In Control - Script/Screenplay

SCENE ONE - BEDROOM

[Close up of Jess asleep, she stirs - CUT to mid shot of her sitting up and getting her phone out. CUT to close up of Jess’ phone as she scrolls through photos of ‘thinspiration’ - photos of underweight girls. CUT to EXTREME close up of Jess’ eyes as she scrolls through the photos - she looks like she's in some sort of trance]

[close up of Jess’ feet as she gets out of bed, CUT to mid shot of her looking in the mirror: she lifts her pyjama top and checks her belly, pinching at ‘fat’. She then does the same with her legs, before trying to wrap her hand around the top of her arm. (Body checking)]

[close up of Jess’ face as she body checks, she looks hurt, disappointed and upset. She rakes her fingers through her hair and is on the verge of crying.]

[long shot of Jess as she gets out some scales from under the bed and positions them on her floor. Close up of her face as she takes a deep breath before CUT to a side-long shot as she steps on the scales.]

[close up of Jess’ reaction - she's shocked, starts to cry (?) before angrily wiping her eyes. CUT long shot of her as she puts the scales under her bed and walks out of her room]

END OF SCENE ONE

SCENE TWO - KITCHEN

[Mid shot of Jess as she walks into the kitchen, filling up a glass of water from the sink. Over the shoulder shot as her mum walks into the room]

[MIXTURE OF MIDSHOTS AND SHOT-REVERSE-SHOT DURING CONVO]

MUM: Good morning

JESS: Hi, mum

MUM: how are you feeling today baby? [places her hand on Jess’ shoulder - Jess flinches]

JESS: [takes a sip of her water] Fine, just tired

MUM: you going to have breakfast?

JESS: I didn't think I had a choice [very sad]

MUM: well, no. You wouldn't want to upset Dr Ford would you?

JESS: [sighs] Of course not [very sarcastic]

[CUT to mid shot of Jess as she gets out a bowl and pours cereal and milk into it before getting a spoon out of a draw]

MUM: Jess, I know this is hard on you - but you don't want to go to hospital do you?

[close up of Jess’ face, she looks tired and bored of this conversation]

JESS: of course not, Mum

MUM: I know you do want to get better deep down inside. You just need to think about how badly you want to go to university and travel the world and experience all those things you have on your list

JESS: [faces her mum and puts on a false smile] Mum, I'm fine. I have it under control. I promise.

MUM: Dr Ford and I don't think you do, honey

JESS: Mum - I. Am. Fine. [she sounds patronising, like she's speaking to a child]

MUM: [sighs] okay, just eat your breakfast. [she opens the fridge pulling out a nutritional shake] but, if you’re in control, then you can drink this

[close up of Jess, she looks scared and betrayed]

JESS: [voice very quiet] why?

MUM: if you want to go to university and do all those other things then you've got to start gaining some weight, Jess

JESS: [looks horrified - only close up shot-reverse-shots] I have been gaining weight, mum

MUM: according to Dr Ford - not enough

[close up of Jess, shaking her head. She picks up her cereal]

JESS: I'm going to finish eating this upstairs

[long shot of Jess as she leaves the kitchen, CUT to close up of Mum - she looks sad, shutting her eyes and taking deep breaths]

END OF SCENE TWO

SCENE THREE - THERAPY

[long shot: a small room - two chairs facing each other - JESS is sat on one, DR FORD on the other. DR FORD is writing something down in a notepad - JESS appears anxious, playing with her fingers]

FORD : [face on mid shot] Jess, I'm going to be honest with you here

JESS: okay

FORD: you have lost 4 kilos in the past two weeke, and I can tell that you are not getting any better mentally. [CUT to close up of Jess’ face, she bites her lip anxiously, CUT back to FORD] I am considering admitting you to an inpatient facility

JESS: what? Why? I'm not even underweight anymore!

FORD: you may not be underweight but you will be if you carry on like this, and besides, the anorexic mechanisms are still very strong. [pauses] I spoke to your mum yesterday

JESS: what did she say?

FORD: She said that your sister has been staying at friends houses for the past few nights

JESS: what's Dianna got to do with this?

FORD: she's staying there because she doesn't want to be there whilst you and your parents argue every night over dinner and then your night snack. It's not fair on her

JESS: okay...I'm confused?

FORD: [sighs] Jess, your mum and dad don't think you’re going to get any better. In fact your mum told me she feels as though she is watching fade away right there in front of them, and they can't do anything to stop it

JESS: what do you mean?

FORD: your mum believes if you are not admitted as an inpatient then you might die within the next year

[close up of Jess’ face, she appears shocked, hurt]

FORD: you've been at a healthy weight for 2 months now and you still haven't got your period back, your refusing to drink the shakes and finish your dinner, you've started exercising again despite my recommendations against it and your mum knows that you're keeping track of your calories again

JESS: how does she-

FORD: that doesn't matter. You've gone backwards by six months Jess. You were doing so much better, and now you're back to the stage you were at when we first met

[close up of Jess, appears stressed - jigging her knee and fiddling with her hair]

JESS: I just - I don't see the point in getting better

FORD: [leans forward] and why is that?

JESS: I'm only going to be more miserable, I'm never going to get to do anything on that list you made me write - I just, I think it's all pointless

FORD: but why do you think those things, Jess?

JESS: [shrugs] I don't know

FORD: that's your anorexia, Jess. It's making you feel as though you don't have a purpose other than counting calories and losing weight. It's making you feel like a failure and see everything negatively. I promise you, if you were to go back to listen to me - stop exercising and calorie counting, drink the shakes and finish your dinner - your body will hit a set point, you won't gain anymore weight and you will start to be happy

JESS: but I'll be fat [sounds defeated]

FORD: I will not let you get above a BMI of 21, I've promise you that. You will not be fat, you'll be healthy. You'll have your period. You'll be less tired. You'll be able to enjoy yourself more. If you don't listen to me - you'll end up in hospital or you'll die. And then you really won't achieve anything on that list

[close up of Jess - biting her lip, thinking and considering]

END OF SCENE THREE

SCENE FOUR - KITCHEN

[pan up from JESS’ feet to her standing over the stove, cooking some pasta, she appears thoughtful, but keeps biting her lip anxiously]

[OUT OF SHOT] MUM: Jess, I'm home!

JESS: I'm in the kitchen

[over jess’ shoulder shot of mum]

MUM: you're cooking?

JESS: [turns to face her mum, pushing her out of focus] yeah, I thought we could all have pasta for dinner

[mid shot of MUM and JESS as MUM reaches for the nutritional shake that's open and stood on the counter next to JESS]

MUM: having you been drinking this or pouring it down the sink?

JESS: [laughs, seems much more at ease] drinking it, [she takes a sip from the straw to prove it] it tastes a bit strange though [turns back to the pasta]

MUM: [close up - looks dumbfounded] I'm guessing your appointment with Dr Ford went well today?

JESS: [turns to face her] Yeah, he told me what you said. I'm sorry. I really am, sometimes I just forget about everything over than that drive to be thin. I don't want you to be scared that I'm going to die. I don't want to go to hospital. And I do want to get better, but it is going to take time

MUM: [smiling brightly - pulls JESS into a hug] Jess, honey, I know that! I don't want you to gain loads of weight, I just want you to be happy and healthy

JESS: I know, I do

MUM: [pulls away from the hug, wiping tears from her eyes] so what pasta are we having?

[the pair continue to talk as the camera zooms out and their conversation fades out into the gradually increasing music. The camera fades to black]

END OF SCENE FOUR

END OF FILM -- CREDITS