"Why? Why do we need to add political elements? Is there not enough political content in novels? Why not give everyone a real fairy tale instead of making it as sharp and satirical as movies and novels?"
The girl paced back and forth in the office, talking excitedly, while the middle-aged men sitting on the couch and behind the desks looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
"I don't understand the politics in the book, and I don't want to understand it. That's not what I'm supposed to understand. All I know is that I saw an intellectually disabled person who was smarter than most intelligent people. In my mind, I created a story for him, a story of moving forward and achieving success through hard work!
The girl waved her little fist as if making a speech: "Life's journey is full of unknowns, just like those white feathers, sometimes fighting against the wind, sometimes drifting with the wind, sometimes soaring in the blue sky, or falling into the abyss! It's like chocolate; you never know what the next one will taste like! So why think so much? Just run towards your goals! Gentlemen, you may think this is just a little girl's imagination, or that it goes against the spirit of the original work, but this is the Gump in my eyes!"
She drew a circle in the air and finished her speech. After a moment, someone began to clap quietly, followed by everyone in the office.
"So, Mr. Groom, do you still insist on your opinion?" Eric Ross, with his bushy beard, asked the old man sitting on the large couch.
Winston Groom took off his large glasses, pinched his nose, and smiled bitterly at the little girl. "Forgive my presumption, Miss Mason, but are you really only 12 years old?"
"You're not the first person to ask me that question, and I don't think you'll be the last," Angela shrugged, then pinched her still chubby cheeks and smiled wryly, "I don't even look 11 from my appearance."
Laughter filled the office and Winston spread his hands and sighed, "I must admit, you've impressed me, Miss Mason. But I still stand by my idea. Of course, if you wish, we can communicate further."
As a novelist, he naturally wanted to bring the scenes from his novel to the screen as they were. Paramount Pictures had many arguments during the negotiations, and only when Winston agreed to participate in the adaptation, they bought the adaptation rights. Unfortunately, Angela's letter arrived at Winston's home just as he was preparing to leave for Los Angeles. Of course, it was dismissed as nothing more than a little girl's joke.
If he hadn't put it deep in his luggage and brought it to Los Angeles, Ross wouldn't have seen it by chance and been fascinated by it, which led to the contact with Angela. It's worth noting that the two had argued about the focus of the adaptation many times before.
"I think Miss Mason's ideas are very close to mine. What do you think, Mr. Edwin?" Ross turned to the man of about fifty sitting behind the desk. This man was Edwin Brown, the head of production at Paramount Pictures.
"This is your area of expertise, so I agree with your opinion," Edwin smiled and said, "Miss Mason, if you'd like, I'd like to invite you to participate in the filming of this book."
"That is a great honor, but I have to admit that I only consider myself a little smart. So I'll let you two gentlemen handle the main work while I provide some suggestions from my perspective," Angela replied with a smile.
...
"To be honest, it was a fantastic speech," Mr. Sparrow said to Angela after getting into the car.
"Thank you," Angela replied, but she seemed a bit listless, quite different from her enthusiastic demeanor when she arrived at Paramount and during the passionate speech in the office.
"What's wrong?" her manager asked.
"It's nothing, just some personal problems," Angela sulked and didn't say much.
The memory of the incident with Jessica and Lindsay earlier that day still made her burn with anger. The first time with Jessica was one thing, but the idea of a threesome, especially with someone as young as Lindsay, was just too embarrassing! Unfortunately, she had no one to talk to about it, and when she remembered leaving Jessica's apartment that day feeling dizzy and frustrated, it only added to her turmoil.
This mood directly affected her attitude towards the adaptation of《Forrest Gump.》She had originally planned to offer some simple words of inspiration, as she had for《True Lies》and《Heat》but after meeting with Paramount Pictures, she learned that the original author, Winston Groom, had actually demanded that the film be made as a political satire, just like the novel.
This unjustly fueled Angela's accumulated grievances. After all, the adapted《Forrest Gump》was a truly great movie. How could they be so short-sighted! So she immediately made an impassioned speech, and that's what happened.
"Anyway, I am a genius! When the time comes, I'll say whatever I want to say, whether they think I'm a genius or a monster, it's up to them! I'm going to win the Oscar for Best Adaptation!" Angela gritted her teeth inwardly, her stubborn nature flaring up again.
She also decided that the next time she visited Jessica, she'd bring a small pot of wine. If they dare to try something like that again, she'll show them!
Mr. Sparrow didn't say much, he just drove off to Beverly Hills. After more than ten minutes of driving, he pulled up in front of number 323, a typical British Gothic building with pointed windows and a roof with several rows of columns. The house was decorated with flowers all around and through the windows, you could vaguely see a lively crowd inside.
The manager got out of the car first, but he didn't leave, he stood outside and waited. There were occasional rustling sounds inside the car. After a few minutes, the car door finally opened and a different Angela got out.
She was dressed in white leather shoes, white knee-high stockings, a white skirt, a matching white coat, and a white hat with a few small accents. The little girl looked adorable.
"It's so rare to see you dressed like this, you look very beautiful," Mr. Sparrow couldn't help but admire.
"...Thank you," Angela forced a smile, but it looked more like a poker face.
This was torture for her. All three things she hated combined!
The high heels made her lean forward as if she could fall at any moment, the knee-high stockings rubbing against her thighs and calves were uncomfortably irritating and worst of all, the skirt swayed with every step, and when there was a gust of wind, it would expose her small buttocks, forcing her to maintain a stiff posture and squeeze her bottom.
At least there was one good thing, she wasn't menstruating right now! Angela thought with a wry smile as she walked to the door and rang the bell.
After a few chimes, the door opened in front of her.
"Hello, my dear Chrissy, my little angel, you're finally here. My sister has been anxiously waiting for you." The man at the door smiled and hugged the little girl. "You really surprised me, wearing a skirt and looking so pretty."
"My dear uncle came to Los Angeles from London and is finally planning to buy a house and settle down for good. I have to dress nice to come and congratulate you, right?" Angela raised her eyebrows. "You really are persistent, are you planning to nag to the end?"
"Hello Jack, glad you could make it. Come on in," the uncle pretended not to hear the little girl's words, greeted Sparrow and invited them both inside.
The party wasn't too crowded, mostly people Frank had met here recently and some business associates. So Angela quickly spotted her parents and hurried over to them. "Dad, Mom."
"Darling, how was it?" Elena asked with a smile.
"Terrible," the chubby little girl tugged at her clothes and complained.
"Don't be like that, dear. It's a formal gathering," her mother patted her gently.
"Yes, I know, so I'm just venting a little," Angela put on a worried expression that made Elena both amused and annoyed. "All right, if Frank agrees, I'll allow you to leave early."
"Thank you, Mom!" The excited little girl was about to jump, but her father intervened, "Wait, didn't your mom just ask about your visit to Paramount?"
"Oh, yes, Chris, you changed the subject," her mother chuckled.
"But that has nothing to do with Uncle's new house, does it? So let's talk about it when we get home," Angela made a face and bounced away. Her new target was a lady she hadn't talked to in a long time and who might be the hostess here in the future.
"My dear big talkative sister, so glad to see you again." The little girl rushed into Julia's arms, pleasantly surprising her and making her laugh.
"How have you been, Angela?" Julia hugged Angela and looked her up and down with a smile. "Hmm, you look really pretty."
"Thanks, but too bad I'm small." The little girl gestured at her and then compared their heights. "I wish I could be as tall as you in the future."
"That's not necessarily a good thing, dear. Honestly, even I think I'm too tall and broad-shouldered, not very appealing," Julia shook her head and said with a smile.
"Really? If you need it, I can go out on the street right now and find a bunch of people who like you. Right here..." Angela smiled playfully, "I can guarantee I'll find at least one."
Of course, Julia knew what she meant and coughed awkwardly, "By the way, I heard that a horror movie you starred in is coming out soon?"
"Yes, at the end of September. Will you come to the premiere?" Angela blinked and asked.
"If they invite me, I definitely will," Julia agreed happily. She really liked the little girl and readily accepted.
"Okay then, can I borrow her for a while, Julia?" a voice interrupted at this moment.
"Of course Frank." Julia smiled and nodded, then left.
"Why, isn't she your target?" Angela teased after her big sister left.
"But my dear sister told me that my little angel is flying away early, which makes me very sad." Frank showed a melancholic look.
Angela looked at her uncle with black lines on her head for a while before she said, "Okay, don't worry, my dear uncle. Your great angel will come back. I won't forget, I promise!"
"Why? Why do we need to add political elements? Is there not enough political content in novels? Why not give everyone a real fairy tale instead of making it as sharp and satirical as movies and novels?"
The girl paced back and forth in the office, talking excitedly, while the middle-aged men sitting on the couch and behind the desks looked at each other, not knowing what to say.
"I don't understand the politics in the book, and I don't want to understand it. That's not what I'm supposed to understand. All I know is that I saw an intellectually disabled person who was smarter than most intelligent people. In my mind, I created a story for him, a story of moving forward and achieving success through hard work!
The girl waved her little fist as if making a speech: "Life's journey is full of unknowns, just like those white feathers, sometimes fighting against the wind, sometimes drifting with the wind, sometimes soaring in the blue sky, or falling into the abyss! It's like chocolate; you never know what the next one will taste like! So why think so much? Just run towards your goals! Gentlemen, you may think this is just a little girl's imagination, or that it goes against the spirit of the original work, but this is the Gump in my eyes!"
She drew a circle in the air and finished her speech. After a moment, someone began to clap quietly, followed by everyone in the office.
"So, Mr. Groom, do you still insist on your opinion?" Eric Ross, with his bushy beard, asked the old man sitting on the large couch.
Winston Groom took off his large glasses, pinched his nose, and smiled bitterly at the little girl. "Forgive my presumption, Miss Mason, but are you really only 12 years old?"
"You're not the first person to ask me that question, and I don't think you'll be the last," Angela shrugged, then pinched her still chubby cheeks and smiled wryly, "I don't even look 11 from my appearance."
Laughter filled the office and Winston spread his hands and sighed, "I must admit, you've impressed me, Miss Mason. But I still stand by my idea. Of course, if you wish, we can communicate further."
As a novelist, he naturally wanted to bring the scenes from his novel to the screen as they were. Paramount Pictures had many arguments during the negotiations, and only when Winston agreed to participate in the adaptation, they bought the adaptation rights. Unfortunately, Angela's letter arrived at Winston's home just as he was preparing to leave for Los Angeles. Of course, it was dismissed as nothing more than a little girl's joke.
If he hadn't put it deep in his luggage and brought it to Los Angeles, Ross wouldn't have seen it by chance and been fascinated by it, which led to the contact with Angela. It's worth noting that the two had argued about the focus of the adaptation many times before.
"I think Miss Mason's ideas are very close to mine. What do you think, Mr. Edwin?" Ross turned to the man of about fifty sitting behind the desk. This man was Edwin Brown, the head of production at Paramount Pictures.
"This is your area of expertise, so I agree with your opinion," Edwin smiled and said, "Miss Mason, if you'd like, I'd like to invite you to participate in the filming of this book."
"That is a great honor, but I have to admit that I only consider myself a little smart. So I'll let you two gentlemen handle the main work while I provide some suggestions from my perspective," Angela replied with a smile.
...
"To be honest, it was a fantastic speech," Mr. Sparrow said to Angela after getting into the car.
"Thank you," Angela replied, but she seemed a bit listless, quite different from her enthusiastic demeanor when she arrived at Paramount and during the passionate speech in the office.
"What's wrong?" her manager asked.
"It's nothing, just some personal problems," Angela sulked and didn't say much.
The memory of the incident with Jessica and Lindsay earlier that day still made her burn with anger. The first time with Jessica was one thing, but the idea of a threesome, especially with someone as young as Lindsay, was just too embarrassing! Unfortunately, she had no one to talk to about it, and when she remembered leaving Jessica's apartment that day feeling dizzy and frustrated, it only added to her turmoil.
This mood directly affected her attitude towards the adaptation of《Forrest Gump.》She had originally planned to offer some simple words of inspiration, as she had for《True Lies》and《Heat》but after meeting with Paramount Pictures, she learned that the original author, Winston Groom, had actually demanded that the film be made as a political satire, just like the novel.
This unjustly fueled Angela's accumulated grievances. After all, the adapted《Forrest Gump》was a truly great movie. How could they be so short-sighted! So she immediately made an impassioned speech, and that's what happened.
"Anyway, I am a genius! When the time comes, I'll say whatever I want to say, whether they think I'm a genius or a monster, it's up to them! I'm going to win the Oscar for Best Adaptation!" Angela gritted her teeth inwardly, her stubborn nature flaring up again.
She also decided that the next time she visited Jessica, she'd bring a small pot of wine. If they dare to try something like that again, she'll show them!
Mr. Sparrow didn't say much, he just drove off to Beverly Hills. After more than ten minutes of driving, he pulled up in front of number 323, a typical British Gothic building with pointed windows and a roof with several rows of columns. The house was decorated with flowers all around and through the windows, you could vaguely see a lively crowd inside.
The manager got out of the car first, but he didn't leave, he stood outside and waited. There were occasional rustling sounds inside the car. After a few minutes, the car door finally opened and a different Angela got out.
She was dressed in white leather shoes, white knee-high stockings, a white skirt, a matching white coat, and a white hat with a few small accents. The little girl looked adorable.
"It's so rare to see you dressed like this, you look very beautiful," Mr. Sparrow couldn't help but admire.
"...Thank you," Angela forced a smile, but it looked more like a poker face.
This was torture for her. All three things she hated combined!
The high heels made her lean forward as if she could fall at any moment, the knee-high stockings rubbing against her thighs and calves were uncomfortably irritating and worst of all, the skirt swayed with every step, and when there was a gust of wind, it would expose her small buttocks, forcing her to maintain a stiff posture and squeeze her bottom.
At least there was one good thing, she wasn't menstruating right now! Angela thought with a wry smile as she walked to the door and rang the bell.
After a few chimes, the door opened in front of her.
"Hello, my dear Chrissy, my little angel, you're finally here. My sister has been anxiously waiting for you." The man at the door smiled and hugged the little girl. "You really surprised me, wearing a skirt and looking so pretty."
"My dear uncle came to Los Angeles from London and is finally planning to buy a house and settle down for good. I have to dress nice to come and congratulate you, right?" Angela raised her eyebrows. "You really are persistent, are you planning to nag to the end?"
"Hello Jack, glad you could make it. Come on in," the uncle pretended not to hear the little girl's words, greeted Sparrow and invited them both inside.
The party wasn't too crowded, mostly people Frank had met here recently and some business associates. So Angela quickly spotted her parents and hurried over to them. "Dad, Mom."
"Darling, how was it?" Elena asked with a smile.
"Terrible," the chubby little girl tugged at her clothes and complained.
"Don't be like that, dear. It's a formal gathering," her mother patted her gently.
"Yes, I know, so I'm just venting a little," Angela put on a worried expression that made Elena both amused and annoyed. "All right, if Frank agrees, I'll allow you to leave early."
"Thank you, Mom!" The excited little girl was about to jump, but her father intervened, "Wait, didn't your mom just ask about your visit to Paramount?"
"Oh, yes, Chris, you changed the subject," her mother chuckled.
"But that has nothing to do with Uncle's new house, does it? So let's talk about it when we get home," Angela made a face and bounced away. Her new target was a lady she hadn't talked to in a long time and who might be the hostess here in the future.
"My dear big talkative sister, so glad to see you again." The little girl rushed into Julia's arms, pleasantly surprising her and making her laugh.
"How have you been, Angela?" Julia hugged Angela and looked her up and down with a smile. "Hmm, you look really pretty."
"Thanks, but too bad I'm small." The little girl gestured at her and then compared their heights. "I wish I could be as tall as you in the future."
"That's not necessarily a good thing, dear. Honestly, even I think I'm too tall and broad-shouldered, not very appealing," Julia shook her head and said with a smile.
"Really? If you need it, I can go out on the street right now and find a bunch of people who like you. Right here..." Angela smiled playfully, "I can guarantee I'll find at least one."
Of course, Julia knew what she meant and coughed awkwardly, "By the way, I heard that a horror movie you starred in is coming out soon?"
"Yes, at the end of September. Will you come to the premiere?" Angela blinked and asked.
"If they invite me, I definitely will," Julia agreed happily. She really liked the little girl and readily accepted.
"Okay then, can I borrow her for a while, Julia?" a voice interrupted at this moment.
"Of course Frank." Julia smiled and nodded, then left.
"Why, isn't she your target?" Angela teased after her big sister left.
"But my dear sister told me that my little angel is flying away early, which makes me very sad." Frank showed a melancholic look.
Angela looked at her uncle with black lines on her head for a while before she said, "Okay, don't worry, my dear uncle. Your great angel will come back. I won't forget, I promise!"
