Argo Page #9

Siegel takes a couple of canap.s from a passing Waiter, *

starts eating. *

REPORTER:

... Jason and the Golden Fleece,

or...?

SIEGEL:

(chewing) *

-- the spaceship, it flies around

space, alllll over space --

REPORTER:

Is it the Argonaut?

Siegel doesn.’t know what he.’s talking about. *

SIEGEL:

No.

REPORTER:

Then what does .‘Argo.’ mean?

And finally Lester.’s had it -- with his mouth full -- *

SIEGEL:

It means Argo f*** yourself.

PUBLICIST:

Let.’s all take our places for the

reading.

And we SETTLE ON MENDEZ. He takes a glass of wine from a *

passing waiter.’s tray, downs it, and puts it on another

WAITER.’S tray. We FOLLOW that waiter THROUGH a swinging

door, INTO the kitchen and prep area, where a small black

and white TV plays...

125 ARCHIVE FOOTAGE 125

Tehran Mary speaks into a microphone.

TEHRAN MARY (V.O.)

(on TV)

As the Imam Khomeini said, we have

found no evidence that proves that

these people are diplomats.

126 INT. O.’DONNELL.’S OFFICE - NIGHT 126

O.’Donnell, watching the same footage on the News.

ARGO - Final 49.

124 CONTINUED:
(2) 124

(CONTINUED)

TEHRAN MARY (V.O.)

(on TV)

All evidence proves that these

people are spies.

The ARRAY OF VIDEO CAMERAS on tripods recording her.

NINA (V.O.)

(as Serksi)

Our world has changed. *

127 INT. BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL - STARDUST LOUNGE - DUSK 127

The reading of Argo is happening around a table.

PRINCESS ALEPPA:

The fire of hope stopped burning

in this galaxy long ago.

A HANDSOME LEAD, ACHILLES CRUX, says his line.

ACHILLES CRUX:

Fire the thrusters!! *

128 INT. AROUND THE CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE (TEHRAN) 128

- NIGHT

MARK LIJEK:

-- fifty-seven -- fifty-eight --

Mark counts out as Lee Schatz does push-ups. Bob Anders

watches a television in the b.g., subtitled in Farsi.

JIMMY CARTER (V.O.)

(on TV)

We will not yield to international

terror or to blackmail.

129-130 OMITTED 129-130

131 INT. MUSHROOM INN (AMERICAN EMBASSY, TEHRAN) - NIGHT 131

Five of the EMBASSY HOSTAGES -- men from their 20s to

their 50s -- are roused from their sleeping mats by

Komiteh. Hoods are put over their heads.

PRINCESS ALEPPA (V.O.)

The old ways are lost, but there

is still hope.

ARGO - Final 50.

126 CONTINUED:
126

(CONTINUED)

TEHRAN MARY (V.O.)

We will begin the trials and will

carry out the sentences.

This MONTAGE:
Voice upon voice, image upon image, landing

on television sets.

132 OMITTED 132

133 INT. AMERICAN EMBASSY (TEHRAN) - BASEMENT - NIGHT 133

The four hostages, hoods on their heads, placed against

the wall. HOSTAGE TAKERS raise their guns at the men.

GREEN JACKET:

(Farsi)

Fire!

PRINCESS ALEPPA (V.O.)

If we find his ship, we

will find our chance.

Aboard the Argo lies my

hope. My hero. My

husband.

*

They pull their triggers. But nothing happens. It.’s a

mock execution (actually occurred -- February 5, 1980).

The five hostages, after a beat, either scream or

collapse.

134 INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE - NIGHT 134

Joe Stafford, watching Khomeini on TV, to Bob Anders --

JOE STAFFORD:

(realizing the

gravity of it)

He.’s marginalized the moderates *

now.

MARK LIJEK:

A hundred and twelve --

134A INT. BEVERLY HILTON - DUSK 134A

NESTOR THE DROID

We.’re hit. We.’ll never clear the *

Perseus Range!

We see the ROW OF PRESS PEOPLE. Not unlike the ones *

watching Tehran Mary.

ARGO - Final 51.

131 CONTINUED:
131

134B INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE - NIGHT 134B

Lee Schatz collapses from his push-ups. Breathing

heavily.

MARK LIJEK:

And we have a new champion.

Bob Anders looks up from Khomeini, who keeps talking in

the b.g., and applauds.

134C OMITTED 134C *

134D INT. CANADIAN AMBASSADOR.’S RESIDENCE - NIGHT 134D

SAHAR quietly cleans a table. She.’s watching the

Houseguests.

CHAMBERS (V.O.)

.‘Crane down over the battlefield

and hold there....’

135 INT. BEVERLY HILTON HOTEL - NIGHT 135

Chambers, at the table, sitting next to Siegel. Mendez

sits off to the side.

CHAMBERS:

(reading stage

directions)

.‘... on a single red flower

growing from the ruins of the

starship in the desert. Fade to

black. The End..’

APPLAUSE.

136 OMITTED 136 *

136A OMITTED 136A *

137 INT. TONY.’S HOTEL ROOM - EVENING 137

Mendez, lying on his bed with the phone. Near him, a copy *

of VARIETY turned to a full-page ad. (*This is real --

Variety):
STUDIO SIX PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS: ARGO: A

COSMIC CONFLAGRATION. *

ARGO - Final 52.

138 INT. NEAR O.’DONNELL.’S OFFICE - MORNING 138

O.’Donnell comes from the kitchen to find ENGELL waiting.

He hands O.’Donnell a copy of Variety. .“ARGO TO BEGIN

SHOOTING IN MARCH. Oscar-winner Chambers, Siegel Among

Producers..”

And there is a photo of Mendez from the press event.

Smiling and holding a laser gun.

139 INT. TONY.’S HOTEL ROOM - MORNING 139

Mendez, seeing red, pacing --

MENDEZ:

Why.’d he do it?

O.’DONNELL (V.O.)

He did it .‘cause he did it.

INTERCUT WITH:

140 INT. O.’DONNELL.’S OFFICE - MORNING 140

O.’DONNELL

He saw a covert intelligence

officer saying .‘cheese.’ with R2-

D2. They.’re going with the

teachers.

MENDEZ:

It.’s a death sentence, Jack.

O.’DONNELL

Well then it.’s on Engell.

(a beat)

It.’s done, Tony. Wash your hands.

He hangs up. Mendez, looking out the hotel window at

L.A.

141 INT. ARGO PRODUCTION OFFICE - MORNING 141

While Tony packs a bag of papers from his desk.

SIEGEL:

I made thirty pictures. Half of

them the pricks upstairs tried to

shut me down.

Mendez finishes packing, zips up the bag.

ARGO - Final 53.

(CONTINUED)

SIEGEL:

My ass is staying right here and

running a movie company.

Mendez stops zipping as Siegel takes a bottle of Jack and

three shot glasses from a drawer.

SIEGEL:

(pours)

Ey. The first shot of the

picture.

Lester gives glasses to each of them. Chambers holds up

his glass.

CHAMBERS:

Argo f*** yourself.

They raise to that.

MENDEZ AND SIEGEL

Argo f*** yourself.

They each do a shot. Then Tony picks up his bag and

heads out. Before he goes --

MENDEZ:

How.’d you always get around the

pricks upstairs?

SIEGEL:

There.’s always another prick one

floor higher up.

142 EXT. STATE DEPARTMENT - DAY 142

Mendez approaches the iconic building.

143 INT. STATE DEPARTMENT LOBBY - DAY 143

Mendez catches up with Jack on the second level of the

lobby, opposite the row of flags.

O.’DONNELL

What did you do to get the *

meeting?

MENDEZ *

I used your name. *

Jack looks to Tony.

ARGO - Final 54.

141 CONTINUED:
141

(CONTINUED)

MENDEZ:

You can forget about that timeshare

in Ocean City, Jack.

144 INT. STATE DEPARTMENT - SEVENTH FLOOR - RECEPTION ROOM - 144

DAY:

Tony and O.’Donnell sit in the waiting area, across from a

SECRETARY. They look down the hall to see:

CIA DIRECTOR ADMIRAL STANSFIELD TURNER, 50s, and

SECRETARY OF STATE CYRUS VANCE walk down the hall

together, discussing something in hushed tones.

O.’DONNELL

(under his breath)

Brace yourself. It.’s like talking

to those two old fucks on .‘The

Muppets..’

Vance and Turner enter the room without recognizing them.

Mendez and O.’Donnell stand up.

145 INT. STATE DEPARTMENT - SEVENTH FLOOR OFFICE - ANGLE - 145

DAY:

A concept drawing from Argo.

TURNER (O.S.)

Aliens and robots.

MENDEZ (O.S.)

Yes, sir.

ANOTHER ANGLE:

The four men are gathered in the back of Vance.’s office,

around a table. Over them we see the STATE DEPARTMENT

EMBLEM.

TURNER is looking at the storyboard.

TURNER:

You.’re telling me there.’s a movie

office in Hollywood right now

that.’s funded by the Central

Intelligence Agency.

MENDEZ:

Yes, sir.

ARGO - Final 55.

143 CONTINUED:
143

(CONTINUED)

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