Bridge of Spies Page #2

PRE-LAP

Mellow jazz piano...

DISSOLVE TO:

INT. THE HARVARD CLUB

Two middle-aged men sit in club chairs facing each other.

Each holds a tumbler of scotch.

DONOVAN:

Don’t say “my guy.” He’s not “my

guy.”

BATES:

Yes he’s your guy. Who’re we

talking about?

DONOVAN:

We’re talking about a guy who is

insured by my client. So don’t make

him “my guy.”

BATES:

Okay, fine, my point is he -- the

guy insured by your client -- he

doesn’t deny any of these things

happened -

DONOVAN:

“These things?”

BATES:

Yes. These five things.

DONOVAN:

Wait. Hold it, hold it, hold it.

Not five things, one thing.

(CONTINUED)

12.17.14 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 6.

CONTINUED:

BATES:

Clearly, it’s five things.

DONOVAN:

Well -- I’m sorry -- it’s not clear

to me. Five things? Explain it to

me.

BATES:

It’s self-evident.

DONOVAN:

Okay, then tell me what happened,

tell me the story in a way that

makes sense. For five things.

BATES:

Fine. Absolutely. Your guy -

DONOVAN:

Not my guy. Insured by my client.

BATES:

The guy insured by your client -- is

driving down State Highway 19 when

he loses control of his car, hits my

five guys. The five guys who hired

me to represent them because you’re

not honoring your claim.

DONOVAN:

You mean my client is not honoring

the claim. The insurance company.

BATES:

Mr. Donovan:
we’re all clear on

who’s who here.

DONOVAN:

Except, my client honors every

claim. They do, Mr. Bates, every

single legitimate claim. Up to the

limit of their liability, which is

$100,000 per accident in the case of

this man’s policy. And this is one

claim, according to your

description. “He hit my five guys.”

The guy insured by my client had one

accident, one one one, losing

control of the car and hitting five

motorcyclists.

(CONTINUED)

12.17.14 FINAL SHOOTING SCRIPT 7.

CONTINUED:
(2)

BATES:

From their point of view, five

things happened.

DONOVAN:

Look Bob -- may I? Bob?

(gestures to self)

Jim. If I go bowling and I throw a

strike, one thing happened. Ten

things didn’t happen.

BATES:

Jim. My clients are not bowling

pins. As much your guy might have

treated them so -

DONOVAN:

Lemme finish. If your house is

insured to $100,000 and a tornado

carries it away, it carried away one

house. It didn’t pick up every

stick of furniture and destroy it in

a separate incident. If that’s what

you’re saying, well, then there is

never any limit to our liability and

that is the end of the insurance

business. And then, Bob, nobody is

safe.

RECEPTION:
WATTERS, COWAN AND DONOVAN

Donovan steps into a plush office suite. The receptionist

works a busy switchboard.

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