"THE PITCH"

                                   (Lights up on LOU, a studio chief, and
                                   JACK, a producer.  A desk.  A phone.)

                                   LOU
            Whatta ya got?

                                   JACK
            Your next Oscar.

                                   LOU
            Sure, sure.  You got flowers and candy that go with that
            bullshit?

                                   JACK
            I got names.

                                   LOU
            Names.

                                   JACK
            You name em, I got em.

                                   LOU
            Who's doing the script?

                                   JACK
            Who's not?  We've got twelve treatments.  Make that eleven. 
            We lost Goldsman to the disaster flick at Warners.

                                   LOU
            So go the tides of time.  Good story?

                                   JACK
            Brilliant.  Fantastic.  The best.  Not ours, of course.

                                   LOU
            An old story made new.

                                   JACK
            For the new millennium.

                                   LOU
            Let's hearken back to the days when heroes were heroes and
            the villain wore black.

                                   JACK
            It's what the country needs.  A shot in the arm.  A slap in
            the face.  A kick in the ass.  Something to believe during
            these trying times.

                                   LOU
            Though war is good for the box office.

                                   JACK
            I'm not complaining.

                                   LOU
            So!  What is the title of this runaway blockbuster?

                                   JACK
            Waiting.  For.  Godot.

                                   LOU
            Waiting for who?

                                   JACK
            Godot.

                                   LOU
            Who's that?

                                   JACK
            You tell me.

                                   LOU
            What's it about?

                                   JACK
            Two guys.  Wait around.  For another guy.

                                   LOU
            A buddy picture.

                                   JACK
            Is it ever.

                                   LOU
            So, these guys wait.

                                   JACK
            Yep.

                                   LOU
            For Godot.

                                   JACK
            Exactly.

                                   LOU
            Who is. . .?

                                   JACK
            Godot.  He's Godot.

                                   LOU
            And he's not here now, but he'll be coming by later.

                                   JACK
            He's on the way.

                                   LOU
            Meanwhile, these guys say, "What the hell, we'll wait."

                                   JACK
            In a nutshell.

                                   LOU
            So, they're waiting.  (Pause.)  And they have to pass the
            time.  (Pause.)  What am I watching here?

                                   JACK
            They talk.

                                   LOU
            They talk.  About what?

                                   JACK
            Godot.

                                   LOU
            Who isn't there.

                                   JACK
            Check.

                                   LOU
            But will be there soon.

                                   JACK
            He's en route.

                                   LOU
            And they're talking about him.

                                   JACK
            His ears are burning.

                                   LOU
            And we find out exactly what about this Godot character?

                                   JACK
            Not a damn thing.

                                   LOU
            A man of mystery.  Like The Shadow.

                                   JACK
            Yes.  He's very Shadowesque.