Frost\Nixon Page #2

Come and look at this.

Nixon leaving the White House.

A dark day for Richard

Nixon, who has drawn crowds

to the vast Ellipse south

of the White House before.

What, this is live? Yeah.

But those were triumphs. This is not.

What time is it in Washington?

Why didn't he wait?

It's 6:
00 in the morning

on the West Coast.

Half his audience is still asleep.

All right, you blokes, let's

get the set broken down.

are witnesses to the saddest

day in the life of Richard Nixon,

his last moments as President

of the United States,

a moment unlike any other in

the history of this country.

Richard Nixon, who goes now

from the power of the presidency

to a form of exile in California.

Find out the numbers for

this, will you? Worldwide.

I remember his face.

Staring out the window.

Down below him, a liberal

America cheered, gloated.

Hippies, draft dodgers, dilettantes,

the same people who'd spit on

me when I got back from Vietnam.

They'd gotten rid of Richard

Nixon, their bogeyman.

So what's so important that it

couldn't wait, that it had to be today?

I've had an idea, John, rather

a bold idea for an interview.

Fish and chips, please.

And in a moment...

Well, it's too late now. It's done.

I've called his people...

You?

Beans, peas and lamb, please.

And made an offer.

Now, if the subject were to say yes,

well, he's rather a big fish

that swims in not-untricky waters.

So it goes without saying

that I'd want a dear friend

and the finest producer

I know by my side.

So who is it?

Richard Nixon.

Richard Nixon?

Well, come on, don't look like that.

Well, how would you expect me to look?

I spent yesterday evening watching

you interview the Bee Gees.

Weren't they terrific?

Come on, John, we've done

political interviews before.

So, okay, so what kind of interview?

A full, extensive look-back

over his life, his presidency.

And?

And what? Come on, David.

Surely the only thing

that would interest anyone

about Richard Nixon

would be a confession.

A full, no-holds-barred

confession.

Well, we'll get that, too.

From Richard Nixon?

Come on, John.

Just think of the numbers it would get.

Do you know how many people watched

his farewell speech in the White House?

Four hundred million.

But in the end, David heard nothing.

And soon after arriving in California,

Nixon was rushed to hospital

with an acute attack of phlebitis.

I think it was around

this time that Gerald Ford,

who was the new President,

and who was desperate to move

the agenda on from Watergate,

gave Nixon a full, free

and absolute pardon.

Now therefore, I, Gerald R. Ford,

President of the United States,

have granted, and by

these presents do grant,

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes