America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 298 Debts of Kindness

In a western-style bar, extras sat scattered around, unbuttoning their dirty collars and gulping down beer in the dry, sweltering heat.

A local thug, whose appearance bears a striking resemblance to Brad Pitt, attempted to harass the red-clad saintess of the Cola Cult, but was easily subdued by the cult leader, Martin, and pinned to the table.

Martin reached out to the red-clad saintess Elizabeth, who opened her bag, took out a glass bottle of cola, and handed it to the cult leader.

The cold cola pressed down on his head, and the bully slid down automatically.

Martin opened the can of Coke and placed it on the table.

The bully picked it up and started drinking, his expression changing rapidly...

"Stop!" Sam Mendes yelled, halting filming. He shouted at the man dressed as a bully, "Make the transition more natural, don't be so stiff."

The stylists came in to touch up the makeup, and the shoot quickly resumed.

The crew spent the entire morning filming interior scenes in the bar. Compared to the simple exterior scenes, the interior scenes were more challenging, and Sam Mendes was more demanding, frequently stopping filming and sometimes even personally directing the shoot.

Shortly after noon, Kate Winslet arrived in Park Town from San Diego, simply greeted Martin, and then found a quiet spot to watch the filming.

She met Martin three years ago when she was acting in Atlanta; Martin was already a very good actor back then.

Unfortunately, Martin's scenes were almost entirely cut from the film *A Beautiful Mind at Noon*, with only a few fleeting shots and no dialogue in the final cut.

Kate later watched all of Martin's films carefully and attentively.

Martin can handle both inexperienced young football coaches and mature adults.

Kate specifically asked her old friend Leonardo DiCaprio, who clearly told her that most people on the set of The Departed, including Nicholson and Scorsese, thought that Martin Scorsese's performance completely outshone him as the male lead.

Even Leonardo himself admits this.

A few days ago, Kate called Leonardo again.

Leonardo DiCaprio's words are quite interesting: Beneath Martin's handsome young appearance may reside the soul of an old bastard even more wicked than Nicholson.

Kate looked back at the film set, where the people in the bar were already captivated by the leader of the Cola Cult.

After filming wrapped up, the actors left the bar to remove their makeup.

Sam Mendes is still organizing the footage he shot.

After waiting a short while, Kate went over and asked, "What do you think of Martin?"

Mendes said of his own judgment: "Based on the two days of filming GG alone, he is even better than you said. His acting is excellent, mature, and smooth. He handles the role with ease. In comparison... no other actor in this GG cast can compare."

He thought for a moment and said, "Personally, I feel he's no worse than Kevin Spacey when he was filming 'American Beauty'."

Her husband is a director, and an Oscar-winning one at that. Kate trusts his vision and judgment because they are remarkably similar to what she has seen and heard.

Although Martin loves to cause trouble, his abilities are undeniable, and he treats his friends well.

Kate knew that Louise had encountered great difficulties after "Alexander," and Martin persuaded her to invest, which successfully helped Pacific Films overcome the crisis.

Mendes added, "I told him yesterday you were coming, and I expect he'll come looking for you later."

Kate nodded and asked, "Haven't you made up your mind yet? My new film is still missing a director who can oversee the whole project."

Mendes expressed some reservations: "I'll think about it some more."

The crew was dismantling equipment such as sliders and cameras, and Kate found a quiet spot and waited patiently for a while.

Martin quickly returned to the bar, pulled out a chair and sat opposite Kate, asking, "You said you needed to talk to me on Oscar night, and then you went on a trip."

Kate smiled and said, "That's why I came all this way today to see you."

Martin asked, "What exactly is it? If you need any help, just give me a call."

Kate opened her handbag, took out a book and a script, and handed them over directly: "Take a look at these first."

Martin accepted the book, "The Reader," a novel by German author Bernhard Schlink, and the screenplay was a film adaptation of the same name.

Kate said, "I mentioned this book to you before. Later, I made up my mind, persuaded the author himself, obtained the film and television adaptation rights, and then collaborated with Anthony Minghella, the screenwriter and director of 'The English Patient' and 'The Talented Mr. Priely,' to adapt it into this script."

Martin didn't read the novel; he went straight to the script: "I have a general understanding of it; it's a love story between a young boy and a middle-aged woman."

Kate nodded and continued, "The male lead spans from his teens to middle age, a rather large time span. Some people suggested splitting the male lead into two actors, one as a teenager and the other as an adult, but I don't think that's a good idea. The appearances would be too different, making it easy for viewers to be distracted and look like a middle-aged man reminiscing about other people's stories."

She shared her opinion: "I tend to use the same actor. I've considered many candidates. It's not difficult for young actors to handle teenage roles, but it's not easy to successfully portray middle-aged roles. After thinking it over, I could only think of you."

Martin himself has experienced so much, so portraying the mentality and world-weary temperament of a middle-aged man is not a problem.

In comparison, appearance is actually the easiest thing to solve.

Martin asked directly, "Are you planning to use this film to compete for the Oscar for Best Actress?"

“That’s right.” Kate’s goal was very clear, and she even mentioned something else: “When I first got the adaptation rights, I planned to raise investment to produce it and then find The Weinstein Company to distribute it. Before the Oscars, I had a detailed talk with Louise and learned that there seemed to be some problems between you and Harvey, so I decided that this film would no longer be produced in collaboration with The Weinstein Company. You can rest assured about that.”

This film doesn't suit Martin's taste and style; if it were anyone else, he would have rejected it outright.

But since Kate Winslet approached me, there were some things I had to consider.

Throughout his ascent, Martin relied heavily on the help of women, including Kate Winslet.

In the process of competing for the Saturn Award for Best Young Actor and The Hills Have Eyes, he used Kate's relationship with Harvey's wife to truly get to know Wes Craven.

Later, in the film *The Departed*, Leonardo DiCaprio supported him without even knowing him, also thanks to Kate Winslet's persuasion.

It might just be a few words between her and Leonardo, but for people who aren't on the right track, a thousand words won't make a difference.

Kate added, "There's no rush. Take a close look at the script first. If it's not suitable, I have other options."

Martin closed the script and asked, "Which year are you aiming for?"

"It's definitely too late for next year's Oscars." Kate has already made plans: "If nothing unexpected happens, it will be released in the second half of 07, aiming for the 80th Academy Awards in 08."

Martin racked his brains, trying to recall who the 2008 Oscar-winning actress was. It had been so long, and he couldn't remember the name or the movie.

In this situation, the actors and movies are usually not very famous, and even if they win an Oscar, their influence is minimal.

Martin said, "Leave the script and the novel to me; I'll read them carefully first."

Kate smiled and said, "There's plenty of time, no rush."

Martin then asked, "What about the director? Has it been confirmed?"

Kate pointed to Sam Mendes, who was still busy: "He's the first choice, but the problem is he hasn't agreed yet." She added, "I secured some investment from Louise, and there's also some investment from the UK, so funding isn't an issue for the project."

Sam Mendes is a former Oscar-winning director, so his ability to direct this type of film is not in question.

Martin said frankly, "Kate, you really have the influence to push a project through so easily."

Kate rubbed her forehead: "It's tough too, there's so much to worry about. Once I win Best Actress, I'm never going to talk to the Academy again, I've had enough of them."

Over the years, her complaints have grown with each failed Oscar win: "My films are box office hits, I'm popular all over the world, and that's wrong?"

Martin picked up the book, turned it over so the cover was facing up, and on it was an old woman: "Let's think of something about the costumes. Isn't the female lead quite old at the end?"

"Yes, old and ugly." Kate's choice was not without reason; she combined Nazi ideology with the desire to look ugly: "I'll try to be uglier than Charlize Theron."

Martin felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of that female demon.

The two chatted for a while longer. After Sam Mendes finished packing up, Kate met up with him, and they left the bar together.

Martin returned to his hotel in town, packed his bags, and prepared to return to Los Angeles.

Bruce also knew that Kate had come to see Martin. While packing his things, he said from a manager's perspective, "This film doesn't quite fit your usual style. You're acting alongside Kate..."

Martin shook his head: "I've skimmed through the script. Actually, the male lead's role is just as important as the female lead's. From the script alone, it could be a story about a boy's growth, or it could be a story about a woman's painful choice between dignity and suffering."

Bruce asked, puzzled, "You don't really like this kind of thing."

"If it weren't Kate, even if it were Louise and Kelly coming to me together, I would still refuse this script." Martin now has this confidence: "Louise and Kelly helped me, but I got them to invest with me, and they made a lot of money. And Kate? I still have damned favors to do for her."

Bruce remembered that he had done the favor twice and said, "Judging from what you're saying now, I'm starting to doubt whether you're still a scoundrel. If Leonardo and Nicholson find out, they might kick you out of the bastard club."

Martin couldn't help but laugh: "If someone helps you and you don't repay the favor, it will affect your future reputation." He had also thought a lot about it: "Of course, I haven't decided whether to repay it this time. At least I need to go back and talk to Thomas and the agency to discuss it before making a decision."

After packing his luggage, Martin took the script and the original book with him, arrived on the outskirts of the town, and boarded a helicopter.

Elizabeth Olsen was also on the same flight back to Los Angeles.

(End of this chapter)