Inside the Four Foot

This week's scene is from a rather unknown Canadian film from 1978. You are going to have to excuse me for a bit here while I indulge myself. I grew up in a curling family, my father was at one time one of the top 100 curlers in the world. In fact, he was responsible for the reform of the hog-line rule in the mid 70s. (I swear!  You can look it up!) So perhaps you can see why this particular film is special to me. I doubt that there was a curling household in Canada that didn't have a well worn copy of Inside the Four Foot on betamax.

I'm not going to kid you, this isn't a particularly great movie, but this particular scene has always affected me. I found a digital transfer of Inside the Four Foot online just last week and watched it for the first time in probably 25 years. It has not aged well. However, I was surprised to recognize a face I didn't know back then. As it turns out this was the debut film for Bailey McGettigan, later to be known as Minister Sledge in the long running Brit-com Big Wig.

               INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

               Adrienne works in the kitchen. The counters and appliances

               are all lower than normal to accommodate her wheelchair.

               The front door opens. Ben stomps in, shaking off snow.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         Soup?

                                   BEN

                         I'll eat at the club.

               He kicks his boots onto the kitchen floor.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         Are they really playing in this?

                                   BEN

                             (You know damned well.)

                         The rink is inside.

               He pulls a curling broom from the closet.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         Call Colin. I bet they've

                         cancelled.

                                   BEN

                         Those guys never miss a game.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         You could play on the streets

                         they're so slippery.

                                   BEN

                         I can get home in one piece.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         They won't be playing. Do you not

                         want to be here?

               She picks up his boots and sets them in her lap.

                                   BEN

                         I can use some practice.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         You're undefeated. How god damned

                         badly do you need the practice?

               She rolls to the closet with the boots.

                                   BEN

                         More than I need you cussing me

                         out.

               She stops putting the boots away.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         You don't want to be here.

                                   BEN

                         Adrienne -

                                   ADRIENNE

                         I know. I paged you at the rink

                         last week. Don took the call.

                                   BEN

                         I didn't want to curl after...

                                   ADRIENNE

                         You are an amazing liar. Too bad

                         Don's so lousy at it. Too much

                         detail.

                                   BEN

                         My knees...

                                   ADRIENNE

                         Just stop. 'Cause I'm guessing

                         Elaine's knees have given out

                         too? And that's why your truck

                         was in front of her apartment?

                         Mutual therapy?

               Ben sits. 

                                   ADRIENNE

                         Does it feel good to make me look

                         like an idiot? At the bonspiel

                         gala last spring, I told myself

                         that that was just celebration -

                         you two. Can't dance with the

                         wife anymore. Chair gets in the

                         way. Well I can still fuck.

                                   BEN

                         Okay...

                                   ADRIENNE

                         Not that you're man enough to

                         try.

               He can't pick his eyes up off the linoleum.

                                   BEN

                         Adrienne...

               She rolls up close.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         What? You feel bad? I bring up

                         all the bad feelings? You can't

                         go to the club because it makes

                         you remember?

                                   BEN

                         Something like that.

               Right in his face.

                                   ADRIENNE

                         Well, it's too bad you can't

                         bring yourself to curl anymore,

                         maybe you'll get over that. But

                         I'm not getting out of this

                         chair. I can't replace that.

                         Elaine can replace me on the

                         team, and in your bed. But she

                         can't forgive you for this. And

                         I'm not going to.

               She throws his boots at him, and wheels out of the room.

               He hurls his boots. They crash through the window into the

               dark flurries.

Bailey McGettigan 20 years before receiving an O.B.E.