Pawn Sacrifice Page #12

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(crumples the letter)

We are Jewish. Bobby is Jewish.

What do your people say to him when

he comes out with this trash?

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 66.

MARSHALL:

Joan, I swear this isn't just about

the title anymore. It's about the

beauty of the games he's playing.

(looks around)

Out of all the crazy stuff -- such

unimaginable beauty. A Da Vinci.

From Brooklyn. Once every five hundred

years... Grandmasters are watching

Bobby play with tears in their eyes.

JOAN:

Well, I have tears in my eyes too!

Heads turn. Marshall checks his watch.

MARSHALL:

Joan, I'll take care of him.

(touches her hand)

I'll make sure his life doesn't get

too crazy.

93 EXT. VANCOUVER TOURNAMENT HALL -DOC-STYLE 93

Madness.

Reporters and photographers converge on Bobby,

Caption:
Vancouver Interzonal, May 1971.

RADIO ANNOUNCER (V.O.)

Today in Buenos Aires, American chess

star -- Bobby Fischer -- beat Russian

grandmaster Tigran Petrosian in the

semi-final of the World Chess

Championships...

Marshall and Lombardy try to shield him as they hurry down

the steps of the hall. Bobby is wired as hell.

VANCOUVER REPORTER

Bobby, with this win you're guaranteed

a shot at the title. How's it feel?

BOBBY:

Pretty good, pretty good.

VANCOUVER REPORTER

The Russians are saying you don't

have a chance against Spassky. Any

comment on that?

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 66A.

BOBBY:

Okay, okay, I'm making this up as I

say it, right, so it might not come

out so good...

Cameras roll and flashlights POP...

VANCOUVER REPORTER 2

Hey Bobby, big angry look over here...

Lombardy gently urges Bobby forward. Marshall holds back.

Green Revision 10-14-13 67.

BOBBY:

I just crushed Petrosian six-and-ahalf

to two-and-a-half. They know

what I'm going to do to Spassky.

*

*

*

*

VANCOUVER REPORTER

Bobby, a crazy look over here....

*

*

Lombardy pushes Bobby toward a waiting limo.

BOBBY:

They're scared now. That's why they

bugged the phone in my hotel room.

Murmurs among the press. Lombardy shakes his head.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

They point things at my window from

across the street. I wouldn't be

surprised if they were bugging me

right now. Sometimes I hear stuff

buzzing in my clothes. I've even

heard they can listen through the

fillings in your teeth.

*

*

*

Lombardy pushes Bobby into the car. A reporter follows.

VANCOUVER REPORTER 2

Petrosian said he wasn't well. That's

the second Russian who got sick...

BOBBY:

Sick of me sure as hell.

Laughter. Bobby grins. His mood swings are growing stronger;

suddenly he's having the time of his life. Flashbulbs POP.

94 INT. LIMO (TRAVELING) - SAME 94

Bobby is grinning. Marshall puts an arm around him.

MARSHALL:

Bobby, Bobby, Bobby..!

LOMBARDY:

Congratulations, kiddo.

MARSHALL:

Wide World of Sports is offering a

segment, Cavett wants you, and -are

you ready...? Mike Wallace called.

Mike Wallace. "60 Minutes," Bobby!

*

*

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 67A.

BOBBY:

Yeah, well, about time... I don't

want to be distracted by a bunch of

press, though. I'll do the big ones.

MARSHALL:

Great, great... Only-- when we do

these shows... just go easy on

the...bugging... and the teeth.

BOBBY:

Whaddya mean? I'm telling the truth.

People love that.

MARSHALL:

I know, I know. You just need to be

careful. Some things you say, they

can be misinterpreted. People get

worried when you talk like that...

BOBBY:

People? What people?

MARSHALL:

It doesn't matter... Which of these

interviews do you want to do?

BOBBY:

No... You said people are worried.

What people?

MARSHALL:

Nobody. I think Cavett would be a

great idea-

BOBBY:

-- WHAT PEOPLE?

Green Revision 10-14-13 68.

MARSHALL:

........Joan.

BOBBY:

You talked to Joan? When?

talk to her on the phone?

call you?

Did you

Did she

MARSHALL:

.....I was in New York.

cup of coffee.

We had a

BOBBY:

You MET with my sister without telling

me?! You TALKED about me with my

sister?!

MARSHALL:

She called me-BOBBY

You think I'm a child who needs to

be TALKED ABOUT?!

MARSHALL:

I was looking out for your best

interests-BOBBY

Don't lawyer me!

MARSHALL:

I'm trying to help you!

BOBBY:

DON'T LAWYER ME! You're having

conversations BEHIND MY BACK! With

my FAMILY?! Did I ask you to do

that? Why wouldn't you tell me about

that? Who's working for who here?

There are a hundred more of you, you

know, just waiting in line.

*

*

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 69.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Stop the car!

MARSHALL:

Bobby, we're about to get everything

you've ever wanted....

BOBBY:

STOP THE CAR--!

The car stops. Bobby jumps out. Lombardy turns to Marshall.

LOMBARDY:

I'll walk him back.

95 EXT. VANCOUVER STREET - MOMENTS LATER 95

Lombardy catches up to Bobby and they walk in silence for a

moment. Then:

B6 to E1.

LOMBARDY:

After a moment...Bobby responds.

K4 to Qp4.

BOBBY:

P4 to P5.

LOMBARDY:

They walk on. For the moment Bobby is back on track.

96 INT. VANCOUVER HOTEL RESTAURANT - LATER THAT NIGHT 96

Marshall is eating alone.

So?

MARSHALL:

LOMBARDY:

He's back in his room.

He sits down opposite Marshall.

Is he okay?

MARSHALL:

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 70.

LOMBARDY:

He's in there listening to those

tapes of his.

MARSHALL:

Isn't it some kind of God Squad?

LOMBARDY:

Those people have as much to do with

God as you do.

MARSHALL:

I'd've thought you'd approve...

He leans across the table.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

Should we get him to see a someone,

a psychiatrist.

LOMBARDY:

Never happen.

MARSHALL:

We have to try.

(looks at him)

The concierge told me he asked for

the TV to be removed from his room

because he thinks the Russians are

watching him through the screen.

LOMBARDY:

Maybe they are.

MARSHALL:

He also believes they are going to

try to blow up his plane.

LOMBARDY:

He just needs some sleep. What good

would a doctor do?

MARSHALL:

He could give a diagnosis... He could

give him a pill.

The two men stare at each other.

LOMBARDY:

And that would be like pouring

concrete down a holy well.

Yellow Revision 10-11-13 70A.

97 EXT. OPEN PRAIRIE, RUSSIA - DAY 97

Boris Spassky rides a stallion bare-chested. He is a man at

ease. Reaching the crest he pulls up. Below a Lada waits.

The sight of the car breaks the spell.

Boris trots over to where Livo Nei leans on the car, smoking

a cigarette. Nei's presence means there is news...

Green Revision 10-14-13 71.

98 INT. JFK ARRIVALS - DAY -DOC-STYLE 98

The press pack awaits the flight from Buenos Aires.

emerges from arrivals, followed by Marshall.

Lombardy

RADIO ANCHOR (V.O.)

Bobby Fischer -- the first American

in history to reach the final -arrived

in Reykjavik today....

*

*

*

Bobby emerges...with a brown paper bag over his head with

eyes cut for holes. Cameras POP...the real madness has begun.

99 INT. BOBBY'S BROWN BAG 99

WE ARE INSIDE the paper bag. Frantic breathing, the bag

sucking in and out. The press is SCREAMING, "You've never

beaten Spassky. Why do you think you can you beat him now?"

RADIO ANCHOR (V.O.)

After months of negotiation, Fischer

will now face the current World

Champion Boris Spassky. *

100 INT. JOAN'S SUBURBAN HOME, LIVING ROOM, NEW YORK 100

Joan is getting her kids ready for school. The radio is on.

RADIO ANCHOR (V.O.)

The Fischer Spassky final will be

televised world wide-Joan's

son comes running up the path.

RADIO ANCHOR (V.O.) (CONT'D)

--and is already being billed as the

deciding battle in the war of ideas

between East and West.

Joan's son bursts through the door, breathless...

JOAN'S DAUGHTER

Mama, there are men on the lawn.

Joan looks out and sees the press pack gathering on her lawn.

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