PART 2（1/1）

int. ore - continuous

peggy and mrs. pressman enter, worried.

mrs. pressman

you tell maggie.

peggy

no, you tell her.

mrs. pressman

no, no. youre friend.

peggy

no.

mrs. pressman

(holding her

newspaper)

you knos just possible t she

read t.

peggy

yeah.

mrs. pressman

maybe s read the paper...

on ter, today opened to the

article about maggie.

mrs. pressman (contd)

... or not!

e folloairs inside the hale hardware

store, ttiest, most welcoming ss kind anywhere

in small to of

ter; botop and se brightness,

cy. maggie comes doeps

o an elderly customer, mr. paxton.

maggie

(bright)

ique er

;“ still on it,

guaranteed to fit any american standard

cast iron tub er

made bether

of the

dogon.

mr. paxton

(amazed)

hallelujah.

maggie

alrigon, ill put it on

your account.

maggie rounds tomer, earl, stands by the

paint machine.

earl

maggie.

maggie

( customer)

you dont need an air conditioner, earl,

you just need an attic fan -- theres

more in the back.

maggie steps be counter of tore and takes the

account book out. rails off as she dour

expression on the faces of her friends.

maggie (contd)

?

peggy nervously mentions the newspaper.

peggy

(delicate)

so -- mag -- youve seen this, huh?

maggie

(serious)

yes, ive seen it. and i o say

its t and most offensive...

joke anybodys ever played on me!

to t, maggie starts smiling.

maggie (contd)

you guys! ake you?

maggie stays amused.

maggie (contd)

this done?

(laughing)

you creeps! i se you!

and his

is four.

peggy

uold us to bacte

jokes, so ...

maggie looks at tricken face of her friends.

mrs. pressman

holy moly.

peggy looks like so cry hy for maggie.

maggie is starting to feel uncomfortable. she looks down,

dubiously, at the paper.

maggie

um, you know, now would be a good

moment to tell me this is fake.

(no response)

it be funny if you drag it out.

okay?

(no response)

okay, ...

real newspapers smear. phoney papers

dont.

s against her apron, leaving

an ink smear!!

she nearly kneels over.

maggie (contd)

(sitting)

bag.

peggy and mrs. pressman immediately spring to hey

give o breathe in.

mrs. pressman

bag.

cut to:

int. maggies orkout room/gym - night

e see maggie kickboxing in anger. the radio is on. she

suddenly stops, yanks ikes article off the wall, leaves her

area and goes to her desk.

angle on desk area:

sus off to type ter.

maggie (v.o.)

“dear editor...“

ext. mantan - day - establis

as maggies voice-over continues to read ter, ake in

a mantan busy day. it is big, loud, and anonymous.

maggie (v.o.; contd)

“greeting from ticks! perhaps you

believe t a rural education is

focused mainly on hog calling and

tractor maintenance rathan reading.

a piece of

fiction about me and call it fact?“

te camera finds ike, striding across a busy street, dodging

taxies. a oman smacks h a newspaper. he passes a oman

traffic officer, t dog stand. s and passes a

falafel vendor. to a usa today truck.

maggie (v.o.; contd)

“i suppose mr. graoo busy

tatements about

o both

something silly like accuracy in

reporting. andable,

because ;man-eater“ like me on

time to cs?“

ext. usa today loading docks - continuous

he passes regular guys who cheer him.

maggie (v.o.; contd)

“still, ic queens can get

pretty cranky whings in

print t our feelings, like t

ely abandon fiances h

malice aforet.“

int. usa today loading docks - continuous

ers to ellies office.

int. usa today office - continuous

y room. tracts a

lot of attention from tle

surprised, but hes pleased.

maggie (v.o.; contd)

“ts wo find mr.

graor was a woman. call me a

sentimental fool, but i sort of hoped

er could stick toget;

ike ors office. chuffa

ike greets various o tors

secretary, elaine. s smile.

ike

(to elaine)

ill put in a good word for you.

elaine

no, no, dont mention my name in there.

ike

hy?

a buzz.

elaine

you can go in now.

ike goes into ellies office. elaine picks up her phone.

cut to:

int. ellies office - continuous

ellie is t editor. stylish and successful looking, shes

about ikes age. ellie sits beh a scowl on

ty face. s

noncly on ters as ellie reads

maggies letter.

ellie

(reading letter)

“any dropping you big city

folk ttle note to say t i have

t of a ritual sacrifice t would

satisfy my current appetite: ike

grater. yours

truly, maggie carpenter. p.s. -- i

of the gross

factual misrepresentations in your

article. teen.“

ike sits as ellie puts tter doakes off her glasses.

ike

(cs)

fully. i like .

ellie

i left four messages. you dont retu

my calls.

ike

so? i never retued your calls, even

ws

fisher doing here anyway?

fiss and places a po of t on a bookshelf on his

o the room.

fisher

ellie asked me to come doo offer

moral support.

ike

since when does ellie need moral supp--

ellie

-- its for you, ike.

ike

?

ellie

joualism lesson number one. if you

fabricate your facts, you get fired.

ellie pusoday later across the desk for him

to read. ike picks it up and skims tter. his face is as

impassive as stone.

ike

lesson number two. never work for your

former spouse.

ellie

ts not noto do . you

cooked tory up and you kno.

ike

i didnt cook up a story. i had a

source.

ellie

someone reliable, im sure. a booze-

hound in a bar?

fisher

in vino veritas.

ike

dont knock drunk guys in bars. drunk

guys in bars are good. it means

t driving.

ike gets up and stands near ellie, making .

ike (contd)

besides, im a columnist. t

columnists are supposed to do. this is

ch, we

go out on a limo. ts w makes me

good!

ellie

no, ts w makes you unemployed.

ike

i merely e tuff. youre the

one t serves it up.

ike puts doter and puts o his

pocket.

ellie

not anymore. i o drahe line.

(pushing a piece

of paper)

s us t. our lawyers say

its actionable.

ellie .

ike

(scoffs)

lawyers.

(glances at list)

i dont know, ellie -- firing me is

going to be very tougs

going to be o get over. there

herapy bills for you.

ellie

(shrugs)

i already made an appointment for later

today.

ike

(putting t

doanding)

see? you custody of my job? ...

just consider my slapped

and call me when you feel ive served

my time?

ellie

im sorry, ike. t.

fis eacher

for a sober moment.

ellie (v.o.; contd)

if you go quietly, ill get you

severance pay.

ellie fidgets oy rake, the door.

tle at truth of her words and walks

out. ellie collapses back in o her and

rubs her shoulders.