From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"? Charlie Kaufman?

Single-day box office close to ten million dollars?

Is this some kind of April Fool's joke? It's not funny at all; it just seems absurd. If you're really going to play a prank, you should at least do some research beforehand. This kind of joke isn't convincing at all; any Hollywood insider would be able to see through this ridiculous prank.

However, amidst the bustling ridicule and amazement, after a little calming down, another voice began to emerge, discovering an important blind spot:

Anson Wood.

"I've seen this episode before!"

Ever since "Spider-Man" burst onto the scene, Anson has been standing at the center of the storm. Behind the envious, jealous, and hateful gazes, there has been a constant stream of doubts and provocations.

Thus, similar stories and similar plots are repeated time and time again, tirelessly, like goldfish memories, continuously repeating the same mistakes.

"Catch Me If You Can," which didn't seem to have box office potential — a complete explosion — that was 100% thanks to Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks.

"Elephant," a vase-like idol trying to transform beyond their abilities — the Palme d'Or — but the box office will definitely flop — the sold-out screenings are still talked about with relish to this day.

"The Butterfly Effect," the first shot as a transforming producer, but facing "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World" head-on — overturning the opponent and appearing out of nowhere — just a gimmick relying entirely on traffic.

One step, then another.

Once, then again.

Everything seems to have formed a fixed pattern. Those doubts, those slanders, those ignores, those scorns, those contempts, are all hidden under the shield of a "pretty boy label," concealing prejudice and discrimination. People never seem to face Anson's existence squarely, nor do they acknowledge Anson's existence —

Indeed, Anson is an idol. Hollywood needs pretty boys; when one pretty boy disappears, another one rises, never absent.

Just like Marilyn Monroe.

Even though Marilyn had long become a symbol of Hollywood's Golden Age, even though Marilyn had long become a part of popular culture, even though Marilyn's classic works and screen image stood the test of time and were passed down through the ages, people still used the "pretty boy" label to simply and crudely destroy her existence as an actress, her existence as an independent individual, merely using the keyword "sexy" to cover all her edges and corners.

Marilyn Monroe was not the first, nor will she be the last. In Hollywood's hundred-year history, there are countless such images and symbols.

And they are both male and female, without exception.

Now, it's Anson Wood's turn.

Even if Anson works hard and strives hard, so what? Can he break Marilyn Monroe's shackles?

Then, this scene appeared again.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

From all aspects, this is a niche art film. The best result would be like "Adaptation," creating some splashes during the awards season. As for the box office, don't even think about it; it's more appropriate to simply give up.

Moreover, in the end, it may still not be comparable to "Adaptation."

"Adaptation" has Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, and a group of actors with roots in the Academy, eventually winning Chris Cooper the Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but the greatest contributor behind the scenes, Charlie Kaufman, was still ignored.

And what does "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" have? Anson Wood?

This sounds like a joke, "Haha, very funny, but please don't say it again."

It was against this background that things happened —

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"'s Friday single-day box office, nine million six hundred thousand dollars, released in a mere three hundred and seven theaters, breaking the historical record for per-screen average box office for a wide release.

How should all this be explained?

Could it be that Hollywood really has a goldfish memory, completely forgetting what happened before the release of "The Butterfly Effect" three months ago?

At that time, industry insiders said that "The Butterfly Effect" could not create a good box office, and that Anson needed to be patient and wait to see if he could join the twenty million club. The performance of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" or "Spider-Man 2" would be the turning point from quantitative to qualitative change. As a result, "The Butterfly Effect" directly slapped them in the face.

And now, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," which has been waited for and waited for, has finally arrived, and it has broken expectations and subverted perceptions. Are they still going to pretend to have amnesia?

Wait, or are the old scholars with white hair in the Academy really too old and starting to face the troubles of Alzheimer's disease?

It doesn't matter. If the arrogant and foolish old men in Hollywood don't remember, the film market is still young. They remember. The audience responded to the call with practical actions —

The box office numbers will naturally speak for themselves.

After the excitement of the Thursday screening and the popularity of the Friday premiere, the word-of-mouth for "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" finally spread rapidly in the big cities.

Focus Features' positioning and publicity also played a role:

There's no need to rush, and there's no need to join in the fun. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is not the kind of romantic comedy that people expect. In fact, the opposite is true. This is an artistic, brain-burning, profound, complex film with its own unique color, and it can't even be simply said to be a love movie.

The movie is not suitable for the mainstream market.

This work has a certain viewing threshold. Going to the cinema rashly, wasting the cost of a movie ticket is a small matter. Feeling upset after watching it and cursing and complaining is a big deal. There is no need to go to the cinema to catch up with the trend.

It's just a movie, it's not worth it.

So, who should watch this movie?

Those true movie lovers, those artistic youths who think about movies, art, love, and life, and even the niche groups who think about life, memory, and philosophy, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" will definitely be the most unforgettable movie theater trip this year.

It is worth mentioning that a small group of fans' focus is completely on Anson, but it is different from any previous time. This time, they are focusing on Anson's aesthetic taste.

Extending from the post-screening Q\u0026A of the screening, this group of fans believes that Anson is an actor who truly has aesthetic taste and often contemplates life.

In their eyes, "The Butterfly Effect" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" can be regarded as a "Time Duet." Although there is no relationship between the two films, and Anson has not mentioned the connection between the two works on any occasion; but these fans believe that these two works can be regarded as Anson's reflection on time and life.

"How should we define perfection, how should we define life, and how should we find happiness and pursue joy, how should we find the meaning of our existence in the vortex of the river of time".

Such a theme runs through the two films, which can not only show Anson's thinking about the role, but also show Anson's thinking about movies and actors.

No one should miss such an Anson.