally making an escape to one of the bedrooms upstairs in the house.

Once in the bedroom she sits on the bed and puts her head in her hands. Jack is now in the middle of a drinking game with those in the kitchen but while everyone else is laughing and knocking back shot after shot he keeps looking at the stairs.

Fearne is now looking intently at her reflection in the bedroom mirror; she breathes heavily and begins to fix her make-up. Jack is now outside the bedroom door listening carefully; he knocks gently against the door and hears no response. He knocks again and enters. Fearne is sitting on the bed rifling through her bag, Jack goes over to sit next to her but she moves away and doesn’t look him in the eye. Seeing she doesn’t want to be near him he walks over to the corner of the room, standing beside a small bedside table, both of them in an awkward silence, him fiddling with a small ornament. Suddenly, uncomfortable with the awkward silence between them both Jack begins a lame explanation of what he did to Fearne. She ignores him while he carries on trying to excuse his actions. A moment’s silence ensues between the two. Jack begins to ramble on again when all of a sudden he says something which angers Fearne; she gets up from the bed and walks quietly over to Jack. She grabs his neck and forces him up against the wall all the while trying to look him in the eye, her face overwhelmed with emotion. He doesn’t react or even try to calm her down. Her face is now a mixture of anger and hatred as she slowly releases her grip on him, composing herself and trying to hold back her emotions. Fearne leaves the room while Jack stands there in a daze.

This fourth synopsis has developed Fearne more as a character as she is subdued and quiet compared to relaxed and happy in the third synopsis. Jack also says something to trigger Fearne's reaction, a development in both the plot and the characters. Jack's speech to Fearne and the awkward silence between them also creates more tension with the film.