Chapter 104: Director Candidate
Chapter 104: Director Candidate
After sending Amy Pascal home, Eric took Jonathan Demme and casually found a nearby café. After ordering two cups of coffee and some pastries, Eric spoke first. “Jonathan, tell me your understanding of the script for The Others first.”
Jonathan Demme organized his thoughts like a student undergoing an examination and said, “Compared with films that rely on violent gore, deliberately mystifying sound effects, or bizarre and hideous makeup to achieve a horror effect, The Others will undoubtedly create an entirely new psychological-thriller type of horror film. The script is filled with Hitchcock-style suspense setups. Although the plot is not complicated, it can firmly hold the audience’s curiosity from beginning to end. And after the truth is revealed at the end, the major reversal of the living and the ghosts changing positions is even more surprising. Eric, many people think your current success is due to Heaven’s favor. But if they read this script you wrote, I believe no one would think that anymore. Your talent is simply astonishing.”
As he spoke, Jonathan Demme could not help praising him. Eric could tell that the praise came sincerely from the heart, not from an attempt to please him, so he smiled and said, “Thank you for the praise, Jonathan. Your understanding of this script is very accurate. However, that alone is not enough for me to hand this film to you. Although I haven’t had time to pay attention to the replies from the other two director candidates yet, I believe they will also be very interested in this film. Compared with the two horror masters Wes Craven and William Friedkin, what do you think your advantage is?”
“Plasticity,” Jonathan Demme answered without hesitation. “Eric, I have more plasticity than they do.”
Eric sized up the middle-aged man in front of him, who was already in his forties, and asked doubtfully, “Plasticity?”
Jonathan Demme calmly explained, “Yes, Eric. Precisely because I have never shot a horror film before, this is instead my greatest advantage. I have been in the industry for almost twenty years. I believe there is definitely no problem with my professional level as a director. I can completely shoot according to the psychological-thriller concept you wrote into this script. But if The Others is handed over to those two long-famous horror masters to direct, they will definitely bring their own personal filming styles into the movie. That may not be their personal intention, but the power of habit is very strong. Because of that, they may very well make The Others return to the traditional horror-film model of The Exorcist and A Nightmare on Elm Street. That would certainly create a very good scare effect, but it would also inevitably weaken the sensational impact brought by the ending’s reversal between the living and the ghosts.”
After Jonathan Demme finished speaking, he noticed the slight loosening in Eric’s expression and quickly took a thick stack of prepared materials from the bag he carried with him. However, he did not hand all of it to Eric at once. He knew that if he did that, Eric would probably lose the patience to continue reading. So he only selected the most important few pages and handed them to Eric.
“Eric, take a look. These are some of my ideas for shooting The Others, along with a few storyboard drafts I envisioned. I think the filming should focus on building horror suspense, throwing out one suspense point after another in stages to arouse the audience’s curiosity. This can cover up the script’s weaknesses in terms of setting and plot to the greatest extent, and it also won’t make the audience feel bored. In terms of creating atmosphere, it should focus more on psychological oppression rather than sensory stimulation.”
Eric lowered his head and carefully read through the series of filming ideas Jonathan Demme had listed, then carefully looked over several storyboard designs. His fingers unconsciously tapped the tabletop a few times.
Jonathan Demme knew the most critical moment was about to arrive. His right hand, hidden beneath the table, clenched tightly into a fist.
Compared with Eric’s divinely assisted and smooth-sailing directing career, Jonathan’s journey in Hollywood was much more difficult. He had shown a strong interest in film since childhood. Therefore, although he studied veterinary medicine in college, he did not take that path. Instead, he entered United Artists, which was still at its peak at the time, without hesitation and started from the lowest odd-job position.
It was not until he was thirty that he had the chance to participate in the production of some low-budget B movies. In 1977, Jonathan finally received his first opportunity to direct a film. However, although that satirical drama about life in civilian radio received unanimous praise from critics, its box office performance was a complete mess.
To be more accurate, it had no box office at all. In order to let more people appreciate his work, Jonathan had to pay out of his own pocket to have a theater in New York screen the film for free, yet there were still only a few viewers.
That blow made Jonathan fall silent for a full three years. In 1980, another work of Jonathan’s won two awards at the Oscars, finally giving his career some improvement again. But until now, the works he shot had not achieved much commercially. Their box office generally only reached a few million dollars, with the highest one barely breaking ten million.
In Hollywood, as a director, it was completely impossible to gain recognition without a box-office hit. When Jonathan studied Eric’s personal experience earlier, he discovered that the greatest common point behind the three films related to Eric becoming box-office hits was that all three scripts were personally written by him.
Although Jonathan did not know why Eric Williams had sent him an invitation to direct The Others, that did not stop him from wanting to seize this opportunity.
After receiving the invitation, Jonathan Demme stayed up all night and repeatedly read the script many times. More than once, he slapped the table in admiration over Eric’s ingenious reversal setup. Early the next morning, he replied to Jeffrey Hansen, expressing his willingness to direct the film.
He originally thought the other side would soon contact him to discuss signing and other matters, but after patiently waiting for several days, there was no follow-up.
Jonathan Demme quickly went to Firefly headquarters in person and found Jeffrey. After understanding the reason, Jonathan discovered that compared with the other two long-famous horror masters, he, a director without any horror-film experience, seemed to be the least competitive candidate.
But Jonathan did not give up there. Although Jonathan Demme’s own directed films had not achieved much, his judgment was not poor. He keenly sensed that if The Others was filmed, it would accomplish something in both box office and awards. Because of that, he became even more eager, almost desperate, to obtain this opportunity.
It took Jonathan several days of racking his brains before he came up with a set of arguments to persuade Eric. At the same time, he also conducted a deeper analysis of The Others and made many detailed preparations. In order to race against time and prevent the script’s director from being decided in advance, Jonathan had slept less than three hours a day for an entire week.
The reason he could still sit energetically in front of Eric and talk freely was probably because that single breath of determination was faintly sustaining him.
Eric did not notice Jonathan Demme’s unease. After tapping the table and thinking for a while, he finally looked up and said, “Jonathan, could you wait a moment? I’ll make a phone call.”
“Of course, no problem.” Jonathan did not understand the purpose behind Eric’s action, but he still nodded. The fact that Eric had not made a direct decision gave Jonathan a little more hope.
Eric stood up and walked toward the café counter. After speaking to the waiter for a few moments, he picked up the phone on the counter and dialed Jeffrey’s office number.
“Jeffrey, it’s me… There’s something I forgot to ask. It’s about the director for The Others… Yes, have Wes Craven and William Friedkin responded… Mm… Mm… Alright, I understand… Actually, Jonathan Demme personally came to find me. I think his ideas are good, and he has shown great enthusiasm for this film. I think we can give him a chance… Yes, reject him. That’s it. I’ll hang up then… I know, I know. I know what I’m doing.”
After hanging up, Eric returned to his seat.
Jonathan knew the final moment had definitely arrived. He involuntarily sat up a little straighter and looked at Eric with anticipation written all over his face.
“Jonathan, when the invitation was originally sent out, it was already stated that the female lead for this film has already been internally decided. Do you have any objections to that?”
An unconcealable look of joy appeared on Jonathan Demme’s face. He knew that since Eric asked this, it was equivalent to handing the film to him. “No, I have no objection. Actor selection is originally the producer’s authority.” After hesitating for a moment, Jonathan still could not help asking, “Eric, is the female lead… that girlfriend of yours named Jennifer Aniston?”
Eric shook his head. “No.”
Jonathan Demme only asked because he could not let go of the concern in his heart. After receiving a denial, he decisively closed his mouth. As long as it was not Jennifer Aniston, that was fine. Jonathan Demme had originally been worried that Eric had specifically mentioned this condition because he wanted to make his girlfriend famous.
But that girl was, after all, too young. For her to play Grace, the single mother in the script, makeup alone would be difficult enough.
As for what relationship the real female lead had with Eric, that was not something Jonathan needed to care about.
“Then, Eric, does that mean…”
Eric nodded. “Yes, Jonathan. You’ve received the opportunity to direct this film. Mr. William Friedkin just happens to be directing another film, so he naturally declined the invitation. Mr. Wes Craven showed strong interest in this script as well, but he had concerns about the internally decided female lead. In addition, the things you said just now to persuade me did indeed make some sense, so I asked Jeffrey to reject him.”