If Erin's story interprets the American dream that everyone aspires to, then Lester's story is to uncover the abscesses beneath the gorgeous American dream!
The Lester family can be regarded as a standard American middle-class family. They have their own house in the suburbs. Both husband and wife are well-dressed and work hard for their careers. Although their daughter is rebellious, she still goes to high school honestly.
It looks pretty good on the surface, but the inside has actually started to fester. Midlife crisis, adolescence crisis, personality crisis, communication crisis, dullness crisis, trust crisis, etc., enveloped the family, making their lives extremely boring. Lost of energy, the entire film brings out the dark side of the American Dream naked, so—
"Two movies released in a month tell the same theme from completely different angles, and they are also produced by the same company and the same producer... It's so interesting!" Angela covered her head with a headache, what was she thinking at first? , actually ignore this, do you really consider yourself a genius? !
What to do now? "Never Compromise" has been released, so delay the release of "American Beauty"? But how is it possible, the trailer has been broadcast for two weeks, and the test screening is also scheduled for tomorrow, so why delay the release time if there are no important issues? Angela frowned a little.
Well, maybe we can look at the problem from another angle. The core of Erin's story is inspiration, and the American dream is only a small part of it; while Lester's story is to completely lift the scars of the middle class, everyone and every family. The problems that may be encountered or have been encountered, the American Dream is actually only a small part. So... the conflict isn't that strong? Angela thought over and over again, if this is the case, even if there is a loss at the box office compared to the original, it may not necessarily be a big loss. After all, these two films can resonate with the audience. Maybe some people will like both of them and say no. Certainly.
Then this issue can be put aside, anyway, as long as these two films do not lose money, the task of making money should of course be done by the more entertaining films, such as "The Mummy", which has already started post-production, but there is another What to do with the problem? Angela couldn't help but want to laugh bitterly. Annette Bening's acting skills are not lost to Kevin Spacey. If Kevin is nominated for best actor, it's not that Annette will compete with her aunt for best actress. The protagonist? Well, my aunt should have a better chance of winning. After all, "Never Compromise" can be said to be led by her alone, and Albert can only be regarded as a supporting actor...
Forget it, forget it, forget about it. Angela shook her head and looked through the plane to the thick clouds outside. There are some things that she can control, but there are some things that she may not be able to master. At this time, it depends on luck, so I will wait for next year's nomination list to come out. Bar.
After the decision was made, Angela no longer bothered about the possibility of crashing. Anyway, she had not collided with herself from the beginning, so when she returned to Boston, she focused on her studies.
Soon, news came from Los Angeles that the audience for the preview was very satisfied with the movie. Ed Cam also called and praised Yang himself, and at the same time, like a curious baby, he kept asking her what was going on in her head. what to think. Then, after adding the logo and subtitles at the beginning and end of the film, the film copy of "American Beauty" quickly came to the big theater line, and then the time came to December 16, 1998.
Angela sighed in the click and Shi Shiran got out of the car. It was different from the all-black dress she wore when she participated in "Never Compromise". Although she still wore a black sleeved women's jacket outside, she was wearing a black jacket. It is a white double-shoulder dress with a pattern. Even if the hem goes past the knees, it still makes her slender legs full of seductiveness.
Angela, smiling but ignoring the questions, came to greet the cast, Kevin, Annette, Chris, Wes, Mina, Shah, and the cast members who were posing for a photo of the reporter. Pull, the six main actors have come to New York, yes, the premiere location in the Emmy Awards venue - New York's Ziegfeld Theater.
After greeting everyone with joy and hugs, and adding the screenwriter Allen from the other side, the creative members of "American Beauty" are basically all there, and the reporters will be asked to film again.
"They said you participated in the preview, what do you think?" Angela asked Mina in a low voice while changing positions.
"It feels good, but sometimes I always feel that I am ugly in the movie." Mina was a little absent-minded.
"What? Do you think you are too attractive to Kevin like that?" Angela asked jokingly, seeing that she occasionally glanced at Sarah, she couldn't help but said again: "Do you think you and Sarah Who did it better?"
"Hey, Angie, when did you like to ask such boring questions?" Mina, who was smiling at the reporters, replied in a dissatisfied tone, "Do you think it's important that we are better?"
"Of course not," Angela also always smiled in front of the flash, "I'm just testing."
"Tentative?" The small fluctuation in Mina's tone could not hide Angela, who had been paying attention to her from the beginning, but Angela did not continue talking to her but switched to Sarah's side: "How does it feel? , Sarah?"
"Not bad, at least I don't have to face my belly button." Sarah teased.
Damn it! If Angela didn't want to roll her eyes in the face of so many reporters, there was an oversized poster hanging outside the Siegfried Theater. The content was naturally a bouquet of roses next to the navel, and Angela, who couldn't resist the persuasion, contributed Her belly, although the poster was modified on the computer at the end, it is true that her belly was shot. There is no doubt about it, so it is really uncomfortable for Angela to show it to everyone so naked. How could she be fooled at that time Did you go to shoot? The only thing that comforted Angela was that she had strictly forbidden taking posters as a propaganda point from the beginning.
"It's true," Angela suddenly changed the subject after the words came out of her teeth: "By the way, give me enough time, I need you to be the heroine in a horror movie early next year. ."
"Is that the oriental style you said last time?" Sarah's tone was full of surprise.
"That's right." Angela replied succinctly, and then began her vicious revenge: "How is your relationship?"
"What... dating?" Sarah replied in surprise, and Angela quickly continued: "Don't play stupid in front of me, dear, don't forget that you stayed in my room that night."
After speaking, without waiting for Sarah to respond, Angela began to greet everyone into the theater, still ignoring the "sincere" calls from the reporters. The people who came to the premiere in the theater were chatting in twos and threes. After chatting with Kevin and Annette, Angela did not hesitate to throw them away and join the group waiting for her. I went to the premiere today except Scarlett, Liv, Natalie, Ivanka and... Paris.
"To be honest, today's premiere reminds me of the premiere of "Titanic" last year." Angela said seriously.
"Are the two premieres similar? I can't tell." Natalie shrugged.
"Yeah, I don't think you were more beautiful than that time, and I don't think this time was better than that." Liv nodded sharply for a while, thought about it, and then said, "Maybe because this is your first time. Hold a premiere for your own film?"
"Didn't Angie have directed three movies? Hasn't it ever held a premiere?" Ivanka was a little surprised.
"If you paid more attention to entertainment reports, you would know, Ini." Natalie pursed her lips and laughed, she and Ivanka were more able to talk.
"Well, I read a lot of fashion magazines." Ivanka crooked her mouth cutely.
"Do you think so?" Angela snorted softly, making a completely incorrect look, "I say very similar because—it's all wearing so little at such a low temperature. appear in public."
Saying that, she folded her arms and rubbed vigorously: "In short, I will never hold a movie premiere in this weather in the future! This is a disaster."
Although she knew that she was pretending to be embarrassed, the girls covered their mouths and laughed for a while, but Angela still noticed that although Paris also raised the corners of her mouth, she immediately returned to the normal kind. The coping smirk, thinking that she hadn't spoken much, Angela always felt that something seemed to happen to her.
The movie was about to start, and everyone went to their seats. Angela took two steps, then turned around and came to Paris and patted her lightly, asking in a low voice, "Paris, you Is it nothing?"
"What, what does Miss Genius have to say?" Something flashed in Paris' eyes. She bit her lip and stared at Angela, feeling a little alienated, and Angela couldn't help but start to worry. , no matter how much Paris pestered her in the past, she would always look like she was begging to be recognized. This situation has never happened before, and Angela obviously felt that she wanted to endure something and treat herself with a socializing attitude, but she finally Couldn't resist, maybe...
"I'm sorry, Pari," Angela said in a sincere tone, glancing around, "I was in a bad mood that day, that's why... I know I should have said sorry to you, but I've been very busy. That's why it's been delayed until now, and I'm really sorry that my words hurt you."
"It doesn't matter, Angie," Paris smiled, but no matter how she looked at it, she was smirking, "As a famous talented lady, I believe this sincerity and mind are still there, so I accept your apology. "
Although she said this, there was no sense of acceptance in her tone, Angela opened her mouth to say something else, and Paris immediately threw a thunderbolt in her ear: "By the way, Nikki and I have already tried, It felt really good.”
The explosion was so amazing that Angela didn't come back to her senses for a long time. When she wanted to know more, Paris had already sat in her seat, and the lights were dimmed, so she had to go to her seat. .
How could this be? ! Angela looked at the opening of the movie in a trance. God testified that she was just angry words and jokes... Didn't Pari use her head to think about it? ! Heck! Heck! How could I have said that!
"Did something happen?" The agent sitting beside her noticed the change in her mood.
"No, it's nothing, just some other issues to think about." Angela smiled reluctantly and then focused her eyes on the screen. Now is not the time to pay attention to this. After the movie is over, there will be a reception with those "uncrowned kings". Fighting against each other, such a movie may make them interpret beyond recognition by saying the wrong words, so let's talk about it tomorrow.
Two hours passed quickly. To Angela's surprise, when the lights came on after the final subtitles were played, the hall was silent. This situation lasted for more than ten seconds before it suddenly sounded. There was a warm applause, and if you look more closely, you can see that most of the people who applaud are still sighing.
"What happened to them just now?" Ivanka asked in a low voice beside Angela when the applause was over. Liv also looked at her with a questioning expression, only Natalie frowned slightly.
"Probably... They have some emotions." Angela shrugged. This movie has the greatest impact on those with rich life experience. Of course, there are many spiritual people among teenagers who can understand, such as—
"Angie, I don't know what to say, although you have already told me about the plot, but..." Natalie stared into her eyes with a slightly wry smile on her lips, "The head of a genius can always pop up a little bit. Surprising stuff."
"This is just an attempt, maybe I'm just precocious." Angela was a little afraid to look her in the eyes, and then raised her legs and walked towards the exit: "I have to prepare, God knows what questions these guys will ask."
Natalie still wanted to say something, but closed her mouth again and kept watching Angela disappear at the exit.
As expected by Angela, when the creators had just settled down, a reporter couldn't wait to ask a question: "Excuse me, Miss Angela, how long did it take you to conceive this script?"
"Sorry for this gentleman, the creator of the script is Mr. Alan Ball, not me." Angela replied with a smile, it was great, she was thinking about how to destroy their momentum, but now she actually sent it by herself Come to the door.
In the light of laughter, the reporter showed an embarrassed look, but it didn't last long, and soon returned to normal and looked at the screenwriter Alan: "I'm sorry, Mr. Alan, Miss Angela wrote and directed it for us. The image is too deep.”
"I can understand." Allen smiled, "In fact, Miss Angela also made a lot of pertinent opinions on the script."
The reporter immediately turned his attention to Angela, but the other party didn't seem to notice where the old god was sitting, so the reporter asked Allen with interest: "Then Mr. Allen, how did you come up with the idea? What about this script?"
"If I say in detail, it should be the inspiration I got after seeing the paper bag flying in the wind at the World Trade Center. Yes, it is the paper bag that was shot with DV at the end of the movie..." Allen then talked eloquently, adding the reporter We asked a lot of questions, so we talked for several minutes.
"Miss Angela, as the director of this movie, how did you know several characters in the movie?" A female reporter pointed her gun at Angela again.
"I think this question should be answered by a few leading actors first. I am satisfied with their performances," Angela said with a smile, shifting the focus with a lot of effort, "Kevin come first, you know that he clearly wanted to I was unwilling to take this role, and I spent a lot of time trying to convince him."
The reporters immediately looked at Spacey with a questioning look, and Kevin was stunned for a moment and then laughed: "Well, to be honest, that conversation with Angela is still fresh in my memory, and it taught me a lesson, It's best to forget her age and gender when talking to Miss Genius!"
The reporters let out a chuckle before Spacey continued: "I think the character of Lester represents the image of the American middle class, at least most of the middle class..."
The six main actors, Kevin and Annette, talked about their opinions in turn, and they broke a lot of information in the middle. For example, Chris once wanted to reject the role, and then he took the role under the persuasion of his agent. Several young people Wes's speech is the best among the actors. Although he is still taciturn, at least every sentence is on the point. In contrast, the speeches of Mina and Sarah can only be regarded as quite satisfactory. .
However, thinking does not necessarily lead to good development, and Hollywood obviously prefers more handsome men and women. Angela thought silently, and then made a concluding speech under the gazes of reporters: "I don't want to say how surprised I was when I first saw the script, the dull, suffocating air that filled the lines was unbearable. I can't stop feeling pity, and then I reflect on why and why it is like this? Are people really so numb that they can't find the beauty around them at all? So after reading a lot of community survey reports, I decided to put these through the film show out."
"You wrote the script of "Never Compromise" released not long ago, but today's "American Beauty" was directed by you. How do you think about such a completely different theme?" A reporter raised his hand again and asked road.
"There is no such thing as diametrically opposed problems, because these are two different aspects of the same thing," Angela smiled, "We can't deny those who work hard for their ideals and achieve success, but we can't deny that in life I'm not going to say much about the American Dream to the numb and sinking people, I'm just showing it - positive and negative - so you can see the problem, I saw it and showed it, now it's your turn Check it out!"