The Insider Page #34

INT. LOWELL'S HOUSE, BERKELEY - NIGHT

LOWELL:

(nods, trustworthy)

Thank you, Bill.

And he quietly hangs up. And it's still. Sharon's laid

down, closing her eyes. They lie close together. After some

moments, she opens her eyes and lets us know what she's been

thinking...

SHARON:

(understated)

You won.

This time he isn't droll.

LOWELL:

Yeah?

(a beat)

What did I win?

There's an odd look on his face, not the look of a victor.

He shuts off the light. And as they lie close together in

the dark in each other's arms...

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FAMILIAR CBS EYE ON A TELEVISION SCREEN.

AND THEN THE WORDS: "SPECIAL REPORT."

INT. MASTER CONTROL ROOM, CBS - DAY

Lowell, entering through machine rooms, into a state-of-the-

art Master Control Room. On a wall are fifty or more

monitors, in the humidity-and-temperature-controlled nexus of

CBS operations. And it's jammed with people, witnessing a

fast-breaking, major news event. Mike Wallace stands near

Felling. Lowell crosses past Felling and stands next to Mike

Wallace.

And we see footage of a handcuffed, bearded, barefoot

Man...THEODORE KACZYNSKI, the UNABOMBER, being taken in by

the FBI. A director counts down. Dan Rather launches...

DAN RATHER:

"Reporting from CBS World News

headquarters in New York, good afternoon.

There has been a major break in the case

of the so-called 'Unabomber.' CBS News

has learned that a remote homesite

outside Lincoln, Montana has been under

FBI surveillance..."

BILL FELLING:

Thanks for this. You know, we beat

everybody. ABC, NBC, CNN.

Mike motions Lowell out into the corridor so they can be

alone.

INT. CORRIDOR, CBS - DAY

The control room and crowd are seen through the glass wall.

After some moments:

MIKE WALLACE:

That Canada story? Still interest you?

LOWELL:

(nods)

Everything interests me.

Mike nods... Lowell puts his hands in his jacket pockets...

After some moments...

LOWELL (CONT'D)

I quit, Mike.

Mike's startled.

MIKE WALLACE:

Bullshit.

Lowell shakes his head "no."

MIKE WALLACE (CONT'D)

C'mon, it all worked out. You came out

okay in the end...

LOWELL:

I did? What do I tell a source on the

next tough story? Hang in with us.

You'll be fine...maybe?

They look at each other. Lowell says to Mike, intimately,

what he knows Mike knows...

LOWELL (cont'd)

What got broken here...doesn't go back

together again.

Lowell's heartfelt regret. He starts to leave. They look at

each other.

LOWELL (cont'd)

So, uh...

And Lowell moves off along the hallway, the monitors all

showing CBS programming. He doesn't even look back...

A LEGEND APPEARS:

CARD #1:

SUBSEQUENT TO THE EVENTS DRAMATIZES HERE, THE TOBACCO

INDUSTRY IN 1998 SETTLED THE LAWSUITS FILED AGAINST IT BY

MISSISSIPPI AND 49 OTHER STATES FOR $246 BILLION.

CARD #2:

ALTHOUGH BASED ON A TRUE STORY, CERTAIN EVENTS IN THIS MOTION

PICTURE HAVE BEEN FICTIONALIZED FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT.

THE SOURCE OF THE DEATH THREATS AGAINST THE WIGANDS NEVER WAS

IDENTIFIED AND NO ONE WAS EVER CHARGED OF PROSECUTED.

CARD #3:

IN 1996 DR. WIGAND WAS NAMED TEACHER OF THE YEAR IN KENTUCKY.

CURRENTLY, HE LIVES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

CARD #4:

LOWELL BERGMAN IS A CORRESPONDENT FOR THE PBS SERIES

FRONTLINE AND IS ON THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF

JOURNALISM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY.

THE END:

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