TV Script: Broken Generals by Matthew Basil
re: errors
There are some errors.Gordon needs to ask for a bottle of WHISKEY at the end, not vodka. I remember at first I wanted to use vodka, but by golly that's the drink of them damn Russians.Stonecipher seems a bit too eager at first. He seems aloof. I don't know.The characters could have told more jokes as part of everyday conversation. If I were a brilliant writer then maybe I could have made the characters tell jokes. I tried to make the President somewhat wimpy, but I don't know if I stuck to that characterization long enough. When the President calls for Stonecipher's death, I think that may be a turning point in the character. I don't know if such an event (the mobilization of weapons) would even call for a presidential speech, but at least there is almost a coverup I think I did try to make this exchange into a joke:Quote:STONECIPHER: I'm concerned about ethics here.PILATI: This is about a man's death with dignity and national reform. I am willing to offer you one-hundred thousand dollars.STONECIPHER: Two-hundred thousand dollars and we'll see how General Gordon's condition progresses.PILATI: Thank you, sir. The President is indebted to your service.
TV Script: Broken Generals by Matthew Basil
Broken GeneralsWritten by Matthew BasilSummary: A dying general has feelings of grandeur brought on by a depression caused by his teetotaling on his doctor's orders. He is a man by nature worthy of respect, but others' respect for him places an entire country in danger, leading to his actual fall into disgrace.Scene 1        General Christopher Gordon, Jr. is lying in his bed, thinking about the Oil Wars. Images of important battlegrounds flash across the ceiling and, for a moment, he thinks the nurse sitting beside him was the same nurse who he, many years ago, begged not to amputate his leg. The nurse puts a thermometer in his mouth.NURSE AMY: Good afternoon. Are you hungry, sir?GENERAL GORDON: Yes. I would like a small steak and a glass of red wine.NURSE AMY: Sir, you're not supposed to drink wine anymore, doctor's orders.GENERAL GORDON: Yeah, I guess cafeteria food again will be fine for today.NURSE AMY: Do you feel like using your walker, General Gordon?GENERAL GORDON: I'd rather use the wheelchair, so I can get there faster.        Nurse Amy helps General Gordon from his bed and into the wheelchair.Scene 2        Nurse Amy is pushing General Gordon down a hallway as she chats with him.NURSE AMY: How was your phone call with the President, sir?GENERAL GORDON: Very good. He's a good man although I don't agree with everything he says.NURSE AMY: The hospital staff think you're a very special patient. Anything we can do to make you feel at home, sir, just ask about.GENERAL GORDON: Thank you. There are two places I feel at home, Amy: on the battlefield and in the hospital.NURSE AMY (With an expression between disgust and surprise): Why on earth do you say that?GENERAL GORDON: I don't have real family like most people do. My wife died several years ago in a car accident. We had no children, and all my relatives are either dead or in nursing homes. My dear wife's relatives never have liked that I was a military man, but here I am, with memories of many battles, and I can recall that my closest friends were on the battlefield and the kindest people were in the medic camps or hospitals.NURSE AMY: I am sorry to hear about your family.GENERAL GORDON: No, don't feel sorry. You're a part of my family--you all are.NURSE AMY: I'm glad you feel that way, General Gordon. Most of the patients we get who are, well, in your particular situation, feel somewhat depressed.        They go past the entrance to the cafeteria.GENERAL GORDON: I know, I know. Would you look at that table over by the window, Amy. Amazing view.Scene 3DOCTOR STONECIPHER: His prognosis remains terminal, although he sure doesn't behave like it, Sir.MAJOR GENERAL PILATI: I understand. He was always a fighter. You know as well as I know that the chances of survival for his condition are less than two-percent. We must consider the ramifications of his condition.DOCTOR STONECIPHER: Well, of course the ramifications mean death, Major.PILATI: No, I mean the political ramifications. The man is a hero--STONECIPHER: Yes, I know that. There would be memorial services, presidential addresses, perhaps he'd lie in state in the capitol.PILATI: Exactly. Now consider the current political situation.STONECIPHER: The President is under pressure, I know. What do you think Gordon's death will do to things?PILATI: I am only a general in the service of my superior officer, President Eldridge, but what I can tell you is that the President is concerned about what effect prolonging the decline of Gordon's health might have on the stability of the country.STONECIPHER: Nothing is prolonging Gordon's decline but the cancer in his blood. I can't get rid of it.PILATI: You are a smart doctor, and I am sure that you could find a way to stop Gordon's decline.STONECIPHER: I could, but it would be illegal.PILATI: It maybe illegal but we're talking about dignity here. Dignity for everyone. You'll be rewarded with an extra fee, Gordon will go out in his prime, a hero, and the President will have something with which to inspire the public towards his reform initiatives.STONECIPHER: I'm concerned about ethics here.PILATI: This is about a man's death with dignity and national reform. I am willing to offer you one-hundred thousand dollars.STONECIPHER: Two-hundred thousand dollars and we'll see how General Gordon's condition progresses.PILATI: Thank you, sir. The President is indebted to your service.STONECIPHER: No problem.Scene 4GENERAL GORDON: No! We should not have let China have the Russian oil fields! The President held me back! We could have created a United States by golly of the freakin whole damn earth!NURSE AMY: Sir, you must calm down. Do you need a sedative?GENERAL GORDON: Don't poison me now! I have work to do. It's time to go to battle!NURSE AMY: You're not going to go anywhere until you are feeling better and less agitated.GENERAL GORDON: Nurse, what you hear in my voice in the adrenaline of war. War!NURSE AMY: We aren't at war. The wars are over. I think you're having flashbacks. Should I call the hospital psychologist?GENERAL GORDON: In my day a shrink was four cups of coffee in the morning and a bottle of whiskey in the afternoon.NURSE AMY: I'm giving you the sedative, Sir.        Nurse Amy gives General Gordon a shot of some kind of sedative.Scene 5        General Gordon is calm because of the sedative, having just awaken. There is no one else in his hospital room.        Gordon reaches for the telephone that is next to his bed and enters in a special number to the Pentagon.GORDON: Hello.GORDON: Yes, this is General Gordon.GORDON: I would like to speak to General BlackweissGORDON: Hello, Blackie, this is an emergency. The Chinese have made landfall in Mexico, and we must act immediately.GORDON: Yes, I have the President's permission. It didn't take damn long for me to convince him.GORDON: Yeah, that's not like him. This matter must have been so important that he actually decided to care about everyone's future this time.GORDON: My orders? I say we bomb the hell out of Mexico City and Caracas, in Venezuela, because we know that's where they're headed and we don't want to leave nothin' for them to claim.GORDON: This is not an exercise, sir. I have spoken with the President.GORDON: No, sir. This must remain top-secret. When the bombs go off the invasion of China will begin.GORDON: Yes, I said invasion. What would you say? The Chinese probably have a regiment pushing down on us from the People's Republic of Canada.GORDON: So you know it's no secret either. China and Canada are in cohorts. It would be stupid for them not to be on this either. Look at us, Blackie! We're like sitting ducks here!GORDON: The authorization codes are on Level 3 in Colorado Springs. Enter them in. Talk with your subordinates about the best trajectory notes and then give the initialization sequence.GORDON: Sir, I want Mexico City and Caracas smoldering by 0300 hours tomorrow morning.GORDON: I am serious, this is really necessary, and all the analysts I have talked to have said this is the best thing to do. I am worried that if we don't do anything our reputations will die. We'll be nobodies, with nowhere to go.Scene 6        President Robert F. Eldridge, Vice-President Melissa Marx, and General Roger Pilati and are having a meeting in the oval office, discussing the invalid General Gordon.ELDRIDGE: I've heard reports that our man is not doing well.MARX: Well, he was doing fine up until a little while ago. What's up with this, Pilati?PILATI: Well, I talked to Stonecipher and he said he was willing to get rid of our man.MARX: He needs to be gone before he goes real bad so that we have more to capitalize on.ELDRIDGE: Do we still have to kill him?        The doors to the Oval Office swing open. An aid runs in to inform the President that the bombs will drop at the expected time. that a bomb will be dropped on Mexico City and Caracas at 0400 hours, as planned.OFFICE AID CHARLIE: Mister President, the bombs are scheduled and ready to go at 0400 hours. Hello General, Miss Vice-President--I know you have much to talk about so I'll try and get out of the way.ELDRIDGE: Where were we dropping these bombs again, Charlie?OFFICE AID CHARLIE: Sir? [quizzical expression] Caracas and Mexico City, as you authorized.ELDRIDGE: I made no such authorization. Cancel the so-called authorization immediately and cease all military maneuvers to bomb Mexico City and the other city you mentioned.OFFICE AID CHARLIE: Sir, I will do so right away. But sir, the news has leaked.ELDRIDGE: To the press?OFFICE AID CHARLIE: CNN has converged outside.MARX: I'd be preparing a statement, Mr. President.ELDRIDGE: Pilati, what the hell is going on; I want answers now. Give me the pentagon NOW, dammit!        Pilati nods and dials a number on the telephone.PILATI: Hello. This is General Pilati. Get me General Lewis immediately.PILATI: Shoot. Get me General Blackweiss, then. And quick.PILATI: Blackweiss, is this you?PILATI: Okay, I'm with the President and Miss Marx and I'm going to put you on speakerphone, okay?        Pilati presses a button and General Blackweiss is able to speak on the phone.BLACKWEISS: Sir--ELDRIDGE: General, why are we bombing Mexico City?BLACKWEISS: According to information forwarded to me by General of the Army Christopher Gordon, Mexico City is the first stopping point on the marching path of the Chinese towards their final destination of the city of Caracas.ELDRIDGE: By whose permission did you decide to bomb Mexico City?BLACKWEISS: Oh my God. General Gordon said he gave him permission to make the orders and I followed them as General Gordon urgently and eagerly requested.ELDRIDGE: Eagerly? Could you describe to me the manner--BLACKWEISS: Sorry to interrupt you sir, but I have just received word that you do not want us to bomb Caracas either. Pardon my questioning of this order, but General Gordon seemed very concerned about the Chinese gaining control of that city.ELDRIDGE: Sir--I want all bombing and military operations everywhere to be stopped. Right now. Everything. I hereby declare a one day holiday of peace. General Gordon is out of his mind and I want you to disregard everything he says. I am preparing a statement at the moment to tell the country, which has learned about your failings through the news media already, how such a crazy mistake happened and what we are doing about it.BLACKWEISS: I am completely sorry and if you ask for my resignation I will resign without trouble, Sir. I apologize for what I have done.ELDRIDGE: Thanks, I guess. I'll be talking with you after my public statement. Conference call. I want all the top brass on the phone. 0800 in the morning. Be sharp.        Eldridge presses a button on the phone and all goes silent. The room is silent until it is awkward. Marx is writing something. She finishes it, and then Eldridge manages to say something.ELDRIDGE: Marx, is that my statement?        Marx nods.ELDRIDGE: Marx--should I be assuring or apologetic?MARX: Not the latter. Most certainly NOT apologetic. You're the man in charge, so you need to make sure your words are calm. I tried to write them as calm as possible.PILATI: I'm not calm.ELDRIDGE: What you need to do, Pilati, is....what a sec...PILATI: What sir?ELDRIDGE: Remember when I asked if we had to get rid of our man Gordon?PILATI: Yes, sir.ELDRIDGE: Well, now I'm thinkin' "I want to kill this guy!"PILATI: I'll call the hospital and check on the guy's status, sir.ELDRIDGE: You do that. If he's not dead by now, I want him assigned to a new doctor and I want Stonecipher or whatever his name is taken care of.MARX: Watch your words, Mr. President.PILATI: Sir?ELDRIDGE: We may have to eliminate Stonecipher. I mean kill him too.PILATI: Yes, sir. We can do that.ELDRIDGE: Thank you. Marx, what's next?MARX: Okay, you'll need to dress into a sweater--NOT your bomber jacker--and you'll need to see the makeup artist.ELDRIDGE: But this is a matter of war...MARX: It could have been. War was averted and we are lucky. We give the appearance of calm and make the American public feel good.ELDRIDGE: Are there any other angles we could spin on this? Could we remove all responsibility from the administration?MARX: Well, we can't say Gordon did it. He's our hero soon-to-be-departed.PILATI: What about Blackweiss. He actually carried out the orders of a deranged man. The deranged man was subordinate to the President. Therefore, Blackweiss is subordinate to the President.ELDRIDGE: And Blackweiss went way out of line.PILATI: Sir, I would like to suggest that we declare a complete military reorganizationELDRIDGE: That would be huge.MARX: Sirs, that would help our reform initiatives, perhaps--ELDRIDGE: A show of force. Everyone would know who's in charge.PILATI: Yes, sir, a show of force.ELDRIDGE: Are we all in agreement? Calm speech. Okay. I'll make mention of the military reorganization. Even some of the personnel changes. We'll ride it out and be buffeted by Gordon's death.MARX: Sounds good.ELDRIDGE: Good. It's showtime.Scene 7        General Gordon is feeling extremely ill. He is watching the news in his room.TV: And the president is stepping up to the podium to address the nation.TV: ELDRIDGE: My fellow Americans, earlier today there a bit of news was spread around about some weapons mobilizations. I would like to assure all of you that there have been no weapons deployments and any mobilizations have been recalled. I have contacted my good friend the Chinese president, as well as the presidents of Mexico and Venezuela, and we all discussed this bit of news and assured each other that none of us were considering any kind of aggression as a result. It is calm for Americans today, more so than yesterday. It is calm because we are remaining vigilant. The necessary steps to prevent aggression have been taken, and my administration feel confident that after a few changes there will be less confusion over matters, such as was presented by that bit of news about the weapons that appeared earlier today. To ensure that our great nation's armed forces are kept in a paradigm of peace, I have approved a plan to restructure my armed forces to something even more resilient. Those officials opposed to reform will be removed from their offices. We will have a better structure, better people. Peace shall continue, as it has since the Oil Wars, at our hands, the hands of Freedom. Thank you and may God bless America.Gordon pushes a button. Instead of a nurse, a nervous Dr. Stonecipher comes.STONECIPHER: Is-is there a pro-problem, Mr. Gordon.GORDON (weakly): No-no problem. Bottle of vodka's all I need. Good man, you may call me General Gordon.
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