The Insider Page #5

Behind Lowell is a humming Berkeley street. He gestures

familiarly to a Server, who brings out his two take-out

cappuccinos. Lowell nods his thanks, pays...

LOWELL (cont'd)

Thank you, Bob.

LIANE'S VOICE (OVER)

Who's calling?

LOWELL:

My name's Lowell Bergman... I'm --

LIANE'S VOICE (OVER)

Did you say Berman?

LOWELL:

No, Bergman...B.E.R.G.M.A.N.... I'm a

producer with "60 Minutes"...

LIANE'S VOICE (OVER)

"60 Minutes"?

LOWELL:

Yeah.

LIANE'S VOICE (OVER)

"60 Minutes," the television show?

LOWELL:

Yes.

Lowell waits for some moments, and...

INT. THE WIGANDS' HOUSE, LOUISVILLE - DAY

LIANE:

(on phone)

He doesn't want to talk to you.

EXT./INT. BERKELEY CAFE - DAY

LOWELL:

How does he know he doesn't want to talk

to me? He doesn't know what I'm calling

him about...

LIANE'S VOICE (OVER)

He doesn't care to know.

And she hangs up. Lowell's motionless... And his interest

piqued, he sets down his cleaning. He calls back... The

phone rings and rings... A MACHINE picks it up... Jeffrey

Wigand's Voice:
"This is the Wigands'... If you'd like to

leave a message or send a fax, start now..."

INT. THE WIGAND HOUSE, JEFFREY'S OFFICE, LOUISVILLE - DAY

And we see Jeffrey Wigand, sitting at his desk in his office,

working on his computer, hearing Lowell...

LOWELL'S VOICE (OVER)

(on the machine)

This is Lowell Bergman with "60

Minutes"... I'm doing a story on fire

safety and cigarettes... I have

scientific documents from a tobacco

company, and I could use your help as a

consultant explaining these documents to

me... My number is area code 510-555-

0199... I'll be there, at this number,

in 10 minutes.

He hangs up. Jeffrey doesn't react, quietly working on his

computer.

INT. LOWELL'S OFFICE, BERKELEY - DAY

Lowell's restless, waiting... And not getting a call back,

he tries another tact. He writes a FAX, "Please call me

at..." He writes his number down. He sends the Fax. He's

still. It's quiet. And not getting an answer he gets up,

starting to leave the room. And suddenly the fax machine

RINGS... He turns. He reads a message emerging from the

machine..."I can't talk to you..." He's quiet. He writes on

a piece of paper..."Can't talk to me?" "Won't talk to me?"

"Don't want to talk to me...?" As he faxes it back...

INT. THE WIGANDS' HOUSE, OFFICE, LOUISVILLE - DAY

Wigand reading the return fax from Lowell...

INT. LOWELL'S OFFICE, BERKELEY - DAY

Lowell, waiting... The fax machine rings again... He reads

Jeffrey's answer. "Can't." "Won't." "Don't want to..."

He's quiet, more than just interested, now. There's

something beyond intriguing here. He turns. He looks

through a stack of phone books for something...a nationwide

800 directory. He looks through it and dials Wigand's phone

number again...

LOWELL:

If you're curious to meet me...

INT. WIGANDS' HOUSE, OFFICE, LOUISVILLE - DAY

Wigand working on his computer... Lowell's VOICE on his

answering machine...

LOWELL'S VOICE (OVER)

(on machine)

...I'm gonna be in the lobby of the

Seelbach Hotel in Louisville, reading The

New York Times, tomorrow, at five

o'clock...

Lowell clicks off. And as Wigand sits at his computer,

giving no indication what he might do...

INT. THE SEELBACH HOTEL LOBBY, LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - EARLY

EVENING:

An old hotel with faded carpets. Lowell in the lobby reading

a New York Times, waiting... And instead of looking up every

time somebody passes, he looks down at people's shoes. A

pair of black wing tips walking by... A woman's high

heels... A pair of men's tasseled loafers. A lace-up brown.

A pair of tennis shoes. A cordovan wing tip. The pair of

tasseled loafers walking by again... And Lowell looks up...

And the Man in the tasseled loafers, turns away... It's

Jeffrey Wigand in a suit and a tie with a Fortune 500,

corporate-executive bearing... Lowell crosses to the

elevators. Wigand looks around the lobby and follows Lowell

in, and as the doors close...

INT. A HOTEL ROOM, LOUISVILLE - EARLY EVENING

LOWELL (OVER)

Have you always lived in Louisville?

Brilliant late afternoon sunlight. We PULL BACK to see

Jeffrey, standing by a window, silently looking outside to

the left... Lowell, cool, waiting, hands in his pockets, in

the middle of the large room...

WIGAND:

Mr. Bergman? What did you want me to

consult about?

A sudden KNOCK on the door...

WIGAND (CONT'D)

(turns, suspicious)

Who's that?

LOWELL:

(wry)

That's room service. They usually knock

first.

(calls)

Come on in... Over here, please.

Room Service brings in a tray with coffee. As Lowell signs

the bill, the Room Service Waiter waiting, looks at Wigand...

Their eyes meet... The Waiter looks away.

LOWELL (cont'd)

Thank you.

And the Waiter leaves...

LOWELL (CONT'D)

(pouring)

How do you like your coffee? Black?

WIGAND:

Black, black...

Lowell gives him his cup of coffee.

WIGAND (CONT'D)

Look, I really don't have that much

time...

LOWELL:

(nods)

Is there anything you want to know about

me, Mr. Wigand...?

WIGAND:

Like what? Your sign?

Lowell smiles.

WIGAND (CONT'D)

I know what I have to know.

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