Broadcast News Page #3

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A laugh from the audience. There is a:

CUT TO:

ANOTHER ANGLE - FULL FIGURE

A WOMAN in blackness.

WOMAN THREE:

(o.s.)

I'm seventeen now and I've been

working the streets for two years

and I guess to be honest -- I stopped

thinking of it as temporary.

The lights come up on the room. The two screens go black...

there is general APPLAUSE. Jane blinks nervously.

JANE:

Please don't applaud.

ON AUDIENCE:

Sitting in groups of three -- NEWS TEAM from around the country,

remarkably similar in comparison...a great looking woman, good

looking man (either young or attractively avuncular) and a Black

or Hispanic. They still APPLAUD -- not yet having grasped the

sincerity of Jane's plea which she presses with more urgency.

JANE:

Please. Don't!!

(she yells)

I gathered these pieces as an

example of what's WRONG with local

television news.

The applause stops.

JANE:

The excerpts from THREE SEPARATE

SERIES on prostitution were

SIMULTANEOUSLY broadcast by all

stations in one city during sweeps

week. By what bend of either or

suspension of duty is that broadcast

news?

She pauses half a beat for possible applause -- hearing none,

she continues. An anchorman sneezes -- four people shout

"gesundheit" simultaneously -- they laugh.

JANE:

The legacy of Edward R. Murrow,

Eric Sevareid, William Shirer,

David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite

is being squandered in a desperate

popularity contest. Our profession

is in danger:

TRACKING SHOT:

As Jane continues, REVEALING that the news team now have even

more in common. They do not like Jane.

JANE:

Yesterday's compliment has somehow

managed to become today's kiss of

death. To be considered a serious

journalist is no longer flattering.

It presents the risk of being labeled

ponderous, or worse yet, elitest,

right?

SHOT CONTINUES:

Women playing with their hair, young man bored...one

middle-aged anchorman fusses with a spot on his tie...

ON JANE:

Briefly departing from text.

JANE:

All of you know what I'm talking about.

We're all trying to act together than

we are. But we care. So, we're all

secretly terrified, aren't we?

Not a peep -- she is thrown but doggedly presses on with her

prepared speech though her throat constricts a bit, her voice

begins to rasp.

JANE:

We are being increasingly influenced

by the star system. The network

anchormen are so powerful they

compromise our last best hope. The

current group is clearly qualified,

tied still to our best traditions, but

who follows these men?

TRACKING SHOT MOVES TO TOM GRUNICK

Seated with other members of his news team, a young blonde

woman whose hand is resting on his inner leg, a good looking

Hispanic. Tom feels a growing excitement -- Jane is not just

a speaker, she seems a savior.

TOM:

Wow.

His female colleague looks at him.

FEMALE COLLEAGUE

Oh, I've known so many women like

that. They don't like their looks

so they're angry.

BACK TO JANE:

Fumbling with her cards, sunk but game -- gamer than she would

wish.

JANE:

I was going to talk about other

trends but...

(mumbling)

...the magazine shows, news at

profit, influence of

Entertainment Tonight, the danger, the

hope, the dream, the question...Oh, I

was going to show you a tape -- a story

that was carried by all networks on the

same night -- the same night -- not one

network noted a major policy change in

Salt Two nuclear disarmament talks...

Here's what they ran instead...Go ahead.

Show the tape.

ON MONITORS:

Showing the Japanese Domino Championships as broadcast by all

networks in the Spring of 1985. It is quite spectacular -- the

dominoes falling into one another provoking waves, crossing tiny

bridges, setting off little fireworks. JANE'S AUDIENCE applauds

loudly and squeals with delight.

ON SCENE:

Jane between the two monitors. She begins to speak loudly OVER

the AUDIENCE NOISES of approval.

JANE:

(loudly)

I know it's good film. I know it's

fun. I like fun. It's just not news.

(as they continue

to applaud)

Well, you're lucky you love it --

you're going to get a lot more just

like it.

STRAY VOICE - SHOUT "GOOD"

OTHER ANGLE:

Jane sitting rocked into momentary catatonia, by the event.

Dazed as an animal stung by a tranquilizer dart. She takes

some irregular breaths waiting for normal life to return.

WIDER:

Tom the last person remaining in the room. He approaches her --

she is totally unaware of his presence, even when he casually

mounts the stage with an athletic leap. It takes courage for

Tom to fully intrude himself, which he now does:

TOM:

Hello.

She looks up at him.

ANGLE ON TOM:

Earnest, nervous -- handsome...Just when she needed a mirage

there it is.

JANE:

Hi.

TOM:

I just wanted to tell you how great

you were. My name's Tom Grunick.

JANE:

(dumbly)

Thank you.

(then)

They hated me. I don't hate them.

TOM:

Well, they say if you can reach

even one person, it means something...

And you did that.

Jane looks up at his smile -- a beat then:

JANE:

Would you like to have dinner

with me?

INT. HOTEL RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Jane arrives at the maitre d' stand. She has attempted to dress

up to the extent that packing for a short-day trip allows. She

looks for Tom. Tom rises from a table and is immediately at

her side.

JANE:

Hi. I was worried I was early.

TOM:

I was a lot earlier.

They are lead to a table and sit down.

TOM:

I kept thinking what a great break

it was for me to get to see you

tonight. More than a great break,

maybe just what I needed...just when

I needed it...Angel of mercy --

godsend...lifesaver...what?

JANE:

(picking one)

I like "godsend."

TOM:

I haven't been in news that long.

I've just been looking for the

right person to talk to. I have

about two thousand questions for you.

He notices that her head has gone into her hands where it

continues to rest. He looks at her a beat.

TOM:

It's possible now's not the right

time.

She lifts her head.

JANE:

If we could just eat first.

TOM:

Totally understood. Totally

wrong of me to talk shop after

the day you've had. Totally

sorry.

JANE:

Nooo. If I could just have a

roll, I'd be okay.

She takes a roll from the roll plate. He smiles at her. She

takes a bite.

JANE:

Thank you.

EXT. CONVENTION HOTEL - NIGHT

As they walk along -- dumping occasionally and self-consciously.

Jane is feeling a version of being turned on -- that is, a little

adrift and temporarily free of obligations. She is open to

making a memorable mistake.

JANE:

Another thing I can't stand --

Is this dull?

Tom shakes his head almost violently.

TOM:

No, no, no, no...

Jane looks at him curiously -- then:

JANE:

(broadly)

Another thing I can't stand is

...when White House reporters

bullshit with each other after

a briefing and then one of them

has a theory and the other quotes

it in his story as "White House"

sources say...

TOM:

That actually goes on...

JANE:

Yes. My room is down here --

I'm not tired. Do you want to

keep talking?

TOM:

Yes, sure.

INT. JANE'S ROOM - NIGHT

A small good room -- her working paraphernalia very much in

evidence...the quality briefcase...the reams of well organized

notes...the thick contact book -- Jane is sitting on the bed --

Tom, not far away in the room's only chair. One lamp is on

and it serves to place Jane in the shadows and cast Tom in an

enormously flattering light. MUSIC comes from her miniature

portable STEREO system.

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