Speed-the-Plow (7 page)

G
OULD
: . . . the . . .

K
AREN
: . . . things as we know them.

G
OULD
: Are over?

K
AREN
: Of course they are. Do you see? We don't have to
deny
it . . . The
power
that this thought will release . . . in, in, in
everyone.
Something which speaks to them . . . this book spoke to
me.
It
changed
me . . . I . . .

G
OULD
: Yes, but quite frankly the fact that it changed
you,
that
you
like it, that you'd like to see it “go” is not sufficient reason for the studio to pay fifteen million dollars to put it up there.

K
AREN
: A sufficient reason.

G
OULD
: Yes.

K
AREN
: To make the film.

G
OULD
: Yes. (Pause.)

K
AREN
: Someone, someone makes a decision to, someone can make a decision to . . .

G
OULD
: Richard Ross.

K
AREN
: You're going to see him tomorrow, you could . . . look. Look, I
read
the script. Mister Fox's script, the prison film. That's, that's just
degradation,
that's the same old . . . it's despicable, it's . . . It's degrading to the human spirit. . . it. . .

G
OULD
: It what. . .?

K
AREN
: Of course; this rage . . . it's killing people, meaningless . . . the sex, the titillation, violence . . . people don't want, they don't
want,
they . . . they don't want this.

G
OULD
: Of course they do, that's what we're in business
to
do, don't you underst. . . that's what we're in business to do.
Make the thing everyone made last year. Make that image people want to see.
That
is
what they it's more than what they want. It is what they require. And it's my job. That's my job . . . when I tell Ross about the Douglas Brown film, he's going to fall upon my neck and
kiss
me.
You
know that.
You
know that I can't make this book.

K
AREN
: I
don't
know that.

G
OULD
: I
told
you . . .

K
AREN
: You held out a hope to me, this morning . . .

G
OULD
: . . . I held out a hope . . .

K
AREN
: . . . that what I said . . .

G
OULD
: Aha! You see? That what
you
said . . . We all, as I said, everyone has feelings,
everyone
would like to “make a difference.” Everyone says “I'm a maverick” but we're,
you
know that, just one part of the whole, nobody's a maverick.

K
AREN
: But. . .

G
OULD
: Now: what I told you was: it was a “courtesy read.”

K
AREN
: . . . I, I don't like to be naïve . . .

G
OULD
: . . . I told you what the chances were . . .

K
AREN
: . . . I don't think it's attractive, and I don't think it's right. To be naïve. But. . .

G
OULD
: I
told
you what the deal was. Don't you understand?

K
AREN
: But I. . .

G
OULD
: But
you.
Yes. Everyone Is Trying To “Promote” Me . . . Don't you
know
that? Don't you
care
? Don't you
care? Every move I make
, do you understand? Everyone
wants
something from me.

K
AREN
(
pause
): Yes. I understand that.

G
OULD
: You understand that?

K
AREN
: Yes, I do.

G
OULD
: Well, if you understand that, then
how can you act this way?

K
AREN
: To come here . . .

G
OULD
: Yes.

K
AREN
: . . . you asked me here. (
Pause.
) I knew what the deal was. I know you wanted to sleep with me. You're right, I came anyway,- you're right.

G
OULD
: . . . to sleep with you . . .

K
AREN
: Didn't you?

G
OULD
: No . . .

K
AREN
: Why lie? You don't have to lie.

G
OULD
: But you're wrong.

K
AREN
: But I'm
not
wrong. This is what I'm saying. Are we so
poor
. . . that we can't have those simple things: we want love, why should we deny it. Why should you? You could of asked me, you
did
ask me. I know what you meant. That's why I came.

G
OULD
: You came to . . .?

K
AREN
: I said why not? I'm weak, too. We all need companionship, the things we want . . . I wanted them. You're right. I shouldn't act as though I was naïve. I shouldn't act as though I believed you. You're . . . but but but:

G
OULD
: I asked you here to sleep with me?

K
AREN
: Then I read the book. I, I, I've been depraved, too, I've been frightened, I know that you're frightened. I
know
what you are. You see. That's what I'm telling you.

G
OULD
:
I'm
frightened . ..

K
AREN
: I know that you are. I would have come here anyway. Is that depraved?
I
know what it is to be bad. I've been bad, I know what it is to be lost, I know you're lost.
I know
that . . . How we are afraid . . . to
"ask,"
to even “ask,” and say in jest, “Yes. I prayed to be pure” . . . but it was not an accident. That I came here. Sometimes it reaches for us. And we say “show me a sign.” And when it reaches us, then we see we
are
the sign. And we find the answers. In the book . . .

G
OULD
: Why did you say you would come here anyway . . .

K
AREN
: . . . listen to me: The Tramp said “Radiation.” Well,
whatever
it had been, it makes no difference . . . Listen (
she reads
): “What was coming was a return to the self, which is to say, a return to God. It was round. He saw all things were round. And the man saw that it all had been devoted to one end. That the diseases in the body were the same diseases in the world. That things were ending.
Yes.
That things
must
end. And that vouchsafed to him a vision of infinity . ..” You see?

G
OULD
: No.

K
AREN
: No?

G
OULD
: No, I don't understand.

K
AREN
: You don't understand.

G
OULD
: No.

K
AREN
: Would you like to understand? (
Pause.
) The things you've hoped for. The reason you asked me here.

G
OULD
: I don't understand you.

K
AREN
: You wanted something—you were frightened.

G
OULD
: I was frightened?

K
AREN
: That forced you to lie. I forgive you.

G
OULD
: . . . you forgive me . . .?

K
AREN
: You know how I can? Because we're just the same. You said you prayed to be pure.

G
OULD
: I said that. . .

K
AREN
: This morning.

G
OULD
: I was joking.

K
AREN
: I looked in your heart. I saw you. And people can need each other. That's what the book says. You understand? We needn't be afraid.

G
OULD
: I don't understand.

K
AREN
: You can if you wish to. In the world. Dying. We prayed for a sign. A temporary girl. You asked read the book. I read the book. Do you know what it says? It says that you were put here to make stories people need to see. To make them less afraid. It says in
spite
of our transgressions—that we could do something. Which would bring us alive. So that we needn't feel ashamed. (
Pause.
) We needn't feel frightened. The wild animal dies with pride. He didn't make the world. God made the world. You say that you prayed to be pure. What if your prayers were answered? You asked me to come Here I am.

THREE

Gould's office. The next morning
. G
OULD
is sitting behind his desk.
F
OX
enters.

F
OX
: Okay. The one, the one, the one thing, I was up all night; I'm sorry, I should be better at these things, I don't know how to say it, you know how you do? You stand and think, you think, and, the only thing, one hand you say: ‘Am I worthy to be rich?” The other hand, you, you know, you feel
greedy
; so it's hard to know what's rightfully yours . . . Bob: when we said, when we said:
yesterday
: we were talking, when you said “producer” what we
meant
, what we were talking about was, I understand it, that we were to “share” above-the-title, we would co-produce, because . . . that's right, isn't it? And the other thing; I'm sure you thought of this; to
say
to Ross, to, that we, as a team, you and I, this is only the
beginning
, for, if we brought
this
(I'm sure you thought of this] it's fairly limitless, we can bring
more
. . . those two things, only, what I wanted to say to you . . .

G
OULD
: I'm not going to do the film.

F
OX
: Which film?

G
OULD
: The Douglas Brown film.

F
OX
: . . . you're not . . .

G
OULD
: I'm not going to greenlight the Doug Brown prison film.

F
OX
: I don't blame you. It's a piece of shit. I were you, I'd do the film on Radiation. That's the project I would do. “A Story of Love, a Story of Hope.” That's what I would do; and then spend the rest of my life in a packing crate. I can't get over those guys. Why do they waste our time? A talky piece of puke. Prestige and all,
okay
, but why, we should just say, “Sir, Sir,
you
go to the movies . . . if
you
saw a movie of this shit, would you sit: through it?” Eastern Office sent the coverage to me—listen to this . .. (
He hunts through his papers. Reads.
) “The Bridge; or, Radiation, Half-Life and Decay of Society,” the Blah Blah . . . set in novel form, The Growth of Radiation, as . . . “What is this? the device of
God,
in all things, to prepare the world for its final decay.” Yeah. It's a
Summer
picture. (
Pause. Reads again.
) “The author seems to think that radio and television, aircraft travel and microwaves were invented solely to irradiate the world and so bring about genetic change in humankind.” Great. And Scene Two, he comes out of the bar to find that his horse is gone and he has to go steal the sheriff's nag to ride for help. I'm sorry. I need a drink. Ten o'clock in the morning and I need a drink. You know, you look forward to something and you think it's never going to happen—and you
really
think, bullshit aside, it's never going to happen, and I've got to say, it's
over,
now, yeah,
yeah,
I felt a certain amount of
jealousy,
toward you, here we started out together, and I always
said, someday I'll, you know, I'll get something for myself, and it'll be a Brand New Ballgame. I'll sit up there
with
Bobby Gould . . .
over
him . . . you know how we think. Deep inside, I never thought I would. (
Pause.
) And the
other
thing, talk about envy, is, a certain extent, I was riding, several years, on your
coattails
. . . don't say “no,” I know I was, and I want to thank you, that you were
man
enough, that you were
friend
enough, you never brought it
up,
you never rubbed it in. And I'm
glad
I can pay it back. Speaking of paying it back. Do I owe you, for sure, the five c? Fess up. (
Pause.
)

G
OULD
: Five c?

F
OX
: The broad come to your house?

G
OULD
: The broad?

F
OX
: You fuck the temporary girl? You fuck her. (
Pause.
)

G
OULD
: I'm going to go see Ross myself.

F
OX
: You're going to see him yourself. (
Pause.
) Without me, you're saying. (
Pause.
) Do you think that . . . (
Pause.
) Do you think that that's the . . . I mean . . . it was . . . if you think that that's the thing, then that's it. If you think that that's the thing, but, we should, we should, I think we should
talk
about it Bob. Don't you . . . (
Pause.
) It was, um, um, uh (
Pause.
) I brought you the picture, Bob.

G
OULD
: I know you did.

F
OX
: You see what. . . (
Pause.
) I, I,
I
think that we should go in there together. (
Pause.
) Babe. If this is truly a collaborative thing. (
Pause.
) But if you think that. . .

G
OULD
: I'm not going to take him the Prison Film.

F
OX
: . . . if you think that that's the . . .

G
OULD
: . . . are you listening to me? I'm not going to greenlight the pris . . .

F
OX
:. . . sure, sure, sure . . . I understand that, but listen to what I'm asking you. Since I “brought” . . . which, I was saying, since, since I
brought
you the film and since, you say, we're going to split the credit. Because, because what I was
saying,
Bob, to to, finally get a position where I can be
equal;
where
I
brought
you
the film, it means a lot to me, and, frankly, um, um, I think . . .

G
OULD
: I'm not going to recommend the prison picture.

F
OX
: Okay. (
Pause.
) Is there . . . you're not. . .

G
OULD
: No. (Pause.)

F
OX
: I don't understand.

G
OULD
: I'm not going to recommend the Doug Brown film. (
Pause.
)

F
OX
: Because . . . hold on a second . . . hold on a second, before we get to that. You told me yesterday that we were going to go to Ross to greenlight it.

G
OULD
: Yes.

F
OX
: You promised me.

G
OULD
: I know.

F
OX
: I know that you know. Do you know
why. . ..?
Because you
did
it.

G
OULD
: I know that I did.

F
OX
: You're joking, right?

G
OULD
: No. (
Pause.
)

F
OX
: Huh. (
Pause.
) Because, urn, you know, I had the package, Doug gave me one day, Doug Brown gave me the one day to have the package, I could have, I could have
took
the thing across the street, you know that? Walked right across the street, As People Do In This Town, and I'd done it
yesterday
, I'd been Executive Producer of a Doug
Brown
film.
Yesterday. Yesterday.
Which is what comes up when you tell me that you aren't going to . . . This is a joke. Right? I'm sorry . . .
I'm
sorry. Bob: When you take the film to Ross . . .

G
OULD
: I'm not going to take the film to Ross.

F
OX
(
Pause
): Can you tell me why you're not?

G
OULD
: I'm going to greenlight the book.

F
OX
: What book?

G
OULD
: The Radiation book.

F
OX
: No, you aren't.

G
OULD
: Yes. If I can I am.

F
OX
: I have to siddown. (
Pause.
) Hold on a second, Bob, you're seeing Ross when . . .?

G
OULD
: Twenty minutes.

F
OX
: I'm not upset with you. (
Pause.
) Alright. (
Pause.
) Bob (
Pause
): Now, listen to me: when you walk in his door, Bob, what you're paid to do . . . now, listen to me now: is make films that make money—you are paid to
make films people like.
And so gain for yourself a
fortune
every day. This is what Ross
pays
us for. This is the thing he and the stockholders want from us. This is what the, listen to me now, ‘cause I'm going to
“say” it, Movie Going Public wants from us, excuse me, I'm talking to you like some Eastern Fruit, but
this,
what I've just told you, is your job. You
cannot
make the radiation book.

G
OULD
: I'm going to try.

F
OX
: Shut up, I'm not done speaking, when it's your turn you can speak—because Ross will not do it and he will not
let
you do it.

G
OULD
: I have it in my contract. I can greenlight one picture a year under ten mil, at my discretion, without his prior approval or consent.

F
OX
: You will find your contract's shit.

G
OULD
: I don't think so.

F
OX
: Think so or not, you will find it's a
sucker
clause. You will find that if you insist on it you're going to become a laughingstock, and no one will
hire
you. Bob . .. You'll be “off the Sports List.”
Why
? Because they will not understand why you did what you did. You follow me . . .? That is the
worst
pariah. Your best
friend
won't hire you.
I
won't hire you. Because I won't understand why you did the thing that you did, and tried to make a movie that no one will watch. Are you
insane
? What the fuck's
wrong
with you . . .? Have you read this book?

G
OULD
: Have you?

F
OX
: I read the coverage. What do you want from me? Blood? List. . . list. . . listen to this . . . (F
OX
hunts on the desk for the book, opens it, reads
: ) “ ‘. . . the world is dying,’ he said, ‘there is nothing we can do for that,’ as he stood on the bridge. ‘It all proliferates. Faster and
faster. It begets itself, until it's time to die. The economy will collapse. The reactors
will
explode, because that's what they're meant to do. We will die, because that's what
we're
meant to do. The radiation, which has grown over the years, faster and faster.’" (
He puts the book down.
)

G
OULD
: We have different ideas, Charlie.

F
OX
: We do? Since when . . .?

G
OULD
(simultaneously with “when"): I was up all night thinking.

F
OX
: Were you?

G
OULD
: Yes.

F
OX
: Thinking about what?

G
OULD
: The . . .

F
OX
: Yes? (
Pause.
)

G
OULD
: The . . . why I was called to my new job.

F
OX
: Why you, uh huh . . .

G
OULD
: The notion, yes the notion that our life is
short
. . . The . . . that, in some way . . .

F
OX
: Go on.

G
OULD
: I. . . I believe in the ideas that are contained in the book.

F
OX
: Hey, I believe in the Yellow Pages, Bob, but I don't want to
film
it. Bobby. Bobby. Why are you doing this? Why are you doing this to me?

G
OULD
: You,
you
can take the prison film to Ross.

F
OX
: I take Ross the film, he'll make the film, and he'll give me a “thank you.” You know that. I need
you.
I need your
protection
. . .

G
OULD
: I. . .

F
OX
: You're going toidy over my whole life.

G
OULD
: I. . .

F
OX
: Have, Bob, have you always hated me?

G
OULD
: No.

F
OX
: Some secret. . .

G
OULD
: No.

F
OX
: Doubted my loyalty, my . . .

G
OULD
: No.

F
OX
: Then, then why are you doing this?

G
OULD
: I think . . .

F
OX
: I'm listening to you.

G
OULD
: . . . that we have few chances . . .

F
OX
: I'm listening to you.

G
OULD
: To do something which is right.

F
OX
: To do something which is right? To do someth . . .?

G
OULD
: I want to read you something. (
Hunts in book. Reads
:) "'Is it true,’ she asked, ‘that we are always in the same state of growth, the same state of decay as the world in which we live? If it is true is it not true that the world is then a dream, and delusion?’ All this being true, then what remained to him was this: Nothing.” (
Pause.
) “Nothing but God.” (
Pause.
) I've
wasted my life, Charlie. My life is a sham, it's true. But I think I found something.

F
OX
: Bob, what's happened to you . . .?

G
OULD
: . . . And I think your prison movie has a place . . . and I respect your . . .