Exploiting Hollywood 1980

"This script doesn't have a three-act structure!"

Ronald returned home and read the script of "Rain Man" in one breath. He closed the script, picked up a cup of black tea, and let the temperature of the teacup warm his hands. He finally understood why two big directors had intended to direct, but later decided to withdraw.

The script of a movie is generally composed of three stages. The beginning introduces the characters and the environment, the middle produces dramatic conflicts, and various conflicts gradually develop. When it is inevitable and must be broken, it enters the ending.

But in this "Rain Man" script, although the roles of the two brothers are very exciting, there is no obvious three-act structure. It seems that a story is moving towards the end at a uniform speed.

This story is actually very simple. The younger brother Charlie Babbitt is a retailer of parallel imported luxury cars. Suddenly, he received news that his father, who was at odds with him, had passed away. He was in a bad business, and he wanted to inherit his father's legacy with hope.

When he arrived in Cincinnati, where his father was, the will left most of the $3 million estate to an older brother Charlie had never heard of, Raymond Babbitt, who was less intelligent than ordinary people.

Angry Charlie secretly went to the medical facility where Raymond lived and kidnapped his brother Raymond, hoping to get half of the inheritance from the trust manager, the director of his brother's nursing home, to make up for the deficit.

During the journey to California, the two brothers gradually discovered the long-lost family affection. Charlie wanted to get the custody of Raymond, and the director of the nursing home proposed to give Charlie half of the inheritance and let him give up the custody of his brother.

But Charlie didn't want to part with his brother. In the end, Charlie lost the case in court. The two brothers parted reluctantly, and Raymond promised to visit his brother in Cincinnati frequently.

The plot looks simple. It is the kind of movie that requires extraordinary acting skills so that the audience can recognize the characters before they can sympathize with the relationship between the two brothers.

Obviously, both actors and directors will be eager to try this huge challenge. If it is well shot, it is very likely to be favored by critics and awards.

But the shortcomings are also here. The script itself lacks drama. If the actors are not well selected, and the audience cannot understand from sympathy, empathize from understanding, and finally be deeply moved by the brotherhood, this movie will fail very badly.

If the right actors can't be found, or if there is a lack of chemistry between the actors, this movie will be a double failure in terms of box office and awards.

Whether it is Sidney Pollack or Spielberg, they are both successful directors, and it is obvious that they have not found the right actors to star in the film. Anyway, they are not short of any projects, and if they can't find the right actors, they would rather not shoot.

"Fortunately, I have dreams to help me. As long as I follow the casting in my dreams, I can find the most suitable actors." Thinking of this, Ronald happily took a hot bath and went to bed early to wait for the arrival of dreams.

The light gradually brightened, and a burst of music sounded.

"KFMU Radio in Los Angeles, every morning, FM97.1 broadcasts for you on time. First, I bring you a new song from Madonna, "Ope", I hope you like it."

Ronald reached out and touched left and right, and found that he was still lying on the bed. The sun was so dazzling that he couldn't open his eyes. His right hand touched the brand new Sony recorder on the bedside table and pressed the switch.

This is the new recorder that Little Bud recommended to me after I came back from New York. It has an electronic watch that can be turned on at a fixed time in the morning and used as an alarm clock.

"Why didn't I dream about it? Is it because the movie is not good, so I didn't see it in my previous life? But Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman are both starring in it, so it shouldn't be unknown, right? Didn't they play the role in the end?"

Ronald rubbed his eyes and finally opened them.

"I'd better go for a run, and then go to the gym to practice." Ronald took a shower and went to the karate gym opened by Darryl Vidal, the stuntman of The Karate Kid, and practiced with him for half an hour.

After The Karate Kid 2 was released, the business here was even better. Darryl Vidal changed to a bigger gym and put a photo of himself and the actor Morita Noriyuki from Miyagi on the wall behind the front desk of the gym.

"You seem to be worried." Vidal doesn't teach classes in person anymore. He only teaches some advanced classes and receives celebrity students from Los Angeles.

"I seem to have lost my inspiration suddenly, and I'm a little distressed, so I want to come to you to practice and empty my mind." Ronald smiled bitterly. He really didn't find any rules for how to dream about movies.

"There is a saying about meditation in karate. You can try to adjust your breathing and then meditate." Vidal taught Ronald a set of traditional karate methods.

"Does it work?" That night, Ronald took the high-quality rush woven Japanese futon sent by Vidal, tried to adjust his breathing, and sat quietly for half an hour before going to bed.

"Los Angeles KFMU Radio... Today we present to you Bon Jovi's new song, Liv' on a Prayer"

"Shxt..." Ronald was so angry that he unplugged the tape recorder.

What Japanese Zen, it's useless.

In the next few days, Ronald tried to take a hot spring bath, do Jane Fonda's aerobics, and find Kim Cattrall to exercise, but none of them worked.

"You have a good sleep quality, there is nothing wrong."

A doctor from a private hospital in Los Angeles removed the electrodes from Ronald. Your deep sleep accounts for a high proportion. I have never seen a Hollywood person who sleeps as healthily as you. Many actors and directors actually have insomnia and ask me to prescribe medicine. You can rest assured.

"No, I didn't dream..."

"No, people will dream during the rapid eye movement period of sleep. You said you didn't dream, but you had high sleep quality and quickly forgot the content of the dream before waking up."

"But I just want to remember what I did in the dream. I... Sometimes I dream of some inspiration." Ronald whispered to the doctor. He didn't mind a little poor sleep quality in exchange for more frequent dreams of movies.

"This is more common among artists. Sleeping is actually the subconscious organizing our daily thoughts. It is normal for you to remember some inspiration in your dream when you wake up in the morning." The doctor began to write a report for Ronald.

"Well, I have a little trick you can try. Put a note or a recorder at the bedside. In the minute you wake up, try to write down your dream so that you won't forget it easily."

"Oh..." Ronald began to change out of his hospital gown and put on his own clothes.

Am I forgetting this? I didn't dream about it.

"How is it? What did the doctor say?"

Little Bud and his agent Richard, who had returned from New York, looked at Ronald and the doctor.

"It's okay. Mr. Li just has poor sleep occasionally. There is no need to prescribe medicine. If the sleep problem occurs again, we will see if it needs to be controlled with medicine."

"Oh, that's great." Richard felt relieved. He was most nervous when he heard that Ronald was going to see a doctor who specializes in sleep.

"I said you're fine." Little Bud grinned.

"No, I'm fine." Ronald looked unhappy. This was a dream of inspiration. Was this biggest reliance going to leave him?

He also knew the leading actor and read the script repeatedly. All the necessary conditions were met. Why couldn't he dream for several days?

"Ronald, how is it? What do you think of the script? Which role should I play?" Tom Cruise also called.

"Um... um... I haven't thought it through yet." Ronald shirked.

"How about you come to the Guarantee Building? Mimi and I are in the Technical Center of Scientology. It's very confidential here. We can chat as much as we want."

"Uh... okay"

Although he didn't want to go to the place where the staff of Scientology were all nervous, he didn't have an answer. Maybe it would be good to go once. Ronald felt that he had made several hit movies. Maybe he could succeed without dreams?

"Hello, Ronald, my name is Kelly, Kelly Preston, an assistant of Scientology. I will be your temporary assistant this time."

In the Technical Center of Scientology, a young and beautiful blonde was waiting for Ronald at the front desk.

"We have met before. You auditioned for my first movie, 'Fast and Furious Richmond High'." Ronald saw that she looked familiar and recalled the past many years ago.

"Yes, actually we first met earlier. When I was filming 'Endless Love', I went to New York for an audition."

"Yes, it seems that you were there." Ronald nodded, "Why are you here now?"

"I already believe in Scientology. They have helped me a lot, so I also help here as a volunteer. It just so happens that you are coming today. David, the president of Scientology, said that I am also from Hollywood, so he asked me to be your assistant."

"Where is Tom?" Ronald looked at Kelly Preston with a sweet smile. After several years, she seemed to have become more charming.

"He is doing an audit with Mimi. Can I take you to visit some of our technical centers first?" Preston came over naturally, took Ronald's arm, and took him to see the Scientology Technology Center.

"I've heard this many times. What does that audit mean?"

"It's a form of Scientology that helps us achieve a purer body and mind."

"Ah? Just use that multimeter to test it like this?"

"Hahaha, that's not a multimeter. It's an instrument invented by L. Ron Hubbard, the inventor of Scientology. It can measure the extent to which your Thetan is polluted by the residual cosmic villains. As long as you actively participate in Scientology's activities, you can eliminate the pollution and restore the purity of Thetan, so that you can board the spaceship in the future."

"What Thetan? What pollution?"

Ronald felt as if he had heard it wrong. Was Preston talking about Scientology? Why does it sound like science fiction?

"Hehehe, I have advanced information about Scientology here, called Znu. If you want to see it, I can show it to you secretly. Anyway, if you join Scientology, you will become a senior member in one step, and you will have the right to see our Znu myth."

Preston said, getting closer to Ronald.

Out of curiosity, Ronald was led by her into a luxuriously decorated room, where several young people were mopping the floor. When they saw Preston coming in, they bowed to her and left, leaving the room to her and Ronald.

"This is our advanced doctrine, and ordinary beginners are not qualified to read it." Preston watched them walk out, and then took out a parchment book from a safe-like box, which looked like a parchment scroll.

Preston put the parchment horn on the table, and the word Xenu was written on it.

She gently pulled Ronald and opened the book of Znu to read with him.

"Seventy-five million years ago, the universe was ruled by Znu, the leader of the Galactic Federation (Gafederacy). There were 26 stars and 76 planets, including the Earth (then called Teegeeack).

In order to solve the problem of overpopulation, Znu sent billions of aliens to volcanoes all over the Earth. The transportation vehicles these aliens carried were spaceships that looked like DC-8 passenger planes.

Then, Znu detonated a nuclear bomb to kill the aliens. Their remaining spiritual bodies stubbornly stayed on Earth and polluted the Earth, which was the main reason for the mental damage to humans..."

Ronald suddenly had an illusion in his life. If Preston hadn't made it clear that this was the advanced doctrine of Scientology, he seemed to feel that he had become ten years younger, returned to high school, and dated the most beautiful girl on the cheerleading team, while his girlfriend Preston was telling him the plot of "Star Wars".

"So, Scientology's auditing instruments can reduce the evil substances of the galactic villains remaining in our bodies. When we become purer and purer, we can board the spaceship when the Galactic Emperor Znu returns to Earth."

"You must be kidding me, right? Do you want to act in this science fiction movie?"

Ronald looked at Preston, who was smiling and had the beautiful and virtuous temperament of a southern woman. If it weren't for the absurd words coming out of her mouth, it would be refreshing to be alone with a gentle woman who was different from the straightforward personality of most American girls.

"No, this Znu doctrine is more advanced. You haven't done an audit yet. It's normal that you don't understand it now..."

Preston took out a gadget that looked like a multimeter used by electricians, came up and asked with a smile, "Do you want me to do an audit for you now?"

"Next time..." Ronald made up his mind not to come here again.

"Ronald, it's great that you're here. How did you read the script? What do you think? Can we work together again?"

Tom Cruise, who had already finished the audit with his girlfriend Mimi Rogers, looked refreshed and came to see Ronald.

"Kelly, have you met her? She is the most beautiful member of our Scientology, and the most professional and gentle one. You should ask her to audit you when you have time..." Mimi Rogers chimed in.

"Next time, you should choose a time to do this kind of thing." Ronald looked at Cruise, still smiling sincerely as before, and always felt that something was wrong.

"Ladies, give us some time." Cruise asked Mimi and Preston to leave first, and communicated with Ronald alone.

"I know this is a bit too intense for you, but they can really help my dyslexia, and I think it's still very beneficial. If you don't want to, just treat me as a friend, it's okay here."

"Okay, by the way, what did you say before? Which role?" Ronald changed the subject.

"Ah, I said I would be better as the elder brother or the younger brother. What do you think of the script? I was very excited after listening to the script. This brother's story is so good. I feel that both protagonists will be very enjoyable to play."

"Tom, I want to ask you something. You'd better tell me the truth." Ronald became serious.

"What?" Cruise looked heroic. His newly made dentures made his temperament reborn and very positive. Ronald could feel the upward spirit of the American people, condensed into magical facial features.

"Do you want to make this movie for the Oscar?"

"Humph, I think the Oscar is biased against me. I think my performance in The Color of Money can compete with Paul Newman, but they didn't give me a single nomination.

This is a very good script. Mr. Ovitz also promised me that if I agree to play, he will give me the best support."

"If you want an Oscar, then you'd better play the mentally retarded brother."

Ronald patted Cruise on the shoulder and said slowly.

Although he didn't dream of the original version, Ronald had read the script many times.

The two protagonists of this movie are actually unequal. The chance of being nominated for playing a mentally retarded brother is much greater than that of playing a normal brother.

"Why?"

Tom Cruise loves both roles. He asked Mimi Rogers to record the dialogue and kept reciting it himself. He couldn't let go of either. Hearing Ronald's firm support for playing the mentally retarded brother, he couldn't help but feel a little strange.

In his opinion, both roles require good acting skills. It is not impossible to get a double nomination like this year's "Platoon".

"I have met many old directors from the golden age recently, such as Billy Wilder, and learned a lot about acting." Ronald organized his words.

"Acting is about acting reactions, but this mentally retarded brother rarely reacts."

"Do you mean that playing the brother Raymond requires better acting skills?"

"On the contrary, playing the younger brother Charlie requires better acting skills. Because you can't get any feedback from your opponent, and his role requires you to make various reactions to set off his stupidity."

Ronald smiled and analyzed it from a technical point of view.

"But the audience's reaction is different. Charlie is the kind of car retailer they often encounter, with a cunning side. If you act a little bit different, they can tell that something is wrong.

And Raymond is a mildly mentally retarded person. We don't often see this kind of person, so as long as your acting has characteristics, they will think that the acting is very similar.

Therefore, in my opinion, it is better to play Raymond. The technical difficulty is low, but the response will be good. "

"But the actors are responsible for nominating the Oscars for the Actor Awards. They will know that acting is more difficult than Charlie, right?" It was the first time that Tom Cruise heard such a perspective on acting. Although it makes sense, it is different from his own. It was so different from what I usually heard that I was a little doubtful for a while.

"Haha..." Ronald laughed. What acting skills do those actors know? How many people understand the secret? Acting is a practical art, and many actors actually act out of passion. When it comes to acting from a technical perspective, it’s directors like them who stand behind the camera.

"Of course, this is just my opinion for your reference." Today's Tom Cruise is no longer the young man who Ronald drove to get his teeth filled. Besides, he now believes in this Scientology, and it's very It's a problem, it always feels like a science fiction movie rather than a serious religious sect.

"I will consider it carefully. Your opinion is very important to me, Ronald." Tom Cruise thought for a while and felt that what Ronald said was technically correct, but the Oscars are not those audience selections. Yes, I have to get the approval of the actors.

Besides, there is also an image problem. All things need to be considered.

"Actually, you should play brother Raymond. You are so handsome. Only by playing a mentally retarded man can you have a dramatic effect. If you play a normal handsome guy, it will have no impact."

Ronald gave another reason, and the more he said it, the more it seemed right. If you really want to direct it yourself, then let Tom Cruise play a mentally retarded person to attract the audience's interest. As for the Oscar voting, if the audience praises it, do actors still have a choice?

After the two talked about the project, Ronald quietly slipped away before Preston came to pester him.

…

"What's going on with that Scientology thing? It's not Cult, right?"

Ronald arrived at CAA and told Niceta some strange things he had heard. Tom Cruise's main manager is his wife Paula. If Cruise gets involved in the scandal of Cult...

"Hey..." Niceta sighed, "Paula is worried that Scientology is a religion legally registered in America and enjoys tax-free status.

At first we thought Cruise was just doing it because of Mimi and to treat his dyslexia, but we didn’t expect that he really believed it. "

"That Mimi seems to be very active. I think she is a smart person."

"Tom told Paula that he might propose to Mimi." Niceta said her biggest worry, "Mimi Rogers' father is a follower of Herbert, the founder of Scientology."

"Terrible woman", the same thought flashed through the minds of both Ronald and Niceta.

"Speaking of Rain Man, what do you think?"

Niceta didn't want to continue talking about those troublesome things in front of Ronald.

"I haven't decided yet, I just think that if Tom plays the older brother Raymond, he has a much better chance of getting an Oscar nomination."

"Playing the role of brother?"

"Yes, this is a tricky choice. It requires low acting skills, but the effect is good."

Niceta listened to Ronald's technical analysis and nodded in agreement.

"I agree with you, but in the end it depends on Tom's own choice and Ovitz's wishes."

"Well..." Ronald understood. Another interested star, Dustin Hoffman, was an authentic Jew who immigrated from the black land on the Dnieper River in Eastern Europe.

After telling Niceta what he meant, Ronald returned home.

After taking a nice hot bath and lying on the bed, Ronald was still thinking about the crazy things he had experienced today.

Is Scientology a science fiction readers' club, or a legitimate religion?

really weird!

After thinking about it, Ronald fell asleep.

A red sun shines in the foggy sky. On the skyline are the skyscrapers of Los Angeles, and some power lines are nearby.

A red Ferrari flies into the frame from the right side of the sky and slowly moves toward the left.

The dream came quietly when Ronald was not expecting it.

Ronald, who was overjoyed, hid his joy and did not want to be too happy and scare away the dream.

"Is this a science fiction movie? Ferraris flying through the sky?"

Could it be that you were stimulated today? Heard that whimsical Scientology story? So you have to see related things before you can dream?

The Ferrari slowly slid into the frame and then slowly descended.

"Isn't this a sequel to Back to the Future?" There was no title at the beginning of the film, and Ronald began to think wildly. Could Ferrari be the sponsor for the sequel? In exchange for a DeLorean sports car?

The camera jumps to the next picture, the car is descending to the ground, and the handsome young face of Tom Cruise is in the foreground.

Is the protagonist also changed in the sequel? Ronald was quite surprised. Is there any reason why Michael J. Fox shouldn’t act?

"My grandma and your grandma

sit by the fire

My grandma told your grandma

I'm going to burn your flag."

A burst of light, rhythmic music came to mind in the background.

Tom Cruise looked at the Ferrari being lowered by the crane and smiled. The car had a number written on it. A customs-looking man next to him was still talking to Cruise's character.

"Oh, this is still Rain Man." Ronald realized that this was Tom Cruise at the dock, picking up these parallel imported cars.

"No, why is he still playing the normal brother Charlie?"

Ronald sighed, Cruise didn't seem to listen to him.

The dream began to be vague, and then became clear. Charlie, played by Cruise, was angry with his father after hearing the will.

He found a way to meet his brother Raymond. Raymond still knew his brother and ran out of the sanatorium with him.

"It's still Dustin Hoffman playing the brother," Ronald looked at the image of the brother who tilted his head and kept repeating a sentence.

"What kind of acting skills does this require? But people outside the circle and those film critics will definitely praise Hoffman's good performance."

On the contrary, every dialogue and every rivalry requires Tom Cruise to use all technical methods to face the camera alone and perform alone without the stimulation of the opponent.

Although it doesn't seem difficult, such a one-man show is actually the most difficult to perform.

"Pah..." Raymond accidentally dropped a can of toothpicks on the table during the trip.

Dustin Hoffman immediately reported the number of toothpicks.

"Is this retarded? Is he adding drama to himself?" Ronald was amused. Dustin Hoffman must have changed the script. This was just a little quirk. He was not retarded, but a genius.

"KFMU Radio in Los Angeles, every morning, FM97.1 broadcasts for you on time..."

Ronald woke up from his dream. It was already morning.

"Little Bud!" Ronald knew that it must be Little Bud who helped him connect the power supply of the tape recorder.

"Don't turn on this radio in the future. I don't like to listen to the radio when I get up in the morning..."