From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Charlie Kaufman: Escape.

It wasn't until later, during an interview, that Charlie opened up and revealed his thoughts. In reality, he wasn't mentally prepared.

Charlie always considered himself a freak, out of place. His mind was filled with all sorts of bizarre ideas, and once spoken, others would look him up and down with strange eyes. Those gazes, along with unspoken mockery and contempt, loomed over his heart like shadows.

Of course, Charlie also knew that as a screenwriter, he was presenting the hidden thoughts in his mind to the audience, and he had to learn to face the public.

However, theory is one thing, and the psychological barrier is another.

So, over the years, the box office performance of works such as "Being John Malkovich" and "Adaptation" remained mediocre, never attracting widespread attention—

Charlie was actually very happy.

It was a kind of feeling: "The work is finally released but not noticed by the general public, only resonating among a small group of freaks, sparking discussion, and ultimately confined to their own small circle of weird and niche culture enthusiasts, secretly reveling and circulating codes that only they understand."

Subtle and unique.

Charlie yearned for his work to be successful, yet hoped it wouldn't be too successful; on one hand, he hoped his work could find kindred spirits who resonated with each other, and on the other hand, he hoped his work wouldn't be seen by too many people to avoid exposing the fact that he was a freak.

That's probably it, contradictory.

However!

This time, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" inexplicably exploded in the market, reaping incredible success, appearing before the public in a history-making manner. For Charlie, it felt like an exposure.

This is very strange; but if it's Charlie, it doesn't seem so strange.

However, Charlie also said that he was very grateful to Anson.

Charlie always remained clear-headed. He knew he was a freak, a weird person, someone who could expose himself to mainstream society at any time. The ideas in his mind were often incomprehensible to people, and even acceptance and facing them were very difficult. So, he always stayed away from the crowd, silently shining in an unknown corner.

Without special circumstances, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," like Charlie's previous works, would have caused some discussion within a small circle. Only people like Charlie, whose minds were full of whimsical ideas, could understand that kind of sadness and bitterness. The film was unlikely to awaken public attention, but Charlie wasn't sad—

In fact, he was very satisfied with his position, and very satisfied with the position of his work.

Then, Anson appeared.

It was precisely because of Anson that "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" broke the rules and garnered so much attention.

Charlie said that during his time in Columbus, he was always uneasy, a kind of trepidation and confusion after exposing his true self.

Later, Anson told him that he should be happy.

"Because it proves that you are not as strange as you think."

"Charlie, have you ever thought that there is now a large group of viewers in the cinema letting out a long sigh of relief because they realize they are not alone, and there are others who have all sorts of rebellious ideas like them, and there are others who, like them, are hiding in their own corners and unable to integrate into society."

"If you only focus on the movie's box office, it's just a string of numbers; but if you focus on each individual behind the numbers, the meaning of this success is different."

"Charlie, you let them see themselves, and you also made them realize that they are not alone. You are the same."

At the end of the interview, Charlie revealed a thoughtful expression.

This was the first time he was glad that his work had achieved success, because the audience saw themselves in the film, and also because the film helped them find resonance in their real lives; at the same time, this was also the first time he was glad to have met Anson, not only in terms of artistic creation but also in real life.

"I like Anson. I like Anson's existence as an independent individual. His thoughts on the world and life are uniquely charming."

Anson. Anson. Anson.

It was clearly Charlie's interview, but the words were all about Anson, leading one to suspect the extent of Focus Features' behind-the-scenes manipulation. However, Charlie's face was sincere, and it could be seen that these were his heartfelt thoughts.

"The Hollywood Reporter's" interview with Charlie sparked much discussion in Hollywood, looking at the success of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" from another perspective.

However, the appearance of this interview was already in the later stages of the release of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

And right now?

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" inexplicably exploded in the March film market, but Charlie Kaufman inexplicably ran away, leaving the media reporters with a head full of question marks, not knowing whether to laugh or cry; but if Charlie refused to take credit, then the answer behind the film's huge success would surface—

Anson. Kate.

The performances of the two actors, both on and off the screen, were instrumental.

Outside the film, the two showed great appeal; within the film, the two actors gave outstanding performances, giving the film infinite possibilities.

It was thanks to the spark created by the two actors, Anson and Kate, that the word-of-mouth from the media to the audience continued to ferment after the film's release, spreading from Friday to Saturday and then to Sunday, laying the foundation for a box office miracle.

According to box office data, the market activity in March was still limited. The number of moviegoers on Sunday showed a significant decline compared to Friday and Saturday. Although the cinemas seemed to be bustling with people, the actual occupancy rate of the cinemas was generally declining, and the laws of the market were still difficult to violate.

"Dawn of the Dead's" Sunday single-day box office plummeted by 39%, directly burying the advantages accumulated by the film in the first two days; while "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind's" Sunday single-day box office also declined by 15%, however, in the tide of the overall decline in market attendance, such performance was considered strong, becoming the key to the film's box office reversal.

At this moment, Hollywood deeply realized the brilliance of Focus Features' distribution strategy:

Not greedy, not adventurous, targeting the target market, precise delivery.

As a result, the word-of-mouth effect exploded with incredible energy. Even though the number of theaters showing the film was limited, it relied on the influx of enthusiastic fans to usher in an excellent occupancy rate, and finally wrote a new historical record for single-theater box office, devastatingly subverting the North American film market, and staging an unprecedented scene.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" topped the North American weekend box office chart!

Collective, shock.