I'm no stranger

The next scene is Exterior with many Afghan people in a group, and Joanne Herring and Charlie Wilson are there.  It's presumably in Pakistan's North West Province, where many Afghan refugees and fighters had claimed some temporary space for themselves in the early 1980s.


Joanne Herring -- "Doc's eatin' this up."


Charlie -- "Yeah?"


Joanne -- We're gonna get the money.





Doc Long -- Charlie?


Congressman Long is lumbering genially in the direction of Wilson...he bellows
-- Charlie!


Gust Avrakotos (to Charlie) -- Guy's a little senile.
Charlie -- Don't be fooled.
Gust -- He chairs a Subcommittee?  Charlie nods in the affirmative.





Doc Long -- Charlie, Joanne, this has been an absolutely eye-opening experience!  I mean, it's absolutely stunning!  Tell them what we saw, Mr. Papadropolous.  (He urges Gust) -- Tell them.


Gust says nothing, and Doc Long continues -- "They only want to back there and fight."


Joanne Herring leaps smoothly  and immediately in:
"And you're their savior, Mr. Chairman."


Doc Long -- Oh, I wouldn't go that far, no.


(Charlie, in an aside to Gust) -- Watch this.  She's gonna lock it right on...


Joanne -- Mr. Chairman, these people have been waiting for you.  They have been sitting here, and bleeding and waiting and praying, for you!  It's only going to be a man like you who can save them!


(Joanne turns to the Mrs. Long, appealing to her...)  "We know.  Don't we?  About our men.  What they can do when they summon themselves."


Congressman Long -- Charlie, I think they want you to make some remarks.
Joanne -- No, you should do it, Mr. Chairman.  These people have been waiting a long time for you.  Show Muriel what you can do.  Show your wife.





Doc Long (in a hushed voice) -- I'm a little bit emotional about what I've seen here today!
Joanne -- Show her.
Mrs. Long -- You can do it.  (Kindly, lovingly) Go on.


Doc Long sighs and moves forward, short, stocky, determined.  "All right."


Gust Avrakotos mutters to Charlie, "Papadropolous."
Wilson -- Well, it's Greek.  It's in the ballpark.


Doc Long speaks to the crowd.  Big amplifiers were being brought in, at the beginning of the scene -- men hurrying through the crowd carrying speakers and amplifiers, lifted above their heads.  Now, Doc's voice comes through loud and clear, followed on each phrase or sentence by a translator.





Doc -- My friends, my son served in Vietnam.  He was wounded fighting in battle against the Soviet oppressors. 





Charlie says to Joanne, "I didn't know that about his son."


Doc Long -- So you see, I'm no stranger, no stranger at all to the horrors and atrocities of the Communists!


CROWD CHEERS.
Long -- Thank you so much.


Joanne, to Charlie Wilson -- I talk about God for one simple reason.  We need Him on our side.


Long -- As God is my witness today, these Russian gunships, every last one of them, are gonna be blown right out of the sky.  We're gonna see that you have guns, and we're gonna see that you have training!
[CHEERING]





Thank you.


Wilson, to Joanne -- Well, what I think has got Gus worried, is that sooner or later God is gonna be on both sides.


Doc Long to the crowd -- This is good against evil.  And I want you to know that America is always going to be -- on the side -- of the good! 





And God will always punish the wicked!


[CROWD CHANTING, EXCLAIMING, CHEERING]


-----------------------
INT.  WILSON'S WASHINGTON D.C. APARTMENT - NIGHT


He's waking up on the sofa, still in his work-day clothes, news badgering him from out of the TV-set.  He gets up, stiffly, sleepily, watching the screen curiously as he exits.


NEWSCASTER (in the metallic, broadcaster-baritone)  -- "This has been a year of setback and frustration....The mujahideen are pinned down..."


________________________________
{Charlie Wilson's War.  2007 film.  Directed, Mike Nichols.  Screenplay, Aaron Sorkin.}


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