Dave Page #11

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DAVE:

(beat)

Can I try it?

GM PRESIDENT:

Huh? Uh, well...

BOB:

Mr. President...

DAVE:

I mean, if it's a problem...

GM PRESIDENT:

No, no. It's really quite simple.

Just come on over here.

The GM Executive leads Dave toward the huge machine. He smiles

as an army of cameras press in closer.

GM PRESIDENT:

Now, you slip your hands into these

sleeves here...

Dave nods and does as he is told. All at once the two 12-

foot arms shoot straight up into the air. He smiles with

delight as the massive robot comes alive in his hands. Dave

lifts his arms over his head and the huge claws point straight

toward the ceiling. He sticks them out to the side and the

robot does the same.

DAVE:

I once caught a fish this big.

Dave sticks his arms out to his sides and the huge claws

indicate a 40-foot fish. A roar goes up from the crowd as a

slight smile starts to spread across Reed's face...

REED:

(almost in awe)

He's a soundbite machine...

Bob glances over at him...

CUT TO:

OMITTED:

GERGEN AND SHIELDS (MACNEIL LEHRER NEWSHOUR) - FULL SHOT

Two of the most famous pundits in America sit side by side on

the PBS set.

GERGEN:

I don't know about you, Mark, but

I don't think I've ever seen the

President as relaxed or comfortable

with himself as he is right now.

SHIELDS:

Oh, I agree, David. I don't know who

gave him happy pills but this is a

pretty unbelievable transformation.

GERGEN:

Well, I think it's a kind of 'rebirth'

really. This is a man who's stared

death in the face and it's obviously

had a profound effect on him.

SHIELDS:

Look, if that's what a stroke'll do

for ya, I'll take a couple of dozen.

CUT TO:

CLOSEUP-REED

He stares OUT OF FRAME expectantly with the grin of an excited

child... The CAMERA WIDENS OUT to reveal:

EXT. WHITE HOUSE LAWN - DAY

Dave romps on all fours with the cocker spaniel (Cupcakes)

that used to serve as the President's prop. He holds one

end of a towel in his mouth while the dog tugs feverishly at

the other.

WIDER:

A hundred SHUTTERS CLICK at once while the White House press

corps strains on their barricade...

CUT TO:

EXT. WHITE HOUSE - UPWARD ANGLE

Ellen watches the spectacle from a second floor window.

ELLEN:

What a jerk.

CUT TO:

EXT. WHITE HOUSE LAWN - DAY

Dave stands, in the Presidential jogging suit, next to Arnold

Schwarzenegger. They are surrounded by twenty or thirty

fourth graders, all there to demonstrate their physical

fitness. Arnold hits the deck in a flurry of push-ups --

urging the President to follow suit. Dave hits the deck as

well, matching the superstar rep for rep. The cameras explode

in a LOUD VOLLEY OF SHUTTER FIRE. Reed grins all over again...

CUT TO:

EXT. SOUTH LAWN - DAY

Dave stands face to face with the Japanese Prime Minister in

a full diplomatic ceremony. He listens to his interpreter

for a moment, then bows stiffly from the waist.

The Prime Minister bows in return.

Dave bows again.

The Prime Minister bows again.

Dave bows again. The Prime Minister bows again.

CLOSER:

LOSER:

Dave head-fakes but the Prime Minister bows anyway. Dave

lets out an ear to ear grin as the SHUTTERS FIRE once more...

CUT TO:

JAY LENO (THE TONIGHT SHOW) - FULL SHOT

He stands in front of those famous curtains doing his nightly

monologue.

LENO:

How 'bout the President these days

huh? One minute he has a stroke the

next he's doing push-ups. Must make

it a lot easier on the Secret Service

when all they have to worry about is

Kryptonite.

The audience claps in approval...

CUT TO:

INT. EAST WING - DAY

Dave moves through the East Wing with an entourage of

Presidential aides.

DIFFERENT ANGLE:

Dave glances to his right and hesitates for a moment. There,

in her own suite of offices, is Ellen Mitchell with her back

to Dave, talking on the phone.

ANGLE - DAVE

He's drawn momentarily to her presence, but is forced to

continue down the hallway with his entourage...

CUT TO:

INT. CABINET ROOM - DAY

He sits at the center of the long cabinet table, surrounded

by the 14 members. Dave clutches a stack of 3x5 cards, as he

glances around the room.

DAVE - Rev. 7/27/92 51A.

DAVE:

(reading from the first

card)

Okay -- first we're gonna hear from

Ted on the land management

legislation...

CLOSEUP - DAVE

He glances back toward Bob and Reed with a proud look on his

face...

CUT TO:

OMITTED:

INT. DAVE'S ROOM - NIGHT

He stands by the President's bureau, looking through the

drawers. Dave pulls out some socks and an old used hair net.

He discards it quickly and moves onto the next. Dave opens

the bottom drawer and glances down at the contents. He pauses

for a moment, drawn by what he sees.

CLOSER:

Dave reaches down and pulls a framed picture from the

President's bottom drawer.

INSERT - PICTURE FRAME

A young, happy Bill Mitchell stands next to his bride. He

wears a morning-coat and top hat with the biggest smile in

the world. Of course, a young Bill Mitchell could just as

easily be a young Dave Kovic...

ANGLE - DAVE

He stares at the photograph of "him"

and Ellen, reliving a history that he

never experienced.

CUT TO:

OMITTED:

INT. FIRST LADY'S OFFICE - DAY

It is more functional than ornamental. The Chippendale

furniture is covered up with papers and boxes and large stacks

of newsclippings. Several aides move in and out of the room

while a MUTED TV set plays in the b.g.

ELLEN:

(into phone)

You're misinterpreting it, Nathan --

that's not what the study said. It

said if the mother got less than 1100

calories the child would risk

a low birthrate...

As an aide comes up to her with a small stack of papers, Ellen

notices the TV.

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