Broadcast News

JANE
Well, I thought I'd check if all
of you were still here.  I'll just
go in and join the gang and you
two go on.

TOM
There's no gang in there -- We
were the last ones.

JANE
Well, I'll go in and have a bite.

TOM
(to Jennifer)
Jennifer, you want to have another
drink?

JANE
Hey, I know how to have a burger by
myself.  I feel like a little solitude.

JENNIFER
(as they move off)
I sure know that feeling.  Terrific
work today.

JANE
(too jock-like)
Right back to you.

TOM
Thanks for getting me through.

He puts his hand behind her neck in an awkward gesture of
camaraderie.  She awkwardly disengages... waves and steps
inside the door to the restaurant... standing there between
the two sets of doors watching Tom and Jennifer walk away.

ON TOM AND JENNIFER

As they walk to his car, first exchanging a look of reflection
over Jane... then bumping accidentally, then bumping back, a
look, then kissing with passion, wrapped around each other.

INT. JENNIFER'S APT - NIGHT

As Tom and Jennifer rush in locked in an embrace, shedding
clothes even as they enter.

INT. JENNIFER'S APT - NIGHT

We are aware of MOVING FORMS.

JENNIFER
(intense shout)
Damn all you sons-of-bitches.  Oh
shit, you bastards...

They finish.  A beat, then:

JENNIFER
Sorry.

ON TOM AND JENNIFER

Tom taken aback by the outburst from this woman he's just made
love to.

TOM
No, it's okay...People say different
things.  They do...the plural threw
me.

She laughs.

JENNIFER
The last time I was with someone we
went through this awful mutual disease
questionnaire but I guess it beats
getting paranoid the next day.  Okay,
I'll go first.  I haven't...

TOM
(stopping her)
It would never occur to me to worry
at all about you.

Jennifer is touched...

JENNIFER
You know something?  I'm deeply
complimented.   Isn't it strange to
be deeply complimented because the
man you're with doesn't think you
have a venereal disease?...

Tom slides out of bed naked -- she moves quickly across the bed
one outstretched hand reaching for his ass, a free -- even lusty
sort of motion punctuated by her comment:

JENNIFER
Give me some of that.

He dances away -- out of range -- liking the action, a stupid
grin on his face.

TOM
Where's the bathroom?

JENNIFER
Through the closet.

He opens the door and turns on the light in the closet.

INT. CLOSET - NIGHT

It is a converted room -- given over the racks of clothes and
shoes extraordinarily well organized.  Tom stands there agape.
Various rain coats -- clothes for all climates -- lots of
luggage.

She joins him in the closet -- holding out a sheet in front of
her.

JENNIFER
I converted a bedroom -- this
stuff builds up.  Wait till
you've been doing this sixteen
years.

TOM
I'm not knocking it.  It's a
great solution.  Not only the
storage but you can see everything
you have.

Jennifer laughs -- he follows her gaze and sees himself in
silhouette against the door -- his penis prominent in outline.

JENNIFER
Do you do bunny rabbits?

Tom is enjoying himself immensely.

TOM
Isn't this a great date?

We HEAR the SOUND OF SCRATCHING as we:

INT. JANE'S EDITING CUBICLE - MORNING

Jane feeds another tape in -- she is taking editing notes alone
and SCRATCHING her arm.  She looks worn out -- STOCK FOOTAGE OF
STATESMEN move across the small screen.  She sighs and, without
realizing, implores the heavens to help cure a malady she's yet
to recognize in herself.

JANE
(to herself)
God help me.

People have begun to filter into the newsroom in the b.g.

AARON
Jesus, Jane.  How long have you
been here?

JANE
A long time.  I was restless.
Will you crack my neck?

He starts massaging her neck as the phone rings.  she lets it
ring for a beat as Aaron works on her.  As she picks up the
receiver we HEAR a CRACK.  She reacts to it at the same time
she utters a greeting.

JANE
Aaah --
(into phone)
-- ello.  You sure they said the
management meeting?
(hangs up; then
to Aaron)
They want me to be at the
management meeting.

AARON
They're not that dumb, after all.

He pats her on the back.

INT. WALKWAY - DAY

BLAIR
Do you know you're the second woman
in network news history to produce?

JANE
(though distracted)
No, I'm not.  I'm the fourth.
Joan Richmond.  Pauline Fredericks
got that credit once on a U.N.
special and there's Susan Zirinsky.

INT. MANAGEMENT MEETING - DAY

Paul is running the meeting from behind Ernie's desk.
TWO OTHER NON-EDITORIAL MEN are in attendance.  As Paul
discusses the more pressing problems of the network news
division, Jane sits near the window strangely unmoved by
her first moment at the seat of power.  She has the blues.

PAUL
Anyway, they seem to be very serious
about making me out eight million from
the budget and that means massive firings.
I'm doing everything I can... It's too
early to make up a 'death list' but I
just wanted you to be aware of the
situation... We're also going to cover
the Alaskan serial killer trial on a
continuing basis.  I'd like it done out
of Washington which means we've got to
get somebody on a plane for Anchorage.
We can't fool around anymore...Jane...

She looks up at him -- a bit sleepy-eyed.

PAUL (cont'd)
This is going to be high-profile on
the Evening News -- who do you think?
George Weln or Jennifer?

JANE
(much, much too quickly)
Jennifer.

The men look at her curiously.  She repeats herself more
rationally.

JANE (cont'd)
Jennifer.

INT. TOM'S OFFICE - LATE AFTERNOON

He has been reading from a respectable stack of mail -- Jane
appears in his doorway.  For the first time, we notice that
she is woefully ba at at least one endeavor -- flirting.

JANE
Come on, I'll buy you a drink.
There's a big thing over at the
Italian embassy.

TOM
I'm not sure I'd be good
company tonight.

JANE
(self-conscious joke)
I'll be the judge of that.

INT. ITALIAN EMBASSY - NIGHT

As they walk in -- one MAN looks at Tom with a glint of
recognition.  Then another -- a handshake -- A WOMAN introduces
herself.  A small knot of people form.

JANE
It's much too soon for you to have
this kind of buzz around you.

TOM
Do I have to stand here in the middle
and meet them all?

JANE
I'll get you through.  Move and smile.
(she pushes him
a little)
And smile and move...

They start crossing the room -- he is moving now, making progress.
But an EGYPTIAN BUSINESSMAN stops him.

EGYPTIAN BUSINESSMAN
Is it safe for me to fly home?

TOM
Yes.  We're fine now.

JANE
AND SMILE.

He smiles -- people smile back.

JANE
AND MOVE.

ANGLE ON STAIR LANDING

Where Aaron (Pimm's Cut in hand -- a cucumber sticking out)
stands with Martin Klein.  Martin is eating from a huge platter
of appetizers.

MARTIN KLEIN
The Italians serve the second best
things right after the Chinese...I
could do an article comparing Embassy
food...Gourmet free-loading...sell it
anyplace.  I'm sure not getting the
assignments.

AARON
Who the heck could that be?

AARON'S P.O.V.

From the excited group of people blocking his view,
it's clear there is some personage in attendance.

ON AARON

And now he sees that it's Tom.

AARON
Is God testing me or something?

MARTIN KLEIN
Paul loves him.  I heard him give
him the most poetic compliment in
his command.  'He's hot.'  Sometimes
groups of executives get together just
to say that work back and forth...'He's
hot, oh, she's hot.  Oh, he's really
hot.'  Hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot-hot...
(looking at Aaron)
And here we are.

AARON
Martin, you're not allowed to use the
word 'we' or I'm moving.

MARTIN KLEIN
(sudden thought)
Maybe Jane would like my food idea as
a spot...Try the one in the middle.

He moves off to intercept Jane -- as he stops her... Tom is
stranded -- then sees Aaron and moves over to his side.

TOM
Hi, Aaron...What's doing?

AARON
Same old stuff.  I'm watching a man
who won three Overseas Press Awards
pitch an hors d'oeuvre idea.

A MAN stops and introduces himself to Tom -- shaking his hand:

TOM
You want to go out there --
(indicating balcony)
get out of this for a second?

AARON
Why don't you lead?  I'll just
follow the flurry you cause.

Tom turns -- the sharpness of the tone unsettles him.

TOM
What did I do to you?

AARON
You've made my dreams silly.

Tom decides not to deal with the remark.  He's jolted by the
hostility.  He leads the way out French Doors to a ground floor
terrace, where Aaron joins him, closes the door and the two men
stare at the party.

TOM
(gesturing at the
   party)
Heavy hitters.

Aaron nods.

They look inside.

AARON
(several beats; then)
How you doing?

TOM
(warming)
Great.  Network news, Washington...
I love it.  What do you do when your
real life exceeds your dreams?

AARON
Keep it to yourself.

TOM
You know the other day I really wanted
your reaction to how we did with the
Libyan report -- I was going to ask but
I guess I feel a little intimidated with
you.

AARON
Oh, stop it.