Dr J Ferguson
University of Nevada, Reno
Spring 2018
James Langelle
“We Were Soldiers” (2002) Directed by Randall Wallace--“The Telegram”
JULIE (Madeleine Stowe), the wife of Lt Col Hal Moore (Mel Gibson), is at her home on a military base, presumably Fort Benning, GA, and is quietly looking at a variety of photos of her family. The Colonel is in Vietnam and his unit, the 7th Cavalry, has just engaged a large force of NVA regulars in the La Drang Valley, it is late November, 1965. As she is carefully going over the framed photos, a yellow taxi pulls to a stop outside. JULIE sees the taxi, falls down, tightly holding a rosary and senses ominous news as the doorbell rings: The CABBIE (uncredited in film) is at the doorway, JULIE goes to the door and answers. The CABBIE is at the door holding a telegram and removes his hat as JULIE answers.
CABBIE Mrs. Moore? (pause as JULIE approaches screen door) Col. Moore’s wife?
JULIE (quietly and with blank expression) Yes.
CABBIE (looking at the telegram) I need help finding an address.
JULIE (screaming) Address!! Do you know what this is!!
CABBIE stares, looks down dumbfounded.
JULIE (screaming) Do you know what you just did to me!!
Silence as CABBIE shakes his head and looks down. CABBIE walks back down the steps, holding telegram and hat in hands. CABBIE stops, turns around, waves telegram in left hand, hat in right hand.
CABBIE (apologetic) I..I don’t like this job, Ma’am.. (pause) Just tryin' to do it.
CABBIE puts his head down, turns around, walks slowly down sidewalk back to taxi.
JULIE (authority in voice) . WAIT..! (opens screen door, goes down steps) Wait !
CABBIE, with hat on head, stops, turns around, JULIE catches up with and confronts him.
JULIE I’ll take it to her. (closeup shot of JULIE taking telegram from CABBIE)
JULIE (Calm but firm) And tell the cab company if there are any others, bring them to me.
CABBIE nods silently, lowers head, turns around, walks back to taxi. JULIE silently examines the name and address on the telegram.
The scene can be found on the internet: “The Telegram”--
The Duranti Greetings Analysis is as follows:
a.) Near boundary: occurs when they are face to face at the screen door.
b.) Shared perceptual field: as CABBIE and JULIE share the same scene.
c.) Adjacency pairs: at least one did not occur when the CABBIE apologetically remarks
“I don’t like this job Ma’am”
d.) Relative predictability: JULIE has completely misread the CABBIE’S intentions, thinking the telegram was for her.
e.) Spatiotemporal: although the scene as a stand alone does not totally convey the seriousness of the contact, the viewer senses something about the telegram that is ominous, more than likely, very bad news.
f.) Identification of the interlocutor: It is an accidental encounter due to the CABBIE unable to locate the address on the telegram. JULIE completely misreads the intentions of the CABBIE and reacts accordingly. Following the CABBIE’S retreat, JULIE repairs the encounter and makes the necessary adjustments in the adjacency to reconcile the grave error made by the CABBIE.