This rough cut screen treatment is now copyrighted, by placing it on the Internet.
That said, as the Ideas here are important, anyone who wants to is hereby licensed
to use any part or all of this work as they see fit. Just keep in mind that the author
of this has a good sense of how this should be made into a film, and anyone wanting
to make this into a film would do well to follow the indications of the treatment as
closely as possible, and as well consult with the author regarding any changes.
Basically the reality of the situation is that the most success, film-wise, will
come to those who produce this work as is, and ahead of anyone else.
the grandmother war
a different kind of warrior, a different kind of war
a story on which to base a screenplay ...
this is a very rough cut set of scenes
opening sequence, part one
fade in to bare stage, on which is a stool, and a man (me) sitting on it
he speaks:
“Hi. Sometimes when someone writes a book, the author often writes a preface, or an introduction. That’s this. I’m the primary creative thinker behind this movie, and I wanted to say a few words to those who are going to watch it. Very few.
This is a movie about ideas, and the main idea it is about is America. Not the America of K Street in Washington D. C. or Wall Street in New York City - the America of the rich and the powerful - but the America of the American People, your America, ordinary America.
Something has been lost to us, which teachers 50 years ago called Civics, and meant by that an understanding of why America came to be, and what it was meant to be and do. Knowing this, and loving movies myself, I wrote this, so that instead of a lecture on Civics, you’d get a story, a drama, about Civics in action, in our near future. Its your story, or in a way the story of some Americans remembering what has been lost sight of, which is the real meaning and purpose of America.
I hope you enjoy my work and the work of all the others that were necessary to make this movie. It is our gift for you.
One bit of warning though. Some of the dialogue may appear to be preachy, which is quite intentional by the way. Just keep in mind that we frame our modern understanding of Civics and Public Life out of a conversational ecology that mostly is like a rotting garbage dump. The intelligence with which the Founders of our Country talked to each other, and debated the Constitution for example, was not full of the sentimental junk food we see regularly on television today. This movie is intended to help us restart and reboot that way of speaking to each other. It is not preachy. It just appears to be, because of the low quality of that form of debased discourse, to which our time has forced us to adapt our thinking and speech.
Thanks for coming.”
opening sequence, part two
a black-field, some texture, but unclear - dream-like
([& means music notation &])
[& low level flute and slow Indian drum beat &]
slow and solemn narration, pauses between lines ...
reading the following words that scroll up the screen
(voice is by the character in the film: Sam walks in dreams)
“I walked in a desert, on a moonless night,
and then tripped over a black rock.
Already now on my knees,
I looked under the rock
and found a diamond,
that was not a diamond.
It was a living light that sparkled in the distant darkness of time.
In a bell-like whisper, it sang me this name:
America.
Much surprised, ... I fell awake,
while beneath my feet the very grains of sand wept for joy.”
opening sequence part three
[& low level bagpipe, signaling dread and doom &]
split screen: Smith (Base’s supervisor at HS talking to un-named man in a suit in a car via cell phone) In the background of the car is the Capital Building in D.C.
Smith: “Its tied up”
man: “You’re sure? We lost a major battle over the narrative in the press.”
Smith: “That will die down. People will just keep doing what they always do. Most of them are sheep. You know that.”
man: “That guy Carl wasn’t. Very bright guy to out think and out play you.”
Smith: “An aberration. There won’t be any others.”
man: “You better hope”.
Smith, after a pause: “Somehow this seems surreal.”
man: “Surreal? You going philosophical on me?”
Smith: “Its just .... just too weird on some level. No focus. We should have controlled the narrative a lot better.”
man: “Smith, you might well be in the wrong business. Do I need to replace you?”
Smith, pausing again,: “I’ve been reading this book .... “
man, interrupting him: “Last warning Smith. Don’t over-think this.”
Smith: “Okay, sorry, give me a few days. Been too busy”.
man: “Write some reports. Work it out. Stop reading books.” hangs up and throws cell phone out of car window, after taking out the innards and breaking them into pieces
words on dark screen
6 months earlier
opening sequence, part four
(a visual -- what was unclear begins to becomes more clear ...)
fade in from black-field ... closeup - only a foot or so above - overhead shot of street, - of the tarmack, the cracks etc. only becoming clearly visible that it is a “street” as the camera slowly pulls back and up and away - vertically ...
[& no music ... yet, &]
street sounds ... edges of cars come into view, ... curbs, natural street debris ... people scurrying to get out of something’s way ...
feet marching is heard ... but not fully rhythmic ... a kind of sloppy walking, shuffling ... tentative ...
camera continues to pull back (up) ... the facing sidewalks come into view ... just a few cars parked next to curbs ... some people on sidewalks scurrying and trying to hide ....
[& snare drum, single, steady beat, funereal in a way,
gets louder as scene progresses, ends with a sudden stop single bang &]
as this happens we see the two groups moving toward each other down the middle of the street, ... on the far left, more colorfully dressed, disorganized, some carrying signs - about student debt-slavery, others have gas masks around their necks - protesters in action, ... on the far right, militant police, black colors, uniforms, helmets, batons, shields, marching in columns and lines
the camera slows its ascent, ... at the rear of the group on the left are a couple of ambulances, waiting, ... at the rear of the group on the right sits some kind of huge military vehicle, a dragon in steel and iron ...
the camera pauses, the marchers pause, ... a wind blows between them, pushing bits of paper into that empty space ... shouting, but indistinct, voices are heard, once again moving each group slowly forward ... on the left, some movement ... separate and distinct from the marching group - people with cell phones filming; on the right in the air above street side, one or more drones move and then another (larger) drone appears to descend ...
we see some plain-clothed police, emerge from a side street and take a young white man, separate him from the crowd of protesters, and start to beat him - setting off anger and violence as the crowds cry out and rush towards each other ...
[& sudden stop single loud bang on snare drum ...
then wind noises, getting louder as camera falls &]
the camera then falls toward the street, through and past the not yet fully clashing groups - there is still a kind of empty space in between, so the camera falls toward the swirling paper in between and among the feet ... voices seem to rise and then fade ... the camera is only focused on the pavement now, with bits of paper twirling and dancing ... cut to ...
Act One
Scene 1
an abrupt change - a card-table top - closeup, a similar texture to the street ... from above, then as camera rises, cards are being played ... the camera rises and we seen the hands and hear the chatter ... four women with mostly gray heads come into view .... they begin to speak, we are in a large room in a retirement home ... camera moves as director wishes ...
[& no music yet, just the background sounds of a room full of mostly women, chatting &]
Agnes, a black woman, speaks, while playing a card on the table - she is casual acting, but not in her voice: “My grandson was arrested yesterday. Beaten too.”
[collective gasps around the table]
June: “Was it that debt protest, the one about student loans”
Agnes: “Yes”. [pause as more cards are played]
Agnes: “I really don’t like this ... this feeling so helpless. He’s a good boy, never been in trouble. But now he feels like he is a prisoner of this debt - debt-slaves they call themselves.”
June: “I think I saw some on TV, on Fox last night. They said these were radicals, maybe even terrorists. Everyone is obligated to pay their debts.”
[Agnes sighs. another lady at the table, Gloria, kind of coughs ... more cards are played]
June again: “Well, if you ask me, its all on the President. He sets a bad example. If you get loaned money you have pay. We did, and we didn’t cry about it.”
Rachael, the fourth player, a kind of large women, speaks with a bossy voice” “Yes June, we all know about that. Isn’t the reason you are here is because you were foreclosed on, you and Stan?”
[& strings, looming tension, yet soft - apprehension - continues through scene 2 ...
beginnings of Agnes’s theme* (Motherless Child melody) Agnes’s theme
is series of old spirituals she remembers for childhood visits to rural
churches in Alabama: Wade in the Water, Swing Low Sweet Chariot, Motherless
Child, Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen, Jacob’s Ladder, and
Go Tell it on the Mountain &]
someone enters the room at a rush... a nurse in a sort of uniform - single colored open jacket over regular clothes - name tag, and stethoscope in pocket of jacket, and she comes up behind Agnes and touching her on the shoulder says - [Agnes had her back to the door from which Teresa entered]
Teresa (nurse): “You have a phone call. I think its important.”
scene 2
[Agnes rises, everyone at the table looks apprehensive. She can’t walk very well, and the nurse helps her by bringing her walker to her ... she slowly navigates to a nurses’ station and takes up the phone. She drops it after listening for a few moments, and starts to collapse. Two nurses (Teresa and Donna) catch her, and help her to a nearby chair. June, and Rachael, and Gloria walk up, looking very concerned. Agnes is given a glass of water. still no one speaks. Agnes almost drops the plastic glass, but Donna (the charge nurse) catches it, and Gloria is now kneeling in front of Agnes, looking up at her. Agnes, lips quivering and tears forming in the corners of her eyes speaks, hoarsely:
“He’s gone” ... long pause, “that wonderful little boy is gone”. She looks at the others, eyes pleading: “He’s too young, isn’t he? Too young to be dead?”
[camera inside nurses’ station, watching her friends care for Agnes
[Gloria walks up to Donna, and asks:]
“Can you get Carl over here?”
[Donna nods and gets on phone]
[inside the nurses station they start to gossip, a doctor (Robert) moves through the scene, glancing around and after whispering to Donna sees he is not needed, and exits after saying:]
Robert: “I guess I can just continue my rounds.”
[He touches Agnes on the shoulder as he passes by]
[& strings tension eases, guitar, light-hearted rhythmic,.
a little bit of Country &]
Teresa: “Who’s Carl”
Donna: “He’s the local CR.”
Teresa: “CR?”
Donna: “The chief rascal”
[some looks exchanged]
older nurse, name tag says Peggy: “Dearie, every place like this has a guy who is getting a lot of sex. Here, that’s Carl”.
Teresa: “Aren’t we supposed to stop that?”
Peggy: “Not unless you want a riot on your hands. Old people don’t rut like teenagers, but they do rut, and if you mess up their arrangements they can make you pay. Plus, this is a retirement home, for those that need a lot of medical services. That’s us. But for them, its their home, ... they’re here by choice, and of course certain income limitations and requirements. We work here.”
[general laughter]
Teresa, naively curious: “So, what’s this Carl guy’s story - some kind of geriatric hunk?”
Donna: “Not at all. More the opposite in a way. He used to get to give lectures here on old people sex, but the management stopped it. Couldn’t have the inmates too much in charge."
[more laughter, questioning look from Teresa ... signaling for more information]
Peggy: “Wait a minute, you’ll see”
[& strings, add guitar, apprehension returns - bit of melody from Stones
Sympathy for the Devil &]
[Door to unit opens, ... all the nurses turn to look at the noise and an older man in a wheel chair, holding two canes in his lap, is wheeled in by a male aide, name tag says Tigh.]
Peggy: “That’s him, that’s the chief rascal. At any given time he’s running three or more girlfriends, making them crazy, but at the same time very happy.”
[more laughter]
Gloria comes up to nurses station and says: “We are going into Agnes’s room, ... if that’s not a problem.”
[Donna nods yes. Teresa has more questions running around her face.]
Donna to Teresa: “Carl will probably just hold her in his arms, while they lie on Agnes’s bed. Everyone keeps their clothes on. We look the other way, even though some of the rules suggest he’s not supposed to be in her room. She needs to be comforted and held a long time. Carl calls it ‘nurturing love’. Its really good medicine, better than a lot of drugs we otherwise peddle.”
[whole group watches Gloria help Agnes to her room - Carl, using canes, gets out of wheel chair and goes in - the door closes almost all the way, but not fully. Gloria looks out, and sees that no one is going to interfere, but still leaves the door open a crack.]
[scene fades]
scene 3
[& no music, only room and tv sounds &]
camera on a TV screen, news reader speaking (pictures in the background behind the reader are of the protests - not favorable to the protesters.) then camera pov shifts 180 degrees and shows faces of Agnes and her friends Gloria and Rachael watching. They look sad and confused. There are others behind them and to the side, also watching.
Voice over from TV: “More protests today by the terrorist anti-student loan group that calls themselves the Debt-Slaves. Violence in Washington, and San Francisco. After the break, we’ll go next to a story about the stalker that hit former Oscar winner John Longsdale. last night with an apple pie, while John was getting out of his limo at his moms house.”
[head shot of actor Longsdale behind newsreader, then the whole TV cuts to commercial for female desire drugs, but this fades after enough seconds for people to recognize its style]
[side view of three ladies watching TV. Gloria, noticing Agnes’s expression, uses the remote to turn off the TV. There are others in the TV room. Someone tries to complain and gets shushed.]
In the silence Agnes speaks, quietly: “I don’t understand. Why? What did he do? He was just a boy. He just got out of college. His whole life was in front of him, and all he did was go to a demonstration. All he did was try to be a good citizen.”
[& strings, sadness, mournful, hint of bagpipe &]
[camera “floats” among the mostly ladies in the room ... many different expressions on the faces, but mostly sympathy for Agnes’s loss.
scene 4
fade to scene in Agnes’s room, that she shares with Gloria.
[& strings, Agnes’s theme, Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen &]
There are some fresh cut flowers about. Agnes is sitting in a chair, her walker is next to it. Camera catches a picture of Agnes and her grandson, - he is taller and has his arm around her. She is black and he looks very white. There is a knock on the already open door. camera, behind Agnes, cuts to door, a young woman is standing there knocking, ]
Agnes, speaking, before looking up: “Come in. ... Oh, Jenny, its you.”
[she starts to rise. the young woman rushes in to hug Agnes ... to keep her sitting. pulls up a small nearby desk chair, and sits down next to Agnes]
Agnes, seeing the tears in the young woman’s eyes, sets aside her own sorrow: “My dear, my dear, its all right. Its going to be all right”
[girl, sobbing a bit, tries to comfort Agnes too. they start to hold hands and just look at each other]
Agnes: “Oh, Jenny, I forgot about you. I should have called you to see how you were.”
[Jenny nods, camera passes over her left hand, for a moment we see the engagement ring]
Jenny, anguished: “Is it okay if I set up the funeral? I think it will be easier for me to do it. There’s just you and me to do it, and I think I should be the one.”
[Gloria walks into the room, both women notice her, but all know there is no need to acknowledge that fact]
Jenny: “Also, I’ll take care of the costs. He had a little insurance that I’m getting, and I have some wealth of my own. Nothing big, just a token start about the careful way we wanted to plan our future. Agnes, I don’t want you to have to worry. I know his friends. We’ll send someone to pick you up and see you get from place to place. The funeral and the wake. Okay?”
Jenny, turning to look at Gloria, continues speaking: “Can you come too. I’ll call, and you can help me get Agnes there. All right?”
[Gloria, nodding yes, sits on the end of her bed ... relieved to see someone able to take charge]
Gloria: “Maybe Carl can come. He knew Mark too. It would be good for Agnes if Carl came.”
[Jenny nods]
scene fades away
scene 5
[& soft, jazzy brass - muted trumpet and sax,
with a bit of plucked bass beat &]
[domestic scene, Robert the doctor from the retirement home, sitting at kitchen table working with his laptop. Dale, his partner, is fixing dinner for the two of them.]
Robert, looking at screen: “That’s weird.”
Dale: “What?”
Robert: “That kid who died in police custody in Oakland. We saw it on the news last night, on Channel Two.”
Dale: “Yeah?”
Robert: “Well, his grandmother - I’m looking her up here, ... she’s black. She’s a patient of mine at the Oakland location.”
Dale: “So?”
Robert: “The kid was white, and the grandmother is black. That’s all. I’m doing a search on her now.”
Dale, bringing something to the table, looks over Robert’s shoulder: “Hmm. That is odd. Wait, go back. See that. [points to screen].”
Robert: “Oh, that explains it. She married a white civil rights lawyer when she moved to Oakland. My goodness, she was a bad girl back then wasn’t she.”
[cut to picture on laptop of young black girl with some black men - looks like a group of Black Panthers]
Dale: “Sure looks like it. How old is she now? She sure looks hot and tough in that picture.”
Robert: “Shame on you [joking]. Well, I don’t remember much about her chart. I’m only the visiting attending there every couple of weeks. She’s late ‘80‘s maybe, uses a walker. Bad arthritis in her knees and feet and hands, if I’ve remembered her right.”
Dale: “Should we send flowers or something.”
Robert, scoffs.
Dale: “I know, I’m such a sentimentalist. She’s just another number to corporate.”
[Dale sits down at table, takes hold of Robert’s hand]
Dale: “Why do we work for those people?”
Robert: “Because we are just a couple of middle-aged men, who like good jobs and good benefits. [smiles wickedly]. And, ... because we get to play doctor and nurse when no one else is looking.”
fade
scene 6
[& tenor sax, fading to flute and camera catches Sam in the background &]
[cut to the graveyard, a view from slightly above. we see the grave, and perhaps thirty or forty people there. Agnes, and Gloria and Jenny are all sitting in chairs, except for Carl, who is in his wheel chair. Everyone else is standing. The trees suggest the time of year is early-fall, there are some colors and leaves on the ground - the colors contrasting with the mostly black everyone else is wearing. a priest leads the service, he speaks the usual - there is nothing to be distinctly heard, so as far as the sound goes its clarity is without significance - the camera moves to the pov of the priest, we see what he sees, but we only hear his words like a whisper - common words, meant to comfort, but which do not. Sam walks in dreams in seen 30 yards or so away from crowd, standing and watching.]
scene 7
[& some hip-hop and tech, playing on bar jukebox,
fades in and out of conversations &]
[cut to scene in a bar-restaurant - the wake/after reception is taking place - long interior establishing shot. Then a close up: Jenny is bringing drinks to Agnes and Gloria and Carl - their faces show interest - they are meeting people - friends of Mark, the grandson. Louder voices, some of them angry. camera cuts to point of view of Agnes, Gloria and Carl, observing the crowd
Rooter: “We have to take more actions. We have to keep the pressure up.”
[much nodding in agreement]
While Jenny is serving the ‘elders’ there is background dialogue. Arguments about what to do next, what “street action” is needed to make the police atone for Mark’s death. Ideas about upping the level of violence float by. The see-through close focus center of the scene is now at the table where the old ones are - which is a long table at which they sit at one end - there are several empty seats. Most of the crowd is at or near the bar - a kind of background. Jenny brings drinks (beers to the old ones), who the young crowd mostly ignores.
Some drift over to say hi to Jenny, get introduced to Agnes and mumble condolences to them. A kind of social discomfort is displayed as the young and the old are not connecting.
The door to the bar opens and three big, mostly middle-aged men, enter. The room goes quiet, and cold. These are police, but they are not in uniform. They take out cell phones and start to take pictures of everyone. Some of the young people puff up and get ready to try to pick a fight, and there is tension as cooler heads try to stop that from happening.
Carl asks Jenny to move his wheel chair in between the potential combatants. He then gently pokes one of his canes at the youngest of the cops: “Don’t I know you from night school in Alameda?”
Michael, steps back, surprised: “Oh, professor Algren. What are you doing here?”
Carl: “Better I should ask what you are doing here. This is pretty intrusive. You planning to beat us up? [waves a cane around - humorously] I’m pretty tough guy. Think the three of you are enough to handle an old man in a wheel chair?”
[general nervous laughter from the crowd]
Now that Carl has everyones’ attention on him: “Any of you know the movie Shooter, ... stared Mark Wahlberg?”
[One of the cops, the older, raises his hand - not sure what to do - all are a bit drawn now into the realm of a practiced teacher. A couple of the protesters raise their hands too.]
Carl: “You know what one of my favorite scenes was? It was at the end, when Bob Lee Swagger has cornered the bad guys, and the Senator from Montana is the only bad guy left alive, who is trying desperately not to get shot and killed. The Senator says: “You can’t kill me, I’m a U.S. Senator”, to which Swagger replies, after a pause: “Exactly” and shoots him dead.
Carl pauses, then says: “All of you, protesters and police, need to rethink the situation here, and ask yourselves who really are the bad guys. You should watch that movie. None of you like what is going on, but the real bad guys have made fools of you - everyone, and have you fighting each other instead of working together to really change things. ... Remember Pogo’s wisdom, from 1970: ‘We have met the enemy and he is us.’ “
[the young people look confused - a cultural reference from before they were born]
Carl then nods to Jenny, who steers him back to his table.
Gloria, raises an eyebrow and says to Carl: “Pogo? You’ve got to be kidding”
[Distracted by Carl’s intervention, the tension in the air seeps out of the room, the cops make eye-contact with each other and leave. Loud voices among the young get to bragging about how they could have won any beat down. Many are silent. They don’t really understand what just happened.]
Three young men and one young woman detach themselves from the bar and come sit at the table with Cart et. al. Voices come and go ... there is no clarity of purpose, and a kind of confusion exists.]
One of the new people at the table, Doc, asks: “what just happened?”
Gloria and Agnes give Carl looks, suggesting he should speak. He smiles and laughs, and says: “Well, we are all in the shit, aren’t we”.
Sipping their beers, Gloria and Agnes start to giggle. Carl laughs louder. The new people at the table look confused. Carl looks at them and says:
“Shit in this case has a double meaning. For you its about how fucked you think the American people are, but for us” (looking at Gloria and Agnes), “its a joke from the retirement home”.
More giggling from Agnes, and Gloria laughs out loud. The young people look even more confused.
Gloria: “Imagine you are where the three of us live, and you see one of the day rooms, where we play cards and watch TV. 20, many 30 folks in there at any given time.”
She laughs again, Carl and Agnes start to put their heads on the table, between the alcohol and the release of tension this is getting to them, because they know where Gloria is going with this.
Gloria: “Now ask yourself, how many of those old farts in that room are wearing depends or diapers. How many at any given time might actually be sitting in shit.”
“So,” says the young woman, who joined them, getting the joke as it were. “We all are in the shit then, aren’t we”.
The other young people at the table make nervous laughter, but finally seem to be getting the joke.
[& juke box stops, bar quiets, Agnes’s theme softly, solo violin,
Swing Low Sweet Chariot fading to Go Tell It on the Mountain &]
This laughing draws forth from the bar one of the louder and more serious and angry members of the protest group. He comes over:
Doug: “What the fuck are you guys laughing at. This is serious business. We’ve marched. We’ve been beaten up. We just lost one of our friends, and you fucks are laughing here.”
Jenny grabs his arm, suggests with her eyes he look at Agnes. She stage whispers to him: “Stop being such a shit (more laughter from the table), “this is Mark’s grandmother you idiot”.
The loud man can’t give it up, ... was scared during the tension and is now covering that over with his anger. Still, he says, too loudly, “we paid a price here, what have you done?”
Jenny gasps. Gloria and Carl pass a look, Agnes stops laughing completely and if looks could kill ... she pushes herself up out of the chair, which clearly is a quite difficult act for her and stands tall ...
In a very cold and quiet voice she speaks, but by this point the whole bar is silent, listening ...
[& Agnes’s theme slowly intensifies, more stringed instruments added &]
“I was bitten by dogs in Montgomery. Fire-hosed in Selma. I marched with Dr King, I knew Stokely Carmichael. When we moved to Oakland, I was an original member of the Black Panthers. Don’t you ever let yourself think you know anything about troubles and pain and strife.”
She paused, the loudmouth is back on his heels, ready to flee.
“Sit down and learn something, young man.” she looks at Gloria and Carl.
“While your parents were in diapers, those two marched against the war. Carl was in Chicago in 1968, and was beaten and hospitalized and imprisoned for three years. Gloria was pregnant, and lost a baby after being beaten there. Look at us you silly child-man. We’ve lived more violence and more protesting then you - hopefully - will ever see or know.
Now she looks at the whole crowd, who have become completely speechless, and goes on ...
“Here you all are, plotting your juvenile plots, with no real sense of the scale of the struggle or the costs. There you are, the we know everything young, who have put all their elders away in old folks homes, effectively silencing all that hard won wisdom, as if only you know the pain of the disconnect between justice and life. Get over yourselves.”
[& Agnes’s theme fades, jukebox comes back on with tech &]
She starts to cry, collapses back in her chair ... she’s emotionally exhausted, but she has managed to shame them all - we see them glancing at each other, which they very much needed, and the scene fades away ....
scene 8
car scene on the way home from the bar
camera looking in from the front, Jenny is driving, Gloria is beside her in the right front seat. Carl is behind Gloria in the back, and Agnes is behind Jenny ... car noises, everyone is silent, looking out the windows, although Jenny needs to look forward as she is driving ... Jenny is uncomfortable with the silence, breaks it ...
“How is everyone? Are we all okay?”
silence continues, Jenny sighs ...
Agnes frowns, speaks: “I want to do something.”
[& Agnes’s theme, Wade in the Water &]
Gloria, cautious: “About what, dear?”
Agnes: “Don’t rightly know, but I can’t sit still.”
pauses
“Just found a part of myself I lost. Don’t want to lose it again.”
more silence, everyone is digesting this
Jenny, wants to help: “How? Got any ideas”
Agnes, after another pause ... looks over at Carl, grins
[& Agnes's theme fades, Carl’s theme comes in, Gloria playing with car
radio finds Credence Clearwater’s Bad Moon Rising &]
“Ask the genius over there, he’s the smart one.”
Carl, under his breath ... “Fuck”
Gloria, glad to get a conversation going
“That’s true Carl, what’s that you are always going on about? Physics or something?”
Carl, testily, still not too loud, but gets louder as he speaks.
“Civics. Not fucking physics, ... Civics”
Gloria grins, she knew what he meant, but liked to tease him ...
Jenny: “Huh? Civics. What’s that?”
Carl, big sigh, Gloria and Agnes are grinning
Carl leans forward, puts his head toward the front seat, in between Gloria and Jenny, has a pissed and angry look on his face ... pauses between sentences ...
“My first teaching gig, in Montana, was as a junior high teacher. You call it middle-school now. 7th and 8th graders. I taught them how and why America was made. Called it Civics. Couple years later the school boards all over the country, started to make people like me teach some liberal garbage called Social Studies. Social Studies ate Civics, and no one was taught it much anymore. Dumbed down the whole fucking country if you ask me. Nobody knows shit anymore.”
Carl slumps into the back seat. Agnes pats him on the arm.
Gloria: “Jenny, you bring your friends over, just a few to start. Carl knows stuff. Agnes has the fire, just like your friends, but the fire has to be pointed in the right direction, otherwise it just goes off and wrecks things.”
turns around and looks at Carl and Agnes, continues: “There’s thinkers and doers. Carl’s one, Agnes’s the other. Mind and heart. Got to connect them.”
scene fades as everyone gets a thoughtful look on their faces ...
scene 9
[& intro Gloria’s theme - echoes of psychedelic music
from the late 60‘s Sargent Pepper &]
cut to
camera watches from inside out through glass front door to retirement home as Jenny lets Carl, Agnes and Gloria off. Agnes using her walker and Gloria pushing Carl in his chair. Cut to Wilson, the night guard on the phone at his station, after he puts the phone down he holds open the door so the three can come in.
[& Gloria’s theme fades, Carl’s comes back, with some Born Under
A Bad Sign, Albert King/Cream, &]
Carl: “Wilson ... how’s it going?”
Wilson: “Same old, same old.” He looks at the ladies and nods.
Wilson: “Gloria, Agnes ... welcome home. Have a nice night out?”
The ladies nod and turn down one wing and a staff member comes out of the other wing to take over Carl’s wheel chair (that’s who Wilson was on the phone to).
humorous regular greeting between these next two, as Tigh pushed Carl down his wing. (Tigh is pronounced ‘tie’)
Carl: “Tigh ... whatsup my man”
Tigh grinning: “Same shit, new day, honkey”.
Carl (laughing): ‘One of these days I’m going to use the n-word on you just to see the reaction”.
another old joke.
Tigh: “That be the day you stop being the ladies best friend around here. Be the last day. (pauses) Bishops got her dander up. Sam went out the window again.”
Carl: “Fuck. Oh well, sure is same shit different day”
Tigh: “Got that right”.
scene 10
cut to: we watch Tigh pushing Carl toward a different nurses station than in scene two. Mature nurse leaning her back on the outside of it, arms crossed, frowning.
[& introducing Bishops theme - Elenore Rigby, mixes with
Born Under a Bad Sign &]
Bishop: “If he doesn’t sleep in his bed, I’m going to see to his meds getting upped. He can’t just do whatever he wants. He’s wrecking that screen in your room.”
Carl looks at Tigh.
Tigh: “I’m getting a smoke Bishop, if you don’t mind. Not interested in this next conversation.”
Bishop and Carl just look at each other for a while.
Carl: “Did I ever tell you he’s a shaman?”
Bishop: “A what?!?”.
Carl: “American Indian ... holy man of sorts. His people call him Sam walks in dreams.”
Bishop just frowns, looks like she thinks Carl is feeding her a load of shit.
Carl: “Born that way, I guess. His tribe hardly exists anymore. Maybe only 100 poor souls in all of Northern California”.
Bishop: “Not my problem. My problem is him following the rules.”
Carl: “He’s a vet, you know, Vietnam. Been homeless or put up for crazy ever since. Likes sleeping outside, even in bad weather. I think he just forgets sometimes exactly where he is, so just opens the window, removes the screen and goes outside.”
long pause the two just looking at each other
Carl (grinning): “He’s been saying nice things to you again, hasn’t he. Acting sweet on you. You being a proper married lady, and him being a former homeless crazy man, ... that doesn’t work for you, does it.”
more pause, Carl still grinning, Bishop fighting to keep her frown.
Carl: “I'll get Tigh to take me outside, and then I’ll get Sam back inside. You know this only happened because I was gone today to the funeral and the wake, ... so I wasn’t here.”
another pause
Carl: “You want me to tell Sam to stop hitting on you. I’ll take his place if you like.”
Bishop (grinning now): “You just see to it he stays inside at night. Otherwise I’ve got to write reports and that brings down the bad from above.”
Carl nods, calls out to Tigh, who is standing in the doorway to outside, smoking. “Time to face the dragon.”
Maria, the female Spanish-looking janitor is walking by - pushing mop and bucket, speaks, quietly. looking a bit at Bishop: “Which one?”
Carl and Tigh both say “Hi”, almost together. Tigh wants to stop and flirt, but Carl waves Maria on.
scene 11
cut to Tigh moving Carl around in an outside patio
[& Sam’s theme becomes more obvious, flute, tom tom drum, switches
to Reggae rhythm, Marley’s Talking Blues: Cold ground was my bed last night
(bed last night) And rock was my pillow, &]
Sam hears them coming and sits up, wrapped in blankets. Formerly homeless for years, he is long haired, pretty much toothless and unshaven - although like a lot of Natives he doesn’t grow much of a beard.
Carl: “Sam are you listening to the big guy that always stands behind you, and looks over your right shoulder, or the little dark man the sits on your left shoulder?”
Sam looks down, ashamed to admit he is forgetting to pay attention to his angel. After a few moments Sam and Carl and Tigh go in, as Carl coaxes Sam to apologize to Bishop.
Sam (looking at her with innocent affection): “Sorry, Miss Bishop. I forget sometimes I’m getting to live inside. I like to go to sleep looking at the sky. I won’t do it again.”
Bishop warns both of them (Carl and Sam): “If Sam can’t keep it together, I’m going to have to ask the doctor to increase the meds, so as to fully stop the voices.”
Tigh and Carl follow Sam to their room, - the room’s surfaces have a few bonsai trees about - Carl’s - a product of Carl’s art, not Sam’s. There’s also some posters, copies of aboriginal art, such as that from Australia.
Tigh pauses outside the room with Carl for a moment and then he asks: “Why do you act like Sam’s voices are real?
Carl, pausing first and looking carefully at Tigh: “How do you know they’re not?"
scene 12cut to open area at retirement home, daylight - midday
[& Agnes’s theme - Jacob’s Ladder &]
Agnes is sitting by herself, thinking, feeling ... some time passes ... cuts to different angles of her face and body ....
Gloria walks into the area, and starts to sit down ...
Gloria: “Hey honey, .... can I get you anything”
Agnes, pausing ... looking carefully at Gloria: “Yea. Get Carl. And Sam too. We need to talk.”
Gloria gets up and leaves, camera stays on Agnes, the breeze, the birds, the half lit slightly cloudy day.
Gloria comes back with Sam and Carl, and they sit down. Gloria takes Agnes’s hand for a while. No one speaks. After a bit Agnes pulls back her hand, takes a big breath and
Agnes. “Carl, Sam, Gloria ... I want to do something. I’m tired of just remembering what we did in the past. I’m tired of those conversations. I want us to sit here and I want your wildest ideas about what we can do. Carl, I know you’ve been thinking for years about all this shit. You know it and I know it. We’re going to do something. Hear me? We’re going to do something big. Something scary even.”
Agnes looks around at the other three. Their faces show a fire has been lit. Gloria and Sam are smiling, and Carl is frowning.
scene 13
[& Agnes’s theme - Swing Low .... &]
fade to split screen, that evening in Agnes’s room [in all split screens, the speaker’s screen is much smaller than the listeners screen - size shifts as the speaker shifts]
Agnes calling Jenny on the phone
Agnes: “I want to meet with two or three leaders of your protest group. Can you arrange that?”
Jenny: “Sure, when and where?
Agnes: “Is tomorrow too soon? Here is best for me”
Jenny: “I’ll set it up. What should I tell them about why?”
Agnes, after a pause: “Just say someone who has been there and done that would like to help them get what they want.”
Jenny, laughing: “It’s a date, we’ll have some fun, right? Not get too serious, I think some of them might be a bit afraid of you.”
Agnes, laughing too: “I should hope so.”
scene 14
[& jazz again ... like scene 5 &]
Split screen: Bishop at her nurses station desk, Dale (Robert’s partner) - supervising nurse in Skyview’s corporate home office, owner of the Golden Hours retirement home set should reflect this identification.
Bishop: “Dale, this is Bishop over in Oakland. How ya doing?”
Dale: “Okay Daisy, how about you ... how you doing?”
Bishop: “Mostly the same, but I’ve got a problem, kind of a good book problem.”
Dale (alerted now, not comfortable): “Okay. Shoot.”
Bishop: “One of my orderlies, Tigh, I think he’s stealing patients meds and selling them.”
pause - nobody says anything for a moment ....
Dale: “Bishop (not Daisy) ... that shouldn’t happen, ... are you following protocol? How does he do that?”
Bishop (nervous, she had hoped her ‘friend’ Dale might be more sympathetic): “Well, (lying) sometimes we are short handed - someone’s off the unit and I’ve been letting Tigh carry the tray around the day area.”
long pause while Bishop waits, and Dale has to decide how hard to play it ...
Dale, temporizing: “Well, we don’t want a formal investigation then do we?”
Bishop: “No ... we don’t.”
Dale: “Look ... I have a friend in the Oakland police ... some kind of Sargent or something. Maybe I could have him drop by and scare Tigh a little - get him to stop, and then we don’t have to do any paperwork. Okay? How’s that?”
Bishop (her conscience salved and she has done her ‘Christian duty’: “Right. Yeah. Good. Have him come see me and I’ll point the situation out to him. Will that work for you?’
Dale: “It better, I don’t want to hear any more about this, Daisy. Nothing more. Got it.”
Bishop (relieved): “Yeah, got it.”
scene fades
scene 15
next day, outside in an open area at the retirement home: Carl is there, with Agnes and Gloria, and even Sam, who sits in the back ground.
[& mix of previous themes &]
Jenny comes with Doug (the guy who made Agnes mad), a young fellow they call Rooter, and someone older, they call him Doc. He’s not as old as the retirement home folks, more like late ‘40‘s, early ‘50‘s. The usual handshakes etc, and Gloria does some fussing getting teas and coffees as needed, and a sweater for Agnes.
Doug introduces himself, sits down:
Doug: “Agnes. Sorry about the other day. Really I’m sorry. You were right.”
Agnes: “That’s alright son. Take me months to tell you all about our mistakes. In a little bit, in fact, I’m going to have Carl tell you about the big one - the scary one. Right now he needs you to do some thinking for him first.”
Looks at Carl. Carl hands out four sheets of paper, and some pens.
Carl: “I need you to write down some names - people in your group. I don’t want you to look at each other’s papers either, while you do this. Not a test, so much as a way for me to solve a puzzle. I want you to write the names of the ones that tend to urge the most risky actions. Who think violence is the answer most of the time. Reckless things. Write down those names and give ‘um to me. I've a use for them that I’ll explain later.”
Rooter (speaking to Carl): “Why do you care so much about this, man? Why is it so important we not imitate what you guys did? Why is protest and violent confrontations bad?”
Carl (with a rush of passion): “We blew it Rooter. I didn’t see if for a couple of decades, but we were wrong. We did change the world, but we drove America toward the Right, not toward the Left. We got Nixon, and Ford, and even Carter worked for the Council on Foreign Relations. Then we had Reagan, and Bush I, and then Clinton who was in the banks’ pockets too. Then Bush II, and now Obama, whose administration is full of Goldman-Sachs people.. Everyone of those presidencies is either far Right or clearly right of Center. Clinton even bragged about it.
“What we did caused there to be no effective political Left in America for almost 50 fucking years. All because we didn’t think it through. We didn’t understand. You guys are making the same fucking mistake. We have to do something completely new. We have to look back, understand our history, and learn and then create. And, that my friends is what Americans do ... we innovate, we create, we make something that wasn’t there before. That’s where our thinking has to go ... not into the past, but into a future no one has seen or even imagined before.”
Agnes: “Amen brother. Amen.”
Sam, kind of whispering: “Yo.”
Gloria: “Jenny, Doug, Rooter, Doc ... we see you. We see your pain. We understand your concern over being what you call ‘debt slaves’. We used to call it being a ‘wage slave’. Not really any difference. Any of you know the song ‘16 Tons'? Merle Travis, Tennessee Ernie Ford?”
All the young people shake their heads in a negative fashion.
Gloria: “Well, maybe you should down-load it sometime. Americans have been up that creek for generations.”
Doc plays with his cell phone.
Agnes: “I want Carl to say some more here. Kind of talky, there’s something you all need to understand - get your collective heads around. Makes a great deal of difference.”
Looks to Carl, the others nod assent for him to speak. Sam moves his chair closer.
Carl: “You have way more power than you realize. Way more. Enough so that marching and protesting and violent confrontation isn’t even necessary.”
Carl looks at the whole group, the four mostly young people.
Carl: “What’s your complaint?”
Both Doug and Doc start to talk. Doug stops and leaves the floor to Doc.
Doc: “To have good jobs we believed we had best go to college. But to go to college we needed a lot of money, and there was money to be borrowed. So we borrowed it, but then when we got out of college there were no jobs. I guess, maybe, because the economy tanked.”
Doc looks around at his friends.
Doc: “Two of us live at home now. I’m 47, and I had to move back in with my mom and dad, who are retired and on social security. Somethings not right about this, not right at all.
Carl: “Where did the money come from that was loaned to you? Do you know?”
The four look back and forth among each other.
Doug: “Well, we borrowed it from special programs for student loans, I guess, but seems like the money actually came from some banks that specialized in those kinds of loans. We’ve been protesting to get the government to pass laws to make the loans more easy to pay. Give us more time to pay, and adjust maybe the interest rates. Nobody is listening, so we couldn’t think of what else to do but march and stuff.”
Carl looks at the group. Lets them sit with that idea for a bit, then ...
Carl: “Where did the bank get the money it loaned you?”
Jenny, after a pause: “I guess its on deposit there. From other peoples savings and stuff.”
Rooter: “We have to find some way to fuck these people up. They aren’t treating us right. These are predatory loans just like with the all those home buyers that got fucked before the banks all got saved by the government. When is the government going to save us?”
Gloria: “Slow down Rooter, we are getting to the best part, so to speak, but you got to put some reins on your passion and pay attention, ... and think.”
Gloria nods to Carl to continue. She’s grinning. Carl looks sour. He’s not sure how these kids are going to take this.
Carl: “The banks don’t loan you money that is on deposit.”
Long pause - confusion on the faces of several
Doc: “I’ve heard about this. You know how it really works?”
Carl: “The loan creates the money. It didn’t even exist before the loan. Banks get to make money out of nothing, and loan it to you, and then charge as much interest as they can on the debt-money, that is almost completely free to them, ... as much interest as they can get away with.”
Amazed looks. Gloria is grinning. Sam and Agnes are sad. Carl looks weary. Where this goes next could be dangerous.
Carl: “Its the big secret of the whole financial collapse. Everyone in finance, all economists, - all over the world. They know these loans that fuel the economies of the world are made of hot air, and that the whole system only works because people believe it works. This has been going on for centuries - the banks loaning money they didn’t have. Used to be just a more or less unscrupulous practice, and then slowly became fully legal, with the final links in our wage/debt slavery being forged when the Federal Reserve system was set up in America during the 2nd decade of the 20th Century.”
After another even longer pause, as these young student loan holders try to get their heads around this idea ...
Carl: “During the crisis of 2008 and afterward, the Fed loaned/created out of nothing trillions of dollars for other banks and corporations - for everybody but the homeowner who was about to drown when their mortgage went underwater as the housing market collapsed.”
The protest group “kids” are speechless. Rooter seems mostly confused, like he doesn’t get it. Gloria gets up, makes sure everyone gets something to drink, even offers to find some wine.
Carl leans in ...
Carl: “The thing is ... this debt that you have. That’s a two edged sword. Its a lot of power placed in your hands, especially if you choose to default on it. Banks and corporations default all the time. Imagine what happens if half the holders of student debt in the United States say fuck you to the banks and the government, and are demanding changes not through protest marches, but through a refusal to honor the debt. There are big consequences to that, but that’s another story for another time.”
Gloria: “You’d be defaulting on the debt-money, the fake money. Not someone’s savings, but the banks mostly free-to-them wealth."
Agnes: “You all need to digest this. Get used to what it means. Sleep on it for a couple of days, and then we get back together and talk about your power, ‘cause my dears, none of you is really all that helpless. You act together, and its the banks and their friends in Congress that is helpless.”
[& 16 Tons starts up &]
Doc puts his cell phone on the table and we hear the song: 16 Tons: (while this song is playing, the camera is on one of those crane things, so it rises up and starts to look around where the retirement home is ... sees the older houses, the industrial buildings, the people driving to and from work ... pans slowly in circles so it can capture all that is possible of the surrounding’s semi-industrial environment)
Some people say a man is made outta mud
A poor man’s made outta muscle and blood
Muscle and blood and skin and bones
A mind that’s a-weak and a back that’s strong
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ‘cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin’ when the sun didn’t shine
I picked up my shovel and I walked to the mine
I loaded sixteen tons of number nine coal
And the straw boss said “Well, a-bless my soul”
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ‘cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store
I was born one mornin’, it was drizzlin’ rain
Fightin’ and trouble are my middle name
I was raised in the canebrake by an ol’ mama lion
Cain’t no-a high-toned woman make me walk the line
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ‘cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store
If you see me comin’, better step aside
A lotta men didn’t, a lotta men died
One fist of iron, the other of steel
If the right one don’t a-get you
Then the left one will
You load sixteen tons, what do you get
Another day older and deeper in debt
Saint Peter don’t you call me ‘cause I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store
scene 16
[& low level bagpipe - dread and woe &]
fade to split screen
Rooter on his cell phone, in his car outside the retirement home, talking to a cop in an office.
Rooter: “I think they’re crazy. A bunch of crazy old coots. Living in some dreams of days gone-bye and opportunities missed. Talked about banks and money and shit. Didn’t make any sense to me”
Sargent Salieri (the older cop, who we saw at the wake): “Well, good. You’re in, all the way in. So just write it up, and I’ll forward it to Base, the guy at Homeland Security. Still might be something useful we can do, even if they don’t go for the violence. If the talk is getting too complicated, maybe we need to finally wire you up. I’ll talk to some others about it. Good work, John ... good work.”
scene 17
[& Moody Blues, (K)Nights in White Satin &]
fade to Sam and Carl in their room
Carl: “Hey crazy man.”
Sam: “Hey brother,”
Carl: “Futures coming fast now.”
Sam: “Maybe. Just ‘cause the wind blows hard don’t mean we have to jump on a kite and fly it.”
Carl: “I think I nailed the spy.”
Sam: “Those lists you got them to write up?”
Carl: “Yea.”
Sam: “Rooter?”
Carl: “How’d you guess? Bad angel likes to brag?”
Sam: “A little bit, but mostly Rooter’s ... I don’t know ... provocative.”
Carl: “Yea. Le Agent Provocateur. Had to be at least one. Jenny, Doug and Doc, all listed Rooter as promoting violence, two of them wrote him down first on their lists as if he was the first one they thought of - he didn’t list himself at all. Only one name on all four lists. The rest spread around. I’ll be checking high-school yearbooks and stuff, but my guess is Rooter’s background is a big lie. Probably the one that’s on all four lists wants to be a revolutionary ‘cause he thinks its romantic.”
Sam: “Hard times, stranger choices. Strange times, harder choices.”
Carl, raising an eyebrow: “Glad we’re old fucks tho’. Time to pass the baton.”
Sam: “If they don’t drop it. Always that could happen. We fucked up seriously, you know. Seriously.”
Carl: “Well in my case it was just too many drugs, and then of course, you were born a crazy shaman, so there’s that too.”
Sam (laughing): “Fuck you man, fuck you.”
Carl walks out of the room laughing (past his parked wheelchair) giving Sam the finger, but first Carl looks into darkened hallway to make sure no one sees him before he walks quickly across to the day area to get some snacks.
scene 18
fade to meeting with Jenny, Doug, Doc, Rooter and a bunch of others in the student debt group
[& hip-hop and tech, like in Bar Scene &]
Rooter: “Them old folks is crazy.”
Jenny makes a face.
Doc: “No, ... they just made crazy sense, that’s all.”
Jenny: “Doug, you think you can make a reasonable story of that. I saw you playing on the Internet for several hours. Were you able to confirm what Carl said about the banks and loans and stuff?
Doug (worn down a little bit): “I’ll try. Makes me want to burn the banks down, but I can see that won’t play. So sit back folks (looking at the others - a dozen or so), tighten your seat belts, this is going to be a very wild ride. The Lords of Finance have some very interesting out in the open secrets”
scene 19
[& strings, low level background - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face &]
fade to Carl and Agnes lying in bed in a motel
Agnes: What’cha thinking ‘bout.
Carl: “Stuff.”
Agnes: “Don’t give me that shit, I know that face ... that ‘I have secrets and I am plotting’ face.”
Carl: “Okay. Its a chess game.”
Agnes: “Chess? I didn’t know you play chess.”
Carl: “No. Real life. Our life. What we are doing with the protest take-over thing.”
Agnes (paying more attention): “Alright. Something going on I should know about?”
Carl: “Well ... think about it this way. I am playing chess with a guy I can’t see and who I do not know. He doesn’t even know I am playing chess with him. Moves and counter-moves all taking place in the imagination.”
Agnes: “This is a real person?”
Carl: “Yeah. Remember that kid, Rooter?”
Agnes: “Sure. Sort of.”
Carl: “He’s a plant from the cops. I want to turn him.”
Agnes: “What?”
Carl: “Real life spy stuff. The cops had to be watching already the group where Mark was killed. Had to know stuff about it, otherwise the way that went down wouldn’t have happened the way it did.”
Agnes (thoughtful pause): “I think I can see that. So this kid, was a fucking spy on them ... and now on us?”
Carl: “Yeah. And, I want to turn him. Make for him what the old timers in the spy game would call a double agent. So that he works for us now, not for them.”
Agnes: “Jesus. How would you do that?”
Carl (smiling): “Blackmail him.”
Agnes: “How? Wait I minute, do I want to know?”
Carl: “Probably not.”
Agnes: “Shit. Tell me anyway.”
Carl: “Old business, really, these kids today never read books, so don’t have a clue. Used to be called a honey trap. Turns out Rooter’s got a wife and kids. I found a picture of him on-line, in an old high school year book. Know his real name now. We’ll have him seduced by someone not his wife and take pictures. After which he belongs to us.”
Agnes: “That’s terrible.”
Carl: “So was what he’s been doing. This kid’s boss in the Oakland police probably has him writing reports to someone in Homeland Security about what we are planning. Those two - Rooter’s boss and the probable homeland guy - those are the guys I’m playing chess with. They don’t know it, but I do.”
Agnes: “Are we going to be in trouble?”
Carl: “I don’t think so. I think they don’t see us as much of a threat. Bunch of old farts in an retirement home, plotting with some kids about taking over some unused property as a protest thing. Fuck, in France and other places in Europe, squatting is legal in the winter. For us tho’, no bombs. Nothing that dangerous. Yet.”
Agnes: “Yet? Fucking yet?”
Carl: “Chess. Agnes, chess. Make them think we are doing one thing, when we are doing something else. Something they don’t see coming. But I have to think this out, and nobody is to know. Sam knows. He’s helping. But I have to think a couple of dozen moves ahead, with all the different ways it might play out. See all the possible paths. Even then, I also have to assume some fuckups on our part.”
Agnes: “The stakes are high, aren’t they.”
Carl: “Yeah, sweety. They are. But they don’t know us. They think we’ve retired. They don’t even know there’s a game on.”
Turns to her and kisses her. They look at each other.
Agnes: “Makes me feel alive, ya know?”
Carl: “Yeah, why do you think I’ve been so horny lately.”
She pokes him in the ribs.
Agnes: “You are a very bad boy, a very bad boy.”
Carl: “And you my dear, ... you love it don’t you.”
Agnes: “Well, maybe. ... I don’t want you to turn him tho’. No honey trap. Makes us just like them. Maybe you can Godfather him?
Carl: “Huh?”
Agnes: “You know ... keep your friends close, but your enemies closer?”
Carl (frowning, thoughtful): “You’re right. When you’re right, you’re right. Okay. Are you hungry?”
Agnes: “About time you took me out to dinner. You know, you’re supposed to do that before you get the nooky.”
(giggling)
scene 20
[& Jazz, Brubeck: Time Out &]
split screen, Dale talking on his office phone to his friend in the Oakland police:
Dale: “Hey Al, what’s up?”
set for Al shows him behind a desk with his name (Alfredo “Al” Sanchez) on a nameplate ... other set items suggest he is a SWAT commander in the Oakland Police, as well as some pictures with other soldiers from original Iraq war
Al: “Dale, damn girl, long time no see. What’s up?”
Dale: “Sorry to ask, but knowing you are as discrete as you are, and as - shall we say - as tough as you are (both laugh) - I need you to talk to a guy at our Oakland home - the Golden Hours facility. His charge nurse thinks this orderly is taking meds from the patients, but I just want him leaned on a little bit - get him to back away.”
Al: “Hmmm. Well, if we did turn it over to Vice they will be more aggressive that’s for sure. Make him into a snitch. So, ... me personally?”
Dale: “After hours maybe, ... not in uniform, just have your badge. He’s got two strikes and we have no definite proof. Maybe save the guy from his own bad thoughts?”
Al: “That seems simple enough.”
Dale: “He works the evening shift - 3 to 11, you drop by and seek out a charge nurse there named Bishop. She’ll point you in the right direction.”
Al: “Okay, ... in fact I could do it tonight. What’s the address?”
scene fades ...
scene 21
cut to scene inside restaurant in the motel, Carl and Agnes having dinner. A man comes to sit at their table - wearing a blazer, with a name tag: ‘Tom Millett, Motel Manager’ written on it.
[& uncomplicated tech, with a steady beat &]
Carl: “Tom”
Tom: “Boss”
Agnes: “Carl, I still can’t believe this. You having money and living in that home with us.”
Tom: “Carl likes to play games, ma’am. Not serious games, but fun games. Keeps his mind flexible.”
Agnes (with a sly grin): “Hmmm. Well, I get it. He’s a social butterfly he is, and likes good company and his jokes. No point living home alone. There’s a little bit of trickster spirit in him.”
Carl: “Thanks for dropping by, Tom. I need you to order some electronics for me. Surveillance stuff. Multiple small cameras, wifi linked to a local server, and the local server set up to broadcast what is recorded into the cloud. A dozen and a half sets, with three or more cameras for each server etc. Bill it to the corporation.”
Tom: “Sure boss. Need anything else?”
Carl: “Yeah, ... a not too-legal tech or programmer guy. Set up a control place, and make sure its all encrypted. I’ll give him the details. I expect he knows someone who can install the stuff.
Tom: “Sure. We’ve used this guy here for our security. Likes money though.”
Carl (laughing): “Most of us do.”
Agnes: “Amen to that.”
scene 22
fade to retirement home patio, mid-afternoon. Doug, Rooter, Doc, Jenny and a few others, meeting with Gloria and Agnes
[& Gloria’s theme, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds &]
Doug: “Gloria, I heard you say to Rooter the other day that the barbarians were insides the gate. What did you mean by that?
Gloria: “Used to be that invasions came from outside a nation. If you were a tribe or a people, you hung together against an enemy beating on the door. Now - in the good old US of A - the barbarians - the morally compromised and vicious - are down the street in a gated community, and will ride, in their limousine, right by you begging on a street corner and not blink an eye.
“The thing is that the idea we are advocating - the refusing to pay a money debt - is not much different from what the banks do, or the stock brokers do. The banks don’t tell you the money is basically free to them, basically a perpetual ponzi scheme, or that they’ve lobbied the hell out of Washington for decades in order to get benefits for themselves that screw you.”
“Any of you heard of the idea of the social contract?”
(Doug and company all shake heads in a negative fashion, some look a bit confused.)
Gloria: “Its a basic idea the so-called Founders understood. All societies were based on agreements, not always overt, or written down. Our Founders tried to make an important part of our basic agreement written down - i.e. the Constitution and so forth. At its root was the concept that all were to be bound to the same rule of law. Not one kind of law for some, and a different kind of law for others.”
Agnes: “And don’t get me started on the Supreme Court. A five year old child knows the difference between the bank corporation on the corner and their kindly neighbor.”
Gloria, passionately: “We’ve barbarians running Congress, living in the White House, sitting on the Supreme Court, all the while paid by corporations to find legal niceties to justify harming ordinary people, and getting and keeping everything good for themselves. Torture and spying on us and drone killing American citizens overseas. That’s not a government, that’s a tyranny. We’re the frog in the slowly boiling pot. About to die from creeping systemic injustice
Doc, after a long pause with everyone trying to deal with the passion. “We’ve got some questions.”
Agnes: “I won’t say we’ve got all the answers, but we’ll try.”
scene 23
[& Agnes’s theme - hints of Amazing Grace &]
Gloria, putting on a coat, in her room with Agnes, ...
Gloria: “Going out with the twins tonight. They’re taking me out for pizza. Liked that story I told them about you at the wake and then some stuff I told about afterward, and they want to know more. I’m not sure how far to let them get involved though. What’d you think?”
Agnes, after a pause: “You’re their grandmother. What kind of grandmother do you want to be? Protective and scared, or some kind of in your face Jane Fonda? They’re going to live in the future that’s coming. Maybe they should start to have a say in it.”
scene 24
[& Gloria’s theme Strawberry Fields &]
cut to Gloria going out the door of the retirement home with a boy and a girl about age 16. Sam is coming in from some outside errand, and pulls Gloria aside for a moment ....
Gloria, to the girls: “Go get the car dears, this man ... well, ... this very nice man wants a word.”
Sam: “Carl’s using again.”
Gloria: “Shit. How bad?”
Sam: “Not too bad, but he’s been making some masks and you know he likes to wander in dreams when he does art. Even though I try to tell him otherwise. But he’s also just using it in the morning sometimes. Lies in bed. Thinking and dreaming. Doesn’t want to say what, which is best. But I thought you should know, in case Agnes starts to notice or to worry.”
Gloria: “He’s not talking?”
Sam: “Well, not exactly. He talks about getting ready for the blow-off. Tries to talk about what we are doing as if its some complicated con, which it is I suppose. But still - his thinking is getting fuzzy, and I’m not sure we need that just now. I think we need him bright and focused, not all fuzzy and goofy.”
Gloria: “I’ll talk to Agnes. She’ll know what to do.”
fade to
scene 25
[& Dylan - Blowing on the Wind &]
Carl, Agnes, Sam and Gloria, huddled together in the corner of a retirement home day area
Sam: “We’re getting looks. Doing these meetings more often is drawing attention.”
(everyone looking thoughtful)
Gloria: “I’ve an idea. We need names for what we are doing. And ... I don't know ... something official, like T-shirts or something.”
(laughter)
Gloria: “Now don’t make fun of me. We can’t be doing this in a closet. We know that doesn’t work.”
Carl: “I’ve some ideas. Let’s come back here after lunch and I’ll show you something.”
(nods all around)
scene 26
[& continue Blowing on the Wind &]
(back at same table later, Agnes and Gloria in different clothes, Sam has a big grin, and Carl puts a little box, wrapped like a present, in the center of the table)
Carl: “Okay, ... we’re thinking of borrowing a page from the young and doing an occupation of some sort, right?”
(nods of assent)
Carl: “They call them ‘actions’, and I want to name this one: ‘a second declaration of independence’. You all know the theories, the civics of it. We just bring them on board, and some others, and we name it - this action/occupation: “the second declaration”. That’s how we talk about it among our selves. Its a kind of actions speak louder than words thing - this 2nd declaration. Okay so far?”
Gloria: “So far.”
(Agnes nods assent)
Carl: “We also have to include others. Not just us old people, and the college debt people, but maybe some homeless and some unemployed. Anyone who feels disenfranchised. Maybe ex-cons who can’t vote. ... Sam, ... you tell the rest.”
Sam: “We take a page from my people. Some of the Founders understood it. At least Ben Franklin did. If you’ve heard of the Iroquois Confederacy, you’ve heard of this. Strength through intentional cooperation. That’s why we not only have a 2nd declaration, but a new Confederation, ... made up of all the people whose needs the government could meet, but doesn’t.”
(pause ... people thinking, Carl plays absentmindedly with the box)
Agnes: “Jeez Carl, what’s with the damn box?”
Carl, pushing it toward Agnes: “Open it.”
(Agnes does, finds a political-like button in it, one you can pin on yourself. Its clearly hand made, and Agnes passes it around)
Gloria reads it: “I don’t consent anymore. I don’t consent.”
Carl: “I thought about having a bunch made, and then I realized people had to care enough to go to the trouble to make their own. If they do that, they can say anything they want. Maybe some say: ‘I don’t consent anymore to there not being free health coverage’. I don’t know. Just feels right for people to make their own and start to wear it around here.”
Agnes, getting it: “That’s how we come out of the closet, and make our meetings more open. Right? We start wearing these homemade buttons, and people can ask or not, but its there - that we’re a group. We’re political, and not all that noisy either. Just a button and some conversations.”.
Gloria (laughing): “I love it. I fucking love it.”
(she gets up from the table and grabs Agnes’s hand)
Gloria: “Lets go make some buttons dear. This one looks cheap. We can do better.”
(everyone laughs)
scene 27
[& guitar, blues - touch of cajan &]
Al walks into Bishops nurses station ... we see them from a distance and she points Tigh out to him, then calls out:
Bishop: “Tigh, come over here, there’s someone I want you to meet.”
Again from a distance: Tigh and Al talking. Al flashes badge. Tigh kind of slumps, sits down in a chair. His expression changes as it is clear this is just a warning. Al gives him a business card, and then leaves. Tigh tries to look hard at Bishop, and she just stares back, her arms folded. Tigh walks away. Pulls out his cell phone and calls someone.
Camera moves close and we hear his side of the conversation:
Tigh: “We be out of business. .... “Look shit head, I’m busted with only a warning. No way am I going permanently inside just to keep you high.” .... You’ll have to find someone else.” closes phone, angry look on face...
Second Act
scene 1
[& Bridge Over Troubled Waters - barely heard - the twins are close &]
Joy and Joey - Gloria’s twin grandchildren - playing a video game in their living room - pushing buttons on controllers, making noises, but still talking ...
Joey: “What do you think of Grammy’s thing?”
Joy: “The protest thing?”
Joey: “Yeah.”
Joy: “I don’t know ... maybe its just old people stuff. What’s it got to do with us?”
Joey (referring to game): “Fuck me. Watch my six.”
Joy, teasing: “I’ve got it. Can’t you talk and play at the same time.”
Joey: “Listen dumb sister, I can play and talk and do sums in my head. Can you?”
Joy: “Who’s national honor society this year?”
Joey: “Well, I’m not the one wearing trainers under my dress.”
Joy: “You couldn’t wear a dress, if you tried.” pauses, “There, I’ve got him, go left.”
Joey: “Crap I’m dead.”
Joy: “I told you to go left.”
Joey (throws pillow from sofa at her): “Well, this war’s over for the day. Want to go play in Grammy’s war?”
Joy: “Yeah, why not.”
Joey: “I know that guy that’s in the debt-slave group or whatever that is. You know, the old bald guy. He’s been chatting on our dark-net Tor group. Seems to know his stuff.”
Joy: “Okay, hook up with him, and find us a way in.”
Joey (getting up to leave room): “Right, ... your turn to do dishes.”
Joy (following him): “Is not.”
Joey (lite punch to her arm): “Is too”
fade
scene 2
[& Beatles Rocky Raccoon &]
(nurse station, evening, Gloria has come over to get Sam and Carl to come to a meeting. All three are wearing their buttons, as they pass by the nurses station)
Bishop (kind of getting in their way) “What’s this then (looking at buttons)? Some kind of revolution?”
Gloria (sarcasm): “Oh Bishop. You are so right. We are going to take over the retirement home. Any day now.”
Bishop (frowning): “Can’t do political stuff here. You know that”.
Gloria: “Were you asleep last year, ... last November. Everyone was wearing buttons. All you guys did was say no posters on the walls, and we were to not have loud arguments. Free speech, Bishop. Its called free speech. Us old people ... we love to vote. Got to vote. Got to keep our social security from being taken away. You do like getting paid, don’t you?”
fade to:
scene 3
[& Gloria - theme - Back in the USSR &]
Carl, Agnes, Sam and Gloria talk to the student loan protest group, in a motel conference room - a larger group than usual with some new people, even a couple of teenagers (Joey and Joy) playing with their phones ...
Gloria: “We’ve been talking and we have an idea for what you call an ‘action'. Are you interested?”
Doug looks around the room, sees nods of ascent: “Sure, ... go for it. But what’s with the buttons?”
Jenny (putting one on): “You make your own, put on it whatever you want. Sometimes makes conversations happen. People get curious.”
Gloria (after a pause): “One of the ideas we work with is about strength through association. Ben Franklin knew about that through his meetings with the Iroquois Confederacy Nations. In the labor movement it was supportive walkouts. We propose that this next action include at least two additional groups, which are not as organized as you all, but have a similar interest to us: homeless people and unemployed people. You with me so far.”
[noises of assent]
Gloria: “Then we’ll have us four, some of you - or all of you if you want, some homeless people - Sam will bring them on, and some unemployed. Agnes and I both know some individuals who might want to participate. Four different groups, elders and students and homeless and seriously out of work. A kind of Confederacy of the disenfranchised. Nobody in Washington takes our issues seriously.”
Rooter: “Okay, but what do we do with all these people? Some kind of non-violent sit in?”
Agnes: “No, we are going to borrow a page from you guys - we want to do an occupation kind of event.”
Sam: “The homeless need places to live and Carl has an idea - or two or three or a dozen. You know how he is (laughter).”
Doug, others, look to Carl.
Carl: “I’ll try to be brief”
cat call from audience “good luck with that Carl”
Carl (smiling): “Here goes, ... There’s this law, called eminent domain. You’ve all heard of it. In general, it lets the State take property for public use, if there is a reason for it. All local municipalities and State governments could use this to take unused property in order to have housing for the homeless. From foreclosed homes to empty businesses and warehouses. We want to take our new Confederacy and occupy an empty warehouse in Emeryville.
“Our legal-like argument is that the Constitution is over, the Republic has been wrecked, and this makes the people free to make any new social contracts they want to make. In our new social contract, we claim the same eminent domain power to take unused property for the benefit of human needs. Since the current situation arose without the People’s real consent, we are free to make new laws. Of course, we will get arrested and perhaps jailed, and are unlikely to make that legal-like argument succeed in court. But in the meantime we’ve brought attention to something important, and - in my view the most important part - acted together. We form a Confederacy of free individuals no longer bound to the old rule of law, ... not bound because so many others act outside the law themselves, including the NSA, the CIA, the Military, Corporations and all the branches of government. Obviously there are a lot of details to work out.”
Agnes: “Our hearts want to take action. Our heads know we need to not be stupid, and cause riots which are terrible, and can end in death, like for my grandson. I need you to try this out in Mark’s memory. Will you do it, ... please?” (Agnes isn’t pleading, such is saying this with a kind of understood ferocity-emphasis, and kindly all the same)
Rooter: “I think we need to talk among ourselves first.”
Doc: “I’m okay with that, but for myself, I’m in already.”
Doug: “Me to, ... lets talk, but I’m in.”
Jenny raises her hand in a gesture of agreement, as do several others. The meeting breaks up.
scene 4
[& snare drum, like in the fourth part of opening sequence &]
After a different meeting with Doug, Doc, Jenny, Rooter, et. al. Carl takes Rooter aside:
Carl: “Rooter, I could use some help in understanding your group. You have a lot of passion and I appreciate that, so I'd like it if sometimes before I talk to everyone in your group, I can run things by you for your reaction first. What do you think?”
Rooter (cautious, but excited too, for his private spy reasons): “Sure Carl, sure. I'd like
that.”
scene 5
[& Simon and Garfunkle - Old Friends &]
Carl and Sam take a walk. Sam is pushing the wheelchair.
Carl: “Time to go dark”
Sam: “To bad, in a way, but I get it. You and I, we can’t use cell phones or e-mails or any electronic connection anymore. The Nasty Spy Assholes think they know everything. What a bunch of dorks.”
Carl: “The Shadow Warriors up and running?”
Sam: “Yup, ... enough anyway. Got some connections to unemployed folk too. Just a few, though. ‘Til we go public have to keep this close. You buy all the electronics you need?”
Carl: “Yeah. Its been delivered. Did it as upgrades to security at my motels. Nobody will notice. Some hacker friends are prepping that equipment now. We’ll be go soon.”
Sam: “Nice to be back in the game, old friend. Hopefully we really are wiser and smarter this time.”
Carl: “Well, if this works, because of social media the whole world will be watching on a scale nobody ever imagined before. Going to be costs, tho’. Do the dance, pay the piper.”
Sam: “New kind of Ghost Dance to my way of seeing. Might not be as costly as you suspect.”
Carl (laughing): “Well, if I go out, might as well have my boots on.”
Sam: “Shit man. Cowboys and Indians in combination. Toughest dudes in this hemisphere to the rescue. Nobody be expecting that.”
fade to
scene 7
[& bagpipes of doom &]
Rooter in his car, talking to Sargent Salieri (split screen)
Rooter: “Carl wants to confide in me. Get my advice about how to work with our group. Also, they’re planning on bringing other folks in, maybe some homeless and unemployed. Some more political crap.”
Sargent: “Good, good. Write it up and e-mail me with a copy to Base over at HS. See if you can get Carl to make a date for your next conversation, so we can wire you up. I want to get him on the record. What a bunch of old fools. Playing at revolutionaries again. Jeez.”
Rooter: “Yeah. That’s for sure.”
fade to
scene 8
[& more snare drum - marching toward destruction &]
Carl and the news reporter Rider - split screen
Rider (in a Newsroom, at a TV station): “Hello, Rider Murphy.”
Carl (in a motel room): “Might have a scoop for you. Can give you some details now, but we ultimately should meet face to face. You interested?”
Rider: “Okay, shoot. Got to have a name though.”.
Carl: “Carl, Carl Algren. Its a novel political protest. A surprise bit. Involves young and old together. Something really different. You meet me and a friends of mine from our Retirement Home. We were activists in the ‘60‘s and ‘70‘s - this is our comeback kick off. Give you background on who we are and some hints about the stunt. Obviously we want coverage, but that part is tricky. Why we have to talk face to face. Still interested?”
Rider: “Maybe, where and when do we get together ... you and your friends? Tell me some more ‘tho.”
Carl: “Hmmm ... okay. We’re doing a stunt going to pull the pants down on - shall we say some people who deserve it. Should have real good visuals. Our people will be wired up, and you - when the time comes - can get a direct feed. Can’t predict what the other folks will do - law of unintended consequences. Still, we want to have real time coverage, rather than after the fact.
Rider: “Okay, send me an e-mail with the particulars.”
Carl: “No e-mails, no more calls either. Too many people might end up watching. Someone will hand you a message in the next couple of days.”
scene 9
[& America the Beautiful &]
Wilson on his night rounds stops to chat with Bishop at her station ... Maria walks by, wearing a “I do not consent” button.
Bishop: “Maria, you work here, you don’t live here. Take that button off.”
Maria, trying to resist - stubborn: “I just passed my citizenship tests. I’m going to take the Oath this Sunday. I am free to speak what I want.”
Wilson, somewhat sympathetic: “Not at work Maria. No free speech at work. Outside yes, but where you work, no.”
Maria looks flustered and confused ...
Bishop, still bossy: “Them’s the rules girly. Them’s the rules. I can’t be reading out of my bible here to these folks, or preaching the good Lord’s teachings, though a lot of them need it very much. Going to hell, especially the button wearers. I can’t preach at work, you can’t be political at work.”
Maria: “But some of the patients are wearing buttons?”
Wilson: “They live here. This is their home. We, ... you and I and Bishop, we work here. Makes some kind of difference.”
Maria takes off her button, sad. Walks away.
Bishop: “Wilson, I think Tigh is stealing some residents’ drugs.”
Wilson: “What?”
Bishop: “You heard me. Some of the residents don’t seem rightly medicated. I told you before, we don’t run too tight a ship here. We’ve been letting Tigh carry around a tray with their pills in little cups, and I think he takes a few out of the cups and he’s being real clever about it. I watch him and sometimes he turns his back to me just at the moment he hands over the cup with the pills and then the cup with the water. I’m just saying.”
Wilson: “You going to report it?”
Bishop: “I did, and I arranged for him to get a talking to, too. I like Tigh, and I know he has two strikes, but the good book tells me I have to turn him in.”
Wilson: “What book? Some kind of company book here?”
Bishop: “No you jackass, the good book. That one.”
Wilson, makes a sour face: “Turn him into who?”
Bishop: “Management. Did it, but I’m not sure it worked. Still don’t trust him. I want you to watch out ... when you make your rounds.”
The two kind of stare at each other. Wilson drops his eyes first.
scene 10
[& more snare drum of doom &]
Rider gets a message: Rider walks up out of a Bart train entrance in downtown Oakland. Crosses street. Stops at vendor for coffee. Gets panhandled by a beggar. Beggar calls her by name and hands her a piece of paper. Visual of paper in her hand: address and phone number of a of retirement home, says ask for Carl Algren, any afternoon this week. Beggar hands Rider a cell phone ... says “This is a burner phone. Can’t be traced. Use it. Do not fuck this up.”
fade
scene 11
[& flute, no words, Jeff Buckley’s Hallelujah &]
Sam and Carl’s room. Only Sam is there. On Carl’s bed are some masks in the process of being made. There is no dialogue. We just watch Sam take up Carl’s canes, and while talking to himself (too low to catch all the words), Sam decorates the canes, like they were somehow hatchet-like weapons used by some Indians. But tiny, bits of feathers, beads, paint, symbols. Scene is made up of short cuts, with camera pov changing bit by bit, and the canes change rapidly from ordinary to something magical. The changes are subtle though. Not easy to see. Exterior light through window changes, as does the cloud background of the outside sky to show the “time-lapse” element.
scene 12
Gloria and the twins in a small conference room at one of Carl’s motels. The twins are helping Carl and Agnes make some videos to go up on servers for after the “action” ...
Gloria: “ We want to make a couple of short videos. With the help of some other young people, like yourselves, we are getting material onto the Cloud, for later video streaming after our 2nd Declaration protest event.”
Joy not knowing much about this, yet: “2nd Declaration? Some kind of protest thing?”
Joey, : “Jeez girl. Haven’t you been paying attention. Why do you think Mom is so edgy ‘bout all this time we’re spending with Grammy? If she wasn’t so busy with her new boyfriend she’d be all over us.” - pauses, looking at what Joy is doing, correcting some connection placements. “Yeah, that’s got it. We’re good to go Grammy. Whose up first?”
Carl moves into range of the laptop’s camera eye, sits on a chair. A few minor adjustments of position are made.
Gloria: “Action, take one”.
Everyone gives her a weird look.
Gloria: “I just always wanted to say that. Can’t a girl have some fun. - pauses, looks at Agnes - “Considering ... you know ... what might happen.”
Joy and Joey together: “Grammy!
Joy, pleading: “This needs to be fun and not so dangerous. You promised.”
Agnes: “We just might go to jail, girl, ... you too. That’s all. We’ve all three - me and Carl and your grammy - done that before. Don’t worry. Okay?”
the twins nod, unsure what is really going on, but liking being part of this ...
Joey: “Grammy, I remember your stories. Bad stuff happened. We’re not dumb (looking at Joy) ... we know you wouldn’t be being so careful if there wasn’t cause for it.” (holds up some burner phones they were just given)
Agnes, rescuing Gloria: “No sense crying over milk not spilled yet. This what we are doing here. Milk not yet spilled. This is going to help. You’re helping.”
pause in conversation ... everyone looking at each other ....
Carl using his fingers counts down from three to two to one and ...
Carl, looking at laptop camera: “America is an idea. Its always been an idea. A main element of this idea was to answer this simple question: How does a free people govern itself? We’ve been engaged in that experiment for over 200 years. An experiment testing whether self-interest could be wise. This has been true among most ordinary people. We play by the rules, we work hard, and we mind our own business. Some people have chosen to not play by the rules, and to corrupt our political life with money and to steal our freedom, essentially making us wage slaves in a great big version of the Company Store. Corporations and money rule, not the American People.
“This is wrong. Can it be fixed? Yes, and without violence. We just change the nature of the conversation. We talk about the real ideas; and, ... because we are many and those who try to rule are few, we will prevail, without violence, just with peaceful and politically real conversations. No b.s., just plain talk.”
movement in room as Agnes takes Carl’s place in the chair ...
Agnes: “We can’t make a perfect world. Its a wish of the heart, but the mind must remind the heart that not all wishes can come true. Right now the political conversation has no heart. But the interesting situation is that politicians need our votes. We are a constitutional democratic republic, and no one gets in government unless we vote them in. We also have free speech. We will be heard, and a main thing we need to realize is that the divisions created among us are false. We are all human beings living with other human beings, and the plain fact is that human beings are more important than property or things.”
“A lot depends on the names we give things, the heart songs - the poetry we try to apply to our way of life. Right now we are an accidental disorganized convocation of individuals often set against each other. We are liberals and conservatives and gays and religious and intellectuals and people who create with their hands. We all need to eat, and to have shelter, and to have the freedom to raise our children in peace.”
“We need a government that works for, and represents, our interests. But such changes take time, so we have something coming - something with new names: the grandmother war, the shadow warriors, the army of the unemployed - all kinds of people that can create a new confederation - a cooperative political movement that starts with these simple words: We no longer consent.”
“But the heart of it is the ‘We’ part. Ordinary people taking the trouble to realize that they have many common interests, and are no longer willing to be tricked into believing - by politicians and money interests - that they have to be enemies. The tricksters are our enemies, but even they can join the new confederation that is going to be following from the 2nd Declaration. The first revolution took eight years, and a lot of blood. We change the conversation, and the 2nd revolution can do more, and be completely bloodless. We just have to want it. Do you want real change? Do you consent anymore? I sure don’t. Not a bit.”
Agnes moves to another chair. Joy and Joey play with the equipment
Joy: “Grammy, ... what’s a shadow warrior?”
Gloria: “Carl?”
Carl: “Oh its a name I made up years ago for the homeless in somethings I wrote. I saw them as collateral damage in the economic wars of corporations over who controls the most wealth. The homeless were shoved into the shadows, and became people others didn’t even want to look at or acknowledge. But since they were economic collateral damage, I thought a better name for them would be shadow warriors - or warriors in the shadow of a larger more epic economic kind of warfare. Sam likes it, and some of his friends. Maybe it will catch on.”
Joy: “Wow ... and weird.”
Joey: “Grammy. Those buttons you’re wearing. Can we wear them? I know we’re only 16, but I believe in what you are doing.”
Joy: “Yeah, Grammy, ... do we have to be able to vote, to wear a button?”
Agnes: “No sweety. Not at all. In fact, being involved in this way is very wise. You are going to live in the future that’s coming, and if you want to have a say in it, no time like the present to start.”
scene 13
Rider does some investigative journalism ...
Rider: “Whitman, come over here."
elderly man, with a white beard gets up from nearby desk and comes over
Whitman, somewhat sarcastically: “Sure boss.”
Rider, a little chagrined: “Sorry. I need some Internet research, and you do it far better than me. Can you find stuff out about people over in this retirement home. (hands him the paper she got from the homeless person) Some guy named Carl. There’s a connection to that debt-slave protest thing. See what you can dig up. Okay? I’ll owe you.”
scene 14
Whitman corrals Rider later that same day as she walks through the Newsroom, ... has a bunch of papers in his hand.
Whitman: “Well, there’s something there. The kid that died, his grandmother is in that home, and so’s this Carl guy. I did some deep background, and yes you do owe me ... a lot. There’s three of them that were radicals in the ‘60‘s and ‘70‘s The grandmother was even a Black Panther.
Rider, takes papers, interested expression on her face. Looks at Whitman for a moment.
“Let me know what you want”
Whitman nods his head.
scene 15
Carl and Rider ... they meet in an underground Bart station, siting besides each other, Sam is pushing his chair, and then steps back out of scene ...
Rider: “Hi”
Carl: “Hi”
Rider: “So what’s up? and ... while we are at it, what’s with the canes? They look really weird to me”
Carl: “Next week, not sure of day, but probably Thursday, we are going to do a protest kind of thing.” Hands her a cell phone. “This is another pre-paid burner phone, I’ll call you when we are go.”
Rider (laughing): “Are you serious? What the fuck are you guys up to. I need more information if I’m going to show up and cover this.”
Carl: “Its like a prank, but pranks can go wrong. You know, the law of unintended consequences. Some people inside the Oakland Police have a spy in our group, and we are pretty sure that Homeland Security is being kept informed. To them we are a bunch of old farts from a retirement home, aligned with some student-debt protesters and a few others - could be 25 or 30 folks all together. We are planning to trespass, and take over some property - occupy an empty warehouse. There are some philosophical and political issues. We have papers written. We have Youtube videos prepared. We have press releases. All of that for after. For you, ... we want you outside with your camera crew watching the police and any other players when they move in to take us down and arrest us. The danger is the last time the police interacted with the student debt protesters, one of them got killed. In fact, the leader of our group at the home is the grandmother of the student that got killed. Some of us call what we are doing: the grandmother war. Our view is that modern protests need to be led by our eldest women, because they have the most natural moral authority. Like I said, we have a lot of philosophical ideas.
Rider: “Jeez Carl, that’s a lot of words. The grandmother war? So, when you trespass, you’ll give me a heads up?”
Carl: “Maybe six hours before - so you can get ready and then get in place. Also I’ll send your burner phone a map, and some instructions for the best place to hide your TV van, but still have a good view. The cops will know in advance where we are going to trespass, but they won’t be there until after we go in, otherwise we’d see them and split. You will hide before even we get there, then we’ll get there and then the cops and whoever will come to arrest us, while you take your pictures.”
Rider: “Carl, that seems very smart. I hope you’ve thought of everything.”
Carl: “Me too. That’s what the canes are for - to help me think of everything.” - pauses - “I’ve been getting high a bit too much and a friend made this for me, for “medicine”. He’s a shaman. [looks over at Sam] You'll get to meet him. Very interesting guy.”
Rider gives him a look. As a trained cynic she doesn’t know what to make of this as her eyes go back and forth from Carl to the canes, to Sam and then back again. Smiles though. Interested.
scene 16
Rooter and Sargent Salieri ... split screen
Rooter: “Something strange is going on.”
Sargent: “Oh?”
Rooter: “Yeah. Carl just talked to me about his plans for this occupation of a warehouse. They’re calling it the 2nd Declaration - which makes no sense to me. But that’s not the weird thing.”
Sargent, bored with the already too long story: “Go on. Get to the point.”
Rooter, upset at being chastised: “Listen this is getting dangerous. They expect you to come in after the occupation, and arrest them, but he told me they are wiring the warehouse up, with secret video recording devices. If you guys get violent or anything, they expect to record it and use it later. Now do you get it?”
Sargent, pausing to digest this: “Do we know the location yet?”
Rooter: “Yes. Its in Emeryville.”
Sargent: “Okay, we’ll send in some tech people the day before hand and disable their stuff. Do you know the dates?”
Rooter, testy: “Yeah, ... and the equipment is already in place too. Next Thursday they expect to occupy with about 30 people. I’ll be with them. Maybe you can give me some equipment and I can keep you informed as it goes down. Your people need to know I’m there too. I don’t want them getting rough with me. Okay?”
Sargent: “Settle down John. The checks still get in your wife’s account. Right?”
Rooter: “Yeah.”
Sargent: “Look, we’re on top of this. We’ve got back-up too. Homeland Security is very interested. Might mean promotions for all of us. Calm down.”
Rooter, mollified: “Yeah, ... okay. Later then.”
Sargent: “Sure, later.”
scene 17
Gloria talks to Tigh, Maria, Bishop, Roger and Wilson ... Scene is a small meeting room in a “motel” owned by Carl. They sit around a large circular table, and there is a side-board with different kinds of cups and small plates etc., a bowl of iced sodas and juices, a tall hot water/coffee-like maker, some packages of tea and coffee, and some muffins, and butter and sugar and cream containers - stuff just like in a motel that offers a free “continental breakfast”.
Gloria: “Thanks for coming. You all know each other, at least a little bit, and you all have wondered, seriously in some cases, what Carl, and Agnes and even Sam and I are up to. You saw our buttons and asked questions. Since this is happening in your work space, you justly need to know some details. I’m hoping you can keep some confidences here, but basically we want to trust you to use your own discretion and judgment.”
Wilson (looking at the others): “I don’t like some of you. A bit of a bigot I might be, but at my age I don’t care. Keep to myself, tho’. Don’t want to be in any one’s business, and don’t want anyone in my business either.”
Bishop: “Can this get us fired?”
Gloria: “Honestly, I don’t know. I really don't”.
Roger: “I know the retirement home’s owners. We are good friends. We’d have to commit some kind of crime, and put them at risk - or their businesses at risk. Skyway owns more homes than just Golden Hours.”
Gloria: “Honestly, crimes might be involved. The worst would be called “domestic terrorism”. But at the same time, you might even think the risk is worth it. Please hear me out. Make your own decisions, and after this you don’t even have to talk about any of it again - with me or each other.”
Tigh (standing up): “I’ve got two strikes. A son in prison. Ain’t nothing worth mess’n with that.”
Gloria walks over to him, and puts a hand on the side of his upper arm.
Gloria: “Tigh, please sit. This might change some of that. Didn’t you tell me Rolle was in for a minor drug offense? You must follow the news some. Lots of people want to change all this bad war on drugs stuff. What we are doing might help that along. Just listen a bit. Okay?”
Wilson grunts rather loudly, as if disgusted. Maria fidgets with her purse. Bishop sits with her arms crossed, keeping her own council.
Roger: “Do we need a lawyer? I know some good ones.” This is said with a bit of obvious sarcasm, and gets some grins.’
Bishop: ‘Just get on with it. This is my time off, and I’ve got other stuff to do.’
Gloria looks around the room - everyone seems ready - sort of
Gloria: “Ever hear of the rule of law or the social contract? [pauses] What about this: ‘the only just laws come from the consent of the governed.’?
Maria (who had recently become a citizen), in a surprised voice that she had anything to contribute: “I know that, from my citizenship classes ... that’s from the Declaration of Independence, isn’t it”
Gloria: “That’s exactly right Maria. Exactly”.
Gloria: “Here’s the thing. When our esteemed Founders (looking at Wilson), who were mostly rich and elitist, wrote the Constitution, they understood implicitly that they were taking certain aspects of what they understood as a general social contract that all societies need in order to function, and writing part of it down in words - the part needed to make a government.”
“Now a government is there to do things we as individuals can’t do, one of which is legislate rules to which all agree to follow. So the rule of law comes down to an agreement by all to abide by the same rules - to be equally bound by them.”
“What’s happened is that a lot of folks, out of expectable hungers for money and power, found ways to not follow the same rule of law as everyone else. Over time we’ve even forgotten to talk about stuff this way. So for most of you, when you learned of the social contract and the rule of law while growing up, it took the form of something like this: work hard, play by the rules and mind your own business.”
“Sound familiar?”
Everyone nods.
Gloria: “Sam and Carl and Agnes and I are getting involved in a kind of protest-like thing, that seeks to remind as many people as possible about what were some of the basic ideas that were meant to inhabit our Democracy”
She fiddles with her button.
Gloria: “Most of the serious laws passed for over a century now, were done without the people’s real consent. Money hijacked our government - our Republic - and then money started getting everything it wanted at the expense of all of the folks like us. We are the ones that create the wealth with our labor, and raise the children, and make the future. We are the real givers, and the money folks are just takers. So, some of us are organizing a political movement based on the idea that we don’t consent anymore.”
“Basically everything the government does these days - if it does anything at all - is without our consent. Even Wilson knows that (looking at him).”
Gloria: “One last thing. Do what you feel is right. We aren’t selling anything. Any questions?”
scene fades ...
scene 18
split screen: Wilson at home, Drush in the studio ... (an amalgam of Rush Limbaugh and Drudge)
Drush: “Hello Mr. Wilson. Friends, this a regular caller, over many years. A working man, lets get a working man’s views. Go for it Wilson.”
Wilson: “Thanks Mr. Drush. I’m in the Tea Party as you know, and which you support. Now those of us, who were there from the beginning, knew that government has failed, and fail and failed ... and again, you have agreed. Right?”
Drush: “Damn right, Wilson. Damn right.”
Wilson: Well, I’ve been hanging out with some people we all would call liberals, but these folks too think the government has failed ... and failed big time. Like with the bankers and all getting away without going to jail, while the little guy loses his house. Now my question is if we all agree the government has failed, how come we are fighting each other, instead of working together?”
Drush, pausing to ‘think(?)’: “Well, Wilson, ... aahhh ... its about the job creators and the takers see? Them commie liberals are all takers. The job creators have a right to their wealth, because if they didn’t do what they do, then no one would have jobs. Am I right? Am I right?”
Wilson: “So, if working folks, like me and my neighbors, are losing our homes and our children are fighting in foreign wars over oil fields, then (Drush cuts him off and goes to a commercial - while Wilson - not knowing - keeps talking) then everyone with wealth, such as yourself, gets to keep theirs, and the rest of us have to suck it up. Right? Right? Are you there? Oh, fuck it.”
slams down phone
scene 19
Carl, Sam, Agnes and Gloria have a meeting in a coffee shop on Telegraph Ave., near the UC Berkeley Campus...
Carl: “We used to devise revolutionary plots here, 50 years ago. Funny that this same place still stands.”
Agnes: “Well, the Panthers met in some funky bars down on 7th Avenue in Oakland once in a while, but mostly just in dank apartments with ten kids running around half dressed, some still in diapers.”
everyone looks at Gloria, for her memories ...
Gloria: “Grosse Pointe, for me. Rich kids left alone in big houses, smoking dope and listening to the Stones and the Beatles. After Chicago, when I lost the baby, I came home for a time. Wounded I guess. Then I went to Woodstock, and never came back home again.”
Agnes: “Sam, (pauses), maybe you don’t want to remember. Be okay that.”
Sam: “Southern Laos, Ho Chi Minh trail. Seriously good dope, heroin too if you wanted. They called it Indian Country, because ... well if you were a long haired Indian it was thought you could feel your way in the jungles better than any others, which was true. There was a bunch of us “native” Americans spread around in the scouting platoons. Wandering around by ourselves, trying not to get shot. Wading through swamps. Leaches as big as your fist. V.C. were crazy though, hiding in tunnels by the hundreds. Wander into the wrong place and out they pour like a stirred up bunch of deadly black ants. (pauses, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath). After a fire fight, blood in the water attracts a lot of weird large insects. When we plotted our version of the revolution, it was about which of our own officers to frag - to kill, if you never heard the term frag before. Did one myself once. Cut his throat with a knife. Survival of the strangest, maybe. (everyone wants him to stop, but can’t say it) Be okay, but for the fact that I brought all the ghosts home with me. Sometimes when you see me talking to the air, its to one or more of them. All the people I killed. V.C.; own officers; villagers; children; enemy could be anyone ... any time ... any where.”
Agnes puts a hand on his arm. Draws him back to the Now, and he opens his eyes a bit wider to focus, but for a time doesn’t see the present day world at all.
Gloria, after a pause, changes the subject: “Maria is the only one besides us from the Home that wants to occupy. The others don’t want to talk about it. I’m still trying to recruit Robert, ... we might need some medical folks.”
Agnes: “The debt-slave kids can bring at least 18. Jenny tells me that. They’re really committed.”
Carl (looking at Sam): “Sam’s recruited about half dozen homeless, and another half dozen unemployed - long time unemployed. Some people wanted to bring families and I said not for this first one. Maybe later, but not now. This goes south and some kids get hurt, we loose whatever moral high-ground we might have gained.”
Sam shakes himself into the present. Looks around at everyone like he’s waking from a dream.
Sam: “There’s spirits paying attention to us. Not trying to tell us what to do. Just interested in what we are going to do. A lot of ‘um. I saw one wearing some kind of hat, like a kind of revolutionary war hat. Others too, in uniform. Ladies in aprons, with worried looks on their faces. There was some humming, a tune, like a religious spiritual maybe. Different tunes, they sort of bled into each other. Wade in the Water, was one, I think. Another maybe, Jacob’s Ladder. The humming, and singing if you will, had a kind of sad joy about it.”
He shudders looking out into space in that 1000 yard stare, while the others look down, everywhere but at each other.
scene fades
scene 20
Doc meets with Joey and Joy ...
Doc: “No, sorry. You can’t go. Can’t be with us. Too dangerous.”
Joy, trying out a whinny voice: “Please. Come on Doc. This is too cool to miss. If its in the news we want to be able to tell our friends we were there.”
Joey, a bit anguished and confused - he knows that he’s not the twin that always is taking risks - thinks he has a solution: “What if we just were able to watch it go down. (glances at Joy) Then we could still say we were there (pauses, looking squarely at Joy). Just be safer, that’s all. (louder and directly clearly at Joy) And, not in the way. Not making trouble.”
Doc, doesn’t want to disappoint: “Let me think a minute.” Gets a scrap of paper and a pencil. Writes on it.
Doc: “This intersection has a view. A far away view. Don’t get too close and I’m definitely not given you the address. Look toward the bay, and you’ll see a bunch warehouses. If you go closer, and the police see you, you’ll screw up the whole thing. You want to tell your Grammy how you screwed up the whole thing?”
The twins look at each other, nod okay, but Joey looks at Joy after she glances away and he seems doubtful.
scene 21
Large group of people gathered together in a meeting space at one of Carl’s motels. They have back packs and sleeping bags and stuff. This is the group getting ready to do the 2nd Declaration Occupation ....
Doug: “Okay, everybody, listen up.”
waits for room to quiet
Doug: “In a couple of hours we are going to get on the bus and travel to the warehouse. But I wanted you to see one of the bits of video we have created that will be available on-line as soon as we are in place, and the occupation, or 2nd declaration as some like to call this “action”, has begun. This is a kind of cartoon on some of the underlying issues and principles. Its just part of a lot of background info that will be available to social media to explain what you are up to. Most of you haven’t seen it, although some of you have heard of the ideas. This is how we are going to present those ideas to the general public”
[... the next “writing” is the narration and suggestions for an animated film, which is what those going to the movie will see, although in the film we will start seeing it from the pov of the motel room, all watching a big screen TV ... once started the animation will “occupy” the whole movie screen ... as you read this, just keep in mind that it will not be another speech, which is already dangerously boring the shit out of people, but will be an animated video where the pictures that are hopefully worth a thousand words ...]
title to animated film: done in the style of “electronic white board”,
as if rendered by Joey and Joy ... I'll put potential words and pictures together here ...
there should be narration and perhaps some music, but it has to be a bit crude
“What is debt?
electronic whiteboard program sketches picture of hand reaching out from inside of a cloud, holding out a bag of money, to a kneeling person ... person is speaking inside “caption” bubble:
“please, can I borrow some money” ... over the cloud is the word “Bank”
the Bank replies in a bubble, “sure, just fill out some legal papers”, which then appear
in the hand, after it has disappeared back inside the cloud
and then comes out again
kneeling man signs papers, which
papers are put in the hand, which then goes back inside the cloud
and returns with a sack of money,
“there you go” says the Bank, and here’s you repayment obligations
the kneeling person rises, and as they turn around, a pile of
bricks is strapped to their back, labeled “debt” by the bank’s hand
and the person walks out of scene
narrator:
“lets do this again, only not hide what goes on inside the cloud. and, to help,
let us use bags of sugar instead of bags of cash”
now the cloud is not there, although above this picture is still the word Bank
and the man once more is back kneeling in front of it
the hand holding out the sack labeled sugar is drawn as a kind of mechanical arm,
gears and levelers attached to a human appearing forearm and a hand.
once more the kneeling man begs for a loan
the hand draws back and puts down the bag of sugar,
and reaches into a magician’s top hat, pulls out a rabbit,
shakes the rabbit, and it starts to shit out bags of sugar,
like it was laying eggs
“hmmm” says the narrator, “maybe we need to see inside the hat too”
so we go back to the image of the man kneeling before the bank with his hand out,
and the arm turns around and reaches into the magicians top hat, and that hat is erased
by the drawing hand,
so instead we have an image somewhat like the Tardis from Dr. Who, the police call booth ...
narrator: “this thing is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside”
so the hand that is doing the drawings, erases the “tardis”, and we then see it
draw a huge bank like building, with the name across and above the massive
Greek columns: the Federal Reserve
narrator: “okay now, what is going on here, some kind of russian doll trick?”
drawing hand makes small images of nested russian dolls
the drawing then does a review of nested images: cloud, top hat, rabbit,
tardis and then big huge Bank
hand now erases the outer form of the bank and we see a drawing forming of
bald headed white men sitting at a table, which itself is sitting on a cloud
and from out of the cloud it is raining sugar that little ants are running around
below, and collecting and throwing into bags labeled sugar ....
the cloud next gets a label inside it: “the endless magic money/sugar supply device”
some of the ants are putting small bags of sugar into the pockets of the bald men
the drawing hand now starts to draw another table, around which sit more bald headed
white men, but they are wearing top hats and tails, like the character in the monopoly game
most of the sugar bags are being put on their table and they are fighting over them
some bags fall to the floor, break open, and the leavings are swept up, and put in tiny bags and are given to the rabbit, which goes out the door of the tardis, is pulled
by its ears out of the top hat, and then that bag of sugar emerges from
the cloud and is given to the kneeling man, whose back is then covered in bricks
the kneeling man then says: “Wait a fucking minute. You mean the bank
gets its sugar basically free, and we get most of the bricks?”
narrator: “yup”
kneeling man, stands up “but I get something even if I get the bricks, right?”
narrator: “yeah. The mostly free money helps the whole economy, because
that’s how it enters into circulation. You get the loan, you spend it. Others get
your spending, they spend it. That’s the circulation of currency
(drawing shows bags labeled sugar flying around in circles”
“In a way, a borrower is a kind of tube, through which money enters into circulation,
money that didn’t exist before. the problem is the bricks - the debt obligations -
that are left behind when the made-up money flows through you. If you are middle-class
and down, you get more bricks, relative to your income,
than anyone else, and have to pay more interest
and generally have a harder time even getting a loan.
Just like about everything else, the money/sugar creation system serves
the 1% at the expense of the 99%. Its a dominance game. Controls your
whole life. If you have student debt, the system owns you, and the system
had minimal costs getting the sugar/money in the first place.
narrator: “after the 2008 financial collapse, the Fed, a private bank, unconstitutionally
given the power originally granted to the Legislative Branch to coin and regulate money, created out of nothing 17 trillion dollars which they gave to other banks and big corporations, while the regular guy got nothing but the bricks we call debt. Anyone out there think that’s fair?”
“wait”, again says the loan seeker ... “it can’t be that one-sided, can it?”
narrator - “no, actually, you’re right. See, the little banks get about 10% of the total debt ... its called the “fractional reserve”. That is they have to have, in their banks about 10% of the total amount of outstanding loans - if they are following the rules. However, they don’t always follow the rules which is why banks fail all the time. And, they can legally recover most of those costs with the fee structures, you know where if you bounce a check they charge you $50 even if the check is only for $10.. That’s why so many fees, and also why the local bank doesn’t credit your deposits right way. Those deposits it holds on to, longer than it has to, it gets to loan out, to sort of “float” over night, to other banks. Unless, of course, you are the Federal Reserve, and then all the money
you print (or make up) has no cost to you at all.
Keep in mind the Federal Reserve is a private bank, and like all Central Banks all over the world, it makes the sugar/money out of nothing, and then puts the bricks
of debt on your back, even though it didn’t cost them anything for the money. Its
what killed Greece.
scene 22
[& Dylan - All Along the Watchtower
repeat softer and louder through scenes 23 and 24 &]
Rider and her camera man, Angelo are driving around, following the map given to them by Carl via the burner phone. Whitman is with them in the van, having called in his “favor”.
Rider: “Jeez Angelo, turn there. And drive slow. We don’t want to be noticed.”
van finally gets into the right place, and they turn off most of their lights, inside and out.
Angelo, whispering: “Give me a minute to set up here. And check the kind of signal output we’ve got”
Rider nods and Angelo moves around setting a small camera up on the dash, in a fixed place that was made for it to sit. Then he goes in the back of the van, turns some switches, and sees what kind of image they are getting. Whitman just keeps out of the way.
Rider: “Can you get me in the shot somehow?”
Angelo: “Not unless you want to stand outside. Maybe once the thing is happening, we can have you walk around in front of the van, and shoot that. Or I can just come out with the regular camera like usual. Just a minute, I’m going to call our producer, Mazer, and see if the signal is good enough for broadcast.”
He puts on a head set with a mike, and hits a couple of switches on his board .... split screen
Mazer: “Mazer here, is this Angelo?”
Angelo: “Yeah, are you receiving this?
Mazer: “Yeah, five by five. Let me talk to Rider.”
Angelo hands the head set to Rider ...
Rider: “Hey lady, ready to make some history?”
Mazer: “Doubt that, but hang on anyway. If no one shows in a couple of hours, call it off and come home. His Majesty doesn’t like paying the overtime on these speculative kinds of shit. Okay?”
Rider: “I hear that. Well, we’re here and what will happen will happen.”
Angelo, takes of head set and turns it off, after heaving a deep sigh. Lights a joint, and the three of them start to pass it around
scene 23
Bus pulls up to warehouse, and a bunch of people get out and go in carrying their stuff. Rider and Angelo make a tape of it, while Whitman watches.
scene 24
scene inside a parked car - its Joy and Joey, watching the bus empty from closer than expected, sitting in the shadow of another warehouse maybe 100 yards from the one in scene 22
Joey: “We are way too close here. How the fuck did you find them?”
Joy, turning her cell phone to Joey so he can see it: “I dropped an old cell phone of mine into the mess in Grammy’s purse, when she wasn’t looking. Just using one of those cell phone tracker apps. It’s easy.”
scene 25
[& Mad World, by Tears of Fears &]
From pov inside the warehouse ... some of the “footage” can be rough grained, like what the videos that will be taken that night via the hidden cameras will reveal
Doug: “Okay folks, everyone but Carl, Agnes, Sam and Gloria, follow me, please. We’ve planned an interesting surprise.”
Doug and Doc and Jenny start herding people down some stairs. Shots of people running through utility tunnels, then going up stairs, and Doug at their head, with Doc and Jenny behind, urging them to keep going. Five minutes later, everyone comes out of another door and the bus that left them off is waiting there, and they are urged to get back on it again.
[everyone now on the bus - again, asking questions ... Doug at the front]
Doug: “I need you to wait ten minutes. The driver needs to get us away from here and make sure we aren’t being followed. Then I’ll explain everything.”
Shots of anxious faces, bus starting up, driving though back streets of the warehouse district, driver on the phone, getting an all clear call, and then stopping. Lots of talking, Doug just waits for people to calm down.
Doug: “Did any of you notice that we cut Rooter out of the group that we loaded up and the motel?”
Maria (in back): “Yes, I saw some ... looked like homeless guys hustle him into a van. But Sam was watching them, so I thought it must be all right. Its going to be alright, ... isn’t it?”
Doug: “Well, I have some good news, and maybe some bad news, so hear me out.”
[pauses for people to get quiet again]
Doug: “Carl discovered that Rooter was a spy for the Oakland Police. (more excited talking). It gets worse. Rooter was probably also sending reports to Homeland Security on our coming action. The Police and Homeland know all about us.”
lots of what the fucks, and vague questions - could let actors in group just make shit up Doug waits for quiet again.
Doug: “Carl knew this was coming, but had to keep it all quiet. That’s why we hustled you out of the building. The Oakland Police and Homeland are going to think we’re all still inside. So when they bust the place it will only be Agnes and Gloria and Carl and Sam taking the heat.”
more excited talking, some want to not have been kept out of the action ...
Doug: “We’re not done. Not at all. This bus will take us to a place where we can all hang low, and wait for a couple of days. Carl and Sam, and me and Doc, made this whole thing much bigger. In three days there will be 12 simultaneous occupations involving about 250 people altogether ... using the same ideas and issues we are using, and you’ll get to meet some of those folks tonight and over the next days, and decide where you want to go - which location.”
more clamoring for attention and many questions
Doug: “I’m not done with the information you need. Please quiet down, please. We’ve had a lot of trouble keeping this secret. Most of you have cell phones, and may want to call or text your people and tell them something. I beg you not to call them tonight. Wait until tomorrow morning. We need to keep this quiet until then. Okay?”
more clamoring
Doug (getting exasperated): “Look, there’s more, ... you need to have the whole picture.”
again takes time to quiet
Doug: “The warehouse we just left is wired for video and sound. Whatever the police and Homeland do, it is going to go instantly to the cloud and then out to social media all over the place - streaming live video coverage.”
more clamoring
Doug: “Will you just shut the fuck up. Don’t you have any discipline at all. I’m almost for taking you all to Stinson beach in Marin and make you go for a swim. There’s fucking more, so calm the fuck down.”
Doc, from the back of the bus: “Jesus people. You might well be making fucking history tonight. This is big. Now sit your asses down and pay fucking attention.”
quiet comes again
Doug: “Carl also arranged for Rider Murphy from Channel Two Fox news in Oakland to be hidden outside. So whatever the police and Homeland try to do will be on TV, and there will be a TV or two where we are going, so you are all going to get to watch it okay. Even some social media, because so many of you have phones. Wait, wait, one last thing. Very cool. Carl rented the warehouse for about ten days. They have a right to be there tonight. No trespassing. Now the 12 places in three days, that will be trespassing. But tonight will be legal, and we will be handing their asses to the Oakland Police and Homeland security because Rooter made them believe the fake out we set up for tonight.”
Maria: “Isn’t that going to make it all even more dangerous?”
Doug: “Yea. Carl called it confronting the law of unintended consequences in a big way. But his hope was that if Homeland Security and the Police all got a publicity bloody nose with this, for illegally arresting us, then when we really takeover by trespass 12 locations after a three day gap, the government isn’t going to know what to do. There’ll be a media storm already up and running, and maybe that will make them very cautious.”
Doc: “Again, please no cell phone activity until we know what’s happened behind us. Please, we’ve got to be disciplined. Even texting can really screw this up. The NSA is going to be all over this like a cheap suit in a couple of hours. Carl’s been off the electronic grid for a couple of months as have Doug and I. And, every cell you are carrying can and will be tagged and monitored if people start sharing about tonight. They will even be able to locate us. You’re in the big time now, so act like you can handle it.”
Doug: “Some of you come near me, others go nearer Doc. Raise your hands to ask your questions. We won’t have all the answers, so give us a break.”
Doug turns to the bus driver: “Time to take us home, Charlie, time to take us home. Everyone is going to be up late tonight following the story as it emerges. Might be a very long night.”
Third Act
In these first scenes my imagination says for there to be no sound when the film is run in the movie theaters. As written, there will be dialogue and the actors will be urged to over-act a little bit, so that we get what their emotions are and what they obviously have to be talking about, even if silent The film itself should be done so that the whether the pov is from hidden video cams in the warehouse, or from the pov of the camera in the TV van, or from the pov of the “movie” cameras themselves - these different “eyes” should be obvious, so the film goer can tell without thinking about it, from which pov he is seeing. Again, we shoot it with the dialogue as written, but edit out the sound completely, and let the action tell the story. As the series of scenes unfold, the director and the editors can add bits and pieces of sound back, in little dribbles at first, and then in torrents as the excitement of the situation drives the actors emotions. Also, at the point the swat guys begin to invade the warehouse, the film could also go into slow motion for a while, so that the movie goer can absorb what happens more easily.
[& as sound returns, first, during the slow motion, Ray Charles
singing America the Beautiful as a kind of counter-point to the action &]
scene 1
pov warehouse videos
Gloria and Sam and Agnes and Carl set up a couple of card tables and chairs. They get ready to play cards, and have some food and stuff on one of the tables. Each has an individual styled mask, which Carl has made for them, sitting on the side of the table. For the film, I’d just let the actors design their own, and maybe we avoid the V for Vendetta mask.
Carl, nervous: “Well folks, no going back now.”
Sam starts humming an old negro spiritual ....
Agnes has sat down at the card table and is shuffling cards ....
Gloria: “Agnes ... how are you feeling dear. Can I get you something?”
Agnes: “Yes, thanks. Some of that flavored fizzy water if we have it.”
Sam: “Is there a bathroom? I’m getting nervous. Never got nervous like this over there, - in the bad place. Of course I was stoned most of the time.”
that gets some general nervous laughter from the others ... Gloria points to a door with one of those signs that shows both male and female figures ...
soon everyone is playing cards ... hearts if someone was to try to figure out the game ... Agnes tosses a card that goes off the table ... more laughter ... Sam starts to sing a little: ‘swing low sweet chariot’ others join in
scene 2
movie pov from inside the TV fan ...
Rider, somehow nervous too: “While there’s the first act. (to Angelo) Did you see where that bus went, after everyone got off?”
Angelo: “No, did not. Do you want me to try to follow it (a kind of joke)?
Rider: “Oh shit, here they are, all ready. Good thing we’ve been hiding here for a couple of hours.”
scene 3
TV camera pov, Angelo moves their camera around a little bit, and we see that, because what it is focused on changes
A couple of Oakland police cars drive up. No flashing lights. A couple of SWAT vans too. Also a black van, which stops a bit away from the other vehicles. Uniformed officers, including Sargent Saliere, get out of the cars, and a couple of dozen men exit the two SWAT vans. Another, smaller van, drives up, and out gets a single officer, who opens the back of his van and brings out three dogs on leashes. All police, except for Saliere, have those knit black masks covering their faces ...
Everyone gathers around the Sargent for final instructions.
scene 4
pov movie cameras
Sargent Saliere: “Okay, you’ve seen the maps, but just to make sure: team A, you go to that door down there, and get ready to ingress. Team B you go to that door, same plan. Team C, you and the dogs surround that garage-like door here. On my count.” Raises hand, counts down from three fingers to none.
three SWAT break off and go to one regular door, and three others to the other regular door. the dogs and their handler and the other six SWAT, as well as the Sargent and his regular uniformed police (four all together), go and stand behind the three teams. One officer to team A and one to team B, and two officers (including the Sargent) to team C. The SWAT are positioned to go in first. They have very big assault rifles, and some are getting some kind of tubes off their belts.
scene 5
inside warehouse video feed pov
Carl, looking at an image on his cell phone: “They’re here”.
cards are put down and masks are put on. all four fold their hands like they are praying, heads bent over the table.
scene 6
a set of quick cuts from outside
Sargent, holding an electric megaphone, yells: “Now!”
we see SWAT break down each door with the door smashing things, and some lever kinds of things are used to force up the garage-like door.
As each door opens a couple of SWAT at each location throw in flash-bang grenades. As these start going off we get a quick cut in pov from video cam inside the warehouse, and then a closeup of the scene outside the larger garage-like door, when one of the flash bangs that was thrown in that door hits something just inside, bounces back out and rolls to where the dogs are being held on their leashes.
It goes off, the dogs go crazy, the handler loses control of them and they dash into the warehouse.
The SWAT guys follow, with only some of them aware that the dogs are loose inside because of the smoke. One of the dogs gets in the way of one of the SWAT guys, who falls down, and as he hits the ground his rifle, set on automatic, goes off spraying live ammo everywhere, before he disengages his finger and its stops.
By that time, other officers believe they were being fired upon from those inside and several of them open up as well. Problem is the multiple flash bangs made too much smoke and no one can see shit.
scene 7
Joy sees the guns fire, and in a kind of panic jumps out of their car and runs toward the warehouse, yelling “Grammy, Grammy”. Joey follows, trying to grab her. As Joy gets near the warehouse a stray bullet, hits her in the hip, twists her around, and she falls to the ground. So far no one notices they are there ... except
scene 8
Inside the TV van, Whitman notices the kids running into the chaos from the side, and Joy going down, ... opens the side door of the van, and exits while shouting at Rider and Angelo.
scene 9
from the pov of the TV camera
The Sargent stands there mouth opened and dumbfounded by how quickly things got out of control. The only one who is sane is the dog handler who grabs the megaphone from the Sargent and starts yelling over and over again cease fire cease fire cease fucking fire. After a minute or two, the firing stops. The smoke clears, and since the interior of the warehouse was well lit, we can see the end result of the chaos. There are a lot of bodies, but no more guns going off.
The TV van camera zooms in and can see this incomprehensible mess. Then for a moment that camera turns and catches Joy on the ground, with Joey holding her.
scene 10
movie pov of the inside of the TV van
Rider: “Fuck man, we are going to win some big journalism award for this shit.”
Angelo: “Remind me to quit after this, you crazy fucking broad. There’s going to be dead people in there. Did you see those kids. One of them got shot.”
Rider looks at him, and realizes what he said is true. Starts to shake and tear up: “Oh god, that’s right. We’ve got to do something.” Thinks a minute. “Angelo, you call 911 and report the shooting and obviously injured bodies. Don’t identify us. Just tell them they need to send cops and ambulances right away, maybe it was some kind of gang shoot out.”
she picks up her cell phone, and calls so that we go to split screen (we can see Angelo making his call in the background), and Whitman running up to Joy, off to the side of the main scene.
Rider: “Jason, are you on duty?”
Jason, using his cell phone, not the phone on his desk: “Yeah, ... Hi Rider what’s up”. (we can see Jason sitting in an office wearing a Alameda County sheriffs uniform - we can tell by what’s on the uniform and on the walls in the background).
Rider, trying to catch her breath: “There’s been a big shoot out in Emeryville, at a warehouse between some asshole Oakland police SWAT folks and some protesters. I don’t think the protesters had any guns. There’s bodies everywhere. You guys have shared jurisdiction, in Emeryville, right?”
Jason,: “Yeah, ... primary jurisdiction actually, they are supposed to notify us if something is going down. You sure about this?”
Rider: “Look asshole, I’m sitting here shooting video that’s going to be on Channel Two in a couple of hours, and maybe go national on CNN soon after that, so do you guys want to get in on the action or not? Its just off the intersection of Canal and Jerry Brown streets.”
Jason: “Fuck. Okay. I call in everyone, even wake some people up. Say goodbye Rider.”
Rider: “Goodbye Rider” They both laugh nervously at what is some kind of old joke between the two of them
end spite screen
scene 11
movie pov, inside the TV station: Channel Two
split screen
Mazer, calling Rider: “Did I just see what’s on the live feed from you. You guys trying to prank us?”
Rider, answering, kind of hysterical: “God fucking no. Jeez, there’s bodies everywhere. Angelo called 911, and I called the Alameda Sheriff’s office. There’s going to be all kinds of folks here really soon. Can you wake up Terry and Ralphy? We need another remote van here pronto, especially since you are going to want me in there and editing and going on the air with this right away.”
Mazer, pausing, thinking: “Yeah, you’re right. Stick around there a while, and then go move in closer for some film and maybe see if you can get a couple of statements, and then you and Angelo get in here. This is fucking massive. By the way, some other asshole just dropped off a package for you, from some guy Carl he said. Background material about tonight. Okay if I open it and take a look-see?”
Rider: “Shit yes. We’ve got to be all over this. You might want to wake up management and legal. I think”
scene 12
Carl’s videos in the warehouse pov ... as there is more than one camera, we get switching going on, and some zooming.
One of the SWATs is going around, checking fallen bodies for signs of life. We can see him shake his head when he gets to Carl and Agnes, whose masks have fallen off. The dog guy has the dogs on the leash again.
A couple of guys in police uniforms wander about. Sargent Salarie is still in a kind of shock. He knows this is going down on his head. All his hopes up in flames. The SWAT people came prepared and have skills, so we see them bring in cases with red crosses on them, and start to take out stuff, including stethoscopes and bandages and the like.
Saliere tries to take charge and begins to shout orders. One of the SWATS gets in his face, and shoves him out of the way. We can see some of them working on Gloria and Sam. Saliere goes outside, and wanders in the direction of the dark van that stood off a ways from the action.
While he’s walking one of the non-SWAT officers that came with him runs up and shoves some papers in this hand, which he starts to read
scene 13
pov of the TV van camera
focused on Saliere walking to the black van, which opens a door, and Rider can see inside, gets a good picture of the man inside that van
other vehicles start to arrive ... lights and sirens going. Ambulances and Alameda Country sheriffs vehicles. Chaos outside for a while, while various people argue over whose in charge, and the EMTs try to get to their patients and take care of them. We see Whitman go up and grab an EMT guy, and drag him in the direction of Joy and Joey.
scene 14
movie camera pov ... inside a room we’ve never seen before. A couple guys looking at a bunch of computer screens ... this is the group that was tasked with managing the video feeds from the warehouse. they are the ones who make those feeds move around and zoom. One of them is on the phone, and crying ...
scene 15
split screen
crying person in scene 14 is talking on a cell phone to Doug, who is sitting at the front of the bus, which has stopped. people in the bus listening intently. faces showing all kinds of emotions, but quiet - they desperately need to hear what Doug is finding out. We can see Maria crying, as she is sitting next to him.
Doug: “Its awful. There were gun shots. The SWAT people went crazy. Bean (the crying guy) seems to think Agnes and Carl are dead, and Gloria and Sam are wounded and being tended to.” general chaos as people all talk at once
Doug waits a while and then stands, hoping to get everyone’s attention again.
Doug: “I know, I know. Its way too much to process. We don’t know anything for sure. Bean needs us to make a decision though. He was all set up to release to the social networks the live video feed from the warehouse. It was all set up, with introductory material and links to background stuff, and the animation I just showed you before we went to the warehouse. But now, he doesn’t know. It all seems to need to be private, like it should be nobody business.”
general noise increase and then Maria stands up ... something strong in her posture, some kind of fire that wasn’t there before.
Maria, her voice insistent and demanding: “I knew them best, better than all of you. I worked at the retirement home for a long time, as a night custodian. I knew them, and I tell you that they want this to go out. They gave their lives for this, and they don’t want it hidden, like so much else is already hidden. They went out in glory. They are American heroes. People need to meet these heroes. People need to know what the government does.” starts to cry, has to sit down.
Quiet for awhile ...
Doug: “Anyone disagree?”
More quiet, sober ...
back to split screen with Bean
Doug, on the phone to Bean: “Yeah, let it loose. Let it all loose. Live stream it until they find a way to shut it down, if they can. You told me that they might not be able to do that.”
Bean: “Well, we’ve tried, but we don’t know what will happen. Homeland and the NSA and the CIA and the FBI will be all over this in a couple of hours, if they aren’t already, ... meanwhile we’ll see that its going out everywhere.”
Doug: “Bean ... can you find me a cell phone number for Rider Murphy, that Channel Two reporter. She was supposed to be on the scene. I want to call her and let her know about the live feed.”
Bean: “Sure. But that’s it, we’ve got work to do here, too. A lot of work.
another split screen
Rider in her TV van. Her cell phone rings.
Rider, suspicious: “Hello. Who’s this?”
Doug: “My name is Doug. I work with Carl. We have live streaming video of what went on in there tonight. Live fucking streaming video from inside the warehouse. I think Carl would want you to know that.”
Rider: “Jeez. Jesus H. fucking christ. How do I find it?”
Doug: “I’m texting you the URL link right now. I've got a other fish to fry. We were not expecting this level of chaos. Did you grab my phone number?”
Rider: “Yeah. I’ve got it and the URL.”
Doug: Don’t call me for awhile, unless you know something you want to warn us about. I’ve got to go to another burner phone soon. After, I’ll get in touch and you can ask questions, but right now you need to fly on your own. I do know Carl sent you something, at the TV station. Have you got that?”
Rider: “Not yet, but my producer is looking at it now. When we are done here, I’ll be going to the station and get ready for a live broadcast on this. Is Carl dead? We can’t see much from where we are and now the whole place is crawling with way too many people.”
Doug: “Yes, as far as our live feed can tell us, the SWATs checked him and Agnes out, and both are dead. Gloria and Sam are wounded, but alive. There may be more wounded or dead on the police side of things. I need to go now. Good luck.”
Rider: “I’m so so sorry. So sorry.” But then she realized the line was already dead.
Then she turns to Angelo: “Where the fuck are those two or three dozen other people that went in there?”
scene 16
A phone in the HS command van rings, and Base answers it - knowing from which phone that rang that it is his superior, Agent Smith
split screen
Base: “Yes sir”.
Smith (yelling): “Do you have any fucking clue what is going on?”
Base: “We have everything under control.”
Smith: “That whole shit storm is now on streaming video all over the fucking Internet.”
Base: “What?!? We took down all their tech, before this raid. Something is being faked.”
Smith: “Sure doesn’t look faked to me. We got dogs running crazy, someone clubbing the shit out of a kneeling man. Civilians on the floor bleeding and some fucking old blond bitch waving some papers and going on about they have a legal right to be there. The NSA just called me. When that stuff hit the Internet, it set of all kinds of bells and whistles and alarms everywhere.
[There is a knock on the van door - the Sargent is there, with some papers. Base glances through the papers]
Base (very subdued): “Boss, I’ve got papers here that says they have rented this place for at least the night, from the owners.”
long pause
Smith: “You mean you don’t have a fucking court order to evict them as trespassers.”
Base: “No sir. We didn’t think it was necessary. Domestic terrorists and exigent circumstances or some such legal shit. We do it all the time. You know that.”
Smith: “Don’t be putting that shit on me you fucking idiot. This was your great operation all the way. Just some old people trying to relive the fucking ‘60‘s, you said.”
Base: “Yes sir. Now what?” [still trying to get Smith involved somehow]
Smith: “Get your people the fuck out of there now. Leave the Oakland police in charge. Be like you were never there, ... ever.”
scene fades
scene 17
pov the TV van camera
Rider sees Sargent exit the black van. Gets Angelo to go for another closeup of the man inside. The black van starts up and leaves. Sargent Saliere just stands there, holding some papers in his hand.
scene 18
split screen: Rider calling Mazer at the station.
Rider, still semi-hysterical: “Mazer, there’s live streaming video feed from inside the warehouse. Live feed. I’m texting you the URL and as soon as Terry gets here, we’re heading in. We’ve got to start editing tape and get all of it on the air. Our stuff and the streaming video.”
Mazer, pausing, ... digests this: “Okay, okay. Yeah, head on in. Legal is already here, and management will be here soon. We’re the only ones with live outside tape, though, right? No one else has what we have.”
Rider: “Yeah. People are dead though, fucking dead. We’ll be able to combine the live feed with our stuff and then only us will be broadcasting the whole thing from both points of view. You should get CNN on the line, they’re going to want to buy some of our stuff, right away. The Internet stuff everyone will have, but only us will have the outside. And, with Terry here, we should stay ahead for a while, but other crews will be here soon.”
Other Channel Two van drives up.
Turns her head, and yells: “Angelo. Shut things down, and get us the fuck out of here. We need to get to the station yesterday.”
Angelo: “What about Whitman? He’s still out there.”
Rider: “He’ll have to fend for himself. Now get the fuck going.”
scene 19
pov the movie’s cameras
Terry’s Channel Two van drives up, and goes right inside all the chaos of cars and vehicles.
Sargent Saliere, arguing with an Alameda Sheriff guy: “Listen. You guys back the fuck off. This is our operation. You’re just getting in the fucking way.”
He grabs a rifle from one of the SWAT men, who is just standing there. The SWAT guy thinks about it for a second, and disarms him quickly. The SWAT guy turns to the Sheriff, and pleads with him to get Saliere out of there.
SWAT, taking off his mask, revealing our previous character Al Sanchez: “Please, arrest him or something, he’s going crazy. This all went to shit right away, and I’m afraid he’s going to hurt someone.”
Terry, followed by her camera guy, walks up and sticks a microphone in Saliere’s face. Saliere, looking more and more wild-eyed starts to hit her, and then the Alameda Sheriff’s guy and the SWAT guy, have to subdue him and cuff him. Terry’s camera captures it all.
the pov of the movie cam turns and sees Sam bandaged on his head and thigh, being put in an ambulance, and Gloria, with bandages on her shoulder being put in a different ambulance. next the movie cam catches men and women in crime scene jackets, taking pictures, trying to put up tape, there are bodies being placed in body bags, SWAT guys being bandaged and treated.
Another ambulance collects Joy.
Whitman, to Joey: “You got a car?”
Joey nods.
Whitman puts his arm around Joey: “Come on, I’ll go with you to the hospital. Is there anyone we should call?”
Joey: “Of fuck. Oh shit. I have to call our mom.”
Whitman: “Maybe not kid. Wait ‘til we get to the hospital and know something. If you can’t do it, I’ll do it for you. You need to calm down. Give me the keys, I’ll drive you.”
scene 20
movie cam pov inside Rider’s van as she and Angelo drive away
We see her looking out the back windows of the van, at the huge chaos ... dozens of vehicles, several dozen people, no order or organization ... she sees the body bags on the ground inside the warehouse ... tears form in the corner of her eyes.
scene 21
Three black SUVs pull up. Guys in suits get out, wave badges at everyone, and go into the warehouse. Apparently they are looking for the live feed video cams.
scene 22
Bean’s office, where they are trying to maintain the video feeds
Bean: “Jamie, shut down three through eight. Make ‘um go quiet. They’ve got some detectors there. Switch on the verticals in the rafters - yeah, that’s 9 through 12.”
we see the screens in front of Bean change their pov
Jamie: “Fuck man, Carl was right. How many camera’s have you got in there?”
Bean: “We’ve got 21 inside, three sets of seven each. That’s after they took out the ones we wanted them to find. Run up 22, 23, and 24. Those are outside. They won’t know those are there, except we are live streaming it.”
Bean moves/slides his chair to another table. Watches his screens and turns stuff on and off.
Bean: “Oh fuck man. Jamie, see that suit there, going outside to the back. They’re going to turn off the power to the whole warehouse. All them EMT guys and police and sheriffs are going to shit”.
Just as Bean predicted, the whole warehouse plunges into darkness.
Bean: “Okay, backup batteries on everything ... up now.”
Jamie, looking at screens with Bean: “Okay, mostly nothing, wait, what’s that green shit?”
Bean: “Four of them are set up with night vision capacities. Carl and I tried to think of everything that could go wrong .... well maybe not everything.”
scene 23
movie cam, outside the warehouse.
SWAT guy: “What the fuck! Who turned off the power?”
Sees the suits, goes at them with his rifle pointed in their direction: “We’ve got wounded we’re trying to treat. What the hell are you doing?”
Suit, actually wearing sunglasses as do most of the rest of them: “Turn your vehicles around to face their headlights into the warehouse, dickhead. We’ve got a national security situation here, and we had to shut the power off.”
scene 24
TV Two Terry cam/ and movie cam
Suit approaches them, demanding they stop recording. Tussle over the camera, and it falls to the ground.
Terry, screaming: “We’re the press you shit fuck face. We’re the press.”
Suit picks up camera and takes it away.
scene 25
split screen - Terry on her cell phone to Mazer back at the studio.
Terry: “Mazer, you get any of that?”
Mazer: “Most of it. Legal is having a shit fit here, there are some suits trying to force their way into the studio, demanding Rider’s tapes. Claiming national security shit. I’ve got Rider making copies, ... back in the old studio section. We’ll let them take some stuff, and then we’ll still broadcast in about 30 minutes. They are clearly guessing about what we have or don’t have. Everyone here is using either our regular cameras, or the cell phones to record this stuff. Owner just walked in. He’s getting on the phone to some politicians, in an office out of sight.”
Terry: “Want me to stay here?”
Mazer: “You and Tim got your cell phones?”
Terry: “Sure do.”
Mazer: “Okay, use those but don’t let them see you. Is CNN there yet?”
Terry: “No, or at least I don’t see them.”
Mazer: “Share everything if you can with them when they get there. We’ve made a deal. Rider’s making copies for them too. Everyone else has been saving that live feed, so these suits are just idiots in a state of panic, running around making things worse. Tomorrow, when dust has cleared, this is going to dominate the News cycle for days, if not weeks.”
scene 26
room in a seedy Oakland hotel ... couple of homeless looking guys, sitting across from Rooter, who is tied up in a chair.
One of the homeless puts down his cell phone ...
Rooter looks very scared, although trying to show otherwise: “I’m an undercover cop you fucks. I’m on the job. You are all going to be in a lot of trouble. You better let me go. Soon.”
homeless with phone, very sad look on his face: “Rooter, you are lucky you were not there. You’re bosses fucked up big time. People are dead. Carl and Agnes are dead.”
pauses to let that sink in
Rooter, confused, still trying to fake it: “You better let me go. Now. I’m going to remember your faces. You’ll be in jail by the end of business tomorrow.”
homeless guy: “Rooter, pay attention here. That police raid ended up killing people, cops included. It was all on the Internet too. A live feed.” Turns the cell phone toward him and shows some of the reruns of the feed, still being broadcast.
Rooter’s face falls: “That’s not my fault. I didn’t do that.”
homeless guy: “Rooter, stop, think. Your people are going to look for someone to blame. They are not going to accept responsibility. Think about it. You disappeared before the shit hit the fan. No one knows where you are. This is on CNN and local news. Your bosses will blame you, whatever the truth is.”
homeless guy nods to other homeless guy, who proceeds to take the duct tape off of Rooter, and set him free.
homeless guy removing the tape: “Run and hide Rooter. Run as far away as possible. You’re like Judas man. You’re a snitch, and this is instant karma for snitches. If you are anywhere in the SF Bay area by tonight, you will be in jail never to get out again ... that’s if someone doesn’t decide to just kill your ass just to save the trouble of hearing you whine about how it isn’t your fault. No one wanted this to go out of control, but it did, and you are the obvious loser who will have to take the fall for all the higher up guys. Your name will be on the News by morning. Everyone will be looking for you, and nobody is going to believe a word you say.”
scene 27
Channel Two News room, going live. Rider in the center chair. The regular news readers to the left and the right - one male, one female.
Rider: “Here’s channel two’s exclusive tapes of a shootout in Oakland tonight. Pictures tell the whole story.”
while the pictures she and Angelo got are running - the pictures of the Oakland police and SWAT and the dogs and the gunfire, Rider is talking to legal, who just walked up to her from outside camera range
Legal: “The suits are gone. We are running the whole thing, just like you edited it.”
when he says this, Rider looks at his suit, as if he doesn’t realize he’s wearing one too
Rider, back on camera: “And here is from the live feed that the protesters made, protesters that had a legal right to be in that building”
we watch the four older folks, seemingly in prayer, yet wearing masks, the flash-bangs go off, the dogs rush, and the shit hits the fan, Sam is shot in the thigh, and then when he’s trying to protect Agnes, SWAT clubs him in the head; Gloria screaming, holding paper, saying we have a legal right be here, and she gets shot in the shoulder. the streaming video had several perspectives. We see the SWAT check Carl and Agnes, and then cover their faces because they are dead.
Rider, back on camera: “Four elderly Oakland retirement home residents: Carl Algren, Agnes Johnson, Sam Abraham .... and Gloria Stephenson .... were shot tonight, or early this morning, by Oakland SWAT forces, falsely asserting these four were trespassing. SWAT had no warrants, for any of this. Two are dead, Carl age 81 and Agnes age 89. Sam and Gloria, both age 79, are being held in Oakland General, under arrest apparently, and no one is being allowed to see them. Yes, this was a protest action in solidarity with the Student Debt-slave movement, and we will have a representative of that on in a moment, but first let me do this: “
Rider reaches into her purse, and pulls out a “I no longer consent” button and puts it on. She’s crying “Its time to take a stand. Its time to be counted. When our militarized police kill our elderly without any justification, its time to see something is horribly wrong in this country.”
In the control room we see the owner demanding the live show be stopped and a commercial inserted. This happens.
back to studio ... the legal suit comes up, sets aside the cell phone he was taking instructions from the owner through, and tells Rider she’s fired. She smiles, gets up and leaves the studio to applause from most of the staff gathered there to see the broadcast.
scene 28
tracking shot, down by the Oakland side of the Bay ... Rider sitting on a bench, looking at the waves lap against the shore, with the sun rising behind her, and throwing its light on San Francisco. She’s drinking coffee. Its a new day. the camera lingers ... the movie viewer is spent as well, they need and want the calm of the sea and the Bay and the rising sun. This scene should watch the gulls fly around, notice the joggers running by, hear the car noises on the nearby freeway ... all kinds of ordinary life, with nobody murdering anyone else. [music to calm the savage beast]
[this was kind of a raw “climax”, and to give a more hopeful feeling to the movie-goer, these next scenes will endeavor to take care of a lot of loose ends in a less savage way]
scene 29
Lawyer’s interview on CNN, at noon the day after ... reading from a prepared statement.
“As you are mostly aware, four of our elders were attacked in that building over there, by SWAT-like teams of the Oakland police. You’ve seen the streaming videos on social media, as well as the coverage by Channel Two. In addition, the granddaughter of one them was also shot, and is hospitalized.
“Two of these people, Agnes Johnson, and Carl Algren are dead. No one is presently being allowed to gather their bodies for burial. Two others, Gloria Stephenson, and Sam Abraham, were apparently wounded, and are being held incognito in Oakland General Hospital by the Oakland Police. The granddaughter is not being held, although is still in the hospital.
“All four had a legal right to be in the building, yet the Police have produced no warrants for anyone’s arrest or any warrant that would have allowed the police to enter that building armed to the teeth. I am the lawyer for all four, and I have been refused any contact either at the coroner’s offices where the bodies presumable are, or at the hospital were the wounded clearly are. Hospital authorities, as you know, have stated they were admitted late last night.
“Again, these people are our elders. Agnes was 86, Carl was 81, Gloria is 79, and Sam is 79 as well. They were all residents of the Golden Hours retirement home in Oakland. No charges have been filed, and almost nothing has been said by the Oakland police about this tragedy, except to act as if these four elders were somehow dangerous domestic terrorists and deserved everything they got.
“I urge the members of the media to confront relentlessly the Oakland authorities as to why this happened, and why they are holding the two wounded individuals out of sight, and refusing to allow any family members to see the bodies of the two that are dead, and begin to make arrangements.
[starts to read from a prepared statement]
“There is a war going on, in America. One of its main battlegrounds is in the legal sphere. This war involves the efforts of an oligarchy of elite rich people to abuse, control, enslave and harm, the ordinary citizens of America. Why?
“Because they are afraid of us. The rich and powerful know they take more than they need, and that they can’t continue to do this unless they oppress us. Government is huge. Its a giant. And, it wants to step on people that insist on thinking free. That’s what happened last night. The giant foot of an out of control government stepped on and killed people. Without a thought, and for no other purpose than to try to force us into blind and frightened obedience. That’s wrong.
“One of those who died, my friend Carl Algren, said during the work to get ready for last night, that whatever happened, there was no way we could lose. Whatever was to happen last night, he told me, it would be a victory, and we need to declare it to be a victory. Why?
“Because we didn’t give up and we didn’t surrender. The giant can get all mad and stomp and stomp, but there are more of us than there are of them. Every act of stomp is a victory. Every act of oppression and government overreaching is a victory. Because only a real loser would need to do to us, what our government does. Its the surest sign they have lost already. We are not consenting anymore, and that’s all it takes. This war is over, and it will just take the oligarchy a while to get it, because that’s how stupid and venal they are. Losers all. Lacking all the ordinary virtues required to be human.
“Thank you, I’ll not be answering questions at this time.”
scene 30
Oakland police chief gets his marching orders:
(split screen)
Walter: “Regis, this is Walter with the Mayor’s office.
Regis (clearly angry and frustrated): “Yes, sir. How can I help you.” [we can tell from his uniform and the room this is the Oakland chief of police]
Walter (raising his voice authoritatively): “Are these people you are holding at the hospital dangerous? Are they going to bomb something?”
Regis: “No sir, but they were up to something illegal. I know it. We’ve had an operative on the inside for weeks. We have tapes of conversations.”
Walter: “Did you have warrants for those tapes?”
Regis (pausing): “Well, my information is that this was a joint operation with Homeland Security, and we were operating under cover of their federal authority.”
Walter: “Have you been watching the News? Have you? Homeland Security just issued a statement saying they were not involved. Are you in contact with someone over there?”
Regis: “No sir. No we are not ... at least not at this time.”
Walter: “So, you’ve been hung out to dry.”
Regis: “It would seem so, sir.”
Walter: “The mayor wants you to let the lawyer in and do whatever his lawyer thing is. And to release the people in hospital as well. None of these people are going anywhere, and if you can later make a case, then make your case. Right now just get out of the way and especially stay away from reporters. We are telling them the whole thing is under investigation. You should do the same. Any problem with that?”
Regis: “No sir, no problem. At least no problem at this time.”
Walter: “Are you threatening me?”
Regis: “Well, I may have recorded this conversation, ... sir. By accident of course. All of us are in need of some ass covering. Wouldn’t you agree ... sir.”
Walter (hangs up with force, first muttering) “Shit.”
scene 31
late afternoon, sun is starting to set ... motel suite, one of Carl’s: Mason, the lawyer from scene 29, and Gloria and Sam (he’s in a wheelchair, and has Carl’s canes)
Mason: “I have some good news and some bad news. I’m going to do the bad news first. The Golden Hours retirement home, according to their corporate attorney, does not want either of you back in residence. That’s the bad news.”
Gloria: “What about our stuff? Where are we going to stay?”
Mason: “Maria also lost her job, as she has been seen in some of the News coverage. Wait, hold it (both Gloria and Sam start to make noises). Maria now works for you, and is at this very moment collecting some of your personal stuff and bringing it here.”
Sam: “Works for us? How’s that possible?”
Mason: “Well, that’s the good news. Carl left his motel business to the two of you. Actually also to Agnes, but since she isn’t with us anymore, its just the two of you. As the executor of Carl’s will, which means I manage these assets until they are out of probate, I’ve hired Maria to work here, which I am also making available to both of you as temporary residences, until you decide on something else.”
Gloria and Sam look at each other, both start to cry ... Mason gives them a moment ...
Mason: “There’s more.”
Gloria: “More, what more could there be for god’s sake.”
Mason: “Lawyers for the Oakland Police’s liability insurance firm have already contacted me. They are interested in settling any claims you might have for your injuries, quickly if possible, and at a premium if you agree not to make a big thing about it”
Sam: “This is somehow so not right. Why should we benefit?”
Mason: “Well, you know Carl ... he had some ideas.”
Gloria and Sam laugh ...
Mason: “What he told me is that he trusts your judgment over anyone else’s You want to turn the motels into homeless shelters, that’s fine. You want to sell them and make some kind of charity with the proceeds, that’s fine too. Take the money and flee the country. Fine. There’s no hurry. Get well first.”
Sam still shaking his head ...
Mason: “Oh, and Sam, ... Carl was in this very suite a couple of weeks ago to sign his new will, and as a kind of aside, he looked out the window at that great big deck, with plants and stuff all over it, and said that if the worst happened, I was to tell you to sleep out there anytime you want, just for him. In fact, he said you could cover it in dirt and grow shit there - even pot, ... do whatever you wanted.”
Gloria gets up and pushes Sam and the wheelchair out onto the deck. It has a good view, and the sun is setting behind the Golden Gate Bridge across the Bay. When it does that, the whole bridge and the headlands become golden in color. Mason stands behind them:
“I always wondered why that was called the Golden Gate.”
scene 32
West end of University Ave. Berkeley. Camera looking north, focuses on a bunch of people hanging out just before the on-ramp to Hwy 80 going North. As the camera focuses, we see Rooter, with his head saved and his beard cut off too. He’s sitting on a back pack, with a sign in his hands. Sigh says: “Anywhere, but here” on it. He’s not the only one waiting there with signs out and thumbs up.
scene 33
split screen, Smith on the phone to Base ...
Base (nervous): What’s up ... boss, I thought I was , ... or we were done here?:
Smith: “I’m cleaning up your mess. Shit-head. There’s a guy coming out, name’s Vince. He’s in the air as we speak. He’ll contact you. NSA gave us some background stuff on this. Used their authority that comes from calling this domestic terrorism - released a bunch of phone calls and e-mails and stuff. Vince needs to talk to some people that work at Golden Hours retirement home. Use your contact with Oakland police to set this up. Today, tonight right away.”
Base (more nervous) “Who does Vince want to meet with?”
Smith: “Two groups. At the Home, some nursing staff folks named Bishop and Tigh, and Maria and some security guard, name’s Wilson. Need to get them in a room together, away from the Home. Also a couple of fags, they’re married: Roger and Dale Enoch. They work for the Corporation that owns the Home.
Base (relieved a bit): “Anything else?”
Smith: “No, ... now get on it. We needed these interviews yesterday.”
scene 34
split screen Rider on the phone with Rachael Madow of MSNBC
Rider: “Glad I got through to you Rachael. I’d like to have some stuff on your show. I copied all the video we took that night. And, I’d like to bring Gloria along ... I think she’d make a great interview source.”
scene 35
Bishop, Tigh and Wilson, in a police station interview room. Vince enters, and sits. Lays some file folders on the table. Pauses and gives them his “look” ...
Vince: “You are all being considered for arrest as accomplices to an act of domestic terrorism.” waits a beat or two
“We know you are not principals, but right now is your only opportunity to get a pass. We need background information on four people: Agnes Johnson, Carl Algren, Gloria Stephenson and Sam Abraham. We need it now, today, before you leave this room and you will be required to sign statements as well.”
Bishop (trying to find an edge): “I didn’t do anything wrong. We didn’t know anything but they was having private meetings and wearing buttons.”
Tign (worried, thinking his three strikes thing is back in play): “Sure, whatever you want. Just tell us what you want.”
Wilson is silent, Vince notices and gives him the “look” ...
Wilson: “This doesn’t smell right. I want a lawyer.”
Vince: “Suit yourself. I’m next talking to some higher ups - your corporate bosses. We’ll see what they say. Domestic terrorism is a serious crime. Everyone holding anything back will get charged.”
Wilson folds, looks at the others: “Okay, okay. What do you want?”
Vince: “Well for starters, we need dirt on the principals, obviously. Not just conversations over heard and other stuff, but lets be frank, this is war, and if there is sex or drugs going on we want that too.”
scene 36
Dale, Roger and a couple of other suits, at corporate headquarters in SF, later that same day. Vince comes in with another suit, who shakes his hand and says: “Whatever you want, you have our full cooperation.” That suit then leaves the area.
Vince, sitting down, gives his look, opens a file, looks at Dale:
Vince: “I’ve got your Internet searches on Agnes Johnson here. Care to explain that.”
Dale and Roger exchange some looks.
Dale, to Roger: “Anything familiar about this?”
Roger frowns, thinking, ... to Dale: “Oh, yeah. Harvey. Long time ago. We were very young. We still going to be those people?”
Dale nodes his head.
Vince, trying to be tough: “Care to share?”
Roger: “Ever hear of Harvey Milk, and the assassination of him and SF Mayor George Moscone, by a nut job named Dan White?”
Vince, unsure: “Maybe. What’s the fucking point? That’s ancient history. This is now.”
Dale to Roger: “Why is it that the dickheads are all the same?” turns to Vince “We’ve been harassed and threatened before dickhead. You’re just another blowhard trying to mind fuck scared people”
Dale, rising, and Roger with him: “We’re leaving. If you have an arrest warrant, use it now. Otherwise ...”
Roger, to the suits in the room: “You let him push you around we’ll sue the corporation, and we will not be afraid to use the gay-card either.”
Dale whispers to Roger, and Roger turns and speaks, looking at Vince:
“We are going back to our offices, and call some people we know. Find out who else you’ve been harassing. Cross your fingers, ... our calls after that will be to the press.”
scene 37
Base and Vince in car. Split screen, Vince on phone to Smith.
Vince: “There’s some push back from the fags. The others caved, I got statements and some sex dirt, but Maria didn’t show. We don’t know where she is. How far do you want to push this. I’ve seen the News. This may not be the best time.”
Smith: “Stay around for a couple more days. There’s some guy named Rooter we need to find, and a whole bunch of others are missing. Mostly from that student-debt protest group. Ask Base about Rooter, and track him down. Keep in touch, but don’t be seen.”
scene 38
Gloria on MSNBC, with Rachael Madow, three days later. Rachael has just put up a couple of pictures of Base, the Homeland Security guy (taken by Rider), asking for people to call in if they can identify him:
Gloria: “Some of us lived through the 60‘s and the 70‘s. We threw our hearts into trying to change the world. We failed on many levels, and the world seems to have gotten progressively worse. Still, today, we live in a very wealthy and talented country, but one that can’t seem to feed the hungry or house the homeless. That’s just plain stupid, and seriously immoral. There’s no excuse for it.
“So some of us got older and a bit wiser, and decided we needed a 2nd Declaration of Independence, and a Second American Revolution. Not only that, we believed that if we just changed the conversation a little bit ... if we just realize that the real government was us ... was We the People .... then we could do this 2nd Revolution without any violence.
“We tried. We’ve had our 2nd Declaration, yet at the cost of some horrible sacrifices. Even so, I believe we have to keep trying. We have to get the point across: ‘We don’t consent anymore. We don’t consent’. Is anybody listening? Does anyone care? Well, I think a lot of you are listening and that you do care. That’s what I believe. What do you believe?”
Rachael then introduces, first:
Carl’s last words on tape
Carl: “Kevin Spacey, in getting ready for his performance in House of Cards, spent several hours talking to actual congressmen. He asked them what was going on there, and several of them told him, essentially, that: all politics is theater. What ‘we the people do’ is also theater, but our theater is based on the understanding that actions speak louder than words.
“We put ourselves at risk, something politicians do not do. Those urging we send our young to war, they do not volunteer to go themselves. While we do not have universal free healthcare and inviable pension plans, Congress essentially does. Those are their actions. What will your’s be?”
and then, Agnes’s last words (on tape)
Agnes: “Unless we can house our own homeless and feed our own hungry, as well as make sure everyone has the right to vote without qualifications, then we are not America, but something else, perhaps a dangerous beast that needs to be put down.
“At the same time, the true government is not in Washington, or in our State Capitals, or any municipality. Those are the ostensible government. The real government is us. We the People are the real government and if we do nothing else we need to remind those who are elected just who they really serve.
“How? Its simple. Make a button that says in some or another fashion that you no longer consent. Wear it proudly, for it marks you as part of the real government. And, lastly, stop buying into the bullshit that divides us, and sit down, break bread and talk to each other. Just doing that will scare the bejesus out of all those crazies who think they own us.”
scene 39
split screen Dale and Al, the SWAT guy:
Dale: “Been talking to some friends with the protesters.”
Al, curious but cautious: “And?”
Dale: “They don’t blame your people, and they know you lost two dead, and three wounded, as well. They want to meet with you, away from press, and see if somehow this can move forward without more cops and regular people hate each other shit. What do you think?”
Al, pauses thinking for a bit: “That makes a lot of sense. Still a lot of emotions running high. One of my people wore one of those buttons about not consenting anymore, almost had a fight in the weight room ‘cause of it. Still, some us don’t blame your people either. I’ll get back to you when things settle down. Okay?”
Dale, laughing: “Well, I’m not sure anything is going to be okay anymore for any of us. But for sure we’ve got to work together, or that will never change.”
scene 40
[ SF side headlands, looking over at Golden Gate bridge, Sam and un-named companion – a third person in a hodie is in shadow ]
Sam: “The Shadow Warriors are ready.”
Companion: “So’s the Army of the Unemployed.”
Sam: “Lots of vets in both of those.”
Companion: “Its them damn grandmothers. They’s worse than the old bald generals. Got them a grandmothers’ war now. Expecting miracles and all. Shit.”
Sam: “Carl left a lot of money, more than we even guessed at. We getting all kinds of tools, encrypted phones and stuff. Carl said parts of us got to stay off the grid all the time now.”
Companion: “Smart. Still. Them grandmothers be real motherfuckers when they gets their mad up and going. Did not like Agnes getting offed, or what happened to Joy too. Mother bears and shit. Wherever I go in the hood these days, someone’s grandmother is getting more and more bossy. Still. I like we be doing something smarter now. Not just marching and getting beat up. Even the drug dudes be thinking smarter. Knows they needs allies now. Nobody can stand alone.”
Sam: “Yeah. The confederation of the disenfranchised and the seriously ignored. Real Americans. Amazing how powerful a little button is - a real idea whose time has come. The owners, ... they’ll think this is over, when its just beginning. Just the fucking beginning.”
(lights up, puffs and then passes a joint to companion, who then hands it to the person in shadow – he leans forward – it’s Joey).
Joey: “Sam? Grammy sez you are a kind of shaman. You smoke pot? Isn't it supposed to be bad for you?”
Sam, laughing: “Joey, … life is bad for you. Everyone dies from it. Anything to excess will have unwanted consequences. Too much money and power, for example. Same with pot. Wine as a sacrament is okay. Three bottles of rotgut a day will kill your liver. God didn't put us here to be mean to each other, but to love and be kind and raise wonderful children. At the same time, Joey, I can see in your face - the want for revenge. Is that right?”
Joey: “Yeah [looking down] … that's right. Joy’s maybe going to lose that leg. Grammy was shot too. I can feel it - I seriously want to fuck someone up.”
Sam: “Who you going to kill? The cops? They lost people too In the '60's we thought it was the “system”. If we could kill the system, the world would get alright. We didn't see yet, what Carl came to see. The Way the world is, is already alright somehow. Carl tried to live the Sermon on the Mount. Said all the answers were in living that. Not judging. Praying in secret, and such. Simple way to live.”
Companion: “That be right brother. That be right. Yet, we are called to create. That was also Carl's insight. We could create rebelliously, so to speak. Didn't have to color inside the lines.”
[reaches out and touches Joey]
Companion: “There's a place for the fire that burns you, though. Christ did throw the money changers out of the temple. Carl liked that one. He thought the whole world was a temple and we were just fine trying to get the money changers gone from messing with it.”
[the joint passes around some more. The camera catches the lights from cars playing on the foggy sky moving over the bridge. Some seagulls caw, the scene fades to black, as ocean waves sound over and over again against the rocks …. ]
scene 41
slow fade to Rider, being interviewed on CNN type show - note over screen says “2 months later”
(the rest of this is shot as voice-over - what we see is people doing this stuff she is describing in the voice-over, wearing buttons and talking to each other):
Rider: “Well, there are already a lot of changes. 23 municipalities have used eminent domain to create housing for the homeless. In most of those areas, unemployed people are volunteering to upgrade those buildings and make them suitable. Different communities are also seeing complex confederation organizations spring up, where people who don’t normally end up on the same side are working together, not just to protest or occupy, but to solve problems the government is not solving.
“Probably the main effect of the original second declaration event is that people everywhere are wearing some version of ‘we don’t consent anymore’. All kinds of strangers are greeting and talking to each other just because they are wearing the same button. What is also happening is that a new vocabulary is beginning to take over the political conversation. Questions about the social contract and the agreement of all to be bound by the same law are being asked by reporters of politicians. This is making politicians formulate far different answers than the ones they usually give. Right now I’m doing my 10th interview this week.
“Of course, some work places don’t let people wear their buttons at work, but lawsuits were filed yesterday in a couple of jurisdictions specifically seeking for the rights of workers to express themselves politically in the work place, as long as the views expressed are not too far outside the needs of work.
“There are also, more radical action-events. Different people occupying unused spaces for all kinds of reasons and purposes. Often older women are leading these activist groups, and someone recently called these radical forms of protest, as led by our women elders: ‘the grandmother war’. Some news people have started to use the term ‘the army of the unemployed’.
“Something is changing the way we talk about things, and that is changing the way we think about things. Part of how we know this is good, is because a lot of the money and power elites are fighting against this. Image assassination of Agnes and Carl is happening. You’ve seen the stories: Carl was a drug addict and a sex fiend, and Agnes his alcoholic paramour.
“But these don’t fly anymore, especially when it is done in front of the press, for many in the press are finally asking honestly difficult questions. Some of them are even wearing buttons. There is a Second Conversation happening, which is in reality the 2nd Constitution - a new social contract is being formulated. We, in this studio, are part of it. We are reminding the politicians that they work for us, not the other way around, and some of them are admitting this is the case.”
Line on blank screen:
3 More Months Later
scene 42
Town car limo in D.C. Man in suit in back, on phone. Car in traffic, stops at light and intersection. Homeless guy walks up and does the wash your windshield thing. Driver of limo, opens window, his hand reaches out and offers the window washer a dollar bill. The window washer leans on the upper part of the car window a little, while taking the bill. We cut in a shot of him leaving what is obviously an electronic bug in the car, just pressed inside the upper edge of the window. We also see he has a button, not in clear sight.
scene 43
We see Smith, Base’s boss at Homeland Security going into his office. Just as he goes in we see a person of color, from housekeeping, leaving his office. Smith just barely nods
to her, and we notice she has a button, kind of hidden behind her work coat. As Smith
sits down, we get a camera view from above - kind of fish-eye like, as if he is being
watched by a hidden camera.
scene 44: more or less a repeat of the scene from opening credits
opening sequence, part two
split screen: Smith (Base’s supervisor at HS talking to un-named man in a suit in a car via cell phone) In the background of the car is the Capital Building in D.C.
Smith: “Its tied up”
man: “You’re sure? We lost a major battle over the narrative in the press.”
Smith: “That will die down. People will just keep doing what they always do. Most of them are sheep. You know that.”
man: “That guy Carl wasn’t. Very bright guy to out think and out play you.”
Smith: “An aberration. There won’t be any others.”
man: “You better hope so. I’ve got to get back to the White House, ... we’ve a meeting on drone strike issues. There is far too much resistance out there, and right now we are not sure you’ve actually contained things at all.”
as this scene is played out, we get cuts of Gloria and Sam listening to the conversation via their own “intelligence” gathering resources, on a computer screen that has a banner down below: “the above is brought to you by courtesy of Anonymous productions”
scene 45
[background - Gloria is subpoenaed to appear before a Congressional Committee, chaired by a Republican. The Committee’s concern is to reassert the ongoing narrative that the government is in charge, there is no oligarchy and domestic terrorists are responsible for all the seeming ongoing social anarchy. Gloria appears by herself, with apparently no attorney. This takes place about half a year after the “event”, and just a week or so after
the conversation between Smith and the unknown West Wing staffer.]
Gloria has sat down in the chair before the microphones, alone. She has no papers with her.
Chairman Roscoe: “Mrs. Stephenson. You seem to be alone. Were you not advised to come with a lawyer?”
Gloria: “I am one.”
Roscoe: “What? You are what?”
Gloria: “A lawyer, Mr. Roscoe. I’m a lawyer”
Roscoe: “Oh, well .... okay, By the way my proper title is Congressman Roscoe.”
Gloria: “Well, if we are going to do proper titles, then maybe you should call me Citizen Stephenson.”
Roscoe (looking at aides): “Huh ... I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
Gloria: “I know Roscoe, ... that’s why I came here, ... to help you understand.”
more conversations among the aides and such
Matrix (the committee’s main legal council): “Mrs Stephenson, there are certain protocols for this place. It is proper to refer to the Chairman as either Chairman Roscoe or Congressman Roscoe. Please do so in the future.”
Gloria: “Really? What’s the plan then? You going to spank me if I don’t behave?”
Matrix (showing some anger): “Mrs Stephenson, I’ll remind you, you are under subpoena. If you don’t follow the rules, you’ll be found in contempt of Congress.”
Gloria: “Well, you are right about that, I do hold Congress in contempt.”
bits of applause and laughter from the audience in room, Roscoe bangs his gavel for silence.
Roscoe (trying to get his “authority” back): “Mrs. Stephenson, we know you have ... “
Gloria (interrupting him): “That’s Citizen Stephenson to you, Congressman, if we are going to have titles and such. (Roscoe tries to get control back, but Gloria just goes on, talking over him). You see Congressman, the reason you and your groupies back there are confused, is that you haven’t been paying attention. I’m a Citizen of the United States of America - you know the ones - the ‘We the People' folks. You work for us not the other way around. The only reason I came here today was so that what went on between us would be on live television. You need a lesson in Civics and I’m here to deliver it.”
more applause and laughter ... Roscoe uses the gavel, and it is ineffective ... finally things quiet down.
Matrix and Roscoe confer, and someone comes toward Gloria carrying a bible for her to swear on.
Matrix: “Lets get on with this, and leave the sideshows aside. Please stand and raise your right hand and put your left hand on the bible.”
Gloria: “Why?”
Matrix: “That’s the usual procedure Mrs. ... ah Citizen Stephenson. People take an oath before testifying to the Committee, ... to tell the truth.”
Gloria: “Are you and Congressman Roscoe going to take that oath as well? If I’m supposed to swear to tell the truth, you should swear to tell the truth too. This is America isn’t it, and one of our fundamental legal principles is equality for all under the law. So if you want me to swear, then you should swear too.”
Roscoe, interrupting: “We are here to have you testify ... ma’m ... (trying to avoid calling her citizen). That’s why we’re here.”
Gloria: “Its not why I’m here. If you get to ask me a question under oath, then I get to ask you a question under oath. That’s only fair, isn’t it? The law is supposed to be fair, right?”
more applause and laughter, Roscoe tries again to gavel things into silence, and this time it doesn’t work, so he and the other politicians and aides just get up and leave the room.
Gloria (standing up and turning to the audience): “Shows over folks. What do you say we all just go to lunch someplace, have a drink, or smoke a joint, and get better acquainted.”
run credits with Maria singing Woodstock at the start
“Woodstock”
I came upon a child of God
He was walking along the road
And I asked him, where are you going
And this he told me...
I’m going on down to Yasgur’s farm
I’m going to join in a rock ‘n’ roll band
I’m going to camp out on the land
I’m gonna try and get my soul free
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
Then can I walk beside you
I have come here to lose the smog
And I feel to be a cog in something turning
Well maybe it is just the time of year
Or maybe it’s the time of man
I don’t know who l am
But ya know life is for learning
We are stardust
We are golden
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
By the time we got to Woodstock
We were half a million strong
And everywhere there was song and celebration
And I dreamed I saw the bombers
Riding shotgun in the sky
And they were turning into butterflies
Above our nation
We are stardust
Billion-year-old carbon
We are golden
Caught in the devil’s bargain
And we’ve got to get ourselves
Back to the garden
AND, while the credits continue to run we see People on the film crew who had their pictures taken, wearing buttons, to go next to their names in the credits ... even buttons disagreeing with the other buttons. But, we also hear Maria speaking in this voice-over ...
Maria, voice-over to credits: “There is a lot of lying, and if not lying just plain stupidity in our public life. If a public official says we live in a democracy, or or talking head on TV says the same, ... they are lying, or they are seriously stupid. There is no in between. We live in an oligarchy, which is a system of government controlled by an elite class, mostly rich. They control the corporations, the media and they effectively own most of our politicians.
“A democracy would mean there is a relationship of some kind between our voting, and the results - the results being the actions taken by Congress and the Senate. Anyone not entirely asleep knows that the Congress and the Senate vote mostly for the needs of the 1%, not for us.
“Now this is not some kind of nut job conspiracy theory bullshit. There is no conspiracy. Its a fact of our political life that came about because people refused to use honest language in public affairs. They used this dishonest language for so long that some people came to believe it, although many do not ... many know what is said in politics is a lie, whether it is said by politicians or by News people.
“For the News people the problem is actually fear, for if they started to ask good questions, or speak the truth, the liars wouldn’t give them interviews anymore. Sad, but true.
“At its best the political conversations between the media and elected officials is badly performed theater, - performed by both sides for their own personal interest. It some instances, it is also conscious cowardice and treason. Many presidents have violated their oaths of office, and many others have committed crimes, for it is a crime to lie to the public. I don’t know if it is a crime to report a lie, which you know is a lie, but perhaps it should be.
“And we, if we continue to tolerate this, if we fail to put on that simple button that says “I no longer consent”, then we’ve joined the liars and the stupid. That’s the choice. Put on the button and stand for the truth, or be a liar or seriously politically stupid.
“This is especially the case if you’ve stopped voting, because you know your vote doesn’t mean anything. If you know that, then you know about the lying and the stupidity, and all you are doing, besides not voting, is putting on the button and saying ... I don’t consent to the lying and more, and I (if you want), I’m not going to vote because there is no real choice in voting.
“Almost all political parties are corrupt - certainly the major ones, the Democrats and the Republicans - our Founders didn’t even want them to exist. When I don’t vote, I’m voting for none of the above, because I know already they won’t represent me. If they wanted to represent me, they wouldn’t join a party and they’d wear a button too.
“Imagine a Congress and a Senate made up entirely of independents. With term limits, and having to run for office without any special interest money at all. Chaos? I don’t think so. Sanity, and service and nobody becoming a career politician and getting rich for doing their duty as a citizen.
“Wearing one of these buttons is going to be revolutionary, on a huge scale. It will change the conversation. Since the politicians and the News people can’t anymore tell the truth, then it is up to us. The central fact is that We the People are the real government of the United States of America, and its time for us to let the whole world know, and claim the rights the Founders gave us through a bloody war. Only this war - this “button-war”, doesn’t need any blood to be spilled at all. Like Carl said, America is an idea, and its an Idea that belongs to us. Wear a button, change the conversation, and watch a miracle happen.”
end credits
