Being There Page #9

65INT. A GREENHOUSE - DAY

Chance and Eve are in the middle of a huge potting green-

house where hundreds of young plants are tended by four

workers.

CHANCE:

I like to watch the young

plants grow.

EVE:

It is wonderful, isn't it?

CHANCE:

Young plants do much better

if a person helps them.

Eve looks at Chance as he inspects some of the flowers.

She has decided to make a move.

EVE:

...Ben tells me the President

was very taken with you this

morning.

Chance doesn't know what to say, continues inspecting the

flowers.

66INT. VICTORIAN GREENHOUSE - DAY

Chance and Eve move through a large and an extra lush green-

house until they reach a long room filled with cacti.

EVE:

(as they move)

...Chauncey...Last night you

mentioned an old man, that died.

Was a relative? Or an

intimate friend?

CHANCE:

(looking at

greenhouse)

He was a very wealthy man, he

looked after me since I was

young.

EVE:

Oh, I see... Your mentor.

CHANCE:

...Mentor...?

Eve takes his uncertainty as a reluctance to discuss the

Old Man.

EVE:

Forgive me, Chauncey - I don't

mean to pry. You must have

been very close to him.

CHANCE:

Yes. I was.

EVE:

I'm sorry...

(getting more

to the point)

...And what about Louise? You

mentioned that she had gone.

Were you close to her also?

CHANCE:

Yes. I liked Louise very

much. She was his maid.

EVE:

(relieved)

Oh, his maid!... Stupid me, I

thought perhaps she was someone

that you may have been romantically

involved with, or maybe your sister.

CHANCE:

Oh no. She brought me my meals.

EVE:

(pleased)

Of course.

Eve edges slightly closer to Chance. Chance edges

slightly closer to the cacti, is fascinated by it.

67INT. RAND'S ROOM - DAY

Rand is in bed, looking bad. Eve, Chance and Allenby are

seated around him, the two nurses stand to one side. They

all watch the President's address to the Financial Institute

on TV.

PRESIDENT'S VOICE

...I know that many of you believe

that we are on the brink of the

worst financial crisis in this

nation's history. And there are

some of you who would like to see

us put mandatory freezes on prices

and wages, and then call it a

temporary measure. Well, that's

exactly what I was going to do

until this moment. But I have

decided there are no temporary

stop gaps. So I am going to re-

think my position and find

another solution. And, you'll be

very pleased to know that your

founder and chairman-of-the-board,

Mr. Benjamin Turnbull Rand, agrees

with me on this...

(a beat)

...for once.

There is applause and laughter from the audience.

PRESIDENT'S VOICE (Cont'd)

(after applause)

Chauncey Gardiner, Mr. Rand's close

friend and advisor, was at our

meeting this morning. I found Mr.

Gardiner to have a feeling for

this country that we need more of.

He likened us to a garden...

...To quote Mr. Gardiner, a most

intuitive man, 'As long as the

roots of industry remain firmly

planted in the national soil,

the economic prospects are un-

doubtedly sunny.'

Rand starts coughing, breathing heavily. Allenby and

the nurses rush to his bedside. Allenby shoots a quick

look to Eve and Chance.

ALLENBY:

(motioning toward door)

I think you should leave.

Eve and an interested Chance leave the room as Allenby

administers aid to Rand.

PRESIDENT'S VOICE (Cont'd)

Gentlemen, let us not fear the

inevitable chill and storms of

autumn and winter, instead, let

us anticipate the rapid growth

of springtime, let us await the

rewards of summer. As in a

garden of the earth, let us

learn to accept and appreciate

the times when the trees are

bare as well as the times when

we pick the fruit.

68INT. RAND MANSION - HALLWAY - DAY

Eve and Chance stand in silence near the palm court. Eve's

eyes are swollen, red, she has been crying. She turns to

Chance, reaches out, touches his hand.

EVE:

(hesitates)

...I'm...

(pause)

...I'm very grateful that you're

here, Chauncey...

(pause)

...With us...

CHANCE:

So am I, Eve.

Allenby comes out of Rand's room, his mood is serious.

ALLENBY:

...This has been an exhausting

day for Ben... He's resting

comfortably now. There's no

cause for alarm...

Mrs. Aubrey approaches.

MRS. AUBREY

Mr. Gardiner, I have a telephone

call for you, Sidney Courtney.

CHANCE:

...Telephone call?

MRS. AUBREY

Yes, Sidney Courtney, the

Financial Editor of the

"Washington Post."

Chance does not react.

MRS. AUBREY

(after a moment)

Would you care to take it, sir?

CHANCE:

Yes.

Chance still does not move. Eve mistakes this for

concern for herself.

EVE:

I'll be all right, Chauncey -

you go ahead with Mrs. Aubrey...

CHANCE:

Yes, Eve. You'll be all right.

Chance follows Mrs. Aubrey. Eve watches Chance go, then

turns to Allenby.

EVE:

...He's such a sensitive man,

so considerate...

69INT. MRS. AUBREY'S OFFICE - DAY

Three television sets are on. Mrs. Aubrey hands a phone

to Chance, he looks at it, uncertain.

CHANCE:

(after a moment, into

phone)

...Hello.

70INT. WASHINGTON POST - COURTNEY'S OFFICE - DAY

SID COURTNEY, a man in his fifties, wears a rumpled wool

jacket, smokes a pipe.

COURTNEY:

Hello, Mr. Gardiner. I'm sorry

to disturb you, but I watched

the President's speech at the

Financial Institute today, and

I wondered if you have any

comments on the meeting that

took place between Mr. Rand,

the President and yourself.

71INTERCUT - MRS. AUBREY'S OFFICE/COURTNEY'S OFFICE - DAY

CHANCE:

The President is a nice person.

I enjoyed it very much.

COURTNEY:

Good, sir. And so, it seems,

did the President - but we would

like to have some facts; such as,

uh... What exactly is the

relationship between yourself and

that of the First American

Financial Corporation?

CHANCE:

I think you should ask Mr. Rand

that.

COURTNEY:

Of course. But since he is ill

I'm taking the liberty of asking

you.

CHANCE:

(watching three

TV sets)

Yes, that is correct. I think

you should ask Mr. Rand that.

Courtney doesn't understand but continues his questioning.

COURTNEY:

I see. Then one more quick

question, Mr. Gardiner.

Chance hangs up the phone, watches the TVs.

Courtney listens to the dial tone, then puts the receiver

down.

COURTNEY:

(to himself)

No wonder he's so close to

Rand...

72INT. MRS. AUBREY'S OFFICE - DAY

Mrs. Aubrey puts a call on hold, speaks to Chance who

is still intrigued by the three televisions.

MRS. AUBREY

Mr. Gardiner, I have the producer

of the 'Gary Burns Show' on the

line.

CHANCE:

Yes, I have watched that on

television.

MRS. AUBREY

Of course. They would like you

to appear on the show tonight.

The Vice-President was scheduled,

but he had to cancel, and they

asked if you would be interested.

CHANCE:

Yes. I would like to be on

television.

MRS. AUBREY

Fine.

Chance turns back to the televisions. Mrs. Aubrey talks

to the producer.

MRS. AUBREY

(into phone)

Hello, Mr. Hull... Mr. Gardiner

has agreed to do the show... Yes,

I'll tell him. The show will be

taped and then shown at ten o'clock,

but he's to be there at seven.

73INT. EVE'S BEDROOM - EVENING

Eve is on the phone while being attended to by a MANICURIST

and a HAIRDRESSER. Eve talks to Sophie as if they weren't

there as one wig is taken off, another is put on.

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