Secret Thoughts of Angels :: Production Notes :: Script Analysis
The following script analysis is based on notes taken from Judith Weston's excellent book, Directing Actors: Creating Memorable Performances for Film and Television. She advocates the idea that the only information a director can use is that taken or derived only from the script. To peel back the layers of information we must identify facts, questions, ideas from the text and identify each of the main characters' objectives and subtexts for each scene.
These are the full set of notes I used myself. I never took them on set when we were filming, only on the occasions that we rehearsed or I was going through character backgrounds with the actors. Some of the actors requested copies of this, so I gave them edited versions containing only their notes. This way they weren't aware of what the other actors were meant to be thinking.
Scene 1: Jess in the Library (Monday AM)
Fact: Jess can’t find the book.
Q: How long has she been looking?
Q: What is she looking for?
Note: Jess makes a point of rereading, double checking, even though she knows she won’t find anything new. Signs of desperation?
Note: At the start here Jess is surrounded by thousands of books. And yet she can’t find the one she seeks so desperately. At the end there is just one book, and it has found her.
Note: Jess ultimately fails in this initial quest, but in taking part, she brings about her success.
Jess’ Objective: Jess is trying to find a book, or at least substantive evidence that corroborates her belief that the book does actually exist and is not the figment of a few nutter’s imaginations. The proof of the books existence will prove her arguments in her PhD thesis.
Jess’ Subtext: The book must be found.
Jess’ Throughline: Jess has an older brother who is a successful academic. It was her interest in the occult at an early age that inspired her brother, and being older, he got his doctorate and professorship well before she did. This burns her to the quick, and she is out to prove that she is better than him, but the book is the final piece of the jigsaw and it’s proving trickier than she thought.
What Just Happened? Jess has been getting her friend and flatmate Alice to take her around the country to find the book. Jess has impressed on Alice how important it is that she finds the book, so not only is jess putting g pressure on herself to find the book (even tough her tutor says she doesn’t need to) there’s the additional pressure that Alice is outside waiting for her and she doesn’t want to appear useless by failing yet again to find something. She knows already that Alice is getting upset with her over this, but has so far remained a faithful friend and said nothing.
Scene 2: Jess and Alice in the Church (Monday AM)
Q: Why has Alice chosen to wait in the church? Alice is a lapsed Catholic. Jess’ obsession with the book has caused her to question her own (lack of) faith.
Q: How did Jess know to find Alice in the church? Alice didn’t tell Jess where she was. It may have been patently obviously that that is where she would be, but that probably hasn’t crossed Alice’s mind.
Fact: They are not near home.
Q: Why does Alice want to go home? She’s tired? Bored? Scared by Jess’ obsession. In going to church she gets to think awhile. This thinking leads to a deeper fear that Jess is losing the plot.
Q: What is the relationship between Jess and Alice?
Q: Why does Alice think Jess is wasting her time? Does she get a bad feeling about the whole affair? Is it the church making her feel bad, or bad memories associated with the church? It’s got her all a fluster, that’s for sure. At the same time, deep down, she knows that Jess will find the book, and is scared of what might happen when that occurs.
Q: Does Jess really believe her career is at stake? Ultimately no, but it’s a good cover when she really should be saying, ‘this book is bugging the hell out of me, and my professional, and personal, curiosity won’t let it go.’
Fact: Jess is already getting obsessive about the book.
Ideas: Are there any other ways we can show the obsession coming through?
Jess’ Objective: To keep her friend on side when she makes a very unexpected decision.
Jess’ Subtext: Must find the book at all costs.
Jess’ Throughline: Jess once got hauled up in front of her headmistress for being a bully. She has always resented the idea and denied to herself vehemently that she would bully anyone in any way. When Alice reacts the way she does, Jess suddenly begins to wonder if she really is a bully.
Alice’s Objective: To try to stop the worrying trend of Jess becoming completely obsessed by a book.
Alice’s Subtext: I want my friend back and I’ve decided to do whatever it takes to get her.
Alice’s Throughline: Alice lost a good friend when she was younger to drugs. Alice can see the same slippery slide to dependency occurring in Jess, only rather than a physical need it’s a mental one. She is becoming addicted to the idea of finding the book, and the book, being by its alchemical nature not ‘proper’ and ‘good’ in the Church’s eyes, Alice is worried that she will lose Jess too.
What just happened: We know what happened to Jess, she failed to find the book in the library. But Alice, she’s been left alone to think, and has ended up in a church. This has given her time to focus on what her friend has been up to these past few weeks and she has decided that she doesn’t like it. The presence of Christ, or whatever power she draws from the serene calm of the church, allows her to stand up to Jess, perhaps for the first time in a long while. Jess is caught completely off guard.
Physical Life: What is Alice doing in the church? Is she looking at something? Has she found her old rosary and playing with it absentmindedly. Jess remains empty handed. The only thing she should hold in the whole thing is books.
Scene 3: Jess and Dr Crabtree – Monday Lunchtime
Fact: Dr. C is against Jess looking for the book.
Q: Why does Dr. C think Jess looking for the book is a waste of time? Because he knows what happens to the person who finds it, and he doesn’t want his star pupil to be wasted like that.
Q: Does Dr. C have feelings for Jess? Yes. Perhaps more than he’d ever be willing to let on, but she definitely embodies all the things a woman that he would consider of equal standing with himself, a partner, should have.
Fact: Jess is in danger of losing sight of the goal, indeed has certainly lost sight of it already. For her it’s not now about finishing the thesis, that;s done, this book is calling her and she is fixating on it.
Q: Why is Dr. C more strict with her? Because he has an allegiance to a group of people that have a very strong interest in the book, and should she find a copy, he would love to find out whether there is any truth in the groups fanciful ideas.
Note: We see Dr. C show a small amount of fear in this scene, but his fear is different to Alice’s in scene 2. Alice’s fear is fear of the darkness, of the unknown, of the unchristlike, of what might happen to her, a selfish fear. Dr C’s fear is for Jess, not for himself.
Jess’ Objective: To buy more time to find the book.
Jess’ Throughline: Jess has been working hard on her PhD thesis, and yes, it is more of less complete. But the lack of evidence from the book weighs heavy on her mind. She is mindful that to advance her career she needs to have the paper published properly. But the excuse this gives her blinds her to the fact that she is becoming obsessed by the book. It is calling to her through the years. It needs her as much, if not more, than she needs it.
Jess’ Subtext: I want to be your best student ever and do you proud, but I feel like I’m letting you down at the moment.
Dr C’s Objective: To dissuade Jess from searching too hard for the book.
Dr C’s Throughline: Dr C is caught in a tricky situation. He has been protecting Jess from a group of people that he is involved with. He knows he has taken a huge risk in not telling them about Jess, but he likes her too much to let her go through with what they would have her do. To compound matters, and despite his best efforts, Jess still seems to be finding her way towards the book that he doesn’t want her to find. He has done his best to help her build a solid thesis without the book, but Jess still seems to think she needs to have the book to complete her work. He would, in academic heart, agree with her, but he knows that sooner or later she will start ringing alarm bells with people he’d rather she didn’t meet.
Dr C’s Subtext: He desperately wants to tell her the truth – that he loves her; that he has been protecting her from people who would do her harm, but he can’t. He knows that it would do his marriage and his professional career little good.
What just happened: Jess and Alice have reached a kind of truce, Alice agreeing to take Jess to the University which is on the way back home. Nevertheless the car ride was for the most part made in frosty silence. Jess is even now waiting outside in the cafeteria for Jess. Dr C should be marking books, but has instead taken an extended lunch break. He is feeling drowsy and slightly crabby that he has less time to get his work done in.
Physical life: Jess remains empty handed. Dr Crabtree fiddles with his pen, itching to get the marking done in the shortened afternoon he’s given himself.
Scene 4: Jess drives to Rye – Monday Afternoon
Fact: Jess drives a car – but how well?
Q: Is it Jess’ car? Or has she nicked Alice's?
Q: Can she drive? Perhaps not?
What just happened: Alice and Jess went home. Alice went for a lie down before a date with her boyfriend. She would be going to his house that night so Jess knows it is safe to steal her car.
Scene 5: Jess in Mr Widdershins Book Shop – Monday Afternoon
Fact: Jess is investigating Alchemy for her PhD.
Q: Why does Mr. W say, ‘Ah.’? He slips up. He is caught unawares. When Jess walks in, she looks familiar to him. When she says the name of the book and the authoress, his mind goes into overdrive. Perhaps for the first time ever, he’s a little Stumped! From this point on he;s on the defensive.
Fact: Jess is a serious scholar, and has checked out the serious scholarly places.
Q: Why does Mr. W change tack with his line of questioning? A) Because he’s starting to smell a rat. As the leader of the group of elite scholars, including Dr. C, he is in charge of defending the memory of their departed leader, Gertrude Stumpe. They are protectors of her book – the one Jess seeks – and they are the ones who are on the lookout for one who will be able to find the books secrets and perform the ritual at the allotted time to bring Gertrude back to life, or rather through time, to the present. Before Jess walked into his shop, Mr. W had given up that they would find someone for the forthcoming bi event on Saturday, as his eyes and ears at the local university, Dr. C, has reported no suitable candidates. Of course, when he confirms that Jess could well be the one, he’s absolutely furious.
Fact: Jess is a descendent of GS through the maternal line.
Fact: The book exists.
Jess’ Objective: To find the book, and illicit information from Mr W that might be pertinent to her quest.
Jess’ Throughline:
Jess’ Subtext: I’m desperate for this book, I’ll do anything for it(!).
Mr W’s Objective: Initially to sell a book, but this quickly changes to that of finding out as much about Jess without raising her suspicions.
Mr W’s Throughline: Mr W is the master of an elite group of alchemists and notable experts on alchemy. His is the job to seek the one who would perform the ritual and complete the events that began in the 1600’s when GS’s body was found in a deep coma state, such that she was presumed dead and in fact buried alive. He has just given up in the idea that he will ever find the mistresses heir in his lifetime, when she walks through the door and introduces her to him. This catches him completely off guard. He expected one of his experts to scout her out, Dr C or the like.
Mr W’s Subtext: What the!?! No, it couldn’t be that simple, this is a joke, right? Shit, it isn’t.
What just happened: Mr W has been listening to his radio and has heard a discussion about the unique astrological event that will be taking place that Saturday. He is irritated that this is perhaps his last chance to find the heir of the Mistress and get her to so the ritual that will bring her into the present, to complete the ritual started all those years ago. Jess has just driven badly across the Romney Marsh.
Physical life: Mr W is the master of books. He treats them like his children. He pets them and caresses them the whole time. He loves the feel of the leather binding against his fingers. Again Jess is empty handed.
Scene 6: Jess and Alice fight and Jess receives a present - Tuesday
Fact: There is a big astrological event happening this coming Saturday.
Fact: Jess likes to work in silence. Alice must know this, does she turn on the radio to spite Jess? Why? She is on the offensive now. She wants Jess to give up obsessing about the Book, so she thinks by distracting her she will win a little bit more of the battle.
Q: Why does Jess apologise? She realises Alice has the upper ground, but is that enough. Perhaps there is more than a little cynicism in the apology, a brush off to return things back to as they were, a bit of stand off between the two. A stony silence could erupt before Alice actually backs down and gives Jess the parcel. This could throw more emphasis back onto Jess’ reaction to the unexpected delivery.
Fact: Jess now has the book.
Q: What is Alice’s reaction to the finding of the book?
Alice’s Objective: Initially to continue the negative air that currently exists between her and Jess. As Jess reacts to her, she takes the opportunity to air a few more grievances.
Alice’s Throughline: Alice is by now really worried about Jess and the more she thinks about it, the more she begins to realise that Jess really hasn’t been herself for some time.
Alice’s Subtext: I want you to Wake Up!
Jess’ Objective: To complete the thesis and make it the best she can with the lack of the book.
Jess’ Throughline: The lack of book is really starting to burn Jess’ arse, and to make matters worse, Alice seems to be on a crusade to wind her up. She’s an emotional ketchup burst waiting to happen.
Jess’ Subtext: Why can’t you understand what I’m going through here? Or Why don’t you just get lost? Or Why don’t you take the log out of your own eye? Or Why can’t you just leave me alone (makes most sense with the apology)?
What just happened: Alice has spent the night at her boyfriend’s house and has been dropped off by him. She comes in to find none of the chores have been done and Jess working hard at her computer. Still a little sore from their run in yesterday, she decides to wind Jess up a bit. Jess has been working hard on her PhD, but is extremely irritated that she can’t find the book. It’s not going the way she wanted it to.
Physical life: Alice has met the courier on the way in, and is holding the package.
Scene 7: Dr Crabtree on the phone – Tuesday
Q: Is Dr. C lying? Yes. How much? Hard to tell.
Note: Should Dr. C show some signs of having taken a beating?
Fact: The clock is now ticking on Jess.
Dr C’s Objective: To try to come to terms with the fact that’s he’s obviously been rumbled.
Dr C’s Throughline: Dr C has been protecting Jess from the cult he is a member of. He has tried his best to dissuade her from searching for the book, but now she has it. He knows that her life is in danger. Furthermore, as she didn’t actually find the book, but it was sent to her, there could only be one person who sent it, Mr W. And if he sent Jess the book, he’ll soon realise what Dr C has been up to and god knows what he’ll send round to the office for him.
Dr C’s Subtext: To keep protecting Jess, ensure that she only does what she needs to do – i.e. use it for her Thesis. With any luck she won’t discover too much about the book and she’ll lose interest in it before she finds something he really doesn’t want her to.
What just happened: He’s been marking essays, and his mind is not quite focused.
Physical life: Essays in front of him could take a bit of battering as the fear factor kicks in.
Scene 8: Jess tries to find the secret of the book – Tuesday/Wednesday
Q: Why can’t Jess find the secret at this point? If she is GS’s descendent, should she not be able to find the secret? No. She couldn’t find the book, so she can’t find the secret at this stage. She is blinded by her academic mind set, but the secret can only be found by more practical means. As Jess has, until recently, held no truck with such mumbo jumbo nonsense on a practical level, she won’t succeed at this stage. Her intolerance of practical paganism is the only reason Alice allows her to stay in the flat. But Alice is sensing, perhaps more and more now, that Jess is weakening and her true (inherited) nature is growing stronger.
Note: At no point during this sequence should Jess allow herself to speak words from the book, even under her breath.
Jess’ Objective: To find the information she is looking for in the book. But she can’t understand what is going on, there is nothing of any substance in the book to help her.
Jess’ Throughline: The lack of useful information infuriates her even more, as it can only mean that it is hidden away, perhaps encoded into the text.
Jess’ Subtext: The frustration only serves to build the hold that the book has over Jess. Now it is in her possession she is more or less a slave to it.
Physical life: Now she has the book, it rarely leaves her hands.
Scene 9: Dr Crabtree pays a visit – Thursday
Note: By now the obsession is eating away at Jess. The only time in this scene Jess is separated from the book is when she hands it over to Dr Crabtree, and that is hard work for her.
Idea: Jess finds the secret by allowing the more practical side of her brain to kick in – perhaps the secret is not a mental problem, but a physical one. Dr Crabtree’s words spark this idea. Could also alcohol play a part, loosening Jess’ mind up a bit? Perhaps, when Dr C leaves, she downs a glass of wine in frustration, allowing her right brain to kick in a little.
Fact: Alice works in a pub.
Fact: Alice thinks pagans are weirdo's.
Fact: Jess finds the secret.
Jess’ Objective: She’s still trying to find the secret of the book, she’s become blind to everything.
Jess’ Throughline: By now Jess is starting to get angry and really frustrated.
Jess’ Subtext: Help me! But she’s too proud, and why would Dr C help anyway?
Alice’s Objective: To loosen Jess up a bit.. She’s getting too wound up. She’s got the wine out. She knows that biting her head off won’t help the situation, so she tries a different tack. But her attempts at gentle humour backfire.
Alice’s Throughline: Alice is genuinely scared by Jess’ obsession with the book, but she is at a loss of what to do.
Alice’s Subtext: Jess, snap out of it!
What just happened: Jess has been beating herself up over the book. She’s not eaten or slept properly for days. Alice is tiptoeing around her after their little altercation the other day.
Physical life: Alice now has a rosary? or whatever the Greek Orthodox people have? She’s fiddling with it. Jess fails to notice it, so wrapped up in the book is she.
Scene 10: In Dr Crabtree’s Office – Friday
Q: Is Dr C genuinely amazed? Yes, but the amazement is partly relief that he might just be out of the merde he’s in with Mr W. If he works fast, he might be able to save his skin. He’s also surprised as, like Jess, he thought the secret would be revealed by code.
Q: Why can’t Dr C tell Jess about the group? A) It’s a secret society (for Men Only?) and until Jess becomes GS, she should know as little about it as possible. B) He knows that as her lecturer and guardian, he’s sticking his neck out and taking a professional risk in encouraging Jess to take a somewhat unacademic approach. By telling her as little as possible, he is trying to maintain his academic integrity.
Fact: Dr C did not send the book, but he knows who did.
Note: Jess is now changing rapidly, her intuition, which has apparently let her down until the previous night is playing catch up. However, her insistence on not helping the final fight of the academic side of her nature.
Jess’ Objective: Give me that PhD!
Jess’ Throughline: Jess is on a real roller coaster ride. From despair to euphoria to caution to despair again. She may be desperate, but her principles still shine through. The ritual genuinely scares her, and she’s not about to start messing about now. She knows that’ll lead to trouble.
Jess’ Subtext: Not a great deal of subtext here. Jess wants done with the whole thing. She’s found the answer, why can’t she just get on with it?
Dr C’s Objective: Get Jess to do the ritual.
Dr C’s Throughline: Mr W has bent Dr C’s ear considerably. Dr C knows now that should he fail in the attempt to get Jess to find and then do the ritual, he is a dead man, possibly literally. Mr W will not let this one go. His relief is great when Jess shows him the progress she’s made, but again, his hopes are dashed as Jess’ morals stand in the way.
Dr C’s Subtext: Jess, please do the ritual, or I will die. But I really can’t tell you that!
What just happened: Jess has been working hard on the new find, no more sleep. She is shattered, but she still keeps going. Dr C is working on ways to help Jess without her realising. Mr W is also in the vicinity, heightening Dr C’s nerves.
Scene 11: Mr Widdershins’ Concern – Friday
Fact: Mr W knows Dr C and expects Jess, by hook or by crook to do the ritual.
Mr W’s Objective: Ensure that the ritual goes ahead with Jess at the helm this Saturday night.
Mr W’s Throughline: This is once in a lifetime opportunity and so far Dr C has made every effort to completely balls it up for him. He is not a happy man when he sees Jess storming away and suspects the worse.
Mr W’s Subtext: Make sure she does it or I will skewer your balls over a Bunsen burner…
What just happened: Mr W has been ensuring that things are in place this Saturday. The group will need to be informed should the miraculous happen and Dr C gets his act together enough to convince Jess to do the ritual. Not convinced he will Mr W has taken some precautionary steps and withdrawn a large sum of money from the bank in order.
Physical life: The money is in a briefcase next to him in the car, along with some old books.
Scene 12: Show me the Money – Saturday
Fact: Jess has finished her Thesis and got it bound.
Fact: Despite the previous fact, she’s still obsessing about the book.
Fact: Alice has strong principles, even for a lapsed catholic.
Idea: Alice now knows that the battle has been lost, and her actions are a tactical withdrawal.
Jess’ Objective: To get her PhD by the best way she can possibly imagine.
Jess’ Throughline: Initially she has given up and gone ahead and bound her thesis without the benefit of the book. This galls her immensely. But the book won’t give up its call to her.
Jess’ Subtext: I’m not happy and I really want to do the ritual, but I said I wouldn’t and now I can’t.
Alice’s Objective: To get Jess away from the PhD and help her move on.
Alice’s Throughline: Alice’s fear for Jess turns to downright indignation at the thought of Jess performing the ritual. The realisation that the cause is lost dawns on her and she soon realises that Jess is going to do the ritual, no matter how hard she argues.
Alice’s Subtext: This isn’t just you acting stupidly, Jess, this is our relationship at stake.
What just happened: Alice has spent the night at her boyfriends and has returned home to find the courier on the doorstep again. Jess has actually had some sleep, but the book won’t leave her alone. Even though she tries to tell herself that she’s finished she can’t put the book down. She has sat staring at the Angel for ages before Alice appears, lost in her own reverie.
Physical life: Alice has the package, Jess still has the book.
Scene 13: The Ritual – Saturday
Q: What happened between the previous scene and this one?
Q: Why does Dr C say she doesn’t have to go through with it? Three Possibilities:
1) He loves her and knows that she will not survive, but knows that by doing it he is upholding his part of a professional agreement to help with the thesis.
2) He knows that whether she does or she doesn’t do it, he has lost the respect of the rest of the cult, and so it’s irrelevant whether she does it or not, he is doomed.
3) He’s got to get home because he thinks he’s left the oven on.Fact: Jess does the ritual.
Jess’ Objective: To do the ritual in order to secure what she feels will be a better PhD than her brothers.
Jess’ Throughline: Jess hates herself for doing this, but she has spent the day mentally excusing herself and making up a host of reasons why she should do it.
Jess’ Subtext: Deep down I wanted to do this all along.
Dr C’s Objective: To aid the ritual, if Jess really wants to do it.
Dr C’s Throughline: He knows that he is about to lose her and has a slight change of heart, asking her if she wants to back out. He mentally berates himself for doing this, but his emotions for her are very strong. He’s not sure he can watch it.
Dr C’s Subtext: Please don’t do it!
What just happened: Jess must have thought she has placated Alice, but if Alice is retreating/given up, this may have been easier than Jess thought. Perhaps the ease should have made her suspicious but it has not, her attention is now on the ritual. She is trying to justify it in her mind that it’s for her career, it can’t hurt can it. But in actual fact the book now has control of her.
Dr C has become a bit of celebrity as it has leaked out amongst the group that he might be closing in on the return of Gertrude. Mr W has allowed the rumour to spread, as it will benefit him for people to know. He has privately warned Dr C that if he screws up he will meet an unfortunate end.
Scene 14: The Mistress of the Marsh – Somewhere in timeless eternity
Fact: Jess is in the sh*t now.
Gertrude’s Objective: To travel spiritually forward in time to possess the body of Jess.
Gertrude’s Throughline: GS is a powerful scryer and communicator with spirit beings she regards as Angels. They have laid out the foundation for a new model of society which she has detailed in her writings and left to a close associate, Mr Widdershins, to safeguard and teach others until the time is right. So as not to miss out on this time of beauty and grace, she has worked out how to spiritually travel through time. She has made Mr W the sole guardian of this secret with the responsibility for looking for a suitable time and a suitable candidate to to the ritual that will complete her spell.
Gertrude’s Subtext: Absolute power is mine!