American Hustle Page #9

47.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Shh, just listen. Two million

dollars under the Sheik's name, in

a Chase account that we control.

Carmine calls up on the telephone -

calls the bank -- and he sees that

the Sheik is real and he has a real

account. Five days.

STODDARD THORSEN

I'm not taking two million dollars

of the taxpayers' money and putting

it anywhere for five days, I don't

care if we control it the whole

time.

Richie as he stares at Stoddard in frustration.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Stoddard, let us do what we need to

do to rule out corruption and to

get rid of the payoff guys that are

ruining this country. That's my

dream. Don't smother it, please.

STODDARD THORSEN

You know Richard, I understand your

eagerness. I really do. You know

I'm from Michigan, right? Let me

tell you a story about me, and my

dad, and my brother. We used to go

ice fishing every November. Ice

Fishing. That’s what we lived for.

RICHIE DIMASO:

Holy sh*t --

STODDARD THORSEN

Just listen to me. It's beautiful.

You have a little stove. You huddle

around, you keep each other warm.

You drop a line and you just wait.

One year my brother says, “let's go

in October." He wants to go ice

fishing in October. My dad says,

"No, the ice is too thin." My

brother says -- I love my brother

he says -

48.

RICHIE DIMASO:

I understand what's happening.

You're saying your brother went outon the ice, the ice was too thin,

he fell through the ice, he went inthe water because he was too eager,

and you're saying I'm too eager --

that's what you're saying?

STODDARD THORSEN

No, that’s not what I’m saying.

RICHIE DIMASO:

What are you saying?

STODDARD THORSEN

We’ll finish the ice fishing story

another time, young man. For now,

no Carmine Polito. Go do your job.

Richie looks at him annoyed and upset.

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.)

Stoddard shot the whole thing down.

Boring.

RICHIE DIMASO:

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT’D)

But Edith was a genius.

83 SEE B-ROLL OF: Edith and Richie walk back into FBI building, 83

84 down corridor; 84

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT’D)

She somehow found this woman who

controlled the wire room. A woman

I’d never heard of. Way back in a

warren buried in the Bureau. This

cat lady nobody even talked to.

Edith met her in the ladies room

and became friends with her. This

lady handled all the wires and now,

she was working with us.

SMASH TO:

85 Edith and Richie enter to find BRENDA, FBI, MATRONLY, OLDER;

EDITH carries a basket of exotic teas;

85

49.

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT’D)

She was excited to be included in

an operation instead of being on

the other end of a memo. It was

beautiful.

Edith goes to hand her the PIMMS CUP and basket of teas.

EDITH GREENSLY:

Brenda, hi!

BRENDA MCPHERSON

Hi!

EDITH GREENSLY:

You said you liked exotic food, so

that’s from England.

BRENDA MCPHERSON

That’s from England?

EDITH GREENSLY:

That’s right. And I brought you

some tea as well.

BRENDA MCPHERSON

Thank you so much! Nobody ever

tells me about these operations,

they just say, “Brenda, do the

clerical wiring work and don’t ask

questions.”

EDITH GREENSLY:

You need to tell Richie about your

cats. He loves them.

BRENDA MCPHERSON

Oh my cats?!

Brenda starts pointing out pictures of all her cats tacked to

the walls amidst the wire memos and paperwork.

BRENDA MCPHERSON (CONT’D)

Well that’s Harry -- look at him

standing up, isn't that sweet? And

that's Wendy. She's a rascal. But

Barnaby, that's another story.

Barnaby plays the piano!

RICHIE DIMASO:

That’s impressive.

50.

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT’D)

We got her to wire two milliondollars into an F.B.I.-controlled

account at Chase. It'd be there

for five days and if Polito calledhe’d see that the Sheik was real.

86 HALLWAY OF FBI 86

Edith and Richie laugh excitedly as they walk the hallways.

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT’D)

By the time Stoddard caught up tous Edith made sure his boss was

impressed by my idea. So before heeven knew it was happening his bosswas calling to congratulate him.

PUSH IN ON CHIEF US PROSECUTOR, SPECIAL TASK FORCE, ANTHONY

AMADO IN HIS LARGE OFFICE ON THE PHONE WITH STODDARD -ANTHONY

AMADO:

I'm very impressed. That was verysmart. The Sheik with the money inthe bank is a fantastic...don’t be

modest.

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.)

Anthony Amado. He was the U.S.

Attorney, and he had a major hard-

on to make a name for himself. I

mean this guy loved the idea ofbeing famous. And Stoddard had tosay it was his own idea or he'dlook stupid in front of his boss.

INT. STODDARD’S OFFICE -89

PUSH IN ON STODDARD -- confused, dismayed.

STODDARD THORSEN

Thank you, sir, wait, the sheik -89

INT. STODDARD’S OFFICE - DAY

He hangs up, pissed, confused.

51.

STODDARD THORSEN

You made me accept praise from myboss who’s thanking me for

something that never shouldahappened! Something that I didn'tapprove!

RICHIE DIMASO:

You should be happy. There's

imaginative things happening inthis office, alright? We're not

just working in a box.

Richie leaves triumphant.

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.) (CONT’D)

We got the two million to putCarmine and the Sheik together.

Punk.

STODDARD THORSEN

90 INT. CORRIDOR OF FBI -- DAY 90

Laughing Richie and Edith walk briskly on their way out.

RICHIE DIMASO (V.O.)

I liked being on this side of theline. But someone had been left

out.

91 INT. SYDNEY’S APARTMENT - DAY 91

IRVING ROSENFELD

We succeeded because we stayedsmall. I got you Carl Elway. Hebought stolen art, sold fake bankC.D.'s, that's enough. That's one.

I get you three more -- nopoliticians.

Richie and Edith look at him.

RICHIE DIMASO:

You're gonna do this because yougot no choice. You work for me.

IRVING ROSENFELD

Now you keep changing the rules.

You're gettin' a little powerdrunk, Richard.

(MORE)

52.

IRVING ROSENFELD (CONT'D)

You want to tell him, Edith? You

want to wake him up?

EDITH GREENSLY:

Oh no, I said we shouldn't do any

of it, Irving. You know I said

that. So now I support Richie.

He's got vision. Do it heavy or

don't do it.

IRVING ROSENFELD

I mean, he's the one ruining

America, not me.

RICHIE DIMASO:

How the hell am I ruining America?

IRVING ROSENFELD

Because people just got over

Watergate and Vietnam, alright?

And you're gonna sh*t all over

politicians again? And just because

you want to be a big shot and get a

promotion.

RICHIE DIMASO:

No I'm thinking big. This is gonna

be fantastic. We're doing video

surveillance. I'm doing this from

the feet up.

IRVING ROSENFELD

You will never do it properly

because you got too much government

attitude to be small and sleek.

I'm like the f***in' Vietcong, man.

I'm in and I'm out. I was there the

whole time -- you don't know it.

That's the f***ing art of becoming

somebody who people can pin their

beliefs and their dreams on. And

you can't do it.

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