Power Page #6

Synopsis: Pete St. John is a powerful and successful political consultant, with clients spread around the country. When his long-time friend and client, Ohio senator Sam Hastings, decides to quit politics, he is rapidly drafted to help with the campaign of the man destined to succeed him, unknown and mysterious businessman Jerome Cade. In parallel, and unaware of the potential dangers, he proceeds to unravel the mystery surrounding Hastings dropping out, with the aide of his ex-wife, a prominent Washington-based journalist. But interests more powerful than local arm wrestling are at stake, and things start going awry.
Genre: Drama
Director(s): Sidney Lumet
Production: Lorimar Home Video
  1 win & 1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
5.7
Rotten Tomatoes:
50%
R
Year:
1986
111 min
690 Views


...from New Mexico

for New Mexico.

You didn't have a date or anything

tonight, did you?

Not anymore.

Oh, wow.

Wallace! How're you doing?

Yeah, yeah. I just saw it.

It was terrific, huh?

Yeah, Wallace...

Wallace-- look--

Stop worrying, Wallace.

We'll be making a rebuttal

commercial tonight.

Yeah, say it again.

Listen, can I call you

right back?

Yeah, right. Thanks.

Helen?

I want you to call Jack Rosack.

I want him to do a sweep of the

offices, studios, everything.

- Right away?

- Right away.

- I want him to do the apartment, too.

- The apartment-- okay, all right.

...Wallace Furman can give

our state.

He didn't HAVE to come here.

He WANTED to.

Wallace Furman for governor.

A new vision for New Mexico.

- Is that a buy, Pete?

- That's it.

- I can go home now?

- Let's go home!

This is the upper East side

of New York.

This is Monte Carlo.

This is Beverly Hills,

California.

Wallace Furman could have lived

in any of these places.

Instead, he chose to live

in New Mexico.

Not because it was

more exciting or luxurious,

but because,

unlike Monte Carlo...

...or Beverly Hills,

it was a place that needed help,

needed the energy

and the new leadership...

...that Wallace Furman

can give our state.

He didn't HAVE to come here.

He WANTED to.

Wallace Furman for governor.

A new vision for New Mexico.

What about the photo session?

Syd! Syd!

I've got Pete on the line.

The newspaper you wanted me

to research?

We just got the overnights,

we stopped the erosion.

That carpetbagger thing

is a dead issue.

I know you don't need to hear this,

but that mansion spot was brilliant.

Yeah, that was great.

Look, I'm going to be here one...

...maybe two more days,

and then back to New York.

I want to go over this stuff

that Mitch sent,

then we have to talk about

the rehearsal for the debate.

Oh, almost forgot

the best part. Listen.

The story going around

down there is that...

...McKusker got the new numbers...

...and he panicked.

I have it from two sources

that he fired Wilfred Buckley...

...and he hired John Dietrich.

Isn't that incredible?

Jerome.

Yeah, Billings?

- He's doing everything he should?

- Mm-hmm.

- The quality is...?

- Well, you've seen it.

The polling, the ads.

First rate.

I don't know...

Baggage will arrive

at the low level.

Buses for downtown Cleveland

are available outside main hall.

Thanks for meeting me, Pete.

I thought you'd get out

of all the travelling this year.

So did I!

- Spoken to Sam recently?

- Last week.

Talked about his illness?

Off the record.

Not much.

Mostly about whether or not

he's going to stay in Washington...

...and practice law...

...or go back to Ohio.

I don't think he's ill.

Is that so?

I'm curious,

how much do you actually know

about Sam? Financially, I mean.

He's never had that much.

It's just his salary.

And Claire?

Her family's got dough.

Yes, but she never

got any, did she?

Her father blew his share.

Did you know

she needed scolarships...

- ...to get through college?

- You've been busy.

Pete...

How many times have you been

to their house?

Have you ever wondered

how they carried that place?

Look, that house's gotta be worth

at least $600,000.

The mortgage is under $200,000.

I know they didn't get

anything like that...

...when they sold the other house

in Virginia.

Have you ever noticed

the furniture? The antiques?

- Claire paid for those, all in cash.

- What are you trying to tell me?

That Sam's on the take?

Is that it?

Is that the line that'd let you

win the Snoop-Of-The-Year award?

Cause if it is, you've got

this one little problem.

Why's he taking a walk?

I don't have the story yet.

I don't know why he's leaving.

Pete, Sam is your friend.

If you're--

Any bad judgement--

You're talking to me, remember?

You're praying so hard

he's f***ed up,

you're salivating.

You're f--

You're f***ed up. Not him.

You're a f***-up.

Look, there's a lot of stuff

flying around Washington...

...about why you're leaving.

About how you can afford

all those antiques,

about buying the new house.

As a friend...

...I appreciate you

telling me that, Pete.

I love my job.

A man couldn't ask

for a better one.

But it's precisely because of

crap like that...

...I'm glad I'm getting out.

Those things are Claire's.

She collects them.

The money's from her inheritance.

Here you are, Mr. St. John.

- Thanks.

- You're welcome.

You were right.

I shouldn't have done that.

It was stupid.

I just wanted you to know

that I... recognize that.

So...

Maybe, buy you a drink?

How'd you know

I'd be here tonight?

Well, the receptionist said

you hadn't checked out,

and your office in New York said

you weren't due until tomorrow and...

I saw Sam.

Oh.

You knew I would. That's why

you've been camping...

...out here all night.

It's all right, it's okay.

You're good. You're real good.

I mean, on that

we've always agreed.

I'm going to tell you

what Sam said.

He said the money came

from her inheritance.

Christ, he lied to me.

For a politician, you'd think

he'd be pretty good.

He was so f***ing bad.

You've been lied to before.

Oh, yeah, right. I forgot.

Are you going to hold that

over me forever?

Good old Saint Pete, who never

told a lie to his wife.

You never asked.

Well, I'm asking now!

How many?

Times or women?

Oh, let's keep this

to one night. Women.

All right, let's set

the history straight here.

Towards the end, you and I were close

if we were in the same time zone.

You got any idea

what it's like...

...to spend ten days

massaging some poll?

And wind up at 1:00 a.m.

in some bar in Cleveland...

...and notice some lady

across the room...

...with a lot of hair

on her chin?

Yes, I have an idea.

It must be like chasing a story

for a week and a half,

getting nothing but

doors slammed in your face...

...and ending up in some bar

in the Ramada Inn in Akron,

next to a guy with a clean shirt,

whose hands don't sweat?

No.

Nothing like that at all.

Well, they're now

in his room, f***ing.

So what? They used to be married.

Look, what has he actually done?

He went to see Hastings.

He's the best friend he's got.

We know he run a check on me.

You put him in touch with me,

so, he run a check on you.

Now, he's screwing

his ex-wife.

Uh, she's a problem.

I don't care how you cut it.

Trip to New Orleans,

a session with Hastings wife--

I can't help but

find that troubling.

All right, Billings, what are you

going to do about it?

- Yeah.

- Breakfast, sir.

Okay

- Didn't you order Canadian bacon?

- Uh-huh

Didn't bring it.

...it comes!

Television's most exciting hour

of fantastic prizes!

The fabulous 60-minute

"Price is Right"!

Tammy Garland!

Come on down!

Wally...!

There's a tap on the phone.

My office phone too.

I found a bug.

Who?

I'm not sure.

I don't know.

Arnold Billings.

Ever heard of him?

He works out of Washington,

does some kind of corporate PR.

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David Himmelstein

David U. Himmelstein is an American academic physician specializing in internal medicine. He is a distinguished professor of public health and health policy in the CUNY School of Public Health at Hunter College, an adjunct clinical professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. He is also the co-founder (with Steffie Woolhandler) of Physicians for a National Health Program, an organization advocating for single-payer healthcare in the United States. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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