분야
hwp by
David Mamet
FADE IN:
A CARD, WHITE ON THE BLACK SCREEN, READS
Why does a dog wag its tail?
BENEATH IT, THE NEXT LINE FADES IN:
Because a dog is smarter than its tail.
CROSS-FADE TO THE NEXT CARD, WHICH READS:
If the tail were smarter, the tail would wag the dog.
DISSOLVE
FADE IN:
EXT THE WHITE HOUSE NIGHT
A VAN FULL OF PEOPLE STOPS AT A SIDE ENTRANCE.
ANGLE INT THE WHITE HOUSE
AT THE SIDE, UTILITY ENTRANCE, WE SEE THE DISGORGING WORKING-CLASS MEN AND
WOMEN, THEY PASS THROUGH SECURITY SCREENING IN THE B.G., THROUGH METAL
DETECTORS, AND PAST SEVERAL GUARDS WHO CHECK THE PHOTO-I.D.S AROUND THEIR
NECKS.
ANGLE INT THE WHITE HOUSE
WILFRED AMES, AND AMY CAIN, A BRIGHT YOUNG WOMAN IN HER TWENTIES, WALKING DOWN
A CORRIDOR, LOOKING WORRIED.
ANGLE AMES AND CAIN
AMES AND CAIN HAVE STOPPED AT THE END OF THE HALL. BEYOND THEM WE SEE THE
CLEANING PEOPLE COMING IN FROM THE VAN, AND BEING CLEARED THROUGH A METAL
DETECTOR INTO A HOLDING AREA, AND HANDED CLEANING MATERIALS, MOPS, VACUUMS, ET
CETERA, BY A TYPE HOLDING A CLIPBOARD. PART OF THE GROUP, A MAN IN HIS
FORTIES, IN A RATTY JACKET, OPEN COLLARED SHIRT, PASSES THROUGH THE GROUP,
AND IS STOPPED BY A SECRET SERVICEMAN WHO APPEARS NEXT TO AMES. IN THE B.G.
WE SEE A TV IN AN ADJACENT ROOM, SHOWING A POLITICAL COMMERCIAL.
AMES
(TO SECRET SERVICEMAN)
...Thats him.
AMES MOVES OUT OF THE SHOT. LEAVING US ON THE POLITICAL COMMERCIAL.
WE SEE TWO BUSINESS PEOPLE ON THE PLANE, A MAN AND A WOMAN.
BUSINESSMAN
Well, all I know, you dont change horses in the middle
of the stream.
BUSINESSWOMAN
"Dont change Horses," well, theres a lot of truth in
that.
THE IMAGE SHIFTS TO A PRESIDENT, DOING PRESIDENTIAL THINGS. AND THE VOICE-
OVER.
VOICE-OVER
For Peace, prosperity, for all of us: Dont change
Horses in...
ANGLE
A CORRIDOR OF THE WHITE HOUSE, AS AMES AND THE MAN IN THE RATTY JACKET (BREAN)
WALK HURRIEDLY. AMES FINISHES ONE CIGARETTE AND USES THE BUTT TO LIGHT A
FRESH ONE. THEY PASS BY A LARGE PHOTOGRAPH OF THE BACK OF A MAN, BENDING TO
SHAKE HANDS WITH ONE OF A LINE OF GIRLSCOUTS. AMES GLANCES UP AT THE
PHOTOGRAPH AND SHARES HIS HEAD DEJECTEDLY.
INT WHITE HOUSE "SITUATION" ROOM. NIGHT.
A WOMAN WITH A STENOPAD, ARRANGING PADS AND PENCILS AT A SMALL CONFERENCE
TABLE. A SECRET SERVICE TYPE PUTS HIS HEAD IN THE ROOM, AND BOWS OUT, AND
NODS, BREAN AND AMES ENTER HURRIEDLY.
AMES
Were going to...
HE STOPS TALKING AS A WHITE HOUSE WAITER ENTERS WITH A TRAY WITH COFFEE THINGS
ON IT, FOLLOWED BY TWO YOUNG AIDES, SLEEPY AND DISHEVELLED, WHO ENTER QUICKLY,
AND APOLOGIES UNUTTERED, SIT AND MAKE THEMSELVES SMALL.
BREAN MAKES A LITTLE GESTURE AT THE WAITER, WHO IS SETTING OUT THE COFFEE,
AND AT THE STENOGRAPHER, MEANING "GET THEM OUT OF HERE."
AMES
Thank you, thatll be all.
THE STENOGRAPHER AND THE WAITER LEAVE
BREAN
(OF THE TWO STAFFERS)
Who we got here...?
AMES
John Levy, Staff, and Amy Cain, Press Off....
BREAN
Alright. Look here, any of you kids hear in this
room: what you hear here, what you say here, what you
do here, fit got out, you leaked it.
(TO AMES)
Tellem what they need to know.
AMES
When it broke, he said one word: get me Ronnie Brean.
BREAN
(NODS)
Well. Alright. What is it? Whats, he, uh...? He
had an Illegal Immigrant, was his Gardener, some years
back...?
(SMILES)
Whats the thing? You people get ahead, you sure get
nervous.
AN AIDE ENTERS, WITH SEVERAL TYPED SHEETS, WHICH SHE HANDS TO CAIN. CAIN
READS TO HERSELF, PASSES THEM TO AMES.
BREAN
(CONT)
...he made a pass at some Secretary, back in...
AMES TAKES THE SHEETS, AND READS. GESTURES TO BREAN, "ONE MOMENT, PLEASE."
ANGLE INS. THE SHEET, WHICH AMES HOLDS.
IT READS
AS PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES I REGRET THAT
PERSONAL INCAPACITY HAS RENDERED ME MOMENTARILY UNABLE
TO CONFRONT AND CORRECT....
ANGLE
BREAN LOOKING ON, AS AMES READS, AND SHAKES HIS HEAD SADLY. BREAN TAKES THE
SHEETS.
ANGLE INS.
READING OVER BREANS SHOULDERS
1.) Statutory Rape.
2.) The Presidents long-documented mental problems
3.) Brought about by reaction to Drugs to control
flu...?
ANGLE AMES READING OVER BREANS SHOULDER.
AMES
...did he have the flu...?
CAIN
It can be documented that he displayed the...
BREAN LAYS DOWN THE SHEET SOMBERLY, EVERYONE LOOKS AT HIM.
BREAN
This aint the illegal immigrant Nanny.
CAIN
There was a group of Girlscouts here from Indiana last
month. One of them expressed an interest in a
Frederick Remington bust. The president took her into
the oval Office, for a period...
AMES
Three minutes. It couldnt have been over three
minutes, the Secret Service...
BREAN GESTURES HIM TO BE QUIET.
BREAN
Okay. And shes alleging...?
CAIN GESTURES BREAN TO KEEP READING THE SHEETS IN FRONT OF HIM. HE DOES SO.
PAUSE. TO HIMSELF.
BREAN
(CONT)
Jesus, Mary and Joseph.
AMES
We are virtually certain it isnt...
BREAN
Whos got the story?
(PAUSE)
AMES
Dont you want to know if its true?
BREAN
What difference does it make if its true?
(PAUSE)
Its a story, and, it breaks theyre gonna have to run
with it -- How longve we got til it breaks?
(PAUSE)
AMES
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