 Elements of Scotts storyline were taken from  William Shakespeare (I) (qv)s plays "Henry IV Part 1" and "Henry  IV Part 2" (a young man tries to avoid following in his fathers  footsteps as a governmental leader by keeping disreputable company)  and "Henry V" (after the fathers death, the young man abandons his  carousing friends, becomes respectable, goes to a European country  where he doesnt speak the language and brings back a wife, and  starts a political career). In several scenes the characters  dialogue is taken straight from these plays. For instance, at one  point, Bob tells his companion that "We have heard the chimes at  midnight." This line was spoken by the character Falstaff in "Henry  IV Part II". The very next shot shows Keanu Reeves (qv) character  drinking a Falstaff beer.