Philadelphia Page #14

WHEELER:

(ignoring Seidman)

What about other homosexual

facilities, whatever they are?

SEIDMAN:

Charles...

WHEELER:

What deviant groups or

organizations did he secretly

belong to?

(with irritation)

What is it, Bob?!

SEIDMAN:

Let's settle with Andy and put

this whole tragic mess behind

us.

They arrive at a quiet, semi-private cul de sac.

WHEELER:

Andrew brought AIDS into our

offices, into our men's room.

He brought AIDS to our annual

goddamn family picnic.

KENTON:

We ought to be suing him.

SEIDMAN:

For Christ's sake, where's your

compassion?

KENTON:

Compassion? Andy sucks c*cks,

Bob. He takes it up the ass.

He's a pervert.

Only Seidman shows any kind of REACTION.

SEIDMAN:

That's kind of... extreme, Walt.

Andy's private life is none of

our business.

WHEELER:

Bob. You're trying my patience.

Andrew Beckett is making his

private life our business. We

gave him Kronos. Did he say,

"I'm sick. I might not be able

to see this through?"

SEIDMAN:

He was doing a great job.

WHEELER:

Bob. I must ask you to shut the

f*** up. Did Andrew Beckett say

"I might not be able to serve our

clients to the best of my ability?"

He said nothing. And now, Andrew

Beckett proposes to haul me into a

court of law, to sling accusations

at me, in full view of the entire,

Philadelphia, judicial

establishment. My God.

KILLCOYNE:

Beckett doesn't want to go to court,

he's hoping for a quick tasty

settlement.

SEIDMAN:

A jury might decide that Andy has a

case.

WHEELER:

Wait a minute. The man was fired for

incompetence, not because he has

AIDS. You didn't know he was sick,

did you, Bob?

KENTON:

Holy Sh*t. Did you, Bob?

SEIDMAN:

(after a moment)

No. Not really.

Wheeler walks away, followed by Kenton and Killcoyne.

Bob Seidman stands alone in this dark place.

CITY SOUNDS ON A WORK DAY AS WE CUT TO:

EXTERIOR, JOE'S OFFICE BUILDING, ON A THURSDAY MORNING.

CONTINUOUS CUT TO:

JOB'S COLLEAGUE, FILKO, LOOKING DIRECTLY INTO CAMERA (in

Joe's offices, INT./DAY):

FILKO:

Charles F***ing Wyant Wheeler?!

Joe sweeps by, just arriving for work.

JOE:

Morning, Filko.

Filko keeps pace with Joe down the corridor. ANOTHER

COLLEAGUE calls out from an office as Joe passes:

COLLEAGUE:

Hey, it's the local chapter of

the ACLU!

FILKO:

You're a Republican, Joe! You

belong to the NRA!

JOE:

How many toilet stalls are there

in the women's restroom on this

floor, Filko?

FILKO:

How many... what?!

Filko follows Joe into Joe's office.

JOE:

Two. How many toilet stalls are

there in the men's room? Two,

plus four urinals. How many

wheelchair accessible toilets in

either of those restrooms?

Zero. In this entire building?

Zero. Get the picture, Filko?

Discrimination! You find

yourself a female, paraplegic,

legal assistant who is qualified

to work here, except she can't

take a leak... and you've got

yourself a sex discrimination

suit and a handicapped

discrimination suit. Not

handicapped. What do you call

someone who can't use a normal

restroom? "Gastro-intestinally

challenged!"

Behind Joe, out a large window: PAINTERS on a scaffold.

Iris comes into the office and says:

IRIS:

Wyant Wheeler's asking for a

postponement on the prelim, Joe.

Joe is dialing the phone.

JOE:

Low-life, sleazy scumbags. Of

course they want a postponement,

I've got a client with a terminal

disease. They're going to drag

their heels every step of the way,

the rotten bastards.

(tapping on the window, to the

PAINTERS)

Is that spelled right?

CONTINUOUS CUT TO:

EXTERIOR, JOE'S OFFICE BUILDING, WHERE PAINTERS ARE ADDING A new

question to the line of windows (DAY):

D I S C R I M I N A T E D A G A I N S T ?

JOE (VO)

Hey, Beckett. This is Miller.

CONTINUOUS CUT TO:

JOE'S VOICE COMES THROUGH, ON THE ANSWERING MACHINE IN

Andrew and Miguel's loft (INT./DAY)

JOE (VO) (CONT.)

I just wanted to tell you...

CAMERA DRIFTS THROUGH the loft, finding Andrew in the rooftop

solarium, sitting crosslegged in front of a candle.

JOE (VO) (CONT.)

... we're trying to set a date for

the prelim. Hang in there.

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