Halt and Catch Fire Page #3

CUT TO:

INT. SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT’S OFFICE -- DAY

The room where your dad’s boss held court. Enviously big.

Credenzas with framed family pictures (wife, two young boys)

shadowed behind prominently displayed sales awards.

8.

But this isn’t IBM. The windows look out onto a flat and

seemingly endless horizon of low-rise buildings and prairie.

We’re a long way from New York.

ANGLE ON JOHN BOSWORTH (48), an eagle resting in permanent

judgment, comfortably in power behind his desk. When he

speaks, it’s equal parts brass tacks and Texas drawl.

But right now, he’s listening.

MACMILLAN (O.S.)

Eight weeks inpatient, six months

physical therapy.

BOSWORTH:

So why’d you do it?

ANGLE ON Joe MacMillan seated across from him, somehow back

from the dead. In his black suit, but with a vivid red tie. A

small scar runs along the outside of his eye.

MACMILLAN:

I don’t recall putting my car

accident on the resume.

Bosworth picks up a single sheet of paper from his desk.

BOSWORTH:

Let’s talk about what I do see on

it. Three bold letters. I. B. M.

(tosses paper down)

I know what IBM is. I also know

what IBM ain’t. And anything that

ain’t IBM is cheaper, better,

faster. That’s what this company

lives by.

MACMILLAN:

Well, John, that’s what General

Electric thought. And RCA. And

UNIVAC-

BOSWORTH:

And Burroughs, and NCR, and

Honeywell and Control Data, and

blah, blah, blah. I know all the

companies that IBM has chased out

of this business or out of business

entirely. Cardiff Giant is not one

of them, and it won’t be.

(pause)

Look at you; same suit, different

tie.

(MORE)

9.

BOSWORTH (CONT'D)

Dallas is pretty far from Armonk,

New York, son, and that’s no

accident. You think I’m gonna see

something other than a dyed-in-thewool

company stooge?

MACMILLAN:

There is one thing IBM knows how to

do.

BOSWORTH:

An’ what’s that?

MACMILLAN:

Make money. That’s what I did for

them. And I did it very well.

Bosworth sits back in his chair, evaluating him.

BOSWORTH:

...I know.

(pause)

Look, you wouldn’t even be sittin’

in front of me if Al didn’t like

you. And he liked you. I’m just

tryin’ to figure out why.

MACMILLAN:

I’m a heavy hitter. You bring me

on, you legitimize your sales

force, this company, this town.

Maybe Silicon Prairie takes the

stage with Silicon Valley. Maybe

the suits back east will sit up and

pay attention.

BOSWORTH:

I’ll be honest with you, Joe.

Personally, I think you might be a

basket case.

(pause)

But at the end of the day, I need

someone who can come in here and

blow the balls off the numbers.

(pause)

An’ I will tell you this is systems

software, straight up. Scheduling,

database, doc management, who does

it go to, when, how many copies,

everything that makes a mainframe

purr. It ain’t sexy, but it sure as

hell makes us some serious money.

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