Miss Sloane Page #3

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CONNORS:

“Sh*t is f***ed up and bullshit”.

Best banner at Occupy. Tell me that

was one of yours.

ELIZABETH:

(shakes head)

That was creative way beyond my

capabilities.

(moving on)

Franklin! Shmallow Cakes?!

FRANKLIN is a slightly geeky junior.

FRANKLIN:

Ah - yeah!

ELIZABETH:

So, does sales tax apply to chocolate-

covered cakes and chocolate-covered

biscuits, or only to one and not the

other?

FRANKLIN:

I... Don’t know.

ELIZABETH:

You don’t know?

(to all)

Alright guys, listen up! I’m going to

tell you a story.

CONNORS:

Please no.

ELIZABETH:

A priest is giving a young nun a lift

home from church one day, and as he’s

shifting gear, he rests his hand on

the nun’s knee.

CONNORS:

This is offensive and inappropriate.

11.

ELIZABETH:

The young nun looks at the priest and

says ‘Father, remember Luke 14:10’.

The priest withdraws his hand,

embarrassed. Next time they stop at

lights, the priest rests his hand a

little higher up on her thigh, and

again, the nun says ‘Remember Luke

14:
10, Father’. The priest

apologizes, ‘The flesh is weak’, he

says. So he drops her off, and when

he gets back home, the priest reaches

for his bible and flips to Luke

14:
10. Anyone know what it says?

Blank stares.

ELIZABETH:

What does it say, Pat?

CONNORS:

(rolls eyes)

Friend, come up higher; then shalt

thou have glory!

Chuckles and sniggers.

ELIZABETH:

Know your subject, people! Failure to

do so may result in the loss of a

golden opportunity.

(to Franklin)

When I see you this afternoon, you’d

better be ready to recite that tax

code in Esperanto.

(to all, heading to door)

That’s it, get to it!

ALEX:

What, we’re done?

LAUREN:

That was short.

ELIZABETH:

I said it’d be short.

LAUREN:

You always say it’ll be short.

ELIZABETH:

(exiting; mild disdain)

I don’t always have to meet with the

prunes.

INT. COLE, KRAVITZ AND WATERMAN - EXEC OFFICE - DAY - PAST

The Executive Office is reserved for the most important

clients, and feels more like a country club. This morning’s

occupants are:

GEORGE DUPONT (a belligerent 82. Head of Government Affairs

and one of the biggest hitters in the whole firm);

12.

R.M. DUTTON (poster-boy lobbyist, 50s, a cold and inhuman

tactician with piercing blue eyes); and

BOB SANDFORD (60s; powerful and well-connected President of

the Gun Lobby, and potential golden goose client).

They sit in chesterfield leather seats, waiting.

BOB SANDFORD:

So I’m told I should offer my hand.

GEORGE:

How d’you mean?

BOB SANDFORD:

When we meet? I’m told she doesn’t do

all the kissy-kissy crap most women

do these days.

GEORGE:

You two have never met?

BOB SANDFORD:

We’ve attended the same functions,

but never been introduced.

GEORGE:

In a town this small, how does that

happen-

There is a perfunctory KNOCK on the door.

BOB SANDFORD:

So I should offer my hand?

R.M. DUTTON

(mildly peeved)

I wouldn’t worry about it.

Elizabeth enters.

GEORGE:

Ah, here she is. Liz? Bob Sandford,

President of the Gun Lobby.

She’s quick out of the blocks in offering her hand, a polished

and professional evasion of awkwardness.

ELIZABETH:

I’m amazed it’s taken this long.

BOB SANDFORD:

I wanted to introduce myself at the

Free Enterprise dinner, I’d done my

homework - there I got a glimpse into

the enigma that is Liz Sloane. You

throw the biggest party of the year,

and you’re first out the door.

ELIZABETH:

Minor crisis on the hill.

13.

BOB SANDFORD:

A lesser commander-in-chief would

have left that to a soldier, which is

exactly why I’m here. Liz, my

organization has reservations about

the Heaton-Harris Amendment.

ELIZABETH:

Really... I’m not overly familiar

with it, but I heard the Gun Lobby

was responsive to proposals to

increase the effectiveness of

background checks.

BOB SANDFORD:

We are, broadly. But the language

here is extensive. Longer delays,

some Big Brother-type criminal and

mental health database, for use on

all sales of firearms? Between father

and son? Lifelong friends? Our

members will view this as an

intolerable fetter on the Second

Amendment. We want you to be the one

to make sure this bill never sees the

light of day.

ELIZABETH:

Mr. Sandford, you understand that I

deal primarily in taxation and

Federal Government interference in

free enter-

BOB SANDFORD:

We’re well aware. But you and your

team take no prisoners and get things

done. The reputation you’ve garnered

over the past few years, we’ve been

practically waiting for an excuse to

hire you.

ELIZABETH:

(beat)

As I say, I’m not familiar with the

wording, but if this bill will reduce

the likelihood of firearms falling

into the wrong hands, it may be in

your long-term interests to support

it.

George and Dutton share a panicked look.

GEORGE:

Liz?

BOB SANDFORD:

I don’t understand-

ELIZABETH:

Every time a madman opens fire in

public, more support amasses for

truly extensive prohibitions on

firearms; the more precarious the

position of every reasonable gun

owner in America.

(MORE)

14.

ELIZABETH (CONT'D)

Rigorous background checks should be

the Gun Lobby’s best friend. Of

course, this would entail telling

your five million plus members

something they don’t want to hear.

Which will guarantee that you’ll be a

one-term president of the Gun Lobby.

But by my reckoning, it’s your best

option to secure the future of the

Second Amendment. It’s just a

question of whether you’d be willing

to make the personal sacrifice.

BOB SANDFORD:

Personal sacrifice?

(long, uneasy pause)

Liz... These are extensive.

ELIZABETH:

I see. Well, why don’t I look at the

wording and we’ll proceed from there?

INT. COLE, KRAVITZ AND WATERMAN LLP - DAY - PAST

Dutton just about keeps pace with George, on the warpath.

GEORGE:

I’ll look at the wording and proceed

from there, who the hell does she

think she --

R.M. DUTTON

This can be spun. At least they know

she’s not out to bilk them, that it’s

their interests she’s representing.

For the purposes of building trust,

that may have been the right tactical

move.

GEORGE:

And do you believe, for one

nanosecond, that lobbyist-client bond-

building was at the forefront of her

mind when she effectively told Bob

Sandford to take his business and

shove it up his gun barrel?

R.M. DUTTON

I was just saying...

Dutton peels off, and George storms into his office, yelling

out to his SECRETARY on the way

GEORGE:

I want Sloane in my office now!

SECRETARY:

Ah, Mr. Dupont!

INT. GEORGE’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS - PAST

George marches in and is taken by surprise

15.

ELIZABETH:

(re:
Secretary)

She’s good, isn’t she?

GEORGE:

You’ll look at the wording. Well, I’m

sure the President of one of the most

powerful representative groups on the

hill, will be honored that Her

Majesty has agreed to look at the

f***ing wording!

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