"WOMAN:" "So, how long will you be gone?" "MAN:" "Quite a few days." "Maybe a week." "Couple of months, couple of years..." "(CHUCKLES)" "What, you don't like it here?" "Look at it." "It's beautiful." "Thanks." "(LAUGHS) Stop it." "You sound like a broken record." "Go on." "(MUFFLED) Probable, probable..." "Starting to feel..." "Whoa!" "Oh!" "Ooh." "Come on." "(WHISPERS) Hey?" "Hey?" "Dawnie?" "Dawnie?" "Aaaahh!" "Oh!" "Shi..." "Dawn!" "(LAUGHS)" "(LAUGHS) You 're not coming back up." "(LAUGHS)" "But I'm a girl." "What's the secret password?" "Oh!" "(GIGGLES)" "You comfortable?" "(GROANS) I will be." "Yeah, just a few days." "(ACOUSTIC GUITAR PLAYS)" "SONG: # Speak." "Baby." "Speak" "# Tell me I'm weak" "# Tell me these promises are not mine to keep" "# Tell me I'm ugly" "# But tell me you love me" "# Tell me you cannot go through this world without me" "# Oh." "I" "# I" "# I'm just a tree" "# My roots" "# Are with her" "# But my leaves... #" "It's mine, mate." "Come on." "I'll put the kettle on." "# Heal." "Baby." "Heal" "# Take all the time you will" "# I never thought I'd say this" "# But I'm letting go of the bill" "# I don't w anna see" "# Your face here no more" "# Still that doesn't mean that I'm shutting the door" "# No." "I" "# I" "# I'm just a tree" "# My leaves" "# Are with her" "# But my roots are buried well deep... #" "Nah, you 're right." "# Oh." "Oh." "Oh" "# Oh." "Oh" "# Oh." "Oh." "Oh" "# Oh" "# Oh." "Oh." "Oh." "Oh... #" "Good one, Peter." "No problems." "Good job, mate." "We might get going, mate." "# I know these words" "# Are tearing you apart" "# Still." "I told you" "# Right from the start" "# This is how our little song" "# Is gonna play out. #" "(TRAIN HORN BLARES)" "DAWN:" "Hi." "How you going, darling?" "It's me." "How's it going?" "(TRAIN HORN BLARES)" "Uh-huh." "Oh, did you?" "Been a hell of a drive." "Are you in town?" "Yeah." "I'm not far off now." "Yeah." "Do you know when you'll be home?" "No, I was just..." "Hey." "I can't..." "Darling, I ca can't hear you." "(CAR HORN BEEPS)" "It's coming!" "Quick." "It's coming." "(BRIDGE CREAKS)" "Keep your eyes open." "(BOTH SCREAM)" "(BOTH LAUGH)" "Simone!" "What are you doing?" "Come here." "Dad!" "What are you thinking?" "Look, I told you a hundred times." "It's dangerous up there." "You 're not to go there alone, alright?" "Alright." "I'm sorry." "Huh?" "I'm sorry." "OK." "I promise not to go back." "OK." "Now, come on, it's late." "We gotta go home, alright?" "It's not late." "Yes, it is." "Megan, look." "It's so cool, isn't it?" "Glows in the dark." "He's gonna give it to me for my birthday." "For your birthday." "I promise." "How about now?" "Hey?" "Give it to me now." "Please, please, please?" "Now, now, now." "Please?" "Hmm..." "(GIGGLES)" "Mmmwah!" "Mmmwah!" "(CHUCKLES) There it is." "Look." "It's mine now." "(CHUCKLES)" "Come on, poppet." "Come on, let's go." "Bye!" "(BOTH SCREAM)" "(HONKS HORN)" "(HONKS HORN)" "How's it going, Andy?" "Come on, Megs." "That's it." "There we go." "Bye!" "Bye." "See you later." "Keep your head down, darling." "(GROANS)" "Where you going?" "(GIGGLES)" "Dad." "Dad!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Dad!" "Mum!" "What's happened?" "MUM!" "Dad's not moving!" "Dad?" "Dad!" "What happened?" "Peter?" "Peter!" "Peter!" "BO Y:" "Get him out of the car." "Dad!" "Peter!" "Mum, get him out of the car!" "DAWN:" "He's not breathing!" "Mum, calm down." "Get him out of the car." "Call an ambulance!" "Oh!" "Peter!" "Peter!" "SIMONE: (SOBS) Mum!" "DAWN:" "I don't know what to do!" "I'm so sorry." "If there's anything I can do to help..." "I'm here for ya." "You know I'm here to help ya?" "Alright." "Look after your mum, mate." "Alright?" "WOMAN:" "Oh, look." "Here's little Charlie." "And Lou, that's you, looking just like your dad when he was your age." "No-one's crying." "That's how it is when people are really sad." "People are leaving." "They want to say goodbye." "I can't." "Whoo!" "Ah!" "Wait up!" "(PHONE RINGS)" "LOU:" "Tim, get the phone, please!" "Tim!" "TIM:" "Simone, you get that!" "SIMONE:" "Charlie, get the phone!" "PETER: (ON ANSWERING MACHINE) You've reached the home of Tim." "Lou." "Simone." "Charlie." "Dawn and Peter." "Which is more than they have." "Please leave a message - we'll be happy to find it when we get in." "Mum." "Mum, get up." "It's 11 o'clock." "Uncle Jack's just called and he wants to know if you got the money." "He wants you to call him back." "Mum!" "Haven't you got school?" "It's a Saturday." "And anyway, you promised we'd go today." "Where?" "You promised." "(CHUCKLES) (GIGGLES)" "LOU:" "I can't believe this." "They still haven't engraved his name." "It's been two months." "Stupid undertakers." "What do you expect?" "Well, if no-one checks... (SIGHS) Dad's grave's pathetic." "LOU:" "Just shut up." "(TRAIN HORN BLARES)" "(BIRD CHIRRUPS)" "(TREE CREAKS)" "(TREE CREAKS LOUDLY)" "(LEAVES RUSTLE LOUDLY)" "TIM:" "Simone, Lou, Charlie!" "Dinner's ready!" "Mum, can you go and get your kids?" "It's ready." "Charlie, go to the kitchen." "Dinner's ready." "Do you know where Simone is?" "Simone!" "Simone, it's dangerous!" "Come down!" "(FAINTLY) Simone, you 're too high!" "(HUMS)" "What the hell were you doing up there?" "Nothing." "Think I'm stupid?" "You 're looking for attention." "And you?" "Why'd you cut off your hair?" "Not for attention?" "Just leave me alone." "Someone needs to go shopping." "What do we need?" "I'll go to the supermarket." "(SCOFFS) Yeah?" "When?" "Tomorrow, or maybe today." "Although today I have to bring Simone to the ophthalmologist, so maybe tomorrow." "Yeah." "One of these days." "Right." "Charlie!" "Come and have something to eat." "Come here so I can dress you." "Mmm." "Everyone will be late for school." "Mmm!" "Nyaah!" "(GROWLS)" "I can't leave you here alone." "Look, I'm exhausted." "I'm going to get really, really angry." "Be a good boy, or Mummy's going to get very, very cross." "Just put it on!" "You two, move it!" "Lou, clear the table!" "What do you think I am?" "The maid?" "Simone, go and get dressed." "There's a good girl." "After yesterday's performance..." "I don't feel well." "I've got a tummy ache." "If you all carry on like this, I'll leave without you." "I mean it." "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "TIM:" "It's nothing to worry about." "WOMAN:" "Hello, Charlie." "How are you?" "Having the meeting here today, dear." "Did you forget?" "No." "No, of course not." "I'm just running a bit late." "You better go by bike." "I'll keep the young ones at home." "No worries." "And I hope you've been keeping a list of all your serial numbers." "What is it?" "The engraver." "Dawn, really." "We spoke about this last meeting." "You engrave your name on your TV and stereo, anything you think they might try and sell." "Yeah, I'll have to get onto that." "Well, there's no real rush." "But, Vonnie, there is!" "Haven't you noticed those boys riding their bikes up and down the road lately?" "Biscuit?" "WOMAN:" "Yes, please." "Love one." "Oh, I'll make the tea, Dawn." "Um..." "I'm sorry." "I'm exhausted." "Make yourselves at home." "(CRIES)" "(BRANCHES CREAK)" "(BRANCHES CREAK) Dad?" "Mum." "Mum." "What?" "I know where Dad is." "Have you been having a nightmare?" "I heard him." "A ghost, you mean?" "No." "Not a ghost." "For real." "You can talk to him." "Want me to show you?" "Now?" "In the middle of the night?" "See you tomorrow, darling." "Come on." "Now!" "(SIGHS) Stop it." "Please." "You 're imagining things." "Mum, I cross my heart, swear to die." "Come and lie down with me." "You never believe me." "(SIGHS)" "Alright." "OK." "Come on, show me." "Come on." "Follow me." "Simone, really, what is this?" "Shh." "Come on." "Wait, wait, stop, stop." "Come down." "It's too dangerous." "I need to go there by myself." "So?" "Go on." "Higher." "Mum?" "Mum?" "(DAWN LAUGHS)" "Did you hear him?" "Maybe." "Told you." "I heard something but..." "It's our secret." "The two of us." "Promise?" "Please?" "I promise." "I promise." "Cross my heart, swear to die." "Now get back to bed." "Soon the boys can wear them." "Then we're not going to throw them out, we'll just put them away." "Clear them away." "You know what you should do?" "You should make a list of everything that was wrong with him." "I mean, he wasn't Mr Perfect, was he?" "(SNIFFLES) Well..." "To me, he was." "No, he wasn't." "Remember?" "He had to say everything three times." "He could be boring." "And he had hairs growing out of his nose." "(LAUGHS)" "And between me and you, was he always that great in...?" "Good in bed?" "You can't imagine." "Bastard." "(LAUGHS)" "NEWSREADER:" "More than 85 bushfires are still burning in New South Wales tonight." "Fires at South West Rocks and Crescent Head on the state's north coast have forced ev acuations." "So far." "No property has been lost." "(SPITS) Yuck!" "He sneaks the whisky from the sideboard." "Thinks Mum won't notice it." "SIMONE:" "It's Dad's whisky." "He doesn't need it anymore." "You selfish idiot." "(COUGHS)" "(MUTES TV)" "Hey, turn it back on!" "Who do you think you are?" "(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS)" "Hi." "You've reached the O'Neill home, which is more than we have, unless we're out in the garden." "Feel free to express your innermost feelings after the tone." "Thanks." "Bye." "Hey." "Hey." "How you going, mate?" "Good." "How are you?" "How you been?" "Oh, great." "Great." "How's your mum?" "Yeah, she's good." "Everyone's good." "Um..." "I was wondering if maybe I could have a part-time job around the yard?" "Course you can." "Hey, the old man would be proud of you, mate." "Hey?" "Look, I'll need to think about it." "What are you thinking - weekends?" "After school?" "I..." "I don't know." "I'll have to talk to Mum." "Thanks anyway, mate." "Alright, mate." "No worries." "Look after yourself, hey?" "Alright." "See you, mate." "Sorry for having disturbed you." "You didn't." "SIMONE:" "Charlie's still not speaking." "Mum doesn't seem to care." "She spoils him." "That's no reason." "Anyway, you can see more than I can." "You don't need me telling you all this." "Me too." "I really hate maths." "Did you like maths?" "(BRANCH CREAKS)" "So it runs in the family." "Then why is Tim so good at maths?" "(CHILDREN SHOUT)" "(CHIRRUPING, FLUTTERING)" "(YELLS)" "(CHIRRUPS)" "(SCREAMS)" "(FLYING FO X SHRIEKS)" "Ow!" "(FLYING FO X SHRIEKS)" "(PANTS)" "(SIGHS)" "So, you 're 15." "What's it like?" "I've got three boyfriends." "Still top of the class, which is kind of boring." "I sneak out of the house at night to meet up with one of my boyfriends." "And we go off to Brisbane in his new convertible and go to a club." "Your go." "Well..." "I'm 18, I leave Australia to go to France." "I live with my mum's family." "Oh, no." "Don't go." "It's really great there." "I work in a bar." "Someone asks me my name." "I say, "Je m'appelle Simone. " (GIGGLES)" "How come you don't seem sad anymore?" "I couldn't live without my dad." "Well, you have a choice to be happy or sad." "And I chose to be happy." "And I am happy." "That's disgusting." "(LAUGHS)" "That's really, really disgusting." "(CROAKING)" "(CROAKING)" "(CROAKS)" "(LAUGHS)" "Mum!" "Mum!" "(TOILET FLUSHES)" "No matter how much we flush, they keep coming back." "TIM:" "Oh." "(GURGLING)" "SIMONE:" "What's that?" "DAWN:" "Why is it doing that?" "(FROGS CROAK)" "I better call Uncle Jack." "Why Uncle Jack?" "Mum, he lives 1,350km away." "I don't think he's going to come all this way just to see some frogs." "You think you can fix it?" "I'm not a bloody plumber." "(SIREN WAILS)" "You've come in about the job, then?" "What?" "I saw you looking at the sign." "Oh." "Well... have you found anyone?" "I've only just put up the notice." "Have you done much bookkeeping?" "Sales work?" "I've never really had a job before." "My husband earned enough money for both of us." "You divorced, then?" "No." "He died." "I'm sorry to hear that." "Eight months ago." "Well, there's really not that much to it." "I need someone here when I'm out on a job, take bookings, maybe put away the stock, talk to the customers about the bathrooms." "Doesn't seem that difficult." "You wanna give it a go, then?" "Yeah, sure." "George." "Dawn." "Hello, Dawn." "Ah, so when do you want me to start?" "Tomorrow?" "9:30?" "OK." "Don't you wanna know what the pay is?" "Oh, yeah, sure." "$400 a week." "Great." "OK." "Bye." "See you tomorrow." "Yep." "Oh, by the way, you wouldn't happen to know a good plumber?" "I don't know about a good one but plumber, for sure." "(FROG CROAKS)" "What do you think they mean?" "Looks like you've got tree roots blocking your drains." "I know people who built their house around a tree." "I wouldn't recommend it." "Plumbers nightmare." "How was your test?" "Yeah, it was alright." "It's that Moreton Bay fig!" "They have the most awful roots." "The council ought to ban them." "And look, it's pushing up my fence again." "I've already had it repaired three times." "SIMONE:" "It's not his fault." "Could be your mango." "It is not my mango." "Oh!" "(ALL LAUGH)" "It's a beauty." "Bit of a headache, though." "The drought's driving the roots down in search of moisture." "Should we be watering it, then?" "No, it needs too much." "And it's banned at the moment." "Mmm." "There's water restrictions." "Yeah." "Yeah, I know." "Mum!" "No, you 're too heavy." "OK." "Just this once." "OK, dinner, everyone!" "I'm working tomorrow." "Got to get up early." "(OPERA MUSIC PLAYS)" "(HUMS)" "Hello?" "Hello?" "(PHONE RINGS)" "It's all toilets and sinks." "Vonnie says that the 10 years she's been working there are the happiest she's ever been." "I'm sure she's just saying that to cheer me up." "I don't think I can..." "I can't leave Simone, hang around here all day long." "It's not good for her." "Dawn!" "What in heaven's name are you doing?" "I, um..." "There's a cat that keeps climbing up and down the tree, and... it makes an awful racket." "I can't get to sleep." "Or maybe it's rats or possums." "Go to bed, Dawn." "You must be exhausted!" "Tsk." "What would it be?" "What?" "I can't hear you against the wind." "What?" "What?" "Cool." "You know what?" "I don't really like school." "(ELECTRIC GUITAR STRUMS)" "Let's see." "I'm 38." "(TRAIN HORN BLARES)" "My husband's dead." "I cry day and night." "Don't eat anything." "I smoke a lot." "(SIGHS) Let's play a different game." "How about we tell each other secrets, OK?" "OK." "My dad talks to me in the tree and I go up there every day." "To listen to him... speak." "It's the best feeling I've had." "I thought people came back as animals, not plants." "Mine was really, really true." "You just made yours up on the spot, didn't you?" "No." "I swear." "Oh, yeah." "You believe in fairytales?" "(TRAIN HORN BLARES)" "How big is a person's soul?" "Bet you don't know." "Do so." "That's impressive." "Can you do it again?" "I spent a lot of time waiting for my father in pub lounges." "Like a drink, did he?" "He was a salesman." "Travelled all around." "My mother left us." "She went back to France." "Although, funnily enough, my father was French." "My mother's English." "Well, Scottish, actually." "Anyway, so he brought me up and, um..." "I followed him around and we ended up here when I was 17." "And that's how I met my husband." "In a pub." "Love at first sight, was it?" "No, not really." "I think I was just fed up waiting for my dad." "I thought life would start when I got married." "And, um... gradually," "I realised I'd found a man that was just right for me." "And we were happy for a very long time." "You 're lucky you've got your kids." "Yeah, I know." "I can't remember what life was before them." "And I can't imagine life without them." "But I'm rambling." "What about you?" "Are you married?" "Do you have children?" "Well..." "(GASPS)" "Everything OK?" "I saw my neighbour." "Oh, she'd love to tell everyone how much fun I'm having, with my children alone at home." "(CHUCKLES)" "You having fun, then?" "Got a dollar?" "Yeah." "Thanks." "Oooh." "(LAUGHS)" "Not bad." "My turn." "MACHINE:" "Hit the punch ball!" "Ow!" "(LAUGHS)" "I'm alright." "Want another punch?" "(CAR APPROACHES)" "SIMONE:" "Where were you?" "You with the police?" "Go on - answer." "We called your work." "No-one was there." "We tried calling your mobile." "It was off." "If something happened to us, what were we supposed to do?" "Well, nothing did happen, right?" "I was at the pub." "Oh, really?" "With who?" "No-one." "No-one." "(TAPPING)" "(SCRATCHING)" "(LAUGHS)" "(CHIRRUPING)" "(CHARLIE MOANS) SIMONE:" "Shut up, Charlie." "What's wrong?" "Nothing." "What did you do to him?" "Nothing." "I think he, um... just woke up from a nightmare or something." "You can come and sleep with me if you want." "Can I come too?" "Um..." "(CRASH!" ")" "Oh, my God!" "Oh, my God." "Holy shit!" "Bloody brilliant!" "What have you done?" "What?" "Nothing!" "Oh, really?" "What's going on in that head of yours?" "Lt... it's a dead branch." "You 're doing it on purpose." "Why can't you just understand?" "!" "It's OK, Tim." "I'll do it." "Go to bed." "Christ." "You never said it was this bad." "Well, the trouble is at night when the wind is up." "When did it happen?" "Friday night." "And you've been sleeping with it there?" "Well..." "I got used to it." "You 're lucky you weren't killed." "Oh, I don't think it meant to hurt me." "It's only a tree, Dawn." "Well, I know that." "I know I have to do something about it, but I just don't know where to start." "Are you kidding?" "OK, Tim." "Start it up!" "(TRUCK RUMBLES)" "Take it easy." "Hey!" "Slowly." "Slowly." "Whoa." "Yeah." "Yep." "That's it." "Almost." "Good, good, good." "Yeah!" "Give it a little more." "Whoa, whoa, whoa." "Slow." "A little more." "Yup." "Little more." "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." "That's it." "That's good." "Got it." "There." "Everything OK?" "Not too serious, I hope." "You 're a tough one." "Don't mind a bit of pain, do ya?" "So tell me - how old are you?" "Eight." "Show us, hey?" "Whoa." "Look at that." "You've grown that much in a year." "That much?" "!" "My God, you 're growing too fast, darling." "My little girl." "Got a pen so we can mark it?" "(BIRDS CHIRP)" "So beautiful." "Amazing." "Thank you." "(CHUCKLES)" "You lived here long?" "Yeah." "Very long." "15 years." "You 're lucky." "I, uh..." "I better go." "That tarp should be fine for the time being, anyway." "OK." "WOMAN:" "Yeah, it will be a problem." "WOMAN 2:" "I think it could be tree..." "Yes." "9.2 metres." "Over 9 metres?" "9.2 metres?" "That's a big root, isn't it?" "It's a big root, that's for sure." "And imagine - they'd be all around here, they'd be going." "Come down and look down here." "Come on." "And then round there, it gets even worse." "I can tell you it's practically an obstacle course." "What's all this about?" "You might have knocked." "Well, we were going to." "No, you weren't." "You were nosing around." "My apologies, madam." "We didn't know anyone was home." "Well, if you'd have knocked, you'd have found out." "MRS JOHNSON:" "Well, it's not your laundry being affected, is it?" "Pretty soon it'll be all our drains and if the sewers back up, then it'll be a public health risk." "Oh, since when have you cared about public health?" "Since you proved incapable of minding your own garden." "I won't have you telling me what to do in my own property." "Look, I'm going right up to the mayor and, um, my cousin is a personal friend of his." "Well, no-one is going to make me chop this tree down." "It's mine." "Mrs O'Neill's right, you know." "Surely there must be a way of coming to some friendly agreement, though?" "Oh, brilliant." "Then we'll all be back here in another six months." "It's not a tree." "It's an octopus!" "(CRICKET PLAYS ON TV)" "(WEATHER REPORT PLAYS ON TV)" "Call this a bloody holiday?" "What's it called?" "Go on, say it." "Chocolate." "Come on, talk." "Speak." "Or you won't get any." "And say please too." "Ma!" "DAWN:" "Charlie, what is it?" "Come in here and see me, darling." "He won't leave me alone." "Mum always lets him have his own way." "He is her favourite." "I thought Tim was." "No." "It's Charlie." "Tim was Dad's favourite." "No." "I was." "SIMONE:" "Why did Mum decide on her own?" "What if I didn't want to go in his crappy caravan?" "Are they in love or what?" "That's her business." "Can I stay here with you?" "As if I'd want you hanging about." "You 're so bloody mean." "What if you don't pass your test?" "Whether I pass my exams or not doesn't matter." "I'm outta here." "Did you seriously think that I was going to sit around and watch your tree grow for the rest of my life?" "He wasn't just your dad." "You 're not the only one." "Now piss off." "And give this to Mum." "What is it?" "Just give it to her." "And none of your business." "LOU:" "So how's Tim getting down?" "Er, well, it depends whether George comes or not." "What?" "!" "You mean we have to spend the whole of Christmas with him?" "Maybe." "I..." "I don't know." "Mum!" "Simone!" "(TYRES SCREECH) Simone, stop!" "Simone, don't move!" "Simone!" "Simone!" "Come back!" "It's his caravan!" "He lent it to us." "We can't tell him not to come." "Yes, we can!" "OK." "Well, I'll call him as soon as we get there." "Call him now!" "I doubt we're in range." "Try." "GEORGE:" "G'day." "This is George." "Hello." "It's his answering machine." "Leave a message." "(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS) Hi." "Hi, George." "It's... it's Dawn." "Um..." "Listen, I need to talk to you." "Um..." "There might be a problem about Christmas." "I'll explain." "OK, see you." "OK." "Back in." "(LAUGHS)" "(BOTH LAUGH)" "(GROWLS)" "Mum!" "Mum!" "Mum!" "(SWAY' PLAYS)" "(SIMONE AND LOU GIGGLE)" "LOU:" "Move." "(SIMONE GIGGLES) Stop it." "# Bend with me Sw ay with ease" "# When we dance you have a w ay with me... #" "Mum." "Yes?" "I'm hungry." "Have an apple." "# Other dancers may be on the floor" "# Dear." "But my eyes will see only you" "# Only you have that magic technique" "# When we sw ay I go weak... #" "You 're so wet." "(GIGGLES) Do you like it?" "(LAUGHS) I do." "# Make me thrill as only you know how" "# Sw ay me smooth." "Sw ay me now. #" "(BEEPS HORN)" "I passed!" "What?" "Congratulations!" "Well done." "GEORGE:" "G'day, Charlie." "How are you, mate?" "You alright?" "Oh, great marks too." "Tim, give us a hand, mate." "Well done." "Look." "He passed." "Cool!" "So does that mean that he's moving to Sydney?" "Well, I guess so." "You alright with that?" "Thursday child has far to go - as they say." "You like it?" "It's wonderful." "Yeah." "TIM:" "Who wants to come for a swim?" "I will." "Race you there." "Hey, look at you - all tanned." "Paste." "Yeah." "Do you put any of this?" "Well, we could." "That's a little bit hot." "For the kids I've got the sweet one." "Add just a little bit of that." "Careful, it's hot." "Anyone brave enough to try one of these?" "I will." "That's the man." "Is it good?" "Yeah." "I brought a friend over for Christmas." "Oh, my God." "Let's have it." "(GROWLS)" "It's our first Christmas without Dad." "And you don't care!" "Angel, just..." "Just because I'm having a nice time doesn't mean I've forgotten your dad." "We're all sad." "Even Charlie, who doesn't speak." "Deep inside, I know he's as upset as we are." "But I'm certain that Dad wants us to enjoy ourselves." "And we're going to miss him for as long as we live but we're going to have to learn to live with that." "No." "GEORGE:" "Are you gonna tell me?" "(DAWN LAUGHS) Hmm?" "Hmm?" "(GIGGLES)" "What's that?" "I will." "Uh-huh." "I will!" "Mmm." "They can't see us." "And we'll hear them if they come." "No, we won't." "Yeah, we will." "(LAUGHS)" "(CRIES)" "(SQU AWKS)" "Shit." "It's everywhere." "Dawn." "Oh, my God." "GEORGE:" "It's too dangerous." "There's a limit." "SIMONE:" "A limit to what?" "The love of nature." "I've had enough." "It's gotta come down, that's all." "Never." "I can take care of it." "OK." "Yep." "I'll call you tomorrow." "Alright." "(STARTS ENGINE)" "Ready." "(ALL LAUGH)" "Oh, cool!" "Where did you find him?" "Down the road." "There's another one." "Cool." "Let's go check." "Simone?" "Simone, dinner's ready." "Come on down." "No." "Never." "We can't go on like this." "Tim!" "Please, go up and get her." "Why do I have to do the dirty work?" "Simone, come down!" "Listen, Simone..." "Dream on." "Um, Simone, we've had enough of this tree thing." "I'm not coming down!" "I've got work tomorrow and I need to get to bed." "I'm staying here till I know for sure they won't hurt it." "How old are you?" "You 're needed amongst the living." "And the dead." "No." "Leave her be." "Ladyship's bound to come down eventually." "I'll be there in a minute." "(URINATES)" "You shithead!" "You bloody shithead." "I hate you!" "What do you reckon?" "Lt'll take us a day." "I'll start at the top." "We'll go branch by branch." "There's no other way we can do it." "We'll definitely need the winch." "Alright." "Morning." "Hi." "(ALL LAUGH)" "Simone." "You've gotta be reasonable now." "Come on, love." "You got no choice." "(CHILDREN LAUGH) DAWN:" "George." "Simone!" "GEORGE:" "Simone!" "Dawn!" "(CHILDREN LAUGH)" "(EQUIPMENT BEEPS)" "If you come up here, I'll jump." "Careful!" "She could easily do it!" "George, stop." "Hey, Simone." "Hey, listen to me." "It's a great place to play." "Lunderstand that." "I do." "But can't you see it's destroying the house?" "Your mum needs your help." "Please, let's just be reasonable about this." "Come down, George!" "George, come down!" "Simone." "Hey." "Hey, look at me." "What is it with the tree?" "Come on, sweetheart, you can tell me." "Dammit, Simone." "What's wrong with you?" "Look, you can't have everything your own way." "Come down, George!" "Enough, now!" "Gotta get her under control." "Can't believe it." "She's eight years old." "You can't let her get away with this." "Just forget about the whole thing." "What are you hoping for, Dawn?" "A fucking miracle?" "Thank you, guys." "I'm sorry." "Tell me how much I owe you for coming out." "You know what this means?" "Oh, yes, I do." "Yeah." "Bye now." "Thanks." "I don't understand you." "You 're not happy, I know." "But you 're not the first person this has ever happened to, alright?" "Get a life, for God's sake." "It's like you enjoy all this." "That must be it, I guess." "Just do me a favour - don't ever come back." "Dawn, listen..." "Just piss off!" "(ENGINE STARTS)" "That's it, love." "They're gone." "It's over." "(DISTANT MUSIC, CHATTER)" "(FIREWORKS CRACK)" "(FIREWORKS CRACK)" "(WIND BLOWS)" "Speak to me." "(WIND INCREASES)" "NEWSREADER:" "Along the Gold Coast's open beaches." "The swell w as 3 metres and bigger in the sets." "Offshore." "W aves as big as 4 metres were recorded." "4. 8 off Tweed Heads." "Some beaches were affected by erosion." "All were closed." "But every cyclone has a silver lining." "But you 're not leaving tomorrow." "Are you in such a hurry to leave?" "Mum, can you stop messing with all my things?" "Thanks, Mum, but I'm doing stuff right now." "Would you say... we're a happy family?" "What do you want me to say?" "Just the truth will do." "What does it matter?" "Happy families are boring, anyway." "Mum." "(READS) " Evacuation kit." ""Canned food, can opener, containers filled with clean drinking water. "" "(WIND BLOWS LOUDLY)" "(HUMS)" "Do we have any spare batteries?" "I'm surprised we even found a torch that works." "Don't worry." "I think it will blow itself out." "How do you know?" "At least we'll all die together." "I don't wanna die." "Oh, wow, you 're talking!" "Well done, Charlie!" "That's great!" "That took long enough!" "TIM:" "Finally!" "Everyone in its own good time." "LOU:" "Good on you, Charlie." "I'm proud of you." "Well done." "(LOUD GUST OF WIND)" "(SMASH!" ")" "(BANGING)" "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "Close your eyes." "(THUNDER RUMBLES)" "(RATTLING, BANGING)" "(PHONE RINGS)" "It's OK." "George called." "He thinks we should leave now." "Mum, I'm..." "I'm scared." "Come here." "Come here." "(BANG!" ")" "DAWN:" "Careful!" "You said it would blow itself out!" "(BANG!" ")" "Oh, my God!" "Come on!" "Come on!" "CHARLIE:" "Mum!" "DAWN:" "Oh, God!" "Oh, God!" "Come on, move!" "(SMASH!" ") Quick!" "Quick!" "Tim!" "Tim!" "Tim, we've got to get to the school." "TIM:" "Shit!" "(SMASH!" ")" "It's too late!" "We have to get under the house." "Come on!" "(SMASH!" ")" "Keep coming!" "CHARLIE:" "Mum, Mum." "Where is Simone?" "TIM:" "Simone!" "Simone!" "Simone!" "Simone!" "Simone!" "(RAIN POURS, WIND HOWLS)" "Simone!" "Simone!" "Where are you?" "!" "Simone!" "Come with me!" "Angel!" "Come down!" "(THUNDER CRACKS)" "(SCREAMS)" "(CREAKING)" "(CRASH!" ")" "(LIGHT BREEZE BLOWS)" "(METAL CREAKS)" "10?" "LOU:" "That's all?" "Yeah." "You can have that one." "CHARLIE:" "Can I have one?" "Don't squash 'em!" "There might be some at the top." "And maybe down there." "(ENGINE REVS)" "Try now!" "Hey, not too much." "Just pat it down." "Hi." "Everyone alright?" "Yeah." "We're OK." "Sorry about your house." "Yeah." "It was a great house." "Where are you gonna live?" "Oh, well, I don't really care." "Um..." "I thought I'd find a tent or something." "You can come and pitch it in my backyard." "We'll be alright." "Will I see you again?" "Who knows?" "Maybe." "Life is long, right?" "See you." "See you." "SONG: # There is a house built out of stone" "# Wooden floors." "W alls and windowsills" "# Tables and chairs worn by all the dust" "# This is a place that I don't feel alone" "# This is a place that I call my home" "# And I" "# Built" "# A home" "# For you" "# For me" "# Until" "# It disappeared" "# From me" "# From you." "Oh" "# And now" "# It's time" "# To leave" "# And turn" "# To dust" "# Out in the garden" "# Where we planted the seed" "# There is a tree as old as me" "# B y the cracks of its skin" "# I climbed to the top" "# I climbed the tree to see the world" "# When the gusts of wind came to blow me down" "# I held on as tightly as you held on to me" "# Held on as tightly as you held on to me" "# And I" "# Built" "# A home" "# For you" "# For me" "# Until" "# It disappeared" "# From you" "# Oh." "From me" "# And now" "# It's time" "# To leave" "# And turn" "# To dust. #"