Pawn Sacrifice Page #13

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Yellow Revision 10-11-13 72.

DICK CAVETT (VO)

Ladies and Gentlemen, my next guest

was US Chess Champion at fourteen

and a Grandmaster at fifteen-

101 OMIT 101

102 INT. TV STUDIO - MOMENTS LATER 102

DICK CAVETT:

--And now he's hoping to become Chess

Champion of the whole world, Ladies

and Gentlemen, Mr Bobby Fischer...

Bobby is sprawled in a chair, looking by turns shy and cocky.

CAVETT:

So where does a chess player live?

BOBBY:

I don't live anywhere. Hotels mostly.

CAVETT:

In the past, you've made some pretty

strong charges against the Soviets,

accusing them of, of...

BOBBY:

Cheating.

Bobby grins. Laughter. Cavett glances at his audience..

CAVETT:

Cheating is the word I was looking

for...

More laughter. Bobby is encouraged to go farther.

BOBBY:

Cheating. Yeah, they've done a bit

of that in the past.

CAVETT:

An opponent once said you are like

Achilles without the Achilles heel.

Do you have a weakness?

Silence. Bobby looks puzzled.

BOBBY:

...A weakness?...... No.

He laughs easily. His lack of guile can be disarming.

Green Revision 10-14-13 73.

CAVETT:

What's the best moment when you win

at chess, what's the home run moment?

BOBBY:

(his smile fading)

When you break his ego. That's where

it's at--

Cavett reacts with mock alarm.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

--When he sees it coming and he breaks

up inside. When you're, like,

crushing the guy...

(stares into the lights)

Crushing the guy.

(his eyes wild)

Yeah, that's where it's at.

The easy grin is gone. His smile appears haunted.

103 INT. BIG HOTEL SUITE 103

Chaos. Marshall is checking travel documents. A couple of

SECURITY GUYS wait by the door.

MARSHALL:

Flight to Reykjavik's at nine. We

need to get to JFK by 7.

The noise is compounded by MUSIC Bobby listens to on a

portable cassette player. He is shirtless, doing push-ups.

LOMBARDY:

Does that have to be so loud?

MARSHALL:

He doesn't want the Russians to hear

which plane we're catching.

BOBBY:

(yells over the music)

THIS GROUP IS INCREDIBLE! They get

thirty percent of ticket sales at

their concerts. I should get that.

MARSHALL:

(yelling back)

We agreed to twenty-five... *

Green Revision 10-14-13 74.

BOBBY:

(more push-ups)

Yeah, well it's thirty now.

MARSHALL:

Bobby. You agreed. You signed.

BOBBY:

Yeah, well, I changed my mind. Thirty

or I don't go.

The room falls silent. The other have 'told you so' faces.

MARSHALL:

If I ask for thirty, they'll say

you're scared to face him.

BOBBY:

Don't try that psychology crap on

me. Without me no one outside Russia

would know this thing is happening.

I am the light shining on this game.

(standing up)

All of you are here because of me...

I am a hundred per cent of the reason-no,

that's wrong -- Spassky is the

reigning champion -- I want thirty

percent for him too.

(pacing; manic)

But understand one thing: I don't

just play for myself. I play for

Chess. *

He stares, triumphant, at Marshall -- who nods, conciliatory.

MARSHALL:

I'll call them from the airport.

(to the others)

Okay, people, we need to get packed.

Lombardy takes Marshall's arm, leads him into the next room.

LOMBARDY:

He told me he doesn't want to go to

Iceland.

MARSHALL:

He wants to go.

LOMBARDY:

He doesn't know what he wants...

Green Revision 10-14-13 75.

MARSHALL:

But you do.

Lombardy just stares at him, fuming.

MARSHALL (CONT'D)

Look, my job was to get him this

match. How about you do your job...

LOMBARDY:

What's that supposed to mean?

MARSHALL:

Get him ready. Help him win.

LOMBARDY:

What have I been doing for three

years?

MARSHALL:

Babying him. Catering to his bullshit--

LOMBARDY:

Keeping him from cracking up is more

like it. This may be hard for you

to comprehend, but he's a person,

not a meal ticket or a political

symbol or an instrument of US foreign

policy.

MARSHALL:

I am so sick and tired of your

sanctimonious bullshit... If you

don't have the stomach for this I

suggest you go find a church, get

down on your knees and thank God you

don't live in Russia.

LOMBARDY:

What if something happens?

MARSHALL:

Like what?

Lombardy glances through the open door at Bobby, who has

turned off the music and inserted a home-made tape of The

Worldwide Church of God. Lombardy doesn't want to give voice

to his worst fears.

LOMBARDY:

...I don't know.

Marshall shakes his head and turns back to getting ready. *

Green Revision 10-14-13 76.*

Lombardy heads into Bobby's room.

God comes from the tape player.

The Worldwide Church of *

CULT PREACHER (V.O.)

--and when you see how the tide of

history is changing, friend, you see

how desperate they are.

LOMBARDY:

Can you turn that off for a second?

BOBBY:

What's up...?

*

LOMBARDY:

Bobby. If you don't want to go,

then you shouldn't go.

*

*

*

A long moment as Bobby stares at him. *

BOBBY:

I thought you wanted me to win.

*

*

LOMBARDY:

I do. Too much, maybe. But I think...

all the pressure... is... bad for

you.

*

*

*

I'm cool.

BOBBY *

*

Lombardy has to say it, whatever the consequences. *

LOMBARDY:

...You need help. *

BOBBY:

What kind of help...? Oh. You mean

psychology. You think I need

psychological help?! You know who

invented that, right? The Jews. I

don't need anybody's help. I don't

need the Jews' help, I don't need

God's help. And I definitely don't

need your help, Father.

(looks at him)

When I call you, 'Father,' I think,

like, he's not my dad. Is that what

you think? That you're my Dad?

*

*

*

*

*

*

LOMBARDY *

I don't think I'm your dad, Bobby. *

Green Revision 10-14-13 76A.

BOBBY *

You're not my dad because I don't *

have one. You know what you are? *

You're a loser. You couldn't beat *

Spassky so why should I? You quit *

so you want me to quit. Is that it, *

Dad? You'll feel better if I turn

out to be a loser... LIKE YOU! *

Lombardy stares at him, then starts out. Bobby is immediately *

contrite. *

BOBBY (CONT'D)

(calling after him)

Hey, I've been working on a new

variation on the Indian Defense,

wanna take a look?

LOMBARDY:

Later.

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