Exploiting Hollywood 1980

It was pleasant to chat with a mature woman like Annette Bening. Ronald had no pressure and could relax and enjoy the typical atmosphere of American family life.

After the party, Ronald drove his Ferrari and took Benin home.

This woman, who was two years older than Ronald, was very perceptive and did not make any demands. She just focused on chatting with Ronald and flattered him without leaving any trace.

Ronald, who had just been tortured by Gene Hackman's hard-hitting and uncomfortable chat style, felt good. The actress was unlike any Hollywood actress Ronald had come across before, more demure rather than aggressive, and her ambition was immediately apparent. A good person to chat with.

During the conversation, Annette Bening learned about Ronald's family background and said a lot of good things about Aunt Karen with great empathy. She also touched Ronald's face with the back of her hand, showing a kind of pity. look.

Ronald, who had never had a woman of his own age take such good care of his feelings, was very surprised. Originally, he had always taken care of the feelings of close women. In turn, being taken care of by Bening, who was like a sister, he felt a little comfortable in his heart that he had never felt before, being taken care of.

"You haven't talked about your experience yet? How did you become an actor on Broadway? Have you also participated in the drama club since high school?"

Ronald also wanted to know more about Benin's experience. This kind of conversation with a woman is a more formal way for men and women to get along for the first time in America.

"Not really. I am different from most actresses in New York and Los Angeles. I was born and raised in the South. I like drama, but it took me a long time to find a role on the drama stage."

Bening's experience is indeed very complicated. Her status on Broadway was entirely achieved by her own hard work.

She was born in a small town in the southern state of Kansas and moved to San Diego, California with her father, an insurance salesman, in middle school. The youngest of four children, she received a strict Southern Episcopalian education.

Needless to say, such a southern girl was severely discriminated against by the "Valley Girls" in California. Bening, who is very talented in comedy, starred in the school troupe's "The Sound of Music" in high school, but did not receive any drama scholarship to go to college.

Bening, who wanted to be an actor, had no choice but to work on his own to earn money. He worked on a yacht on the West Coast, worked as a cook for the wealthy people who went fishing, and also worked part-time as a diving instructor. He earned money and studied at the same time. Until 1985, Only then did he find a full-time job as an actor with the Denver Theater Company in Colorado.

Her performance of "Pygmalion" in Denver received critical acclaim,

Entered Broadway in 1987, and was nominated for a Tony Award for her performance in "Coastal Disturbance", her first leading role.

With her accumulation of experience, she naturally attracted the attention of Hollywood and starred in "Into the Wild".

"So, you're still a Dixie girl?" Ronald joked.

"Yeah, my life growing up in Kansas shaped me, finding opportunities in the theater industry and touring the South. Yankee Sr...." Bening in turn called Ronald Yankee Sr. because he was legit. New Yorker.

Bening put a hand on Ronald's waist, and there was a mixture of admiration and appreciation in his eyes.

Ronald reached back and touched Bening's little hand, then turned to look at her. Bening also generously let him look at her with aggressive eyes, squeezed his hand hard, and then took it back.

For a moment, Ronald felt that he and Bening were in love with each other.

The two had similar experiences, and they resonated with each other as they chatted. After a while, they arrived at the small apartment Bening rented in Los Angeles.

"My home is right here. Thank you for sending me back." Annette Bening had no intention of taking out the key and inviting Ronald in.

"Won't you invite me to come in and sit down?" Ronald said at the door to Annette Bening who was saying goodbye to him.

"Next time, I have nothing to prepare. Next time I will buy some seafood and vegetables and let you try the dishes I learned when I was a cook on the ship." Bening laughed and rejected Ronald's idea, and then he said A kiss on the lips.

"Hmm... Okay, we'll talk when I get back from New York." Ronald, carrying the smell of Bening's perfume, pulled her back for another hug, then got in the car and left.

This actress was able to move forward and retreat freely in her work, and even cooked for Ronald herself, which made Ronald feel excited. This is the style of a mature and independent woman.

…

"Annette's first movie was 'Into the Wild', which was a comedy. Her agent said that she was more interested in playing a dramatic role than a comedy, so she was looking for opportunities everywhere."

On the plane to New York, agent Richard reasoned with Ronald about what Annette Bening wanted now.

This actress is not just a fledgling girl. She was nominated for a Tony Award and at the critical moment when she entered Hollywood, she was separated from her husband and was getting divorced. She was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted.

Such an actress knows the rules of the industry very well, plus she has a good personality, so Ronald will not have any problems getting along with her.

"By the way, her father is of German-Jewish descent, and her mother is from the Anglican Church and works part-time in the choir." Richard saw Benin's family background information again.

"I just said that her Jewish nose features are not obvious."

"Gentlemen, we are about to land. The local time of landing in New York is 3:20 pm.

The temperature is 62 degrees Fahrenheit and your car is waiting at the airport. "At this time, the flight attendant came over to remind them that New York was coming soon.

This time the two of them were going to visit the author of the third adapted screenplay that was likely to be purchased, Robert Harlin.

His "Steel Magnolias" is now playing on Broadway, while another cast is touring the country.

Robert Harlin is a middle-aged white man who looks like a typical Southern Dixie. He was born in small town Alabama, went to college in Louisiana, and finally got his law degree in New Orleans.

Later, because of his love for drama, he gave up the bar exam and went to New York to work as a playwright. In 1985, after his sister Susan died of complications from diabetes, he spent ten days writing the story "Steel Magnolias" based on Susan.

After I adapted the story into a Hollywood drama script, I got the chance to release it in 1987. Once it was released, this Broadway play received a lot of praise. Broadway audiences who are accustomed to watching big city stories like this kind of drama about family affection in a small southern town very much.

Harlem, who became famous in one battle, also got the opportunity to enter Hollywood.

Of course, the one who got there first was Ray Stark, the Off-Broadway producer of "Steel Magnolias." This dual Broadway and Hollywood producer has a very successful production history.

Ray Stark was the quintessential Manhattan Jew. Like many Jews in the entertainment industry, he first started out as a literary agent. Later, he seized the opportunity to produce the box-office hit movie "The World of Suzie Wong". Kwan Nanshi, who played Suzie Wong, (nan), is the first Chinese-American sex idol in Hollywood.

After that, Stark focused on adapting the famous Broadway play into a Hollywood movie, for which he served as a producer. Among the films that have received multiple Oscar nominations are Barbra Streisand's "The Girl" and "The Goodbye Girl" starring Martha Manson.

The veteran producer saw the potential of Robert Harlin's script at a glance. According to the additional clauses in the sale of the drama script, he invested $350,000 to buy the production rights to the film adaptation.

However, Ray Stark was also affected by the Wall Street stock market crash. He could not use the gimmick of a successful Broadway play to attract investment everywhere as before. My own wealth is not enough to support the cost of such a large-scale production.

So after Ronald expressed his interest in this script, both producer Stark and screenwriter Harlin felt a little overjoyed.

"I noticed that your last movie 'Moonlight' and the yet-to-be-released 'Working Girl' both used Broadway actors on a large scale." After shaking hands with Ronald and the others, Ray Stark sat down The first question talks about Ronald's preference for Broadway.

"Of course, for some scripts and some roles, it is very suitable to use Broadway actors." Ronald looked at the two people, wondering what they thought.

"My successful experience is the same. If you find the protagonists who perform well on Broadway, match them with a good script, and invite a good director, you can make a good Oscar-level movie." Ray Stark smiled and spent his money speak out.

"Haha...Hollywood has undergone profound changes in the past ten years. Nowadays, marketing with celebrity appearances can gain advantages in financing and publicity."

Ronald told screenwriter Robert Harlin that although he had sold the production rights, when it comes to projects, the power is not necessarily distributed as written in the contract.

Ray Stark, an old man, also used the successful experience before the 1970s to fool Harlem. In today's big productions, if stars are not in the lead, it will be difficult for you to make back your money at the box office.

"That's hard to say. To win an Oscar, you have to have superb acting skills as an endorsement." Ray Stark's expression was not good and he began to retort.

"Fortunately, there are many female stars with superb acting skills in Hollywood now, and many of them also have experience in Broadway dramas." Ronald continued to instill his own ideas in Harlem. Movies are not shot with a camera on the Broadway stage. Only by being familiar with the theater where the movie is shot can the essence of the play be better performed.

"What you said makes sense." Robert Harlin had a good impression of Ronald. Many of the female characters in the movies he made performed well. I also wanted the character based on Susan and the character based on my mother to portray the background of a southern family. This would also satisfy my original intention of writing the script - to let their stories be interpreted on the screen. , remembered by the audience.

】

"I suggest that it's not a bad thing to just use actors from the Broadway tour." Ray Stark was unconvinced. "When I filmed The Goodbye Girl, Martha was just an ordinary actress."

Martha Manson is also an ordinary actor now.

Of course, Ronald didn't say this. Although the actress Martha, who is married to the famous Broadway screenwriter Neil Simon, relied on her husband to adapt two movies "The Goodbye Girl" and "Chapter 2" to win the film. She was later nominated, but she neither won an award nor became a female star with box office appeal.

On the contrary, in the same movie, actor Richard Dreyfus, who played the leading role and was already famous in Lucas' "American Graffiti", won the Oscar.

It can be seen that you have become famous, been blessed by a good script, and then won an award. This is the general rule of Hollywood. There are not many heroines who can counterattack Hollywood with their skills in Broadway dramas.

Everyone temporarily put aside casting and started discussing other cooperation issues. Soon, everyone reached a lot of consensus in addition to casting.

But overall, the difficulty and key of this movie lies in the casting of female characters. In addition to playing the role of the diabetic daughter and the mother who donated a kidney for her daughter, there are also the mother's hairstylist, best friend, the former mayor's wife, and a runaway woman from other places who leads the whole story.

If a Broadway crew is chosen, their pay will definitely not be high. Ray Stark can occupy a larger share of the investment and have the highest say in the crew.

But Ronald is definitely not willing. In his opinion, this movie must have many famous actresses in order to turn this kind of warm small town story into a movie that the audience is willing to pay to watch. Otherwise, it might as well just be recorded on videotape.

Besides, if we increase investment and choose a famous actress to play the role, Ronald's investment will account for the majority, and the entire crew will work hard in the direction they want.

However, if the six main female roles are all played by celebrities, the investment in the entire movie will exceed at least 10 million. Ronald's own daydream cannot be fully invested. He must get a publisher to sign a distribution agreement before he can find other investors.

In this way, among the main characters, Ronald and Ray Stark, whoever can get the famous female star to agree to star becomes the most important bargaining chip.

Ronald had his own ideas, and after initially determining the vision of cooperation with the producers and screenwriters, he left Ray Stark's company and went back to the big house on Fifth Avenue to rest.

"Mr. Lee? Mr. Robert Harling is here to see you."

The concierge called, and Ronald quickly went to greet Mr. Screenwriter.

Unexpectedly, Harlem came up to talk to Ronald alone that night, which seemed to be a good sign.

"What would you like to drink? I have everything here," Ronald welcomed the Dixie writer in, opened the refrigerator door and asked him, "Ginger water, Coke, or some whiskey?"

The service in this loft on Fifth Avenue is very good. When Ronald is away, the service staff often come to clean and replenish the refrigerator.

"Whisky? Is there any from Tennessee?" Harlin frowned when he heard Coke.

Ronald picked up a bottle of Tennessee Legend. This small-scale whiskey has better taste and quality than the Jack Daniel's sold in supermarkets across the United States. He poured a glass and handed it to Harlem.

Harlin held the whiskey in his hands, took a sip, and then said with a frown, "I listened to your ideas today and feel that you are the right way to turn this script into a movie that will be remembered for a long time."

After hearing what Harlin said, Ronald felt a lot more relaxed. He had done his homework well, and Robert Harling's greatest wish was for Susan's story to be remembered.

"I can't say that Ray's idea is wrong, but it's already 1988, and the situation in Hollywood has been turned upside down. His last successful Broadway adaptation was still in 1979." Ronald took the opportunity to apply some eye drops. .

"You're right. I'm here to show my support for you." Harlem took another sip of southern whiskey. "I want to ask, can you reveal who you will find to play the role of my mother? Who will come? Playing Susan?”

"I haven't fully thought about this yet, but what do you think of Shirley MacLean? I have a very good relationship with her. Her acting skills as the mother in her last successful film, 'Mother and Daughter', are definitely adequate."

"She's good, but she's not quite suitable for the role of my mother in this movie." Harlem shook his head.

"Why? What about Olympia Dukakis? The new Oscar for Best Supporting Actress, and I know her very well." Ronald saw that Harlin seemed to have some ideas of his own, and mentioned his own candidate.

"She's... nice, too, but Olympia is also a Northern Yankee woman."

"Ah...ok..." Ronald thought to himself, it turned out that this was what Harlin was worried about.

It is true that women in the south have very different temperaments from women in the north. Although actors can all adjust, some actors will perform best if their temperament matches their appearance and spirit.

"I don't want to choose the person myself, but I want the character in my script to match the temperament of the people I grew up with. There is always something inappropriate about a Yankee woman playing Dixie. "

"I understand." Ronald thought to himself that this idea was not wrong. It seemed that he was still very persistent in the characters based on his mother and sisters.

"We can slowly choose together. This kind of thing also depends on the other party's wishes." For a while, Ronald's mind went through many choices of actresses. He decided to be cautious and first talk to the casting director and agent. Let’s discuss it later.

"Which company would you use to distribute this movie?"

Harlin recently communicated with Ray Stark and was taught many Hollywood lessons, knowing that this kind of film needs to find a reliable distributor. Stark's own Stark Films and Ronald's Daydream still lack experience in releasing such large-scale productions.

What's more, if there are seven big companies to issue it, there will be a bonus in financing.

"This kind of movie is not a high-concept script with strong commercial elements and a very dramatic plot. So we won't have many choices. It depends on which distributor is interested in our casting and the affection between mother and daughter. I’m interested in the movie.”

The film was released by Paramount at the time, but Eisner, the president at the time, had already gone to Disney. And Ronald's current best relationship is with Columbia and Samsung Pictures, which has changed its skin.

Now that the acquisition is continuing to get closer, the senior executives of Sony America are trying to persuade Colombia to show goodwill to Ronald, who has a close relationship with Chairman Dahe.

"I just don't want Columbia to distribute it..." Robert Harlin frowned in pain and choked out, "Anything else you think is OK is fine with me."

"Why? Colombia is actually very interested in this kind of movie..." Ronald also frowned. You can't decide on this guy.

"If it was Colombia, then I would vote against it. I don't want to work for Coca-Cola and make money for them."

"Huh?" This was the first time Ronald saw an American who was anti-Coca-Cola. Is he a fan of Pepsi?

"Susan is the prototype of the heroine, my sister. She drank too much Coca-Cola as a child and developed type 1 diabetes. In the end, she died of kidney failure due to this complication. The kidney transplant my mother gave her could not be saved. She, so I think you understand.”

"This..." Ronald touched his chin. Even if he convinced the other party about this kind of thing, I'm afraid it would be revealed by the media...

However, is there any relationship between drinking Coke and getting diabetes?

Perhaps seeing what Ronald was thinking, Harling said, "We Southerners all like to drink Coca-Cola, and that is one of the few products we in Dixie are proud of. But there is also a high incidence of diabetes among children there who drink Coca-Cola. serious.

Susan's doctor said he had seen similar effects of drinking too much, but Coke would not allow such research to be published. I asked many lawyers and they all said it was impossible to initiate a lawsuit on this basis. No doctor would publish a study linking diabetes to cola consumption. "

Harlin put the glass down and said, "If you can satisfy my somewhat paranoid belief, I will tell Ray that I will not authorize anyone else to film except you."

"Okay, but this way, I will need some time to sell your script to major publishers, and you will have to be a salesperson when necessary."

"That's no problem." Harlem agreed immediately.