Argo Page #5

This is a --

69 MONTAGE 69

that jumps around the world -- scenes of our principals

and overlapping news accounts play.

FRANK REYNOLDS (V.O.)

Today, a clear threat to place the

remaining 50 Americans on trial as

spies.*

69A INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE (TEHRAN) - NIGHT 69A

The Houseguests getting up from dinner. Kathy Stafford

hesitates.

JOE STAFFORD:

(to Pat Taylor)

Kathy doesn.’t want to go down

again.

BOB ANDERS:

Jesus Christ --

JOE STAFFORD:

She.’s claustrophobic.

CUT TO:

69B FOOTAGE OF NILOFUR EKTEBAR - AKA TEHRAN MARY 69B

The Penn-educated Tokyo Rose of the hostage crisis.

She.’s reading a statement to the camera.

TEHRAN MARY (V.O.)

(perfect American

English)

Those who remain here are spies.

They will be treated as spies who

have interfered with the

sovereignty of the people of Iran.

69C INT. MENDEZ.’ CAR - NIGHT 69C

Mendez driving -- thinking --

69D INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE (TEHRAN) - NIGHT 69D

MARK LIJEK:

You.’re putting us all at

risk --

JOE STAFFORD:

They.’re not going to come

into the house.

ARGO - Final 24.

68 CONTINUED:
68

(CONTINUED)

LEE SCHATZ:

It.’s her choice. Leave her

be.

BOB ANDERS:

(angry)

G.’head. Put flowers in

their gun barrels --

SAHAR, housekeeper, is visible here cleaning up after

their meal.

70 INT. MUSHROOM INN - DAY 70

A dark room where hostages are kept in groups of two.

A 21-year-old with an automatic weapon -- *

CROSS-CUTTING WITH --

71 INTERVIEW FOOTAGE OF AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI 71

KHOMEINI (V.O.)

(subtitled)

If Carter does not send back the

Shah, it is possible that they

will be tried and if they are

tried, who knows what will happen.

72 INT. SMALL-TOWN BAR - DAY 72

News footage of men inside a small-town bar. It.’s a

broadcast of RON MILLER reporting from .“barometer

community.” Pecatonica, Illinois, on ABC News.’, .“America

Held Hostage..” (*11/21/79)

RON MILLER (V.O.)

So, like the government in

Washington, the people in

Pecatonica are grappling for

solutions.

JACK STROUP, Vietnam vet, red beard, a cap with the

Kenworth trucks logo, a denim jacket.

STROUP (V.O.)

Even in our little community here,

people are drawn up, they.’re

tense.

73 OMITTED 73

ARGO - Final 25.

69D CONTINUED:
69D

74 INT. CARPET FACTORY - DAY 74

ANGLE - A SMALL HAND

pieces shreds together to form the words: U.S.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE -- TEHRAN -- CLASSIFIED.

He is working on reassembling the seized EMBASSY PAPERS --

a giant pile of shredded documents -- with the skill of a

blindfolded child Mozart at the harpsichord.

We see the unmistakable image of a FACE being formed from

the shredded material.

75 ANGLE - CLOSEUP OF AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI 75

(Footage from a Mike Wallace interview. *.”60 Minutes.”

11/18/79.)

KHOMEINI (V.O.)

(Farsi)

Our young people have taken over

this nest of corruption. America

can.’t do a damn thing about it --

76 OMITTED 76

77 ARCHIVE FOOTAGE 77

Rage at an anti-Iran protest in front of the White House.

Signs:
.“DEPORT ALL IRANIANS.”/.”CAMEL JOCKEYS GO HOME..”

An IRANIAN-AMERICAN MAN is kicked as he crouches on the

ground. A MIDDLE-AGED WOMAN looks murderous as she waves

an American flag at the camera.

CUT TO:

78 INT. SMALL-TOWN BAR - DAY 78

Back to the ABC News report, the bar in Pecatonica.

STROUP (V.O.)

I.’m like that guy screamin.’ in

that movie-program Network,

y.’know? I.’ve had it. And if need

be, I.’ll bear arms again.

ARGO - Final 26.

79 INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE (TEHRAN) - NIGHT 79

The Houseguests descend into the crawlspace, a darkened,

cramped area -- first the Lijeks, then Anders and

Schatz... then Joe and Kathy Stafford.

The trapdoor closes and the crawlspace goes COMPLETELY

BLACK.

CUT TO:

80 INT. MENDEZ APARTMENT - KITCHEN - NIGHT 80

WALTER CRONKITE (V.O.)

(on TV)

And that.’s the way it is, on this,

the 70th day of captivity for the

American hostages in Iran.

Mendez is watching Cronkite on a small television in his

kitchen. In front of him, a folder with Xeroxed

photographs of the HOUSEGUESTS.

He changes the channel and finds a GOOFY SEVENTIES

COMMERCIAL -- He picks up the phone.

81 INT. CHRISTINE.’S HOUSE - CROSS-CUTTING - NIGHT 81

IAN MENDEZ, 7 and about to turn 8, is watching a movie on *

his bed. He picks up on the second ring. *

IAN *

Hello. *

MENDEZ (V.O.) *

Buddy-man. *

IAN *

Mom.’s asleep. *

MENDEZ *

You do homework tonight? *

IAN *

Yeah. *

MENDEZ *

What was it? *

But Tony can hear a television soundtrack with ominous *

electronic music. *

ARGO - Final 27.

(CONTINUED)

MENDEZ *

What do I hear? *

IAN *

(coming clean) *

.‘Battle for Planet of the Apes..’ *

Am I in trouble? *

A beat. *

MENDEZ *

What channel? *

IAN *

Nine. *

81 Mendez turns on his living room television to the three- 81 *

hour .“BATTLE FOR PLANET OF THE APES..” *

MENDEZ *

Catch me up. *

Tony listens, staring ahead at the TV . A desert *

landscape dotted with technological garbage. An ape

played by Roddy MacDowell walks across the landscape. *

He.’s staring at the television, but now really paying

attention.

The apes walk into the ruins of what was once a great

city.

RODDY MacDOWELL (V.O.)

(on TV, as Caesar)

This is the hell my forefathers

used to speak about. (Etc.)

ON TONY:

staring at the movie. Wheels turning in his head.

CUT TO:

82-85 OMITTED 82-85 *

86 INT. SCI-FI LAB - A MINOTAUR - DAY 86

A bull/human experiment in a SCI-FI lab, coming to bovine

life. A SEXY SPACE NURSE is administering some kind of

shot to him. A SECOND NURSE stands by.

SPACE NURSE:

My creation... My creation...

ARGO - Final 28.

81 CONTINUED:
81

(CONTINUED)

The Minotaur lifts his head, KNOCKS into the Nurse.

SPACE NURSE:

(breaking character)

What the f***, Brian?

DIRECTOR (O.S.)

Cut!

A.D. (O.S.)

WE.’RE CUTTING!

A bell. WIDER REVEALS that we.’re on a...

87 INT. WARNER BROS. SOUNDSTAGE - DAY 87

A DIRECTOR, 40s, whispers something to an A.D., midthirties.

A.D.

(inquiring into a

walkie)

John Chambers. John Chambers makeup...

CUT TO:

88 INT. WARNER BROS. SOUNDSTAGE - DAY 88

JOHN CHAMBERS, Hollywood.’s first Oscar winner for makeup,

walks onto set carrying a fishing tackle box of supplies.

SUPERIMPOSE:
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 19, 1980

The A.D. joins Chambers, walking him onto the set.

A.D.

He says the Minotaur.’s prosthetic

is too tight so he can.’t act.

CHAMBERS:

If he could act he wouldn.’t be

playing the Minotaur.

He smiles and waves at the Minotaur and begins to work on

his prosthetic with a brush and solvent.

CUT TO:

ARGO - Final 29.

86 CONTINUED:
86

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