The Last King of Scotland Page #2

Synopsis: In the early 1970s, Nicholas Garrigan, a young semi-idealistic Scottish doctor, comes to Uganda to assist in a rural hospital. Once there, he soon meets up with the new President, Idi Amin, who promises a golden age for the African nation. Garrigan hits it off immediately with the rabid Scotland fan, who soon offers him a senior position in the national health department and becomes one of Amin's closest advisers. However as the years pass, Garrigan cannot help but notice Amin's increasingly erratic behavior that grows beyond a legitimate fear of assassination into a murderous insanity that is driving Uganda into bloody ruin. Realizing his dire situation with the lunatic leader unwilling to let him go home, Garrigan must make some crucial decisions that could mean his death if the despot finds out.
Director(s): Kevin Macdonald
Production: Fox Searchlight
  Won 1 Oscar. Another 47 wins & 31 nominations.
 
IMDB:
7.7
Metacritic:
74
Rotten Tomatoes:
87%
R
Year:
2006
123 min
$17,449,410
Website
2,595 Views


Nicholas.

Nicholas, there are some people

here to see you.

I'll be right there, David.

Right. Right.

- Good morning, Dr Garrigan.

- Morning.

My name is Jonah Wasswa,

Minister of Health.

I've been sent by

his Excellency President Amin.

- There is something he would like to ask you.

- What?

Sarah?

Hey. Listen, why don't you tell David

to rearrange the field trip for Friday?

I'll be back as soon as I can. He probably just

wants me to retie his bandages. See you later.

- My name is Masanga.

- Nice to meet you. I'm Nicholas.

Pleased to meet you, Mr Nicholas.

Welcome to the president's car.

They think you are the president.

They think you are the president.

The president's house.

Please, sit down.

- His Excellency will be with you in a moment.

- Who's this?

- Dr Junju. The previous incumbent.

- Of what?

Of the post

of personal physician to the president.

Hold on to your guns, everyone.

Hold on to your guns.

Good to see you again, Dr Garrigan.

You see, Jonah?

This is the sort of man a president needs,

someone who is not afraid to speak his mind.

So, what do you say, Nicholas?

Will you take the job?

I'm sorry.

You want me to be your physician?

- Do you want to be of service to Uganda?

- Yes, I do.

Then what better way

than to look after the health of its president?

Let me tell you, it will not be a difficult job

because me, myself,

I am a man in perfect physical condition.

Also, I know precisely when I will die.

It came to me in a dream.

So you do not have to worry

about making a mistake.

I'm really sorry. I'm very honoured, but...

Nicholas, I understand.

Me, myself, I did not want to be president,

but the people, they wanted it so.

Listen to me. This is very important.

Here, in Kampala,

you will have a hand in creating

a new health service for this country,

something that will help millions of people.

I'm sorry. I do have a commitment

to the mission in Mogambo

and I'd be letting them down horribly.

You see?

It's the woman, the one I saw you with.

You want to get back to be with her.

Not entirely.

It's the woman. It's the woman.

Why don't you tell her

to come and be here with us?

It's not that simple. It's complicated.

Why?

Is she married?

Yes, she is.

Doctor.

Doctor, you, you are very naughty.

Me?

Now you are even more interesting.

Married woman,

they are always the most passionate.

- It's true.

- They are so grateful.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry for wasting your time.

No, no.

My car will take you back

first thing in the morning.

But, in the meantime,

tonight we are having a state dinner.

- Please, would you join us there?

- I'd very much like that. Thank you.

You have a suit? A dark suit?

No. No, I don't.

How much is this gonna cost me, by the way?

It's OK. It's on president's account.

Can I just...

Stop!

- What's going on?

- Obote's men. They're everywhere.

- Really?

- Yep.

They're communists, you know?

Mind you, Amin's more than

a match for them.

He's ex-British army. King's African Rifles.

Jamshid, pack those up

and have them sent to the High Commission.

OK, thank you.

Yes, he's a little unpredictable,

but he's got a firm hand.

Only thing the African

really understands. Thanks, Jamshid.

Up yours, too, pal.

Bloody English.

Hello.

Hello.

- Hello there. How do you do?

- Nicholas. I'm so happy you came.

- So am I.

- Please. Please, this way.

I want to introduce you

to my wives. Excuse me.

This is Malyamu. She is my first wife.

She has given me five children.

Hello.

And this one, Nora. She has given me three.

Hi there.

And that here is Kay.

- Yes. This is Dr Nicholas Garrigan.

- Hello.

- He saved my life.

- Really, I just stitched his hand up.

- Don't be so modest.

- It is you I have to thank for the T-shirt.

Right. So you must be Campbell's mother?

- Yes.

- It's a pleasure meeting you.

Come. I have to introduce you

to some people.

Excuse me.

This is British High Commissioner

Mr Perkins.

- How do you do?

- Meet my good friend Dr Nicholas Garrigan.

- And his colleague Mr Stone.

- How do you do?

Yes, we've already met.

- I will talk with you later.

- Right.

We've been hearing

all sorts of things about you.

Yes, I gather the president

has clasped you to his bosom.

- No, no. Not exactly.

- What do you make of him?

I think he's doing

rather a great job. Don't you?

Yes. There's issues to be sorted out,

but, no, he plays a pretty straight bat.

Yes, definitely one of us.

Anyway, it's very good

to have another Englishman around.

- Scot.

- What?

I'm a Scotsman.

Ladies and gentlemen.

Friends, I am speaking with you now

because if I wait until later,

you will be too drunk to hear my voice.

Here is where civilisation began.

Here in Africa.

Here is where the Greeks

stole their philosophy

and the Arabs took their medicine.

We Ugandans

must be more proud of this history.

We are an independent African nation,

living in peace and economic power.

- Black power.

- Yes.

Just like all you people

thought would never be possible.

And now we will go through to dinner.

The food tonight, it is all local,

special food.

And none of it is human flesh.

This is my last.

Dr Garrigan, please come quickly.

The president is very sick.

They have poisoned me.

They are trying to assassinate me.

Nicholas.

I just have to examine your stomach.

Obote's people are everywhere.

They want me dead, Nicholas.

OK, I just need to do this. OK?

One more, one more.

OK. OK. OK.

OK, I think I know what this is.

Let me listen, just listen.

OK. Yeah. OK.

I think I know what this is. Bear with me.

There we are. OK?

I'm gonna ask you

to sit on this pouf right here.

What is this? What is this?

I'll just hold it against your stomach.

I'll ask you to stand up in three.

One, two, three.

Go.

I feel better, much better.

Yes, you are a good doctor. Thank you.

In future, remember

not to mix beer with aspirin.

- That was the cause?

- I think so. Yes.

I am ashamed that you saw me like that.

I was frightened.

I'm a doctor. Everything that passes

between us is confidential.

OK? I've taken an oath.

But a man who shows fear,

he is weak and he is a slave.

Well, if you're afraid of dying,

it shows you have a life worth keeping.

You see? You are a doctor,

and also a philosopher.

Yes. I do have a good life now.

Please. Please, sit.

Sit here.

I come from a very poor family.

I think you should know this.

My father, he left me when I was a child.

The British army, it became my home.

They took me as a cleaner in the kitchen,

cleaning pots.

They used to beat me.

"Build this wall, Amin."

"Dig this latrine, Amin."

And now, here I am,

the President of Uganda.

And who put me here?

It was the British.

What a story.

- Good night, Nicholas.

- Good night, sir.

- Hello. Sarah, it's Nicholas.

- Nicholas, where are you?

I'm still in Kampala, actually.

Thank you.

The president's offered me ajob.

Normally, I wouldn't even consider it,

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Peter Morgan

Peter Julian Robin Morgan CBE (born 10 April 1963) is a British film writer and playwright. Morgan is best known for writing the historical films and plays The Queen, Frost/Nixon, The Damned United and Rush. more…

All Peter Morgan scripts | Peter Morgan Scripts

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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