Dave Page #13

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REED:

Remember that First Liberty stuff we

almost got nailed on?

BOB:

Yeah...

REED:

I just dumped it on him instead.

Bob looks at him stunned.

BOB:

When does it break?

REED:

(shrugging)

Couple of days.

(showing him a folder)

Anyhow, look at these tracking polls,

they'll burn up in your hands: seventy-

three percent with seniors, eighty-

four with working mothers...

BOB:

(a little uneasy)

Alan, we still have to control this

guy...

REED:

(ignoring him)

And look at this. Russell came around

on the trade bill.

BOB:

(stunned)

You're kidding.

REED:

How long have you been waiting to pass

that thing?

BOB:

Three years.

REED:

I'm telling you, Bob, it's a gift.

When you got a Ferrari you don't leave

it in the garage.

CUT TO:

PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE - AERIAL SHOT - DAY 80

The long line of black limousines and police motorcycles makes

its way through downtown Washington.

INT. PRESIDENTIAL LIMOUSINE

Dave sits next to the First Lady in the back seat of the limo.

Both of them stare straight ahead. Finally, after several

seconds of silence, Ellen turns to Dave.

ELLEN:

Why are you doing this, Bill?

He looks over at her, startled.

DAVE:

What?

ELLEN:

(irritated)

Since when do you care about the

homeless?

Dave thinks for a moment.

DAVE:

(beat)

I care about the homeless.

ELLEN:

Yeah. I'm sure it's keeping you up

nights.

She turns away from him, twisting in the seat. The bottom of

Ellen's skirt hikes up her thigh, exposing the top part of

her leg. Dave looks down at it, drawn to the sight of naked

flesh. Sensing something, Ellen glances back and catches him

looking.

CLOSER:

Their eyes lock for a moment. Dave

smiles quickly and glances out the

window. Ellen looks down at her own

leg a little puzzled.

EXT. HELPING HAND SHELTER - DAY

The sidewalk is teeming with press. The shelter itself is

painted a bright shade of blue - - a cheery little island in

a sea of graffiti. A small group of community leaders waits

by the front door while the Presidential limousine pulls up

to the curb.

CLOSER:

The door pops open as Ellen and Dave step out. He turns and

waves to the crowd while she stares straight ahead. Reed

hurries up to them.

REED:

(under his breath)

Okay, it's straight klick and smile

but there's a great visual in the

kitchen so make sure you stop at the

soup.

She shoots him a glare as they reach the top of the stairs.

Dave nods and they move forward to greet the community leaders.

INT. SHELTER

He takes a couple of steps inside, then suddenly stops. The

smile fades as his eyes go wide.

DAVE'S POV

It is more a nursery school than a homeless shelter. Twenty

to thirty children, most of them black, stand formally

assembled in front of the President.

ELLEN:

(good at this)

One of the things they're trying to do

here at Helping Hand, is keep verbal

skills alive. The first thing that

goes with these kids is their ability

to communicate and they need to get to

them before this happens.

She glances over her shoulder. Dave has wandered forward to

the edge of the large rubber mat. Everyone stares, stunned,

as he looks at the kids for a moment, then sinks suddenly to

his knees.

DAVE:

(quietly)

Hi there.

ANGLE - PRESS CORPS

The cameras surge forward to the side of the play area. The

SHUTTERS FIRE WILDLY as Dave glances up at the cardboard cut-

outs.

DAVE:

(quietly)

You like cartoons?

The kids don't respond. They stare at the crush of reporters

and glancing TV lights.

DAVE:

(turning toward the

cameras)

Could you just stop that for a second.

Everyone freezes. The camera crews back up a step as Dave

turns back toward the kids.

DAVE:

(softer)

You like Tweety Bird?

A few of them nod.

CLOSEUP - ELLEN

She stares in disbelief as her husband sits cross-legged in

the middle of the mat. He leans forward, into the children,

talking like a kindergarten teacher.

ANGLE - PLAY AREA

DAVE:

So, which one do you like?

A FOUR-YEAR-OLD tugs gently at his sleeve. He wears donated

overalls and a N.Y. Mets T-shirt.

KID (FOUR-YEAR-OLD)

(in a lisp)

Sylvester.

DAVE:

(smiling)

Sylvester?

The boy nods.

DAVE:

But he's a cat.

ANGLE - REED

He beams from ear to ear as the photo-op materializes in front

of his eyes. Dave glances over at him, cupping his hand in a

whisper.

DAVE:

(side of his mouth)

Gimme a quarter.

REED:

(confused)

What?

DAVE:

Quick. Gimme a quarter.

WIDER:

Reed fishes through his pockets and comes up with a coin. He

moves to the mat, slipping it to Dave.

ANGLE - DAVE

DAVE:

(leaning forward)

Okay - - what can run all day without

getting tired.

The kid looks at him, baffled. Dave reaches out slowly and

taps the side of his nose. DAVE

(GENTLY)

Well, it's not your ear.

KID:

(lighting up)

My nose?

ANGLE - ELLEN

She watches in amazement as her husband reaches out and

"magically" produces a quarter from the side of the child's

nose. Dave looks up at her with a smile, and their eyes lock

as a hundred shutters fire at once...

CUT TO:

INT. "NIGHTLINE" - FULL SHOT - TED KOPPEL - NIGHT

KOPPEL:

What makes a man rise to a particular

moment in history? What makes a man

in the thicket of middle age, suddenly

rediscover himself with the wonder of

a child.

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