Wag the Dog Page #32

BREAN:

But you always knew you couldn't take the credit....

MOSS:

That's one thing, but I'm not gonna let two d*ckheads

from Filmschool take it... are you Nuts? Are you Nuts?

HE TRIES TO GET OUT OF THE READYROOM. BREAN RESTRAINS HIM.

ANGLE:

TIGHT ON THE TWO.

BREAN:

Stanley, no fooling... no fooling... you're playing

with your life here...

MOSS:

F*** my life... F*** my life.... Z WANT THE CREDIT...

The Credit. Do you know what the New York Times said

about my last picture? They pissed on me. They pissed

on me. Do you know what that picture Grossed? And now

some limp-dick film school pansy...

JOYCE:

(ON TV)

That number to call....

MOSS TAKES OUT A PAD AND PENCIL, AND BEGINS TO WRITE IT DOWN.

BREAN:

Stanley, you can't do this....

AMES CALLS FROM THE FAR ROOM.

AMES:

Could we have you in here, please...7

BREAN, DISTRACTED FOR A MOMENT, LETS MOSS GO, MOSS PULLS AWAY, AND RUNS OUT OF

THE ROOM.

ANGLE:

ON BREAN, AS HE PROCEEDS TO THE BACK ROOM, WHERE WE SEE AMES, STANDING WITH

THE MAN, WHO NOW HAS ON HIS BLACK ROBE, AND HOLDS A BIBLE OUT TO THE HISPANIC

FELLOW IN THE STRAW COWBOY HAT.

AMES:

(SOTTO, TO BREAN)

...we need a witness.

MAN IN THE BLACK ROBE

(TO THE HISPANIC HARVESTER DRIVER)

Do you swear to Uphold the duties and responsibilities

of a citizen of the United States? To defend her, (ET

CETERA)

ANGLE:

ON THIS ROOM, WITH THE HUGE HANGAR, AND THE CASKET IN THE FAR ROOM.

ANGLE, ON BREAN AS HE SHAKES HIS HEAD SADLY.

DISSOLVE:

EXT PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE. NOVEMBER DAY.

VAST CROWDS, LINING THE STREET. THE SOUND OF SLOW FIFE AND DRUMS.

ANGLE:

ON VARIOUS SPECTATORS, WEEPING, MANY OF THEM WITH OLD SHOES HUNG AROUND THEIR

NECKS. 303 SWEATSHIRTS. ET CETERA... THE SPECTATORS CRANE THEIR NECKS.

ANGLE, THEIR P0V.

A CAISSON, A RIDERLESS HORSE, COMING DOWN THE STREET.

PAN ONTO A NEWSCASTER.

NEWSCASTER:

...coming, yes, yes, I can just...yes, the caisson,

bearing his remains, the Riderless Horse, led by three

members of his unit, 303, identified by their

distinctive Caps...

ANGLE, ON THE 303 TROOPERS, TWO MEN AND A WOMAN IN BERETS WHICH ARE HALF

BLACK, HALF LEOPARD SKIN.

INT SHOESTORE, H.Q.

THE TELEVISION, SHOWING THE SAME SCENE. PAN ONTO AIDE, SWEEPING UP.

TV VOICE OVER:

(WE HEAR A SERIES OF GUNSHOTS)

...and that's the, yes, you hear it, a salute, in Code,

5pelling out, "Courage, Mom" ...and there, yes, there

is the Staff Car, bearing the Pres...

INT MOSS'S KITCHEN, BEVERLY HILLS, DAY

A SMALL COUNTERTOP TELEVISION. A HISPANIC MAID WATCHING THE TV.

ANNOUNCER:

(ON TV)

...sident Elect -- the President-Elect of the United

States...

SHE PICKS UP A TRAY OF CRUDITES, AND PROCEEDS, CAMERA FOLLOWS HER INTO THE

LIVING ROOM, GIVING ONTO THE POOL, WHERE WE SEE A FLOCK OF MOURNERS, THE MEN

IN YALMULKAS.

ANGLE EXT, MOSS'S HOUSE.

A LINE OF LIMOS, ONE OF THE CHAUFFEURS LISTENING TO THE RADIO.

RADIO:

(VO)

...the end of the incredible saga of One Man, his

country, and a War He did Not Wish, but unto which

he...

A LIMO ARRIVES, BEARING BREAN, WHO IS GIVEN A YALMUKA, AS HE ENTERS MOSS'S

HOUSE.

INT. H.Q. SHOESTORE, DAY.

THE AIDE HAS JUST FINISHED CLEANING UP. THE SCENE ON THE TV IS ARLINGTON

NATIONAL CEMETERY. THE PALLBEARERS, MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN, ARE DOING A SLOW

MARCH TO THE TUNE OF "GOOD OLD SHOE." THERE IS A SHOT OF THE PRESIDENT, AS AN

AIDE APPROACHES HIM, AND HANDS HIM A BOX, WHICH HE OPENS, WE SEE AS THE CAMERA

RACKS FOCUS TO IT, THAT IT IS THE CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR. THE PRESIDENT

PROCEEDS TOWARD THE CASKET, BEARING THE BOX.

THE TV GOES BLANK, AS THE AIDE FLIPS IT OFF. HE TAKES THE LAST REMAINING

TRASHBIN, AND STARTS TO PULL IT OUTSIDE.

WE SEE TWO MOVING MEN, TAKING DOWN THE TELEVISION, AND PUTTING IT ON A DOLLY.

ANGLE, INT, THE MALL

THE BOARDED UP STOREFRONT. THE OLD "SHOE WORLD" SIGN, THE AIDE PUTTING OUT

THE LAST TRASHBIN. HE IS OVERTAKEN BY, AND CAMERA DOLLIES WITH, THE TWO MEN

MOVING OUT THE TELEVISICN. THEY PASS A NEW SIGN, WHICH HAS BEEN APPLIED OVER

THE PLYWOOD, READS: "COMING SOON, GOOD OLD SHOE," FOLLOWED BY A STYLIZED

RENDITION OF A PAIR OF OLD BASKETBALL SHOES, THE TRADEMARK REGISTRATION SIGN,

AND THE NIKE SWOOSH, CAMERA CONTINUES TO DOLLY, PAST GRAFFITI, READING,

COURAGE, MOM.

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