The Majestic Page #6

You have no idea.

You dont know what you...

...what Luke...

...what Luke meant to this town,

suddenly being alive.

You dont know what this town lost.

God! I feel so stupid.

I knew you werent Luke.

I let myself think that....

And I tried not to fall in love

with you, I did!

I dont even know your name.

-Ill tell you.

-No, dont! Whoever you are....

I cant. I just--

I need to be by myself, okay?

Adele, please.

Adele!

-Just stay back, folks.

-There he is.

Im Sheriff Coleman.

Whats going on here?

Federal agents.

Were here to serve a subpoena on him.

Luke Trimble?

I dont know what hes told

you, but hes not Luke Trimble.

You are commanded to appear before the

Committee on Un-American Activities...

...in special session

in Los Angeles...

...and there testify on matters of

Communist conspiracy and subversion.

Herein fail not.

-Am I under arrest?

-If youre not on that train.

Fellas, Im here to guarantee

his return. That was the deal.

Now, unless theres some law

thats been broken....

Id have to say that doesnt

appear to be the case.

Appearances are tricky.

Well just canvass the town, ask

questions, check backgrounds.

That sort of thing.

Come on, son.

Come on, Mabel. Come on.

Its not worth it.

Well, why dont we call it a night?

Ill close up.

-Come on, Irene, Ill walk you home.

-Thank you, Emmett.

What did you expect? Big turnout?

These arent your people.

This isnt your town. L.A. is.

-Not when the Committee gets through.

-Ive been on with our lawyers all day.

-Theyve been on with their lawyers.

-So?

They hate to admit it, but youre

not the top Commie spy they thought.

-Gee, theres a relief.

-Hey, a breaks a break.

Theyre anxious to save face

after the big stink they made...

...which means they might be

in a mood to compromise.

The studio lawyers had this drawn up.

"I, Peter Appleton, by way of purging

myself of my indiscretions...

...renounce my membership

in the Communist Party...

...and provide the names

of fellow members...

...that those persons may have the

opportunity to do as I have done."

Boilerplate, kid.

They even provided the list of names.

-I dont know any of these people.

-Doesnt matter. Theyre already named.

All you do is show up,

read the statement, salute the flag.

-I wont be a Communist anymore?

-Thats it.

-Does it matter that I never was one?

-Dont split hairs. This is a game.

But its their game.

You play by their rules,

or theyll destroy you.

I thought this was a democracy.

The Declaration of Independence?

The Constitution?

Just pieces of paper

with signatures on them.

And you know what a

signed paper is? A contract.

Something that can be

renegotiated at any time.

Just so happens HUAC is renegotiating

the contract this time around.

Next time itll be somebody else,

but itll always be somebody.

You want your life back?

Read the statement.

Ill see you at the station, kid,

bright and early.

You think theyll come back?

The customers?

Sure they will.

Emmett, we need to talk.

-Im leaving tomorrow morning.

-Why?

Were you on Main Street today,

when those men came into town?

I hate to be the one

to tell you this...

...but Im not Luke.

-Yeah, I knew that.

-You did?

Since the welcome-home dance,

when you played the piano.

-Youre kidding!

-Let me tell you....

Luke played the classics

like nobodys business...

...but when it come to getting jazz,

he was a lost boy.

When I heard that fine roadhouse

boogie, I knew you wasnt Luke.

You didnt say anything?

Nobody else had to know.

This town needed you to be Luke,

so you were Luke.

But Im not Luke anymore.

-Thats why Im going back to L.A.

-For how long?

-For good.

-But whos gonna run The Majestic?

You are.

-Me?

-You and Irene.

I dont know about that.

Harry would have wanted you to keep

this place going. Youll need those.

I didnt know you were here.

I was just...

...saying goodbye.

Adele, Im sorry the way

things turned out.

I never meant to hurt anyone,

least of all you.

People get hurt sometimes,

we cant always help it.

Its just the way things are.

So are you really a Communist?

No, Im really not.

I didnt think so. Only a capitalist

could get The Majestic up and running.

Great endorsement.

Can I call you as a witness?

-Well, if it helps.

-Thanks.

-So, what will you tell the Committee?

-Tell them what they want to hear:

"Sorry, I wont

do it again, blah, blah."

Youre not serious.

-Whats wrong with it?

-Everything.

Be more specific.

Aside from the fact that this is a free

country, and you can be a Communist...

...if you want to be, leaving that

aside, if youre accused falsely...

...you have a duty as well as a right to

stand up and suggest they drop dead.

mile Zola, you feel strongly

about this.

Damn right!

It doesnt make it any less rigged.

Its called a witch-hunt.

And theres burden of proof,

innocence before guilt.

In law school, but the rest of us

live in the real world.

I mess with these guys, I go to jail.

All the more reason to fight them.

Like Luke would have done?

Go ahead, say it.

-Yes, like Luke would have done.

-God, here it comes.

Tell me again what a great guy Luke

was. I havent heard that enough!

-He would have stood up.

-Well, hes not here...

...to vouch for that.

We have to take your word!

Everybodys memory of Luke

is a little rose-colored.

Besides, Im not Luke.

While he was liberating Europe,

I was running the PX.

He couldnt wait to save the world!

I was happy not to go!

-Why?

-I didnt want to end up like him.

I wanted to survive!

You stand up for a cause...

...you get mowed down.

Look. Look!

Thats the real world.

I want my goddamn life back.

Is that so hard to understand?

Wow.

I really did have you two confused.

Last call for California West

to Los Angeles and all points south.

Where the hell have you been?

-Walking.

-Walking? For two hours?

Dont do this to me, kid.

I got a nerve condition.

Come on. Come on.

How is she?

She came back from the cemetery

a bit upset. But shell be fine.

She wanted you to have this.

-What is it?

-I didnt think to ask.

All aboard!

Dearest Adele:
I have a feeling

well be moving out soon...

...so I may not get a chance

to write for some time.

Thank you for all your letters.

I cant tell you how much they

cheer me and make me think of home.

Im not trying to frighten you.

Im going into this having accepted

that I may not be back.

If that should happen, promise

you will not mourn my passing.

Move on, live your life to the fullest

in order to give mine meaning...

...and to honor the cause

were fighting to achieve.

When bullies rise up, we have to

beat them down, whatever the cost.

Thats a simple idea, I suppose,

but one worth giving everything for.

The only thought that saddens me,

aside from failing at our task...

...is the thought of never seeing you.

Not holding you, not seeing our

children grow...

...not spending the passing years

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