Tuesday, November 25, 2014

don't forget the limo driver



INT.  Congressman Charlie Wilsons' office - Day


Charlie Wilson -- To shoot down the helicopters.
To shoot down the helicopters. 
If we can help them shoot down the goddamn helicopters, everything's gonna start going our way!


Avrakotos -- You know, there's a story about a Zen master and a little boy.


[Door opens; Bonnie in.]
Gus Avrakotos -- (raising his hand, like -- Right, got it) -- Yeah.
[Gus out.]


Bonnie -- "It's Stu."
Wilson -- You should be in on this.


She sits at his desk, lifts the telephone receiver and listens, as Charlie visits with "Stu" on a phone by the couch, where he sits, looking kind of like he's been carrying something heavy.


Charlie (on phone) -- Stu? 
(listens)
No.  No, it's gonna be fine.  It was a party in Vegas.  Lot of drugs, lot of people I don't know.  I was there with Crystal Lee and this guy Paul Brown





who wanted me to invest in a TV show for Crystal.
(listens)
I don't know.
I don't know, it's gonna be like a "Dallas" set in Washington.  What...Stu, what does it matter?


(listens)
Okay.
(pause)
Okay.


After he hangs up, Bonnie says intensively, "Will Crystal back up your story that you weren't using?"


-- Just go put out the statement.


-- You know what? (as she goes switching out of the office) -- You never should have been in the same room, Congressman.


The door closes -- decisively.





"Gus!"


Gust Avrakotos re-enters the room.
Gust -- Yeah.
Wilson -- The Swiss make an anti-aircraft gun called the Oerlikon.
Gust -- Listen, Charlie.
Wilson -- Twenty-millimeter cannon, high rate of fire.
Gust -- I know the Oerlikon.  Don't forget the limo driver.


Wilson -- What do you mean?
-- Well, you took a limo from the casino to the airport.  It's easy enough to track down a limo driver, hand him a subpoena, ask him if anything was going on in the back seat.  So, you know, in terms of cleaning up this...


Wilson -- Were you listening at the door?
-- I wasn't listening at the door.
-- Were you standing -- at the goddamn door, listening to me??!
-- No.
-- How could you even...That's a thick door!  You stood there and you listened to me?


-- I wasn't listening at the door.  Don't be an idiot.  I bugged the Scotch bottle.





The Congressman is about to pop a vein, having worked himself up into full auto-rant.


Congressman Wilson -- "WHAT???!!!!"


The CAMERA fast-pans horizontally from where Charlie was looking, over across the office to where the bottle of Scotch (the "special" one that came with a poem) stands, tied with a red ribbon.


Gust Avrakotos -- Yeah, it's got a little transmitter on it; I got a little thing in my ear; get past it.
Charlie (indignant, incredulous) -- I don't believe this.  Who the fuck -- Who the fuck are you?


Gust -- It's not in my ear right now.  Take it easy.  I was gonna tell you about it, but I had to leave the room for a second 'cause you were gettin' indicted.


Charlie (in a waving-minor-things-aside-with-casual-and-weary-confidence tone of voice) -- Ah--I ain't getting indicted.  (He stares at the scotch bottle for a moment, then looks up at Gust)  -- Is there a camera in here?


-30-

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