"The Local Weather"
Story by
Aaron Sorkin
&
Pete McCabe
Teleplay by
Aaron Sorkin
Directed by
Tim Busfield
UPDATED FINAL 1/17/00
SPORTS NIGHT
"The Local Weather"
#N339
Cast
Dan........................Josh Charles
Casey.....................Peter Krause
Isaac..............Robert Guillaume
Dana................Felicity Huffman
Jeremy....................Josh Malina
Natalie.................Sabrina Lloyd
Kim.........................Kayla Blake
Elliot........................Greg Baker
Chris.........Timothy Davis-Reed
Will..........................Ron Ostrow
Dave.....................Jeff Mooring
Jenny.................Paula Marshall
Abby.......................Jayne Brook
Jack..................Darren Foreman
Oscar..................Derek Webster
Announcer 1.....Geraud Moncure
Announcer 2..............Mel Proctor
SPORTS NIGHT
(TEASER)
FROM THE BLACK WE HEAR:
ABBY (VO)
Hello, Dan.
DAN (VO)
Hey.
ABBY (VO)
How are you?
DAN (VO)
Good.
ABBY (VO)
You wanna close the door?
FADE IN:
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE/NEWSROOM/ABBY'S
OFFICE/NEWSROOM/ABBY'S
OFFICE/STUDIO/CONTROL ROOM/NEWSROOM/CONTROL ROOM - 10:00 AM-
(DAY 2/NIGHT 1)
(Dan, Casey, Dana, Jeremy, Natalie, Kim, Elliot, Chris, Will,
Dave, Abby, TV Anncr, Computer Voice)
DAN'S STANDING IN THE DOORWAY. ABBY'S SITTING AT HER DESK
DEALING WITH PAPERS OR MAYBE TYPING SOMETHING ON HER LAPTOP.
ABBY DIDN'T EVEN NEED TO LOOK UP TO KNOW THAT DAN IS STANDING
IN THE DOORWAY AND HASN'T CLOSE THE DOOR. SHE'S BEEN THROUGH
THIS MANY TIMES WITH HIM NOW.
DAN
I don't think we need to have a
session today.
ABBY
Okay.
DAN
Seriously.
ABBY
Yes.
DAN
(BEAT) I'm not saying we're done
completely. I'm just saying I don't
need a session this week.
ABBY
Okay.
DAN
All right, then. (PAUSE) I'm just
gonna go.
ABBY
Okay.
DAN
And I'll see you next week.
ABBY
Sounds good.
DAN
Seriously.
ABBY
What time you got there?
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. NEWSROOM - NIGHT - (NIGHT 1)
OUR WHOLE GROUP IS GATHERED AT MONITORS. STUNNED.
SFX: TREMENDOUS CROWD NOISE.
ANNOUNCER 1 (FROM TV)
Oh my God!
ANNOUNCER 2 (FROM TV)
I don't believe it! Twenty-nine eight
and a quarter!
SMASH BACK TO:
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - DAY - (DAY 2)
DAN
Hm?
ABBY
I said what time you got?
DAN
Twenty-nine eight and a quarter.
ABBY
(BEAT) Heh?
DAN
I'm sorry. Five after ten.
ABBY
Shouldn't we get started?
DAN
No, I'm not kidding.
ABBY
Okay.
DAN
Why don't you ever believe me when I
say I'm happy?
ABBY
What's twenty-nine eight and a
quarter?
DAN
Nothing.
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. NEWSROOM - NIGHT - (NIGHT 1)
SAME SCENE.
ANNOUNCER 1 (FROM TV)
Twenty-nine eight and a quarter.
ANNOUNCER 2 (FROM TV)
I am in absolute disbelief!
SMASH CUT BACK TO:
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - DAY - (DAY 2)
ABBY
Nothing?
DAN
It's nothing, it's a thing that
happened last night.
ABBY
What?
DAN
Believe it or not, I'm not allowed to
tell you.
ABBY
You're not allowed to tell me?
DAN
No.
ABBY
By law?
DAN
It involves the result of a sporting
event that's tape-delayed. It happened
in Auckland, New Zealand in the middle
of last night and my network's showing
it tonight in primetime, and they're
touchy about--
ABBY
I get it.
DAN
You know, it was the same thing for
Nagano, Japan.
ABBY
You wanna close the door and siddown?
DAN
Nah, I'm gonna head to the office.
ABBY
Okay.
DAN
You know the interesting thing is that
at the beginning of the week, I really
couldn't have cared less about this
story. I don't get that excited about
track and field.
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. NEWSROOM - NIGHT - (NIGHT 1)
SAME SCENE.
ANNOUNCER 2 (FROM TV)
Gary, in 32 years covering track and
field, I don't know that I've ever
seen anything like this!
SMASH CUT BACK TO:
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - DAY - (DAY 2)
DAN
I mean I admire the athleticism, but
for me there needs to be an opponent.
ABBY
I've seen you get excited about it on
TV.
DAN
That's part of my job. When it's
showtime it's showtime.
SMASH CUT TO:
INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT - (NIGHT 1)
IT'S SHOWTIME.
DAVE
Roll VTR.
WILL
60 seconds live.
THE "SPORTS NIGHT" THEME ROLLS IN.
CHRIS
Stand by 4, 5 and 6.
DAVE
Stand by animation.
DANA
Where's Dan?
NATALIE
(INTO PA) Danny! Showtime!
CUT TO:
INT. NEWSROOM - CONTINUOUS
JEREMY IS STANDING AT HIS COMPUTER AS DAN BURSTS OUT OF HIS
OFFICE. HE SAILS PAST JEREMY.
DAN
Jeremy. Let's go.
JEREMY
I'm right there.
DAN DISAPPEARS INTO THE STUDIO. JEREMY, UNDER THE GUN, MAKES
A FEW KEYSTROKES AND A FEW MOUSE CLICKS. HE WAITS...
COMPUTER VOICE
"Welcome..."
AND JEREMY STANDS IN ANTICIPATION OF WHAT HE WANTS TO HEAR
NEXT. HE'S INTERNALLY CROSSING ALL HIS FINGERS WITH ONE EYE
ON THE CLOCK.
WAITING...WAITING...NOTHING.
HE HAULS ASS TO THE CONTROL ROOM AS WE--
CUT TO:
INT. CONTROL ROOM - NIGHT - (NIGHT 1)
NATALIE
Preview Denver, get me Brett in LA.
WILL
Denver's up.
JEREMY ENTERS--
DANA
Jeremy, what is in that computer that
you're waiting for?
JEREMY
Hm?
DANA
You've been checking your e-mail all
day.
NATALIE
Chris, show me Auckland.
JEREMY
I'm waiting for a letter from my
sister.
DANA
Okay.
DAVE
30 seconds live.
CHRIS
Auckland's up.
A MONITOR SHOWS OSCAR PARRISH, BLACK, IN HIS EARLY 30'S,
WEARING A USA WARM-UP SUIT AND ADJUSTING AN EARPIECE.
NATALIE
Can you hear me, Oscar?
OSCAR
Is that Natalie?
NATALIE
It's Natalie stateside. How ya doin'?
OSCAR
I'm doin' okay.
NATALIE
Just okay?
OSCAR
I'm a little nervous.
NATALIE
You jump better than you talk?
OSCAR
I do almost everything better than I
talk, Natalie.
NATALIE
One of these days you're gonna have to
come up here and prove that to me,
Oscar.
JEREMY
(QUIETLY TO DANA) Can she stop hitting
on the guests?
NATALIE
(TO JEREMY) You think I didn't hear
that?
ELLIOT
Ten seconds live.
IN THE STUDIO--
CASEY
You really can't get excited about
this?
DAN
A guy jumping far into a pit of sand?
CASEY
He's gonna set a new world record, you
know.
DAN
Okay.
CASEY
Twenty-nine five, if I'm any judge of
the art of the long-jump.
DAN
You're not.
DAVE
In three...two--
DAN
Good evening, from New York City I'm
Dan Rydell alongside Casey McCall.
Those stories plus, the T-Wolves go
hunting in motor city, the Sharks get
jiggy in San Jose, and yes, we've got
a Shaq attack in Hackensack.
CASEY
We'll take you to Auckland, New
Zealand, where Oscar Parrish is poised
to demonstrate that what jumps up may
not come down for an awfully long
time. You're watching Sports Night on
CSC, so stick around.
BLACKOUT.
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
(A)
INT. STUDIO/CONTROL ROOM - 11:55 PM - (NIGHT 1)
(Dan, Casey, Dana, Jeremy, Natalie, Kim, Ellit, Chris, Will,
Dave, Oscar)
CASEY IS IN THE MIDDLE OF A REMOTE INTERVIEW WITH OSCAR
PARRISH.
OSCAR
The weather's good, Casey. 74 degrees,
20 percent humidity, if the wind's at
your back, you can't do any better
than that.
CASEY
Now Oscar, you've had a decade's worth
of bad luck.
OSCAR
Yeah.
CASEY
You were set to win the Gold Medal at
the World Championships in Berlin and
you tore an ACL in the preliminaries.
We all knew you were gonna break the
world record in Atlanta, and of course
the death of your father on the eve of
the games kept you out of the
competition.
OSCAR
Yeah.
CASEY
Let me ask you a stupid question. How much
does all that add to the pressure on you?
OSCAR
Well, there's plenty of pressure. You
know all I've done since I was 14 years
old is try to jump a quarter-inch
farther. I'm 33 now and my legs stopped
getting stronger a few years ago.
CASEY
Is it fair to say this is your last
chance to set a record?
OSCAR
Yeah, this is the ballgame.
CASEY
You got a lot of people here rooting
for you, Oscar. Go strap those wings
on your feet and knock us dead.
OSCAR
I'll do my best.
CASEY
(TO CAMERA) Oscar Parrish from the
Millennial Games.
DAN
A reminder from our promo department. You
can catch all the action from Auckland
during CSC's primetime coverage of the
Millennial Games, live on tape delay--I
swear to God it says that--live on tape
delay tomorrow night at eight. We'll be
back and better than ever with all the
highlights at eleven.
DANA
(INTO MIC) Fill 15.
DAN
They're asking me to fill for 15
seconds, so I'll say simply this:
Quitters never win, and winners never
quit. Also, evidently eating one
apple a day will guarantee you'll
never have to see a doctor.
NATALIE
That's true. It's an old saying.
DAN
For Casey McCall, I'm Dan Rydell and
you've been watching Sports Night on
CSC. We'll see you tomorrow.
CASEY
G'night.
DAVE
Music.
WILL
Go.
DAVE
Animation.
CHRIS
Go.
DAVE
We're out.
DANA
Good show.
CUT TO:
ACT ONE
(B)
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - 10:15 - (DAY 2)
(Dan, Abby)
ABBY
Hang on. Wait. I actually know this
one. Mike Powell's got the long jump
record.
DAN
Twenty-nine feet, four inches.
ABBY
You're not impressed?
DAN
You know whose record he broke?
ABBY
No.
DAN
Then I'm unimpressed.
ABBY
So the world has to wait until tonight
to find out if your guy did it?
DAN
Oscar Parrish?
ABBY
Yeah.
DAN
Not the whole world, just this half of it.
ABBY
You already know.
DAN
Yes.
ABBY
You get it by teletype.
DAN
Teletype?
ABBY
That's not what they call it?
DAN
It's what they called it in Citizen
Kane, but there's been significant
progress in communications technology
since then and we have live satellite
feeds now.
ABBY
You know I've never seen Citizen Kane?
DAN
Really?
ABBY
Never seen Gone With the Wind, either.
DAN
Those are two pretty good movies.
ABBY
I've seen Meatballs. And Meatballs II.
DAN
(BEAT) 'Kay, well there are some gaps
in your filmgoing experience.
ABBY
Weren't you leaving?
DAN
Yeah.
ABBY
'Cause you're feeling good.
DAN
Believe me, don't believe me.
ABBY
Why didn't you just call?
DAN
What do you mean?
ABBY
To cancel the appointment. Why did you
stop by?
DAN
It's on my way to the office, Abby, I
like to see you. You know, honestly.
ABBY
Okay.
DAN
I'll see you next week.
ABBY
Okay.
DAN
You know, we're having a perfectly fun
conversation, and you put your
stethoscope on.
ABBY
The meter was running.
DAN
No, no. The meter's off. This wasn't
an appointment.
ABBY
24 hours notice, Danny. I gotta earn a
living.
DAN
Well that's a bit of a turn-off.
ABBY
Believe me when I tell you the last
thing I'm trying to do is turn you on.
DAN
Well then change whatever you're
doin', 'cause--
ABBY
See you next week.
DAN
(PAUSE) Say. Speaking of being turned
on? This'll just take a second, but
since you're pretty familiar with the
cast of characters, Jeremy's in love
with an adult film actress.
ABBY
A porn star?
DAN
I think they prefer adult film actress
and it's not clear whether or not
she's a star, but, yes, for the
purposes of this discussion she's a
porn star.
ABBY
You think it's a reaction to his break-
up with Natalie?
DAN
We sound like a bad Spanish soap opera.
"Crees que una reccion haber terminado
con Natalie?" It's Jeremy and a porn
star, Abby, of course it's a reaction
to his break-up with Natalie.
ABBY
I'm interested in this. If I hadn't
gone to medical school I was thinking
about being a porn star. How long have
they been dating?
DAN
Again, it's not clear to me whether or
not they are dating. The last time I
saw Jeremy he was heading out into a
rainstorm.
CUT TO:
ACT ONE
(C)
INT. EDITING ROOM/STUDIO/NEWSROOM - 10:30 AM - (DAY 1)
(Casey, Jeremy, Kim, Elliot, Computer Voice)
CASEY IS TALKING TO KIM AND ELLIOT.
CASEY
It'll be great.
ELLIOT
It's gonna be two o'clock in the
morning.
CASEY
It'll be fun.
ELLIOT
Not at two o'clock in the morning.
CASEY
Kim. C'mon.
KIM
No.
CASEY
Kimberly.
KIM
Track and Field at two o'clock in the
morning?
CASEY FOLLOWS KIM AND ELLIOT OUT INTO--
INT. STUDIO - CONTINUOUS
CASEY
Elliot. Where's your spirit?
ELLIOT
It goes home with me at midnight when
I'm done with work.
CASEY
I'll order food.
KIM
What kind of food?
CASEY
What kind of food do you want?
KIM
Mexican.
CASEY
Mexican it is.
KIM
And Chinese.
CASEY
What the hell--
KIM
I like to mix 'em.
CASEY
Okey-doke. Elliot, there's gonna be
both Mexican and Chinese Food.
ELLIOT
I'm kind of in the mood for deli.
CASEY
Mexican food, Chinese food, and food
from a delicatessen.
ELLIOT
I'm there.
CASEY
Outstanding.
ELLIOT AND KIM DISAPPEAR INTO THE CONTROL ROOM AS JEREMY
COMES FROM THE OTHER DIRECTION CARRYING AN UMBRELLA.
CASEY
Jeremy.
JEREMY
'Morning.
CASEY
I'm organizing a late-night posse to
watch Oscar break the record.
JEREMY
What kind of food?
CASEY
I'm gettin' kinda tired of bribing people
with food, I'm not doin' that anymore.
JEREMY
Pizza.
CASEY
Got it.
CASEY AND JEREMY ARE WALKING INTO NEWSROOM--
INT. NEWSROOM - CONTINUOUS
JEREMY GETS TO HIS DESK AND IMMEDIATELY STARTS THE E-MAIL
CHECKING PROCESS.
JEREMY
Thank you.
CASEY
What's with the umbrella?
JEREMY
It's gonna rain tonight.
CASEY
No it's not.
JEREMY
It really is.
CASEY
Q.X.R. said overnight lows in the
50's, less than ten percent chance of
precipitation.
JEREMY
This time of year there's a low
pressure system that moves down from
Newfoundland. Ordinarily it moves out
to sea once it's hit Northern New
England, but a particularly unusual
Atlantic cold front is gonna keep it
coastally contained.
COMPUTER VOICE (VO)
"Welcome..."
JEREMY'S PRAYING INSIDE...
CASEY
So you're saying it's gonna rain
tonight?
JEREMY
Yeah.
CASEY
Good to know.
CASEY HEADS OFF TOWARD HIS OFFICE.
JEREMY WAITS...
JEREMY
Damn.
CUT TO:
ACT ONE
(D)
INT. ISAAC'S OFFICE - 11:00 AM - (DAY 1)
(Dana, Isaac, Jeremy)
ISAAC'S SITTING AT HIS DESK AND DANA SITS IN THE CHAIR
OPPOSITE.
DANA
What made you ask that?
ISAAC
I don't know.
DANA
Why don't I go to church?
ISAAC
Yeah.
DANA
I don't know, I never have.
ISAAC
You used to.
DANA
Once in a while when I was a kid. Why
are you asking me?
ISAAC
I don't know, I've just always thought
you'd like it.
DANA
Have I done something wrong?
ISAAC
I don't think so.
DANA
Am I in need of something?
ISAAC
I was just asking.
DANA
I mean that is the strangest thing
I've--I'm totally--I mean--I have
absolutely nothing to say.
ISAAC
Then I'll just count my blessings.
DANA
I have work to do now.
ISAAC
Okay.
DANA
And what with being spiritually
bereft--
ISAAC
I just brought it up.
DANA
I'm a hot young single woman in New
York.
ISAAC
(BEAT) What the hell does that have to
do with anything?
DANA
(PAUSE) I don't know, but there's
relevancy there.
ISAAC
Okay.
JEREMY TAPS ON THE DOOR--
JEREMY
Excuse me.
ISAAC
Come on in.
DANA
I'm going back to work.
DANA WAITS A MOMENT, THEN--
DANA (CONT'D)
(TO JEREMY) Guy's a honey-roasted nut
cluster.
DANA EXITS.
ISAAC
What's on your mind, Jeremy.
JEREMY
Quite a bit, actually.
ISAAC
Then is it too late to take back my
question?
JEREMY
I met this girl.
ISAAC
Is she in any way related to me?
JEREMY
No.
ISAAC
Then we're fine.
JEREMY
She's an adult film actress.
ISAAC
A porn star?
JEREMY
I think they prefer adult film
actress.
ISAAC
How did you meet her?
JEREMY
I met her the other night when she
started talking to me at Anthony's. We
were talking for a couple of hours but
then I kinda blew her off when I found
out what she did.
Then I got to the office the next day
and e-mailed her web site.
ISAAC
She has a web site?
JEREMY
Yeah.
ISAAC
I'm not that wild about e-mail traffic
from porn stars coming to the office.
JEREMY
I set up a special address, she's the
only one who can hit it, but it's been
three days since I sent it and I
haven't heard back from her. By the
way, if you ever want to do that, you
use a server in Finland who stores the
return address in an encrypted file
and sends the message to the recipient
with an address from the remailer.
ISAAC
Does the porn star know you're this
much of a dork?
JEREMY
I don't think she does, but my
question was, am I crazy for thinking
about her this much?
ISAAC
Yes.
JEREMY
Really?
ISAAC
Yeah.
JEREMY
(BEAT) That's a little terse, isn't
it?
ISAAC
She's the wrong girl.
JEREMY
Yeah. I mean, tough to see introducing
her to my friends.
ISAAC
Jeremy.
JEREMY
Yeah.
ISAAC
You're reacting to your break-up with
Natalie. And you're romanticizing the
time you spent with this girl.
JEREMY
(BEAT) Yes. (BEAT) That's what I'm doing.
ISAAC
It's natural.
JEREMY
Yeah. (BEAT) Okay. Thanks.
ISAAC
Are the Rangers playing tonight?
JEREMY
They're in Detroit.
JEREMY EXITS.
CUT TO:
ACT ONE
(E)
INT. NEWSROOM - 12:00 NOON - (DAY 1)
(Casey, Jeremy, Chris, Will, Dave, Computer Voice)
CASEY IS TALKING TO WILL, CHRIS AND DAVE. A RUNDOWN MEETING'S
ABOUT TO START IN THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
CASEY
Many, many choices. There can be
Chinese food, there can be pizza--
CHRIS
Deli?
CASEY
There can be food from a delicatessen,
sure, why not?
DAVE
We're there.
DAVE, CHRIS AND WILL GO INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM. JEREMY HAS
COME OUT INTO THE NEWSROOM AND GONE TO HIS DESK.
CASEY
(TO JEREMY) We got Will, Chris and
Dave.
JEREMY
Excellent.
CASEY
We've got quite a late-night posse.
We've got me, you, Will, Chris and
Dave. That's five so far.
JEREMY
Did you count the two of us?
CASEY
Yeah.
JEREMY
Okay.
CASEY
Run-down.
JEREMY
Yeah, I'll be right in.
CASEY GOES INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
JEREMY SITS AT HIS DESK A MOMENT, THEN HALFHEARTEDLY HITS
SOME KEY STROKES AND MAKES A FEW CLICKS WITH THE MOUSE.
COMPUTER VOICE (VO)
"Welcome..."
JEREMY GATHERS UP SOME PAPERS FOR THE RUN-DOWN MEETING. HE
GETS UP TO HEAD INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM.
COMPUTER VOICE (VO)
"...You've got mail."
JEREMY TURNS, STOPS AND STARES AT THE COMPUTER.
BLACKOUT.
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
(H)
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - 10:30 AM - (DAY 2)
(Dan, Abby)
ABBY
I want to write this down.
DAN
Why?
ABBY
'Cause I'm gonna watch the tape delay
later and I want to know all the
numbers. Mike Powell was 29 feet, two
and a half--
DAN
Bob Beamon was 29 feet two and half
inches. Mike Powell broke his record
with 29 feet, four and a quarter
inches.
ABBY
Wow. Just an inch and three quarters.
DAN
An inch and three quarters is a
hundred miles in track and field. The
distance is always a hundred miles
between first and second place.
Jackie Robinson had a brother who ran
the 200 meters. And at the Olympics,
he ran it faster than anyone had run
it before. And he still came in
second.
ABBY
I didn't know Jackie Robinson had a
brother.
DAN
That's 'cause it was the 1936 Olympics
and the guy who came in first was
Jesse Owens.
ABBY
I was talking to a friend of mine
who's a sports fan. He said there was
a magazine that did a Top 100 list of
the Most Influential People in sports.
And that he thought it was strange
that Casey made the list and you
didn't.
DAN
(BEAT) Why would your friend bring
that up?
ABBY
He just did.
DAN
I'm saying ti seems like he only
would've brought that up if he knew I
was a patient of yours.
ABBY
He doesn't.
DAN
Anyway...my point is an inch is
forever in track and field.
ABBY
So 29 feet four and a quarter inches
is the mark to beat?
DAN
Yeah.
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(J)
INT. STUDIO/CONTROL ROOM/NEWSROOM/DAN AND CASEY'S
OFFICE/NEWSROOM - 11:57 PM - (NIGHT 1)
(Dan, Casey, Dana, Jeremy, Natalie, Kim, Elliot, Chris, Will,
Dave)
DAN
A reminder from our promo department. You
can catch all the action from Auckland
during CSC's primetime coverage of the
Millennial Games, live on tape delay--I
swear to God it says that--live on tape
delay tomorrow night at eight. We'll be
back and better than ever with all the
highlights at eleven.
DANA
(INTO MIC) Fill 15.
DAN
They're asking me to fill for 15
seconds, so I'll say simply this:
Quitters never win, and winners never
quit. Also, evidently eating one
apple a day will guarantee you'll
never have to see a doctor.For Casey
McCall, I'm Dan Rydell and you've been
watching Sports Night on CSC. We'll
see you tomorrow.
CASEY
G'night.
DAVE
Music.
WILL
Go.
DAVE
Animation.
CHRIS
Go.
DAVE
We're out.
CASEY AND DAN ARE GETTING UNPLUGGED.
CASEY
Food of many lands. Italy, China,
Thailand and your own nation of
Israel.
THEY START WALKING OUT OF THE STUDIO--
DAN
It's track and field.
CASEY
Yeah, but it's the camaraderie I'm
talking about.
DAN
You know I've never been to Israel.
CASEY
That's why I'm bringing Israel to you.
With fine smoked meats and cheeses.
DAN
Yeah, meat and dairy is just what you
want on the same plate for that touch
of Jerusalem.
CASEY
C'mon.
DAN
Nah, I don't think so.
CASEY
Danny--
DAN
Casey--
CASEY
I think there's a residual thing from
the Top 100 list.
DAN
There isn't.
CASEY
No, man, you've been like this for--
DAN
Casey, there really isn't.
CASEY
(BEAT) All right. I'm going to find
menus now, if you change your mind.
CASEY GOES OFF. JEREMY IS ALREADY AT HIS DESK CHECKING.
COMPUTER VOICE (VO)
"Welcome...'
DAN
Jeremy, what is going on with you and
the e-mail.
JEREMY
Someone e-mailed me saying they wanted
to meet me at a certain place tonight
and I e-mailed them back that I'm not
gonna go and I can see that they
haven't opened the e-mail yet so she's
just gonna be sitting there.
DAN
She?
JEREMY
(BEAT) Yeah.
DAN
Who?
JEREMY
You don't know her.
DAN
What's her name?
JEREMY
Her name's Jenny.
DAN
Jenny who?
JEREMY
I don't know her last name.
DAN
She gave you her e-mail address but
not her last name?
JEREMY
Are we done with 20 Questions?
DAN
I'm just asking.
JEREMY
She works under a different name.
DAN
What is she, a porn star?
JEREMY
(PAUSE) They prefer adult film
actress.
DAN TAKES THIS IN. LOOKS DOWN. SHAKES HIS HEAD...
DAN
Oh man.
DAN HEADS OFF INTO THIS OFFICE. JEREMY GETS UP AND GOES
IN
AFTER DAN...
INT. DAN AND CASEY'S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
AS JEREMY WALKS IN--
JEREMY
What was that supposed to mean?
DAN
I've seen rebounds before, but--
JEREMY
So she's a rebound, so what?
DAN
Where did you meet her?
JEREMY
Anthony's.
DAN
What did the two of you talk about?
JEREMY
I didn't feel limited by the range of
topics, if that's what you're asking
me.
SPFX: LIGHTNING. CRACK OF THUNDER. STARTS RAINING.
DAN
She just started talking to you?
JEREMY
Yeah.
DAN
She walked up to you and said hi, I'm
a porn star, wanna dance?
JEREMY
No.
DAN
I'm just curious.
JEREMY
We were talking for a few hours and I
thought I recognized her and then I
figured it out.
DAN
Jeremy, a lot of these women are
hookers.
JEREMY
She's not.
DAN
How do you know?
JEREMY
She'd have told me.
DAN
She didn't tell you she was a porn
star.
JEREMY
You know what, Dan? She prefers, adult
film actress.
JEREMY EXITS INTO--
INT. NEWSROOM - NIGHT - (NIGHT 1)
HE GRABS HIS COAT AND HIS UMBRELLA AS CASEY COMES THROUGH.
CASEY
Where are you going?
JEREMY
I gotta go tell somebody I'm not gonna
meet them.
CASEY
You're coming back?
JEREMY
Yeah.
CASEY
(CALLING) Hey, you were right about
the rain.
JEREMY
(OVER HIS SHOULDER) Yeah.
DANA COMES THROUGH WEARING A JACKET.
CASEY
Where are you going?
DANA
I'm running to the ATM.
CASEY
Why?
DANA
I need cash.
CASEY
For what?
DANA
For general use.
CASEY
Dana--
DANA
It's for general use.
CASEY
It's for betting with Natalie.
DANA
Yes.
CASEY
You're gonna bet on track and field.
DANA
Yeah.
CASEY
The two of you need to get yourselves
to a meeting, you know that?
DANA
She gave me eight to five on Heinrich
in the pole vault.
CASEY
Seriously?
DANA
Back in a minute.
ELLIOT CROSSES IN FRONT OF CASEY, BLOCKING HIM FROM GETTING
TO DANA.
CASEY
Hey wait a second. Since you're going
out in a rainstorm anyway, you feel
like pickin' up the food?
SPFX: LIGHTNING & THUNDER
DANA
From where?
CASEY
The following six places:
DANA
Casey--
CASEY
C'mon--
DANA
I'm not going to six places.
CASEY
They're all across the street from
each other.
DANA
Have it delivered.
CASEY
It'll take forever and I'm starving.
And I'd like you to remember the job I
did when you had the flue.
DANA
(GIVING UP) Write 'em down for me
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(K)
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - 10:45 AM - (DAY 2)
(Dan, Abby)
DAN
I really don't know why I talked that
way to Jeremy. I don't know why I
reacted that way.
ABBY
You were jealous.
DAN
Of Jeremy?
ABBY
Yeah.
DAN
(PAUSE) It rained really hard last
night. Were you awake for that?
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(L)
INT. BAR/RESTAURANT - 12:30 AM - (NIGHT 1)
(Jeremy, Jenny, Bartender, Atmosphere)
JEREMY IS SITTING AT THE BAR WITH HIS COAT ON.
BARTENDER (JACK)
You sure you don't want anything?
JEREMY
I'm fine.
AFTER A MOMENT, JENNY WALKS IN. SHE'S SOAKED. SHE MAKES HER
WAY OVER TO JEREMY.
JENNY
Hi.
JEREMY
Hi.
JENNY
I'm wet.
JEREMY
Yes.
JENNY
You're not.
JEREMY
I took an umbrella.
JENNY
Who knew it was gonna rain?
JEREMY
You shoulda asked me.
JENNY
I was really glad to get your e-mail.
JEREMY
And I was glad you wrote me back. But
then I sent another--
JENNY
Hang on. (TO THE BARTENDER) Jack,
could I get a rum and coke and a cup
of hot tea?
JACK
Yeah.
JENNY
(BACK) You sent me another what?
JEREMY
I sent you another e-mail.
JENNY
(PAUSE--THEN) Jack, why don't you hold
off on that.
JEREMY
(PAUSE) Look, I don't mind sitting
here and having a drink with you, I
mean that's fine. But just so you
know, there's not gonna be any kind of
relationship between--
JENNY
You don't mind sitting here and having
a drink with me?
JEREMY FEELS IMMEDIATELY STUPID ABOUT THAT...
JENNY (CONT'D)
God. (BEAT) I'm walking on air.
JEREMY
(PAUSE) Jenny--
JENNY
Why did you make me come down here
tonight?
JEREMY
I sent--
JENNY
Come to think of it, why did you come
down here tonight. If, as you say, you
sent me an e-mail--
JEREMY
I did send you an e-mail.
JENNY
Not that I got.
JEREMY
Jenny, check your e-mail, there will
be one from me. I don't want to argue
about--
JENNY
What you said a second ago, about wanting to
make it clear right off that there's not
gonna be a relationship, and the fact that
we're both here right now anyway, what I'm
saying, sounds a lot to me like "What I'd
really like to do is get drunk with a porn
star, go back to her place and not worry
about it in the morning."
JEREMY
That is in no way even remotely--
JENNY
I'm sorry I'm someone you can't
explain to your parents, Jeremy, but
rest assured it takes a lot more work
to get me into bed than that.
JEREMY
Yeah, unless you're playing the role
of Cass, the new pool boy.
CRACK! JENNY'S SMACKED HIM IN THE FACE.
JENNY
(PAUSE) You think I haven't hear that
one before?
JENNY EXITS. AFTER A MOMENT, JEREMY GETS UP AND WALKS OUT AS WE
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(M)
EXT. RESTAURANT/STREET - 1:00 AM - (NIGHT 1)
(Jeremy, Jenny)
SPFX: RAIN IS COMING DOWN AND THERE IS LIGHTNING.
AS JENNY WAITS FOR A CAB. JEREMY COMES OUT OF THE RESTAURANT.
JEREMY
You should take my umbrella.
JENNY
I don't want your umbrella.
JEREMY
You're not gonna get a cab in the
rain.
JENNY
I'm fine.
JEREMY OPENS HIS UMBRELLA AND STEPS OUT ONTO THE SIDEWALK.
JEREMY
Listen--
JENNY
I don't believe it.
JEREMY
What?
JENNY
You really can't stand in the rain
without an umbrella.
JEREMY
Yes, Jenny, I learned when I was young
that if I do that I'll get wet.
JENNY
And I learned when I was young if I
get wet I'll dry off. I learned not
to be troubled by water falling from
the sky. I learned when I was young
that things that frightened me might
not be frightening after all. That
possibly the only reason I was
frightened was because I was young.
JEREMY
(PAUSE--THEN) It was nice known'
you, Jenny.
JEREMY STARTS TO GO, THEN STOPS TO GET THIS OFF HIS CHEST.
JEREMY (CONT'D)
You're wearing a raincoat.
JENNY
(BEAT) What?
JEREMY
It was raining when you left your
apartment. You don't have an umbrella
'cause you don't have an umbrella.
Only you won't admit it 'cause you are
Miss I-Meant-to-Do-That.
"I'm free and open and unafraid of
rain. I'm wet 'cause this is how I
meant it to be. I have a degree in
dance from Juilliard. I make X-rated
movies now but that's how I meant it
to be." You think I'm timid? God
forbid you should admit you're not a
tough guy. You know I don't think my
concern about how do I explain you to
my parents is all that hard to
understand. But I do know it'd be a
much easier job if I didn't also have
to explain why I was with a 27 year
old woman who didn't own an umbrella.
JENNY
(BEAT) I'm going inside 'till the rain
stops.
JEREMY
I was offering you the umbrella.
JENNY
No thank you.
JENNY GOES BACK INTO THE RESTAURANT.
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(P)
INT. NEWSROOM - 2:10 AM - (NIGHT 1)
(Dan, Casey, Dana, Jeremy, Natalie, Kim, Elliot, Chris, Will,
Dave, TV Anncr 1, TV Anncr 2)
SPFX: HEAVY RAIN AND LIGHTENING.
A TRACK AND FIELD EVENT IS BEING BROADCAST ON SEVERAL
MONITORS. THE LIGHTS ARE OFF IN DAN AND CASEY'S OFFICE.
CASEY
How the hell long can it take to go to
an ATM and then pick up food from six
restaurants?
NATALIE
Are the restaurants close to each
other?
CASEY
Not as close as I led her to believe,
but still.
DAN (OS)
(CALLING FROM THE OFFICE) Could you
guys quiet down!
CASEY LOOKS OVER AT THE OFFICE...
NATALIE
Did you guys just hear Dan?
THE OFFICE DOOR OPENS AND DAN, WHO'S BEEN SLEEPING ON THE
COUCH STEPS OUT.
DAN
Could you guys quiet down.
CASEY
I thought you went home.
DAN
Evidently I didn't. When's Oscar up?
ELLIOT
Any minute.
NATALIE
Oh my God. Dana.
DANA'S WALKED IN WEARING A HEFTY BAD AS A RAINCOAT.
DANA
Hi.
CASEY
What happened?
DANA
It's raining.
CASEY
Yes.
DANA
Casey, it's raining really, really
hard.
CASEY
I can see.
DANA
No I'm sayin' it's a lot worse when
there's no roof.
NATALIE
Where've you been?
DANA
I thought it was gonna let up after a
few minutes. I was just gonna duck
out of it. The first door I tried was
open, you know what it was?
NATALIE
A church.
DANA
(BEAT) How did you know I was gonna
say that?
NATALIE
I don't know.
DANA
I sat in a church. And I feel good.
And I'm going back. There's something
there for me.
CASEY
(PAUSE) You didn't get the food?
DANA
No, Casey, I wanted to come back and
tell you about my church experience.
CASEY
Well that's an even trade-off.
DANA
(PROUD) They gave me this hefty bag.
JEREMY COMES IN.
KIM
It's starting.
DAVE
Chris. Sound?
DANA
Jeremy, guess where I've been.
JEREMY
Church.
DANA
See? He knew.
JEREMY
I was standing right here.
CASEY
Quiet. Turn it up.
ANNOUNCER 2 (FROM TV)
...looked good yesterday in warm-ups.
These conditions are ideal for Oscar
Parrish, he couldn't have wished for
anything better than this. Are we
about to see a new world record?
Let's find out as Parrish sets.
SFX: THE CROWD NOISE GROWS.
ANNOUNCER 1 (FROM TV)
Here we go. The jump--
ANNOUNCER 2 (FROM TV)
He's got it.
ANNOUNCER 1 (FROM TV)
He's got it.
ANNOUNCER 2
I think he's got it, Gary.
SFX: EVERYONE IN THE NEWSROOM IS CHEERING.
ANNOUNCER 2 (CONT'D)
29 feet, five and a quarter inches.
Oscar Parrish has his world record.
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(R)
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - 10:50 - (DAY 2)
ABBY
You told me who won.
DAN
Yeah.
ABBY
I lulled you into it.
DAN
We were all lulled into it.
ABBY
(BEAT) What do you mean?
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(S)
INT. NEWSROOM - 2:15 - (NIGHT 1)
(Dan, Casey, Dana, Jeremy, Natalie, Kim, Elliot, Chris, Will,
Dave, TV Anncr 1, TV Anncr 2, Atmosphere)
SPFX: MEDIUM RAIN AND LIGHTNING.
A BIT MORE OF A PARTY ATMOSPHERE. DAN'S REALLY THE ONLY ONE
PAYING ATTENTION TO THE MONITOR.
NATALIE
With the odds, that's four dollars and
sixty cents you owe me.
CASEY
(TO DANA) Four dollars and sixty
cents? That's what you went to the
ATM for?
DANA
Night's not over yet.
DAN'S STILL LOOKING AT THE TV--
DAN
(CALLING) Natalie.
NATALIE
Yeah.
DAN
You ever seen this guy before?
NATALIE LOOKS AT ONE OF THE MONITORS...
NATALIE
No.
DANA
Who is that?
DAN
He's Austrian. Chris--
THE SOUND COMES UP--
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
...Walter Weingradt of Austria on the runway.
DANA
Look at those legs.
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
...19 years old and jumping in only
his third world competition.
Weingradt sets. The jump--
SFX: CROWD NOISE.
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
Did you see--
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
O my God!
NATALIE
Oh my God.
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
Gary--
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
They're measuring--
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
They're measuring it at--
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
29 feet, eight and a quarter inches.
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
Oh my God!
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
I don't believe it! 29 feet eight and
a quarter!
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
I'm in absolute disbelief.
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
A full three inches better than Oscar Parrish,
whose gold medal hopes, whose world record
hopes have just come to an abrupt finish.
THE GROUP WATCHING THE SHOW IS STUNNED AND SILENT...
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
From out of nowhere, 19 year old
Walter Weingradt has set a record that
will not be challenged for some time.
JEREMY, WHO'S BEEN WATCHING AS INTENTLY AS ANYONE, GRABS HIS
COAT AND HIS UMBRELLA AND TAKES OFF.
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
Gary, in 32 years of covering track
and field, I don't think I've ever
seen anything like this.
CUT TO:
ACT TWO
(U)
EXT. RESTAURANT/STREET - 2:30 AM - (NIGHT 1)
(Jeremy, Jenny, Jack)
SPFX: LIGHT RAIN, NO LIGHTNING.
IT'S STILL RAINING, THOUGH MAYBE NOT QUITE AS HARD. THE
RESTAURANT DOOR IS OPENED BY JACK THE BARTENDER, WHO LETS
JENNY OUT.
JACK
If it was my place, I'd let you stay, but--
JENNY
No--
JACK
I gotta close up.
JENNY
No that's fine.
JACK
Have a good night.
JACK GOES BACK INSIDE. JENNY STANDS THERE IN THE RAIN A
MOMENT BEFORE SHE HEARS THE "WHISH" OF AN UMBRELLA OPENING
BEHIND HER. JEREMY'S BEEN SITTING ON THE STOOP NEXT TO THE
DOOR. SHE LOOKS AT HIM. HE STEPS TO HER WITH THE OPEN
UMBRELLA SO THAT IT'S OVER HER, TOO.
JEREMY
See? This is better. (BEAT) It's a
nice umbrella, too. I got it at
Macy's.
JENNY
(BEAT) You really came back to talk
to me about accessories?
JEREMY
A guy, a long-jumper named Oscar
Parrish just set a new world record
which is what he'd been working his
whole life toward. And then that
record was broken a few minutes later
by a guy no one had ever heard of.
Now you probably don't know why I
needed to tell you that.
JENNY
No.
JEREMY
Me neither, but I did.
JENNY
(BEAT) Did you know this guy?
JEREMY
Oscar Parrish?
JENNY
Yeah.
JEREMY
I don't know him, but if you cover
sports--
JENNY
Yeah.
JEREMY
Now two things: The first is, I
signed a non-disclosure form that says
I'm not allowed to tell you what I
just told you. So please don't tell
anyone else.
JENNY
My friends and I don't sit around
talking about long jump competitions.
JEREMY
Who the hell knows what you people
talk about when you're naked.
JENNY
We certainly don't do it when we're
naked, Jeremy. What was the second
thing.
JEREMY
I like you. And I hurt your feelings.
And I wanted to come back here and
insist that you take my umbrella.
JENNY
(PAUSE) I think you wanted to come
back here just to be with me, but
gimme the damn umbrella.
JENNY TAKES THE UMBRELLA FROM JEREMY.
JENNY (CONT'D)
I'm going home now.
JENNY STARTS TO WALK...
JEREMY
(CALLING) I'm wet now.
SHE TURNS AROUND AND LOOKS AT HIM...
JENNY
What?
JEREMY
I'm getting wet. As you can see. I
don't mind. For am I fine. Here in
the rain.
JENNY
That's a pretty big step for you is
it?
JEREMY
Not monumental, but...
JENNY SMILES...
JEREMY
So...
JENNY
Yes?
JEREMY
Don't you wanna know how I knew it was
gonna rain?
JENNY
Sure.
JEREMY
This time of year, there's a low pressure
system that moves down from Newfoundland.
Ordinarily it moves out to sea once it's
hit Northern New England, but there's a
particularly unusual Atlantic cold front
that I knew would keep it coastally
contained so the system would have no
choice but to move down here.
JENNY
(PAUSE) Wow.
JEREMY
Yeah.
JENNY
You're a dork.
JEREMY
(PROUDLY) Yes. Yes I am. (PAUSE)
I'm gonna go home now too.
JENNY
You got an umbrella.
JEREMY
Don't need one.
JENNY
For you are fine?
JEREMY
For I am.
JENNY
(BEAT) WELL... I think that's an
excuse for being too dumb to have an
umbrella. (BEAT) I'll walk you.
THEY HEAD OFF AS WE
DISSOLVE TO:
ACT TWO
(V)
INT. ABBY'S OFFICE - 10:55 - (DAY 2)
(Dan, Abby)
ABBY
You're bothered because he came in
second?
DAN
He held the world record for five
minutes.
ABBY
That's five minutes longer than most
people do.
DAN
You know I've heard that kind thing
before and I have to say this: If
you're good enough to be in second
place, you're good enough to be
disappointed in it. And you'd never
heard of Bob Beamon.
ABBY
Not everybody needs the love of
strangers, Dan.
DAN
He was an athlete. Athletes need to
win, it's not about...you know...
ABBY
Do you feel disconnected to people
around you now?
DAN
(BEAT) Yeah.
ABBY
People are challenging themselves.
Trying new things. Dana went to
chruch and found out she liked it.
Jeremy's on an adventure and you
wonder why that didn't happen to you.
Meantime your partner got on the list
and you didn't. Just like Oscar
Parrish.
DAN
It was his whole life.
ABBY
It probably wasn't and his whole life
isn't over yet. I think most would
say you've got a pretty good life, but
yours isn't over yet either, by the
way. Though our time's up.
DAN
(PAUSE) Hm?
ABBY
Our time's up.
DAN
No, I can't stay.
ABBY
You already did. That was the hour.
DAN
(BEAT) Really?
ABBY
Yeah. One of these days I'd like to
go back to you sitting down.
DAN
Yeah.
FADE TO END TITLE:
SFX: WE HEAR THE CROWD NOISE OVER BLACK
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
I don't believe it. 29 eight and a
quarter. I just do not believe it.
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
That's why they call it sports, Gary.
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
Boy you really gotta take your hat off
to Oscar Parrish.
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
Well I think the fans in the stadium
are doing just that.
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
You can't say he didn't give it
everything he had.
ANNOUNCER 2 (VO)
Brendan McDaniel of Great Britain is
up next as he takes his place at the
runway.
ANNOUNCER 1 (VO)
McDaniel placed 16th overall at the
World Championships last summer his
longest jump coming at the Pan Am
games, posting a leap of...
THE TWO ANNOUNCERS CONTINUE TALKING AS WE
FADE TO BLACK
END OF SHOW