America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 793 Fake

Century City, Fox Building.

As soon as Ang Lee arrived at work, producer Gil Nate came to see him.

Both of them were in a good mood.

Life of Pi was released over Thanksgiving weekend, and although the box office champion was taken by the latest Twilight movie, the film still grossed $3057 million in North America, including the Thanksgiving holiday.

As of yesterday, the film's North American box office has exceeded $6000 million.

More importantly, the film has received excellent reviews from both audiences and professionals, with its ratings across the board being in no way inferior to its main award season competitor, Argo.

If the awards season goes well, Gilnett and Ang Lee are confident that Life of Pi will recoup their entire investment through box office revenue alone.

Therefore, the Oscars are extremely important.

Ang Lee said, "Disney and David Fincher held three film analysis sessions after Thanksgiving, which were attended by many veteran judges who have settled in Los Angeles."

Gil-Nate told him to calm down, saying, "Our film analysis session will begin soon."

"Now that several preliminary awards have been given out, the situation is gradually becoming clearer." Ang Lee pointed to the newspaper on the table: "Lincoln is not much of a threat. Their main target is the Best Actor award. The winners of the preliminary awards for Best Director and Best Picture are concentrated in David Fincher and Argo."

He was almost certain: "Our biggest competitor is definitely Argo."

Gil-Nate said, "Don't worry, I've already sent people to find those people from back then. One of them was a fourth-class retiree who is living a very unhappy life."

This was a plan agreed upon by the two of them, and Ang Lee fully agreed, but also had concerns, saying, "Martin Davis is a very difficult person to deal with. We should only focus on the film, not on him personally."

Jill Nate responded, "It's not about any individual. Our focus is on Argo and its storyline, not any particular person involved in its production."

Ang Lee said, "There are still twenty days until the ballots are distributed, we need to hurry."

…………

Seattle, Washington.

Security guard Ron Stern left the company after get off work and quickly drove to an ordinary neighborhood.

He drove into a parking lot near the community, but instead of getting out immediately, he rolled down the window, lit a cigarette, and started smoking.

The economy has been bad in recent years, and his wife lost her job a year ago and has been taking care of their two children at home ever since.

The son, nearing thirty, became addicted to drugs and could only stay at home, living off his parents.

My daughter, who is not yet twenty, was born with intellectual disabilities. She could take care of herself when she was ten or so, but now she can't even take care of herself.

Ron is solely responsible for all the family expenses, which puts him under immense pressure.

He flipped down the sunshade and glanced at the old photo tucked inside—a group photo of six people.

This is a group photo they took together after they fled Tehran.

Ron enjoyed a brief period of glory after returning home, but after being discharged and returning to his hometown, he was a fourth-class Marine and did not receive much care, only finding a job as a bank security guard.

Time flies, and more than 20 years have passed.

I rush to work as soon as I get up in the morning. The company often requires me to work overtime. When I get home, I also have to help take care of my child. I'm extremely busy.

Only during the short time he spends in the car after get off work and before going home can Ron smoke a cigarette, clear his mind, and truly relax without having to worry about the mortgage and living expenses.

It was a cold December day in Seattle when a man in a leather jacket got out of a nearby car.

He walked toward Ron and said, "Mr. Stern, this is Fortes from Los Angeles. I called you yesterday."

Ron remembered that this person had indeed called him yesterday, asking, "What's up?"

Fords rubbed his hands together, still adjusting to the Seattle chill after coming from Los Angeles: "Can we talk in the car?"

Ron pointed to the passenger seat.

Foster got into the car, took out an envelope, and placed it directly on the armrest: "A little something to say to you."

Ron looked through the open envelope and saw the bright green banknotes: "What do you mean?"

"I'd like to ask Mr. Stern for a favor." Foster, having thoroughly investigated Ron's family situation and knowing he was short of money, didn't mince words and said, "You were one of the people involved in the Tehran incident back then, weren't you?"

He smiled and said, "If I remember correctly, you accepted a joint invitation from Martin Davis, David Fincher, and Tony Mendes to attend the premiere of Argo in October."

Ron said, "That's right, I was gone for three days, and then I came back."

In addition to covering their travel expenses, the production company also treated them warmly, providing them with accommodation in luxury hotels, attending banquets, and giving them valuable gifts before their return.

"I saw you in the premiere coverage," Foster asked. "Was the movie about the same thing you experienced?"

Ron didn't speak. What happened in Tehran back then was only about 20-30% similar to what was depicted in the movie.

Foster tapped his fingers on the envelope on the armrest and said, "These things you went through together have been made into a movie, and it's already grossed nearly $2 million in North America alone. Tony Mendes made a fortune, the company that invested in the movie made a fortune, and you..."

"Tony saved my life!" Ron's gaze suddenly sharpened. "If you have anything to say, you can leave now. I'll pretend I never saw you."

Foster immediately changed his tune: "I didn't mean anything by Tony, I just wanted you to say a few honest things about the film."

He pushed the envelope containing the money toward Ron: "You don't need to lie or fabricate anything. You just need to tell the media the truth about what happened back then and point out the fictional and exaggerated parts in the movie."

Ron glanced at the envelope: "What do you want to do?"

Foster said, "To let the audience know the truth of the matter."

Ron fell silent.

"We know you're a good person, which is why you're ostracized at the company—because you don't like to lie." Foster said these nice words while pulling out a particularly thick, large envelope and placing it on the armrest box, the opening of the envelope still facing Ron.

He placed his hand on the envelope: "I know a rehabilitation center that's particularly professional in drug treatment, and it's very difficult for ordinary people to get in, but I have a spot available."

Ron asked, "Just tell the truth, and nothing else?"

Foster laughed: "Mr. Stern, you are the master of your own mouth."

"Okay, I'll do it." Ron was still careful: "But I'll only be interviewed in Seattle, not in any other cities."

Foster picked up the hand that was pressing on the envelope and said, "Keep your communications open. You'll receive a call from a professional care facility soon. I'll call you again once your son is settled."

Ron picked up the envelope, took out the money inside, examined it carefully, and said, "I will."

Foster opened the door and got out of the car, quickly getting into another vehicle.

Ron watched the Volvo drive out of the parking lot before getting out and going home. Before he even reached his doorstep, he received a call from a sanatorium, and they agreed to meet the next day to discuss the details.

After talking with him the next day, Ron was truly relieved.

A few days later, after his son's matter was settled, he received a call from Foster, who arranged a time for a media interview.

Just after the Christmas holidays, The Hollywood Reporter, the most influential newspaper in Hollywood, published a column in a prominent position.

"The exaggeration and fiction in 'Argo'!"

"Since its release in October, the film has received widespread acclaim and its box office has soared. Thanks to its promotion based on true history, it has achieved great success both commercially and critically! But how much of the film's content is true? We interviewed Ron Stern, a former Marine who experienced the events firsthand."

The subsequent content was published in a question-and-answer format, summarizing the interview.

Ron Stern, without exaggeration, pointed out numerous factual inaccuracies in Argo based on his own experiences.

For example, no one relentlessly pursued them back then because, in the other side's eyes, there was no difference between 71 hostages and 65; the film severely downplayed the role of the Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs; they were not besieged in Tehran, and boarding at the airport went very smoothly, etc.

As for movie details that are completely inconsistent with the actual events, there are countless examples.

At the end of the interview, the reporter specifically asked, "Mr. Scott, how much of the film do you think is accurate?"

Ron replied, "At most 30%. The events themselves are true, and it was Tony who brought us out of Tehran. I have been very grateful to Tony all these years, but the movie adaptation added too many unauthorized falsehoods, making it seem to me, as someone who experienced it firsthand, that it was something completely unrelated to me."

This report caused a strong reaction. In addition to newspapers, Ron Stern's interview video was also broadcast on television and uploaded to YouTube, where it topped the trending list.

Subsequent reports quickly followed, with some newspapers making unsubstantiated claims and the mainstream view in historical circles suggesting that Iran had reached a secret agreement with Ronald Reagan's campaign team to release the hostages in exchange for unfreezing $80 billion in Iranian assets.

This view has been widely accepted, with many claiming that the so-called rescue operation was a ruse, a performance put on by the US and Iran for the world to see.

Other newspapers claimed that Iran had reached a deal with Washington, in which the US would provide spare parts for the F-14 Tomcat fighter jets Iran purchased from the US, and then the two sides would conduct joint exercises...

In short, these claims have only one purpose: if even the event itself is questionable, how can the film stand up to scrutiny?

If "Argo" were simply a commercial film aiming for box office success and commercial revenue, these factors wouldn't have much impact. After all, behind every blockbuster commercial film, there are always various controversies.

For example, films like "The Matrix," "Inception," and "Avatar" have been the subject of constant discussions about copyright and plagiarism over the years.

However, if the film's claim of being based on a true story raises questions about its authenticity and its chances of winning an Oscar will be extremely slim.

(End of this chapter)