Reagan Page #11

GENERAL SIDWELL (CONT’D)

Initiate bombing run Plan R. The

target is Libya.

The room springs to action; TARGETS picked on a COMPUTER

SCREEN. Coded messages are delivered. Attacks are green-lit.

EXT. AIRFIELD - DAY

F-111s take off in formation, en route to Tripoli.

64.

INT. CBS NEWS BROADCAST - LATER

The news of the bombing of Libya is reported over images of

destroyed buildings.

DAN RATHER:

The International community is in

outrage today, this time at the

United States for an unprovoked

attack on the nation of Libya. The UN

has passed a resolution condemning

the actions of the White House...

The screen switches to show COLONEL MUAMMAR GADAFFI (44,

dressed like wartime Liberace), giving a statement.

COLONEL GADDAFI:

The president is mad! He is

foolish! He is an Israeli dog!

INT. OVAL OFFICE - SAME

Poindexter, Caspar, Don, and Frank are all mortified watching

the broadcast. Reagan is fixated on Gaddafi’s clothes.

REAGAN:

Now, THAT’s a helluva jacket.

(to Frank)

Talk to Sally and Ted; maybe we can

get this wardrobe guy.

No one has a response.

INT. WHITE HOUSE - HALLWAY - MINUTES LATER

Caspar, Poindexter and Frank are outside the Oval Office.

CASPAR:

What the f*** does he think he did?!

FRANK:

It was an accident.

CASPAR:

Accident?! We just blew the f***

out of country who didn’t attack

us! We bust Russia’s balls every

day about sh*t like this!

POINDEXTER:

If you can’t handle him, you need

to tell us right now!

65.

CASPAR:

Of course he can’t handle him. This

is all f***ed up!

FRANK:

I can handle him! I can. Maybe he’s

getting a little worse, but I can

keep him on track. Trust me.

Caspar and Poindexter share different colors of skepticism.

INT. HOFOI, REYKJAVIK - CONFERENCE ROOM - OCTOBER 12, 1986

The site of the second summit between the US and Soviet

Union. Reagan and Gorbachev sit in matching chairs in front

of a crackling fireplace.

GORBACHEV:

We cannot consider any solution

regarding nuclear weaponry other than

total abolition. My proposal is, by

1996, a complete elimination of our

nuclear arsenals.

In the corner, Frank grabs Poindexter’s arm.

FRANK:

Did he just offer what I think he

did?

POINDEXTER:

Disarmament. End of hostilities.

FRANK:

Oh my god. We did it. I can’t

believe we did it! Should we take a

picture? No, that’s weird...

Reagan thinks for a moment.

REAGAN:

What about defensive measures?

GORBACHEV:

Total abolition.

Reagan thinks for another moment.

FRANK:

What’s he thinking about? What’s he

doing? Did he forget the word ‘yes?’

66.

INT. HOFOI - HALLWAY - MINUTES LATER

Reagan strides out of the conference room surrounded by

SECRET SERVICE and an apoplectic Frank.

FRANK:

How do you turn down that deal?!

The script says you take that deal!

REAGAN:

Didn’t feel right.

FRANK:

What the hell are you talking

about?! That was peace with the

Russians right there!

REAGAN:

Felt out of character. I’m playing

this combative, headstrong leader.

He’d never agree to disarm. Too

stubborn. It’s like his tragic flaw.

FRANK:

Tragic flaw?

Frank braces against the wall.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Oh my god. I’m gonna pass out.

REAGAN:

That used to happen to me. My advice:

stretch every morning. Make it a

ritual.

Reagan and his posse stride off. Poindexter rushes to Frank.

POINDEXTER:

Talk him out of it. You need to

talk him out of it!

FRANK:

I think I talked him into it.

The President walks away from the biggest offer of his life.

INT. OVAL OFFICE - OCTOBER 14, 1986

Don sits in the President’s chair as Frank paces up a storm.

FRANK:

The strategy has to change.

67.

DON:

Nothing changes. We press on.

FRANK:

He’s starting to slip. He’s arguing

with me, questioning the writing.

Actors. They all want to be

producers. Just read the goddamn

lines and smile at the camera!

DON:

Calm down. These are small bumps in a

very long road. You can handle it.

Frank fights with asking a question he’s been meaning to.

FRANK:

Mr. Regan, can you do me a favor?

This is going to sound...I need you

guys to tell me the truth.

DON:

The truth? When have we not?

FRANK:

No I mean, you’ve been very good to

me. But I’m out there on the front

line doing something that’s not

exactly...ethical. If there’s

anything going on, anything that I

need to know about, I want you to

tell me. Can you do that? Please?

Don leans back in the most powerful chair in the world.

DON:

Frank, I used to work on Wall

Street. High pressure environment.

Wait five minutes too many to dump

a stock, you go from a corner

office to a corner on the street.

He stands up. He’s MUCH taller than Frank.

DON (CONT’D)

The way to survive in finance is

the same as it is in politics: you

need to have faith. You need to

trust people. Do you trust me?

Frank looks up at Don. Gives the right answer.

FRANK:

Yes sir. I do.

68.

DON:

Then you have nothing to worry

about. We’re all in this together.

Don returns to the desk. Frank leaves empty handed.

INT. OUTSIDE DON’S OFFICE - LATER

Frank drags the stress of the day back to his desk, where

he’s startled to find Peggy cheerfully waiting for him.

PEGGY:

Hey, my husband and I were going to

get a drink in Columbia Heights.

That’s your neighborhood, I figured

you could join if you’re not buried.

FRANK:

Thanks, but I’m pretty buried. Up

to my earlobes, really.

PEGGY:

What’s going on?

FRANK:

Nothing. Just administrative stuff.

PEGGY:

You’d tell me if it was something,

right?

Frank’s eyes go to his desk: PERFORMANCE NOTES FOR ACTORS is

barely visible in the drawer. He can’t tell her. Ever.

FRANK:

Of course.

PEGGY:

Okay. Another time maybe.

She gets up and exits.

FRANK:

Yeah. Maybe.

EXT. CORDEN RESIDENCE - BACK PORCH - OCTOBER 31, 1986 - NIGHT

The house is decorated for HALLOWEEN. Gladys holds the baby

next to Brandon, who wears a GHOSTBUSTERS costume and a few

dozen candy wrappers. They’re pointing at the night sky.

69.

GLADYS:

You can see all the stars tonight.

But that’s not a star; that’s Mars.

Nearby, Frank and Jack sit in Adirondack chairs with beers

and candy of their own.

JACK:

Your mother’s got me on this diet.

Supposed to help with the memory.

The hell with it; it’s Halloween.

He pops a handful of M&Ms into his mouth.

FRANK:

It was always my favorite holiday.

You get to be who you want instead

of who you are.

JACK:

You didn’t have to stay here with the

grandparents club. You could have

gone to that party with Henry

and...his, um...

FRANK:

Marcy.

JACK:

You’re not supposed to help me. The

doctor said, ‘don’t help me.’

FRANK:

Just a reflex I guess.

Frank takes a sip.

FRANK (CONT’D)

Dad, I have a question: do you

think it’s possible to do a bad

thing for a good reason?

JACK:

We talking or are we just talking?

FRANK:

This thing, this work thing: it

started off fine. But it’s like

it’s falling apart from the inside.

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