The Insider Page #30

And the grave situation passes.

WIGAND (CONT'D)

(after a beat)

Where are you, anyway?

LOWELL:

I'm on a leave of absence. Forced

vacation.

WIGAND:

(a rare laugh, his sarcasm)

You try and have a good time.

LOWELL:

(droll)

Yeah. Yeah, I will.

INT. THE CARIBBEAN BUNGALOW - DAY/NIGHT

Sharon's cooking across the room... And there's just the

sound of the ceiling fan turning.

LOWELL:

"I'm Lowell Bergman, I'm from '60

Minutes.'" You know, you take the "60

Minutes" out of that sentence, nobody

returns your phone call. Maybe Wigand's

right. Maybe I'm hooked. What am I

hooked on? The rush? "60 Minutes"?

What the hell for? Infotainment. It's

so f***ing useless, all of it.

SHARON:

(a beat)

So, it's a big country with a free press.

You can go work somewhere else.

LOWELL:

Free press? Press is free...for anyone

who owns one. Larry Tisch has a free

press.

SHARON:

Get some perspective, Lowell.

LOWELL:

I got perspective.

SHARON:

No, you do not.

LOWELL:

From my perspective, what's been going on

and what I've been doing is ridiculous.

It's half-measures.

SHARON:

You're not listening.

(beat)

Really know what you're going to do

before you do it.

And as the fan squeaks, turning... Lowell stares at Sharon.

WE SEE SNOW IS ON THE GROUND.

EXT. LINCOLN, MONTANA - DAY

Between two curved colonnades of SNOW-covered trees drives a

rental car. CLOSER, it's Lowell. His POV spots a dirty SUV

and he pulls into park across from a coffee shop in this out-

of-context mountain town. His pager beeps. He looks at it.

He detours from the coffee shop to a pay phone on the corner

of the Moose Lodge.

DEBBIE DELUCA'S VOICE (OVER)

I've got Richard Scruggs on the phone...

LOWELL:

Patch him through.

RICHARD SCRUGGS' VOICE (OVER)

Well, Lowell, you are not going to

believe this...

INT. A COURTROOM + ROTUNDA, MISSISSIPPI - DAY

And we see the back of a crowded courtroom. Richard Scruggs

is standing in the rear amongst bailiffs an witnesses,

talking on his own cell phone.

RICAHRD SCRUGGS:

The Governor of Mississippi is suing his

own Attorney General...to abandon

litigation against Big Tobacco...

LOWELL:

Oh, good...

Waiting media are relaxing as Scruggs continues to Lowell...

RICHARD SCRUGGS:

(after a beat)

But, now that the version without Jeff

ran...what's the chance of getting his

interview on the air...?

(beat)

Hello?

Sudden STATIC. Scruggs now exits the building, past the

metal detector, seeking better reception.

LOWELL:

Yeah, I'm here.

EXT. COURTHOUSE STAIRS, MISSISSIPPI - DAY

RICHARD SCRUGGS:

What chance is there of getting Jeff's

interview on the air...?

LOWELL'S VOICE (OVER)

(droll)

Less than great.

And the courthouse doors suddenly burst open, Michael Moore

and his attorneys coming out. Scruggs comes further down the

steps so he can hear, away from Michael Moore who begins

answering questions from the Press.

RICHARD SCRUGGS:

(after a beat)

...I'd be lying to you if I did not tell

you how important it was in the court of

public opinion...

EXT. THE PHONE BOOTH, LINCOLN, MONTANA - DAY

LOWELL:

(a beat)

...and I'd be lying to you if I didn't

tell you, I'm about out of moves, Dick...

RICHARD SCRUGGS:

All right. See you...

INT. CAFE, LINCOLN, MONTANA - DAY

Lowell walks right in and up to a booth and a COUPLE in

hiking pants and hiking boots. They look up at him...

LOWELL:

Hi. So, what are you folks doing here in

Lincoln?

And we sense something is all wrong here.

MAN GEOLOGIST:

(affable)

Geology survey.

LOWELL:

(nods)

Geology. Yeah? Really?

WOMAN GEOLOGIST:

How about you?

LOWELL:

(direct)

I work for CBS News.

MAN GEOLOGIST:

(after a beat)

Oh, yeah?

Lowell nods. They look at each other and they both know

there's a lot more than meets the eye. And as Lowell gets up

and leaves...

EXT. A PAY PHONE, LINCOLN, MONTANA - DAY

And we see Lowell on the PAY PHONE again.

LOWELL:

Just ran into two of your "geologists."

Geologists whose hands aren't all chewed

up...?

BILL ROBERTSON'S VOICE (OVER)

Lowell?

INT. THE FBI, BILL ROBERTSON'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON - DAY

And we see Bill Robertson's on the phone...

BILL ROBERTSON:

Do not...screw this up. We are a week

away from an arrest...

EXT. THE PAY PHONE, LINCOLN, MONTANA - DAY

LOWELL:

So, I'll hold it... And...

BILL ROBERTSON'S VOICE (OVER)

(on the phone)

We'll give you a heads up before we

launch.

LOWELL:

How long?

BILL ROBERTSON'S VOICE (OVER)

Three hours.

LOWELL:

You got a deal.

(hangs up)

INT. LOWELL'S ROOM, MOTEL, MONTANA - NIGHT

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