Chappaquiddick Page #19

---

GARGAN:

Steve. What's going on?

Without looking back, Smith opens the front door of the houseand stomps inside. Markham chases after him.

STEPHEN SMITH:

You talk to him. See if you can'tconvince him to help himself.

Smith slams the door behind him. Gargan turns and sees Tedflying his kite by the shore. From this distance, Ted looksless like a man and more like a boy.

93.

With the massive Kennedy compound looming in the background,

Gargan marches over to Ted.

Gargan takes one last step forward and stands next to him.

Ted glances out of the corner of his eye. Long silent pause.

GARGAN:

You want to take the boat out?

TED:

Maybe we’ll go out tomorrow.

Beat.

TED (CONT’D)

I’ve been giving it a lot of

thought. You were right.

(beat)

We should have dropped the

spinnaker.

Gargan shakes his head and gives a half smile.

GARGAN:

I've only ever had your best

interests at heart.

Gargan kicks a small pebble, and it skips into the water. Helooks back at the compound and then to Ted.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

Seems like they want you back

inside.

TED:

Those guys only have their best

interests at heart.

Gargan turns to Ted, staring him down now.

GARGAN:

I can't let you do this to

yourself.

TED:

Do what?

GARGAN:

Self-destruct.

Ted swings the kite away from Gargan and takes a couple ofsteps with it.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

No one else is saying it...maybethey just haven't seen it...

(MORE)

94.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

But you've been on this path sinceBobby died.

TED:

The expectations for your wholelife didn't change the moment hehit the ground.

GARGAN:

There were never any expectationsfor me.

TED:

Yes there were. There always were.

I've needed you...I need you toprotect me.

Gargan looks back down at the ground, drawing the courage tosay what he came to say.

TED (CONT’D)

You're the only brother I have

left, Joe.

GARGAN:

This has to be the end of my

involvement. I wish “ole Joey”

could fix it, but I can’t.

TED:

Do you wish you'd never jumped inthe water?

GARGAN:

Of course not.

Gargan waits for some sort of response.

GARGAN (CONT’D)

Do you regret saying you were

driving?

TED:

Ask me in a week.

INT. KENNEDY COMPOUND - LIVING ROOM - DAY

All the king's men have crowded to one side of the room. Onthe opposite side, DR. WATT, the Kennedy family physician,

sits in a folding chair looking overwhelmed.

David Burke tops off Sorensen’s cup of coffee. Markham standsin the corner nursing a hard drink. The rest of the men pourover documents with fingers pressed firmly against theirforeheads.

95.

MCNAMARA:

What's the cut off for the national

papers?

SORENSEN:

On a Saturday? Five P.M. Why?

The door cracks open and Ted slinks into the war room. No onepays him much mind. He sits and tries to catch up to speed.

MCNAMARA:

A story like this could dominate theheadlines for a week. It would take

nothing short of a man walking onthe moon to keep this off the frontpage. Fortunately for us, Ted's bigbrother arranged for just that.

SORENSEN:

If we can keep a tight lid on thisfor a couple more hours, then we’llbe able to actually develop adecent P.R. strategy.

Ted slumps down deep into his chair.

STEPHEN SMITH:

By the time the papers have room forTed, they'll all be printing exactlywhat we want them to.

Burke Marshall stands and strides over behind Dr. Watt.

BURKE MARSHALL:

That after a thorough examination,

Ted’s doctor here deduced he had

suffered a concussion and was in a

state of shock.

DR. WATT

But I haven’t even examined the

patient yet.

STEPHEN SMITH:

That won’t be necessary.

Sargent Shriver gives Sorensen a congratulatory slap on theback. He wipes the sweat from his brow.

SARGENT SHRIVER:

There’s nothing left to do but runout the clock, gentlemen. Come fiveP.M., we'll be back out in front ofthe problem.

The group all practically breathes a sigh of relief. Allexcept for Ted.

96.

TED:

The New York Times already has thestory.

MCNAMARA:

WHAT?!

TED:

On my way out of the station. I raninto a reporter. He seemed to knowI'd been involved in an accident.

SORENSEN:

Who was it, Ted? What was his name?

TED:

James Reston.

MCNAMARA:

RESTON!?

SORENSEN:

He's their chief politicalcorrespondent and the executiveeditor!

STEPHEN SMITH:

How could you not have mentionedthat?!

Ted gives a childlike shrug of non-remorse.

TED:

I was in a state of shock.

SORENSEN:

AWWWW ...BULLSHIT TED!

MCNAMARA:

We need to get someone over to theKopechne’s A-S-A-P! Someone's gottarun interference with any pressbefore one of her parents sayssomething that totally sinks us.

The room heaves with tension.

TED:

They’re in New Jersey. Someoneoughta get over there quick.

David Burke takes a loud sip from his coffee. The brain trustcollectively shoots him a dirty look.

MCNAMARA:

(to David Burke)

Why are you still here?

97.

David Burke hops up and slips into his sport coat as he racesout the door.

McNamara fires back at the rest of the group. Pointing hisfingers in people's faces as he barks out orders.

MCNAMARA (CONT’D)

Markham. Get the Chief on the line.

Don’t let that written statement getreleased to the press. The New York

Times may have this, but let’s seeif we can’t keep it an exclusive.

Markham doesn't hesitate. He hustles into the kitchen.

McNamara swings around to Ted.

MCNAMARA (CONT’D)

Ted. Get your press secretary to feeda leak to the Times. Let them know

that you’ve been diagnosed with avery serious concussion. That shouldexplain why you've been behaving likea mental patient of late.

Ted hoists himself out of his chair. He rolls his eyes.

TED:

Anything else, Bob?

MCNAMARA:

Make it sympathetic. Tell 'em he'sgot you on a prescription for allthe pain.

INT. KENNEDY COMPOUND - KITCHEN - DAY

Markham peeks into the war room. McNamara and the others pumpthe doctor for more information on Ted’s “condition”. Markham

spins away from the door as the chief answers.

CHIEF ARENA (V.O.)

“On July 18, 1969, at approximate --”

Hang on I need to take this. Hello?

MARKHAM:

Chief. Thank God, I reached you.

Could I ask you to hold back thatstatement a little longer?

INT. EDGARTOWN POLICE STATION - CORRIDOR - DAY

Chief Arena stands in the hallway, holding a typewritten copyof Ted’s statement. A handful of reporters crowd in front andSHOUT as they scribble in their notebooks as fast as possible.

98.

CHIEF ARENA:

You’re going to have to speak upson, I’ve got a hallway full ofreporters here.

INT. KENNEDY COMPOUND - ENTRYWAY - DAY

Ted grits his teeth and holds the phone to his ear. Heclinches his other hand into a tight fist.

TED:

Now remember, Dick, this is anexclusive! You don’t need to overdo

it. We’re just trying to make surethis doesn't spin out of controlinto something about manslaughter...

INT. SENATE CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY

Dick Drayne clutches the handset of a multi-line telephone. AJANITOR dusts a nearby table. Ted’s voice booms out of thereceiver audibly throughout the room.

Rate this script:4.3 / 3 votes