The Manchurian Candidate Page #4

Synopsis: When his army unit was ambushed during the first Gulf War, Sergeant Raymond Shaw saved his fellow soldiers just as his commanding officer, then-Captain Ben Marco, was knocked unconscious. Brokering the incident for political capital, Shaw eventually becomes a vice-presidential nominee, while Marco is haunted by dreams of what happened -- or didn't happen -- in Kuwait. As Marco (now a Major) investigates, the story begins to unravel, to the point where he questions if it happened at all. Is it possible the entire unit was kidnapped and brainwashed to believe Shaw is a war hero as part of a plot to seize the White House? Some very powerful people at Manchurian Global corporation appear desperate to stop him from finding out.
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Director(s): Jonathan Demme
Production: Paramount Pictures
  Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 1 win & 11 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.6
Metacritic:
76
Rotten Tomatoes:
80%
R
Year:
2004
129 min
$65,700,000
Website
838 Views


He blinks.

MARCO:

-- injured. I fell, had a, uh,

concussion -- lost focus -- Sgt. Shaw

took command --

A disheveled man comes into the back of the room noisily,

as:

SCOUT DAD:

Did your unit sustain any casualties?

MARCO:

Yes. Two. Two of my people were killed.

Silence. No more questions. The disheveled man (MELVIN)

coughs. Marco pointedly ignores him.

MARCO:

The Medal of Honor is the highest award

to which any soldier can aspire. From

the jungles of Iwo Jima to the desert of

Kuwait, what these brave men I’ve talked

about today did will never be forgotten.

Since 1917, only 827 medals have been

given to a total of more than 30 million

Americans in arms. Only three have been

awarded in the last 40 years. Who knows?

Maybe someday one of you fine boys will

earn one yourself in defense of this

great nation.

A SCOUTMASTER, thin, bearded, stands up:

SCOUTMASTER:

Major Marco, on behalf of Troops 484 and

488 -- just like to thank you, for coming

to talk to us, about the Medal of Honor,

and your interesting experiences in the

Armed Services.

8/18/03 10.

MARCO:

Thanks for listening. My family has

claimed the Army as a trade ever since a

young gunnery officer who grew up with

Hernando De Soto left Spain for a look at

the upper Mississippi.

(beat)

My life is in service to my country.

MELVIN:

You ever wish it’d been you?

MARCO:

Excuse me?

MELVIN:

Won the medal. Been the hero.

Something causes Marco to hesitate. Then, as if he’d

rehearsed it:

MARCO:

No, I’m just proud to have been there.

He sits down. Spattering of polite applause.

37 INT. H.S. AUDITORIUM ENTRANCE - LATER 37

The luncheon is breaking up. A couple of scouts chase each

other through the clusters of men. Marco’s leaving. Men

stop him to shake his hand and thank him for coming.

MELVIN:

Major Marco.

Marco turns, stares blankly into the eyes of the bedraggled-

looking man, who half-salutes.

MELVIN:

It’s Al Melvin, Sir. Corporal Melvin.

From your unit. Desert Storm.

Marco stares hard. Melvin looks like a homeless guy, his

clothes rumpled, his fingernails stained and broken, his

eyes wild with fatigue and paranoia.

MARCO:

Melvin. Jesus -- how are you --

MELVIN:

(intense)

I have these dreams, Major.

MARCO:

Dreams.

8/18/03 11.

MELVIN:

Yeah. Kuwait. You and me. Mavole, and

Baker. Raymond Shaw.

(beat)

See, I remember it happened the way you

just said. And then I don’t.

MARCO:

Well, we had a pretty rough time over

there, Al, it was hairy, and -- it was a

long time ago, now. Memories shift.

MELVIN:

Do you have dreams, sir?

MARCO:

Everybody has dreams, Corporal --

Rate this script:4.0 / 1 vote

Daniel Pyne

Daniel Pyne is a writer and producer, known for Fracture (2007), Any Given Sunday (1999) and The Sum of All Fears (2002). more…

All Daniel Pyne scripts | Daniel Pyne Scripts

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