The Abridged Script
FADE IN:
INT. ROOM
BRIE LARSON has been imprisoned in a small, 11 x 11 foot ROOM for the last seven years. Her son, JACOB TREMBLAY, just turned five years old.
JACOB TREMBLAY
Good morning Lamp! Good morning Sink! I like to say hi to my furniture as if they were friends! Gosh, isn't Room is the bestest, most specialist, funnest world ever?
BRIE LARSON
Yep, this is it, Jacob. This is the whole world. This definitely isn't a security-locked shed in the back of some psychopath's house. And our situation is definitely not similar to those Jaycee Duggard and Elizabeth Smart cases. And I definitely didn't get pregnant and give birth to the kid from The Smurfs 2.
JACOB TREMBLAY
Hey Ma, I know we call the guy that comes in at night "Old Nick," which is another name for the Devil, but how bad could he be? He brings us food and clothes! You act like he's Gargamel!
BRIE LARSON
Believe me, kid, he's a thousand times worse.
They exercise, make crafts, and bake JACOB a birthday cake.
JACOB TREMBLAY
This cake sucks! It doesn't even have candles with fire on it! You should have asked "Old Nick" for that instead of things we actually need to survive!
BRIE LARSON
Look, I'm trying to make our lives in this hellhole a little less miserable! So if you could stop acting like a normal five year old, that would be great.
That night, JACOB watches from inside the WARDROBE as SEAN BRIDGERS, a.k.a. "Old Nick" comes in.
SEAN BRIDGERS
Oh, it was Jacob's birthday today? Ha, wow, time really flies when you're crazed lunatic. Anyway, I'll continue to honor your request for me not to see him or have any contact with him. Because I'm a stand up guy like that.
BRIE LARSON
Yeah. So, odd-Jeffery-Dahmer-look-a-like, why has our stingy food supply been even more limited recently?
SEAN BRIDGERS
Well, it's becoming more difficult to provide for the two of you since I lost my job six months ago. Nothing you should worry about, I'm sure I can find a way to eliminate some extra mouths to feed. Now lets have sex so the five year old narrator of this movie can have cute exposition about the atrocious situation you're in.
The next morning...
BRIE LARSON
Jacob, we're in trouble. Remember all those cute things I told you to make your life fun and simpler?
JACOB TREMBLAY
Yeah! Like how everything on TV is make believe and anything that can't be explained is either magic or aliens?
BRIE LARSON
Yup. Now, forget all that! The truth is, Sean abducted me when I was 17 and has imprisoned me here ever since. You were born here and you think Room is the world in it's entirety, but the truth is, there's a whole different world outside of it! Now I'm going to give you a good five minutes to wrap your head around this concept.
JACOB TREMBLAY
So you lied! This IS like those Jaycee Duggard and Elizabeth Smart cases!
BRIE LARSON
Yes. And actually, the author of this book got the idea after she heard about the Fritzl case. So if you want to have your mind fucked by a true story even worse than this one, look that one up.
They hear the BEEP of the padlocked door.
BRIE LARSON
Quick! Sean's coming! Here's the plan: You are to play dead, so Sean can take you out of here. Now let's roll you up in this filthy carpet that still has the blood stains from when you were born on it! Hmm... symbolism much?
SEAN enters Room.
BRIE LARSON
(crying)
Jacob got really sick and died because you shut the power off! I want you to bury his body somewhere nice. And don't unroll the carpet or check his pulse to make sure this isn't a ploy to escape!
SEAN BRIDGERS
Sure, I'll do everything you ask. I'm a stand up guy like that.
SEAN takes JACOB out of ROOM and throws him in the back of his pickup truck. As SEAN drives away, JACOB unrolls himself from the carpet, looks up, and see's the blue sky for the very first time!
JACOB TREMBLAY
Wow! It's so beautiful! And I never knew the sky comes with the sounds of uncontrollable sobbing! Oh, wait, that's the audience.
He jumps out of the truck and finds help! And the police find BRIE! And they rush towards each other relieved that they're both still alive! And movie theater ushers have to use a CANOE to maneuver through the river of tears in the aisles!
INT. HOSPITAL
JACOB looks out the window.
JACOB TREMBLAY
Wow. I'm learning so much about the real world. There are lots of different people. And colors are brighter and prettier than I imagined. And this movie hints at the fact that I still breastfeed at five years old, but at least we didn't have a graphic scene where a pre-teen actor pretends to nurse from a prosthetic boob like they did in Game of Thrones.
BRIE LARSON
Well, I'm just glad Sean bitched out and tried to skip town, instead of you know, coming back and killing me.
Their doctor, CAS ANVAR walks in.
CAS ANVAR
Okay, so because Jacob has not developed any immunities to the environment, I'm giving him sunglasses and a surgical mask, so he's going to have to look like a tiny Michael Jackson for a while. Now Brie, about that psychological counseling we talked about.
BRIE LARSON
Well, Doc, to be honest, I think I'm fine.
CAS ANVAR
Good enough for me! Have fun adjusting back to real life.
INT. BRIE'S MOTHER'S HOUSE
BRIE is reunited with her mother, JOAN ALLEN, her father, WILLIAM H. MACY, and JOAN'S new husband, TOM MCCAMUS.
JOAN ALLEN
Welcome back home, honey! I've kept your room exactly how you left it. So you can think about all of the friends you used to have, the lives they have been allowed to lead, and the person you used to be before being abducted! CHEERS!
TOM MCCAMUS
And since your story is national news, people from all over have sent toys for Jacob! Although it would have been nicer if they had sent money to pay for some your bills like they did for those girls in Ohio.
They all sit down for dinner.
WILLIAM H. MACY
I would like to make a toast. I cannot believe I've been given the astounding chance to reunite with a daughter of whom we had long ago presumed was dead. To be able to get answers in a situation like this is truly a gift that I will not take for granted. Seeing that you gave birth alone, nurtured your child in dire circumstances, educated him, kept him happy, and maintained his physical health is a feat that would humble most adults.
(pause)
JUST KIDDING I say none of those things. In fact, I can't even look at Jacob because he was conceived by the asshole who abducted you! Now if you'll excuse me, I'll promptly fuck off for the rest of the movie. See ya!
(does so)
JACOB TREMBLAY
Wow, so there's another thing I learned about the real world. Some people have absolutely no tact.
BRIE LARSON
Seriously. This is further pushing me into depression along with my PTSD! I still don't think I need that psychological counseling though... And in unrelated news, mom, I resent you for moving on with your life and teaching me to always be kind to people, which I believe is what caused me to be kidnapped after a stranger asked me for help with his sick dog!
JOAN ALLEN
That's the only piece of information we get from your abduction? Well, there is a discussion to be had here about women being taught to be polite and kind even in circumstances that make them uncomfortable...
BRIE LARSON
Or we could both just have temper tantrums in front of Jacob while he's trying to adjust!
JOAN ALLEN
Great idea!
Their LAWYER walks in.
LAWYER
Welp, I see everyone here is adjusting just fine. So Brie, you have to do a TV interview to pay for some of the vague expenses this movie brings up but never really clarifies. I mean I'm assuming we're suing Sean civilly, because if the state was prosecuting him we wouldn't owe anything, but whatever, you have expenses.
Later, Brie does an interview with the WORST. JOURNALIST. EVER.
WENDY CREWSON
So, how many times have you contemplated suicide? Did you have sex with other men while you were trapped in that shed? How do you think your son will react when he finds out who his father is?
BRIE LARSON
Jesus Christ! First of all, I don't consider that scumbag as the father. I'm Jacob's only parent. And second, what network do you work for to actually ask this shit? Did we not prep before this?
WENDY CREWSON
The network for cartoonishly evil reporters. Anyway, why didn't you let Sean take Jacob away so he could live a better life instead of selfishly keeping him with you in a tiny shed?
BRIE LARSON
You are absolutely right. As a kidnapped and abused teenager, I should have sat down with my captor/ rapist and have a logical heart to heart about adoption or safe haven laws. I could totally accept that he would do the right thing instead of just tossing my baby in a ditch. Are you done with these asinine questions?
WENDY CREWSON
What do you mean? Don't all reporters inflate the drama of an already delicate situation? I mean, it's not like this has any dire consequences, like making you feel guilty or worsening your depression, right?
BRIE LARSON
...............
INT. JOAN ALLEN'S HOUSE
BRIE TRIES TO KILL HERSELF. She is taken to a hospital and Jacob stays at home with JOAN.
JOAN ALLEN
Hmph, maybe we should use the funds from that interview to sue that idiot reporter.
JACOB TREMBLAY
Don't worry Grandma, I'm adjusting well and gaining a sense of independence. In fact, I think I'll illustrate this by getting rid of this Marky Mark in Rockstar wig I've been wearing this whole time!
JOAN ALLEN
Really? I know that cutting your hair is an old trope about finding new found strength, but I'm just wondering if the audience might find it overdone or--
JACOB TREMBLAY
(yanking on the audience's heart strings)
My hair is my strength and I want to send it to Brie so she'll get better and also I love you Grandma!
The movie theater USHERS from before are now WHITE WATER RAFTING in the aisles.
JOAN ALLEN
Okay, maybe not.
BRIE comes home.
JACOB TREMBLAY
Hey mom! Now that you're out of the hospital, I think we should go back to Room and look at it one last time.
BRIE LARSON
And why in holy hell would I want to do that?
JACOB TREMBLAY
Drama, mom. And also closure. But mostly drama.
They go back to ROOM.
JACOB TREMBLAY
Bye Room! Welp, I'm good! Hooray! I guess the real world isn't so bad! I establish healthy connections to friends and family, and will probably go on to have a normal childhood! Well, that is, until I'm older and learn the truth of this whole situation.
BRIE LARSON
Yeah, and even though I'm free of my physical captivity, I'll probably be forever imprisoned in my own personal PTSD hell, and will probably spend the rest of my life trying not to be a hollow shell of a person. Hooray real world...
JACOB TREMBLAY
Well, look at it this way, Ma, at least you don't have to pretend for me anymore. Now you can always tell me the truth!
BRIE LARSON
Yeah, I guess you're right.
JACOB TREMBLAY
So when do we get to walk away with our matching Oscars?
BRIE LARSON
Ummmmm......
END