Nick of Time Page #25

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INT. ROOM 2510 - DAY - 1:25PM

Other lights have been turned on. ELEANOR GRANT is fixing

her hair in the mirror. FRANCO is cleaning up the broken

lamp. There is a perfunctory knock on the hall door and it

opens, revealing BRENDAN GRANT. The MYSTERY MAN hovers in

the background.

BRENDAN GRANT:

Hey, El, how's the head?

She turns, locks eyes with the MYSTERY MAN.

MYSTERY MAN:

Eleanor.

She nods, turns back to the mirror.

ELEANOR GRANT:

Lousy. And I have siesta hair. I'm

thinking of canceling the speech.

BRENDAN GRANT:

It's an important speech.

MYSTERY MAN:

I'd say critical, not that it's any

of my business.

ELEANOR GRANT:

It's just another speech in a Tower

of Babel so high that Nimrod himself

would be put to shame. Cancel. Make

my apologies.

In the mirror she takes note of BRENDAN GRANT and the MYSTERY

MAN exchange a look.

BRENDAN GRANT:

Excuse me.

MYSTERY MAN:

I'll trot along. Nice to see you,

Eleanor.

BRENDAN steps into the room, shuts the door.

BRENDAN GRANT:

During a campaign every speech is

important. This is free media

exposure. Primetime news coverage

that we couldn't buy.

ELEANOR GRANT:

What's he doing here?

BRENDAN GRANT:

Who, him? Just visiting.

ELEANOR GRANT T:

Hings have changed, Brendan. I thought

you understood that.

BRENDAN GRANT:

He's my friend. And he did help you

to get elected, after all.

ELEANOR GRANT:

Don't remind me.

BRENDAN GRANT:

(re the broken lamp)

What happened here?

ELEANOR GRANT:

Nothing. I broke a lamp.

Brendan steps behind Eleanor and puts his arms around her

affectionately.

BRENDAN GRANT:

Eleanor, please. I'll put it this

way. This speech or a half-dozen

rubber chicken-fund raisers. What do

you say?

ELEANOR GRANT:

Truth is, besides the headache I've

come down with a little lower

intestinal havoc. Make my apologies.

BRENDAN GRANT:

Come on, El, you're a trooper. I'll

get you some Pepto, you'll make one

of your patented tributes to the

common person, then back to

Sacramento. This is no time to lay

down on the job. I don't care what

the polls say, you can't afford to

relax. Look what happened to Bush.

Tell you what, if you want to blow

off the Sacramento speech, fine. But

do this one and we'll get out of the

smog.

ELEANOR GRANT looks at him, almost sadly. She steps toward

the dressing table to fix her hair

ELEANOR GRANT:

All right, I'll do it.

BRENDAN GRANT:

That's my girl.

ELEANOR GRANT:

But I want to make some changes. Get

Krista in here right away won't you?

BRENDAN looks at her for a beat, then snaps his fingers like

he just remembered something.

BRENDAN GRANT:

Aw, gee. I sent her on an errand.

ELEANOR GRANT:

You sent my assistant on an errand.

BRENDAN GRANT:

(trying to look

sheepish)

I've been a bad boy.

ANGLE ON ELEANOR

It was not what she wanted to hear.

INT. BONAVENTURE HOTEL - LOBBY - DAY - 1:26PM

Mr. Smith pushes Gene toward the escalators.

INT. CALIFORNIA BALLROOM - DAY - 1:27PM

All sorts of MEDIA PEOPLE hover around, CAMPAIGN WORKERS

wearing political buttons and REGULAR FOLKS round out the

crowd. People are eating, drinking, and talking.

There are a couple of bars, one at each end of the room.

Dessert tables are strategically placed around the room. On

the speaker's platform at one end is a podium with some chairs

arranged behind it.

One of the POLITICO'S takes the podium microphone.

POLITICO:

Ladies, gentlemen, it is my great

pleasure to introduce to you the

esteemed spouse of our Governor.

Let's give a big L.A. welcome to Mr.

Brendan Grant.

The crowd applauds warmly.

INT. HALLWAY - DAY - 1:27PM

GENE and MR. SMITH move down the hall, following the signs

to the California Ballroom. The entrance to it looms ahead.

INT. CALIFORNIA BALLROOM - DAY - 1:27PM

BRENDAN GRANT at the podium.

BRENDAN GRANT:

Ladies and gentlemen of the press,

campaign volunteers, and those of

you who were looking for any excuse

to take off work for the afternoon...

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