The Player Page #4

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I'll make it up to you.

That's why I'm here.

I'm gonna give you a deal, David.

I won't guarantee you I'll make

the movie, but I will give you a shot.

Let's just stop all the postcard sh*t,

all right?

I'm here to say

that I would like...

...to start over.

Friends.

F*** you, man.

You're a liar.

You're stepping over the line.

You didn't come here

to see The Bicycle Thief.

You came in five minutes

before the picture ended.

Nearly tripped over my feet.

Did you call my house?

Speak to the Ice Queen?

You'd like her.

She's a lot like you.

All heart.

You're on my list, pal.

Nothing's gonna change that.

See you in the next reel, a**hole.

It's a nice boat you got there,

movie exec.

It's me, the writer.

Still want to buy my story?

I told you I'd deal. Stop by the studio.

We'll work something out.

And who will I ask for?

Larry Levy?

What's Larry Levy got to do with this?

- How do you know about Larry Levy?

- Don't you read the trades?

New York Times business section?

He's movin' in, you're movin' out.

You can't make a deal, they say.

Yesterday's news.

Wait a minute.

Can I borrow your mobile phone?

Larry Levy.

Larry, David Kahane here.

Guess who's making promises

about getting pictures made...

...to writers in parking lots?

Guess what dumb

son of a b*tch executive...

...is trying to take advantage of me?

Do you realize how unstoppable

this guy is?

You know,

I cannot wait...

...to tell the world that when Griffin Mill

can't cut the pressure at work...

...he drives out to Pasadena...

...to pick fights with writers.

Tell Larry Levy to call me.

The word is out that he's going to start

making meaningful pictures for a change.

Let's forget this.

Just stop all the postcard sh*t!

I don't write postcards!

I write scripts!

- We're both wrong.

- No, you're wrong, buddy!

You're in over your head.

That's why you're losing your job.

Then what are you gonna do?

I can write.

What can you do?

I said, let's forget this.

Ah, sh*t.

Mill, you okay?

Keep it to yourself!

Keep it to yourself!

Kahane?

That's interesting.

Who's writing this movie?

Who wrote the new ending

to Fatal Attraction? The audience.

A million screenwriters

from the audience wrote that.

Who's to say what it would have done

if you had left the original ending?

You're right, but you can say that it's

done almost 300 million worldwide...

with the new ending.

Larry Levy, I don't believe you've met

my assistant, Whitney Gersh.

- No, I haven't.

- It's a pleasure to meet you.

How's your picture?

It just tested last week.

It's doing well.

It was our first test.

Excuse me, Walter.

Joel, Griffin isn't in, but I think

we really have to start this meeting.

Okay, Celia. Thank you.

Remember a movie called D.O.A.?

Sure I do.

Eddie O'Brien and Pam Britton.

Disney did a remake in '87 or '88.

I think we've got

pretty much the same situation here.

Keep our noses clean, Walter.

It's a shame to waste a picture.

Who said we're wasting the picture?

Where did that come from?

You know what's interesting?

We're all too busy...

Griffin, you're really late.

They're waiting inside.

To actually rub shoulders

with the great unwashed?

We need to give them

the kind of pictures they want...

...not the kind

writers want to give them.

- Hello. Sorry I'm late.

- You certainly are.

A few minutes in the office

would be fine.

Griffin, you missed

the formal welcoming ceremony.

You know Larry Levy.

Of course. Hi, Larry.

Hi, Griffin.

Larry was able to leave Fox

a week earlier than he thought...

...and has come aboard

as of this morning.

- Great. Let's start.

- Larry was in the middle of something.

No, I wasn't. I was just killing time

waiting for Griffin.

No, finish.

What were you saying?

I was saying I've yet to meet a writer

who could change water into wine...

...and we have a tendency

to treat them like that.

Not at this studio.

A million and a half of these scripts.

It's nuts.

And I think avoidable.

Let me ask you. When was the last time

you bought a ticket to see a movie?

- You actually paid your own money?

- Last night.

Pasadena. The Bicycle Thief.

- You saw The Bicycle Thief?

- I love that. It's a great film.

It's an art movie. It doesn't count.

We're talking about movie movies.

Jesus, people.

I'm just saying there's time

and money to be saved...

...if we came up with these stories

on our own.

- Where are these stories coming from?

- Anywhere. It doesn't matter.

The newspaper.

Pick any story.

'Immigrants protest budget cuts

in literacy program. '

Human spirit overcoming human adversity.

Sounds like Horatio Alger in the barrio.

Put Jimmy Smits in it and you've got

a sexy Stand and Deliver.

- Next. Come on.

- This isn't my field.

It doesn't matter. Give it a shot.

You can't lose here.

How about 'Mud slide kills 60

in slums of Chili'?

That's good. Triumph over tragedy.

Sounds like a John Boorman picture.

Slap a happy ending on it,

the script will write itself.

- Bonnie. Give me the paper.

- I don't know, Larry.

Give it a shot.

'Further bond losses

push Dow down 7.15.'

- I see Connery as Bond.

- That's funny.

It's a good thing Oliver Stone wasn't

listening to you. Where would we be?

We would have been spared

sitting through Wall Street.

- What did Wall Street do worldwide?

- 70, 75, maybe 80.

$80 million,

a couple Oscars.

I think Larry's point is well taken.

Let's move on.

Can you give us an update

on the Taylor-Hackford project?

Griffin?

Yeah.

I was thinking what

an interesting concept it is...

...to eliminate the writer

from the artistic process.

If we can get rid of the actors and

directors, maybe we've got something.

Hello, Walter.

Make yourself at home.

Mr. Mill, I understand you were late

coming in this morning.

You all right?

I'm fine.

I appreciate your concern.

What can I do for you?

Don't tell me you came here

to pitch me a story?

That's exactly what I've come to do.

It's a good one, too.

It's about a writer, sort of.

David Kahane.

Who's David Kahane?

- You met him.

- I meet a lot of writers.

But this writer was murdered last night

in back of the Rialto Theater.

Murdered?

Come to think of it, Pasadena's

as good a place to die as any.

What's the story?

In 25 words or less?

Okay.

Movie exec calls writer.

Girlfriend says he's at the movies.

Exec goes to movies, meets writer,

drinks with writer.

Writer gets conked and dies

in 4 inches of dirty water.

Movie exec is in deep sh*t.

What do you think?

That's more than 25 words.

And it's bullshit.

Pasadena homicide doesn't think so.

They've got a complete report.

You met Kahane at the Rialto,

got drunk with him. He left before you.

That's the last time anyone

saw him alive, except you, maybe.

Why are you denying this?

Well, what do the police think?

They think it's a botched robbery.

The window of his car was busted.

He surprised someone taking the radio.

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