Broadcast News

WOMAN THREE
(o.s.)
I'm seventeen now and I've been
working the streets for two years
and I guess to be honest -- I stopped
thinking of it as temporary.

The lights come up on the room.  The two screens go black...
there is general APPLAUSE.  Jane blinks nervously.

JANE
Please don't applaud.

ON AUDIENCE

Sitting in groups of three -- NEWS TEAM from around the country,
remarkably similar in comparison...a great looking woman, good
looking man (either young or attractively avuncular) and a Black
or Hispanic.  They still APPLAUD -- not yet having grasped the
sincerity of Jane's plea which she presses with more urgency.

JANE
Please.  Don't!!
(she yells)
I gathered these pieces as an
example of what's WRONG with local
television news.

The applause stops.

JANE
The excerpts from THREE SEPARATE
SERIES on prostitution were
SIMULTANEOUSLY broadcast by all
stations in one city during sweeps
week.  By what bend of either or
suspension of duty is that broadcast
news?

She pauses half a beat for possible applause -- hearing none,
she continues.  An anchorman sneezes -- four people shout
"gesundheit" simultaneously -- they laugh.

JANE
The legacy of Edward R. Murrow,
Eric Sevareid, William Shirer,
David Brinkley and Walter Cronkite
is being squandered in a desperate
popularity contest.  Our profession
is in danger:

TRACKING SHOT

As Jane continues, REVEALING that the news team now have even
more in common.  They do not like Jane.

JANE
Yesterday's compliment has somehow
managed to become today's kiss of
death.  To be considered a serious
journalist is no longer flattering.
It presents the risk of being labeled
ponderous, or worse yet, elitest,
right?

SHOT CONTINUES

Women playing with their hair, young man bored...one
middle-aged anchorman fusses with a spot on his tie...

ON JANE

Briefly departing from text.

JANE
All of you know what I'm talking about. 
We're all trying to act together than
we are.  But we care.  So, we're all
secretly terrified, aren't we?

Not a peep -- she is thrown but doggedly presses on with her
prepared speech though her throat constricts a bit, her voice
begins to rasp.

JANE
We are being increasingly influenced
by the star system.  The network
anchormen are so powerful they
compromise our last best hope.  The
current group is clearly qualified,
tied still to our best traditions, but
who follows these men?

TRACKING SHOT MOVES TO TOM GRUNICK

Seated with other members of his news team, a young blonde
woman whose hand is resting on his inner leg, a good looking
Hispanic.  Tom feels a growing excitement -- Jane is not just
a speaker, she seems a savior.

TOM
Wow.

His female colleague looks at him.

FEMALE COLLEAGUE
Oh, I've known so many women like
that.  They don't like their looks
so they're angry.

BACK TO JANE

Fumbling with her cards, sunk but game -- gamer than she would
wish.

JANE
I was going to talk about other
trends but...
(mumbling)
...the magazine shows, news at
profit, influence of
Entertainment Tonight, the danger, the
hope, the dream, the question...Oh, I
was going to show you a tape -- a story
that was carried by all networks on the
same night -- the same night -- not one
network noted a major policy change in
Salt Two nuclear disarmament talks...
Here's what they ran instead...Go ahead.
Show the tape.

ON MONITORS

Showing the Japanese Domino Championships as broadcast by all
networks in the Spring of 1985.  It is quite spectacular -- the
dominoes falling into one another provoking waves, crossing tiny
bridges, setting off little fireworks.  JANE'S AUDIENCE applauds
loudly and squeals with delight.

ON SCENE

Jane between the two monitors.  She begins to speak loudly OVER
the AUDIENCE NOISES of approval.

JANE
(loudly)
I know it's good film.  I know it's
fun.  I like fun.  It's just not news.
(as they continue
to applaud)
Well, you're lucky you love it --
you're going to get a lot more just
like it.

STRAY VOICE - SHOUT "GOOD"

OTHER ANGLE

Jane sitting rocked into momentary catatonia, by the event.
Dazed as an animal stung by a tranquilizer dart.  She takes
some irregular breaths waiting for normal life to return.

WIDER

Tom the last person remaining in the room.  He approaches her --
she is totally unaware of his presence, even when he casually
mounts the stage with an athletic leap.  It takes courage for
Tom to fully intrude himself, which he now does:

TOM
Hello.

She looks up at him.

ANGLE ON TOM

Earnest, nervous -- handsome...Just when she needed a mirage
there it is.

JANE
Hi.

TOM
I just wanted to tell you  how great
you were.  My name's Tom Grunick.

JANE
(dumbly)
Thank you.
(then)
They hated me.  I don't hate them.

TOM
Well, they say if you can reach
even one person, it means something...
And you did that.

Jane looks up at his smile -- a beat then:

JANE
Would you like to have dinner
with me?

INT. HOTEL RESTAURANT - NIGHT

Jane arrives at the maitre d' stand.  She has attempted to dress
up to the extent that  packing for a short-day trip allows.  She
looks for Tom.  Tom rises from a table and is immediately at
her side.

JANE
Hi.  I was worried I was early.

TOM
I was a lot earlier.

They are lead to a table and sit down.

TOM
I kept thinking what a great break
it was for me to get to see you
tonight.  More than a great break,
maybe just what I needed...just when
I needed it...Angel of mercy --
godsend...lifesaver...what?

JANE
(picking one)
I like "godsend."

TOM
I haven't been in news that long.
I've just been looking for the
right person to talk to.  I have
about two thousand questions for you.

He notices that her head has gone into her hands where it
continues to rest.  He looks at her a beat.

TOM
It's possible now's not the right
time.

She lifts her head.

JANE
If we could just eat first.

TOM
Totally understood.  Totally
wrong of me to talk shop after
the day you've had.  Totally
sorry.

JANE
Nooo.  If I could just have a
roll, I'd be okay.

She takes a roll from the roll plate.  He smiles at her.  She
takes a bite.

JANE
Thank you.

EXT. CONVENTION HOTEL - NIGHT

As they walk along -- dumping occasionally and self-consciously.
Jane is feeling a version of being turned on -- that is, a little
adrift and temporarily free of obligations.  She is open to
making a memorable mistake.

JANE
Another thing I can't stand --
Is this dull?

Tom shakes his head almost violently.

TOM
No, no, no, no...

Jane looks at him curiously -- then:

JANE
(broadly)
Another thing I can't stand is
...when White House reporters
bullshit with each other after
a briefing and then one of them
has a theory and the other quotes
it in his story as "White House"
sources say...

TOM
That actually goes on...

JANE
Yes.  My room is down here --
I'm not tired.  Do you want to
keep talking?

TOM
Yes, sure.

INT. JANE'S ROOM - NIGHT

A small good room -- her working paraphernalia very much in
evidence...the quality briefcase...the reams of well organized
notes...the thick contact book -- Jane is sitting on the bed --
Tom, not far away in the room's only chair.  One lamp is on
and it serves to place Jane in the shadows and cast Tom in an
enormously flattering light.  MUSIC comes from her miniature
portable STEREO system.

JANE
Come on...Even I'm not that
hard on myself.

TOM
No, I really got this job on a
fluke and wait till you hear where
it ends up.

Jane smiles a calming smile.

JANE
I was doing sports at the station.
The newspaper ran this untrue story
that I was leaving and they got all
these tons of protest mail.  So they
made me anchor.

JANE
So great -- right?

TOM
Except I'm no good at what I'm being
a success at.

JANE
How are you at back rubs?

Jane shifts her position so that her back is to Tom... He is
immobilized by the sudden turn.  Jane waits, just a bit longer
than it would take a man to run from the chair to her side before
experiencing the ghost-like clutch of rejection.  She moves
briskly past the moment -- grabbing a "good night" chocolate
from the pillow and munching it as she return to his agenda.

JANE
It's sort of normal -- the way you
feel.  In graduate school everyone
thought the only mistake the
admission committee made was letting
them in.

He moves to the bed.

TOM
Listen to me.  You keep on thinking
I'm somebody ho lacks...confidence.
That's not it.  I know I can talk well
enough and I'm not bad at making contact
with people, but I don't like the
feeling that I'm pretending to be a
reporter.
(cont'd)
And half the time I don't really get
the news I'm talking about.  It isn't
that I'm down on myself.  Trust me,
I stink.

JANE
(levelly)
I trust you.

TOM
I didn't even have the chance to get
really good at sports.  I wasn't bad.
I thought I was starting to do
interesting features but hockey is
big at the station and...

JANE
(interrupting)
What about the obvious remedy?
Reversing things.  Maybe getting a
job on a newspaper.

TOM
I don't write.

Jane laughs or, more accurately, scoffs as Tom Continues.

TOM
But that didn't stop me from
sending out audition tapes to
bigger stations and the networks.

JANE
Well, come on -- it is your life.
Nobody is tying you to the fast
track.  Did you go to college?

TOM
One year...almost one year.

JANE
So, you're not well educated and
you have almost no experience and
you can't write.

He nods agreement.

TOM
And I'm making a fortune.

Jane laughs very briefly -- then rubs her face vigorously with
her hands... He's making her feel a little crazy.  She gets off
the bed.

JANE
It's hard for me to advise you
since you personify something that
I truly think is dangerous.

TOM
Uh-huh.

JANE
(holding it in)
I agree with you -- you're not qualified.
(letting it out)
So get qualified.  You can insist on
being better prepared.  You don't have
to just leave it as...
(mimicking him)
'I don't write.  I'm not schooled.
I don't understand the news I'm reading.
But at least I'm upset about it, folks.'

A beat, then he mumbles softly to himself.

TOM
Whoa, this was a mistake.

JANE
Just what do you want from me, anyway?
Permission to be a fake?  Stop whining
and do something about it.

He gets up to leave.  She follows him.

JANE
Well, you don't have to start right now.

He turns to her.

TOM
I hated the way you talked to me just
now...and it wasn't just because you
were right.

He exits.

INT. JANE'S HOTEL - NIGHT

She is on the phone.

JANE
(into phone)
No.  It wasn't just the speech --
the same thing happened with this
guy.  I have passed some line some
place.  I am beginning to repel people
I'm trying to seduce.

INT. AARON'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

As he talks with Jane.

AARON
(agreeably)
He must have been great-looking, right?

JANE
Why do you say that?

AARON
Because nobody invites a bad-
looking idiot to their bedroom.

She smiles.

AARON
Okay.  Let's do me.

JANE
Sure.

AARON
Okay.  I feel like I'm slipping but
do people who are actually slipping
feel that way or is it always the
really good people who are moving up
who invariably think they're slipping
because their standards are so high?

JANE
This conversation is not worthy of you.

AARON
I'd give anything if that were true.

JANE
(laughing)
Good night.

AARON
Wouldn't this be a great world if
insecurity and desperation made us
more attractive?  If needy were a
turn-on?

JANE
Call if you get weird.

INT. JANE'S HOTEL - NIGHT

She hangs up -- pulls back the bedspread on the double bed --
on the other half are papers, schedules -- tapes.  She doesn't
clear them off so that she is literally sleeping with her work. 
The PHONE RINGS.

JANE
(answering)
I was just thinking it was the
shortest phone conversation we
ever had.

EXT. PHONE BOOTH

A deserted well-lit area.  Tom on the phone.

TOM
I never told you the reason I was
telling you everything for.

JANE
(pleasantly surprised
it's him)
Hey?

INTERCUT:

ON TOM

TOM
Those audition tapes I sent out...
I've been hired by your network for
the Washington bureau.  So I'll
probably see you at work.  Sorry.

Jane is rocked and soured.

JANE
What???

EXT. WASHINGTON D.C. STREET - MORNING

Jane and Aaron walking to work -- agitated.

AARON
They didn't hire Peter Stiller from
the Times and he had a great
audition tape.

JANE
You want to start going over who they
could have gotten?  They can't take on
people like this for network news.  For
God's sake.  What's going on?

INT. NEWS BUILDING LOBBY - DAY

Tom arrives for first day of work.

INT. ERNIE MERRIMAN'S OFFICE

ERNIE MERRIMAN is the network's Washington Bureau Chief.  He
is in his early 60's, has worked for the network about 40 years
-- part of the golden age -- a family man, an honorable man,
a good guy.  Right now he is welcoming Tom to the network
thereby good-naturedly helping with the destruction of all he
holds dear.  As he hands Tom his credentials:

ERNIE
Any particular area you feel
strongest in?

TOM
To be honest, I was best at anchor.

Ernie gives him a long look -- is he kidding?

ERNIE
Why don't you take a few days observing
the system?  Then we'll put you on
general assignment.

EDITING ROOM - NIGHT

Two small TV monitors -- a smallish room.  Jane goes over her
timing notes which correspond to the time code SUPERED on the
monitors.  BOBBIE -- an extraordinarily silent man -- is doing
Jane's bidding.  On the monitor we SEE the mercenary piece
which Jane is editing against a tightening deadline.  The
PHONE RINGS periodically -- Jane conducting abrupt conversations
which continuing to edit.  The pressure is palpable to begin
with but builds and builds; almost like a family fight getting
out of hand and threatening to bend lives.  Through it all, Jane
remains remarkable calm.  Her focus is amazing; her command sexy.

JANE
(consulting notes)
Go back to 316, Bobbie.  The sound
bite in the cab -- it starts, 'I
don't know how I'll feel...'

BOBBIE
We could...

JANE
(interrupting)
Please, Bobbie, we're pushing.

As Bobbie expertly reverses the tape, Tom's face appears in
the glass doorway and then he enters the already crowded room --
Jane's eyes click to him briefly.  She makes not a move to
welcome him.  He pauses, but is committed and tries to find
a piece for himself against the wall.

TOM
They said I should observe the...