Born Yesterday

Synopsis: A businessman shows up in Washington to lobby agendas that are friendly to his construction plans. His ditsy ex-showgirl bimbo proves to be an embarrassment in social situations, so he hires a reporter to teach her how to appear more intelligent. Soon it becomes apparent to the reporter that she isn't so stupid after all, and things become more complicated as she begins questioning the papers her sugar daddy keeps getting her to sign, and the reporter begins falling in love with her.
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Director(s): Luis Mandoki
Production: Buena Vista
  1 nomination.
 
IMDB:
5.1
Rotten Tomatoes:
26%
PG
Year:
1993
100 min
536 Views


- OK. Let's do some business.

- Welcome to Washington, Harry.

Ed. I hate this town.

You know my sister's kid, JJ?

- Pleasure to see you...

- Don't give him a speech!

Talk to me. You set up the hotel?

Everything is in order. Here's some

stuff by that reporter I told you about.

Are you still going to make me

do that interview?

Look over this New Republic article

he wrote on the EEC.

He's not some do-gooder

with an axe to grind on my neck, is he?

You don't want a pushover, Harry.

If Paul gives you the thumbs-up,

it's a big deal in this town.

Think he knows anything?

God, no! That's why it's good for you

to meet him up front.

It shows you have nothing to hide.

Uncle Harry.

Jesus Christ! Hey!

- Billie!

- What?

When a door opens on a plane,

you get out!

Move it!

They've arrived.

Welcome to the Willard, Mr Brock.

I hope you had a pleasant journey.

Here he is. Remember, treat him nicely,

don't try to con him. Just be yourself.

- Paul! Good to see you again.

- Hello, Ed. How are you?

No more hardnosed

investigative stuff, huh?

Your man doesn't have

a problem with that, does he?

No! You're just

interviewing businessmen now.

You know what they say, Ed.

The business of America is business.

Harry Brock, this is Paul Verrall.

The writer. I know. I liked that thing

you did for the New Republic on the EEC.

Well...

Thank you.

The suite is newly remodelled,

the marble is Italian

and this wonderful glass

comes from the South of France.

We're specially proud

of these atria,

which give this suite

a lovely, open quality.

- I hope Mrs Brock is satisfied?

- She's not Mrs Brock.

- That's fine.

- You bet it's fine.

There's only one Mrs Brock

and she's my mother. And she's dead.

I'm sorry...

Listen. Anybody that works in this room,

tell them to do it good,

do it fast, nobody gets hurt.

I don't like a lot of people around,

and I don't like waiting.

Of course, Mr Brock.

- Like to save my life?

- With soda or plain water?

- Plain.

- Coming right up.

- Paul, would you like a drink?

- I'm fine, Ed, thanks.

- If there's anything I can do...

- There is.

Go into Billie's room and see

she gets everything she wants.

She asks for somethin', I'm asking.

What about those white flowers?

The gardenias? All taken care of.

Did you get that other stuff?

Diet cream soda, the bean dip,

tweezers and cucumber masks?

- All taken care of.

- All right. JJ! Handle him.

Chauncy! Over here.

Billie!

What?

- Well?

- What?

- Not bad, huh?

- Not bad.

Not bad? You know

what this is costing me a night?

$6,500, you already told me.

- So?

- So, I don't like new towns.

You have to learn

all new channels.

It took me almost a minute

to find my soap!

So, what's this gonna be, pal?

A plug or a pan?

I like to know these things. Then I know

how to talk if I know your angle.

No angle. Just the facts.

A pan. Listen, I gotta do my stairs

and stuff. Are you OK with that?

Sure.

Good! JJ, get a barber up here

for when I get back.

Grab my sweats, we're outta here.

I'm talking to you cos Ed told me to.

I pay him a couple of hundred grand

a year for advice.

I'd be a fool not to take it.

Excuse me, mind if I...?

Anyway, go ahead.

Give me your best shot.

How much money have you got?

- What am I, an accountant?

- You don't know?

Not exactly.

Fifty million?

Honest to God, I don't know.

- Ten million?

- Maybe.

- One million?

- More!

- How much more?

- How much you got?

I've saved a little.

You don't save money, bud,

you make it!

This is the worst time of day, after the

soaps but before Entertainment Tonight.

I have some papers

for you to sign.

What happened to all that stuff

I signed yesterday?

The back page of each set.

By the Xs.

It seems like I signed

about 10,000 of these.

That's what you get for being

a multiple corporate officer!

Is that what I am?

No wonder I'm having so much fun.

Is it true you spent 400 million

on your new complex?

Brock Village.

Finest thing ever built.

2,000 condos, 175 shops...

...and two-count 'em-two

golf courses. My masterpiece.

- Did you have to take on a lot of debt?

- You gotta spend it to make it, pal.

Not too vigorous, honey.

I get 'em done every day.

Just buff 'em up real nice.

How's the interview going?

Oh, great!

I found out he has parents.

I still don't know

why he came to Washington.

Just a little tax business.

I didn't believe him either.

So far, I've been nice to you.

What are you pumping me for?

That's a reporter's work, Mr Brock.

Who, what, when, where, how...

...and why.

- Sounds like a law firm to me.

- You know how much I hate lawyers.

- I can vouch for that!

Are you ever afraid

that you're gonna lose all this?

Never. I want it all too much.

What about things that are

beyond your control, like... fate?

You show me a businessman

believes in fate,

I'll show you the first businessman

who ever went broke.

I started with a wagon,

selling somebody's junk.

And I got here in a silk suit,

talking to a college know-it-all like you.

If I lose it,

I'll meet you right back here in this room,

in a new silk suit.

Why would you lose it all, Mr Brock?

Hey, wait a minute!

Where do you think

you're going with that?

- My room.

- Put it back.

- I just wanted...

- Put it back.

We have a party to go to.

I don't see why I can't...

Because I say you can't, that's why!

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes

Douglas McGrath

Douglas McGrath was born on February 2, 1958 in New York City, New York, USA. He is a writer and actor, known for Emma (1996), Bullets Over Broadway (1994) and Infamous (2006). He has been married to Jane Read Martin since June 3, 1995. They have one child. more…

All Douglas McGrath scripts | Douglas McGrath Scripts

0 fans

Submitted on August 05, 2018

Discuss this script with the community:

0 Comments

    Translation

    Translate and read this script in other languages:

    Select another language:

    • - Select -
    • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
    • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
    • Español (Spanish)
    • Esperanto (Esperanto)
    • 日本語 (Japanese)
    • Português (Portuguese)
    • Deutsch (German)
    • العربية (Arabic)
    • Français (French)
    • Русский (Russian)
    • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
    • 한국어 (Korean)
    • עברית (Hebrew)
    • Gaeilge (Irish)
    • Українська (Ukrainian)
    • اردو (Urdu)
    • Magyar (Hungarian)
    • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
    • Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Italiano (Italian)
    • தமிழ் (Tamil)
    • Türkçe (Turkish)
    • తెలుగు (Telugu)
    • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
    • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
    • Čeština (Czech)
    • Polski (Polish)
    • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
    • Românește (Romanian)
    • Nederlands (Dutch)
    • Ελληνικά (Greek)
    • Latinum (Latin)
    • Svenska (Swedish)
    • Dansk (Danish)
    • Suomi (Finnish)
    • فارسی (Persian)
    • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
    • հայերեն (Armenian)
    • Norsk (Norwegian)
    • English (English)

    Citation

    Use the citation below to add this screenplay to your bibliography:

    Style:MLAChicagoAPA

    "Born Yesterday" Scripts.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 29 Mar. 2024. <https://www.scripts.com/script/born_yesterday_4529>.

    We need you!

    Help us build the largest writers community and scripts collection on the web!

    Watch the movie trailer

    Born Yesterday

    Browse Scripts.com

    The Studio:

    ScreenWriting Tool

    Write your screenplay and focus on the story with many helpful features.