Overview
Here is the official scriptbook of the acclaimed movie about the birth of the CIA by Eric Roth, the screenwriter of Forrest Gump and Munich—an epic drama directed by Robert De Niro and starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup,William Hurt, Joe Pesci, John Turturro, and Robert De Niro.
Roth frames his story with key events in the CIA's history, beginning the screenplay at the height of the Office of Strategic Services (the precursor of the CIA) during World War II and closing the timeline with the CIA's failure to accomplish its crucial mission at the Bay of Pigs in 1961.
Roth's script, which took more than twelve years to get produced, examines the lives of the men who formed our nation's modern-day intelligence service."I was intrigued with what morals people have and what they're willing to sacrifice," Roth reports. "As I delved into it, I wanted to know more about what kind of lives these guys lived.What was his family life like, and what was life like with his children? What were his dreams for them?"
Synopsis
The official book tie-in to the new movie by the screenwriter of Forrest Gump and Munich—the untold story of the birth of the CIA—an epic drama, directed by Robert De Niro, starring Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie, Alec Baldwin, Billy Crudup, William Hurt, Joe Pesci, John Turturro, and Robert De Niro.
Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) understands the value of secrecy—discretion and commitment to honor have been embedded in him since childhood. As an eager, optimistic student at Yale, he is recruited to join the secret society Skull and Bones, a brotherhood and breeding ground for future world leaders.
Wilson's acute mind, spotless reputation, and sincere belief in American values render him a prime candidate for a career in intelligence, and he is soon recruited to work for the OSS (the precursor to the CIA) during World War II.
As one of the covert founders of the CIA, working in the heart of an organization where duplicity is required and nothing is taken at face value, Wilson's idealism is steadily eroded by a growing suspicious nature, reflective of a world settling in to the long paranoia of the Cold War.
As his methods are adopted as standard operating procedure, Wilson develops into one of the Agency's veteran operatives, all the while combating his KGB counterpart. However, his steely dedication to his country comes at an ever-increasing price. Not even his wife, Clover (Angelina Jolie), or his beloved son can divert Wilson from a path that will force him to sacrifice everything in pursuit of this job.
The Newmarket Shooting Script® book includes the screenplay, a Q&A with Eric Roth, production notes, 23 colorphotographs, and the complete cast and crew credits.