Original subtitles

Ladies and gentlemen, we're sorry about that little scuffle

back there, but you're going to have that

every once in a while.

We're going to bring Jack back in just a few minutes.

But first, I want you to meet one of the greatest bands

around-- New Grass Revival!

Let's hear it!

[cheering]

[music playing]

This is Charlie Chase.

And I'm Lorianne Crook.

And we are again reporting live from the Opryland Hotel

Pickin' Parlor where earlier this evening,

a knife-wielding assailant was tackled

while walking toward presidential

candidate Jack Tanner.

That's right.

We do know that one person was injured in the attack.

However, the identity of that individual

has not yet been released by the police.

Where is he?

Right over there.

OK, I don't want any press in here, OK?

Emile, are you--

Hold still.

I'm supposed to say that. What?

It's nothing. - --are you all right?

Oh, god.

I, uh-- I tackled an irate husband.

You what?

I-- I saw this guy coming through the crowd,

and he had this big knife!

And he was walking right towards you.

So I assumed he was coming for you, so I jumped him.

Turns out he was only looking for his wife.

You were screwing around with some guy's wife?

TJ, come here.

Great work, Emile.

It's good.

Deke, would you stop?

Get out of here, Deke.

[mixed chatter]

Too rich for my blood.

Why, he doesn't get cable?

No, he doesn't get cable.

How much did you get?

$75?

I'm out.

Welcome to the club, Burt.

Tell me again, sweetheart.

Why, are you going somewhere? [snorting]

Does anyone want a throat lozenger?

Oh, would you knock it off?

You're driving everyone crazy.

All right, Seidelman. $10 says you're an asshole.

Whoa! [whistling]

I'm out. I already know that.

Well--

[singing]

[excited yelling]

[cheering]

Don't get my money wet!

What did you have?

A deuce and a nine.

And you drew those three hearts?

No!

It's illogical.

You're crazy!

And I had such a pretty straight!

Hey, has anybody ever seen Burt's pictures of Reagan

crying at Normandy?

Oh, Burt's is classic.

Tight enough to see bacteria.

[laughing]

What else could I do?

I see someone going into tears, I go macro.

Was primo Daver?

Give me cemetery, tight on the wheelchairs, please.

Cue Rawhide, then lose it.

Must have been there to see Muskie come unglued.

Ooh, you're aging yourself.

Frankie, that was '72!

In '72, Burt was a mere slip of a bursary boy

working his way through Vassar.

Get out of here.

Vassar?

No shit, Burt a Vassar boy?

I thought Vassar was a girl's college.

I was a legacy.

My mother went.

[laughing]

The old pink and gray, huh, Burt?

Hey, look!

Look, it's Hayes.

It's Gephardt.

No, no!

Gephardt, Molly.

No, back there.

That's Hayes!

[whistling]

We're going to change our country--

What are you doing in the shot, Hayes?

Lookin' good, making news.

[laughing]

[music playing]

Thanks very much, fellas.

Um, what have you heard about the press bus?

Uh, just talked to the drive.

They're still outside of Clarksville.

Some of them are hitching in.

What about Andrea?

I think it would be good to have

somebody take a look at it.

Daddy, don't you think that Emile

should go to the hospital? I can take him.

No! Jack, I'm fine.

It's-- it's just a scratch.

It won't hurt, Emile, you know?

Jack, how are you?

After what you've been through?

Big guy with a big knife attack-- I mean, you-- you

could have been killed, right? Right?

Be shaken up, OK?

God just tapped you on the shoulder.

It happens.

I can't dwell on it, you know.

I wouldn't be able to function, right?

Where did you get this?

"The Candidate's Manliness Manual"?

Look, Jack, if you're up to it,

it would be great if you went back out there.

Maybe even finish your speech. - Yeah.

No, I think that's a really stupid idea.

Only if he's up to it.

It would play great, TJ, Like Reagan joking with the doctors,

remember?

No.

I think he's right, honey.

I can't hide out in the kitchen, you know?

Look, here.

Take these with you.

If you can be eating at a time like this,

you definitely have the right stuff.

[laughing]

All right, give me three.

Let's get some pajamas for Stanley.

Two for me--

Bigger and bigger.

It's on you, Mike.

Oh, wait, wait.

Newsflash, newsflash.

[shushing]

Newsflash!

CHARLIE CHASE (ON TV): Congressman Jack Tanner

in his bid for the presidency.

Waylon Jennings was the headline act.

Several other artists are here to raise money

for his bid for the presidency.

Apparently, all that has gone sour.

We understand inside the Pickin' Parlor, just moments ago,

there was an attack, apparently on the life

of Congressman Jack. - Oh my gosh!

LORIANNE CROOK (ON TV): Actually, that fact

has not yet been confirmed. - Shut up, shut up!

CHARLIE CHASE (ON TV): Whether or not the Congressman was

indeed attacked, one thing we do know for sure is at this point,

Congressman Jack has not been harmed.

Look!

This is a possible assassination attempt,

and it's being covered by twinkies!

Now move it! - Shut up!

CHARLIE CHASE (ON TV): --functionary

was indeed injured during the incident

inside the Pickin' Parlor.

LORIANNE CROOK (ON TV): That's right.

We do know that one person was injured in the attack.

However, the identity of that individual

has not yet been released.

Maybe some car will come by.

Oh, god.

Wait, here comes a car!

Here comes a car!

What are you gonna do, stop them?

[music playing]

[cheering]

Thank you very much.

[cheering]

Thank you very much.

I see Mr. Tanner coming in now.

Ladies and gentlemen, the next president of the United States,

Jack Tanner!

[cheering]

[guitar playing]

CROWD: Tanner!

Tanner!

Tanner!

Tanner!

I love the fries.

Good French fries.

Well, where was I?

[laughing]

Seems that guy was looking for a friend of his wife.

[laughing]

Wasn't lookin' for me.

No.

--back on the track here, folks.

You know the Democratic Party has its work

cut out for it this year.

We've got a very tough act to follow.

For the past seven years, the overwhelming popularity

of Ronald Reagan has been used to question the motives of even

the most loyal of opposition.

Now, while there's no question that this president is

responsible for a great resurgence of pride

in this country, Reagan sometimes

reminds me of a quote a woman made to the sportscaster

Heywood Broun after the Triple Crown

victories of the great racehorse Secretariat.

Now after the trauma of Vietnam and Watergate,

she told Broun that Secretariat had, quote,

"restored her faith in mankind."

[laughing]

Now, I would submit to you that Ronald Reagan

is the Secretariat of the 80s.

[laughing]

[applause]

CROWD: You tell 'em!

For the past seven years, he's presided over

the systematic transformation of a country that once

sought to be good to a country that

now seeks only to feel good.

CROWD: Mm-hm.

Get your skirt up, Molly.

Great!

Come on, guys!

Great, great.

Hi.

Can you drive us to Nashville?

Yup.

Get in.

What are you doing in here?

Get in!

Got the camera!

Go!

Go, go, go, go!

[shouting]

[honking]

(SHOUTING) Hey!

Can you take me to Nashville?

[applause]

David Stockman and more recently, Michael Deaver

have written about a White House that's intellectually inert,

obsessed with television, bored by introspection

and ideas of substance.

In fact, the closest Ronald Reagan

has come to the challenge of competing ideas

was the day he uttered the phrase, "Well, sure, we've

got problems, but let's not throw

the baby out with the dishes."

[laughing]

Thanks very much.

[applause]

[music playing]

He's good.

Good.

[radio music playing]

Boy, that is a fine way to get killed.

You know, I thought you were deer.

Shit.

I can't get an interview.

You thought she was a deer?

Well, it wouldn't have been the first time.

Hell.

Listen, y'all want out up here at the Chevron station?

No, no, no.

We're going to Nashville.

We thought you-- you were, uh, driving to Nashville?

Well, I'm going in that direction.

Yeah, that's right.

But about, um-- about 80 miles aside.

Great.

Well, um-- look, if you take us to Nashville,

we'll give you $200 cash.

$2-- $200?

Cash!

(WHISPERING) $200?

We're down to the bottom here!

Why, hell.

I reckon I'm just going to have to get into the house

a little bit late tonight.

Great.

[chatter]

Hey, listen, is there something going on in Nashville

I don't know about?

Yeah, yup.

It's a presidential candidate may have been attacked.

We don't know, Jack Tanner.

- No, it's-- - Tanner?

You've had it on AM, right?

Tanner?

Tanner-- I heard of him.

Shit.

Oh, yeah.

Hey, Burt, give me your monitor.

One step ahead of you, Hayes.

Here, check this out.

Ma'am--

Check that.

Watch out for the battery cable.

Um, are you guys with some of the local stations

like Knoxville or Jackson?

I'm network.

NBC?

Molly Hark, in the news.

What's local?

You've seen her mug on the tube, man.

Yeah, you couldn't miss that.

- Well, sure I have! - Yeah.

I've seen you before!

Well--

[chatter]

I'd be delighted to take you guys to Nashville!

Great.

Oh thank you, that's great.

For $1,000.

Um, would you take a check?

This is Charlie Chase, and we're here at the Opryland

Hotel Pickin' Parlor, trying to put together all the events

surrounding this bizarre incident that

has occurred here this evening.

The one thing we can tell you now is that the candidate

has reacted coolly.

He has been described by people still

inside at the party as being buoyant, relaxed,

and he's also hungry.

Well, there was one person injured

in the attack inside the Pickin' Parlor tonight.

And for more on the unidentified victim,

Lorianne Crook is standing by in another section of the hotel.

She is there with the medic who treated him.

Lorianne.

Oh.

Oh, thank you, Charlie.

I'm going to be talking to-- I guess

I should say I will be talking to the actual medic

from Vanderbilt Hospital.

His name is Alfredo Santiga.

Uh, no, ma'am.

I'm-- I'm Bobby Rose.

I was the security here.

Oh, security.

Mr. Rose.

Yes, ma'am.

OK, Mr. Rose, can you tell me in your own words,

what is the condition of the victim at this point?

Real good.

It was just a real minor cut-- no problem, really.

Just a lot of blood and-- but there was

really no big problem there.

Do you realize I pushed a state trooper out of the way

to jump on the guy with the knife?

You what?

I just reacted.

I mean, I wasn't even thinking.

I saw this guy, I saw the trooper.

I pushed the trooper out of the way.

I jump on the guy, the trooper jumps on me.

He's grabbing me, I'm grabbing the guy, we're rolling around--

(LAUGHING) That's very funny!

I'm sorry.

No, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry!

No, no, it really was very brave.

And-- and you were protecting Dad.

[laughing]

Thank you.

[kissing]

(LAUGHING) I still can't wait to see Deke's tape of it, though.

Yeah?

Hey, Jack.

Come over here.

Someone here I want you to meet.

Sure.

This is our good sheriff, Fay Thomas.

Congressman, how in the world are ya?

Good to meet you.

Yeah, I didn't know-- we didn't have

to have the sheriff out here.

Well, I-- did you have a problem?

No, no, no.

A little minor altercation.

Well, I hope nothing serious happened.

No, no.

I wish you all the luck in the world.

Thanks very much.

- You did well in Nashville. - Thank you.

I don't know how you done it.

[laughing]

Well, uh--

Sheriff, I'll see you later.

Thank you.

Hey, Jack, sit down here a minute.

I want to talk to you about something.

Do you know-- maybe we should get you to a hospital.

Get you some shots or something?

No, no shots.

No.

I hate shots.

God, I'd rather have rabies.

Emile, the treatment for rabies is, like, 100 shots--

- Shots in the-- - --stomach.

Yup, I know.

No, it's a lot--

Well, I think you may be making a mistake, you know?

You've got a whole pack of them, and ain't nobody

saying nothing, you know?

I mean, maybe you-- you gotta be a lead dog,

you gotta jump out there.

Jump on somebody, beat them up.

Mm-hm.

Gore or maybe Dukakis or one of them.

Yeah.

But you can't just, you know-- You gotta-- you

gotta just beat up on somebody.

Yeah, that's a good point.

JACK TANNER (ON TV): Better move to the right on defense

and a lot of other issues.

And lately, you've been sounding more like Al Haig than Al Gore.

[applause]

AL GORE (ON TV): That-- that line sounds more like

Richard Nixon than Richard--

CHARLIE CHASE (ON TV): What we can

tell you now is that national police are working--

That's Charlie Chase.

It's on Channel 2.

LORIANNE CROOK (ON TV): That's right.

police lieutenant Alfredo Santiga has--

Can you believe these yokels are

sitting on this entire story?

And that is Lorianne Crook.

She is fine.

Nice lips.

Source of local pride, is she?

Yeah.

Yeah, you know some people think she is the next Charlie Chase?

Would you like the, uh, follow-up question, David?

Yeah, how much further to Nashville?

Oh, I don't know.

I never been there before.

Neither one jumps out there. Do something.

Right. I'm going to do it.

All right.

Thanks for tonight, Will, you know?

Besides that, too, don't forget them preachers.

You just gotta-- you gotta remember,

they put their britches on the same way you do every morning.

And all them's got some skeletons in their closet

just sure as the world. - Yeah.

I tell you what-- they keep talking

about the great Judgment Day.

Why don't you help them along a little bit?

(LAUGHING) OK.

Yeah, make 'em 'fess up a little bit.

Cleanse their soul. - OK.

- It'll work. - Thanks again.

Aw, good luck.

I'll see you soon.

See you later.

Danny.

Mr. Jennings, M if I join you for a minute?

You skipped on me.

I was looking for you.

How are ya?

Oh, I was talking to the old lady on the phone.

Jesus, you look great.

You can't still be drinking like you used to.

Needless to say, I still am.

Yeah, well, whatever you're doing, you're doing it right.

You were killing them.

Hell, I mailed it in and you know it.

Oh, watch the road just for a second?

Son, I have been driving since I was 12 years old.

I-- I know what I'm doing. - I'm just trying to--

Y'all asked me.

I got all wound up now.

I'm gonna tell you what's wrong.

The Ayatollah is a asshole.

We got a sticker around here that says that.

Do you ever see that?

I bet you don't have one of them up in New York.

In the Jew York-- that's what-- I'm sorry

if any of y'all were Jews-- we call

it the Jew York in Nashville.

For damn good reason, too.

This is David Seidelman and--

[clearing throat]

Oh, OK, all right.

No offense, no offense.

I'm just-- that's a little joke.

You know my daddy said that kind of thing.

But I tell you what-- there's only two things in this world

that's always in season.

You know what it is?

That's a goat and a woman.

You seen Billy since you got in town?

Billy?

Billy's in Nashville?

That's not like you, Jack.

You used to keep up.

Yeah, Billy's a chaplain over at Fisk.

He's also still in the thick of it.

And a lot of people think if he wants it,

he's got a good shot at Sasser's seat in '89.

Is that right?

Yeah, go see him, Jack.

Billy would be really disappointed

if he-- he found out you hit town and didn't call.

Right, I'll do it.

Yup.

It's good to see you, Danny.

Good to see you.

Take care of yourself.

[raining]

Have you ever met Andrea Hart?

No, Hayes, I haven't.

You should.

It's not my responsibility to think about Gary

Hart's daughter, Hayes.

It's Gary's.

The same is true of Joe Biden and his family.

The same is true of Paul Lexalt and his.

These people make their own choices.

All we can do is react.

So where does that leave us with our choices?

Jesus, Hayes, you know, I-- I just don't understand you.

You-- you pick through other people's trash.

And when you find something that genuinely stinks,

you just hold your nose.

You end up writing these fuzzy, warm,

he's only human, uh, humanistic profiles.

And what-- what does that do?

What does that get you?

Forgive me, David.

See, I-- I'm more interested in, uh, understanding

than, uh, condemning.

Jesus.

No wonder nobody wants to sit next to you.

I'm telling you, it's the truth.

Don't go away.

I can't wait to find out.

Please don't go away.

You can buy some new clothes?

Uh, bartender, let me ask you a question.

Yes, ma'am.

I need to know where the nearest drugstore is.

Through the main lobby, ma'am.

OK.

Teej--

What?

- Get real. - What?

You don't think he's cute?

He's cute, but he's a musician.

So?

Get one night of him, and you never see his ass again.

How do you know this?

I know.

She knows.

[chuckling]

Do you want to make a difference, Hayes?

Or don't you?

These guys-- each of them wants to be the most

powerful person on the planet!

You know what that means?

That means right away, we're not dealing

with well-adjusted here.

We're-- we're dealing with obsession.

And obsession cannot go ignored, not here.

The stakes are too high.

So yeah, you-- you go with whatever it is you

have on Tanner.

Quit jerking yourself around.

Go.

Because you know, that it's only a question of time

before I find about it myself.

And go with it myself.

How did you know I have anything on Tanner?

I didn't.

Now I do.

[music playing]

[chuckling]

Let me-- let me tell you something.

No Joe-- Joe-- just hang in there with me for a minute, OK?

3 o'clock in the morning is not a classy time to call somebody,

you know?

10 o'clock starts to be classy.

[sniffling]

Tomorrow?

How can they report out of committee tomorrow?

Tomorrow's the weekend.

Mm.

Um, well call-- uh, well, what's his name?

The Republican from Ohio?

Tolland, right.

Call him.

Tell him the facts of life.

This administration's only got nine more months.

They're losing their leverage, they've lost their ability

to control events effectively.

God.

Somebody has got to tell Elliott Abrams

that the world has changed.

The Cold War is over, and we won.

Listen, I gotta go.

I-- I gotta get some sleep.

I'm flying to Detroit in the morning.

Yeah.

Well let me know what happens.

Bye.

Shit, I didn't know we won the Cold War.

How do you, uh, get your hair to do this, huh?

Electroshock.

[laughing] Shock me.

(SINGING) Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart,

I will pray.

Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart.

Thank you.

CHOIR: (SINGING) --I will pray.

On the mountain, my Lord spoke out of his mouth

came fire and smoke.

Thanks.

I'm going over to Fisk University.

Know where that is?

CHOIR: (SINGING) Every time I feel the Spirit moving

in my heart, I will pray.

Every time I feel the Spirit moving in my heart,

I will pray.

On the mountain, my Lord spoke, out of his mouth

came fire and smoke.

Jordan River, chilly and cold, chills

the body but not the soul.

Every time I hear the Spirit moving in my heart,

I will pray.

Every time I hear the Spirit, moving in my heart,

I will pray.

All around me looked so fine, asked

the Lord if all were mine.

Ain't but one train on the track--

Hold it.

Hold it, hold it, hold it.

Modulation, modulation.

I want some modulation, all right?

[group protesting] - Modulation?

What are you trying to-- kill off the Jubilee Singers?

I'm not trying to kill off the Jubilee Singers.

You all are magnificent.

You are the best.

Now, I want you to transcend your own greatness, all right?

Come on.

Come on.

Let's take that last refrain again.

1, 2, 3, 4, 1, 2--

CHOIR: (SINGING) Every time I hear--

How come you don't have any gray in your hair?

Jack!

Jack Tanner!

How are you, Billy?

Real good, real good, real good.

Uh, listen up, everybody, I want you

to meet an old friend of mine.

Jack Tanner, he's running for president.

[group chatter]

Well, he's a good man, but I'm going to have to beat him.

OK, you all, uh, continue on.

I gotta catch up on 20 years.

Hey, come on up here.

Well, it's about time that you, uh, stopped by to-- you

know, I think you must have blown in town five times

this winter without, uh, giving me a call!

Well, I didn't know you were in Nashville.

I ran into Darst last night.

He told me you were here.

Yeah, ol' Danny.

Now, that's a serious sinner.

He also told me you were the power in the black community.

He says you're known throughout the New South.

Is that right?

You found that real interesting, huh?

What do you mean?

Well, Jack, it's been 20 years since you looked me up.

Well, Billy, come on.

That's out of line.

Now, that-- that cuts both ways, right?

Yeah, but I'm not running for president.

Hey, that's not the purpose of this visit.

I mean, come on.

I came here alone and unarmed.

Give me a break.

Are we gonna reminisce about Memphis Mary or what?

Memphis Mary.

You know, Memphis got married?

Is that right?

Yeah.

Not to you, I hope.

Oh, no, no, no.

But I conducted the service.

I could-- I could barely keep a straight face.

God, those kids are good.

Yeah, they're coming along.

Alex?

Yeah, Stringer.

Hope I didn't wake you.

To answer the phone.

Right, yeah, sorry.

Uh, look, is your dad around?

I can't find him anywhere.

He's supposed to have 10:30 with local TV, and he's nowhere.

Who?

Billy Crier?

Is that who-- like you mean the Reverend Billy Crier at Fisk?

My god, does he know him?

Why didn't he tell me?

Are you kidding?

Crier would be a tremendous boost for him

in this part of the world.

Molly!

Hold a minute.

Now, where'd he go?

Over to the campus?

Right.

No, don't worry.

I'll find him.

Thanks.

What's up?

Scoop.

Yeah.

Welcome to Nashville.

Walk this way.

CHOIR: (SINGING) Done made my vow to the Lord

and I never will turn back.

I will go.

I shall go to see what the end will be.

Done opened my mouth to the Lord and I never will turn back.

Oh, I will go.

I shall go.

To see what the end will be.

Now, I think she was a friend of Andy's.

By the way, have you seen Andy lately?

Yeah, just before Super Tuesday.

He was at a rally down at the Peach Tree.

Turns out he still likes being mayor,

which surprises me, frankly.

I thought he'd be restless by now.

Yeah, well, Atlanta is manageable.

It's got a future.

Which means that Andy does, too.

Do you remember the final leg of the march into Montgomery?

And Andy brought me and a bunch of other ministers

to be on the front line with Martin?

Yeah.

Do you know that Andy put us up there because he had gotten

word through SNCC that there might be

an assassination attempt on Martin's life

when we entered into town?

Yeah.

So Andy, knowing that there wasn't a prayer that Martin

would drop out, decided to take white folks at their word--

that we all look alike to them.

So there we were, all in blue suits, marching with Martin.

Yeah, sure.

Spreading the danger.

Distributing the risk.

It's at the heart of the nonviolent strategy.

That's a good strategy too, you know.

You share the burden, you hardly feel it.

Good way to build a movement.

It's still a good way to build a movement.

Yeah, that's what Bruce Babbitt thought.

Yeah, well, I'm not Bruce Babbitt.

Who said anything about you?

[laughing]

Oh, man.

God, it's good seeing you, Billy.

Yeah, you know.

It's good seeing you too, my friend.

And listen-- let's not make it another 20 years, all right?

- That's right. - Promise me that.

All right. You, too.

OK.

I'll walk you downstairs.

By the way, how's that baby girl of yours?

Oh, god.

She's all grown up.

It's killing me.

[chuckling] Well, they do grow up, you know.

I'll tell you that.

You're telling me.

It's our understanding, Reverend Crier,

that to date, you have refused to officially support

any presidential candidate.

Lauren Terry, ABC News.

Reverend Crier, how far back does your association

with Jack Tanner go?

What is your reason for pulling away your support

from the Reverend Jackson?

Reverend, is your associated with Jack Tanner

stronger than your association with Jesse Jackson?

Molly Hark, NBC.

It's our understanding, Reverend Crier, that--

There's something wrong with this picture.

[camera clicking]

[military drumbeat]