1962
In 1962 London, bright sixteen-year-old Jenny Mellor dreams of attending Oxford University, but her conventional parents push her towards academic success while stifling her artistic interests. Jenny's life takes an unexpected turn when she meets David Goldman, a charismatic older man who introduces her to a sophisticated world of art, music, and Parisian adventures, quickly charming her parents and leading her to neglect her studies. Despite warnings from her Headmistress and a concerned teacher, Miss Stubbs, Jenny becomes engaged to David, abandoning her Oxford aspirations and leaving school, believing she has found true love and a more exciting future. Jenny discovers David is already married with a child after finding his marriage certificate in his car, leading to a devastating confrontation and the realization that her parents were complicit in overlooking David's suspicious behavior.
Save the Cat beat sheet
Jenny Mellor is a bright 16-year-old student whose disciplined academic life is disrupted when she meets David, an older man who introduces her to a glamorous world beyond school.
Open full beat sheetJenny Mellor is listed as Protagonist. A bright, beautiful, and ambitious sixteen-year-old schoolgirl. In the parsed data, Jenny Mellor is connected to 70 scenes, 104 dialogue lines, 105 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
70 scenes / 104 dialogue linesDavid Goldman is listed as Antagonist/Love Interest. A dapper, charismatic man in his mid-thirties who lives a double life. In the parsed data, David Goldman is connected to 39 scenes, 65 dialogue lines, 67 text mentions, first appearing around scene 2.
39 scenes / 65 dialogue linesJack Mellor is listed as Jenny's Father. Middle-aged, conventional, and obsessed with Jenny's academic success. In the parsed data, Jack Mellor is connected to 20 scenes, 41 dialogue lines, 41 text mentions, first appearing around scene 3.
20 scenes / 41 dialogue linesMarjorie Mellor is listed as Jenny's Mother. Middle-aged, somewhat passive, and conventional. In the parsed data, Marjorie Mellor is connected to 20 scenes, 12 dialogue lines, 12 text mentions, first appearing around scene 20.
20 scenes / 12 dialogue linesDanny is listed as David's Associate. A sophisticated, art-collecting friend of David. In the parsed data, Danny is connected to 10 scenes, 18 dialogue lines, 19 text mentions, first appearing around scene 19.
10 scenes / 18 dialogue linesHelen is listed as Danny's Partner. A glamorous, Bohemian woman who is part of David's social circle. In the parsed data, Helen is connected to 10 scenes, 15 dialogue lines, 25 text mentions, first appearing around scene 19.
10 scenes / 15 dialogue linesTina is listed as Schoolmate. Jenny's friend, pretty and sharp. In the parsed data, Tina is connected to 10 scenes, 10 dialogue lines, 10 text mentions, first appearing around scene 21.
10 scenes / 10 dialogue linesHattie is listed as Schoolmate. Jenny's friend, slower and frumpier than the others. In the parsed data, Hattie is connected to 10 scenes, 9 dialogue lines, 9 text mentions, first appearing around scene 44.
10 scenes / 9 dialogue linesMiss Stubbs is listed as Teacher. An attractive, bright, and animated schoolteacher who mentors Jenny. In the parsed data, Miss Stubbs is connected to 6 scenes, 25 dialogue lines, 27 text mentions, first appearing around scene 1.
6 scenes / 25 dialogue linesGraham is listed as Schoolmate. A nervous, shy, and unconfident boy of Jenny's age. In the parsed data, Graham is connected to 6 scenes, 3 dialogue lines, 7 text mentions, first appearing around scene 42.
6 scenes / 3 dialogue linesHeadmistress is listed as School Authority. Severe, tweedy, and traditional headmistress. In the parsed data, Headmistress is connected to 4 scenes, 15 dialogue lines, 16 text mentions, first appearing around scene 45.
4 scenes / 15 dialogue linesA montage of school life in 1962, followed by Miss Stubbs teaching a literature class where Jenny is the only engaged student.
Miss Stubbs, Jenny MellorJenny practices music in her room, but is interrupted by a neighbor complaining about the noise.
Jenny MellorJenny has a tense lunch with her parents regarding her academic future and hobbies.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny attends youth orchestra rehearsal and interacts with Graham and two silly boys.
Jenny Mellor, GrahamJenny and Graham discuss his upcoming visit to her house.
Jenny Mellor, GrahamDavid offers Jenny a lift in his car during the rain.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanJenny and David talk while she walks alongside his car.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanJenny gets into the car.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanThe car crawls along the road.
David GoldmanDavid and Jenny discuss her dreams of Oxford and university life.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanGraham has tea with Jenny and her parents, leading to an awkward interaction.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie Mellor, GrahamJenny and her parents leave for the concert.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny finds flowers on the doorstep.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny puts the flowers inside.
Jenny MellorJenny and her friends discuss existentialism.
Jenny Mellor, Tina, HattieJenny meets David again and agrees to a concert date.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Tina, HattieDavid picks Jenny up for the concert, meeting her parents.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny and David meet Danny and Helen.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Danny, HelenJenny dines with David, Danny, and Helen at a club, discussing French culture and art.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Danny, HelenJenny returns home late and talks to her mother.
Jenny Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny shares stories of her night out with her friends before Miss Stubbs arrives.
Jenny Mellor, Miss Stubbs, Tina, HattieJenny works at her desk.
Jenny MellorDavid waits in his car.
David GoldmanJenny leaves school to meet David.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanDavid shows Jenny his property work.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanDavid leaves the house.
David GoldmanJenny and David discuss his clients.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanJenny helps Danny bid on a painting.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Danny, HelenThe group visits Danny's flat.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Danny, HelenJenny receives poor test results.
Jenny MellorJack reacts to Jenny's test results.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny and her mother watch Jack.
Jenny Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny encounters Graham.
Jenny Mellor, Graham, Tina, HattieJenny studies.
Jenny MellorJenny hears voices.
Jenny MellorJenny finds David with her parents.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorDavid and Danny wait impatiently for the girls to get ready.
David Goldman, DannyHelen helps Jenny get ready.
Jenny Mellor, HelenDanny and David continue to wait for the girls.
David Goldman, DannyHelen finishes Jenny's makeover and they discuss David.
Jenny Mellor, HelenThe girls emerge and the men are stunned by Jenny's appearance.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Danny, HelenJenny's family discusses David's potential arrival during a birthday dinner with Graham.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Jack Mellor, Marjorie Mellor, GrahamDavid charms the family while Graham feels alienated and leaves.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Jack Mellor, Marjorie Mellor, GrahamJenny's friends discuss Paris, and Miss Stubbs warns Jenny about the Headmistress.
Jenny Mellor, Miss Stubbs, Tina, HattieThe Headmistress warns Jenny about the consequences of her relationship with an older man.
Jenny Mellor, HeadmistressDavid and Jenny attempt to be intimate, but Jenny insists on waiting for Paris.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanDavid and Jenny share a post-coital moment in Paris.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanJenny discusses her Paris trip with her friends.
Jenny Mellor, Tina, HattieMiss Stubbs urges Jenny to prioritize her education and go to Oxford.
Jenny Mellor, Miss StubbsJenny, David, Danny, and Helen visit a nightclub to meet a business associate.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Danny, HelenDavid proposes to Jenny outside the club.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanThe Headmistress punishes Jenny and her friends for smoking.
Jenny Mellor, Tina, Hattie, HeadmistressJenny asks her parents about marriage instead of college.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorMiss Stubbs teaches King Lear while Jenny is distracted by her engagement ring, leading to a confrontation.
Miss Stubbs, Jenny Mellor, Tina, HattieThe Headmistress confronts Jenny about her engagement and her decision to abandon her education.
Headmistress, Jenny MellorJenny leaves the school grounds for the last time.
Jenny MellorJenny tells her parents she is not sitting her exams.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny and David announce their engagement to Danny and Helen.
Danny, Helen, David Goldman, Jenny MellorDavid and Jenny discuss Danny's reaction.
David Goldman, Jenny MellorDavid visits Jenny and reveals he lives at home with his mother.
Jenny Mellor, David Goldman, Marjorie MellorJenny discusses exam papers with her friends.
Jenny Mellor, Tina, HattieJenny, her parents, and David prepare for a night out.
Jenny Mellor, Marjorie Mellor, Jack Mellor, David GoldmanThe group gets into David's car.
Jack Mellor, Marjorie Mellor, David Goldman, Jenny MellorThe group drives toward town.
David Goldman, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorThe car cruises down the road.
David approaches a petrol station.
David GoldmanDavid stops for petrol and makes a phone call.
David GoldmanJenny discovers David's secret.
Jenny Mellor, Jack MellorDavid sees Jenny looking through his papers.
David Goldman, Jenny MellorJenny confronts David about his marriage.
David Goldman, Jenny Mellor, Jack MellorJenny confronts David outside her house.
David Goldman, Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny returns to her parents.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny confronts her parents about David's departure and her own emotional state.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJenny discovers David is married with a child.
Jenny Mellor, David GoldmanJenny returns home and confronts her parents about their complicity.
Jenny Mellor, Jack Mellor, Marjorie MellorJack tries to apologize to Jenny.
Jenny Mellor, Jack MellorJenny discards her adult possessions.
Jenny MellorJenny confronts Danny and Helen about their knowledge of David's life.
Jenny Mellor, Danny, HelenJenny asks to return to school, but is rejected.
Jenny Mellor, HeadmistressJenny meets her friends Hattie and Tina.
Jenny Mellor, Tina, HattieI'm surprised that you two are standing in front of me. I'm not surprised to find you here, Miss Mellor, though I do feel rather like the judge who sent Al Capone to prison for tax evasion. We take a very dim view of smoking. We take an even dimmer view of some of your other behaviour, which as far as we know has taken place off school premises. Your appearance here today, however, allows me to remind you that we are trying to teach you how to become young ladies, not nightclub hostesses. In reality, of course, you are neither. You are merely silly little girls. Detention after school. Go away.
All my life I've been scared, and I didn't want you to be scared. That's why I wanted you to go to Oxford. So that if someone asked you out to a nice restaurant, you wouldn't panic about what was a starter and what was a main course. And then David came along, and he had money, and he knew famous writers, and he knew how to get to classical music concerts. But he wasn't who he said he was. He wasn't who you said he was, either.
Yes. I will. I know. Sometimes it seems as though that's what all this slog is for. If I get to University, I'm going to read what I want and think about what I want and listen to what I want. And I'm going to look at paintings and go to French films and talk to people who know lots about lots.
I can see my behaviour must have been... confusing. But we've never sat down and had a proper chat about it all. About the whys and wherefores. They can wait. The important thing is that you're still my Minnie Mouse, and I love you, and you had fun. You know you had fun.
I couldn't bear it if clever Jenny lost. It's because of people like you that I plough through illiterate essays by Sandra Lovell about her pony. And there aren't many of you, I can tell you. One every few years. Is your boyfriend interested in clever Jenny?
Oh, you're my father again, are you? What were you when you encouraged me to throw my life away? I'm a silly schoolgirl. Was, anyway. Silly schoolgirls are always being seduced by glamorous older men. But what about you two?
Yes. I had fun. But I had fun with the wrong person, at all the wrong times. And I can't ever get those times back, now. Look, David. I'm in Oxford. Every day I wake up and pinch myself. And when I think how close I came...
I'm sure you have. But I was filled up with beautiful things, books and music and conversation, in exactly the same way at Cambridge. And I didn't have to pay the same sort of price. Are you taking precautions, Jenny?
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