King of Hollywood
Chapter 649 - 57: Backlash and Party

Chapter 649: Chapter 57: Backlash and Party

Natalie closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, letting out a long sigh before reopening her eyes. The plot on the big screen had reached its climax. The group of older women who had previously beaten up Ray maybe couldn’t bear the gossiping of the people, or maybe they just genuinely wanted to help this pitiable young girl. Hence, they took her to the lake where her father’s body had been dumped to saw off his hands and hand them over to the police as proof that her father was dead.

All the scenes from the filming suddenly flooded back into her mind. It was due to her full commitment at that time that her current brilliant performance was possible, and she had vaguely heard whispers of admiration several times already. Reflecting upon it, her ability to immerse herself so deeply was probably because she herself shared some similarities with Ray Dollie, or rather, she wanted to become someone like Ray Dollie.

She couldn’t help but glance over at Adrian again. He had already returned, cozy and affectionate with Naomi, completely indifferent to the movie playing. Natalie bit her lip. No matter how much she loathed him, the inevitable fear still let a feeling of powerlessness swiftly spread through her body.

Ray, while in such a difficult situation, at least had friends and her father’s brother, "Tear Drop," who helped her with some troubles — when Ray and "Tear Drop" were returning home one night, they encountered the police officer who had come to warn her earlier. As "Tear Drop" was also a drug dealer, the officer held them at gunpoint and ordered him to step out of the car for inspection. However, "Tear Drop" clearly refused and grabbed his own rifle. After a standoff, he let them go because he noticed Ray was still in the car. Besides that, when Ray finally brought the hands she had sawed off from the corpse in the lake to prove her father’s death, the officer ultimately accepted her statement after some thought.

Despite the entire movie being very harsh, with a kind of unyielding ruthlessness throughout, the last ten minutes added a tinge of warmth to the story.

Who would come to help me? Natalie thought sadly. At least Ray had friends and family to share some of her misfortunes, but whom could she confide her troubles in, and from whom could she seek help? Natalie knew all too well that if she really divulged anything, that bastard would definitely find out immediately, and then... he would do as he threatened. Even though the lights came up and applause filled the theater, the excitement she had felt from her outstanding performance had already vanished without a trace.

Even if she could get some positive reviews, what would it matter? Natalie sighed despondently in her heart, yet unexpectedly, the film critics had much higher praise for "Winter’s Bone" than she ever imagined.

"This is a profound, understated, and serene film. The heart-wrenching emotions of the movie flow into the depths of our souls in an unobtrusive manner." — New York Times

"In this deep and composed theme, the perspective of a child scrutinizing family relationships adds a layer that is profoundly moving." — Variety

"As beautiful as a folk song, as primal as a folk song, this film is nothing short of perfection!" — Hollywood Report

Countless film critics gave the movie exceedingly high praises, but the comments of Chris Peterson were particularly representative: "For a long time, I have deeply regretted that Miracle Director Adrian Cowell became famous for independent films with ’Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,’ ’Memento,’ and ’Pulp Fiction’ as some of the finest independent films of their time, but as he grew into a significant director, he turned to big productions. Despite understanding his choices — after all, he is more than a director — I couldn’t help feeling a sense of loss. But now, he’s returned with a low-budget film and has loudly proclaimed he hasn’t given up the spirit of independent cinema.

Undoubtedly, ’Winter’s Bone’ is an extraordinary film, distinct from Adrian’s earlier cult black comedies, but it doesn’t fall short of them and is even more heart-stirring."

The story is straightforward, telling the tale of a 17-year-old girl living near the Missouri Mountains, who resolutely searches for her drug dealer father to keep her family together. But under Adrian’s meticulous direction, this simple theme burst into dazzling brilliance. Though his works were not without elements of reality, such a deep portrayal of society’s darkness and indifference was a first. The movie maintained its icy tone from beginning to end, creating an impression of cruelty and resilience, and it wasn’t until the very end that a touch of warmth was added. It was this exact quality that made the story all the more realistic and touching, with every line of dialogue, each scene, and the characters’ every choice seeming as if they were happening right beside us.

Natalie Portman and John Hawkes delivered incredible performances; without them, the movie would have lost much of its luster. Natalie, in particular, vividly portrayed the tenacity and toughness of the 17-year-old girl. When you see her in the film, she bears no connection to last year’s Queen Amidala whatsoever, whether it’s the tears shed by her mother’s side or the defiance in losing a tooth, it fully reflects the weed-like spirit of Ray Dollie. John Hawkes did the same, perfectly capturing the image of ’Tear Drop,’ his younger brother, even substituting for the father figure to some extent.

Maybe Adrian just wanted to prove that he could still make independent films, or perhaps he’ll return to big productions, but "Winter’s Bone" is indeed a weighty and perfect work!

In short, delving into the dark side of society with a touch of masterstroke-like warmth became the movie’s tagline. Film critics love this kind of material the most, and despite its coolness laced with warmth, it generally gives off a positive vibe. Coupled with its meticulous production, the film naturally received a lot of praise. There were even claims that it was fortunate Adrian hadn’t planned to take this film to next year’s Sundance Film Festival; otherwise, it was bound to sweep Best Movie, Best Director, and Best Screenplay. Even those wanting to nitpick could only do so from the smallest margins, like—

"’Winter’s Bone’ provides a slight thrill for those with a voyeurism streak, which seems to be the main reason the film exists..." Adrian read aloud from a report in the New York Post, clicking his tongue, "Look at them, they can only attack with such words, like a defeated dog barking from a distance."

Wrapped in a blanket, Natalie didn’t speak, just looking at other newspapers in her hands.

"What’s the matter? Think they’re being too harsh? Oh, don’t worry about it, basically, 99% of the media are praising your performance," said Adrian, clad in a tank top and shorts, as he smiled and returned to the bed, hugging her and planting a kiss on her delicate earlobe, "I told you, I would make you shine, my dear Nata."

While speaking, he slipped his hand under the blanket, and Natalie struggled just slightly before beginning to gasp under his tease. Then Adrian lifted her, sat crossed on the bed, laughed softly at her somewhat absent expression, and kissed her lips, starting a wonderful morning exercise.

Despite having to consider the media and avoid giving away any weaknesses on the premiere day, so he invited Naomi to attend together, and even after shaking off the paparazzi, he took Naomi directly to Nicole’s house to play threesome that evening. But with Natalie having come all the way to Los Angeles, how could he not indulge in some tender moments? Adrian now quite enjoyed watching her progress from half-hearted resistance to inevitable surrender, just like right then.

However, despite this, the tabloids still came out with titles like "The Eighth Miracle Girl," but photos of Adrian walking the red carpet with Naomi had already been published on various media websites. Since he had worked with Natalie on "The Professional" years ago, with just a little guidance, it became something sensationalistic—after all, Natalie’s feelings had to be considered, right?

Interestingly, as "Winter’s Bone" continued to garner positive reviews, many began comparing it to "Erin Brockovich." The latter’s trailer had already been released, and its various promotions were unfolding. The major media had a fairly comprehensive understanding of the film’s themes and content, unlike "Winter’s Bone," which only caught on after the trailer was released. Both films deal with current and real issues, and their themes seemed to contrast perfectly, which was no wonder that journalists and critics took to comparing them.

"Although there’s no more detailed information available, ’Erin Brockovich’ is adapted from a real-life story, so in some ways, this film is likely to contrast ’Winter’s Bone’ in many aspects. Yet, from another perspective, they also share similarities, making it quite interesting and worthy of study that Adrian is working on these two films simultaneously," wrote one journalist in their article.

Many people were curious about why Adrian would make two movies that were similar in small ways but largely opposite. However, the complete plot of "Erin Brockovich" remained unknown for a few more weeks, so for now, it was all speculation, sparking some discussions, but not particularly fierce.

The biggest change would have to be the box office of "Winter’s Bone" since, owing to Adrian’s direction and production, it ultimately secured 500 theaters. Coupled with massive promotion and unanimous praise from the critics, it pulled in over seven million dollars in its opening weekend! If it weren’t for the fact that the promotional costs were 1.5 times the filming costs, this box office revenue alone would have been enough to recoup its expenses.

But then again, if there had been no investment in promotion, relying solely on Adrian’s fame might not have guaranteed seven million at the box office in the first week, which was already equivalent to the original version’s total overseas box office. After searching his memory for a long time, Adrian finally found the box office data for the original "Winter’s Bone". Even with a big win at the Sundance Film Festival, it only had an opening weekend of eight thousand dollars, and its global gross barely exceeded ten million.

Now with the Miracle Director’s touch and ample promotion, released in early November, the North American box office alone would bring in over twenty million even at its poorest, plus the overseas box office. Even if the promotion cost a bit more, recouping the investment would still be stress-free.

With Thanksgiving approaching, the year’s second hot movie release period was also upon us, and various film companies were gearing up for another round of competition. Universal Pictures didn’t have much of an advantage, and among the few commercial films they prepared, the only one Adrian was familiar with was "The Bone Collector," starring Monica and Denzel Washington, which after overtime work had finally caught up with this year’s Christmas season.

He wasn’t too concerned, though. Universal currently had many money-making movies, like the filming of "X-Men" which had just finished, with Scarlett’s portrayal of Rogue being quite popular, but the spotlight was even more on characters like Wolverine, Professor X, and Magneto. Next summer or the year’s end would be a good time to release it. And the "Spider-Man 2" team had already finalized terms with Maguire for the next two films, and the script was almost complete; preparations could begin at any time. And as for Kirsten, the little fairy, Adrian would surely not shortchange her. So why worry about a weaker position during a certain movie season? Why not let things slide a bit? Besides, it might lull them into a false sense of security.

"Yes, I know there’s been a decline, but it’s alright, I bet that in another ten years when people talk about the most classic TV shows, ’Friends’ will definitely be mentioned," Adrian said confidently in the bustling hall to three men and four women.

No doubt, they were the six main stars of "Friends", the men in suits and the women in dazzling outfits, with Aniston looking noticeably plumper, probably really pregnant. As for the extra lady, that was Winona Ryder, arm in arm with Aniston and looking very close, with Aniston seemingly not averse to her. Dennis wasn’t there.

"I think he should stay at home, after all, this is a gathering for television actors," Aniston said nonchalantly when Adrian inquired.

Indeed, this was a massive party by ABC to celebrate a significant increase in their fall ratings, and they invited television and reality show actors, though others were not refused attendance, especially when someone like Winona stood by your side. Of course, Adrian didn’t ask any imprudent questions, and Winona, not knowing what got into her when asked about Dennis, interjected, saying, "I think Jenny should divorce him and then come live with me. We can raise the baby together."

Although Adrian had already heard from Dennis that she claimed to be in love with Aniston and occasionally persuaded Aniston to elope with her, hearing her say it in person was still a first. Listening to the earnestness in her voice, Adrian was indeed ’shocked’. He remembered that after being much affected by hits to her career post-2000, she nearly destroyed her future with a shoplifting incident—so... was she serious? But seeing the other three men and two women acting as if they hadn’t heard a thing, and with Aniston quite protective of her, it seemed not.

But never mind that—it was, after all, Dennis’s domestic trouble, and he had plenty of issues to sort out anyway. Just the drama from the engagement alone, Aniston, Lisa, and Courtney all seemed to still be holding onto some grudges. If he couldn’t handle it, he might as well hit a wall. As for the lead role in "I Am Sam," simply find a few chances to discuss it with him, and after talking a bit more, Adrian left with his blond companion.

Before the premiere of "Winter’s Bone" that I attended with Dakota Fanning, the film we talked about was "I Am Sam." The main character Sam is intellectually disabled and happens to have a biological daughter, leading to many events while he raises her. For male actors in Hollywood, this is a dream role, just think of the actors who won Oscars for playing intellectually disabled or mentally ill characters.

This script wasn’t the kind where Adrian came up with an idea and let the screenwriters fill in the rest to produce it; instead, it was entirely written by someone else. It was not surprising that it came into his hands, as Jesse Nelson, the original screenwriter, director, and producer, had always worked for Universal Pictures, and Adrian’s name drew a lot of talent to Universal.

In his previous life, the role was played by Sean Penn, who also got a Best Actor nomination for it. Although Adrian considered him, he wanted to give others a chance, since Sean Penn didn’t lack opportunities to strive for an Oscar. Even though he was well aware that Dennis didn’t have a chance to win an Oscar now, giving him the opportunity to accumulate experience wasn’t bad.

"You’re very charming right now, Catherine," Adrian said to his blonde companion in a room outside the hall.

"Don’t talk, Ed, I want you," she responded breathlessly with a joyful voice, leaning against the wall with her legs firmly wrapped around Adrian’s waist, rising and falling with his rhythm.

Adrian had always been a target for many women, and now especially at a large party hosted by ABC, so Miss Catherine Heigl seized the opportunity. She had a guest role on "Friends" as Rachel’s sister and got on very well with Aniston, which led to her being in five full episodes of the show, a lot luckier than the original who ended up as a Playboy playmate.

Such an opportunity greatly increased Catherine Heigl’s popularity, and she naturally wanted to reach a higher level, while Adrian didn’t mind tasting some fresh flesh and happily accepted her as his temporary companion. After chatting with Aniston and the others, he immediately took her to another room, not caring about the name Catherine.

It had to be admitted that there was a special thrill to having a romp indoors while others partied outside, making a big party an excellent place for seduction. So, half an hour after playing with Heigl, in the same room but with a different woman, Adrian tangled up in different positions on the couch.

"Ali, you’re amazing!" Holding the girl’s legs on his shoulders and folding her lower half over her upper body, Adrian slammed into her while loudly praising her.

"You too... Ed... You too!" Alexis Bledel screamed just as loudly, her skin flushing red as if she was about to climax.

After producing "Gilmore Girls" and being with Jennifer Connelly, Adrian had planned to get his hands on Alexis Bledel but didn’t find the opportunity, and there were some restrictions. But now the timing was just right; after Alexis had some drinks and was isolated, Adrian approached her with a few words and easily hooked up, also occasionally seeing each other in the past, she had a good impression of him, so it went smoothly into the room.

Truly a playboy. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it, your support is my greatest motivation.)