I Love You Phillip Morris Page #16

STEVEN:

Uh.... cup of coffee?

RHEBA:

I'll do it today but I don't do that

really.

Steven nods and turns his attention to the sea of numbers

before him. He looks concerned as he begins to leaf

through.

100 INT. USAMM BOARDROOM - 1996 - DAY 100

Steven sits in a board meeting, surrounded by all of the

company honchos. Dan Lindholm lords over the gathering

at the head of the table while a suit (MARK) reads from a

report to the group.

MARK:

Crossover from traditional markets shows

declination and inverse diffusion seems

commensurate with net-trade trending. HMO

penetration still leads PPO, NMO and FMO

as usual but attenuation is growing more

prevalent in Q4 as projected... As for

Q3, well Q3 is what Q3 always is: Q2 with

training wheels.

Everyone LAUGHS, but no one quite as hard as Steven who

desperately tries to fit in.

Larry Birkheim, the CEO of USAMM sits beside Dan

Lindholm. He chimes in.

BIRKHEIM:

Okay Steven, your turn. I know you've

only had the one quarter to play catch up

but I tell you, we can't wait to get some

insight here.

"I Love You Phillip Morris" Green Pages 5-23-08 63.

STEVEN:

Sure. What about?

BIRKHEIM:

Mark's projections.

STEVEN:

Mmm hm. Sure.

BIRKHEIM:

They seem kind of flat.

STEVEN:

Oh. Okay. Ummm...

Steven fumbles through some folders and vamps a while.

STEVEN (CONT'D)

Well I did a lot of work here and uh... I

think maybe... well I could just read it

to you but uh... it might be better to

just uh...

The group looks at him quizzically. Just as it seems

Steven has been up to nothing--

STEVEN (CONT'D)

Well, I'll just show you. Todd?

TODD, an incredibly hot assistant unveils an easel full

of detailed tables. Steven walks the board through an

incredibly well prepared presentation.

STEVEN (CONT'D)

If you look here at Mark's projections

again for Q3, you'll see- well you'll see

they're just that- projections.

Projections based on a model set by my

predecessor. I decided to reject that

model and do things a little differently.

I want to show you my results. This is

what we actually made in Q3--

Todd flips to the next card. The graphs GROW

exponentially. The group is intrigued.

STEVEN (CONT'D)

Now let me tell you how I did it...

Todd unveils another card, the men are impressed by the

unseen image.

And as Steven explains himself, Dan and Birkheim smile

broadly and turn to each other with smug assurance.

"I Love You Phillip Morris" Green Pages 5-23-08 64.

101 INT. NEW APARTMENT KITCHEN - 1996 - NIGHT 101

OPEN CLOSE on a candy wrapper opening. A hand removes

the candy revealing an INSPIRING MESSAGE printed inside

the wrapper- "When two hearts race, both win."

ON PHILLIP. He's deeply touched by the sentiment as he

chews on the candy. He puts the wrapper on the

REFRIGERATOR with a MAGNET.

He opens ANOTHER. He chews and reads- "Commit random acts

of kindness"

Again he's touched and puts it on the refrigerator.

He opens ANOTHER and pops the candy in his mouth. He

reads- "A smile is a flower on your face"

He's disgusted by the trite sentiment and THROWS THE

WRAPPER IN THE TRASH. A beat later, he REMOVES THE CANDY

from his mouth and THROWS THAT IN THE TRASH TOO.

Just then Steven walks by in a TUXEDO, adjusting his tie.

PHILLIP:

The tux? Where are you going?

STEVEN:

It's just a work thing. Were we supposed

to--

PHILLIP:

No- I just thought- it's fine. Where you

going?

STEVEN:

Some stupid gala ball thing...

PHILLIP:

Gala? Oh...

(playing it off)

Sounds boring.

STEVEN:

Yeah. I'll be home early. Promise.

102 INT. HOUSTON BALLROOM - 1996 - NIGHT 102

A black-tie cocktail party is in full swing. Steven eats

a canapé by a window. Something outside catches his eye.

"I Love You Phillip Morris" Green Pages 5-23-08 65.

103 EXT. HOUSTON BALLROOM BALCONY, 1996 - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS 103

Dan Lindholm is out on the balcony staring up at the

starry sky. Steven approaches.

LINDHOLM:

You see that?

Dan points out a small dot of light moving across the

sky. Steven squints.

STEVEN:

No...

(realizing)

Oh- is it...?

LINDHOLM:

Yeah. Probably deploying the arm right

now. Just a satellite deployment.

Nothing special... Just touching the face

of God.

He chokes back a tear, then throws an arm around Steven.

LINDHOLM (CONT'D)

I want you to meet my wife.

104 INT. HOUSTON BALLROOM, 1996 - NIGHT 104

Dan Lindholm escorts Steven to BEVERLY Lindholm and a

ghastly gaggle of Texas society WIVES.

LINDHOLM:

Bev- Ladies- I want you to meet Steven

Russell, our CFO.

MRS. LINDHOLM

Oh I heard about you.

STEVEN:

Good things I hope.

MRS. LINDHOLM

Yes and no. Don's bellyaching about how

big your Christmas bonus is gonna be

because you're making him so much money.

A GIGGLE infects the group. Another WIFE speaks up.

FACELIFT WIFE:

Are you married Steven?

"I Love You Phillip Morris" Green Pages 5-23-08 66.

STEVEN:

Uh... engaged.

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