Being There Page #10

EVE:

(into phone)

...Are you kidding? Of course,

I'll bring him, I promise - but

I'll get Ben to suggest it...

Hands off, Sophie - this one's

mine... No, I haven't done that,

but give me time... Yes, be sure

and watch the 'Burns' Show to-

night, you'll see what I mean...

Ben? Oh, he's okay - he's got

his ups and downs...

74INT. CHANCE'S ROOM - EVENING

Chance wears a velvet bathrobe, watches TV. Wilson and

Perkins lay out a suit, shirt, tie, etc. There is a KNOCK

at the door.

PERKINS:

Excuse me, sir.

Perkins answers the door, it is Eve.

EVE:

(entering)

Chauncey, I wanted to wish you

well. I know you'll be just

smashing.

CHANCE:

(rising)

Thank you, Eve.

EVE:

And Benjamin sends along his

best wishes.

CHANCE:

How is Ben feeling?

EVE:

He's tired, Chauncey - but he's

going to watch you tonight.

We'll both be watching.

CHANCE:

That's good. I like to watch,

too.

EVE:

I know you do - you and your

television...

(a pause)

...Good luck, Chauncey.

Eve impulsively steps forward, kisses Chance on the cheek.

Chance smiles at her. Eve returns the smile, then leaves

the room. Chance sits back down, watches TV as Wilson

and Perkins attend to his clothes with a whiskbroom.

75INT. WASHINGTON POST - RESEARCH ROOM - NIGHT

A woman, KINNEY, sits behind a stack of paperwork. She

has a downcast expression as Sidney Courtney, followed by

three staffers, enters the room.

COURTNEY:

(to Staffers)

...Gardiner is laconic, matter-

of-fact. The scuttlebutt is

that he's a strong candidate

for one of the seats on the

Board of First American.

(to Kinney)

...Kinney, what did you come up

with on his background?

KINNEY:

(after pause)

...Nothing.

COURTNEY:

...Skip the levity, Kinney -

what have you got?

KINNEY:

(another pause)

...I realize this sounds banal -

but there is no information of

any sort on Gardiner. We have

no material on him - zilch...

The room is quiet.

76INT. TV STATION - CORRIDOR - NIGHT

Chance is intrigued by the the surroundings as MORTON HULL

guides him through the corridor.

HULL:

Of course, Mr. Gardiner, your

position in the financial

community carries a lot of

weight, but what caught Gary's

attention was your down-to-

earth philosophy.

CHANCE:

I see.

They walk a while through the corridor.

HULL:

(making conversation)

Do you realize that more people

will be watching you tonight

that all those who have seen

theater plays in the last

forty years?

CHANCE:

Yes. It's a very good show.

Hull takes Chance into the makeup room.

77EXT. AIRPORT - NIGHT

AIR FORCE 1 taxies to the ground.

78INT. AIR FORCE 1 - NIGHT

The President sits on a couch in one of the compartments

on the jet. With him are six of his STAFF, Kaufman

included.

PRESIDENT:

What do you mean, no background?

That's impossible, he's a very

well known man!

KAUFMAN:

Yes, sir - we are aware of all

that, but still, we haven't been

able to...

PRESIDENT:

(interrupts)

He's an advisor and close personal

friend of Rand's! For Christ

sakes, they have volumes of data

on Benjamin!

KAUFMAN:

Yes, Mr. President, I plan on

contacting Mr. Rand as soon as...

PRESIDENT:

(again interrupts)

I do not want Benjamin Rand

disturbed! You have other ways

of gathering information than to

trouble a dying man. Use whatever

agencies are necessary to put to-

gether a detailed history of

Chauncey Gardiner, if you run

into problems, alert Honeycutt.

(he stands)

Have it in my office at seven

in the morning.

(he starts for door)

I've got to take a leak.

KAUFMAN:

Right, chief.

As the President goes to the Men's Room, two of the aides

reach for telephones.

79INT. TV STATION - CORRIDOR/MAKEUP ROOM - NIGHT

A PAGE comes through the corridor carrying a glass of

water. He turns into the makeup room to reveal Hull

sitting next to Chance in front of the mirror. The

makeup man, COLSON, works on Chance as he watches the

guest preceding him on a TV monitor that is reflected

in the mirror.

PAGE:

(gives Chance water)

I thought you might need this

about now, Mr. Gardiner. It

gets real hot under these lights.

CHANCE:

Thank you. I am very thirsty.

The Page leans against the door jamb, smiles if anyone

looks at him.

HULL:

(briefing Chance)

Now, if Gary wants to interrupt

you, or ask you a question,

he'll raise his left forefinger

to his left eyebrow.

CHANCE:

(to Colson)

Nurse Teresa did Ben's makeup.

COLSON:

(laughs)

Oh? Did she do a good job?

CHANCE:

Yes, very good.

On the TV, GARY BURNS finishes with his guest and the

band goes into a hot instrumental number.

COLSON:

(a last minute dab)

Okay, Mr. Gardiner, looks like

you're up.

Hull leads Chance out of the makeup room. Colson sits

and watches the TV monitor. The Page, his back to Colson,

carefully picks up Chance's water glass so as not to smear

the fingerprints, then leaves the room. On the TV monitor,

the band plays, the audience applauds as Burns introduces

Chance.

80INT. RAND LIMOUSINE - NIGHT

BURNS (on TV)

I always find it surprising, Mr.

Gardiner, to find men like your-

self, who work so intimately with

the President, yet manage to remain

relatively unknown.

CHANCE (on TV)

Yes. That is surprising.

BURNS (on TV)

...Well, your anonymity will be

a thing of the past from now on.

CHANCE (on TV)

(doesn't understand)

I hope so.

BURNS (on TV)

(a beat)

Yes...of course. Well, I assume,

since the President quoted you, that

you agree with his view of the

economy.

CHANCE (on TV)

Which view?

Applause and laughter from the TV audience.

81INT. ALLENBY'S ROOM - NIGHT

Allenby watches, concerned as to which way it will go.

BURNS (on TV)

(a beat)

Well, the President compared the

economy of this country to a

garden, and stated that after a

period of decline a time of

growth would naturally follow.

CHANCE (on TV)

Yes, I know the garden very well.

I have worked in it all my life.

It is a good garden and a healthy

one;

82INT. RAND'S ROOM - NIGHT

Rand is in bed. Eve sits in a chair next to the bed,

squeezes Rand's hand in the excitement as they both watch

Chance on television. Teresa and Constance watch in

the Background.

CHANCE (on TV - cont'd)

its tress are healthy and so are

its shrubs and flowers, as long as

they are trimmed and watered in the

right seasons. The garden needs

a lot of care. I do agree with

the President; everything

will grow strong, and there is

plenty of room in it for new trees

and new flowers of all kinds.

The TV audience applauds Chance and Constance quietly

leaves the room.

83INT. WHITE HOUSE - PRESIDENT'S BEDROOM - NIGHT

The President and First Lady are in bed together watching

the show.

BURNS (on TV)

So you're saying, Mr. Gardiner,

if the Stock Market collapses,

and unemployment keeps increasing.

that this is just another season,

so to speak, in the garden?

The First Lady cuddles up to the President.

84INT. RAND LIMOUSINE - NIGHT

Chance continues to watch himself.

CHANCE (on TV)

Yes. In a garden, things grow - but

first some things must wither; some

trees lose their leaves before they

grow new leaves...

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