Exploiting Hollywood 1980

   Chapter 164 Walking on Water

   "So Jane Fonda is really coming to CAA this morning to discuss the script with me?"

   "Sure, Ronnie."

   This is the third time the same conversation has happened between Ronald and his agent Richard. He asked Ronald when he picked him up from the hotel, he asked in Richard's car, and when he got to CAA's elevator, Ronald asked again.

  I was about to see the double Oscar winner, and Ronald still felt that it was all like a dream. How come Jane Fonda has just written the second independently created script. Is he really talented, or lucky.

All these messy thoughts aside, Ronald was in CAA, the front secretary was saying hello, Rick Nisita hugged him in a light suit, Paula Wagner was beautiful today, but Ronald didn't Care, there is only one thought in my head, will Jane Fonda come?

If Ovitz lied to him, or didn't talk to Jane Fonda, he wouldn't turn against him, so he would forgive him gently, and then ask him to sell his script harder, except "my brother's Protecting People", I also have a book "Intersection", which is also very selling point.

  Ovitz may be ashamed of the big bull he blew yesterday. No, the word "shame" doesn't exist in the dictionaries of these agents, and they boasted in front of a newcomer yesterday. You have to get to the point of lying and put a little pressure on them.

   But you can't blame too much, let the president of a brokerage company not come to the stage, and the proportion must be grasped. Ronald secretly thought about the lines and Ovitz's reaction in his mind.

Nisita opened the door. There were three people sitting in the executive meeting room yesterday. The one on the left was CAA President Ovitz. He smiled and asked a man and a woman across from him, "So I can treat this as your participation in the show. promise, Jane?"

   "Of course, I promise to participate."

  Ronald moved his gaze and spoke to a middle-aged beauty with huge gold earrings on both ears, and her hair casually combed into a bun at the back of her head. Wearing a brown vertical striped shirt on the top and a khaki skirt on the bottom, it is precisely because of Jane Fonda, who was awarded the second title of the heroine of "Return of Glory".

   "Can you walk on water like Jesus?" Ronald blurted out, looking back at Ovitz.

   Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

  Ovitz laughed especially happily, stood up and said to Jane Fonda, "Jane, this is the screenwriter of the script, Ronald Lee. I believe you have been friends for a long time."

  Jane has already recognized Ronald as Dosleep who supported him in TV interviews back then. He was also interviewed by a TV station and asked what he thought of Ronald's comments on deer hunters. The competition for the Oscars was very fierce that year, and this unsolicited audience evaluation gave him some extra help to win the post.

   So Jane Fonda stood up and hugged Ronald. "Ronnie, it's great to meet you. It seems you're not just critical, but creative."

  Although she is in her early 40s, Jane Fonda's figure is still amazing. Ronald and Jane greeted her with two faces, and then greeted her producer Bruce Gilbert.

   The 40-year-old white actress can still maintain this figure and temperament because of a lot of exercise and a moderate diet. No wonder her ex-husband Vadim gave up Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot and other European beauties for her, and was willing to come to America to marry her.

"So, tell me, how did you come up with the idea of ​​writing such a Vietnam War script?" Jane Fonda took Ronald's hand and sat him beside her, looking at Ronald with beautiful eyes , asks questions that people cannot refuse to answer.

   This is the charm of a star. It can make people feel good in an instant. Whether on or off the screen, the audience will always think that the star is their friend. With this kind of Chrisma star, you can control the emotions of the audience and make them allegiance and dedication.

Ronald took a deep breath and replied, "You actually inspired me, Jane. My aunt was a Vietnam War widow, and she saw your return and she said to me, Ronnie, you have to write a book. The script of the Vietnam War, let Jane Fonda play a happy ending, fall in love with the Vietnam War veteran, and live happily together in the future."

"Hahaha, she is really a very cute woman and has a good eye." Jane Fonda laughed, "So you heard the details of your Vietnam War stories from your uncle's former comrades in arms? "

   "Yes, I interviewed about 50 Vietnam veterans and their wives." Ronald reached for his briefcase, took out a large interview book, and handed it to Jane Fonda.

   "This is my interview record. In fact, they have a lot of real stories, but sometimes they have to invite them for a drink before they tell the truth, otherwise they will always use some urban legends to fool children."

  Jane Fonda took Ronald's interview book and flipped through it a few times. It was filled with various shorthand notations, as well as the finishing draft from the typewriter that was added later. Then he quietly winked at his companion Bruce Gilbert and handed the notebook back to Ronald.

"I can see that you have done a lot of preparation work, and I wonder why you know a lot of slang among Vietnam veterans at your age, such as the nicknames they call various weapons. I went to Vietnam and heard some, and you Written perfectly."

"Yes, they are generally reluctant to give too many details of the battle, but they are very loyal to their weapons, giving them various nicknames, such as calling the M16A1 rifle The Musket (The Musket), the M60 machine gun It's called The Pig..."

   Ronald and Jane Fonda hit it off and had a good conversation. The two talked about "my brother's protector" and talked about a lot of creative ideas and discussions on characters.

Time passed quickly in the conversation between the two, Michael Ovitz tapped his watch, "Jane, Ronnie, as your agent, I have to remind you that you have to sign a letter of intent for cooperation, with this letter of intent , we can ask the eight studios for quotations.”

  Jane Fonda sat up straight and nodded, "I will sign, as long as you meet one of my conditions."

When    said this, Jane Fonda looked at Ronald.

  Ovitz didn't expect this to happen. He was busy joking to adjust the atmosphere, "What are the conditions? I hope that Ronald will not be too embarrassed."

   "I want Ronnie to change the protagonist of the script to me, the platoon leader to be a female Vietnam War officer, and to change the title accordingly to 'Her Brother's Keeper'"

   Ronald was struck by lightning. Is this the legendary Hollywood star forcing the screenwriter to change the script? Disregarding the logic of the story, character development, just to have more screen time and more shots, forcing the character's character to adapt to his star image, instead of adapting to the character's character as an actor?

   But Jane Fonda doesn't seem to have such a bad reputation?

  Her roles in "Krut", "Return", and even the earliest exploitative film "Barbara in Space" were all characters with different images, and Jane Fonda played them very well.

   Her social image is mainly due to her many anti-war and peace actions with her current husband Tom Hayden, including going to Vietnam to engage in peace actions, and was scolded as Hanoi Jane. It has nothing to do with the screen image.

   But when things come to an end, what you say is superfluous.

   Ronald hesitated for a long time, and finally said, "During the Vietnam War, did the Mi Army have female officers?"

"Ha ha ha ha……"

  Jane Fonda was amused, "Gotyou!"

   "I thought you could write such a mature script, and other aspects are already very mature. Now it seems that you are a real Hollywood rookie."

   "It's just a joke." Ronald said in his heart, wiping his sweat secretly.

   "Ronnie, come to my party tonight. I'll introduce you to some young Hollywood guys."

   "Jane's parties are known in Hollywood for their madness and stardom," Ovitz chimed in.

   "That's all in the past, and now the party at my house is mainly a conversation between some creative geniuses, are you coming, Ronnie." Jane Fonda invited.

   "Of course, I am honored."

   "This is the address of my house. I'll ask your agent to bring you here at night." Jane Fonda got up, signed a letter of intent for cooperation, and handed it to Ovitz.

   "Then I'll be waiting for your good news, Michael?"

   "Of course, I won't let you down." Ovitz and Jane Fonda hugged goodbye.

   "I'll drive you to Jane's house at night." Ovitz said to Ronald, then turned around and called Ronald's agent Rick Nisita, "Rick, come with you too."

   After saying that, he also nodded to everyone and returned to his office.

   "How is it? Are you very happy, Ronald?" Rick Nisita had the opportunity to go to the party at Jane Fonda's house, which was a good social opportunity. He came to hold Ronald's shoulder and asked him happily.

   "I feel like I'm walking on water without my legs hitting the ground." Ronald hadn't recovered from one surprise after another.

   "Hahaha, you'll get used to it, this is Hollywood. You can go from nobody to a big guy overnight."

  …

   "Jane, so Ronald is really the writer of the script?" producer Bruce Gilbert asked partner Jane Fonda in the car on the way back.

"There is no doubt that it is him. His interview notes and ideas are very correct. If it was someone else's script, he would not know the details of the nickname of the firearm. It seems that he is not the nephew of Owitz or a big man. ."

   "But with such a script, can the audience accept you? After all, you have appeared in an anti-war image before. In order to please most of the audience, you risk destroying your anti-war character."

   "So I can't play a female officer like you think. I have to play a character who is far away from the war, whose family is hurt by the war, and finally falls in love with a retired officer who deeply reflects on his war behavior."

   "But you've already won two Oscars for Best Actress, and it's a Vietnam War-themed movie in the short term. It's very unlikely that the judges will award you three titles."

   "Yes, that's why I need to get a big guaranteed contract. I want to set an example of equal pay for men and women in Hollywood, Bruce."

   (end of this chapter)