Reagan Page #4

He storms out of the office. Takes a quick right turn...

INT. US CAPITOL - BATHROOM

Frank vomits violently into the sink.

FRANK:

Oh f***...oh Jesus...

19.

INT. US CAPITOL - HALLWAY

...and goes back to walking like nothing had happened.

INT. US CAPITOL - ROTUNDA - MINUTES LATER

Frank sticks pieces of tape to the ground as a confused

Burger watches. Frank shakes his head, ‘Don’t ask.’

He returns to the wing. Reagan waits alongside his staff.

REAGAN:

Lot of extras here today. That

can’t be cheap.

FRANK:

(re:
Burger)

Okay, that guy’s gonna swear you in.

Your...script is on the podium. You

gonna be okay?

REAGAN:

It’s not my first picture.

He waits. Everyone waits. Burger holds his arms out: ‘Are we

doing this?’ After a few moments, Reagan looks at Frank.

REAGAN (CONT’D)

You gonna say ‘action’?

FRANK:

Oh right. Um...Action!

REAGAN:

I guess you’re not having a banner

day, either.

He marches onstage to thundering applause. He waves to his

adoring fans; a natural movie star. He stops on the tape,

turning to give Frank a shitty look.

The inauguration begins. Frank suddenly feels the eyes of

Caspar, Bud, Poindexter, and Don burning him.

FRANK:

You know-

CASPAR:

Get the f*** out of here.

FRANK:

Kay.

20.

He quickly escapes through the crowd.

EXT. WASHINGTON, DC - MORNING

The sun rises over the east end of the White House.

INT. DC METRO - TRAIN CAR - THE NEXT MORNING

A packed morning commuter rail. The train slows to a halt.

Frank aimlessly stares out the window.

FRANK:

(oh sh*t)

Okay.

EXT. DC METRO - METRO CENTER STATION - MINUTES LATER

PEDESTRIANS rush to get to work on time. The escalator slowly

lifts an immobile Frank to street level.

FRANK:

(here we go)

Okay...

LATER. Frank walks down the street, trying to relax himself.

FRANK (CONT’D)

(I can do this)

Okay. Okay...okay.

INT. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY - MINUTES LATER

Frank enters the government building and flashes his badge to

the SECURITY GUARD. He feels like the whole building is

watching his entrance.

FRANK:

(it’s gonna be...)

Okay. Okay.

He approaches the elevator. As he reaches for the up-button:

SECRET SERVICE #1

Mr. Corden.

Two SECRET SERVICE AGENTS have joined him.

SECRET SERVICE #1 (CONT’D)

Would you come with us, please?

21.

What else can Frank say, other than:

FRANK:

Okay.

The Agent presses the down button. Frank swallows hard.

INT. ELEVATOR - SECONDS LATER

The stoic Agents flank a flop-sweating Frank, who tries to

remain calm. He nervously starts whistling the sax opening to

CARELESS WHISPER.

FRANK:

You guys know that song?

(no response)

It’s Wham. Really good.

INT. CAPITOL TUNNELS - SECONDS LATER

Beneath the seat of government are a series of concrete

tunnels which connect the major buildings. This is where the

elevator has stopped.

The Agents direct Frank down the long, bleak corridor.

FRANK:

They’ve got a great sound, Wham

does. Kind of like a throwback to

the R&B hits of the seventies.

George Michael’s a real talent.

(beat)

That’s what I think.

The walk leads to a side door, which the Agents open...

INT. CAPITOL TUNNELS - SIDE ROOM

Three other SECRET SERVICE AGENTS are inside, along with

Caspar, Bud, Don, and Poindexter. Nerves do strange things to

people; in Frank’s case, it does this:

FRANK:

(awkwardly cheery)

Hi everybody!

DON:

Sit down, Frank.

He does. The whole room seems to tower over him.

22.

DON (CONT’D)

I’m switching positions with James

Baker. White House Chief of Staff.

You’ll be coming with me.

Frank exhales so hard it moves paper across the room.

FRANK:

That’s great. Wow, that’s what this

is about. Thank god.

POINDEXTER:

That’s not what this is about.

FRANK:

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

BUD:

Why--why did you talk to the

president like that?

FRANK:

It was a mistake, Mr. McFarlane.

I’m sorry.

CASPAR:

Answer the question, Numbnuts. You

knocked up the cheerleader, you’re

having the shitty little kid.

FRANK:

I don’t know, it just...reminded me

of my Dad. He forgets stuff

sometimes, so I...’operate in the

realm of his reality.’ Just bring

up baseball and he’s back on track.

The President was talking like an

actor. I know he used to do that,

so...I gave it a shot.

No one responds. Frank would love it if someone would.

FRANK (CONT’D)

I know you can’t say the word

‘f***’ to the President! It was an

idea! A bad one! I just wanted to

help! I’m really sorry I did it!

(still no response)

Oh god, are you going to kill me?!

CASPAR:

...I mean, it’s on the table.

Don looms over Frank. His voice is like a gavel.

23.

DON:

What you’re about to hear can never

leave this room.

Frank nods for his life.

BUD:

The President...is demented.

CASPAR:

Dementia, he has dementia.

‘Demented.’ He’s not criminally

insane! Like The f***ing Penguin!

POINDEXTER:

Settle down, Caspar.

CASPAR:

Settle down? Look what we did, John!

We got this f***ing guy elected and

he’s forgetting every other

Wednesday! We’ve got four more years

of this sh*t!

FRANK:

Dementia... The President...?

BUD:

It started during the debates. He’d

lose a word here or there. Imagine

that; the ‘Great Communicator’

forgetting his verbs.

POINDEXTER:

It’s getting worse. His clarity is

becoming less reliable. Last night

was the best he’s done in months.

DON:

You see what we’re getting at?

Frank shakes his head no.

DON (CONT’D)

The President used to be an actor.

As much as he forgets, he can’t

forget that. And yesterday, he

listened to you because he thought

you were his director.

CASPAR:

Frank Capra, as a matter of fact.

Rent ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’; you

apparently made it.

24.

POINDEXTER:

He thought he was playing the

President in a movie. Our mission

is to convince him that’s true.

FRANK:

Oh no. Sir...Sirs...

BUD:

This is extremely classified. If

anyone finds out, we’re all dead.

DON:

We can handle policy. We need you to

translate it into movie-talk. Put the

president in the right ‘scenes’.

FRANK:

This is impossible. I don’t know

how to do this. Really, I can’t.

WYOMING (O.S.)

Why did you get into politics, kid?

Frank didn’t see a man we’ll call WYOMING (40s, balding,

trust me) sitting in the corner.

FRANK:

Who are you?

WYOMING:

I’m from Wyoming’s At-Large

district. I advise.

FRANK:

Um...I love my country.

WYOMING:

We do too. So does the President.

But his mind is failing him at a

time when we need him most. This is

the greatest challenge this nation

has ever endured. You want keep the

Free World ticking, its leader is

looking to you for his next move.

Your President needs you. Your

country needs you.

FRANK:

I don’t know...

WYOMING:

This is an opportunity, kid. We can

make a lot of things happen.

(MORE)

25.

WYOMING (CONT'D)

You want to be fetching coffee for

the rest of your life? Or you want

cream and sugar?

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