Deadline Page #2

drink the Kool-Aid

Or do they just brainwash you

when you join the ranks?

Father.

Why do you make so many errors?

I wasn't aware you read

the Nashville Times.

You don't have to.

The New York Times,

The Washington Post,

CBS, The Nashville Times.

If it wasn't for Fox News

and Rush Limbaugh,

We'd all be the same.

A liberal bias

does infect the media.

I mean, you said so yourself.

You want to

comfort the afflicted

And afflict the comfortable,

And that would be

people like us.

Mary Pell,

do you feel afflicted?

Father, please.

I've got my aches and pains,

Mr. Hall,

But got has blessed me.

Well, I see you have induced

Mr. Harper

To join you

in this wild goose chase.

I wouldn't call it that.

You're stirring up things

that...

that don't need to be

stirred up.

Now, the boy was probably killed

by his own kind and,

Well, he probably deserved it.

Not based on what we found

at his house.

You went to Mary Pell's?

In Nigra Town?

Please don't use that word.

It's an embarrassment.

No, no,

you are the embarrassment,

And I forbid you to continue.

I will not have my daughter

Riling up the whole town over

some dead nigra kid.

Now, other than you

and Mary Pell, no one cares.

Wallace Sampson had friends.

They care.

Mr. Harper cares.

And if you weren't

a blue-Blooded fat cat

Born on third base but you

think you hit a triple,

You would care.

That's enough.

This is Delana.

Leave a message.

Hey, sorry I keep missing you.

I'm down in Alabama,

chasing a story.

It could be big.

Anyway, see you tomorrow night.

Love you.

So let justice flow like

a river and righteousness

Like an ever-Flowing stream.

Amen.

Justice.

Yes.

And righteousness.

Amen.

My beloved, we have guests

here this morning,

Just in case

you hadn't noticed.

They're here

for sister Mary Pell.

Amen.

They're here

for Wallace Sampson.

Yes.

Every Sunday morning,

for 19 years,

Sister Mary Pell has offered up

her prayer to the lord.

Amen.

And I'm saying today, lord,

hear our prayer.

Lord, hear our prayer.

- How long?

- How long?

Wouldn't this be a good time

for justice?

Yes, sir.

- How long?

- How long?

Wouldn't this be a good time

for righteousness?

Yes, sir.

- For 19 years...

- 19 years.

She's wondered about her son.

Who stole his life?

For 19 years,

She's wondered about the waters

of righteousness.

When will justice flow?

- How long?

- How long?

Wouldn't this be

a good time for justice?

- How long?

- How long?

Wouldn't this be a good time

for righteousness?

- How long?

- How long?

Oh, wouldn't this be

a good time?

Hey. Hey, sorry about Friday.

I totally forgot

about the planner.

That was Friday.

This is Sunday.

Where have you been?

Didn't you get my messages?

I had to work.

Really? The paper

didn't know about it.

I did it on my own.

Delana, seriously, Friday

was a complete accident.

Accident, my foot!

You asked to skip

the cake-Tasting party

And the stationery selection,

okay?

Then you blow off the meeting

with our minister?

I had to work overtime.

And now you forget the planner.

I'm upset, but what do you do?

You go out of town when you

don't even have to.

Your priorities

are abundantly clear.

The wedding's off.

Fine.

Fine. Fine.

Hey, I'm on to one heck

of a story.

Just hold your horses, partner.

I've got the publisher moseying

down here,

Which means

I'm facing more crap

Than a cowhand at the tail end

of a cattle drive.

He's funny.

What do you think Baxter wants?

Ah, my hide, more than likely.

What'd you do now?

Well, you've seen

the headlights

On the new assistant librarian,

right?

Mm mm.

Well, I thought it'd be funny,

so I asked personnel,

I said, would it cost me my

pension if I nuzzled them?

Well, apparently, there's some

questions you just don't ask.

Like that one.

Yep. That, and why there's

no white history month.

You redneck.

Given the protesters,

maybe Baxter's after you?

Me?

Think Baxter has

the guts to fire the son

Of the legendary Lucas Harper?

Harper!

Oh, boy. Better

you than me, prepster.

Hey, is Baxter after me,

or what?

Bulls-Eye.

Right.

Excuse me, may I ask you

a question?

Anything you say will be used

against you. Promise.

Oh, well. Hmm.

So it's a cold case story.

Rich blue blood's obsessed

with the forgotten killing

Of her housekeeper's son.

No, no, no, not forgotten.

Never even investigated.

Trey Hall's search for justice

Against the objections

of her big-Shot father,

That's the least we get.

Best case, we solve the murder.

Well, it's a good story,

all right.

But so's the murder

of the police chief...

only that's still news.

The murder

of the police chief's

Already being investigated.

Wallace Sampson's murder isn't.

Amos isn't even

in our circulation area.

Amos isn't in anybody's

circulation area.

If we don't do it,

it won't get done.

Well, I'm not frettin'

About stories in Amos

not getting done.

I'm worried about stories in

Nashville not getting done.

We've got a newsroom

full of empty desks,

And Baxter the Axter's

Talking about

culling the herd even more.

Your name's come up.

You know the protests

aren't my fault.

That's not

the only bullet he's got.

He's done a count of every

reporter's stories,

And you ranked dead last,

with no blockbusters.

Well, to get a blockbuster,

you need a good story.

Matt, you never handled

a big investigation.

I don't know that you're ready.

Look, I've already

done some work.

I can get it.

You've got a few days.

Thank you.

Screw up and you're stew meat.

I won't.

Matt, take Bullock with you.

What?

If we use one of our top

reporters, Baxter will notice.

But Bullock?

With all this nuzzling crap

from Bullock

And your black hole problem,

I need you both

out of sight for a while.

Besides, Bullock may be crazy

But he's got

every gadget you need.

"Bad news. "

Testing, one, two, three.

"Bad news. "

"Bad news. "

"Bad news. "

"You've seen me shuffling

down the sidewalk. "

"I know I ain't

no Marlon Brando. "

"Hey, what can I say,

this ain't no trash talk. "

"I've got you any way,

any way I choose. "

"Bad news. "

"I'll show you what I can do. "

"Bad news. "

"Soon you'll see the picture. "

"Bad news. "

"Before I say or do. "

"Bad news. "

"Yeah, I'll tell

the truth on you. "

Okay, we're taking my LeMans,

'Cause your rice burner

Is an insult to

the American working man.

Besides, my LeMans has an

engine. It might come in handy.

Get off it, Bullock.

When's the last time a reporter

was on a high-Speed chase?

Hey, it could happen.

I think you're forgetting

who's in charge here, boy.

I'm kind of sorry

I've got to take you with me.

Hey, this is my story.

You think I'm happy about

working with you

And your racist

caveman attitude?

Huh!

Ow.

Now you listen to me

very carefully, you little punk.

My job is to learn things

people don't know about

And put it in the paper.

It's called news.

And I don't worry about

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes