The Making of 'The Mean Season'

[Car radio]

WELL, FOLKS,

THE STORM THAT'S BEEN

BATTERING PUERTO RICO

IS HEADING FOR MIAMI.

IT'S PACKING WINDS

OF 90 MILES AN HOUR,

SO BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES,

SOUTH FLORIDA.

LOOKS LIKE THE MEAN SEASON

IS FINALLY HERE.

COACH DON SHULA WELCOMED

A NEW CROP OF ROOKIES

TO THE MIAMI DOLPHINS'

FIRST TRAINING CAMP SESSION

OF THE YEAR.

HI, MAL.

HOW'S

IT GOING?

HEY, JACK.

HEY! HEY,

WELCOME BACK.

HOW YOU DOING, JIM?

HEY, PORTER.

HOW'S IT GOING?

I THOUGHT YOU WEREN' COMING BACK TILL MONDAY.

TODAY'S FIGURES

CAUGHT EVERYONE BY SURPRISE,

BUT SOME:

PRIVATE ECONOMISTS...

I DON'T THINK

I'M COMING BACK AT ALL.

SAUL, HOW YOU DOING?

MARY LOU.

HI.

WHAT, AREN'T YOU

GOING TO SAY ANYTHING?

DON'T WANT TO INTRUDE.

YOU LOOK TERRIBLE.

HA HA!

WHAT ARE YOU HACKING ON?

MAN'S PET OCELO MAULED HIS WIFE.

THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

LOSE SOMETHING?

A LITTLE ENTHUSIASM,

AMBITION, DRIVE...

TIME, MOSTLY.

,

IT'S BROWN,

IT'S A LITTLE BOOK

AND YOU KNOW:

WHERE IT IS.

I DO NOT.

.

HE'S LEAVING AGAIN

OH.

HE LIKED COLORADO.

I LOVED IT.

I LOVE THE NATURE

OF THEIR NEWS.

[Kathy]

THIS IS TERRIFIC.

NOLAN'S FINALLY GOING

TO KNOW HOW GOOD I AM.

THAT'S WHY I WAN TO QUIT, KATHY.

THERE IT IS.

HOW BUSY ARE YOU?

FOUND A BODY SHOT IN THE HEAD

ON BAGGS BEACH.

I CAN TELL HIM.

GO WHILE:

IT'S STILL NEWS.

I JUST GOT HERE.

GIVE IT TO HER.

I DON'T WANT IT.

SHE'S ONLY BEEN

OUT OF SCHOOL 3 WEEKS.

[Kathy]

THREE YEARS.

YOU DON'T LISTEN.

BILL,

I'M BURNED OUT HERE.

YOU'RE IN A SLUMP.

IT'S MORE THAN THAT.

KATHY, IS THA THE WEEKENDER PIECE?

YES.

O:

SAVE IT. STORM

OFF PUERTO RIC:

.

GOT UPGRADED:

TO A HURRICANE:

HER NAME'S ANNIE.

CAN I HAVE A MINUTE?

I DON'T HAVE

A MINUTE.

I'LL HAVE ONE

LATER. HERE.

LATER.

I CAN COUNT ON IT?

HEY.

PORTER'S

GOING WITH YOU.

O.K., BILL.

TRY AND GE SOME GOOD STILLS

THIS TIME, ANDY.

WHEN YOU GOING:

TO HAVE SOMETHING, DOC?

UM...TUESDAY,

PROBABLY.

WE GOT A SOFTBALL GAME

SUNDAY. WANT TO PLAY?

I DON'T KNOW.

YOU O.K.? HEY.

WHAT'S THE STORY?

COME HERE.

HOW WAS THE TRIP?

NOT BAD.

THE QUALITY OF OUR

LOCAL CRIME HASN' IMPROVED ANY.

I HEAR THAT.

WAS SHE RAPED,

MOLESTED, OR WHAT?

HAD HER CLOTHES ON.

DOC, ANY ACTION?

.

NOT LIKELY:

WHERE'S THAT JOGGER?

IS HE THE GUY:

I WANT TO TALK TO?

OVER THERE.

HI. MALCOLM ANDERSON,

JOURNAL.

HOW ARE YOU?

YOU RUN BY HERE:

EVERY DAY?

COUPLE TIMES A WEEK.

UH-HUH.

YOU MUST,

MUST REALLY HAVE

SHARP EYES, 'CAUSE--

NO, NO. I WAS RUNNING

ALONG THE BEACH,

AND I JUST WALKED UP

THROUGH HERE,

.

AND I ALMOS STEPPED ON HER

IF SOME KID FOUND THIS,

IT REALLY COULD HAVE MESSED

HIM UP FOR A COUPLE YEARS.

TALK TO YOU:

LATER.

YEAH,

I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT.

I GOT A COUPLE OF KIDS.

[Malcolm]

I NEED YOUR NAME.

LISTEN,

I'D RATHER YOU WOULDN'T.

I DON'T WAN TO GET INVOLVED IN THIS.

NO PROBLEM.

THANKS A LOT.

[Car doors slam]

NOTHING LIKE BLOOD,

SH*T, AND HOT WEATHER

TO BRING OUT THE FLIES.

ONE OF THESE DAYS,

I JUST MIGHT CATCH YOU

IN A BAD MOOD.

IT'S NOT GOOD

FOR YOUR HEALTH.

COME ON.

GIVE IT A REST.

IS THIS:

THE GIRL'S FATHER?

MR. HOOKS?

MR. HOOKS?

BLUE CAR, SIR.

YOU TAKING HIM DOWN

TO MAKE THE I.D., RAY?

K:

YEAH. I DON'T THIN

.

THE MOTHER'S

QUITE UP TO I:

CAN I TALK TO HER?

COME HERE.

MRS. HOOKS?

THIS IS:

MALCOLM:

ANDERSON:

FROM THE:

JOURNAL.

HOW DO YOU DO,

MA'AM?

HE WOULDN' MIND STAYING

WITH YOU:

UNTIL:

YOUR HUSBAND:

CALLS.

IS THA ALL RIGHT?

YES.

I THINK:

IT'LL BE

A GOOD IDEA.

THANKS, RAY.

??[Soft music]

[Malcolm]

I HAVE THE FEELING

THAT SARAH'S REALLY

VERY POPULAR.

SHE IS.

I DON'T KNOW

WHAT SARAH'S GOING

TO WANT TO DO.

I IMAGINE SHE'LL

FIND SOMETHING:

WHEN SHE'S

IN HIGH SCHOOL.

THIS IS HER.

SHE REALLY IS:

VERY PRETTY.

YOU MUST BE PROUD OF HER.

AND...

AND THAT'S

ALL WE HAVE NOW.

[Telephone rings]

[Ring]

EXCUSE ME.

[Ring]

[Ring]

HEL-HELLO.

??[Sad music]

[Camera shutter clicks]

[Click]

I'VE BEEN

WORKING BEHIND YOU

AT MY TERMINAL.

IT'S GOOD.

REALLY GOOD.

NEEDS AN ENDING,

THOUGH.

"THE TRAGIC VISION

OF MRS. HOOKS,

"WHERE SNAPSHOTS

LAY..."

DID YOU GET ONE:

OF THOSE SNAPSHOTS?

MAL?

NO.

YOU'RE KIDDING ME,

RIGHT?

DIDN'T THINK

IT WAS NECESSARY, BILL.

THE WHOLE STORY:

WORKS BECAUSE:

OF THE SNAPSHOTS.

SORRY.

BETTER.

ANDY, THANK YOU.

RUN IT RIGHT DOWN,

WILL YOU?

SO, YOU THINK

THIS WILL HOLD:

YOUR INTERES:

?

FOR A LITTLE WHILE

O.K.?

NO.

FORGOT TO PUT YOUR

NAME ON IT AGAIN.

ONLY FIVE MINUTES

LATE.

[Wind blowing]

WAIT FOR ME!

[Woman] TRY WORKING ON I AT HOME TOMORROW.

IT'S NOT REALLY

THAT HARD:

ONCE YOU GE THE HANG OF IT.

YOU'LL SEE.

[Bell rings]

ALL RIGHT, YOU GUYS.

THAT'S IT FOR TODAY.

??[Soft music]

[Child]

BYE.

[Woman]

BYE-BYE.

HELLO.

HI.

SHOULDN'T YOU BE

RUNNING ACROSS THE ROOM?

IF I TRIPPED AND FELL,

I'D BE HUMILIATED.

AND I'D BE HYSTERICAL.

I MISSED YOU.

I MISSED YOU, TOO.

SO, WHEN DID YOU GET IN?

.

EARLY.

I TOOK THE RED-EYE

AND YOU WEN RIGHT BY THE PAPER.

TO QUIT.

BUT YOU DIDN'T.

THE TIMING:

WASN'T RIGHT.

I'M WORKING ON IT,

THOUGH.

YOU COULD HAVE CALLED.

I WAS STILL HOME.

I KNOW,

BUT I WANTED TO GE AT NOLAN RIGHT AWAY.

I'D LIKE TO HEAR

ABOUT THAT.

IN A MINUTE.

YOUR MOM.

??[Soft music continues]

[Christine] YOU SURE YOU DON' HAVE ANY DOUBTS, MALCOLM?

[Malcolm] WHAT GIVES

YOU THAT IDEA?

I JUST WANT YOU TO BE

SURE ABOUT COLORADO.

I MEAN, RUNNING

THE GREELEY TRIBUNE

WILL NEVER BE LIKE A JOB

AT THE NEW YORK TIMES.

.

I TOLD YOU:

I LIKE THE TOWN.

I LIKE THE PAPER.

I EVEN LIKE:

YOUR PARENTS.

BUT YOU DIDN'T TELL

NOLAN YOU'RE QUITTING.

I HAD TO GO COVER

THAT MURDER.

I'LL TELL HIM

IN THE MORNING,

SOON AS I WALK:

IN THE DOOR.

REALLY?

PROMISE.

[Nolan]

IT'S GOOD WORK, MAL.

COMPETITION:

DIDN'T DO SO WELL.

THOUGHT ABOUT A FOLLOW-UP?

YEAH.

"FEAR STALKS

QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD

"

"IN WAKE OF

TEENAGER'S MURDER.

MALCOLM, YOU HAVEN' BEEN AT THIS LONG ENOUGH

TO BE AS BURNED OU AS YOU LIKE TO THINK

YOU ARE.

I'VE DONE IT, BILL.

EIGHT YEARS.

I'VE DONE IT TO DEATH.

WHAT? WHAT THE HELL

DOES THAT MEAN?

WHAT DO Y--

WHAT DO YOU WANT?

I DON'T KNOW.

JUST WANT WATERGATE,

RIGHT?

I DON'T WANT TO SEE

MY NAME IN THE PAPER

.

NEXT TO PICTURES

OF DEAD BODIES ANYMORE

REPORTERS REPORT,

WHICH HAPPENS TO BE

THE ONE THING:

YOU DO REALLY WELL.

I DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU

TO SOME SMALL-TOWN PAPER

IN COLORADO, MAL.

I APPRECIATE IT, BILL.

MAL, WE'RE NO THE MANUFACTURER.

WE RETAIL.

NEWS GETS MADE:

SOMEWHERE ELSE.

WE JUST SELL IT.

??[Scary music]

MALCOLM?

AAH!

.

HONEY. HONEY, WAI

HONEY.

HA HA HA!

AH--WAIT!

I'M GLAD YOU STOPPED BY.

I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU.

HONEY, DID YOU

GET MY OTHER SUI

OUT OF THE CLEANER'S?

WILL YOU LISTEN TO ME?

I'M SERIOUS.

OH.

ALL RIGHT.

THIS IS SERIOUS.

WHAT?

NOW, IF WE'RE

REALLY GOING TO MOVE,

I'VE GOT TO TELL

THE SCHOOL:

SO THEY CAN PLAN

FOR SEPTEMBER.

TELL THEM.

REALLY?

REALLY.

YOU SHOULD BE SLAPPED.

YOU SHOULDN' SCARE ME LIKE THAT.

I HATE THAT!

OH, GOD. WHAT A DAY.

BILL,

I WANT TO TALK.

MALCOLM,

TELEPHONE'S FOR YOU.

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