House of Cards Page #2
- TV-MA
- Year:
- 2013
- 51 min
- 12,872 Views
FRANCIS:
(in a whisper)
We’re only five minutes from the
house.
CLARIE:
You’re going to make me wait?
FRANCIS:
(with a sly smile)
Patience is a virtue.
CLAIRE:
I’m not feeling very virtuous
tonight.
He smiles, leans in and kisses her.
INT. WASHINGTON HERALD - NEWSROOM - MORNING
A bustling bull-pen of writers, editors and assistants.
Mounted TVs blare with 24 hour news channels. The steady
clacking of keyboards wafts from a sea of cubicles.
ZOE BARNES (mid 20s) - a strong and hungry young reporter -
weaves through the cubicles toward a corner office.
Inside LUCAS GOODWIN (mid to late 30s) - the Deputy Editor -
is talking to BOB HAMMERSCHMIDT (early 50s) - the paper’s
grizzled Editor-in-Chief.
Zoe waits by the open door and listens in.
HAMMERSCHMIDT:
...Only a nine vote majority in the
House. Every bill that hits the
floor will be a cock-fight.
LUCAS:
Yeah it’ll be ugly.
7.
HAMMERSCHMIDT:
Any guess what’s on the legislative
agenda?
LUCAS:
No idea. All my regular sources
won’t say a word.
HAMMERSCHMIDT:
Keep digging.
Hammerschmidt gives him a slap on the back and exits,
brushing past Zoe, whom he barely notices.
ZOE:
Morning Mr. Hammerschmidt.
He tries to place a name to the face.
ZOE (CONT’D)
Zoe Barnes.
HAMMERSHMIDT:
Metro.
ZOE:
That’s right.
HAMMERSCHMIDT:
Keep up the good work.
He’s gone. Zoe leans against the doorway a tad provocatively.
ZOE:
Did it take him over a year to
remember your name?
LUCAS:
What can I do for you Zoe?
ZOE:
I’m sick of the City Council.
LUCAS:
I know you are. You tell me
everyday.
ZOE:
Move me online.
LUCAS:
You want to schlep for the twitter
feed? Be my guest.
8.
ZOE:
No. My own blog. Five hundred
words. First person. Subjective.
LUCAS:
Not gonna happen.
ZOE:
Give me some freedom. I’ll go
underground. Win over staff members
on the Hill. Give them an outlet to
vent anonymously.
LUCAS:
A glorified gossip column.
ZOE:
overworked. We’ll lift the veil.
Tap into what’s really going in.
LUCAS:
This is the Washington Herald Zoe,
it’s not TMZ.
ZOE:
You know how many people watch TMZ?
LUCAS:
I couldn’t care less.
ZOE:
Which is why print journalism is
dying.
LUCAS:
If it’s gonna die, it’ll die with
dignity. At least at this paper.
ZOE:
You’re stuck in the 20th century
Lucas. You lack imagination.
LUCAS:
Maybe so, but right now I’m not
interested in imagination, I’m
interested in copy.
ZOE:
You’re telling me to get back to
work.
LUCAS:
I am.
9.
ZOE:
But what you’re really telling me
is to f*** off.
LUCAS:
I’m telling you both.
Zoe is brimming with frustration but she’s too cool of a
cucumber to let it show. She turns on her heels and departs
as quickly as she came.
INT. RUSSO’S OFFICE - MORNING
CHRISTINA MALONE (late 20s) - sexy and headstrong - ushers a
humorless looking LOBBYIST into Rep. Peter Russo’s office.
Christina is Russo’s Executive Assistant. Russo is smart and
amiable, but a bit of rascal.
CHRISTINA:
Mr. Chapman, from Horizon Trust...
RUSSO:
Henry. Great to see you. Thanks
Christina.
She leaves, closing the door behind her. The two men sit.
RUSSO (CONT’D)
How long are you in town for?
Staying for the Inauguration? I
can hook you up if you -
CHAPMAN:
I’m not interested in parties. I’m
interested in the zoning laws you
promised to get changed in your
district. We’ve got 12 million
sitting in escrow for an empty lot
we can’t build on.
RUSSO:
Yes, I know. And believe me, I’m
on it. But you gotta understand,
that’s a local municipal issue. I
can’t just pick up the phone and
CHAPMAN:
You can’t? That’s not what you led
us to believe when you begged for
fifty grand in donations.
10.
RUSSO:
(realizes what he’s up
against)
Right. Well...
The phone rings. Russo looks sympathetically to Chapman.
RUSSO (CONT’D)
One sec.
(picks up the phone)
Christina I told you - no calls.
Not while I’m meeting with Mr.
Chapman.
(pause)
The President-Elect?
Chapman’s eyes widen.
RUSSO (CONT’D)
Put him through Christina.
(short beat)
Mr. President-Elect...Thank you, we
were pleased to win by double
digits...Absolutely, anything you
need...
CUT TO Christina at her desk outside the office. She’s
whispering into a receiver.
CHRISTINA:
I need you to put that long, wet,
talented tongue of yours between my
thighs and make me squeal like
Monica Lewinsky.
CUT BACK TO Russo on his phone. Laughs boisterously.
RUSSO:
Me too, me too...Okay, thanks again
Mr. President-Elect.
And he hangs up. Chapman is impressed.
RUSSO (CONT’D)
I’m sorry - what were we
discussing?
INT. BLAIR HOUSE - OFFICE - DAY
As the Aide lets Francis into the office, we see that it’s
Vasquez, not Walker, who is behind the desk. Francis
registers a whiff of surprise.
11.
VASQUEZ:
Thanks for coming Frank.
(gestures at a chair)
Please...
FRANCIS:
(as he sits)
Will the President-Elect be joining
us?
VASQUEZ:
No. He told me to apologize on his
behalf. I’ll brief him though.
Francis has no other choice but to roll with the punches. He
hands Vasquez a manila folder.
FRANCIS:
This is a memo I drafted on the
Middle East policy we’ve been
developing. I think we need a more
direct way to frame our approach.
We’ll steal from Reagan - trickle-
down diplomacy. If we tackle
VASQUEZ:
Frank - I’m going to stop you right
there.
(half beat)
We’re not nominating you for
Secretary of State.
A huge blow. Francis stares at Vasquez in stunned silence.
VASQUEZ (CONT’D)
I’m sorry, I know he made you a
promise, but circumstances have
changed.
FRANCIS:
The nature of promises, Linda, is
that they remain immune to changing
circumstances.
VASQUEZ:
Garrett has thought long and hard
about this, and he’s decided we
need you to stay in Congress.
FRANCIS:
I built the campaign’s foreign
policy platform from the ground up.
(MORE)
12.
FRANCIS (CONT'D)
I briefed him, I prepped him for
debates. And the deal we agreed
upon was
VASQUEZ:
I’m sorry Frank. If it had been up
to me I would’ve handled this
differently. I wouldn’t have
waited this long to tell you.
FRANCIS:
So you knew this was what you were
going to do.
VASQUEZ:
It’s been an evolving discussion.
FRANCIS:
(slowly)
An evolving discussion...
VASQUEZ:
Frank...
FRANCIS:
I got fourteen conservative
Democrats in key states to endorse
him. I was personally responsible
for raising over six million
dollars in contributions to the
campaign, seven million for House
races to keep hold of our majority
in
VASQUEZ:
You’re right. We wouldn’t have won
without your help. But now we have
to lead, and that means making
tough choices.
(half beat, now she has
the initiative)
Our first order of business is
Education Reform. A complete
federal overhaul. We want you in
the House, doing what you do best -
counting votes and delivering
legislation.
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"House of Cards" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 18 Dec. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/house_of_cards_53>.
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