DEEP UNDERCOVER

A Motion Picture Treatment

by Callahan Cleanwood

the basis of a true story

ANGLE ON:

NITT ROMEY'S boyishly handsome, exuberantly happy face.  He
is listening to words of praise pouring out of Hollywood Icon
CLINT EASTWOOD who is addressing a crowd of ROMEY SUPPORTERS.

It's clear the praise of this legend is like a drug - he can't get enough
of it - to a man who has allowed himself very few of life's pleasures.
After the speech, SUPPORTERS gather around NITT to congratulate
him on the words of the Man with no Name.   

Although anxious to work his way to the star, NITT can't help asking
EACH WELL-WISHER, "Did you hear what Clint said?"  As NITT 
basks in the glow of the moments-old memory,

CLINT looks back from a SIDE DOOR.  Behind him stand TWO 
FIGURES IN COWBOY HATS W/FACES IN THE SHADOW.
CLINT sizes up NITT:  "do you think he'll bite?"  

"Reckon he will."  Spit chewing tobacco.

THE THREE  slip out, letting the door close behind them.

ON THE ROMEY PLANE - NIGHT

NAN stands behind ROMEY buckled into his SWIVEL CHAIR.
They are surrounded by CAMPAIGN AIDS, all in shirt sleeves
with loosened ties.   

ROMEY

It's perfect.

CAMPAIGN MANAGER

The risk seems too great.  

ROMEY

What risk?  What could go wrong?

ANGLE ON:

LOGO OF 2012 RNC

PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

SEARCH LIGHTS MOVING OVER STAGE AND HALL looking 

for the MYSTERY GUEST.  

ON A MONITOR - AN ANCHORWOMAN rubs her hands like

Simon Legreed, wondering who the MYSTERY GUEST will be.

CLINT  stands ready to walk on.   NITT comes up BEHIND  him.  

Without turning around, CLINT starts talking:

Imagine, Governor, a movie star who wanted to break into 

performance art.  Being a star, he's used to having his whims

indulged.  Not wanting to start from the bottom and work

his way up, he imagines performing in public the first time

before a huge national audience.    Who knows?   It may be 

the last.  Still he wants to make a splash, so what would be

the best venue to leave his mark.   Not a regular tv show: 

with cable the audience is too splintered; not a sporting 

event: he doesn't want to play 2nd fiddle to a sports event.

He's got it:  a national political convention, the night the

candidate accepts the nomination.  The big cuhuna, the 

one night Americans still watched tv together as a nation.

Only one problem:  how to upstage the candidate.  The

Star wants to be the star, not the supporting player,

but he's just the opening act.  What to do?  What to do?

Suddenly he gets it.  What is Hollywood?  It's the dream

factory.   And where do dreams come from?   The unconscious.

The unconscious is much more powerful  than the conscious

as a storyteller.    Let the candidate represent the conscious

aspect of the Republican mind, he, the STAR, would embody

the unconscious fears, resentments and assumptions which 

actually motivate the Party.  He would bring forth the true
dreams of the GOP.  He would show fully in the sleep of 
reason, what nightmares have risen.

Just then the Theme from The Good, the Bad & the Ugly 
suddenly sounded its opening notes.

"Listen, Clint, maybe you shouldn't go on," said Romey.  "It doesn't

look like you're feeling well."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, Clint Eastwood!"

"Never better," and the man with no name strolled out under the 
bright, bright lights.

THE END