Civic Duty

Synopsis: Shortly after landing a job, Terry Allen is laid off, starts looking for another circa post September 11, 2001 media frenzy and paranoia with President George W. Bush stating that grief has turned to anger, anger to resolution, and that there are thousands of terrorists in over 60 countries ready to strike. With increasing reports of identity theft, the involvement of wealthy & educated foreigners in terrorist activities, Terry starts suspecting his new neighbor, a middle-easterner, who he stereotypes as 'raghead', 'camel jockey', and 'sand nigger'. His wife, Marla, does not share in his bigotry, but he believes that she has turned her attention from rock-stars to Jihadists. While looking for employment, as well as a loan to purchase a house, he also contacts the Federal Bureau of Investigation as he feels he has sufficient evidence that his new neighbor is structuring money, experimenting with chemicals, and associating with other middle-easterners for devious reasons.
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Director(s): Jeff Renfroe
Production: Freestyle Releasing/Yari Film Group
  1 win & 2 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.3
Metacritic:
48
Rotten Tomatoes:
56%
R
Year:
2006
98 min
$54,902
Website
29 Views


[Newscasters overlapping]

[Male reporter]:
these guys

could be the same ones

Fighting america's enemies

here at home

Or anywhere in the world.

[Static hissing]

...deadly virus.

[Radio stations changing]

[News reports overlapping]

...to protect the populace

against the deadly virus...

[News reports overlaing]

...warn residents

way in advance.

...is a small price to pay...

...biological

weapons attack...

[Thudding]

[Male reporter]:

citing new intelligence,

The departmen

of homeland security today

Gave the official okay

To drop the threat level

from orange to yellow.

The drop,

announced early this morning

By the secretary

of homeland security,

Was the first lowering

of the alert status

In nearly two months.

However, the department

continues to urge

State and local officials,

transportation authorities,

And the general public

To remain alert,

As most, if not all,

the recent attacks abroad

Have come without warning.

[Beeping]

[Female reporter]:an estimated

$290 billion in assets

And their highly coveted

1,600 branches

In 22 states,

While keeping

its boston-Based headquarters'

Status intact.

A company with assets

of over $1.8 trillion dollars.

The deal comes

with a steep price

For the combined workforce

of 128,000,

With as many

as 20,000 employees

Expected to lose their jobs

When operations

are integrated.

[Anchorman]:

early this morning,

Five former officials

Of the holy land

restoration foundation,

Once the biggest

islamic charity

In the united states,

Have been arrested

on charges

Funneled

millions of dollars

To islamic fundamentalists

and plotters

In the middle east

and across the globe.

More specifically,

To private individuals

and organizations

Situated in the united states,

Linked

to fundamentalist activity.

Founding members

of the charity,

Which first came

under investigation by the fbi,

Are suspected

of devising a scheme

To funnel money

to fundamentalist organizations

Who support jihad...

[News reports overlapping]

[Sound distorting

and fading to ringing]

[President g. W. Bush]:

tonight, we are a country

Awakened to danger

And called

to defend freedom.

[Ticket agent]:

next, please.

Our grief has turned to anger.

Next.

...and anger to resolution.

Next, please!

Whether we bring

our enemies to justice,

Or bring justice

To our enemies,

Justice

will be done.

Hi.

Hello, sir.

How can i provide you

with excellent service today?

I'd just like to deposit this.

[Keys clacking]

Certainly.

Did you know, sir,

in the future,

You can also use

the atm machine

Just outside the front doors

And avoid

the wait in line

For a teller?

Yes, i did.

Thank you.

A lot of our customers

prefer that option, actually.

Really?

Mm-Hmm.

Do you know

what "atm" stands for?

Um... automatic-

Automated teller machine.

Right.

So when you say

"atm machine,"

What you're actually saying

Is "automated teller

machine machine. "

Now, either you're just being

ignorantly redundant,

Or you really

Want to emphasize

that "machine" part,

In which case,

You're not really providing

very personal care

Or excellent service,

are you?

You just want to...

Talk to customers,

Do some script

that your manager set up for you

To sell some program,

or something like that,

Or get fewer tellers

behind the line

So they'll go outside

and use the atm?

Is that it?

Listen, i'm really sorry.

I just, uh...

I'm sure they just tell you

to say that,

And it's

your job, so..

I've had a long day.

I apologize.

Did you want that deposited

into your checking

Or savings account, sir?

Checking, please.

[Pops off beer cap]

[Cap clinks in dish]

[Exhaling]

[Door opening]

[Door closes]

[Keys clatter in dish]

You're home early.

[Chuckling]:

what are you doing?

I'm just standing here

like an idiot.

Looking at the house.

Mm.

Maybe i could put

some of these

In the front yard.

Add a little color,

Maybe some daisies

at the side.

That'd look pretty great,

don't you think?

Yeah, yeah,

it sounds real nice.

I can't wait.

[Sighing]

Do you still

want to go

To my sister's cabin

this weekend?

They're not

going to be there.

It'd just be

the two of us.

Get some wine

and stuff

On my way home

tomorrow.

Oh yeah.

Do you remember that photo

i took of the redwoods?

Yeah.

Well, this publisher

saw it today,

And he said

it was really good.

Sounds great.

I know.

It's great.

It's great news.

I got laid off today,

marla.

What?

I got laid off.

What happened?

I don't know.

Downsizing,

software improvements,

Whatever.

But they just hired you.

Yeah, they did, but...

I don't exactly work

in a specialized field, do i?

[Sighing]

I'm going to take

Some of

those wedding gigs.

Mm-Mm.

Yeah.

No, they've been

coming to me, and-

No, no, no, you do your thing.

I am going to get another job.

A better job.

I'm sorry.

They're dumb people.

It's okay, you know?

We've gone

through this before,

And we'll just...

it's going to be okay.

It will.

[Closing door quietly]

[Anchorman]:

the federal reserve today

Issued a fresh warning

to investors

To the dangers

of the false sense

Of the economy's

Stretch and flow

interest rates.

The chairman cautioned

that extended periods

Of low credit risk

Have sometimes

been followed

By abrupt reversals

and a dramatic fall

In the prices

of risky assets.

While not identifying

the risky assets,

The chairman,

In a separate

report last monday,

Emphatically

warned the nation

About the perils

Of home-Owners

and lenders

Using aggressive

mortgages.

While low mortgage rates

Powered home sales

to record highs

Four years in a row,

Home prices have

nevertheless skyrocketed.

However,

the fed has been

Gradually

raising rates

To keep inflation

in check.

With this

latest warning,

The chairman stressed

that a widespread cooling

In the housing market

Could be right around

the corner,

Exposing both

borrowers and lenders

To significant losses.

[Anchorwoman]:
the united states

financial services industry

Has given birth

to yet another mega-Bank,

And the new team

of first international-

"Self-Starter. "

"Team player. "

Hey.

Were you out here

all night?

Do you think

the stereotype is true?

What stereotype?

That accountants are boring?

I know, i'm not my job,

But does my job

make me boring?

Yeah, i think it does.

Tsk, yeah,

that's what i thought.

?Re a boring guy, terry.

That's why i love you.

[Laughing]

[Kissing]

Everybody knows

that women prefer

Accountants

over rock stars.

[Slaps back lightly]

Why do you have to

bring him up all the time?

That was before

we even met.

I'm just kidding.

You are not a boring man

to me, mr. Allen.

Hey.

I gotta go.

All right. Bye.

[Keys clacking]

[Humtically]

[Man]:
next.

Hi.

Can i help you?

To mail these.

All right.

Are you interested

in our commemorative stamps?

No, thank you.

We have beluga whales,

legends of jazz,

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Andrew Joiner

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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