America 1987

Chapter 8 The Stinky Pie

So it seems he's quite professional. Did I misunderstand him back then?

Catherine glanced at David.

"Alright, alright, let's move on to the next round."

David Ovitz snapped his fingers.

……

Today's script reading ended quickly. A single reading session is usually limited to 60 to 80 minutes of core reading time. Including the opening introduction and Q&A discussion, the total duration is approximately 90 minutes to 2 hours.

Such group readings usually take about half a month.

Therefore, coordinating the schedules of actors is extremely important. Big stars may only participate in some performances, while newcomers or supporting actors need to be present throughout the entire performance.

Although Hollywood doesn't have a written rule requiring everyone to receive it, those familiar with industry practices can glean insights into a film director's prestige simply by observing the identity of those absent and the timing of their absence.

Having everyone present usually means: a controllable budget, a solid director's authority, and that the project is in its early stages or has a strong egalitarian atmosphere.

The absence of big-name stars indicates that the production team is star-centric, the director has little say, or the project has entered a crisis mode, such as rushing to finish, reshooting, or replacing actors at the last minute.

Most bad movies are born in this kind of filming environment.

The most subtle absence was that of the director himself.

When the screenwriter or executive director leads the script reading, it often means that the director is juggling multiple projects at once—for example, Wong Jing, oh wait, with Wong Jing's filming speed, there's no need for a script reading process at all, or the director is just a tool and has been sidelined by the production company.

The attendance today is good; almost everyone is here, including the biggest name, the Oscar-nominated actress—Whoopi Goldberg.

To achieve such success as a Black person before the 90s is truly remarkable; he certainly knows how to conduct himself.

David recalled what had happened in the meeting room earlier that day.

Moreover, her personality was quite good, similar to the classic comedic roles she would later play, so it could be considered a natural performance.

Speaking of comedians, isn't Stephen Chow the one with the biggest contrast? He's a completely different person on and off screen, almost like he has a split personality.

"What are you thinking about?" Catherine's voice interrupted his rambling thoughts.

"Nothing," David said, picking up his coffee. "I was just thinking about what to talk to you about later, since I don't know you very well yet, Cathy."

They are currently in a coffee shop near the production company.

As for why they were here, it was David who invited them, but the reason for the invitation was very... in accordance with procedure.

Generally speaking, when a production team is preparing to shoot a genre film that focuses on the romance between the male and female leads, they will arrange for the two actors playing the leads to get to know each other before filming begins, so that they can more effectively build a more realistic and natural chemistry when shooting interactive scenes on set.

This is especially true if there are intimate scenes.

After the rise of the MeToo movement, Hollywood even created a position called the Intimacy Coordinator to guide and regulate the degree and scale of intimate scenes.

However, that was around 2018; Hollywood in 1987 obviously didn't have such a systematic mechanism for coordinating intimate scenes.

In this era of Hollywood, even this kind of "pre-familiarization" has not yet been fully incorporated into the standardized process.

Only major studio projects will have more formal rehearsal periods to allow actors to get to know each other and build basic chemistry.

Independent productions are more casual; it might just be having a meal together or the director discussing the script in a hotel room.

And this is already considered professional.

Many film crews don't have a dedicated preparation period. The actors only arrive on the first day of filming, and they may not even know each other's names before they start filming.

Looking at it this way, there must be a reason why the six major film studios have been able to monopolize the market for so many years.

However, although major studios provide dedicated rehearsal rooms, David opted for a nearby café, where the atmosphere was relaxed and facilitated natural conversation, unlike the pressure of formal rehearsals.

David wasn't planning to discuss the script here; that's something only Sigma men do. Don't forget what his other purpose in making movies is.

"weather?"

Although somewhat surprised by the other party's candor, Catherine quickly recovered and actually helped the other party find topics to chat about.

The British have a tradition of discussing the weather, which is both a cultural custom and a safe topic to avoid offending others.

"The cold wave in January? I don't know much about it, so I'll skip the awkward conversation."

David took a sip of his perfectly chilled coffee, then put it down again. "Let's talk about Top Gun from last year. You've probably seen it, right?"

"Of course I've seen it, and it left a deep impression on me."

I was almost rejected, but after watching it, I received an audition invitation that very night. How could I not be impressed?

Catherine gave the other person an affirmative smile.

David Ovitz doesn't have mind-reading abilities and doesn't know Catherine's thoughts, but he does have prophetic abilities.

"Why don't you take a guess? How many Oscars will Top Gun win this year?"

第59届奥斯卡金像奖颁奖典礼在3月30日举行，提名名单一般在1月底或2月初公布。

In the original timeline, Catherine Zeta-Jones was known for her ambition, having aspired to make it to the heart of Hollywood since childhood, and it was impossible for her not to pay attention to news related to the Oscars.

and so……

"I don't know much about fields outside of acting," she replied after frowning and thinking for a moment, "but the soundtrack of that movie was really good; one of my roommates plays it in her room every day..."

"So I think I have a good chance of winning Best Original Song."

As for the rest, I don't know much about it; perhaps you know more than I do.

"My views are similar to yours, and I don't know much more than you."

Seeing that she had already revealed the final result, David had no choice but to shift the topic from the movie to the actors.

"However, Cruise will probably not be very popular with film school judges after this movie."

"Oh?"

Catherine's attention was indeed drawn to it; after all, compared to male actors, female actors need to win mainstream awards to prove their abilities.

Actresses didn't start carrying box office success until the mid-to-late 90s.

"Do you know the term 'breasted brat'?" David didn't offer any predictions or analyses, but instead quoted this already-existing authoritative term, which sounded more convincing with media endorsement.

The term first appeared on the cover of the June 10, 1985 issue of New York magazine, coined by journalist David Bloom in his article "Hollywood's 'Baby-Smelling'."

It specifically refers to the cast of two films from that year—The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire.

There's no need to elaborate on which actors are being referred to.

All you need to know is that these actors are characterized by: becoming famous around the age of twenty; playing rebellious teenagers of similar age, with flamboyant personalities, defying discipline, and liking to challenge parental authority and school control; and appearing in groups off-screen, supporting each other, and having close social relationships.

This description is definitely not a positive evaluation.

Therefore, before the article was published, they were considered by the industry as "independent individuals with considerable acting talent"; after the article was published, they were "all regarded as unprofessional actors with immature acting skills." In short, "meaning they have little acting ability and little substance."

Most members who were categorized into this camp disliked the label, and Andrew McCarthy never admitted to being one of them.

Tom Cruise was also labeled with this label after he became an overnight sensation, and he explicitly rejected it in a 1986 Playboy interview.

The term "infantastic" had a huge impact, severely limiting their career development in the entertainment industry.

In addition, some of them lacked self-control after achieving fame at a young age and became addicted to drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity. Most of them "disappeared after a brief appearance," which further solidified this label and deepened the prejudice against them by mainstream film critics and award judges.

So much so that it wasn't until 2025, at the age of 63, that Tom Cruise finally received his first Oscar in the form of a Lifetime Achievement Award.

This only acknowledges his leading role and contribution to world cinema as an action stunt performer, just like Jackie Chan, but does not acknowledge his acting skills.

The magnitude of the impact is evident.

David briefly explained the concept to Catherine before concluding definitively: "Film Academy judges have never liked actors who became famous at a young age and are also exceptionally good-looking."

"You'd better watch out, Cathy. If our movie happens to become as popular as Top Gun, you might end up being labeled as a 'brat' too."