The Hollow Woman Screenplay
August 31st, 2008 at 11:20 am by David FarrarStephen Franks has written a nice sequel to the Hollow Men, and has a screenplay of a scene involving Helen and Winston on Friday. Very very good. An extract:
WP So what’s your bone for the dogs. Spit it out. I’m not resigning. – you know what I’ve said – I’m not going down for this on my own sunshine. You put that loose-lipped idiot Glenn into this case. You gave him no script, or didnt get him to stick to it. I had no clout with him after you canned that consulship cause it would be a bad look. I only met him a couple of times and the boorish shit left me in no doubt that he was only letting us have the money cause your guys told him to. I told him he could have that consulship so you’ve only got yourselves to blame when he got the pip.
HC – Thats the past. We are where we are and unless I look as if I’m in charge, and you look as if you accept the rules for the moment I’ll lose the power to manage this. Don’t underestimate this Winston. Even our trusties among the journos are finding it hard to explain why you’re still standing with me beside you. None so far have tried to think past stupidities like my “determination to pass the ETS” and “keeping open a post-election coalition with you”
And the conclusion:
WP – A Privileges Committee roll-over doesn’t get me back if it’s the SFO investigation that’s the trouble.
HC – Look assuming you haven’t stolen the money you’ll be “cleared” when they say they are dropping the investigation cause there is no “fraud” cause the money ended up where it was supposed to. Only the Police deal with breaches of electoral law, and we can rely on them. So SFO will pull out leaving that electoral stuff alone.. The media chooks will treat ‘no further action’ as innocence, and so will your grey power.
WP – OK I’ll go along with it for the meantime. I’ll review it every day, and the moment I think you might renege, it’ll be Plan B.
Ficton or telepathy? You decide!
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August 31st, 2008 at 12:33 pm
Damn good. Trouble is a play telling these kind of truths would never get funding from the politically corrupt institutions that dole out cash for such projects the way Hager’s fantasy did.
Vote:August 31st, 2008 at 12:34 pm
You could easily write a few scenes about the Vela family donations, Winston being Minister of racing and the Budget ’06 tax cut for the racing industry.
Winston is big on the concept that tax cuts are to appease big business backers so the sub plot is a natural fit within the broader ‘Hollow’ theme.
Vote:August 31st, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Very good and very accurate but it leaves out one big player a Criminal Apologist Q.C. no less.
Vote:August 31st, 2008 at 5:25 pm
“Criminal Apologist Q.C.” – Keith Locks buddy, they take turn about in trying to wind up NZ’ers with their “idiot of the week” press releases. However, Stephen Franks paints a very real scenario, very well written
Vote:August 31st, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Stephen Franks tools around Wellington in a lowered VW Beetle (one of the real Ferdinand Porsche designed ones, with an air-cooled lawnmower motor in the back that makes about 35HP) with an expensive-looking electorate advertorial paint job and expensive-looking mag wheels. I had the misfortune of being stuck behind him a week or so ago as he puttered up Salamanca Road at about 35km/h with his daughter (or whatever) in the suicide seat next to him.
I couldn’t take anything Stephen Franks says seriously. Pffft – I’m sorry, you’re an expert on WHAT, you were saying…?
Vote:August 31st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
That’s about as far removed from the way Winston speaks in private that he might as well have written it in ebonics. The plot may be accurate, but the characterisation makes Nicky Hager look like Arthur Miller.
getstaffed (I think it was – sorry if I’m miscrediting here) did a much better job of an imaginary conversation between the two a while back. Stick to your day job, Franks.
Vote:August 31st, 2008 at 8:15 pm
rex – can’t take credit. i recall the ‘conversation’ posted at KB.. but not the author. it was A+ though.
Vote:September 1st, 2008 at 11:55 am
I can’t believe Winston told helen he has a plan “b”
You ever heard the way she laughs when she scoffs.
She would’ve been chortling her way out of the door.
Plan ‘B’ talk was the end of the conversation immediately.
Plan ‘B’ is ficticious and the more I hear about it, the more I’m convinced winston’s true idol is Dennis Connors.
though he is yet to call anyone a ‘loser’ But I might’ve missed that…
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