The Trial of the Chicago 7 Page #14

Synopsis: The film is based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven defendants charged by the federal government with conspiracy and more, arising from the countercultural protests in Chicago at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The trial transfixed the nation and sparked a conversation about mayhem intended to undermine the U.S. government.
Genre: Drama
Year:
2020
276 Views


98.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

We’ll stand in recess until-

FRED HAMPTON stands up and addresses the whole room-

FRED:

Four hours. That’s how long Bobby

Seale-

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Marshals.

FRED:

--was in Chicago. Four hours.

The DEFENDANTS APPLAUD and bang the table--all but TOM who’s

poker-faced but hating this. RENNIE sees that TOM isn’t

cheering and he slows and stops as we

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Court stands in recess for the

weekend.

CUT TO:

125 EXT./EST. NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM -DAY 125

It’s a Saturday during the Christmas season and families are

going into and coming out of the museum.

126 EXT. PARK BENCH -DAY 126

It’s a crisp, Christmastime afternoon. A couple of trumpets,

a trombone and a baritone horn are playing “O Holy Night” a

distance away as ABBIE and JERRY sit on a bench.

JERRY:

I took in the exhibit. I cleared my

mind. I stood there for twenty

minutes and I felt nothing.

ABBIE:

Well...but it wasn’t a painting, it

was an exhibit. It was a natural

history museum.

99.

JERRY:

And when you put exhibits of Native

Indian families in a natural

history museum alongside dioramas

of early man and the Jurassic age,

it gives the impression that the

Cherokee evolved into modern day

Europeans.

ABBIE:

Hey, look who it is!

SCHULTZ and his two young daughters, 6 and 4, are coming down

the path.

ABBIE (CONT'D)

Should we say hi?

JERRY:

I’ve got a bone to pick with that

guy.

SCHULTZ, getting closer, sees ABBIE and JERRY.

ABBIE:

Hey counselor!

SCHULTZ:

No colleges this weekend?

ABBIE:

Winter break. My audiences went

home to their parents. Are these

ladies related to you?

SCHULTZ:

These are my daughters Julie and

Emily.

ABBIE:

(to the girls)

Your dad’s a good guy. And that’s

coming from someone who he’s been

trying hard to put in federal

prison.

SCHULTZ:

We shouldn’t be talking without

your lawyer here.

ABBIE:

Nah, we’re all on the same team.

100.

SCHULTZ:

In one sense I guess, but in a much

truer sense we’re not.

(SCHULTZ takes a couple of

dollars out of his

pocket)

Girls, take this dollar over to the

musicians and put it in their hat.

Then take this dollar and buy some

of those candy-covered peanuts mom

won’t let you have.

The girls run excitedly to where they were told.

ABBIE:

Sweet kids.

SCHULTZ:

‘Cause if your lawyers were here

I’d feel comfortable telling you

that the window’s closing for you

to plead out.

JERRY:

Oh we’re not takin’ a f***in’ deal,

would you stop? And I wish I could

share Abbie’s sentiment that you’re

a good guy, but I’m afraid I can’t.

SCHULTZ:

I’m sorry to hear that.

JERRY:

Sending Daphne O'Connor to break my

heart was way outa line.

SCHULTZ:

Well I don’t work for the FBI but

Special Agent O'Connor was one of

many agents sent to gather

intelligence on what had been

deemed a credible domestic threat.

JERRY:

Fine, then you bug our phones, you

wire up a dope dealer, be a man.

You don’t send a woman to ensorcell

me--it means “enchanting”--only to

have her crush my soul.

SCHULTZ:

How long did you two know each

other?

101.

JERRY:

Ninety-three hours. It could have

been a lifetime.

SCHULTZ:

For a fruit fly. Enjoy the weekend.

JERRY:

Is that even ethical? Aren’t there

ethics rules?

SCHULTZ:

Did she engage with you sexually?

JERRY:

(pause)

We were taking it slow.

ABBIE:

He’s gonna be alright.

JERRY:

One egg is un oeuf? They teach her

that at the Academy?!

SCHULTZ:

Yep.

ABBIE:

We just wanted to say that we don’t

have any beef with you. We know

you’re doing your job and we know

you don’t think we’re criminals.

SCHULTZ:

I’m not sure where you’re getting

that information but I represent

the People without passion or

prejudice.

ABBIE:

You think we were responsible?

SCHULTZ:

I think you got the result you were

looking for.

ABBIE:

So did Nixon.

SCHULTZ:

How ‘bout that. See you Monday.

102.

SCHULTZ walks away toward his daughters. JERRY calls after

him-

JERRY:

(calling)

Does she ever mention me?

SCHULTZ, with his back still turned, just shrugs, and we

CUT TO:

A151 EXT. CONSPIRACY OFFICE -NIGHT A151

All the lights are off. We HEAR a phone ringing...

B151 INT. CONSPIRACY OFFICE -NIGHT B151

BERNADINE’s sleeping in a sleeping bag on the floor. TOM’s

asleep on a couch in sweatpants and a t-shirt. The ringing

continues and TOM wakes up in a start. It takes him a moment

to realize the phone’s ringing and he looks at it from across

the room as BERNADINE answers it.

BERNADINE:

(into phone)

Conspiracy Office.

TOM watches as BERNADINE listens...

BERNADINE (CONT'D)

(to TOM)

It’s Bill. Something’s happened,

Tom.

TOM stands there a moment before we

CUT TO:

151 INT. COOK COUNTY JAIL -VISITING ROOM -MORNING 151

TOM and KUNSTLER are waiting in the empty room before a GUARD

opens the door and BOBBY SEALE steps in in prison coveralls.

The door closes with the clang.

103.

KUNSTLER:

Bobby, Fred Hampton was shot and

killed last night. There was a

police raid and there was a

shootout and he’s dead.

BOBBY doesn’t say anything...

KUNSTLER (CONT'D)

(consulting notes)

It happened between the hours of

4am and-

BOBBY:

I know.

KUNSTLER:

You were told?

BOBBY:

Yeah.

KUNSTLER:

I’m sorry.

BOBBY:

(pause)

The seven of you, you’ve all got

the same father, right?

(to TOM)

I’m talking to you. You’ve all got

the same father, right? Cut your

hair, don’t be a fag, respect

authority, respect America, respect

me. Your life, it’s f*** you to

your father, right? A little?

TOM:

(beat)

Maybe.

BOBBY:

Maybe. And you can see how that’s

different from a rope on a tree?

TOM:

Yeah.

BOBBY:

Yeah. He was shot in the wrist

first. You can’t hold a gun if

you’ve been shot in the wrist. You

can’t pull a trigger. The second

shot was in the head.

(MORE)

104.

BOBBY (CONT'D)

Fred was executed.

(pause)

Anything else?

KUNSTLER:

(pause)

No.

152 INT. COURTROOM -DAY 152

DETECTIVE FRAPOLY’s on the stand. BOBBY’s all but dead behind

his eyes.

TITLE:

Trial Day 90

SCHULTZ:

Detective, calling your attention

to the evening of the next day,

Tuesday, August 27th, were you in

Grant Park on that day?

FRAPOLY:

Yes. There was a “Free Huey Newton”

rally going on.

SCHULTZ:

Did you recognize any of the

speakers?

FRAPOLY:

I heard Jerry Rubin give a speech.

Phil Ochs sang and then Bobby Seale

gave a speech.

BOBBY speaks lifelessly, almost by rote-

BOBBY:

I object to this man’s testimony

against me because I’ve been denied

counsel.

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

We understand.

SCHULTZ:

Do you recall anything from Mr.

Seale’s speech?

FRAPOLY:

Yes. He said-

105.

BOBBY:

I object to this man’s-

JUDGE HOFFMAN:

Quiet.

SCHULTZ:

Go ahead.

FRAPOLY:

May I refer to notes?

SCHULTZ:

Yes sir.

FRAPOLY:

He said, “We must understand that

as we go forth to try to move the

reprobate politicians-

BOBBY:

Your Honor-

FRAPOLY:

“--our cowardly Congress, the jive,

double-lip talkin’ Nixon--”

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Aaron Sorkin

Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, producer, and playwright. His works include the Broadway plays A Few Good Men and The Farnsworth Invention; the television series Sports Night, The West Wing, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and The Newsroom; and the films A Few Good Men, The American President, Charlie Wilson's War, The Social Network, Moneyball, and Steve Jobs. more…

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Submitted by acronimous on March 01, 2021

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