The Right Stuff (2020) s01e04 Episode Script

1
NARRATOR: Previously on The Right Stuff
Would we like to test the
Mercury-Redstone System for years?
Yes. But are we afforded such
a luxury with the Russians?
- CHRIS: We are not.
- I understand there'll be brass
from Wright-Patt. (COUGHS)
And Walt Hollings, the
12th District Congressman
- No.
- No what?
Be a part of the team, John.
They're only taking men
with stable families.
If they know we're separated,
I'll wash out. We could start over.
Really, the person who I should
be questioning is, um, Lurleen.
- (GRUNTS)
- The capsule prototype arrives tomorrow.
You'll have a chance to
see for yourself then.
Where's the window? How are we
supposed to fly if we can't see?
- It's controlled from the ground.
- I can see the stars, Cam.
- (EXPLOSION)
- (CROWD EXCLAIMING)
- (MACHINES BEEPING)
- What the hell just happened?
(BEEPING)
MALE VOICE: Deep into the space
race with the United States,
Russia has just announced
an astonishing achievement
that has touched the
imagination of the entire world.
They have successfully launched
the space rocket called Luna 3
- with astounding result.
- (CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
MALE VOICE: For the first time in
the history of human civilization,
pictures have been taken on
the hidden side of the moon.
With Russian scientific
ingenuity, they have been able
to transmit photographs
300,000 miles to Earth.
It is simply breathtaking.
This triumph puts great
pressure on the United States
to catch up with the Russians, who
always seem to be one step ahead
- of the NASA program.
- (MACHINE WHIRRING)
MALE VOICE: President Eisenhower
must be aware that he is on the brink
of losing the space race.
And to Mr. Khrushchev
and the Russian people,
the warmest congratulations
on this stunning triumph
for mankind and for history.
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKS)
DEKE: Ten, nine, eight, seven, six,
five, four, three,
two, one. Mission start.
(ALARM BUZZING)
Roger. We have lift off. Fuel
is go. One point eight Gs.
Cabin pressure is 14 PSI. Oxygen is go.
She's looking a little low there, Gordo.
DEKE: Engine performance off nominal.
Trajectory off nominal.
Engine performance low.
- (ALARM BLARING)
- Trajectory low. Abort.
Roger. Activating abort handle.
- DEKE: Eject the capsule, Gordo.
- Come on.
DEKE: Gordo, hit the chicken switch.
Gordo, abort. Abort.
- (BEEPING STOPS)
- (SIGHS)
- You're dead. Why the hell didn't you
- I tried.
It's not like we're actually
flying this damn thing.
One more test launch before the holidays
and they wanna give it to von Braun?
It's not just any launch. It
is our most crucial launch yet.
Our rockets keep exploding.
The children of our astronauts
watched one blow up
right in front of them.
Washington is gonna pull our
funding if we don't get this right.
It's all part of the process.
We've never done this before.
Yeah, and they don't
know if we ever will.
Von Braun built the Redstone
for us, the V2 for Hitler,
and one thing I can assure you is
the Germans did not lose the war
because of bad engineering.
- Yeah. But he's an
- Chris.
You will use him, and I do not
care whether you like him or not.
He's a Nazi. I don't trust him.
He's also the best goddamn
rocket scientist in the world.
The Russians are lapping
us in this race,
and we got a lot of catching up to do.
- Look, Mr. Kraft, I was just explaining
- Why'd you want pilots?
- For what?
- For any of this shit?
Doesn't take a pilot to sit
in a tin can pressing buttons
hoping the damn rocket doesn't blow up.
If something goes south in
a plane, there are options.
There's a million different things
you can do before you punch out.
But there is nothing we
can do in that capsule.
- Guys
- Only choice we got is to flip
the chicken switch and
pray you all wired it right.
I just burned up in the trainer.
We want a ship we can actually fly.
Gentlemen, we understand how
you feel, but you do not realize
what we're up against.
Look at this.
The moon?
The far side. The side
that's never been seen before.
The Russians put a probe into
lunar orbit and took this photo.
It will be on the front
page of every newspaper
in the world any day now.
- But how can they
- CHRIS: Well, for starters, I'm guessing
their guys don't go crying
up the chain of command
every time their egos
don't get properly stroked.
BOB: This program will go away if
we don't catch up to the Russians.
- All right. This is the place?
- Trains, planes, yeah.
- I love it. Let's do it.
- Yeah.
("JINGLE BELLS" PLAYING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Dashing through the snow ♪
In a one-horse open sleigh ♪
Hey.
- O'er the fields we go ♪
- No.
- No? She's a Betsy Wetsy doll.
- Laughing all the way ♪
She wets her own diaper.
The kids will love it.
You asked for my help
with this, didn't you?
So drop the cocky fighter jock routine.
You don't know anything about dolls.
What fun it is to ride and sing ♪
A sleighing song tonight ♪
- Really?
- Trust me.
My little cousins are
crazy about these things.
Jingle all the way ♪
- My God.
- (CHUCKLES)
- Oh, what fun it is to ride ♪
- All right.
In a one-horse open sleigh, hey ♪
Jingle bells, jingle bells ♪
Jingle all the way ♪
Who's the third one for?
(EXHALES) Louise's sister died.
So, her daughter's staying with us.
For how long?
Just staying.
Wow. That's a long time.
How old?
I think eight.
It's what Louise wants.
Eight?
Poor kid.
She's gonna need a lot
more than just a Barbie.
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- (DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
MALE VOICE: Now arriving,
bus number 22 from Richmond.
Twenty-two now arriving from Richmond.
(BUS DOOR OPENS)
DRIVER: Watch your step, sweetie.
FEMALE VOICE: Go on, now.
MALE VOICE: Thank you, sir.
LOUISE: Judith.
Oh.
You you got a little something.
A lady gave me chocolate on the bus.
We will get you sorted out.
I'll take that. This way.
(CRICKETS CHIRPING)
- Hey, where's Von Braun?
- In the bathroom. Come.
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- (CLEARS THROAT)
WERNHER: Christopher, is that you?
What's the outlook?
Forecast came in. High winds
overnight above 2,000 feet
but they should clear by sunrise,
so we are go for launch at 0900.
(FLUSHING)
That's what you said two days ago.
I'm just the flight director,
Wernher. I don't control the weather.
- (FAUCET RUNNING)
- Obviously not.
Is your team gonna be
ready to go tomorrow?
We've been ready all week.
Our rocket has been ready for months.
Stakes are pretty high here.
Just making sure.
I'm just a launch director, Chris.
- I'm aware of the stakes.
- Great. 0900 then.
(CLICKS TONGUE)
(RADIO STATIC)
MALE VOICE: T-minus 15. T-minus ten, nine.
Eight, seven,
six, five, four, three, two
What was that? What
the hell just happened?
MALE VOICE 2: The abort system
activated the escape tower,
- but the booster's still on the pad.
- (WERNHER'S TEAM SPEAKING GERMAN)
It's still powered up,
it's just sitting there.
CHRIS: Blockhouse, what's happening?
English. Speak English. Damn
it. What the hell is he saying?
They're trying to figure out
(WERNHER'S TEAM SPEAKING GERMAN)
- They're looking for a gun.
- A gun?
(ALARM BLARING)
Get out of the way!
- Stop!
- CHRIS: Out of the way! Move!
(ALARM CONTINUES BLARING)
(TIRES SCREECHING)
No!
Stop! Stop!
No!
No!
(BOTH GRUNT)
(PANTS) What the hell are you thinking?
- (INDISTINCT CHATTER)
- CHRIS: Wernher!
What the hell are you thinking?
The rocket is fully fueled. The
self-destruct charges are armed.
Shooting holes in the booster
will relieve the pressure
and prevent the whole
thing from exploding.
Unless it explodes when you shoot it.
I suppose that could
happen. What do you suggest?
Nothing.
Nothing. We we do nothing.
We wait for the battery to run
down and let the oxidizer boil off.
- That will take 12 hours.
- Fine.
Because no one is going anywhere
until we figure out why
your rocket didn't fly.
I can tell you why it did not fly.
Because of your hardware,
and possibly your procedures.
Because there's certainly
nothing wrong with my rocket.
Excuse me.
Merry Christmas, Christopher.
(CLAMORING)
(CAMERA SHUTTER CLICKING)
(CLAMORING)
MALE REPORTER: Mr. Schirra,
a few questions, please.
Hey.
Thank you.
Can I have just a moment?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
GORDON: Hey!
FEMALE VOICE: Mr. Cooper!
Mr. Cooper!
- What are you doing here?
- MALE VOICE: Sign this, Mr. Cooper.
- (GORDON SIGHS)
- Just read the card.
- Lurleen!
- MALE VOICE: Mr. Cooper.
- (CLAMORING)
- MALE REPORTER: Mr. Cooper, sir. Please.
FEMALE REPORTER: A moment
of your time, please.
MALE REPORTER 2: One with the children.
MALE REPORTER 3: Oh, yeah,
yeah. With the kids. That's
(CAMERA SHUTTERS CLICKING)
("ROCKIN' AROUND THE CHRISTMAS
TREE" BY BRENDA LEE PLAYING)
(BOTH LAUGH)
Smells good in here. Mm.
Where's Judith?
Martha.
We've decided to call her Martha.
Every couple tries to stop ♪
Rockin' around the Christmas tree ♪
We're, uh, changing her name?
- Judith is too close to Julie.
- It'd be confusing.
And we'll do some caroling ♪
Huh.
- JUDITH: Hello, Uncle Alan.
- Hey, there.
Sit here, darling.
When you hear voices
singing, let's be jolly ♪
White sails.
Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪
Rockin' around the Christmas tree ♪
ALAN: So sad. Mom didn't
make you any bacon.
- (LAURA LAUGHING)
- (JULIE LAUGHING)
(SONG PLAYING OVER RADIO)
JOHN: I don't like Nixon either,
but he will keep spending on NASA.
I'm afraid about Kennedy, too.
He's got no ties to the program.
It's Eisenhower's baby. (GROANS)
It was a Redstone that
failed this time, Annie.
That on top of the Russian moon picture,
we don't exactly look like
a winning horse right now.
(EXHALES SHARPLY)
We're gonna be vulnerable when
that new administration gets in.
I may have to put my
support behind Nixon.
- You're serious?
- (SIGHS)
They'll make me first, Annie.
His people said, if I publicly
support him, it'll be me.
- (SONG STOPS)
- JOHN: But he wants an answer soon.
Wh why come to you
- and and not Shepard or
- Because I'm a Democrat.
All those other guys except Carpenter,
they're gonna back Nixon anyway.
You you're winning already.
That's why.
- (EXHALES)
- You have power.
- (SIGHS)
- ANNIE: Use it.
Kennedy does doesn't
like the program?
I've been asking around. He's
Apparently, he's very skeptical.
So, change his mind.
(SONG PLAYING OVER RADIO)
She's more like my
sister than I realized.
I never thought I would
actually miss her. (SOBS)
What time do your parents get here?
(INHALES, EXHALES DEEPLY)
- The later, the better.
- (CHUCKLES, SNIFFLES)
- O Christmas tree, o Christmas tree ♪
- Dad? Dad?
- Dad? Have you ever seen Santa Claus?
- No, no, no.
I've I've never seen him but, uh
you know, I flew with a few
guys at Edwards, they did.
Thought they did anyhow.
'Cause he flies so fast,
way faster than any plane.
That's how he gets to every
house in the world in one night.
No way. Not in every house.
No, you're right. Only the
houses of good girls and boys.
He doesn't go to Russia.
Hey, sure he does, sweetie.
Santa knows that kids over there
aren't really any different, okay?
- O Christmas tree ♪
- Let's try these lights out.
See if they work, okay?
I got this end.
- GORDON: Have you got it?
- JANITA: Yes.
- GORDON: Okay.
- (CHUCKLES)
GORDON: Okay. Let's see.
Okay. You guys got to count me in, okay?
- Three, two, one.
- Two, one.
(CLEARS THROAT) Look, Mommy.
- CAM: So neat!
- (DOOR CLOSES)
JANITA: Whoa, they're so pretty.
Okay. Bring them on over here.
Let's, uh
Let's get them on the tree.
CAM: Here, take it from me.
- (DOORBELL RINGING)
- LOUISE: Honey, they're here.
- BART: Merry Christmas.
- Merry Christmas, Bart.
Hello, sweetheart.
The house looks lovely.
- LOUISE: Oh, thank you.
- RENZA: Merry Christmas.
LOUISE: Renza, you look beautiful.
- Thank you. Girls.
- (DOOR CLOSES)
Same size as always, I see.
Make you look a lot bigger on TV.
Merry Christmas, Dad.
- Grandma. Grandpa.
- BART: Oh, the heathens.
The heathens are upon me. (CHUCKLES)
Call in the cavalry,
I need reinforcements.
Oh, you are so beautiful.
Oh, hello.
You must be Judith.
ALAN: We're calling her Martha now.
BART: Martha?
(CHUCKLES) Hello, Martha.
Well, why don't we all
go in the living room?
That's a good idea.
- After you.
- LOUISE: Girls.
ALAN: Yes, sir. Yeah. No,
I'm sure that's right.
It's just, uh, well, Senator
Kennedy is a hard man to reach.
Got you. Bang!
- Right, well
- DAVE: Bang, bang, bang.
- I think he needs to understand
- (LYN SCREAMING)
- DAVE: Bang. Bang.
- just how important
the manned space program is for winning.
- Lyn and Dave, out.
- DAVE: Okay. Okay.
Yes. He needs to understand just how
important the manned space program
- is to winning, and
- (LYN SCREAMING)
(CLEARS THROAT)
Yeah. I understand. Of course.
Merry Christmas.
Congressman. Hi, John Glenn.
No, I understand. Merry Christmas.
Yes, sir. Hi, Major John Glenn.
Well, thank you for your
time. Merry Christmas.
I'm sorry. Happy Hanukkah.
Hi, Major John Glenn.
Well, thank you for your
time. Merry Christmas.
Congressman, yes. John Glenn.
Yes, sir. Merry Christmas.
(JOHN CLEARS THROAT)
BART: So I got the old
heifer up into his room
and I snuck out the back before
Granddad got out of the tub.
Thank you.
Now, you girls, aren't
growing up on a farm,
so you may not know, but
a cow will walk upstairs
but it will not walk
downstairs. Mm, mm-mm.
- (LAUGHS)
- (LAUGHS)
I thought that was pretty funny
too, until my father told me
that I would be sleeping in the
barn until that cow came down.
(LAUGHS)
I had to bribe half
the kids in the village
to come help me lower her
down by ropes. (GRUNTS)
Well, you could've just
pushed her out the window,
you would've had steaks for a year.
- (LAUGHS)
- BART: Uh.
Now, that is a Navy man
solution if I ever heard one.
Taking the easy way out. (CHUCKLES)
It's kind of like if a little girl's
name is inconvenient, you just change it.
What do you think about that, Martha?
Do you like that name?
Did you pick it?
- Let's talk about something else.
- No. I wanna hear her opinion
'cause I'm guessing
no one else has asked.
You're making her uncomfortable.
Oh.
(GASPS)
Mind your elbows.
(ALAN CLEARS THROAT)
This is my house, Dad.
I'll handle the discipline.
Mm. Doesn't seem to me
like you're handling much
of anything around here.
There's no flag on the pole out front.
I couldn't help but notice that.
That's some example you're setting.
But of course, discipline has never
really been your strong suit, has it?
(ALAN CLEARS THROAT)
You know what I think
Dad.
I think you're jealous.
Yeah. 'Cause what I'm
doing now is more important
than anything you've ever done.
(CHUCKLES) Did you read that
in Life magazine, Son?
What exactly is it you've
done? You haven't done anything.
Your little space program has
never been more than an empty show.
And now it's turning into a punchline.
Even the press that
used to fawn all over you,
they're starting to laugh.
The Russians are flying
clear to the moon.
You guys can't even get
a rocket off the ground.
And for this, you gave up
your Navy career. (INHALING)
Where does that put you
when the next war comes?
You gonna defeat the Soviets
with your press conferences
and your staged photoshoots?
(INHALES) I'll go get the dessert.
Forgot to mention that (CLEARS THROAT)
Martha's all settled
into the guest room.
You and Mom will have to
find a hotel for the night.
(BOTH LAUGH)
- Sorry.
- Ugh
I'm gonna head out
and uh, get us a tree.
We already have a tree.
Yeah, well, I hate that thing.
I want a real one like always.
I want a real tree, too.
It might be hard to find one
on Christmas Eve but, uh
I'll drive around and take a look.
JANITA: Get a big one.
- (DOOR CLOSES)
- Mom?
- Mom, it's your turn.
- Hm.
Sorry. Okay, four.
(CAR ENGINE STARTS)
Okay.
One
- JANITA: One, two, three
- You No, this is mine.
- You have to go right here.
- JANITA: One, two
- (RETRO MUSIC PLAYING)
- (RAIN PATTERING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Feliz Navidad, Ramon.
Scotch.
Deke.
Slayton, the spaceman.
What are you doing here?
I'm supposed to meet the
wife and kids in Miami.
Should have left ahead of the weather.
Marge's probably gonna kill me.
But she'll definitely
kill me if I die in a wreck
trying to drive through this storm.
Yeah. Women! Can't live with them,
but reindeer don't know how to cook.
(CHUCKLES) Cheers.
(GLASS CLINKS)
(GROANS) My flight was cancelled
this afternoon, regrettably.
But they damn well better
get me home tomorrow morning.
What happened with
the Redstone yesterday?
(SNORTS) Go ask your friend, Mr. Kraft.
He's out at the blockhouse
trying to discover what went wrong
as if he's ever going to.
This man understands nothing but
wishes to control everything
'cause you and your
colleagues are all too aware.
- With the capsule, you mean?
- Yeah.
But do you know why?
He wishes to be the pilot himself.
That's his dream
but he could not accomplish it
because one of his hands is deformed.
So now he insists on piloting
the capsule from Mercury Control.
I know it's upsetting to you
and the other men, believe me.
I understand just how
you feel. (CLICKS TONGUE)
Ramon, two.
Yeah.
Yeah.
TIMMY: (OVER TV) You put it there
and you forgot I can't read big words.
FEMALE VOICE: (OVER TV) Here.
Um. Timmy
- (KNOCKING ON DOOR)
- this whistled at me when I passed
and said it wanted you for Christmas.
It's signed Santa. I guess
it's from Santa Claus.
TIMMY: (OVER TV) Santa Claus, Mom!
You've lost weight.
(DOOR CLOSES)
Tell me how you thought
this would go, Lurleen.
Play the movie for me.
I haven't seen this one, Trudy
so I don't know how it ends.
Donald left me.
That's all.
My folks took the kids
in but they won't take me
because they're ashamed.
Okay.
I understand.
Now I know exactly why you're here.
At least you won't
go home empty-handed.
Merry Christmas.
How did you think this
was gonna go, Trudy?
Play the movie for me.
You might be able to fool
Life magazine
but you can't fool me.
I know exactly what your marriage is.
And deep down, so does Gordo.
Getting banged at lunchtime
for a couple of months
doesn't make you his damn soulmate.
You were a great trophy for him.
But that's all you should have ever been.
Pilot
hard enough having one of those
in the house, and I ought to know.
You never wanted to support Gordo.
You wanted to be him.
That's not what a man needs in a wife.
You think every man
needs the same thing?
I'm not talking about every man.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
(TELEPHONE RINGING CONTINUOUSLY)
GORDON: Lurleen?
Lurleen?
Lurleen, are you there?
(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
(SIGHS)
(MACHINE WHIRRING)
CHRIS: What are you doing here?
Thought maybe you could use a drink.
I don't know, Deke. (EXHALES)
I thought if I compared
the data on the tapes
to the original graph lines, maybe
I'd find a discrepancy.
Maybe get some sort of clue
as to why we cannot get
a rocket off the ground.
Don't they have the same
telemetry in Virginia?
Yeah. Yeah. Lenny and the guys are,
they're going through it up there.
Just Yeah, I thought, I
should stay here.
Hmm.
Ran into von Braun at the bar.
- He's got a lot to say about you.
- Yeah?
Am I getting a lump
of coal in my stocking?
Hmm.
Part that caught my interest.
He says you couldn't
make it as a pilot
and that's why you wanna fly
the capsule from down here.
That's what you came
here to talk about, Deke?
Said you washed out on
account of a bad hand.
I dropped my peanut butter and
jelly sandwich into a trash fire
when I was three.
Burned my hand to a crisp
trying to pull it out.
Must have been one hell of a sandwich.
(CHUCKLES, INHALES)
Von Braun is right.
Navy rejected me from flight training.
I guess the guy's got
me all figured out.
Caught it in a hay
mower when I was five.
Only one you can lose
and still be a pilot.
(SCOFFS) Screw von Braun.
Never liked that Nazi anyway.
He's getting soaked at the
bar in a Santa Claus beard
while you're out here working.
I can tell you who I'd
rather have as a wingman.
You're gonna help us get
control over this shit or what?
(CHUCKLES)
- Bang, bang! Got you. Got you. Got you.
- DAVE: Bang, bang, bang!
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
(LYN CHUCKLES)
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
- Hello?
- DAVE: Bang, bang.
- (LYN SCREAMS)
- What? Mr. Kennedy?
- DAVE: Bang, bang. Bang.
- Uh. Yes.
DAVE: Bang, bang. Bang.
- LYN: I got you so many times.
- Bobby then. (CHUCKLES)
- No, I won.
- Yes, I got you.
I'm sorry. Excuse me.
Hey. Hey. Come here. Hey.
Yeah. That's right. Christmas
Eve. Hey, Lyn, Dave. Out. Go.
Uh-huh.
The That's right.
The Natives are restless.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Uh. Well, look, I just I think
with this election coming up,
it's important for
us Democrats to, uh
Uh-huh!
I know.
Bobby, listen.
Let's say your brother
gets the nomination
does he wanna win Ohio in the fall?
MALE VOICE OVER TV: A Merry Christmas
to you, uncle. God save you.
Humbug I said, and humbug
I mean. Merry Christmas?
What right have you to be
merry? You're poor enough?
HUMBUG OVER TV: What right have you
to be dismal? You're rich enough.
- MALE VOICE OVER TV: Humbug.
- HUMBUG: Now, uncle, don't be cross.
MALE VOICE OVER TV: What else can I be
when I live in such a world of fools?
Merry Christmas.
What's Christmas time but a time
for paying bills without money?
A time of finding yourself a year
older and not an hour richer?
If I could work my will,
every idiot that goes about
with "Merry Christmas" on his lips,
should be boiled with his own pudding
and buried with a stake of
holly through his heart.
Jesus, Trudy, where were you?
Do you still love me?
Of course I do. How could you even ask?
I went to the motel.
And then you know I
wasn't there, don't you?
TRUDY: But you called.
I didn't I didn't go
to her. I came back home.
Because you had to.
To protect your image.
I mean, you would never get to
space with a busted marriage.
Or maybe even because
you love the girls. (SIGHING)
I don't know.
(INHALES) But none of that
is what I'm asking. Me.
- Do you still love me?
- Yes.
Okay? Yes. I love you.
- What is it you want me to say?
- (SCOFFS)
GORDON: That I never felt
anything for Lurleen? Well, I did.
Okay?
- But I made my choice.
- (CHUCKLES)
Trudy, I didn't get you
back so I could go to space.
It's the other way around.
The first thing I thought
when I got that call from NASA
was that maybe, just
just maybe, this might give
me one last shot with you.
So, yes
I love you.
(INHALES, EXHALES DEEPLY)
(GORDON SIGHS)
- Joy to the world, the Lord is come ♪
- Hi, Emily. This is Barbie.
- Barbie, this is Emily.
- Let earth receive her King ♪
Hi, Barbie. Hi, Emily.
Let every heart prepare him room ♪
Hey.
Come help me with something.
Okay.
Now
you know what this is.
Do you know what it means?
America?
Yeah.
But not just the country.
An idea.
Freedom to choose your own life.
My dad showed me how to do
this when I was your age.
This will be your
special job from now on.
- You wanna help me hold this?
- (BIRDS CHIRPING)
Stars on top. Red on the bottom.
Raise it all the way up.
I'm gonna give you this.
Yup.
That'll do it.
Come on down here.
Tie this down right here.
That's good.
Raise the flag every morning.
Lower it when the sun comes down.
You think you can do that?
It's good to have a routine.
Helps organize your day.
It's even better if it makes
you think of something important.
How long am I going to stay here?
This is your home now, Martha.
You're gonna stay here for good.
Then
I don't want you to call me Martha.
I wanna choose my own name.
Oh, yeah?
What'd you have in mind?
Alan.
Alan?
A girl named Alan.
Might get you into some
trouble down the road. (INHALES)
(CHUCKLES) How about Alice?
Yeah?
Good to meet you, Alice.
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Club soda. Make it a double.
Evening, John. You look like
the cat who ate the catnip.
Can you keep a secret, Scotty?
Got a special guest coming
tonight who just might be
the next President of the United States.
Dick Nixon's coming here?
- I can't stand that Quaker weasel.
- No, no, no, no, no, no.
John F. Kennedy.
You know, my wife thinks he's
better-looking than Elvis.
No. No. Hey. No. Keep it under your hat.
I want it to be a
surprise when he shows up.
Rene, come here.
Sir, I know I don't have to tell
you that people in the Heartland
feel this mission is darned
Jack. (CHUCKLES)
Jack.
- Jack, folks back in Ohio
- (FLUSHING)
- (CLEARS THROAT)
- (FAUCET RUNNING)
(CLEARS THROAT)
- Practicing your New Year's sermon, John?
- (CHUCKLES)
(DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
(CAR APPROACHING)
(CAR DOOR OPENS)
(CAR DOOR OPENS, CLOSES)
JEROME: Mr. Glenn
Senator Kennedy sends his regrets.
He was unavoidably detained.
My name is Jerome Wiesner.
Shall we?
(JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING)
That's not John F. Kennedy.
Uh, no. This is Senator
Kennedy's special advisor
on all matters of science,
Dr. Jerome Wiesner.
It's good to see you.
Nice to meet you.
Jack asked me to be here
because he has some questions,
shall we say, about the
manned space program.
Did you invite this guy here?
ALAN: Let's get you a drink, shall we?
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
Ladies and gentlemen, the
1960s are about to blast off.
(LAUGHS) Now. Now.
If there's one thing I'm guessing
you people know how to do,
- it's a countdown.
- (CROWD CHEER)
- FEMALE HOST: Ten, nine
- CROWD: Nine,
eight, seven, six,
five, four, three, two, one.
- FEMALE HOST: Happy New Year!
- (CROWD CHEER)
Should auld acquaintance be forgot ♪
And never brought to mind? ♪
Should auld acquaintance be forgot ♪
And days of auld lang syne? ♪
For auld lang syne, my dear ♪
For auld lang syne ♪
We'll take a cup ♪
John. Happy New Year.
Happy New Year.
For auld lang syne ♪