Wag the Dog Page #29

OUTSIDE, AN ENDLESS WHEATFIELD.

INSIDE, BREAN, MOSS, AMES AND SCHUMANN, CRAMMED INTO THE PASSENGER SPACE OF

THE HUGE MACHINE. THE DRIVER WATCHING A SMALL TELEVISION, AS HE DRIVES, THE

EARPIECE IN HIS EAR.

ANGLE, THE TELEVISION, SHOWS THE DESERTED RUNWAY AT THE AIRFORCE BASE. THE

CROWD BREAKING UP.

ANGLE. THE THREE IN THE PASSENGER SPACE OF THE COMBINE.

MOSS:

This is producing. This is, this is, this is the

Beauty Part. You've got your fortune right here, and

you were ready to throw it away. Because he's got a

Problem? F'it was easy, anyone would do it.

(PAUSE)

Otto Preminger. Had to film a scene, in EXODUS. The

proclamation of the State of Israel. Needed twenty

thousand extras, n'Jerusalem Park. Not enough money to

pay'em. What did he do? What did he do? Printed up

signs:
Be in a movie, fifteen skekels. He Charged'em

-- had to turn'em away. That's producing. That's

producing... n'you know, someday, people're gonna tell

this story...

BREAN:

You can't tell this story.

MOSS:

Why not?

BREAN:

Some'b'y'll have you killed.

MOSS:

Ha ha. No, no, not now, not now, of course, But

Someday... when they tell this story...

AMES:

You can't tell this story. He's not kidding you.

(PAUSE)

You can't tell this story. You knew that.

(PAUSE)

The pay off was, you get to be Ambassador, or...

MOSS:

No, no, no...

SCHUMANN:

...isn't it time for my Pill...?

BREAN:

And what the f*** story are you gonna tell? The guy is

a nutcase.

MOSS:

You would be, two, if you'd gone through what he went

through.

BREAN:

He raped a Nun...

MOSS:

What he went through in Albania...

BREAN:

He's doped to the Gills ...

SCHUMANN:

...where's my l'il pill?

MOSS:

(TO BREAN)

Show some compassion.

BREAN:

... and he spent the last twelve years in a Milit&ry

Prison...

(PAUSE)

AMES:

How do we explain that?

MOSS:

...how do we Explain That? Hey? Am I worried...?

AMES:

...how do we explain that? With the World Watching.

MOSS:

F*** the world. Try a ten A.M. pitch meeting, no

sleep, coked-to-the-gills, and you haven't even read

the material.

AMES:

But how do we explain the fact he was in prison?

MOSS:

How do we explain that? Ah, well, you see, Wilfred,

this is where you've never been at a pitch. You see?

His records say he was in prison ... as they must, as

all the records of Group 303 have the men and the

women, carried on their roster, as belonging somewhere

else, the secrecy required of....

ANGLE:

MOSS STILL TALKING, THE HARVESTER CONTINUING DOWN THE ENDLESS ROWS OF WHEAT,

MOVING AWAY FROM THE CAMERA.

DISSOLVE:

EXT TINY OLD FASHIONED OKLAHOMA GAS STATION DAY.

THE OWNER, BOOTS PROPPED ON THE COUNTER, WATCHING AN OLD BLACK AND WHITE

TELEVISION. IT IS SENATOR NOLE.

NOLE:

Get out and vote, get out and vote, but remember the

difference, between a Promise, and a deed -- a promise-

and-a-deed...

HE HALF TURNS HIS HEAD, ACROSS THE HIGHWAY WE SEE THE HARVESTER, WITH MOSS AND

BREAN AND SCHUMAN AND AMES. AMES STAYS BEHIND, TO TALK WITH THE DRIVER OF

THE HUGE HARVESTER COMBINE.

ANGLE:

ON BREAN AND MOSS, WHO WALK SCHUMANN ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.

IN THE B.G. WE SEE AMES TALKING TO THE DRIVER OF THE HARVESTER, WHO IS A

SMALL, HISPANIC MAN.

ANGLE ON THE THREE, AS THEY APPROACH A PAYPHONE OUT BY THE GAS STATION.

MOSS:

(TO BREAN)

..."down safely," crew perished in the Crash....

BREAN:

(SHAKING HIS HEAD TO CLEAR IT.)

No, I'm On Top of it...

MOSS:

"...unsure whether or not Enemy Action..."

BREAN:

No, I'm fine... I got it together....

MOSS:

...but...

THEY STOP BY A TELEPHONE.

BREAN:

You got a dime....?

MOSS HANDS HIM A DIME.

BREAN DIALS.

BREAN:

(TO PHONE)

Hello.

(PAUSE)

Hello. I'm fine. We're fine. We're... stand by to

copy this, will... just get a pencil.... He is Down

Safely, though...

ANGLE:

ON MOSS, AS HE WALKS THE GROGGY SCHUMANN TOWARD THE GAS STATION.

MOSS:

...how ya feeling, boy?

SCHUMANN:

...mmm.

MOSS:

...'bout ready to Mix it Up...?

SCHUMANN:

Is today Laundry Day...?

CAMERA TAKES THEM INTO THE SMALL GAS STATION OFFICE, WHERE WE SEE A WIZENED

OLD WESTERNER, LOOKING AT THE TELEVISION WHERE WE SEE SENATOR NOLE.

MOSS:

Hiya.

OWNER:

Yup.

MOSS:

How 'bout a Cold Drink...?

ANGLE ON THE TELEVISION, SENATOR NOLE.

NOLE:

...produce this Schumann.

(PAUSE)

Produce him. I say; or, and I do not hesitate to say

it, rank him as Just One More...

THE OWNER GESTURES AT A COLD DRINK COOLER.

NOLE:

(CONT.)

Just One More of a series of Broken Promises. Of ...

Fantasies, yes, Fantasies, which...

MOSS AND SCHUMANN WALK OVER TO THE COOLER. THEY LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AT

BREAN, WHO IS WALKING IN FROM THE PHONE. HE HANGS UP AND COMES IN.

MOSS LOOKS AT HIM, MEANING, "WHAT'S UP?" BREAN GESTURES AT THE TELEVISION.

ANGLE, HIS POV.

THE TELEVISION, NOW SWITCHED TO THE SCENE OF THE DESERTED TARMAC.

COMMENTATOR (VO)

Senator Nole, commentating on the unexplained

absence of...wait a moment...wait a....

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