Movie : News
Plot: Old famous reporter retires. New young reporter come aboard but isn’t doing well. No big stories. Just normal stuff that any talking head could do.
New reporter goes to old reporter takes young reporter for advice. The town had been jinxed for over 30 years with major accidents happening and huge stories. How did the old reporter get to those stories? What were his/her leads? Old reporter mentors.
Old Reporter – “NEW, you can’t just wait for the news to come to you. Are you beating the streets? “
NEW – “Every day. I know all the cops by their first name. I’ve run out of stones to turn over.”
Pulls a scrap book out of a few on the coffee table. Starts to thumb through it.
Old Reporter – “These are all my stories. For everyone of them I was the first one there. Stay out there, keep working. Talk to everyone. The police are a good start but a whole world goes on around them. Who’s the butcher? Anything happen by the river? When you know everything then you’ll get your story. We’re all pulling for you.”
Scene 6
Shots of NEW talking to store owners, government staff, fisherman and cabbies.
Scene 7
Spouse – “Sooooo, how are things looking today?”
NEW – “Trout are biting. The city thinks they’re going to meet their budget for the year. The butcher has had a run on tri-tip for the last few weeks. I can tell you about everything in this town and it would all bore you to death.”
Spouse – “Tri-tip does sound good.” Smiles “Do you want to come to my bunko group?”
NEW – “I don’t suppose you’re hosting any lingerie parties?” smiles
She pushes him
Scene 8
NEW is riding on a train. Boring buildings pass outside his window. A squeal starts to grow louder. NEW looks up, then forward. Concern grows onto his face. Then train wreck.
New reporter survives, keeps wits, starts gathering info, helping, calling for a news truck, and then goes into reporting when the truck gets there.
Later scene:
New Reporter at old reporters house talking about the train wreck. How strange it was. Old reporter in kitchen making coffee. New reporter starts flipping through the scrapbook. Starts seeing info to plan the accidents and big news stories. Confusion, stress, panic shows on reporters face.
Camera pulls back to see Old Reporter looking.
Old Reporter - “The news doesn’t just happen by itself. Sometimes it needs a little help. Like that little start to your career. Sometimes a helping hand is needed.”
Now where does this movie go? Is this a dramatic ending? Or is this the middle and the new reporter has to figure out what to do? The Old Reporter has caused massive accidents and maybe been behind big crimes. What comes next…