Revisiting 'Fail-Safe' Page #8

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they don't work at low altitudes, only high.

They're going to explode them on top of us

and hope to knock us down with the blast.

They can do it, too.

Would those rockets go after missiles?

Don't see why not.

A missile produces heat.

-How many air-to-air missiles are left?

-Two, sir.

All right.

The second you see their rockets...

...you fire those missiles

for maximum elevation straight up.

Straight up?

Straight up. With any luck,

the rockets will home in on our missiles.

Give them just enough extra boost

so they stay 2,500 ft above the rockets.

Yes, sir. We have to report in, Colonel.

No time for that.

They're expecting it, sir. It's SOP.

We're in range. We have to report in.

Keep an eye on that scope.

Ultimate 2, this is Turkey 6.

Can you read me?

Grady, this is the President.

Keep receiving.

Whatever you hear, keep receiving.

Dad?

Dad, it's me, Tommy.

I'm okay and there isn't any war.

It's a big mistake. It's a mistake.

Is that really your son?

-I don't--

-No, that's not your son, Colonel.

They're just imitating his voice.

That's not your son.

I'm sure, Dad. Do you hear me?

I'm sure. Say it, Dad.

You know what comes next, say it.

''Are you positive?''

''Only fools are positive. '' See?

Nobody else knows that.

Grady, this is not a trick.

There is no war.

I want to see you again, Dad.

Listen to him. Nobody can fake this.

-I can't.

-Here come the nukes.

For the sake of your son!

Fire one.

Fire two.

-Keep them at 2,500 feet above the rockets.

-There is no war.

-18,000 feet.

-Higher.

-20,000.

-Higher, go after them.

30,000. 40,000.

Dad!

-Turn it off!

-60,000 feet.

-I love you. Come home.

-We can't trust it.

80,000.

90,000.

We're too low.

We'll be slammed into the ground.

120,000, we're leveling.

-I love you, Tommy. You're my boy.

-130,000. 135,000.

-Remember that, I love you so much.

-Sir, turn it off.

Hang on!

We're going up.

The nukes are catching up.

Stand by for a ram.

We're going to catch some of it!

Hang on!

We'll make it now.

How far to Moscow?

Seventeen minutes, sir.

There's only one decision left to make

and then our job is done.

We decide from what height

to drop the bombs.

We've already taken on enough radiation

from the blast...

...at best we'd last a couple of days.

I intend to take us in at 900 feet...

...and when we are over the target,

climb to 5,000 feet.

Bombs are set to go off at 5,000 feet.

We'll go with the bombs.

What the hell...

...there's nothing to go home to anyway.

May God forgive us.

Get me an outside line to New York City.

Fifteen minutes to target.

Mom? Mom, listen to me.

We don't have much time.

I want you and Dad....

Mom, listen.

What do you mean? Where is he?

I forgot about the Red Sox.

Is Francis there?

So, you're alone.

Mom, wait.

I will.

Just stay on the phone with me.

Just stay with me.

Are there any papers

or documents in New York...

...that are absolutely essential

to running the United States?

General Stark?

No, sir.

Important documents,

but none absolutely essential.

Will there be any time to warn people?

With a little time

a lot of lives could be saved.

On this short notice...

...all you'd produce is panic.

What about this?

Maybe he doesn't know.

The First Lady is in New York.

He knows.

Dear God.

Gentlemen, we are wasting time.

I've made some rough calculations...

...based on the effect

of two 20-megaton bombs...

...dropped on New York City

in the middle of a normal work day.

I estimate the immediate dead

at about three million.

I include in that figure those buried

beneath buildings.

It doesn't make any difference

if they reached a shelter or not.

They would die just the same.

Add another million or two who'll die

within about five weeks.

Even if there are no irreplaceable

government documents in any buildings...

...many of our corporations

keep their financial records in New York.

Fortune has smiled on us there.

Paper is a wonderful insulator,

it is possible even probable...

...that these records will have survived.

Our first priority would be excavation.

Not of the dead.

But of these records.

Our economy depends upon it.

Our economy depends on it.

Are you married, Buck?

No, sir. Not yet.

We've gone steady for a while,

but we haven't set a date or anything.

Is she in the government?

State Department.

She's a translator like me.

Spanish, French and Italian.

We met in translator school.

When she gets mad

she can curse in four languages.

You did good today, Buck.

You didn't freeze up.

A lot of other men would.

You're the one who didn't, sir.

If you're going to get married...

...you ought to do it soon.

Yes.

Use the time.

It goes fast.

The Chairman is on the line.

Mr. Chairman.

''Mr. President. I have activated...

''...only those parts of our defense...

''...that still have a chance

of shooting down your bomber.

''Our long-range missiles have already

begun to stand down from the alert.

''But we think we do not

have much of a chance.''

I agree.

''And yet who can be blamed?

Can you blame a machine?''

Men built those machines.

''Men are not perfect, Mr. President.''

Men are responsible...

...for what they do.

Men are responsible for what they make.

We built those machines,

your country and mine...

...we put them in place.

Two great cities will be destroyed.

Millions of innocent people will die

because of us.

What do we tell them?

''Accidents will happen?''

I can't accept that!

What do we do, Mr. Chairman.

What do we say to the dead?

''We must say this will not happen again.

But do you think it's possible?''

Mr. President--

Yes, Jay.

I can hear the sounds of explosions

coming from the northeast.

The sky is very bright,

like a long row of sky rockets.

It's all lit up.

Very--

Blackie.

Yes, Mr. President.

Moscow has been destroyed, Blackie.

Release your bombs according to plan.

I understand.

You've all been briefed on this mission,

so there's nothing more to say.

I have only one last order.

No one else is to have anything to do

with the release of the bombs.

I repeat.

I will fly the plane and launch the bombs.

The ultimate act will be mine.

Is that clear?

On course, sir. Approaching the target.

We'll count down from 10.

Give me the signal.

On a heading of 56 degrees south.

Winds northwest at 8 miles an hour.

Altitude:
26,000 feet.

Ground Zero set at 1,000 feet.

Lob point is in 10.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

Six.

Five.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

Mark.

Richard Dreyfuss as the President.

Noah Wyle as Buck.

Brian Dennehy as General Bogan.

Sam Elliot as Congressman Raskob.

James Cromwell as Gordon Knapp.

John Diehl as Colonel Cascio.

Hank Azaria as Professor Groteschele.

Norman Lloyd as Secretary Swenson.

William Smitrovich as General Stark.

Don Cheadle as Lieutenant Pierce.

George Clooney as Colonel Jack Grady.

Harvey Keitel as General Black.

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