it helps not to know me

In the second scene of Charlie Wilson's War, when these people are in the hot tub, it's kind of amusing -- the juxtaposition of, "Ooh they're in a hot tub so it must be sexy" and the mundane reality that each person is just doing what they would be doing if they were dry, clothed, and not in a hot tub.


Congressman Charlie Wilson's watching Dan Rather reporting on TV about the mujahideen in Afghanistan refusing to give up their fight against invading Russians; Paul Brown and Crystal Lee are determinedly "barking up" a "wrong tree," thinking Wilson can somehow help them get a TV-show deal -- on the thin connection that it's to be a show about Washington D.C.


Charlie tells them in a tone patient yet final, "I don't know how any of that works."
And he asks, incredulous,
"Do they routinely give starring roles to people who've never acted professionally before?"





Paul Brown snaps, "She was just on the #%^*-ing cover of Playboy, Charlie!"
"Oh well Ah guess that's just the same thing!" Charlie shoots back.


The other two girls in the hot tub momentarily aim their giggling attention at Wilson & one of them asks him, "We were just wondering what you do for a living."


"I'm not a policeman, if that's what you're askin'" he replies.


The other girl says, "We just -- don't meet a lot of guys who -- know about the world, and -- like to part-ee." 


He tells them he's a congressman.
"Are you kidding?!"
"No!  I'm Congressman Charlie Wilson, from the Texas Second Congressional - [something]..."


The girl with the high, long hair leans toward him, concernedly, and says in a low tone, "If you are -- a -- congressman, should you be in here?  With strippers -- and -- blow?"


Wilson -- "You do have a point." 
He gets out of the hot tub.
"Anybody want to come take a ride with me to the airport?"


"Oh!  Can't you stay another night?!"
"Stay another night!"


He cannot stay another night.  He has to get back to Washington, for a vote.


-----------------------------
At the airport he says good-bye to everyone:  Paul, Crystal, "Stacy, Kelly, nice to meet you both."  Then, "Are you Nevada residents?"
Big smiles:  "Ye-ess!"
Seriously and emphatically -- "Well don't forget to vote!"







Stacy -- "Bye Charlie!"
Kelly -- "We loo-ve yoo!"


"Yeah well it helps not to know me," he says.


-30-