A preamble: I wrote this in 2017, with the hope of filming it as a short film. I believe in the power of a handwritten letter. Riding the subway in New York City, day after day, is the best way to immerse yourself in the spectrum of human experiences. It provides glimpses into wealth, poverty, social dynamics, age, race, protection, danger, sadness, art, mental health, friendship, weirdness, etc. It’s unlike anything else. I wrote this after living in the city for three years of subway rides, often from Brooklyn to the wild frontiers of Manhattan neighborhoods. And I would leave letters of encouragement on the subway, for someone to find. I recently found this in the google drive archives and thought i’d preserve it here. Maybe one day it will get made.
SINCERELY,
by Sarah Virginia Smith
Sincerely, is a silent peek into an average morning of a Brooklyn thirty-something who hasn’t lost hope in the power of a handwritten letter.
Key characters: Anne & Mara
Present day. Brooklyn, NY
Everything shot in black and white.
The story begins with Anne sitting at a table (or coffee table) putting a handwritten letter in an envelope. Everything we see is black and white, except the ink on the letter that we quickly get a glimpse of as Anne seals the envelope (color to be determined later). She writes something quickly on the front of the letter and then gets her belongings, a coffee to go, and heads to the train. She smiles on her walk. We see her headphones in, listening to the music that thus far has been playing in the background. There is a sense of calmness about her as she walks her usual 0.7 miles to the train, letter in hand. She smiles at either the booth attendant or a passerby who opts to not smile back but it doesn’t phase her or change her expression. The train comes and she boards the car toward the rear. There is nothing extraordinary about this day. The train crosses the Manhattan Bridge and we see the NY skyline, the Statue of Liberty in the distance, the East River, and the letter in Anne’s hand as she takes in the route. As the subway doors open at [select easiest departure point], Anne sticks the letter in the frame of an advertisement directly behind her and hurries off to continue her day. We see her exit and pass Mara.
[Enter Mara; music change]
Mara boards the train, a look of exhaustion with circles under her eyes and tears forming. She has several bags with her and tries her best to go unnoticed. She sits in the seat Anne just left, the letter directly behind her head. She takes a deep breath and leans her head back, closing her eyes. She feels the letter shifting behind her head. Mara turns slightly and sees it. She takes the letter, flips it over, and opens it.
[Camera cuts to word, “Sincerely,” handwritten on the front of the envelope. It’s in a vibrant color, and the only thing not in black and white. Color yet to be determined. ]
Mara looks around the train, no one is looking at her. She then opens the letter. We see the ink color fill the page and Mara begins to read. Something about her presence softens. The music begins to change. Her sadness is still evident but manages a tired smile as colors slowly begin to wash over the everything.
(Either changes to full color or a few diminishing spots of black and white scenes/people).
All of a sudden, the train pulls into her stop. She exits the train, letter in hand*, making her way up the littered steps to the street and out into New York (place to be determined).
*Note: Not sure if we need to see any line on the letter. Maybe the back has one line that says, “Things will get better” or “You are loved.” Haven’t decided on this - would love your feedback.