Reagan Page #2

PAYNE (CONT’D)

Yessir! Married that woman. Gave me

three wonderful kids.

FRANK:

Oh, well that’s...that’s beautiful.

PAYNE:

I’ll make a call. I’m sure we can

get something for a Princeton Man.

FRANK:

I really appreciate it, Mr. Payne. I

spent so long knocking on doors and

getting people coffee, I started to

think that’s all I could do!

PAYNE:

Haha! Good!

INT. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY - THE NEXT WEEK

Frank carefully writes names on COFFEE CUPS with a sharpie.

Exactly mirroring the campaign office, Frank walks through

the hallways of the Treasury, handing out coffees to the busy

workers. He doesn’t do as much smiling this time.

INT. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY - DON’S OFFICE

Frank sets a cup on the desk of DON REGAN, Secretary of the

Treasury (57, long-faced, fatherly) who chats on the phone.

DON:

It’s the hand we’re dealt, Caspar,

we gotta power through.

(MORE)

7.

DON (CONT'D)

(to Frank)

Sugar?

FRANK:

In there. I just wanted to say, Mr.

Regan, it’s a real honor-

Don gives him the ‘yeah-yeah’ hand. Returns to his call.

DON:

Then write it down for him. Write

everything down. Even his name!

Frank plods out of the office. Not exactly a dream job.

EXT. CORDEN RESIDENCE - DECEMBER 24, 1984 - NIGHT

A nice house in Bethesda, MD. American flag hanging off the

porch, the railing of which is wrapped in Christmas lights.

HENRY (O.S.)

So we’re on set, right?

INT. CORDEN RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM

GLADYS (60s, excited for herself and others) and MARCY (30,

composed even with spit-up on her sweatshirt) make goo-goo

sounds at the latter’s new BABY.

HENRY (O.S.)

And our lead actor’s a talented

guy. Super-talent. Cast him myself.

Rotating through the rest of the room, we see BRANDON (4,

Marcy’s eldest) fighting invisible ninjas in the hallway.

HENRY (O.S.) (CONT’D)

But he will not hit his mark.

HENRY (30, a relentless success) sits in matching armchairs

next to his father, JACK (60s, same haircut since The Corps).

Jack is loving this story. On a nearby couch, Frank loves it

far less, opting to focus on televised basketball.

JACK:

His ‘mark’?

HENRY:

The place where the actor’s supposed

to stand. Piece of tape on the

ground; acting’s not rocket science.

(MORE)

8.

HENRY (CONT'D)

And we lose takes for all sorts of

reasons; plane noise, boom, waste of

a day. I’m trying to be nice, but

this guy’s not letting me. Goes all

movie star and forgets who the

director is. So I tell him, ‘Time is

money and you’re costing us both. Hit

your mark or you’re f***ing fired.’

GLADYS:

Henry! Language!

HENRY:

It’s integral to the story, Ma.

Long and short, we get the shot and

everyone’s makin’ money!

FRANK:

So this is like a ‘Where’s The

Beef’ kinda thing?

HENRY:

No, Frank. That was Wendy’s. This

is the answer to Where’s The Beef.

(waving pretentiously)

‘There’s The Beef.’

FRANK:

Wow. You’re really pushing the

artistic threshold.

HENRY:

Hey, it paid for the shore house.

Dad, you should come down to the

set. I’ll get you a pass.

JACK:

A movie-set? No kidding!

Jack notices he’s leaving out his youngest.

JACK (CONT’D)

So, Frank. What’s new with you?

FRANK:

I’m working for the Secretary of

the Treasury. Tough job. A lot of

administrative stuff. I can get you

a tour of the office if you want.

JACK:

The Treasury. Down on Pennsylvania?

By that grill...what’s it called?

9.

FRANK:

(deflating)

Old Ebbit.

JACK:

Sure. They do a good crab cake.

A long pause as both Jack and Frank wish the news was more

exciting. Jack turns to Marcy.

JACK (CONT’D)

Kids are big, Marcy!

MARCY:

Right? You see the four year old

and know that’s where the baby’s

gonna be in like no time.

Frank’s had enough of losing and stands up.

FRANK:

Anyone want anything while I’m up?

The room shakes their heads no. Frank drifts out.

GLADYS:

Time. It just goes so fast.

INT. CORDEN RESIDENCE - DINING ROOM - MINUTES LATER

The table is set for Christmas Eve. Frank exits the bathroom

to find Brandon frozen on the ground in a ball.

FRANK:

Hey, Brandon. You okay? Brandon?

MARCY (O.S.)

That’s not his name today.

Marcy has joined her brother-in-law.

MARCY (CONT’D)

He thinks he’s a Transformer.

But instead of turning into a

truck, he turns into a table. Or a

ball on the ground.

BRANDON:

Mom! I’m a table!

MARCY:

The boy thinks he’s a table; who am

I to argue with him?

10.

Frank almost admires the kid’s commitment.

FRANK:

All the time he’s doing this?

MARCY:

Until he forgets and wants to be He-

Man instead. That’s how kids work:

you need to operate in the realm of

their reality.

FRANK:

Works on adults, too.

MARCY:

(checking her watch)

Okay, we’re good.

(to Brandon)

Dinner time, Optimus!

Making the ‘Transformer sound,’ Brandon stands and scurries

for the bathroom to wash up.

MARCY (CONT’D)

Life, huh?

They both laugh, but for different reasons.

LATER. The family is gathered around the dinner table.

GLADYS:

Frank, I have a job for you:

FRANK:

Mom, I have a job.

GLADYS:

A coffee table...made out of coffee

table books! That’s a million

dollar idea; you should do

something with it.

JACK:

Gladys, he’s got a job. He works

for the...the department...

The pause grows. Frank knows he shouldn’t help. But...

FRANK:

Treasury.

JACK:

Right, the Treasury.

11.

HENRY:

He told you ten minutes ago, Dad.

JACK:

I know, I remember.

GLADYS:

Your father’s getting to that age.

JACK:

Oh, enough with the age! I knew it

was the Treasury, I just took a

second! I remembered it just fine.

GLADYS:

It’s not a problem, Hon.

JACK:

You’re right, it’s not a problem!

The room gets quiet outside of the sounds of utensils. Frank

sees the covered concern on his father’s face.

FRANK:

So, Dad, I read this thing on the

‘66 O’s. That was some team.

Jack’s eyes light up.

JACK:

Terrific, Frank. All-time great. I

remember early in the season, we’re

playing Cleveland at home. Frank

Robinson comes to the plate against

Luis Tiant. Cuban guy; fled Castro.

Frank notices his mother silently thank him with a grin.

JACK (CONT’D)

Robinson just hammers one and-- you

know that flag? The one in the

ballpark that says ‘HERE’? That’s

where Robinson put the ball onto

33rd Street. Can you believe it?

Out of the stadium onto the street!

FRANK:

And that’s why you named me after

Frank Robinson?

JACK:

Only because your Mom wouldn’t let

me name you Brooks.

12.

GLADYS:

(laughing)

That’s not a man’s name! It’s not!

The mood lightens. Frank has saved another family dinner.

INT. NBC NEWS BROADCAST - JANUARY 20, 1985

Tom Brokaw announces the top story of the day.

TOM BROKAW:

Due to the frigid conditions in the

Northeast, President Reagan was

sworn in today to a second term in

a private ceremony at the White

House. There will be a public

administration of the Oath of

Office tomorrow in the Rotunda of

the U.S. Capitol, at which point

the President will deliver his

second inaugural address.

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