Genre: Crime/Biography
Director: David Mackenzie
Writers: Mo Buck & D.R. Cobb
Cast: Stephen Dorff, Giovanni Ribisi, David Strathairn, John Magaro, Jacob Pitts, Stephen Root, Daniel Stern, Nick Wechsler, Rhys Coiro, Marin Ireland, Sarah Snook
Plot: 1980.
During a relatively calm night in Texas, bright stars in the sky, the police rushed to a nearby bar, where they received an alarming phone call from a waitress. Three policemen are hiding behind their car with their shotguns cocked. A fourth policeman is out in the open with a megaphone. He asks the felon if he plans on getting out because they have him circled. Inside, Charles Harrelson (Stephen Dorff), high on cocaine, panics. He hides behind the counter with tears coming down his eyes. He holds the waitress hostage and he tells the policeman he doesn’t plan on getting out. The policeman says it’s a bad idea to force them to get him out and Charles pushes the waitress to the ground. He admits that he killed President Kennedy and Judge Wood. He confesses. He kicks the door open and throws his gun on the ground, his hands in the air. As the camera fades away, the policemen throw him to the ground and arrest him.
1968
In Houston, Texas, down-on-his-luck carpet salesman Alan Harry Berg (Jacob Pitts) is sitting in his dark office at the back of his carpet shop and he opens his mail. He throws out a couple of letters urging him, or the business to pay some long-delayed bills. He receives another letter threatening him to pay his gambling debt, or else he’s going to regret it. He shreds all the letters so his father and business associate will not see them and turns the light off. As he’s heading out, he receives a phone call. He puts his briefcase down and answers. On the other end, a woman invites him to a bar, promising sexual favors. He looks at a framed picture of his wife and kids and is hesitant. She convinces him to join her and he puts the picture down before accepting. Minutes later, Alan pulls up to the bar. He exits his vehicle and he’s dragged into another vehicle. A gun shot is heard and the camera zooms on the blood spatter on the window. A man is seen leaving the car short after.
Charles Harrelson is brought out of his cell for a conjugal visit. He kisses his wife, Diane Lou (Sarah Snook) and they sit down to talk about what’s going on with his trial. Harrelson says they have a serious plan that will get him acquitted, it will almost be too easy. She says he’s taking this too lightly, these are some serious accusations against him, they think he killed a man. She’s curious to hear what his defense is for to be so confident and he says she wouldn’t understand because it’s so technical, but if she really loves him, he needs her to do something simple and he promises it won’t get her in any trouble. She assess she loves him with all his heart and the boys too and he asks her to come with the boys at the courthouse to paint him in a sympathetic life. She knows him, he’s not a killer. She says sometimes she has the feeling she doesn’t really know him, but of course she can do that. She says he needs a damn good lawyer to get off of murder charges and Charles says he has the best in the business.
Percy Foreman (David Strathairn) calls Diane Lou to the stand and she testifies Charles is a good husband and he never did anything violent towards her, or the boys for that matter. She says her husband is a good man and doesn’t deserve everything that is happening to him. Foreman thanks her for her testimony and on her way out, she blows her husband a kiss and he simply smiles. Foreman invites an unusually high number of witnesses to give Harrelson an alibi at the time of the murder. He also has several witnesses who assess Alan Berg had many enemies, including former employees dissatisfied with their treatment when they were employed by Berg’s business and they also shared their suspicions that Berg had gambling debts. They were able to recover some documents proving Berg’s death. Foreman concludes his argument by saying many people had a reason to kill Foreman, but Harrelson wasn’t one of them. After a quick deliberation, the jury finds Harrelson not guilty of the murder of Alan Harry Berg.
Charles thanks Foreman for his good work and he hopes he never has to call him again. Foreman asks for his payment now and Charles says money isn’t a problem, winking. He meets with Diane Lou outside the courthouse and they share a kiss and he hugs his boys. They get in the car and ride back home. Charles writes Foreman a cheque for an important amount of money and mails it. Diane Lou cooked him his favorite meal, a rib-eye steak and he eats in silence. The night has come and Diane Lou sees him packing a suitcase. She asks him why he’s packing and he has business to attend to out of town. He says she’s a good mother and she needs to take care of the boys while she’s gone. He kisses her goodbye and he visits his boys’ room. He kisses them on the forehead and he looks at them one last time before driving off in the night. He lights up a cigarette and turns on the radio as he leaves town.
Sam Degelia (John Magaro), a grain dealer from Hearne, Texas, is washing his tractor at the end of a grueling day. He changes when he gets back inside and he talks with his four boys and wife. One of his son wants to follow into his study, but Sam forbids him to. His mother orders him to stay away. Sam makes a phone call and has he starts to lose his temper and shout at the man at the other end of the line, the camera moves around the house and into the bedroom. It is revealed Sam has a lot of money hidden under his mattress. Sam hangs up the phone and leaves his study and enters the bedroom. His wife asks if everything is alright and he says everything is fine.
Pete Scamardo (Giovanni Ribisi) hangs up the phone. He’s sitting in his office, in McAllen, Texas, counting his money, when a man enters and he says that the man he’s looking for is here. He gets up and leaves. As the camera follows Scamardo into the adjacent room, we hear men arguing and bragging about a poker game. A man orders a glass of whiskey and Scamardo says he will not get it, until he’s paid. That man is revealed to be Charles Harrelson who let his beard grow a bit. He says it’s been a year since he’s been in McAllen and he owns him more than ten thousand dollars in gambling debt and he’s not allowed in here until he pays off his debt. Charles asks him for more time, he can feel his luck will turn around shortly and he will be able to pay him back. Scamardo forbids him from playing until he’s fully reimbursed. Charles says he’s out of here and he tries to leave, but Pete says he’s not going anywhere. They bring him into Scamardo’s office and sit him down. Pete claims he knows the real Charles Harrelson and what he did in Houston. Charles says he has no idea what he’s talking about. Pete wants to offer him a way to get rid of his debt. He has a business partner by the name of Sam Degelia and it would be better for him if he was gone. Charles says it doesn’t make a lot of sense and Pete says it would help him. Charles asks what’s in it for him and Pete offers him to clear his debt, but Charles wants a bit more. They agree on $2000. They shake hands and Pete whispers in Charles ear not to deceive him as Charles leaves.
The following, policemen were called to Sam Degelia’s house and they find Sam’s body in his car, a bullet hole between his eyes. A detective is seen interrogating the grieving widow and she mentions Pete Scamardo.
Scamardo and Harrelson are quickly arrested in the same day. They find themselves together in the holding cell and pretend like they don’t know each other. When they realise they have evidence against them, Scamardo asks Harrelson what the plan is and Charles says he knows the right guy and he will take care of everything.
Percy Foreman is seen with a woman. He asks her to repeat what she needs to say one more time. She says she spent the night of the murder with Charles at a local bar, so there’s no way he could have killed Sam Degelia. Foreman gives her a paper with the court’s address and the time she needs to show and leaves her an envelope full of money. They shake hands and he leaves. He repeats the process with dozens of other people who will drag Sam Degelia through the mud. He ends his day with an empty briefcase and a whole lot less money, but he’s still satisfied.
Foreman is in the courthouse when they bring in both Scarmado and Harrelson. Harrelson whispers to Pete that he’s the best in the business, but he comes at a price. Since Scarmado seems to have a lot of money, he will take care of the bill. Scarmado asks him what does this old man do that is so expensive and Harrelson tells him to wait and see. Percy calls his first witness to the stand and repeats the same process he used in the Alan Berg trial. In the end, he’s able to paint Degelia has an irresponsible man who had a lot of problems and had money problems. He had no money to his name and had countless debt and that’s why he kept money under his mattress and weapons nearby. He’s now ready to call his next witness that will give an alibi to both Scamardo and Harrelson. They call the witness once, twice, but to no avail, the women didn’t show up. Percy is shocked and so are Charles and Pete.
Some time later, they meet with Percy in jail. He says he hasn’t been able to track the woman down and it is the first time it happened to him. Pete says he was promised to get out of this unscathed and right now it doesn’t look good. He better win, or else, he won’t pay for Foreman’s extras. Foreman thinks he has a good case, but it will depend on the jury. He hasn’t been able to track down anything to pressure the jurors. Their fate is in God’s hands now.
A couple of days later, Pete and Charles are brought out to court with Percy by their side. The judge is here to give the final sentence. Pete is found guilty of being an accomplice to the murder and Charles is found guilty of murder. They receive a seven and fifteen-year sentence. Percy gathers his things and leave. He tells Pete he expects to be paid anyway. Charles and Pete sit their in silence, until they are escorted out, on their way to the penitentiary.
1978
While in prison, Charles begins exchanging letters with a woman named Jo Ann. He writes to her that he is expecting to be released soon on good behavior and would like to meet her. On the day of his release, he finally meets Jo Ann (Marin Ireland) in person. He expresses relief that she isn't "some dog". The two spend the night having sex in a grimy motel room. Afterward, they lie in bed smoking cigarettes. Jo Ann asks Charles what he plans to do with his life now that he's a free man. Charles says he hasn't really put a whole lot of thought into it, but he has a few skills that could help him make some easy money if need be.
1979
Jimmy Chagra (Rhys Coiro) is in jail waiting to go to trial on drug trafficking charges. He is called to a visiting room where his lawyer Oscar Goodman (Daniel Stern) is waiting for him. Goodman tells Jimmy that he has good news and bad news. Jimmy asks for the good news first. Goodman tells him that they have set a date for Jimmy's trial to begin. Jimmy asks what the bad news is, and Goodman tells him that Judge John Wood has been assigned to preside over the trial. Jimmy asks how that is bad news. Goodman informs him that Wood has a reputation for always giving the maximum sentences on drug related cases, which would be life without the possibility of parole in this case. Nervous, Jimmy asks for Goodman to bring Jimmy's brother Joe to the next meeting.
A few days later, Jimmy meets with Goodman and Joe Chagra (Nick Wechsler), Jimmy's brother who also happens to be a lawyer. Jimmy tells Joe that he needs him to find someone to kill Judge Wood before the trial begins. Goodman starts humming to himself, pretending he doesn't hear this request. Joe assures Jimmy that he'll find someone for the job.
Joe Chagra finds himself in a seedy roadhouse in San Marcos, and begins asking around for a man named "Harrelson". Charles Harrelson is in a corner booth smoking and drinking when he notices Joe. The bartender points Charles out, and Joe sits down in his booth. Joe asks Charles if he's ever killed anyone. Charles laughs at the question, and asks if Joe is a cop. Joe assures Charles he is not a job, and tells Charles that he came to find him because he has a lucrative job offer. Charles takes a sip of his drink and asks what the job is. In a hushed tone, Joe offers Charles $250,000 to kill Judge John Wood. Charles says that's quite the sum. Joe says that if Judge Wood doesn't die, his brother will. Charles accepts the job offer.
Charles returns home to a trailer park on the outskirts of San Marcos. He enters his trailer to find Jo Ann opening their neighbors' mail looking for checks or cash. Charles excitedly tells Jo Ann that he may just have come into a big enough payday to set them up for life. Jo Ann drops their neighbors' stolen mail and eagerly asks what the job is.
Charles and Jo Ann sit in a car across the street from Judge Wood's house. They watch as Judge Wood (Stephen Root) exits his house and gets into his car. Wood begins backing up his car when he notices a cat laying behind his car in the driveway. Judge Wood gets out of the car and tries to shoo the cat away, but the cat attacks Wood's leg. Judge Wood kicks the cat away and gets back into his car. They follow him as he runs errands around town. Jo Ann asks why they are following the man, and Charles reveals that he's been hired to kill the Judge.
That night, Charles is watching the news at the roadhouse when he sees a report that Judge John Wood was assassinated earlier that day. In the morning, Harrelson heads to Joe Chagra's office in San Antonio and demands his money. Joe tells Charles that he doesn't believe he was the one who killed Judge Wood, so he is not going to pay him anything. Charles begins trashing the office, insisting that he killed the Judge and is owed money for the job as agreed upon. Joe tosses an envelope at Charles and says that's all he gets. Charles thumbs through the cash, and it is way less than $250,000, but Charles takes and starts toward the exit. Charles tells Joe that he won't forget about this, and then leaves. Joe presses stop on a tape recorder he has under his desk and calls Charles a moron under his breath.
1980
Charles is doing cocaine in the bathroom of a bar, snorting away what's left of the money from Joe Chagra. When he exits the restroom, he sees an investigative report on the television about the assassination of Judge Wood. Charles starts laughing uncontrollably. The bartender asks Charles what's so funny, and Charles tells everyone in the bar that he killed the judge. The bartender says that's not funny, but Charles insists it's true. He killed Judge Wood. Hell, he killed JFK too, he proclaims to the entire establishment. One of the waitresses uses a payphone to call the police, suggesting they come as soon as possible since some man is acting erratically and announcing that he's killed people.
Charles Harrelson finds himself in the back of a police car, on his way to yet another jail. The officers in the front seat asks Charles if he really killed JFK. Charles simply smiles to himself and looks out the window at the passing landscapes.
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