King of Hollywood
Chapter 415 - 137: In the End, We Must Face It

Chapter 415: Chapter 137: In the End, We Must Face It

"Without a doubt, this is a masterpiece," Anthony Minghella, in his third stint as director, showed his remarkable talent to the world. Although this film, adapted from Michael Ondaatje’s novel, deviates from the original, the core essence was firmly grasped by him. The exquisite composition and storyboarding rendered the scenes breathtakingly beautiful, and the brief yet intense romance between the male and female leads made people sigh. Anthony’s depiction was delicate and vivid, leaving an enduring impression." — Vanity Fair

"The film fundamentally tells a love story, a love story set against the backdrop of war, and like all similar themes, this romance is intense and fleeting. What sets this story apart, however, is that it offers audiences a range of emotions: initially, you might disapprove of the infidelity of a married woman, then sympathize with the male lead, Omash, as he risks being branded a traitor to save his lover, and finally sigh at his confession as he lay dying. Anthony has given us an image that seems like it should be easy to define yet proves challenging to pinpoint, which is probably where the charm of this film lies." — Hollywood Report

"Both lead actors, whether it be Ralph Fiennes as the gracefully aristocratic gentleman or Rachel Weisz as the pilot’s wife, perfectly captured the essence of their characters, from the initial subtlety to the passion expressed due to attraction to the poignant farewell at the end, all transformations conveyed their tumultuous yet fervent emotions. Sophie Marceau, though her role as the nurse was not large, played her intermediary part very well. I had previously criticized her for relying on a single expression in her acting, but I can perhaps temporarily retract that statement now." — renowned film critic Roger Ebert

"The English Patient" didn’t fare well at the box office post-release, with Christmas just around the corner and the battle for audiences reaching its peak. Amidst the major productions released by various film studios, it only managed to earn 11 million US Dollars on its opening weekend, placing it not only at the bottom among the three movies released during the Christmas season but also quite behind other movies associated with Adrian.

However, the critical reception was surprisingly positive, and it must be acknowledged that Miramax exerted a great effort. Adrian had made it clear when giving them the distribution rights that the film was aiming for the Oscars, and with the agreement for their media outlets to cooperate as much as possible, the Weinstein brothers naturally pulled out all the stops to promote it.

But the high quality of the film itself was also a reason, just as Adrian had said, Minghella had poured all his talent into it, so that memory recalls that after "The English Patient," he hasn’t produced another work with such critical acclaim. The actors also delivered noteworthy performances; Ralph Fiennes, needless to say, with his tender and affectionate demeanor in the film, made it impossible to connect him with the murderous villain from "Schindler’s List." Although he appeared somewhat quiet and reserved off-screen, he was certainly dedicated and outstanding in front of the camera.

Rachel was equally outstanding; her very aura made her utterly suitable for such a role. Even though she was a pilot’s wife, her speech and scholarship differed little from that of a woman brimming with scholarly charm, or else she wouldn’t have attracted such a graceful aristocrat. They both, thanks to Adrian’s influence, turned to their acting craft, deeply embodying their characters.

As for Sophie, Roger Ebert had already mentioned her; although Hannah’s role was small, it was pivotal, acting as a bridge between segments. Her somber expression matched remarkably well with the backdrop of war, so Ebert’s remark came as no surprise—he had previously thought that Sophie relied solely on that melancholic, gentle visage for her acting. Even though in "The English Patient," she continued thus, it blended seamlessly with the entire movie, providing a surprisingly refreshing effect.

"He can be quite sharp," Adrian said the day after the premiere, holding a naked Sophie in his arms, reading the newspaper reviews in bed, and Sophie responded with a heavy humph.

After the premiere, even though he had a lengthy and enjoyable discussion with Rachel, Adrian still half-forced Sophie to slip away through the cinema’s side door; after all, unlike Rachel, who was completely under his control to be manipulated, Sophie needed a bit of stimulation before the screening and some coaxing afterward.

After spending a night with Sophie, Adrian hastily left the hotel. First, he hadn’t been too careful about concealing his return the previous night, and if some service staff sold the information to the paparazzi, it would not be troublesome, although nothing they wrote would bother him. Second, he was uncertain about what Sophie was really thinking—every time they spent a night together in the United States, she would immediately head back to Paris, so it seemed wise to leave before she did.

However, he had intended to find time to talk to Sophie about "Anna Karenina," but it seemed he would have to wait for another opportunity.

Subsequently, Adrian went to see Rachel. The previous night, as he left with Sophie, he had noticed Rachel’s expression, very subtle and complex, and after comforting Sophie, he naturally had to placate her. After all, it wasn’t the first time he’d had to do such things, and although running back and forth seemed like a hassle, he rather enjoyed it.

"Do you always consider me a plaything?" queried Rachel suddenly as Adrian took her to Palm Springs in southeast Los Angeles for half a day and they were resting in a cafe.

"What makes you feel that way about me, Rachel?" Adrian, stirring his coffee, didn’t respond directly.

This should have been a simple question to answer, a list long enough to fill a container, yet Rachel unexpectedly fell silent, pursed her lips, and lowered her head without saying a word.

Adrian laughed with understanding and then changed the subject, "Did you see the newspapers today? They all praised your performance. I always said such a role suited you. You might want to take a break now. I’ll try to prepare another role of the same type that has more commercial value, but..."

He sighed, "I still worry that this will narrow your range too much."

"Since both beauty and fragrance abandon themselves, watching others grow while they wither..." Rachel suddenly sighed with this line—a lament on the brevity of life from Shakespeare’s twelfth sonnet, which seemed to have slipped out as she pondered her current, conflicting predicament.

"But the essence of the distilled flowers, even contending with winter, only loses their hue, forever emitting a fresh fragrance," Adrian instantly responded with a smile. His memory was almost unmatched. This was from Shakespeare’s fifth sonnet, suggesting that although time passes quickly, something ultimately remains, serving as a form of consolation from a different perspective.

Rachel couldn’t help but show a surprised expression; it wasn’t often someone could aptly respond with another line from the same author. However, she had shown such expressions too many times in front of Adrian—usually, it meant her emotions were already in his control.

"Alright, let’s not talk about this anymore. Let’s go have a few more rounds around the streets," Adrian said, putting down his cup and taking her hand.

Though he spent the day with Rachel, he didn’t stay overnight at her place. After escorting her home and giving her a goodnight kiss, he left. Since she liked a sense of mystery, he’d let her keep guessing.

With various companies vying for release dates, "Jerry Maguire" and "The Mask of Zorro" both strived to hit the hundred-million mark in North America. Christmas finally arrived, and Adrian spent it in New York with Kate and Lily at his uncle’s house. Since he had already gone public in front of The Godfather, it was only a matter of time before doing the same with his uncle.

Nothing unusual happened at the Christmas Eve dinner; his uncle was still indifferent. Aunt Martha, however, had a lengthy and enjoyable chat with Kate and took quite a liking to Lily, constantly holding and playing with her. However, after dinner in the study, the uncle sternly reprimanded Adrian.

"This is nothing short of a disgrace to the Cowell family!" he said. "If your father knew about this, he’d turn in his grave, then kick you into it! You know, the Cowells haven’t had any illegitimate children in decades! What in God’s name were you thinking, Ed?"

"I’m sorry, Uncle," Adrian said with a conciliatory smile, having long come to understand his uncle’s temper and the things he held firm.

Despite his stern tone now, he’d calm down after venting. If he were truly angry, he wouldn’t have even let Adrian through the door. Moreover, for all his reserved demeanor during dinner, when he looked at the little one, his eyes showed a hint of tenderness. When Lily, supported by her aunt, wobbled over to her uncle and held onto his trouser leg with happy shouts, he fondly patted her head. No matter how strict the older generation might be with their own children, they tend to dote on their grandchildren.

"Can a mere apology solve the problem, Ed?! I support your career, and I’m proud of your achievements, but now you went and did something like this, unbelievable!" his uncle continued his tirade.

"May I say something, Uncle?" Adrian asked with a slight smile, and continued after receiving permission: "You know, with the progress of time, each generation has its own way of thinking. You can’t expect everyone to share the same thoughts. This isn’t such a big deal, really. Lily is my daughter, and that’s something I acknowledge. How can she be considered illegitimate? Just because Kate and I aren’t married, does it mean she’s not my child?"

This was essentially a sophism, conflating illegitimacy with whether Lily was acknowledged as his child or not. Adrian knew it, and Uncle Anderson knew it too, so this was just giving his uncle an excuse to step down. To be honest, if you gathered all the Cowells from across the United States, how could there not be any illegitimate children among the family members?

Uncle’s needs were actually quite simple; he just wanted to persist with certain things. However, his long-established autocratic style and temper made it difficult for him to speak nicely in front of his family. If he were truly a rigid old stickler unable to adapt, how could he have acquired a respectable status on Wall Street?

"So, are you not planning to marry Kate?" Uncle asked after a long silence.

Kate had always made a good impression on him, which was why he had told Adrian before that he could bring her over often. In Uncle’s view, Kate’s decision to become an actress was probably encouraged by Adrian.

"I don’t know, I can’t give you a definite answer, Uncle," Adrian spread his hands, neither confirming nor denying. "As I said earlier, one generation has its own ideas. As long as we hold on to the core values, it’s perfectly acceptable to adapt to changes in other aspects."

Of course, Uncle wasn’t a fool. He snorted at those words: "Quantitative changes will eventually lead to qualitative changes."

After saying that, Uncle left the study without bidding Adrian farewell, which made him chuckle for a good while. Following him out, he found the little one sitting on the couch, clutching at Uncle and unclearly calling out "grandpa", and once released, Uncle’s smile was probably the broadest it had been all year. Well, although things were settled on this end, there was still a test awaiting across the Atlantic. After the end of the year, Adrian took his daughter and Kate to London to celebrate the New Year.

Having the little one as an excuse meant there was no need to worry about where to spend the holidays like in previous years, but the reactions of other women were subtle. As for Sarah and Liv, they were not very pleased but didn’t mind too much; Monica, who had been undergoing kung fu training recently, although didn’t say much, seemed a bit melancholic; Julia’s expression was much more complex without any other indication; as for Gwyneth and Blanchett, they sighed but then showed understanding, even if they seemed to be holding something back.

Alright, let’s get back to London. There would be plenty of opportunities to talk about these things later.

"Ah, Ed...do you... would you like something to drink?" Judy Rowe, sitting in front of Adrian and Kate, stammered a bit, her gaze uncertain of what to say.

"Mom, you’ve asked that four times already," Kate sighed.

"Sorry, I’m just..." Judy offered a wry smile, then turned her attention toward Samantha, who was amusing Lily.

"Mama, Lily is so cute," Samantha said cheerily as she picked up the little one. Fearless Lily was always the most popular person wherever she went.

"I know this might be a bit hard to accept, Ms. Rowe, but..." Adrian began to explain.

"I’ve always thought of you as a gentleman, Adrian," Judy exhaled and looked at him seriously, "I was an actress too; I understand these things very well!"

"Mom!" Kate interjected, frowning as if displeased, her sharp voice causing even Samantha, who was holding Lily, to look over.

Adrian glanced between Kate and Judy, then stood up: "Maybe I should step out for a bit—hey, Samantha, let’s take the little one out for a walk."

"Do you know what you’re doing, Kate!" Judy asked sternly as Adrian and Samantha left.

"I’m not a child, Mom, I’m 23 years old!" Kate pursed her lips.

"Yes, you’re 23 now, not a child anymore, so you get pregnant and don’t even tell me about it? No wonder I couldn’t reach you last year during the holidays; you always said you were busy... Oh God, the baby is a year old, and I’m just finding out now, and you two don’t even have the intention to marry. Do you know how shocked I am?!" Judy covered her forehead.

"I’m sorry, Mom," Kate’s tone softened, "I just... didn’t want to worry you."

"I’ve always been happy and proud for you. I thought you found a good man. I even went to see ’Twisters’ several times when it came out..." Judy murmured, then opened her eyes to look sadly at her daughter, holding her face for a while before asking, "So, the rumors about him are true?"

Kate remained silent.

"Damn it, I knew it. I thought he was a gentleman, but it turns out..." Judy cried out loud.

"Mom!" Kate interrupted her mother again, "Ed and I aren’t like what you imagine."

"What has he done to you, for you to speak for him like this?" Judy demanded, "Are you just going to live together like this? Let him frolic outside and then come home to have you take care of the children?!"

"Ed... is not a good person, but he isn’t a bad person either..." Kate bit her lip and slowly said, "I don’t know how to evaluate him. Sometimes I can’t see through him at all... and it all draws me to him... Although sometimes it’s painful and sad... sometimes it’s also joyful... He is a responsible man, at least he doesn’t run away from his responsibilities..."

Kate’s eyes were a bit unfocused, but as she was immersed in her memories, her expressions alternated between indignation, smiling, frowning, and helplessness.

"This is my choice, my life, Mom. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong, but at least for Lily, it’s the right decision," Kate sighed and said once she came back to senses.

Understanding her daughter, Judy knew exactly what she was thinking. Though Judy wanted to say more, she ended up just sighing and embracing Kate tightly.

It seemed the matter had passed, at least for the moment, as Judy adored the little one; her tender expression when holding the child was genuine. However, she still found a moment to speak with Adrian privately.

"I can’t promise you anything, ma’am, but a few things are certain: Lily is my daughter, I love my daughter, and I want her to grow up healthily and happily. Likewise, I love your daughter, and as long as Kate is with me, I will do my utmost to keep her happy," Adrian said so.

Looking at his earnest expression, which hardly seemed fake, Judy, despite feeling frustrated, said nothing more with a bitter smile.

(To be continued. If you liked this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation and monthly ballots. Your support is my greatest motivation.)