Ida Tarbell Page #21

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JUNIOR:

Father, I-

ROCKEFELLER:

(lethally)

Be quiet.

SELZ:

With respect Mr. Rockefeller, I am retained

by your son.

ROCKEFELLER:

And he is retained by me. Which means that

technically you work for me. But since you

have failed in your primary duties, I see

no reason to retain your services any

longer. You are relieved as of today.

A beat.

JUNIOR:

No. He stays, or I go. I’m the Chairman of

Standard Oil now. Only I get to decide who

stays and who goes. Mr. Selz is staying.

The two men just stare at each other. Neither one blinks.

OFF SELZ, caught in the middle.

INT. KYKUIT - MASTER SUITE - NIGHT

Rockefeller is quietly packing a shaving kit by his dresser.

Cettie paces back and forth across the room. Pale with rage.

CETTIE:

You expect me to just pack my bags and

leave in the middle of the night for God-

knows-where until God-knows-when? Just walk

out and leave the house that we built and

have lived in for twenty five years? Why?

ROCKEFELLER:

(tightly)

I’m afraid we have no other choice.

109.

ROCKEFELLER (CONT'D)

If I stay here, men will come and they will

try to arrest me. The only question is

when.

CETTIE:

If you’ve done nothing wrong, then what do

you have to run from?

ROCKEFELLER:

I will not defend my life to you, or anyone

else.

CETTIE:

Oh no, of course not. But you expect me to

defend it for you, don’t you? Never

question, never ask, never doubt.

ROCKEFELLER:

I don’t expect anything of you, but it

would be nice to have your support.

CETTIE:

My support? All I’ve done for the last 40

years is support you and your ambition.

Never once did you ask me about mine.

ROCKEFELLER:

You are becoming shrill and hysterical.

CETTIE:

You broke the law, John! There, I’ve said

it. That’s the truth, isn’t it? The truth

that nobody has the courage to tell you. No

one but Ida Tarbell.

ROCKEFELLER:

(darkly)

I said never to mention that woman’s name

in this house. That woman is trying to

destroy me-

CETTIE:

But that’s just it. Nobody is trying to

destroy you! You imagine that everyone is

out to destroy you. And you want to bury

them all in the ground, don’t you?

ROCKEFELLER:

I won’t have this in my house.

CETTIE:

I’ve read Ida Tarbell. And I’d swear to God,

she knows my husband better than I do.

ROCKEFELLER:

Not another word about that poisonous

misguided woman.

110.

CETTIE:

(scornfully)

How galling it must be to have your

authority questioned in public like that.

The great John D. Rockefeller, finally

brought to task. And by a woman, if you

don’t mind. A woman!

A beat.

ROCKEFELLER:

I see how it is. You want to stand in

judgement of me, just like everyone else.

Well go ahead, throw your stones at me.

CETTIE:

I don’t want to judge you, I want to

understand. How could you do this to us?

How could you not know that this day would

eventually come?

A beat. He stops, turns to face her. Contrite for once.

ROCKEFELLER:

(quietly)

I’m sorry, Cettie. I am sorry if I have let

you down. God knows, I’ve made my share of

mistakes. But I have tried, so help me God,

I tried to be a good husband and a decent

father. And if I have failed in that, then

I would ask your forgiveness.

CETTIE:

(shaking her head)

I’m not leaving here, John. Not like this.

Kykuit is my home.

ROCKEFELLER:

It’s late now. Let’s sleep on it. Maybe

you’ll feel differently in the morning.

CETTIE:

I won’t.

ROCKEFELLER:

Then you’ve already made your decision.

CETTIE:

Yes, I have. I won’t live my life like a

fugitive. I won’t do it.

A long beat.

ROCKEFELLER:

Then don’t.

He takes his bag and leaves. We HOLD ON Cettie’s grief.

111.

EXT. OPEN ROAD - DAWN

Rockefeller’s car shoots past on an open road. Where he’s

going we don’t know, nor does it matter. The point is this:

The richest man in the world is now a fugitive of the law.

EXT. TRAIN STATION - KANSAS - DAY

Under clear blue skies, Ida steps off a train in Kansas. She

is greeted by her brother Will who wraps her up in a big hug.

WILL:

There she is. Welcome to Kansas! I can’t

believe you actually came.

IDA:

Well of course I came. I said I would,

didn’t I?

Will hands her a copy of the local newspaper. Headlines

trumpet “IDA TOPPLES TYCOON” and “ROCKEFELLER ON THE RUN”

WILL:

Congratulations, you’re more famous than

Rockefeller. If you need a good press

agent, I’m available. For a small fee,

naturally.

IDA:

(amused)

Honestly, who writes this stuff?!

WILL:

Come on, let me show you the future of the

oil business.

He picks up her suitcase, and together they head off.

EXT. OIL FIELDS - DAY

Ida and Will travel in an open-topped car, taking in the vast

expanse of the new “Indian Territory” Oil fields in Kansas.

The latest frontier in the great American quest for oil.

To say it is “breathtaking” does not even begin to do it

justice. Vast stretches of wide open fields, dry flat plains,

and small rolling hills. Ida drinks it all in. They continue

to drive, on and on, eventually arriving at...

EXT. FRANKLIN OIL REFINERY - DAY

A crude collection of wooden buildings that make up the

offices of “Franklin Oil” where Will Tarbell is now CEO.

112.

The car comes to a stop and Will hops out, gallantly squiring

his sister around the new facility. As they walk:

WILL:

The new well is flowing at 3000 barrels a

day. I’ve just secured the lease for three

others up near Osage County. We hope to

begin drilling there first of next month.

Some OIL WORKERS pass by and all nod and tip their hats to

him. Out here, he is an important man.

WORKER:

Mr. Tarbell...

WILL:

Hello Jim.

(introducing)

This is my sister from back East. Ida

Tarbell. You may have heard of her.

WORKER:

(smiles, shakes her hand)

Miss Tarbell, it’s an honor.

IDA:

Same here.

They continue on, Will leading her up some rickety stairs to

where his office is located on the second floor.

IDA:

You’ve done well, little brother. I have to

say, I’m very impressed.

WILL:

Don’t be. I haven’t made a nickel yet. But

soon, I hope.

He leads her inside his office.

ANGLE -- SOME TIME LATER

News of the famous visitor has spread throughout the oil

fields, and now a group of OIL WORKERS has gathered outside

Will’s office. All hoping for a glimpse of Ida Tarbell.

When the door reopens and Ida emerges, a spontaneous CHEER

goes up. APPLAUSE and WOLF WHISTLES. Ida is caught totally

off guard by this.

She looks at Will. He just shrugs. Nothing to do with me!

Cries of “Speech! Speech!”

Ida stands before the assembled group, totally unprepared for

this or any other speech.

113.

The crowd is hushed. Ida speaks to them very simply:

IDA:

Thank you. I'm delighted to be back in oil

country. Six weeks ago, my father Franklin

Tarbell was buried near the Drake oil well

in Pennsylvania where he spent all his life

working. The company that he built was

bought out by Standard Oil, and it was a

shoddy deal. But my father accepted it

because he was afraid of what would happen

if he didn't.

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