This film contains very strong language.
TUNE OF "CAMPTOWN RACES" PLAYS
MAN: I've seen him do it a million times now,
but I can't tell you how he does it, Henry.
The right-handed part.
I can tell you lots about what he does with his left hand. Genius.
He might put that left hand on your elbow.
Or up on your bicep, like he's doing now.
Very basic move - he's interested in you.
He's honoured to meet you.
If it gets any higher - if it gets on your shoulder like that -
it's not as intimate.
Means he'll share a laugh with you, or a secret.
Not a real secret, but very flattering.
If he doesn't know you well
and wants to share something emotional,
it'll be a two-hander.
You'll see when he shakes hands with me, Henry.
Governor.
Governor Stanton. Henry Burton. Governor.
I met your grandfather when I was a boy.
I hitchhiked to Washington to hear him speak.
He was a great man. Thank you, sir.
How are you?
He's glad you're coming on board. I know.
I didn't say I was coming on board.
Did you tell him I was? No. Relax!
What's he doing here? He's a Southern governor nobody knows.
Already you're sounding like a campaign manager.
Howard, I said... I'm kidding, I'm kidding!
If I said Jack Stanton's here
because he's interested in adult literacy,
you'd say I was bullshitting.
Yes. Howard Ferguson, Henry Burton.
This is Maryanne Walsh.
The very special librarian who's running these classes.
Oh, thank you, Governor Walsh.
Mm-hm. Oh, Governor Stanton. I'm sorry!
I'm a little nervous. I'm sorry. That's OK.
Well, if you'll walk with me, I'll take you to the...the library.
The um...the walls are... pretty bad,
but the, er... the library is much, um...
Better. Er...yes, yes.
We're really proud of the library.
When did you start this reading programme?
About three years ago.
We had no money. Very little money.
It's the only reading programme like it in New York...that I know of.
There may be others...
Ooop! Oh.
Are you all right? Yes, I'm fine, thank you.
I'm Ruby, a domestic. In this class two months.
Hi, Ruby. Hi.
Jack Mandela Washington. Handyman. How are you, Jack?
Tawana Carter. Waitress. Good to meet you.
Anthony Ramirez, carpenter.
Freelance carpenter. Nice to meet you.
Raymond Domingez. A truck driver.
I wanted to say welcome aboard.
What?! I'm not on board, I just...
You're kidding too, right?
My name's Dewayne Smith. Yeah.
Tell the Governor a bit about yourself, Dewayne.
I'm a... I'm a short-order chef.
And until I come here, I couldn't read a lick.
Dewayne's dyslexic.
And they just kept passing me up.
Third grade, fourth grade, and, ah...
I just sit in the back and stick to my own self.
And it was like no-one noticed.
And I go on all the ways through and I graduated elementary school.
And they sent me to Ben Franklin.
Ah, that's General Studies.
They could've sent me to the Bronx Zoo.
I mean, no-one ever tell me nothin'.
No-one ever say, "Dewayne, you can't read.
"What you gonna do with your sorry ass?"
I mean, excuse me.
Anyway, graduation come.
And my mamma come -
she take the day off on the laundry where she work at.
So we're there and, ah... Dr Dylan Brady,
he's calling out the names on the diplomas
and, ah...and what each kid done.
You know, like "Sharona Harris, Honours."
Ah..."Tyrone Kirby, Regents Diploma."
And then...then he come to my name.
And, ah...he say it so everyone hear it.
He said, "Dewayne Smith receives Certificate...
"..of Attendance."
I can hear people buzzin' and a couple of folks is laughin'.
I gotta go up there and get this.
I gotta stand up there, just dyin'.
Tryin' not to look at anyone.
Tryin' not to look too stupid, you know.
And, ah... Mamma was sittin' out front.
She got her hat on and she got her purse on her lap.
And...tears are comin' down from behind her glasses...
..like...like someone... like someone died.
HE SNIFFLES
HE EXHALES TEARFULLY
I wanna thank you for sharing that with us, Dewayne.
I wanna thank all of you for having real courage.
My...my Uncle Charlie...
was a-a war hero, WWII.
He was sent to Iwo Jima. You know, where they raised the flag?
He took out four machine-gun nests of Japanese soldiers
who had a squad of his buddies pinned down.
He had one grenade, his rifle, bayonet and his bare hands,
and he took 'em out.
President Truman gave him the Medal of Honour.
When he came home to Grace Junction,
they had a parade for him.
The town fathers came to my parents' house
and said, "Charlie, what you got in mind for yourself now?"
Charlie said he didn't know.
The mayor said, "A full scholarship to the state university."
The banker said maybe Charlie didn't want to go back to school.
"A management job - big future at the bank."
And the sawmill owner said,
"You mightn't want to be stuck in a school or bank. Manage my crew."
You know what? Damned if Charlie didn't turn them all down.
And what did he do? Nothin'.
Lay on his couch and smoked his Luckies.
You couldn't get him off that couch.
Was he messed up from the war? No.
It was just that he couldn't read.
He was embarrassed and didn't want to tell anyone.
He had the courage to win the Congressional Medal of Honour
but he didn't have the courage to do what you're doing -
to admit he needed help and get it.
I understand what you're doing and I appreciate it.
People say to me,
"Why do you spend so much time and effort on adult literacy?"
And I say to them... I say to them, "Because...
"it gives me a chance to see courage."
I wanna thank you.
I wanna thank you...for allowin' me to visit here today.
GROUP APPLAUDS
Thank you, Governor.
Let's get him out of here.
He likes it.
MISS WALSH: Governor Stanton,
I want to thank you personally...personally today.
I will be damned.
I thank you... Oop!
Sorry, Governor Stanton. I'll help.
Have those shoes checked.
If there's anything I can do...
You're gonna work for him.
I'm not gonna work for him.
I'll meet him at his suite and talk.
About what? Well, probably about...
going to work for him.
How can you walk out on Adam Larkin
to work for some cracker
who's done nothing for blacks in his own state?
Same with Adam Larkin. He will.
He's gotta bide his time. He's a black congressman.
I don't like Larkin. I didn't like working for him.
I don't know what Stanton wants... I do.
To use the grandson of a civil rights leader as a vote getter.
That's hilarious. You say you have no sense of humour?
Black man on the team - that'll attract votes.
That's why blacks are running the country.
If you're upset about politics, come work at the "Black Advocate".
We're never disillusioned.
Hand me that tie. Get your own damn tie!
Oh, no tie. No suit. Just leather-jacket cool.
All right... I'll be back in two hours.
Then we can talk about the "Black Advocate", OK?
Come on. Don't be mad.
OK, be mad. Only for two hours. Wait up for me.
Oh, my God!
My boy! Henry Burton, I am mighty honoured!
I'm Arlen Sporken. I'm the Governor's media consultant.
Hey, Henry. HENRY: Hi.
Non-fat caffeine? No, thank you.
I'm just delighted that you're on board.
HE CHUCKLES No... Get me a sandwich.
If you pinch my cheek and call me sugar.
I'll get it. We'll win, Henry.
Right, Arlen? Absolutely!
The big question is Ozio.
You think he's got the kajonies to run?
Ah, it's "cojones".
And I don't know Ozio well enough to judge his cojones.
They're big but they're glass. Hey there, Henry.
Governor Stanton, it's nice to, ah...
You remember Miss Walsh.
I... Oh, sorry. You all right, darlin'?
Ah...ah...thank you. Thank YOU!
For this opportunity to discuss the...
Th-the programme. It's a great, great programme.
Don't you think, Henry? Yes, yes. Excellent programme.
Thank you very much.
Tell the board what we discussed. Yes, I will, I will.
I'll see my way out. Thanks. Thanks.
And goodbye. Bye-bye, now.
On the regional board of the Teachers Union.
Ah, a teacher AND a librarian.
MAN: It's the missus.
Hi, darlin'!
Oh, oh, listen, honey, I'm sorry.
I...well, we got stuck here.
But great news. Real progress with the teachers.
Tonight? Are you sure? I'm so sorry, honey.
Charlie, did you know we're s'posed to meet that guy
from the Portsmouth Democratic Committee?
Well, goddamn it, Charlie.
Are you Uncle Charlie, the Medal of Honour winner?
I'm Uncle Charlie. Whatever else he says, he's the master.
If you stop popping my eardrum, I'll leave now.
No, pl... Don't Susan. Don't go.
Susan. Susan, just stay...
PHONE HANGS UP
We better go.
All right, where's the plane? Teeterborough.
Shit. All right, then.
Let's go. Arlen, see you in DC. Right.
Daisy, come with Howard tomorrow. Henry, Mitch, Charlie, let's go.
I came here to talk to you about...
Talk on the plane. Is this New Hampshire?
I teach classes in the morning.
Call in sick. The kids won't mind.
Do I have time for a phone call? When we get there. Let's talk.
PLANE ENGINE BUZZES
HE SNORES Governor?
Hi, honey.
Mmmmm!
This is Henry Burton.
My wife, Susan. Hi. Hello.
I met you 25 years ago at your grandfather's.
You were running under the sprinkler in little underpants.
Your grandfather was a great man. Thanks.
Jack Stanton could also be great if he weren't a faithless,
thoughtless, disorganised, undisciplined shit.
Why make this a big deal? It IS big!
First impressions count, asshole. "Hello, this is New Hampshire."
These people don't know you. Probably don't remember your state.
They're waiting to be seduced by Ozio, a real state's governor.
They came for you. You didn't show.
I talked to the head of the Portsmouth Democratic Party
about fly-fishing for one hour, 45 minutes.
Do you realise how...indescribably boring fly-fishing is?
Do you realise I'm not committed to doing this?
I'm sorry, honey.
I'm going fly-fishing because of you, you asshole!
You can't... It's not funny!
You can't do this to me.
We've been at this a month.
You're fucking up in your old fucked-up way.
The only shot we have here is to be perfect.
Barely adequate won't swing it. HE WHISTLES
No, Jack, you can't blow off...
# Primrose Lane
# Life's a holiday On Primrose Lane
# When I'm walking down Primrose Lane
# With you. # Not funny.
I've got to find a phone. Back at the apartment.
Honey, this was so great today. This reading programme.
You should've seen the people.
And the teacher was... She was just inspirational.
Tell me how good the curriculum was, not the teacher.
We can replicate a curriculum.
You can't sell a programme without a teacher. Right, Henry?
Henry, was the teacher that inspirational?
Well, she w...
She was a pretty typical school board bureaucrat, I thought.
Huh!
You got it on a six-month sublet.
It's better than a hotel. Cheaper too.
You can keep clothes, store stuff.
We have privacy. I'm here to get known.
You can't get known in private.
This is more like the end of a campaign, not the beginning.
Goddamn it, Charlie. No cable?! You're kidding!
You can't run for the President of the United fucking States without CNN!
Any bags? No. I didn't expect to come.
Something to eat? That'd be great.
..Goddamn, candy-ass place I've ever seen!
Hey, darling.
Darling, it's 4am.
This isn't how you want to be introduced to the neighbours.
Henry, I'll make you some tea.
Yeah, well, I'm outta here tomorrow morning.
We've gotta go cheap, but not this cheap. Not loser cheap.
So, why did you quit Larkin? What?
Why did you stop working for Adam Larkin?
Careful, it's hot. Thank you.
Well, I just um...I... It's all right.
You can't talk about your old boss to your new boss.
I haven't got a new boss yet.
Larkin's very different from Jack. Very cool.
He never blinks.
A pro.
Ow!
He would never swallow tea without testing it.
HE GASPS
That's the real thing experience teaches you, isn't it?
How not to get burnt.
Do you think people ever learn that?
Not the best people.
He, um...Adam taught me a lot, but...it was all the same.
He never surprised me.
Almost no-one voted with us because it was RIGHT.
They always asked for a lulu. "Lulu"?
Yeah, it's New York for artificial sweeteners.
SHE LAUGHS
Anyway, we'd win and then be gutted in the Senate.
We'd settle for their version, then the White House would veto,
which we knew would happen.
And what? We'd celebrate our great moral victory.
We forced a veto.
So you dropped out? Yeah.
So, why are you here?
I... Tell me.
It's four in the morning.
Let's just tell the truth.
OK.
I was always curious about how it'd be
to work with someone who actually cared about...
I mean, it couldn't always have been the way it is now.
It must've been different when my grandfather was alive.
You were there. You had Kennedy. I didn't.
I've never heard a president
use words like "destiny" and "sacrifice"
without thinking, "Bullshit."
And, OK, maybe it was bullshit with Kennedy too,
but...but...people believed it
and I guess that's what I want.
I want to believe it.
I want to be a part of something that's history.
I bet that's the longest answer to a five-word question
you have ever gotten.
No, it isn't.
The longest answer was to, "Do you do much fly-fishing?"
HE LAUGHS
It's a good answer, Henry.
History's what we're about too.
What else is there?
March, some guy with an automobile insurance scam
on line three.
Thanks.
Yes? It's me.
Don't hang up again.
Fuck you. I'm in New Hampshire. I don't know when I'll find a phone again.
Listen. This guy... I think this guy could be the real thing!
YOU could end up working for him!
This guy actually likes these people!
I think he's worth the risk...
Help me get him out. Fundraiser in 20 minutes.
Bastard! I waited for you all night!
I can explain about that...
I bought you some stuff from the drug store.
No, I can't go to Mammoth Falls without clothes.
Daisy will bring some things to Mammoth Falls on Wednesday.
Why can't I bring things to Mammoth Falls on Wednesday?
Wednesday, you'll be in Mississippi.
We've gotta set up campaign headquarters in Mammoth Falls.
Hey, I thought you were telling US to hurry.
Um...
Susan, Mrs Stanton, I'm not sure. I mean, I-I-I don't know.
I mean, I've never helped run a presidential campaign before.
Well...neither have we.
But that's how history is made, Henry.
By the first-timers.
SHE LAUGHS
AIRPORT PA BOOMS
HENRY: Are you, ah... Is this...?
Where are the state party people?
They're tied up with the Congressional races. We're it.
All right. All right. PEOPLE LAUGH
OK, get me the national committee mailing lists
of every donor since the beginning of time.
And a complete database of voting records
on every possible candidate.
We'll set up a rapid-response negative operation.
How do we do that, honey?
Don't you...
Don't any of you have any special skills?
I speak Hebrew.
Great.
Now double-click on "Pro-Choice", Ella Louise.
ELLA LOUISE: All right. Now call up the Harris vote.
Like this? No! No!
ANXIOUSLY: Oh!
Why can't I learn this?
This announcement is for the candidate briefing on the 23rd.
Put it on...500 leaflets.
And then what?
Hand them out.
Oh.
Call only the orthodox and conservative synagogues,
speak only to the rabbis and start off in Hebrew.
Check.
How's that? Fantastic.
We need to file that...
Excuse me.
We need your vote.
Terry... CONTINUES EXCITEDLY
Terry. Terry. Thank you. Bye!
HE LAUGHS DELIGHTEDLY
Hold out the leaflets for people. Don't stalk them.
OK. All right. CAR HORN HONKS
JACK: Hey, Henry. Oh.
# ..makin' music with my friends... #
How y'all doing? We're...coming along.
We don't have much staff yet. No, but what we have is choice.
Meet the most brilliant political strategist in the party.
Richard Jemmons. My right arm, Henry Burton.
Hi. I sure admired your grandaddy.
Great. Pick you up for dinner at 7pm.
We'll talk policy. Right.
OK. Nice meeting you, Henry.
Say hi to Winona.
Who? He means Jennifer Rogers.
Every girl Richard falls for is Winona Ryder to him.
Oh, that's...
..psychotic.
# On the road again
# Like a band of gypsies We go down the highway
# We're the best of friends... # That smells good!
MAN: Hey, Gov! Hey.
How y'all doin'? Come on over here.
# On the road again... #
How's the food? All right! JEMMONS: Willie!
How are you? Hi, baby!
Hi. How are you goin'?
Oh, so good! We've got it all set up for you.
Hey, he got chicken. SHE LAUGHS
Hey, Will! How's business? Hey, Gov!
Hey, Amalee, Gov's here. It's hot!
HE CHUCKLES You got your mojo workin'?
Ain't no end to it, Gov.
Hey! Hey, Loretta!
Hi, Governor. How are you doin'? Good to see you.
Gov's here!
How are you doin'? Henry Burton. Hi.
Honey, how's it goin'?
I told Jackie you were too busy workin' to baby-sit.
He wasn't happy. Yessum.
Hi, how you doin'? Welcome.
How YOU doin', Will?
Not so good since my mamma died. Oh.
I miss her like a pain. You gotta let that happen.
Your mamma deserves it. Mmm.
Your pain will heal. You've gotta give your mamma her due.
No-one will love us like our mammas.
Still got your mamma, Henry?
She's in Beverly Hills with her second husband.
You're a lucky man. Thank you.
The next time I see my mamma, she's blind.
A year later, she's just got one leg from diabetes.
She could've done anything, my mamma.
She could've been anything. God bless mammas.
My mamma worked her whole life, never asked for nothin'.
My mamma raised seven children!
SUSAN: Ozio doesn't concentrate on New Hampshire.
If so, we do the South.
Ozio might wait until New Hampshire.
Shouldn't the Governor decide this?
This pertains to the campaign right now.
He's in a mammathon. That'll last all night in the South.
My mamma worked her whole life for her family!
And never did anything for herself!
And now they're cuttin' her up! Cuttin' pieces out of her!
Why'd that happen to my mamma?!
# I looked over Jordan And what did I see?
# Comin' for to carry me home. #
Know what Richard's favourite song is?
HE SOBS
The most American goddamn song that I can think of.
A Southern governor wrote it.
Know which one I mean? HE SOBS
# You are my sunshine My only sunshine
# You make me happy When skies are grey... #
I didn't know a Southern governor wrote that.
# You'll never know dear
ALL SING: # How much I love you
# Please don't take my sunshine away
# The other night, dear
# As I lay sleeping... # Come on, darlin'.
HE SOBS LOUDLY # I felt I held you in my arms
# When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken
# And I hung my head and cried
# You are my sunshine My only sunshine
# You make me happy When skies are grey
# You'll never know, dear How much I love you... #
Here's a print-out of grassroots organisations in New Hampshire.
Put it out on my desk.
HE SPEAKS HEBREW These rabbis are putty in my hands.
Fantastic.
I started with 200. One left.
Know how I did it? No.
Look. Terry, I am...speechless.
I think my grandfather would endorse the Governor, Jessy.
Even if you ran.
OK, yeah. You too, my friend. All right.
Where are my clothes?
Calm down. Daisy got sidetracked to Washington.
She works for Sporken.
Does this guy have a chance? Dunno.
If we only worked for guys with a chance,
we wouldn't have Richard Jemmons.
Oh, shit. He's bird-doggin'.
I've got a hotel room. Why don't we go there?
You're crushing my originals. Sorry. Didn't mean to.
It's got everything - room service, vibrating bed...
Wait. Don't embarrass him.
Got cable movies. Wanna walk the snake?
What's that look about? You don't believe me?
I'm telling you, I've got a python here.
Hey!
Gee, I've never seen one that...old before.
LAUGHTER AND APPLAUSE
Come on, bud. Let's park that Mustang back in the garage.
She's not married, is she?
Fuck you!
Fuck me? Fuck you, you redneck son-of-a-bitch!
Ever hear of Anita Hill? You're lucky she's cool.
I knew she was cool.
When the muffin's cool, that's when you show your cock?
Where did you go to school? What?!
Hodgkiss, right? I read about you.
You're an elitist from Hodgkiss.
Bullshit! Bullshit, it's bullshit!
You called me a redneck. I'm proud to say I am.
You, Hodgkiss, are a honky.
You just look black.
That's the best part of you. Let's you intimidate palefaces.
You work voodoo sexual shit on white girls.
I'm blacker than you.
There's slave in me. KNOCK AT DOOR
You're crazy... MAN: Henry.
What?! You got a visitor.
Not a visitor. It's me.
Where the fuck is my suitcase?
Here. You can't let a lady carry a suitcase in the South.
Henry, I'm glad you got a wardrobe.
We got an important dinner with an important person tonight.
Who? Governor Ozio's son.
Ozio's son. What does he want?
A scouting expedition for Pappa.
It could be Ozio's looking for someone to endorse.
HE WHISTLES Jesus.
Wouldn't that be something?
Do you think so? Mm-hm.
This has to be handled just right. Just right.
JACK: That's what I remember.
You don't mind eatin' pig with your hands?
Is there another way? Not in the South.
Thank you. There we go.
The Governor's watched you move around the country.
He hoped the next time you pass our way, you'd stop in.
We will absolutely do that.
You got the book. When can we meet with Jimmy's dad, Governor Ozio?
You don't mind us talking business, do you?
No. How else would I learn?
We're pretty booked
but next Tuesday we're in Albany before New Hampshire.
How's Tuesday? Let's take a look.
BUTTON BEEPS Tuesday.
Let me just scroll down here.
BUTTONS BEEP Tuesday's pretty full,
but maybe I can slot you in somewhere.
Yeah.
Um... We land at 4.00.
There's a drop-by at the Teachers Union cocktail party.
Before their annual dinner at the Sheraton.
I'd like to skip but they'd notice.
I'm the only candidate invited to the cocktail party.
I know.
The Governor turned it down
because he's the keynote speaker at the dinner.
But you'll both be at the Sheraton.
You can meet after the party, just before dinner, in his suite.
Perfect.
I'll see him then. Excellent.
Fuck all, Henry. Fuck all!
You don't know fuck all!
You make me look like a fuckin' amateur,
like a rube-ass, barefoot dip-shit,
third-rate southern-fried piece-of-shit alderman!
You didn't know Ozio's speaking at the dinner.
You couldn't tell me so I don't mention the cocktail party.
Hello? Richard?
WOMAN: 'If you'd like to call...' Shit.
What kind of operation we got here anyway?
How come we're scheduled for a drop-in when he's the speaker?
Get me Arlen!!
You threw the phone out. Stop the car.
Don't kill us, just stop it.
The phone landed in the brush. It landed in the trees. I saw.
I'll look stupid if I go to that party.
I'm Ozio's warm-up act.
He knew but we didn't know it.
Forget the brush. It's in the trees.
Jimmy Ozio's probably telling his dad he'll be fine.
That'd be the case if Henry hadn't screwed up. Here's the phone.
It was in the brush.
Shit, you wouldn't have found it if I hadn't thrown it out the car.
PHONE RINGS
Hello? HE MOUTHS No.
No, sorry, he's not here.
Henry Burton. Can I take a message?
HE SIGHS Oh.
Oh, God, I see.
No, I got it. I got it.
How reliable is Daisy? 100%.
Then we just got bad news.
In the next issue of "Manhattan Magazine", Ozio blasts you.
What's he done?
His state's last in everything. He doesn't know shit about education.
Well, you were right about a meeting.
This is bad.
You have to hit back. Not hard. You want the liberals.
You'll lose them anyway. Are you with us?
Poke him. We'll look better when he drops out.
When who drops out? Ozio? Ozio's 24 points ahead of us.
And that's the giveaway.
If he acknowledges us in this race,
he's the stupidest Italian since Nero.
Or he won't race. He'll just sit on his throne.
JACK: I won't do it. Jack!
I won't go negative. Any jackass can burn down a barn.
It's self-defence. Well, I'm not gonna do it.
BOY ON TV: Shane! Come back!
IMITATES BOY: Come back, Shane.
Run for President.
PHONE RINGS
Hello? JACK: 'How are you doing, Henry?'
Uh...fine.
There's been a bender on the interstate.
I'm meeting with the family.
So go ahead and cancel Howard. Yeah. OK.
And, um...Governor, look, about the Teachers Union dinner...
I know how much I lay on you.
I know how hard you work for me. I'm honoured by it.
But I should've thought...
It didn't occur to me... Forget it.
Get out of that office and rest.
Stay home, crack open a bottle of chablis.
What you doing this weekend?
I'm setting up a list of meetings...
Do you think it's possible to get yourself laid?
Sir? I'm serious.
I don't want you too horny to think straight
or too burned out to kick ass.
'What are you doing Thanksgiving?'
What? 'Thanksgiving.
'You said your mamma's in Beverly Hills.'
Like to spend it with Susan, Jacky and me?
It's not like spending it with your mamma but we're family too.
Thank you. Yes, I would like that. 'Well, good, good.'
I won't take on Ozio
because I don't want to give that son-of-a-bitch
the power to make ME the son-of-a-bitch, all right?
'See you, Henry.'
Right.
JACK: Lord, thanks for what we are about to receive.
SUSAN: Amen.
All right, Son, here we go.
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
APPLAUSE
Who are all these people?
Most are from shelters. You're kidding.
He invites them every year.
That's the good news.
The bad news is he invites friends.
People he's collected since kindergarten
so he can take them aboard when he sails.
Some of them really suck.
Henry, Daisy!
She has the same problem. Right.
This is Lucille Kaufman, a friend from New York.
Hi. I marched with your grandfather.
Hello. We went to law school together.
Let's get a drink.
You're Jack's coordinator? Yeah.
Can't you change his clothes,
the colour of the campaign posters and Arlen Sporken?
If I wasn't swamped I'd campaign full-time.
Henry, meet my son, Jacky. Hi, Jacky.
This is our family doctor, Dr Beauregard.
Henry, you and Jack will have to find a way
to educate them Yankees.
Maybe if they both wear capes.
This is Randy. Randy got his first job...
ROCKABILLY MUSIC
SONG: # Unforgettable
# Thinks that I am unforgettable too... #
WOMAN: Hey, folks, may I have your attention here?
Folks, you all know me.
I'm Jacky Stanton's mamma!
WOMAN: We know that. APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
How about if we sing us a chorus of "You Are My Sunshine"
in honour of the great Southern governors of America?
ALL SING: # You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
# You make me happy... # PHONE RINGS
# When skies are grey
# You'll never know, dear... # Hello?
# How much I love you... # Huh?
# Please don't take my sunshine away... #
You're kidding! You're kidding!
Hey! Hey! Hey!
Hold it up. SINGING STOPS
What? Ozio just dropped out.
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE
It's fantastic. Yes!
Gentlemen, welcome to the first debate
of the Democratic Presidential Primary.
Keep your responses to one minute.
OK. God. I'm so nervous I'm sick.
It's three weeks to the Primary.
Senator Martin, health care.
What I want to say is
although it's vital that every man, woman and child be covered,
it's also vital that we conserve as well as expend.
We're providing a safety net for folks on welfare
who otherwise would be unable to get off welfare...
Oh, shit! What?
Man! What did you see?
Nothing. No-one, it's...
Y'all are missing one of the great assholes of our time.
I can't help feeling sad as I listen to Senator Martin.
I can remember a time
when being a Democrat
meant something more than giving welfare recipients a safety net.
It meant giving them a ladder,
helping them climb to an equal height.
It meant dignity.
If we don't control spending,
we don't shore up the economy of our country,
our economy will go under.
It's a new economic era...
Who are we shoring the economy up for?
Your bond-holding fat cats?
It's not just bond holders.
Ordinary men and women will benefit as well.
God damn it! Why is he doing this?
He's gotta get on the good side of Lawrence Harris.
It's a common-sense issue.
A lower deficit
means working families will have lower mortgage rates.
Not bad, but shut up. We're OK, we're OK.
Governor Nilson's idea has got merit.
We do need to provide jobs for those who need work.
MAN: Jack, excuse me.
What, if anything, are you against?
APPLAUSE
I... I'm against doing nothing while people are suffering.
I'm against dismissing any idea that might help
because it isn't MY idea.
Are you saying we should do nothing to help unless we come up with it?
Nailed him! Got him!
He's toast! Hell, yeah!
What I meant was that... it seems to me that...
MAN: As good as it gets. Hi.
How was I?
You took it. It was yours.
Governor, March Cunningham, the "Black Advocate".
Were you ever arrested during the Vietnam War?
No.
You were never arrested in Chicago?
No. I was detained and released. You could be thinking of that.
But the record was expunged.
Remember how you were released?
They realised it was a mistake.
It was ages ago. Check your records.
Henry. You go ahead. I'll meet you.
Yeah, go on.
What are you doing here?
Why is the "Black Advocate" suddenly interested in Stanton?
I am. I'm trying to discover who he is. A friend works for him.
Come on. Don't do this.
I thought you might be interested.
Know why he was released?
He called a US senator
and persuaded the mayor of Chicago to expunge his record.
So?
You don't care that he was so manipulative in the '60s,
he colluded with the mayor of Chicago,
who busted protesters at the Democratic Convention?
No, I don't care.
Stanton was never a radical. He's a politician.
He had his record expunged to get elected.
You wanna work for somebody who just wants to get elected?
I wanna work for a man who loses to a Republican.
What's the difference?
I know the difference between someone who believes what I believe
and lies to get elected
and a man who doesn't give a fuck.
I'll take the liar.
How did he do this to you? Do what?! What? What are you...?
Why are you making this guy into the Devil?
Why don't you get to know him?
Maybe spend a few days here.
Honey, I miss you and we could be together.
I think you'd fuck me to get some good press for Stanton.
SHE SIGHS
We're in trouble.
What does she have? SIGHS
Why is the "Black Advocate" covering Stanton?
They're not. It's... She's... It's personal.
Well, it don't matter. We're fucked.
If some little paper like the Black Advocate's
got a reporter to dig this up,
we're flying blind in the wind.
Now they'll all come after us.
You see another president on the stage?
We're it, man. We're the fucking ball game.
Now every flea that's nipped his ass
will want a piece of us.
It's the war thing, drug thing and the woman thing.
That's the killer. Talk to him about that.
Me? No, you're the strategy guy.
But you're the body man.
Maybe we could talk to Susan.
Are you out of your mind?
"Excuse me, Mrs Stanton,
"who's the Governor plugging, so we can have spin control?"
All right, let's just quit.
If everyone attacks him and we're silent,
let's work for someone we're not afraid to protect.
We'll set up a meeting. Him or her?
Her! Shit, her!
Goddamn, this is gonna be rough.
I've gotta be in Concord in an hour to meet Jack.
What's the crisis?
Well, it's campaign business. It's, er...private.
If it's not too private for YOU...
Lucille is one of my closest friends and part of this campaign.
SHE CLEARS HER THROAT What's the crisis?
Say you're out in the woods taking a shit
and a wild boar comes charging at you,
now, do you pull your britches up and run...
..or do you pull your britches up and grab the doves you shot
and then try to run,
all at the same time?
Or do you forget about the doves,
pull your britches up and run,
cos you ain't got time to aim and button your fly?
And if you miss, well...
..you don't want to die with your dick hangin' out, you know?
I think I speak for everyone in the room when I say no.
Well, I mean, er...
..what if you're not prepared for the boar
and you're caught with your britches down and lose the doves?
All right, what Richard is saying is...
..if you get caught in the forest...
Don't give us that metaphor again.
Tell us what you're talking about.
OK, say this boar's part of a pack of other boars...
I don't believe this.
Who do the boars represent? Republicans?
HENRY: No, the press. The press!
Yes. Don't they?
Yeah, the press.
Now, you're dealing with these wild boars...
Oh, God.
..and suddenly they start saying things like marijuana, Chicago,
maybe a woman comes forward and says something...
Bullshit. That won't happen.
Right. Absolutely not.
I don't think so either.
But.. I'm just trying to figure this out.
If it did happen...
If it happened, he's not going to get trapped like Hart,
cos we know the rules.
If some bimbo comes forward, we say, "Bullshit."
LUCILLE: Bullshit is right.
How would you deal with it?
By knowing more than them, by being prepared,
so when something comes up we can fight back.
How will we know what garbage they'll come up with?
Well, that's the point, Lucille.
That's the whole ever-fuckin' point.
We need to hire somebody to do research. Understand?
We need somebody that can...
Investigate our lives. Investigate everything.
Everything anybody can make an allegation about.
We don't play that game. That's the media's game.
We play the people's game.
We say we don't want an election about trash.
We want it about your future.
We don't shoot doves in this campaign. We protect them.
What do you mean?
Well... Don't the doves represent the people?
No.
I don't know who the doves are. Forget the doves.
Henry, you agree with this? Yes.
OK. We'll do it.
I'll tell the Governor.
I want Libby Holden. My God.
If we're gonna get someone to dig up dirt
we need someone who knows us, someone we trust.
Is she out of hospital? Yes.
But she's... OK? Who is she?
She was Jack's chief of staff 20 years ago. She had a breakdown.
She became incoherent during a press conference. It was awful.
She's gone to mental hospitals for years.
She's stable. She's been home for 18 months.
You and Henry can fly tomorrow and brief her.
Well, that's good - that she's stable.
You know you're putting the campaign in her hands now.
Yes, I know.
Well...well, that's good.
Then are WE the doves?
Lucille, I think we can forget the metaphor.
I think we're the ones taking the shit in the woods.
Hey, I love you.
Henry! I'm just thrilled, thrilled y'all came back.
I've got a million messages for you.
He looks like a band leader. I'm getting rid of it.
Hi. How are you doing?
Henry, how are you doing?
On behalf of Jack Stanton, thanks for your support.
Call them assistants, not secretaries.
Hey, Jennifer, look who's back.
Henry! Oh!
Shalom.
You're working on Friday and wearing a yarmulke.
Actually, I'm dressed for work. How you doing, HB?
I'm here. Who's talking to me?
Miss Holden?
Henry Burton. Ah-hah!
Hi. I'm Terry Hicks. SHE LAUGHS
Jennifer. Ah-hah.
Hello, Lib. Hello, shit-for-brains.
Learned how to watch your mouth yet?
I will not let you fuck up this campaign.
That was 20 years ago.
I was thinner then. I had a waist.
Peter Goldsmith. Ella Louise Hermann.
Where is this happening? What?
The fucking meeting!
I will need a safe house.
I know the house. Little, nice rose garden.
Call Becky Raymond - 673 4982.
Say it's for the Governor. She'll know what you mean.
Now, staff...
I want that one, the one who looks like Winona Ryder. Gorgeous.
She smart? Oh, she's smart.
I want her as soon as the meeting's over. Start.
Well, a reporter for the "Black Advocate"
dug up the Governor's Chicago arrest.
We can't stop that.
Why stop it? It's a paper trail. Chicago's not important.
We're concerned there may be other things.
Like Cashmere McLeod. Who?
Boy, you really don't know shit, do you?
You mean Susan's hairdresser? And Jack's pork pie.
What?! For Christ's sake, act your age.
Jack Stanton fucks around and he's got enemies.
But what...? Susan's hairdresser?
What can she do to us?
She can sell her story to "The Flash" for 150,000,
minus the ten% she's given
to the slime-sucking, down-on-his-luck attorney
who's agenting the deal.
You know this?
No! I imagined it in the booby hatch.
It's bullshit. In your dreams, sweetheart.
She can't hurt us. She's selling a story.
She has no proof or credibility. It's bullshit.
She's the tip of the iceberg.
Jacky's done some pretty stupid things.
He's poked his pecker in some trash bins.
We gotta stop him before they stop us.
We gotta crush 'em and sweep 'em up.
From now on, you can call me the Dust Buster.
You know, honey child, I'm stronger than dirt.
I believe you.
We could offer her 200,000 NOT to print it.
And then kill her.
He did nothing wrong. There's nothing to be defensive about.
He should act pissed off. Not too much.
It should be, "It's unfortunate but not serious."
More like, "This ain't as frightening
"as things that happen to real people,
"like losing your job or foreclosing."
"Shit happens but we're calm." Right.
Maybe we expected this kind of crap to happen.
Right. The usual media trash bash.
Why did he do it?
Did he figure Cashmere would never betray him?
Wait. Maybe it isn't true.
What difference does it make?
It's better if it wasn't true.
Why? Hitler never looked at another woman after Eva Braun.
Is he better than Stanton
or Jefferson, Roosevelt or Kennedy
or anyone we wished we worked for who fucked around?
That's not the official line for interviews.
SHE SIGHS No, of course not.
Today a potentially explosive development
for Governor Jack Stanton
in his quest for the Democratic presidential nomination.
A hairdresser has come forward
alleging a long-term affair with the married candidate.
The story, as yet unconfirmed,
appeared today in "The Flash".
There has been no statement from the Governor
regarding the young woman, Cashmere McLeod.
But the accusation comes on the heels of the disclosure
that Governor Stanton was arrested in 1968 in Chicago.
Fuckin' "Eyewitless News". God damn it.
Ted Koppel wants someone for his show.
"60 Minutes" wants us Sunday...
Must we take this? They'll dignify this like it's truth.
Must we go along with that? We can't ignore it.
They might have given him Chicago. That was 30 years ago.
They might have given him Cashmere. She was paid.
But two on top of each other?
People will say, "Do we want a former hippie that plays around?"
He did not fuck Cashmere McLeod.
If you can't handle that simple fact, leave right now.
All right, let's think this through.
Who has thoughts about "60 Minutes"?
I think you do it.
Say yes to these interviews and show them what you got.
MAN: The sooner the better.
There's two weeks left till the Primary.
DAISY: We should take the attitude we expected this to happen.
It's the usual media bullshit.
"Shit happens, yet we're calm in a shit storm."
MUTED VOICES CONTINUE
Hey, Governor. Henry, my man.
Sit down, have some coffee. No, I can't.
You gonna get some sleep tonight? Absolutely.
Don't worry. I was going over some ideas with Danny.
Danny Scanlon, this is my friend, Henry Burton.
Hi. Can I get you something?
Apple fritter? No, thanks.
You know that Danny, here, works here every night,
12-hour shifts, 5.25 an hour.
I was saying, I don't mind.
I'd mind if I couldn't work.
How about an apple fritter? Not for me.
What was the best game you saw? College, not pro.
HE SIGHS Utah State versus San Diego State.
Yes. That was a great game, wasn't it?
It was a great ground game.
Yep, you gotta have a good ground game.
Yeah, you do.
Apple fritter? No, I just said...
I'll have one. But just one.
I'll make some fresh coffee and if you want some, call me.
All right, Danny. Thank you.
You look tired, Governor.
Maybe it's time to go home.
They're gonna kill me with trash. Don't let them.
It's my fault. I didn't keep it together.
We can still win this thing.
We're going to win.
The hits you're taking are nothing
compared to what average folks go through.
Losing their jobs, losing their homes.
Keep that in mind. Yeah.
Keep the folks in your mind.
It's about them, isn't it? Yeah.
It's about history.
That's truer for Susan.
For me, it's always been about them.
Like this fella, Danny Scanlon.
Worked every day since he was 14.
Couldn't get insurance. Couldn't get his leg fixed right.
Doesn't complain.
Doesn't do anyone any harm.
Aching to do good.
God! If you...
..let a man like that go down, you don't deserve space on this planet.
We won't let him go down. No.
PHONE RINGS
Shit!
Yeah? 'Bummer, Henry. Bummer.'
Libby? 'Yeah.'
'She's got tapes.' Who? Who's got tapes?
Cashmere, the hair slut!
She'll play 'em at her press conference.
There's no time for ineptitude.
Tell Jack and Susan she's got tapes.
And get your ass back to Mammoth Falls.
Hey, Henry. Good morning.
Honey, I have to run. Hold on.
The new member of the swimming team wants you.
Hey, Jacky boy. That's great, you made it.
Well, that's great. We're proud of you.
No, just a bunch of campaign garbage, that's all.
Governor, this can't wait.
We'll call you tonight. I love you too. Bye-bye.
What is it? I was talking to Libby.
Cashmere McLeod has tapes of you and her on the phone.
She'll play them at a press conference tomorrow.
Oh, I'm sorry. How bad?
I don't know. Did you tell...
Henry, could you excuse us, please?
Sure.
It's cold here, Sam. These are friendly people. It's like home.
I like her hair that way. It softens her face.
It could be longer, though.
If you hung out with us,
you'd see folks are interested in the future.
He's gotten fat. And he jogs.
Imagine how much he eats. WHAT he eats.
What's he governor of? Let me see... Not Georgia...
REPORTER: Did you have an affair with Cashmere McLeod?
Sam, I am not going to dignify that trash.
I'm disappointed,
when American people have lots to be concerned about...
I saw a picture of the hairdresser. Not bad.
We've had tough times. We've solved them.
I don't think this is fair.
People suffer and go through all sorts of crazy things.
The important thing is, we're still here.
If you want to draw a political lesson
about Jack Stanton's character,
he will stick, he will work through the tough times.
Every day he'll bust his butt for the American people.
"Bust his butt". The mouth on her.
He just should take her in hand. Yeah, right.
They had some tough times.
Maybe that's when he screwed the hairdresser.
MOBILE PHONE RINGS
REPORTER: That's the end of The Week In Washington...
Yeah? Hi.
Are you watching?
It's just going off now.
TV CREWMAN: And we're out. Thanks, everybody.
And it's over. How'd it play where you are?
Wasn't she fantastic? Yeah, great.
But they'd like to see her hair longer.
Watch the step, sir. Thank you.
Hey. Hey. Henry!
Good to see you. How you doing?
How long you staying? Not long.
No time to talk. We've gotta watch old Cashmere.
Take care of yourself.
I'll be home for dinner. We'll take my truck.
Yeah, I...
OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN SINGS: # And my friends around... #
SHE SINGS: # To help me ease my pain... #
You met Jack and Susan working for McGovern?
Yep. What were they like?
Glorious...golden.
Golden.
Did they have... # ..just missing you again.
# Please, mister, please Don't play B-17
# It was our song, it was her song... #
Sing with me, Henry!
BOTH SING: # Please, mister, please
# If you know what I mean... #
All right! HE CHUCKLES
# ..Wanna play that song again. #
SHE LAUGHS HEARTILY
HORN TOOTS Sailorman!
Libby, good to see you, girl. How was the booby hatch?
A better class of drugs than before.
Where's the beer? Hey.
TV REPORTER: 'Thanks, Tom.'
Welcome to the world of electronics.
Thanks. Brewski?
Here she comes.
'..which, she says, prove her allegations...'
Recording.
'...against Governor Jack Stanton.'
I can imagine her in high school.
'I'm Sherman Presley, Miss McLeod's attorney.
'I wanna make it clear.
'We'll take no questions until after the playing of the tape.
'This won't be an inquisition.' Yeah, right.
WE got the inquisition.
'The tapes were recorded on Miss McLeod's phone machine.
'The portions you're about to hear were recorded before Thanksgiving.'
CASHMERE: Governor Jack Stanton seduced me.
REPORTER: Can you back that up?
And I have tapes to prove it.
STANTON ON TAPE: 'I'm meeting the family.'
CASHMERE: 'You said you loved me.
'You said no-one does what I do.
'I could come up there.' God, what a whiny bitch.
'Remember when I met you in Dallas?
'I get hot just thinking about it.'
Oh, my God.
STANTON: 'What you doing this weekend?' 'Nothing, now you're leaving.'
'Stay home with a bottle of Chablis.
'Think it's possible to get laid?'
'I'd say it's entirely possible - if you postpone that trip.'
'I'm too horny to think straight.'
ATTORNEY: 'These tapes were recorded on Miss McLeod's machine...'
I'm recording the rest of this. Let's get to work.
I'll kill him. Why was he so dumb?
There's breath cut-outs. Let's replay it.
STANTON: 'I'm meeting the family.'
That's an abrupt cut-out, there.
'What you doing this weekend?' That's picked up in mid-sentence.
It could be.
'Stay home with a bottle of Chablis.
'Think it's possible to get laid?'
That break-up in the middle could be static or a decoder.
Wait a second.
Wait a god-damned second.
Play that line again.
'Think it's possible to get laid?'
WHISPERS: "Possible to get laid..." Again.
What? Just again, dammit.
'Think it's possible to get laid?'
Yourself! HE LAUGHS TRIUMPHANTLY Yourself!
Hello? You're not cracking up? Two of us would be too many.
Un-fucking-believable!
He said, "Think it's possible to get YOURSELF laid?"
He was talking to me.
He didn't want me too horny to think straight.
It was just before Thanksgiving.
Play it again from the top.
Shit!
'I'm meeting the family.' "Meeting the family"?
There was an accident. That's the family he was meeting.
OK. Next line. His.
'What you doing this weekend?'
That's an abrupt cut-out, right? Yep.
He said, "What you doing this weekend, HENRY?"
He called me Henry. I remember the call, it meant so much.
Jesus Christ, we got her!
You got her, we don't. How do we prove it?
Oh, no, Libby. We can't let them get away with this.
This cannot be a world that lets them get away with it.
The black boy saying that. What a privileged life you've had.
I won't let them get away with it.
I'll find a way.
I'll find out where Ted Koppel and Larry King are.
Can you nail their mobile conversations?
Track 'em? Sure. Do it.
Then we'll pick the best. Let's go, Henry.
We gotta change the world now.
LIBBY: You asshole!
Yes, it was off a cellular telephone.
Don't pull that outraged puppy shit.
You're not an innocent because that tape's phoney.
We should've castrated you when we had the chance.
Libby, you're on a cellular phone. Oh, shit!
Yes, I'm god-damned sure I know who did it.
Yes.
I'll get it done.
OK. Bye.
Wait a minute. You know who did it?
Yes! Oh, yes, indeedy.
A triumphant day, Randy? Perhaps your best ever.
That Cashmere? Let me say hi. No, it's not.
Say goodbye to Sherman Presley.
It's not Sherman Presley, whoever he is.
Branched out, Randy? Electronics now?
Don't know what you're talking about.
You've been recording the Governor's private conversations.
Come on, why would I do that?
I'm a big Stanton supporter, always have been.
He's good for this state.
After being here 20 seconds, you've exhausted my patience.
I want a signed confession.
Put that away before you get yourself into trouble.
You wet fart of a human turd! You ambushed Stanton.
Admit it or die.
Libby, you're crazy!
Certi-fucking-fiably! At last, a fact.
You'll go to jail too. I don't know anything.
He's shocked. He had no idea.
Now, you gonna write this in longhand?
I don't know what you're talking about.
You know what?
I'm gonna blow your nuts off.
I'm a gay lesbian woman. I don't mythologise the male sexual organs.
HE SHRIEKS God! Now, now, now, you tiny scumbag.
I know you did it.
You're on retainer to "The Flash".
You stupid shit, you couldn't make do with what Jack actually did,
you had to embellish it.
Mister, you're about to become Mrs. Libby, don't!
You have a choice to make. Quickly.
How crazy is Libby? You have to do it now.
One...
..two...
This is gonna be fun. GUN COCKS
OK! OK! OK! OK!
Very good. Very wise.
Now, I want you to be eloquent in this letter you're about to write.
And guilt-ridden about your jealousy and greed.
You couldn't live with yourself
if you deprived the American people of this man.
Tonight, an aide of Governor Jack Stanton
has joined us to play a tape.
'I haven't heard this tape. My producer has.'
Thanks for letting us go on with such short notice.
OK, here we go.
LARRY KING: 'I'll be 15 minutes.'
WOMAN: 'I could come up there.'
'I can't wait.
'I need it now, OK?' 'Oh, entirely.
'I get hot just thinking about it.'
Look at King. Look at his face.
That sounded like me. It WAS you, Larry.
Asking a waiter to seat you right away
because you hadn't had anything to eat since morning.
How did you...? We recorded it off your mobile.
I'll read a letter
from someone who did the same to Governor Stanton.
"To whom it may concern,
"I am an employee of 'The Flash'.
"I admit taking innocent statements
"of Governor Jack Stanton
"off his cellular phone, editing them
"and paying Cashmere McLeod
"to pretend she was talking to him.
"I did this for my gain and advancement.
"I confess because I can no longer live with the fear
"that I may deprive the American people
"of a great man."
And it's signed "Randy Culligan, Attorney at Law".
Don't you think the media owes Governor Stanton an apology?
For spreading this unsubstantiated garbage...
Good! Very straight.
..it should be harder than this to smear someone.
We'll be right back with your phone calls. Don't go away.
Where'd you get my cellular...?
Henry, well done. PHONE RINGS
ORLEANS SONG: # You're still the one
# Who can scratch my itch
# You're still the one
# I'm loving it
# We're still having fun
# And you're still the one
# You are still the one
# That makes me proud
# Still the one
# I'll be around
# We're still having fun
# And you're still the one
# You're still the one
# Yeah, still the one... #
Thank you for sticking with us and working hard through this.
There's not much time, but with your help,
and the grace of God, we'll get done what's needed.
It's been pretty awful but we're still here.
CROWD CHEERS ENTHUSIASTICALLY
'I know it'd be easy to get laughs by doing cheap blow-dry jokes...
'..so I'll just get started.'
TV AUDIENCE LAUGHS
'It started innocently for Governor Stanton.
'He walked in one day and asked for a little trim...'
AUDIENCE LAUGHS '..And some longer bangs.'
LAUGHTER
They just don't care about the fine points.
No, it would ruin the punchline.
'Does anyone survive one of these "feeding frenzies"?'
'If they've been around a while.
'This is the first most people know about Stanton.
'You've gotta figure he's history.'
Fucking idiot! Yaaah!
Damn her!
ALL SING: # For the land of the free
# And the home of the brave. #
CHEERING
Thank you, Phil.
Folks, as the head of the Port Smith Democratic Party,
it's my pleasure to introduce to you
one of the South's most progressive governors
and the husband of one of the best little fly-fishermen ever.
Please welcome Governor Jack Stanton.
WILD APPLAUSE
Thank you for that kind introduction, Tommy.
And thanks for the fish. THEY LAUGH
Yeah, he gave me a big slab-sided, white-bellied fella.
Looked a lot like me. AUDIENCE LAUGHS
Put it on the grill, gave it some heat,
like they're doing to me too.
Thanks for coming. I know how little time you have to rest.
Some have got more time than we like.
OTHERS: Yeah. I understand.
In fact, since this factory closed, how many of you have found work?
Let's see a show of hands. Right. Right.
How many work jobs that just pay the rent,
no matter how many hours you work?
Mamma worked like that after Daddy died.
I remember her coming home from work bone-weary.
You know what I mean.
I know she wanted to play, ask about school.
But she was too tired.
Just heated a TV dinner.
WOMAN: You got that right. There you go.
I don't have to tell you looking for work is hard.
Or about hard times.
Know what I'll do?
I'll do something really outrageous.
I'll tell the truth.
AUDIENCE LAUGHS
I know what you're thinking. "He must really be desperate."
But if you had to swallow enough sh...garbage...
You can say "shit". We're X-rated. AUDIENCE LAUGHS
Me too, if you believe the papers.
Here's the truth.
No politician can reopen this factory.
Or bring back the shipyard jobs.
Make your union strong again.
No politician can turn back time.
It's a new world now.
A world without economic borders.
Push a button in New York, move 1 billion to Tokyo.
In that world, muscle jobs go where muscle labour is cheap.
And that is not here.
If you want to compete, exercise a different set of muscles -
the one between your ears.
He lost 'em. Fuck 'em, he's got me.
This country has to go back to school.
We have to get smarter, learn new skills.
I'll make you this deal.
I'll wake thinking about you.
I'll sweat and bleed for money to make education a lifetime thing
to give you the support you need to move up.
But you have to do the heavy lifting yourselves.
I've taken lots of hits in this campaign.
Know what that means?
It means someone thinks you're only interested
in the garbage they're throwing at me.
So, Tuesday, when you cast your vote,
you think about that.
Think about what you're really interested in.
THEN pick your candidate.
Yeah! AUDIENCE CHEERS WILDLY
I don't think I'll be able to take it if he loses.
If he does, maybe we wanna go away for a while.
Try some non-campaign sex, see if it holds up.
God damn it, Richard, why are you always in my room?
Cos it's neater.
Henry, when this is over, we oughta work together.
Set up a consultancy, tap that black vote.
Stop the "When this is over, we're pros" crap.
Maybe you're pros but I'm emotionally involved.
Can I sleep here? BOTH: NO!
All right. Shit.
See, a pro knows how to say goodbye.
TV COMMENTATOR: 'It's Primary day in New Hampshire.
'Harris has serious things to say about America's future.'
People recognise that and that's why we'll see some upsets today.
The biggest upset is for Stanton.
Stanton - like George Romney, Ed Muskie, Gary Hart before him -
flamed briefly, then burned out.
He's stirring the ashes now.
I can't understand why we just don't quit.
SHE COUGHS
Don't we know we're over?
An industry of political experts has explained why we're dead.
Why are we still walking around?
TV NEWS HOST: '..With rains across the upper Midwest.'
And with 15% of the vote in,
we are predicting Lawrence Harris to win in New Hampshire.
Shit, that ain't nothing. It's his state - he's gotta win.
MALE PRESENTER: 'Governor Jack Stanton,
who's still campaigning, by the way,
must be fighting to the end.
'He's in downtown Manchester on this cold and rainy night,
'fighting for last-minute votes.
'This was his technique all along.
'Many are surprised how effective it has been.'
According to exit polls,
an overwhelming number of Stanton voters
say the deciding factor was that they met the Governor.
We predict Stanton a close second to Lawrence Harris,
'with Nelson and Martin...'
I'll be a son of a bitch!
Don't be discouraged. We can still win!
Are you crazy? Didn't you hear?
We're second! We're alive! We're a fuckin' miracle, man!
THEY CHEER AND SHOUT
WILLIE NELSON SINGS: # On the road again... #
HENRY: We have a chance now, a real chance -
if we could just lose Harris.
Harris will probably take Colorado.
He'll take Florida unless you start hitting him.
Forget Florida, it's the South.
It's Jewish. You gotta buy off the silver bullet in Florida.
Without Harris we have the field.
No, negative will boomerang. I know it.
Huh? I'm not going negative.
TV ANNOUNCER: For President, Jack Stanton or Lawrence Harris?
I served my country in Korea.
My boy, Jeff, fought in the Gulf War.
Jack Stanton dodged the Vietnam draft
and used political connections
to cover up his anti-war arrest record.
I believe in real solutions and telling the truth.
'Jack Stanton believes in glib answers
to tough questions about his country - and himself.
I'm Lawrence Harris. I'll fight the tough fights.
I won't run away.
It's a question of character. PATRIOTIC MUSIC
ANNOUNCER: Paid for by the Harris for President Committee.
SILENCE
OK, I'm gonna kill The son-of-a-bitch.
OTHERS CHEER AND APPLAUD
Although I think he's a fine man,
and I agree with him about lowering the deficit,
I don't agree with Senator Harris's proposal
to study a reduction - even a freeze -
in cost-of-living adjustments for social security.
AUDIENCE MURMURS ANXIOUSLY
And I also disagree with Harris about Medicare.
AUDIENCE MUTTERS AGREEMENT
There's one other area Harris and I disagree - the Middle East.
When he was a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
my opponent cast a great many votes
regarding the security and the future of Israel.
No!
I agree with many of his votes.
But it's important to stand with our friends.
And America has no better friend than the State of Israel.
We're up three points and climbing - thanks, God -
so a meeting with the Rainbow Coalition...
KNOCK AT DOOR One second.
Who is it? William McAllister.
Can I call you back? I'll just be five minutes.
Ain't you remembering me, Mr Burton?
Willie! The barbecue place. Come on in.
What are you doing HERE?
I figured it'd be easier to talk face-to-face with a brother
than to the Gov.
Mmm? Even though he's like a brother.
I, um...
I flew here cos my daughter, Loretta, is with child
and she says...Governor Jack Stanton's the daddy.
Right.
Has he landed yet?
Yeah, he's in the men's room. OK.
Um, is he alone? What do you mean?
Doesn't matter.
Governor. Hi.
Well, we're in the lead. Good. Good.
Senator Harris is second.
It's the undecideds that's killing everyone.
Governor, Willie McAllister came to see me last night.
His daughter's pregnant and she says you're the father.
Who else knows? He says no-one.
What's he want? I dunno.
I just can't catch a break, can I?
All right, all right.
Is Willie still here?
No. He went back this morning.
Well, I can't leave before the Primary.
If this gets out, it'll kill us.
You and Howard fly back to Mammoth Falls tomorrow.
You gotta talk to him.
Make sure he understands there's some kind of mistake.
They're good people but not sophisticated.
But I want them to know.
Why pick me?
Is it because I'm black? No.
It's because Willie picked you.
You don't have to say anything. Howard knows what to say.
Be there, because he came to you.
All right, Governor, if I'm going to do this,
then there's something I need to know.
I am not the father of that child, Henry.
You will never have to be ashamed to be part of this campaign,
you understand that?
You'll never swallow it, duck it or apologise for it.
I'll make sure that doesn't happen.
Guys.
DOG BARKS
Hey, Mr Burton. Hi, Willie.
Hey, Gov.
You remember Howard Ferguson.
He works with the Governor too.
Hello. Morning.
Well, what can I do for you?
The Governor is very concerned about this situation with your daughter.
He'd like to see it resolved.
As I'm sure you would.
He'd like her to have an amniocentesis performed immediately
so that paternity can be positively established.
A what? It's a medical procedure.
Performed in hospital.
A needle is inserted into the abdomen.
Amniotic fluid is drawn from your daughter's womb.
Genetic material is analysed
and compared with the Governor's blood to determine paternity.
I don't understand.
It's normally used to determine the foetus's health.
That's what you'll tell them at Mercy Hospital -
that you want to make sure that the baby's healthy.
A needle? It's a common procedure.
A needle in her belly?
Look, look, Mr McAllister,
there are people who'd like to destroy Governor Stanton.
He doesn't believe you're one, but he can't allow this.
YOU can't allow this.
I'm sure your daughter's a fine person,
but she's a child - children are impressionable.
There's been news about the Governor.
I told her to say nothing. She's a good girl.
Oh. I'm sure she is.
And the Governor wants to do everything possible to help her.
And you - through this time. He's prepared to be very generous.
He will help her provide for the baby.
Now, he'll do this because he believes that you are his friend.
But we must resolve this.
We must determine to everyone's satisfaction
he's not the father of that child.
I'm sure that you...
..you understand...
..our position.
Pull over.
Hello, Folks. I'm Izzy Rosenblatt and I'm here with Schmooze for Jews.
And my guest today is presidential nominee
and JFK lookalike, Governor Jack Stanton.
Hi, Izzy. Hi, Jack.
When we were talking before,
you were telling me that your mamma liked Vegas.
As a tip to our listeners, where does she stay?
She's pretty loyal to the MGM Grand.
MGM Grand. Listen up, you Vegas fans.
Who's her favourite act? Is it Wayne Newton?
Absolutely. Absolutely.
Everybody loves Wayne Newton. He was once a guest on this show.
That was many, many years ago.
Now, to satisfy the curiosity of our Vegas fans,
when your mother plays blackjack, where does she stand pat?
Is it 16?
She is a gambler, but sometimes she'll go up to 17.
Oh, my. Mm-hmm.
Excuse me, Governor, but I'm told we have Senator Harris on the phone.
Hello? This is indeed an honour.
HARRIS: 'Thank you.'
We were talking with Gov. Stanton about how his mother loves Las Vegas.
Senator, does your mother have a favourite vacation spot?
'My mother's dead.'
Oh.
I'm sorry.
'Jack Stanton should be ashamed
'of the way he's scaring many elderly people down here!'
You mean about going up to 17? 'What?'
I'm not following you.
'He's telling people I'll cut their social security!'
Come on, Larry. It's part of your book.
'Everyone knows what you're doing, the sleazy politics you're playing.'
Is it OK if I speak? Be my guest.
What am I saying? You ARE my guest!
Larry, I'm looking at your campaign book here.
Page 18, paragraph 3.
What exactly does it mean
that you want to study a freeze of cost-of-living adjustments?
'Oh. That's only one possibility.
'We might want to rework how they're calculated.'
Cost-of-living adjustments
are calculated to keep up with inflation.
You don't think that's a good idea?
'I didn't say that!' It's here in your book.
'I said it has to be studied.
'We might want to spend MORE on cost-of-living adjustments.'
Tell me, Senator Harris, who's your favourite comedian?
'What?' I'm saying what my positions are.
You're the one here... 'You're distorting MY positions!
'This is the reason no-one trusts the political process!'
You can't defend your positions. 'Not with these games.
'We can't afford to spend money like this!'
You said you might spend more on cost-of-living adjustments.
I think you're confused. 'No, no, no.' HE COUGHS
'Excuse me.
'But...now listen...' HE COUGHS VIOLENTLY
'Excuse me.' HE HANGS UP
What happened? Did he hang up, or what?
Ah...yes, yes, yes.
Well, ah...so, tell me, Governor, who's your favourite comedian?
The phones haven't stopped ringing!
It was fantastic! It was a rout!
We couldn't believe we were hearing Harris, could we?
No, no. He's fucked. We've got Florida.
Quick! Turn on CNN! Quiet down.
It's on. Shh!
TV: 'According to sources, Senator Harris suffered two heart attacks,'
the first after a phone call with Governor Jack Stanton
during a Florida radio talk show.
Jesus! Oh, shit. We heard him having it.
'..where he remains in a coma.'
His condition is listed as critical.
Hospital sources in Florida
will not confirm the Senator's condition.
HE TURNS VOLUME DOWN
'It's difficult to say what effect this will have on the campaign.'
MAN: 'We don't know the damage to Senator Harris's heart yet.
'His doctor is issuing general bulletins regarding his condition.
'He suffered a massive heart attack...'
Vote's in two days. What'll we do?
We go to Mammoth Falls and Daisy stays and pulls the negative ads.
Jack, I understand how you feel, but...
We go back to Mammoth Falls.
MEDIA CHATTER
I was so proud, so fucking smug.
There was no way you could know.
We would've whipped him anyway. Being gracious would've been smarter.
I'm sorry, but the man cuts a vicious negative ad,
ambushes you on a talk show, accuses YOU of sleazy politics.
You're supposed to be gracious? Am I missing something?
Is Jacky OK? He's fine.
This is no time to stop the meeting.
Harris is a smart man. He's right about the issues.
He's pompous and rubbed your nose in it.
I rubbed his back. That's not how you win.
All right.
I don't know what to do now.
I guess I should fly back tonight, address the victory party.
Try to call Mrs Harris at the hospital again.
She hasn't been returning my calls. Can't blame her, can you?
Well, what do you think?
Henry.
What the fuck was that? Who were you and Howard staring at?
Nothing. No-one.
Bullshit. That wasn't nothing. Who's that woman with Susan?
It looked liked what's-her-name - Fat Willie's wife.
Why is she worth staring at?
Henry, what the fuck is going on? Nothing!
REPORTERS YELL
CAR STARTS
KNOCK AT DOOR
Yeah?
KNOCK AT DOOR All right.
Son of a bitch!
Amniocentesis, you motherfucker!
Susan, I-I'm sorry. I...
When were you going to tell me?!
SHE SOBS
JACK ON TV: 'My wife could not be with me at this time.
'She's with our son in Mammoth Falls...'
Susan, Susan. SHE SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY
No! Come here. Sorry. I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
Shh-shh-shh-shh.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry.
'Every one of us in this great country of ours
'wishes Senator Harris a full and speedy recovery.
'I think the people of Florida will understand
'if I forego any talk of victory or defeat
'and ask them to join me in a prayer.'
BRAD: We'll need a New York consultant. Norman Asher's good.
JACK: Where's Henry, Daisy?
DAISY: Don't know. I came with you.
Brad, where's the New York numbers? You're 22%.
And Harris is running at 18%, comatose.
I'm... I'm really sorry. Shit, Henry.
The Governor would like your input on New York.
How will they take Harris?
Well, Susan, I think first we have to see if Harris is still in.
That's not very helpful. Lucille?
LUCILLE: Harris is out.
If Ozio doesn't change his mind and jump in, it's ours by default.
My God! This poor woman.
'I want to thank you all
'for your remarkable outpouring of affection.
'It's obvious that my husband will not be able to continue
'his campaign for the presidency.'
Fantastic!
I mean, you know what I mean.
'..Former Governor Fred Picker of Florida to carry on for us.'
ALL MOAN
'To continue to raise the questions
'in a meaningful, honourable way.'
She's not too upset to poke us. Give her a break.
Her husband might die and she thinks Jack did it.
'Now let me turn this campaign over to Governor Picker.'
'Thank you, darling.' CAMERAS CLICK
JOURNALISTS SHOUT QUESTIONS
'Excuse me. This is an emotional time.
'Governor Picker, do you think you can win the nomination?'
'Well, I'm... I'm...not out to win...the nomination.
'I'm... I'm out to continue what Senator Harris began.
'I'm trying to give the American people
'an honest choice on the issues.'
'If you won the nomination...'
'It's really premature to discuss that right now.
'I haven't had time to think about it.
'What I HAVE thought about
'is the best way I can help Senator Harris in this campaign.
'And as I know him as a man of action rather than words,
'the best action is for me to go down and donate a pint of blood,
'because that's what he really needs now.
'If you can come down and donate a pint,
'I know Mrs Harris would appreciate it.'
Ohhhh!
Jesus Christ! We should've thought of that blood thing.
Great. Great goddamn move.
How do we treat this guy?
How do we run against him if he won't run?
Oh, shit. He'll run.
He'll be flavour of the week - it'll be golden.
We'll be patient, wait till he comes out.
What kind of changes can we expect from the campaign?
'Lawrence Harris has made several negative 30-seconds spots
'and his pollsters have advised even more.
'Will you keep on in that direction?'
'No. I won't be doing any spots.
'I won't be having any polls
'because I'm not paying any pollsters.
'I won't hire people to tell me what you're thinking
'and how to get at you.'
'What WILL you do?' 'I'm just gonna talk straight.'
Jesus Christ! Who is this guy?
Let's not panic. He's as much as admitted he's running.
Now we'll see some tarnish on the golden image.
The media giveth and...
go fuck yourself.
'Governor, why did you quit politics in 1978?
'There are many reasons, Charlie.
'I had personal problems.'
'I know this can't be easy for you to discuss.'
'No. No, it's not.
'But I guess it's the game now, so I'll be candid.
'You see, what happened was,
'I got too wrapped up in the business of being governor.
'I began neglecting my family.
'My wife fell in love with another man.
'I quit in part to see if I could salvage my marriage,
'but I couldn't.
'I just wanted to make sure
'my boys knew they had two parents that loved them.
'I think they'll tell you we made it through OK.
'They're in college now.
'When Mrs Harris asked me to do this,
'they were very, very, enthusiastic.
'You could say I'm doing this for them, too.'
Awesome. Best I've ever seen.
What do we do?
Well, now we panic.
'As I said earlier, it must be difficult...'
PHONE RINGS
Hello?
LIBBY: 'Hey, amnio man!'
God! How the hell did you find out?
Wasn't hard. Loretta talked to a school mate.
A Current Affair just offered the McAllisters 250,000.
Fat Willie threw them off the property
and threatened to call the cops.
I stashed them elsewhere. I could kill Jack!
'He says he's not the father.' He's probably not.
Doesn't matter. Shit begets shit. Cashmere made anything possible.
Yeah. Didn't she?
I'm a good consultant and I know New York.
But I'm not a magician.
Those rumours about you and the black girl...
Can't I say I gave blood to disprove the charge
and we're waiting for results?
That's too defensive.
There's the contrast between you and Picker giving blood.
It might be a good idea
to get on some TV shows like Montel and Geraldo.
You mean strip away those last shreds of dignity
and wallow in trash?
Why campaign in New York? What's the use?
You have to. You can't skip New York.
Well, they'll kill me.
No. It'll just feel like they have.
But you'll survive. We all find a way to survive.
CROWD JEERS, BRASS BAND PLAYS
That's why I'm happy to be here,
to have the opportunity to...
If you'll just give me a chance...
Please give me a chance to answer your questions.
I love New York!
CROWD JEERS
Rot in hell! Bugger! Bugger! Bugger!
Son of a bitch!
You're a phoney! A pederast! You're a sick, hetero fuck!
CROWD YELLS ABUSE
SIREN WAILS, CROWD BEATS VAN
I don't know how much more of this I can take.
Tomorrow we start working Connecticut.
Picker's speaking at a rally. We should hit at the same time.
He can't tomorrow.
He's meeting with the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
WHAT?! Who the fuck decided that?!
The Lubavitcher Rebbe. Can't win New York without him.
Governor... Norman knows New York.
It's his call. Susan's right.
You go to the rally, I'd better keep the appointment.
CHEERING, BRASS BAND PLAYS
Thank you. Well, this is kind of overwhelming.
He's nervous now. He's the man now.
BAND PLAYS FUNKY TUNE
I didn't expect this.
All the folks giving their blood in the back, out in the tents,
I want to thank them.
CROWD CHEERS
Would y'all do me a favour and don't shout quite so loud? Thank you.
LAUGHTER
Thanks. MAN: We love you!
Yeah, I really mean it.
I...wish everyone would just calm down a little
and when I say everyone, I mean the press and the TV crews
and all my colleagues.
All the folks who make a living advising my colleagues.
I think we need to calm down some.
You know... this is a terrific country.
But sometimes we go a little crazy
and maybe that's part of our greatness, part of our freedom.
But if we don't watch out and calm down,
it all may just spin out of control.
You know...the world is getting more and more complicated...
and politicians have to explain things to you in simpler terms
so that they can get their little oversimplified explanations...
on the evening news.
And eventually, instead of even trying to explain things,
they just give up and start slinging mud at each other.
And it's all to keep you excited, keep you watching.
Like you watch...a car wreck, or...
um...a wrestling match.
As a matter of fact, that's exactly what it's like -
professional wrestling.
It's... It's staged and it's fake and it doesn't mean anything.
And that goes for the debates.
We don't... We don't hate our opponents.
Hell, half the time, we don't even know them.
But it seems it's the only way we know how to keep you all riled up.
So, what I want to do with this campaign
is kind of quiet things down...
and start having a conversation...
about what sort of country we want this to be in the next century.
And I want Governor Stanton to know
that I welcome him to this conversation.
OK. This show is all yours.
You gentlemen know the rules - no eye gouging, no chair tossing,
three knock-downs, I come in to stop the bout.
I hope he don't lose it.
Geraldo will go after him. Picker's smooth.
He won't lose it.
Frankly, folks, he has nothing to lose.
'Is there any truth, any truth whatsoever, sir,
'to the awful allegation
'that you're the father of a child by a teenage girl?'
Oh, shit. It's good. It's out there.
If Jack just keeps the answers short...
'She's been influenced by the phoney Cashmere McLeod tapes publicity.
'The family involved are good people - they're friends of mine.
'I spoke with the father
'just before they went to an undisclosed location.
'He apologised for causing so much trouble.'
'I think that's all we need to know. Don't you, folks?'
APPLAUSE Jesus Christ!
Picker actually saved him! I've never seen that before.
That's incredible. Maybe it's the first time.
Maybe Picker's an original, the real thing.
'You know your problem, Hodgkiss, is you got galloping TB.
You don't mean tuberculosis, right?
No. I mean True Believerism.
You talk and act like a pro, but inside you're just like Libby,
who goes crazy when her candidate turns out
not to be the rock her church was built on.
In '78, she wore a button that said "I'm a Picker Person"
and nosedived when he quit the race.
Didn't even find out why... He told us why.
What? He wanted to stay home with his kids?
"I'd rather be dad than president"? Give me a fucking break!
'The race among Democratic contenders
'might still be a toss-up.
'Polls taken after the two men appeared on the Geraldo show
'indicate that Governor Picker still has a substantial lead,
'but there has been a remarkable 5% increase for Governor Stanton.'
Fucking Norman Asher.
'..is attributed by many...'
Look, I'm taking a little leave of absence.
I can't take orders from Norman Asher.
We're from different parts of the jungle.
Let him have his day. It's about gone anyway.
I can't believe this. Why?
Look, Henry, I've been through this shit a hundred times.
That's what they do - love you, then stop.
Yeah, but Stanton's different.
Yeah, he is different.
He was worth it.
Take care of your ass, Hodgkiss.
I'll see you next time.
I'm very sorry about losing Daisy and Richard,
but we're all pros - we know these things happen.
I want to talk about Picker.
Something Richard said about Picker.
I want to find out.
Why did Picker quit in '78?
LIBBY: The only dirt I ever heard about Picker
was a condo development named Clearwater Estates
when the State matched money for the County to build a connecting road.
HENRY: And?
Nothing specific.
The project was being developed by a guy named Edgardo Reyes.
And Edgardo Reyes is the brother of Antonia Reyes, who is...
Picker's former wife. Who else knows about this?
Anyone follow it up?
Nope.
Well, Lib, let's go.
What?
I'm tryin' to decide. Decide what?
Whether I wanna do this, you stupid shit!
I bust dust, I protect ya, I don't do in the opponent.
What the fuck is the difference?
All the difference in the world.
All the moral difference in the world.
I'm not too interested in tearin' old Freddy Picker down.
And if he's bent, if he's a crook...
It'll out.
But when? Say he wins the nomination and then it comes out.
Look at this. Look at this.
It's the results of the blood test Dr Beauregard gave me.
Congratulations.
I'm sure this'll help.
But it won't. Libby, honey, you know it.
It won't matter that my blood doesn't match Loretta's baby.
It won't matter that I can't be the father.
It would only matter if I WERE the father.
Because guilty is what's INTERESTING.
Should I live by these rules
and let Picker slide in because you were a "Picker Person" in the '70s?
You mean injustice for all? That's a stupid fuckin' argument!
OK, OK. But this isn't.
Picker could be guilty of fraud, or tax swindle.
If he used influence to help his brother-in-law,
he's unfit to be president.
He could be a real shit.
You gotta forget who you thought he WAS.
You gotta find out who he really is.
Get packed.
LATIN-AMERICAN MUSIC
We're in limbo now, Henry.
We are...outside the mainstream.
We are in purgatory.
We are lost.
Libby, Libby, if you don't shut up, I'm gonna kill myself.
We are testing our limits. We are in the pits.
Remember Limbo Rock? Remember the words?
"How low can you go?"
Why are we meeting him in Neo-Bwana Land
instead of his office?
Two reasons. No recording devices.
And I've always wanted to see this hotel.
Hmm. Yeah.
Yes, I had this business.
I hoped that having the Governor as a brother-in-law
would be an advantage.
But Mr Righteous wouldn't cut me any slack.
We did Clearwater - straight up.
It would be God's joke if they nailed him anyway, eh?
So Freddy didn't know
you hired his wife and brother to get to him?
No. Absolutely not.
Thank you, Mr Reyes.
My friend and I are grateful, more than we can say.
Know? What the fuck did he know?
He was half-stoned most of the time.
Stoned?
Oh, dear.
I said something I shouldn't, didn't I?
Saint Freddy's staffers don't like to hear that.
Stoned how?
# Toot, Toot Tootsie, goodbye... #
You two look disappointed.
You didn't know he was a fucking manic on coca?
Wait a minute... Cocaine.
He loved the shit.
Hell, we all love the shit but...
only he's a candidate for sainthood.
I'm...I'm...I'm afraid that's a little hard to buy.
I mean...it just doesn't fit.
Maybe not now...
20 years ago...almost everyone was doing everything.
Right, Libby? Where would Freddy score?
Or keep it quiet in the Governor's Mansion?
There was a guy.
He was a young guy.
Lorenzo Delgado.
Upper-class Cuban, a lawyer.
He and the Governor knew each other socially,
so, of course, it was perfectly all right.
The joke is, Delgado just got out of prison
and now lives in a halfway house in Hialeah.
And Saint Freddy is about to be President.
Yeah, that is a joke.
Must get laughs when you tell it at dinner parties.
Hey. I don't talk about Freddy.
I'm talking to you... cos you're from his campaign.
It's just... I'm not the only guy in town knows this.
Ahhh... He should have never gotten back into the game.
Now he'll go down.
This is America.
You can bank on it.
Lorenzo Delgado.
On the porch. Through there.
Thank you.
SPANISH-LANGUAGE SOAP OPERA PLAYS ON TV
Lorenzo? Right in there.
Thanks.
Mr Delgado.
We're here about Freddy Picker.
Sit down, sit down.
You from the campaign?
I been expecting you.
You can tell Freddy that he has nothing to fear from me.
Nothing. You understand?
This happened after him.
I fucked my brains out in jail.
Not much else to do there.
There were so many boys who spent all day in the gym
working on their bodies.
I like this porch.
I can't do it all the time. It depends on the weather.
It's strange -
my body temperature is always off, one way or the other.
Too hot or too cold.
It's never just right.
Sometimes the tiniest breeze can set me off, shivering.
There's nothing I can do about it.
I can't turn it off.
I just gotta let it ride.
So, are you Freddy's friend now?
He just knew it was gonna be good.
He just knew it was gonna be irresistible.
But this has every fucking thing.
Sex, drugs, corruption.
And none of it, Henry, my man,
none of it is clear-cut venality.
It's all kind of human and awful and...sad.
So, now we'll find out.
Find out what, Libby? We just found out.
Don't play dumb with me, Henry.
This is a test...
of us and them.
Actually, of us and them - and us again.
We passed the entrance exam. We got the dirt.
Now it's about Jack and Susan.
What are they gonna do with it?
I mean, little buddy, isn't that what we're both after?
I mean, after 25 years, I get to see what they're about.
Not just hypothesise. Not just hope.
This is it - graduation day.
They graduate - or I do.
Tell the truth, Henry. Isn't that what you're after too?
Watch the road, Libby! God damn it!
Isn't it?
Here, Governor. Feast your eyes. You too, my lady.
Henry, a transcript of our tour.
This is, er... This is remarkable.
How did he think he was gonna get away with this?
What do we do with this?
The Times? No, the Wall Street Journal.
They're more authoritative.
Through an intermediary, someone not associated with the campaign.
I don't think so.
What do you mean?
I don't think there's anything of use here.
You've gotta be kidding!
No. Doesn't meet my standards.
What on earth do you mean?
Madam, Henry and I don't think the use of this material is proper.
We have a moral objection.
And I have a historical beef.
Come on! Why'd you get it, if you weren't gonna use it?
Susan was right. He could have been a shit.
I didn't think so and he isn't.
But Jacky, you're off the fucking point.
We don't do this sort of thing.
I'll be relentless busting dust and guarding your ass.
I'd even blow Randy Culligan's wienie off for you - well, maybe.
But this is something else again. This is hurting someone else.
This sucks!
You wanna know why this sucks?
Because you told me so.
Remember when, Jacky?
Let me refresh your memory.
Weren't they gorgeous, Henry?
Yeah. But look at you.
You shit! I told you I had a waist.
Look... Oh, hush up. Don't ruin it.
You remember when this was?
You don't, do you?
Miami headquarters in '72. Yeah.
It was taken just after the Convention, Henry.
I'll never forget that Convention.
Libby, for Christ's sake, what are you doing?
What's the point? The point is Eagleton.
Remember, Jack?
I must have known you, what, two days then?
We hear that McGovern has chosen a Vice-President
who had electric shock treatments!
For the first time I considered the possibility
that we might lose to that fuck-brain Nixon.
I mean, before that, I was absolutely convinced we would win.
Can you imagine, Henry?
We were so fucking young.
And this one... this one, he takes me out.
We go to this little open-air Cuban joint.
Remember, Jack?
I got my head in my hands. Life has ended.
I say, "They did it! It was the CIA!"
I couldn't believe Tom Eagleton was a nutcase.
They must have drugged him and made him crazy!
It couldn't have been that McGovern was a complete amateur!
It was dirty tricks.
I said to Jack, "We gotta get the same capability as the CIA.
"We gotta do dirt too."
And you said, "No.
"Our job is to end all that.
"Our job is to make it clean.
"If it's clean, we win.
"Because our ideas are better."
You remember that, Jack?
That was a long time ago.
Libby, you said it yourself.
We were young.
We didn't know how the world worked.
Now we know.
If we don't move on this Picker situation, two things will happen.
The first is, we're dead.
Everything we've worked for since Miami, 25 years ago, dies.
And fast.
The second thing that happens is, some day very soon,
when the romance dies,
when they're sick of Freddy Picker's quiet, righteous act,
some enterprising journalist will stumble onto this.
Or the Republicans will beat him to it, next fall.
It'll be another Eagleton, only it'll be our fault this time.
For letting it happen.
YOUR fault, Libby.
Honey, you may be right.
All of it may be right.
But we can't do it because it just ain't who we are.
Maybe we could leak part of it, the Clearwater stuff.
The Republicans have that.
You don't think they'll get the rest?
You think Reyes will only tell this story once?
Sorry, Lib, but there's just no discussion.
You're right.
None.
Henry and me have already decided. This dies here.
I don't think so.
I'm sorry, sweetheart, but it does.
And here's why.
You know what this is?
Test results on Jack's blood, Uncle Charlie's blood,
taken over the years.
This is the blood test report
that proves Jack's not the father of Loretta McAllister's baby.
And you know what, Jack?
It's not your blood.
Isn't that a riot?
The blood sample Dr Beauregard took was not from you.
It was from Uncle Charlie.
You sent him in your place because you know Dr Beauregard loves you
and wants to teach those Yankees a lesson.
He won't want to lose his licence, Jack.
Once he knows I have proof, he'll fold like a cheap accordion.
That won't prove you ARE the father -
in fact, I think you're not.
But it proves you thought you might be.
And that proves you fucked her.
And that will kill your chances.
You would do that?
You would end his political career?
You see, Jack?
She ain't even heard.
She isn't even upset that you fucked your 17-year-old baby-sitter.
And you know why?
It's never the cheat who goes to hell.
It's always the one who was cheated on.
You still talk in that tender-hearted voice
about being in it for the folks.
Susie can only talk in that voice from hell
about your political career.
What kind of shit is that, Jack?
Oh, excuse me. I forgot.
It's the same old shit.
It's the shit no-one ever calls you on. Ever.
Because you're so completely fucking special.
Because everyone's always so proud of you.
Me too.
Me the worst.
It just makes it a whole lot easier for me.
I mean, it's totally depressing.
What have I been doing this for my whole pathetic fucking life?
So here's the deal.
If you move on Freddy Picker,
who, you'll agree, is a flawed but decent man,
I move on YOU.
Yes.
I will destroy this village, in order to save it.
Henry.
Tomorrow we...
Is that for me?
No, darlin'.
Where are we?
We're coming up to my beautiful condo by the river.
You want to come in for coffee? Booze?
Diet coke?
Not tonight.
Deliver this for me, will you?
I'm not gonna use it.
You're giving them the blood test? Then they're off the hook.
Why not?
Picker will go down anyway. We can't save him.
The whole point of this was to see if they'd turn him in.
And they will.
They didn't even fucking hesitate.
So...
that's that.
Let 'em swing, Libby. Let 'em sweat a little!
Oh, honey.
You see that moon?
That's me.
Beautiful, huh?
But, Henry...
it's only reflected light.
It needs the sun.
And the Stantons are my sun.
I live my life drawing light and warmth from them.
Without 'em I'm bleak and cold and airless for eternity.
You be careful, Henry.
You still have something of an atmosphere.
Just find yourself a life. OK?
OK.
Go now.
Try and get some sleep.
You can find your way from here, right?
Oh, sure. SHE STARTS CAR
From here?
There's only two ways you can go from here.
Bye, sweetie. Goodnight.
SIREN WAILS
NO! No! No!
Oh, God! No.
Ah! Oh!
No! No. She's a friend. She's a very close friend.
HE SOBS
JACK STANTON: A lot of us here today grew up with Libby Holden.
She was our friend.
She was our big sister.
She bullied us.
She drove us crazy.
And, worst of all, she remembered everything about us.
Everything that we hoped to be.
Everything we wanted the world to be.
All those young promises made,
Libby remembered in the original wording.
Before she died, she wrote me a note.
It said...
.."I am so fucking disappointed in you."
A FEW PEOPLE LAUGH
"Shape up."
I am so sorry that I disappointed her.
I am so sorry that...
that I can't look at her and say that I will promise to do better.
She lent us her courage and her warmth
and her madness.
She...
She had the most amazing heart.
A long trip.
No press that I can see.
Not yet.
Follow me, Governor.
This is the only copy left.
It might help you to know what someone else may find.
I shouldn't have looked for it.
I'm really sorry.
Fucking cocaine.
You know, I was really so successful at everything I did.
Business, politics - hell, I could handle anything.
Except cocaine.
But I didn't know that, because of cocaine.
That's what fucked up my marriage. Nothing else.
And...
I did go to bed with Renzo once or twice.
Hell, it was just a coke thing!
I could do anything, so I did that too.
I'm seeing a really nice woman now.
I suppose I have to tell her.
A hell of a price to pay, isn't it?
Well, maybe no-one will find out.
Well, you did!
In a day!
I should never have said yes to Mrs Harris.
I thought I'd give it a week.
And then it just took off.
And once I did that blood thing...
That was great politics.
Yeah. Amazing, wasn't it?
Jack, I'd like to thank you for coming here -
the honourable way you have.
I was wrong to stay in.
I just hope that when I quit, they won't hit it as hard.
And my boys...
I really don't want them to know about Renzo.
But probably the bottom line is...
I'm going to be a national joke.
And I'm gonna have to explain it all to my boys, either way.
Because, no matter what I do,
the press is still going to find out the rest, aren't they?
If they think it'll sell one newspaper, yes.
Oh, my God!
PICKER SOBS
If there's anything I can do,
anything that can make it a little better...
# I can still hear the soft summer wind
# In the live oak trees
# And those Williams boys They still mean a lot to me
# Hank in Tennessee
# I guess we're all gonna be What we're gonna be
# So what do you do with good ol' boys like me? #
You know, I love that song.
The line about the Williams boys.
It's never just Hank.
The picture ain't ever complete without ol' Tennessee.
Governor, I'm resigning from the campaign.
I don't accept your resignation.
Look, I just don't feel comfortable about this any more.
About what? This...
This...line of work.
I spoke to Richard. He's back on board.
I'm putting him in charge, campaign manager.
They're up in the office now.
I'm bringing Daisy back too, if she'll come.
That's not what this is about. Then what is it?
Libby. Ah!
Libby's test. You flunked it.
Yeah, but just now I passed it, so which grade do I get, Henry?
If she hadn't died...
I'd have leaked the file and felt bad about it but...
I would have been wrong not to.
I did this for Libby.
If Picker had won the nomination and gone down
he'd have taken the party with him.
It was only a question of when. And how, and who pushed him.
Fine points, Henry!
"How many angels can you fit on the head of a pin" points.
This is hard ball.
You just discovered that, and don't have the stomach for it?
I know you better than that -
we spent too much time together.
This is it, Henry.
This is the price you pay to lead.
You don't think Abraham Lincoln was a whore before he was a president?
He'd tell his stories, and smile his shit-eating back-country grin.
He did it so that he could stand in front of the nation
and appeal to the better angels of our nature.
And that's where the bullshit stops.
That's what it's about, the opportunity to make the most of it.
To do it the right way.
You know there are plenty of people playing this game
that don't think that way.
They're willing to sell their souls, crawl through sewers,
lie to people, play on their fears.
For nothin'!
Just for the prize.
I don't care.
I'm sorry...
but I'm not comparing the players.
I don't like the game.
I want to work for something small.
Voter registration.
After everyone's registered, who will they vote for?
Who can do this better than me?
Is there anyone with a chance to win
who'd do more for the people than I would,
who'd even think about the folks I care about?
Oh, shit!
Is that them, so quick?
That damn driver! I knew it!
All right. We'll go talk to them, together.
Come on.
Don't shake your head, Henry.
We worked so hard together to get here.
And it's there for us now, right there.
We can do incredible things.
We can change this whole country.
I'm gonna win this thing.
And when I do, we're gonna make history.
Look me in the eye, and tell me it's not gonna happen.
Look me in the eye, Henry, and tell me you don't wanna be a part of it.
Jeez! Jesus, Henry!
You want me to get down on my knees?
I can't do it without you.
Don't leave me now.
You're still with me, aren't you?
Say you are. Say it. Say it!
Come on! Henry!
This is ridiculous! You've gotta be with me!
TENNESSEE WALTZ PLAYS
APPLAUSE AND CHEERING
Now, don't break our hearts.
Mazel tov, Mr President!
SOUNDS OF CELEBRATION FADE
INAUDIBLE
MUSIC SLOWS AND QUIETENS
Subtitles by Red Bee Media