Profound words

Hugo carefully recalled the movie "The Firm", but his memories were completely blank. He couldn't remember any information about the film, not even who the protagonist was. Although he had clues like the director Sidney and the screenwriter Robert, Hugo couldn't find any leads in his mind. Instead, he remembered several later films produced by Sidney, such as "Cold Mountain" and "The Reader".

However, Hugo still had no idea about the script or the performance of "The Firm". Perhaps looking at the script would awaken some memories.

"Are you worried about Brad?" Joseph looked at Hugo's pensive expression, pondered for a while, and finally brought up the topic.

Hugo paused and chuckled, "No, I'm not worried about him."

It might've seemed coincidental, but it was actually a current situation in the film industry. There was a limited pool of actors between the ages of twenty and thirty, and Hugo and Brad, with their unique qualities and characteristics, were among the first to emerge. When producers made choices, it was easy for them to put both of them on the audition list. This was the third time they face competition after "A River Runs Through It" and "A Few Good Men". Hugo and Brad each won once in the previous two instances. The result of this time remained to be seen.

"Then why are you furrowing your brows?" A few months ago, Joseph wouldn't have been so direct in asking, but now the two of them have clearly found a balance in their relationship. Joseph was willing to inquire about Hugo's personal situation, which was beneficial to their collaboration. "Or is it that you're worried about Tracey?" This was Joseph's second guess.

Joseph's reminder triggered Hugo's memory once again. He briefly recounted the encounter between Tracey and Brad earlier, and Joseph's brows furrowed involuntarily. It was indeed a tricky situation because no one knew what was behind it.

"What did Tracey say about Brad?" Joseph tried to search for some clues.

"Brad told her that the premiere date for "A Few Good Men" was set and he hoped everything would go smoothly." Hugo recalled the conversation and tried to reconstruct the situation.

"Did both of those sentences come from Brad, or was the second sentence from Tracey?" Joseph sensed something was amiss with that statement and asked for clarification.

Hugo pondered for a moment, biting his lower lip. "Tracey said, 'I hope everything goes smoothly'." That meant the second half of the sentence was Tracey's implication, and that was the reason why Hugo felt something was off after hearing it.

It was highly possible that Brad had arranged some unexpected event for Hugo at the premiere, so Tracey gave a warning. Or perhaps it was an indication that Brad had some hidden conspiracy. But why? Why would Brad do such a thing, and can Tracey's words be trusted? Brad and Tracey were not on friendly terms, and Hugo had doubts about Tracey's trustworthiness.

Joseph also felt a headache coming on. He carefully thought it through and tentatively asked, "Hugo, do you think it might be related to "A Few Good Men" production?"

Since Tracey specifically mentioned the premiere of this movie, the problem was that the premiere was a public event, where aside from journalists causing trouble, it was unlikely for any behind-the-scenes scheming to take place. Hugo was a male actor, unlike female actors who could tamper with costumes. Even if there was a possibility of an accident at the premiere, Columbia Pictures wouldn't want such situations to occur. Therefore, if it wasn't related to the premiere, it must be related to the movie itself. Joseph made the most reasonable inference.

"Are you talking about Algric?" Hugo didn't immediately react to the suggestion. After all, that incident had happened a long time ago, and nothing significant had happened afterward. "A Few Good Men" had even wrapped up smoothly. If Joseph hadn't mentioned it, Hugo would have completely forgotten about it.

"You know, when Algric left, he implied that there was someone behind him orchestrating it," Joseph thought more and more that this could be the case. "At that time, I suspected Tom, Brad, or Martin, and even Tracey, but now it seems that Ron is the most likely."

"We can't trust Tracey's words. Maybe she's the one causing trouble behind the scenes, and now she's pushing it onto Ron," Hugo didn't want to draw a direct conclusion but speculated on other possibilities. "Besides, if it really is Ron, why? What reason does he have?"

"Because you attended the premiere of "Final Analysis" and took away the spotlight that was supposed to belong to Richard. It embarrassed Ron. And seeing you receive invitations for two projects consecutively, it's a powerful retaliation against his previous rejection of you. That's not what he wanted to see," Joseph expressed his opinion. "So he feels the need to teach you a lesson. Giving you a harmless lesson within "A Few Good Men" production, which would both educate you and prevent any accidents."

Indeed, Algric's act of switching cold water was merely to make Hugo experience some discomfort, without any more serious consequences.

"Most importantly, I found out that Algric's previous job was on the production of "Reversal of Fortune". Jeremy Irons is one of Ron's actors," Joseph connected all the information he had gathered since the incident. Although his findings were limited, they now formed a coherent picture.

"Reversal of Fortune" was nominated for Best Director and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 63rd Oscars. It also earned Jeremy the dual titles of Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards and the Oscars, causing a major upset that year.

Jeremy was a great actor, but what left a deep impression on Hugo wasn't "Reversal of Fortune", but the classic miniseries "Brideshead Revisited" from 1981, as well as "The French Lieutenant's Woman" in 1981, where he co-starred with Meryl Streep.

Unexpectedly, Jeremy was one of Ron's actors, which showed Ron's keen eye for talent. His previous efforts to shape Hugo's acting career were also evident. Jeremy was a seasoned veteran with nearly twenty years of experience and finally shone in "Reversal of Fortune", surpassing Robert De Niro in "Raging Bull", Kevin Costner in "Dances with Wolves", Gerard Depardieu in "Cyrano de Bergerac", and Richard Harris in "The Field". He ultimately won the Best Actor Oscar, a testament to his ten years of dedication. Hugo had followed a similar path in his career development, but after six years of polishing without success, it was not surprising that he was abandoned by Ron.

"But even if it is Ron, what can we do? Not to mention the lack of evidence, even if we have evidence..." Hugo spoke the truth. Algric's actions were actually part of the unwritten rules in the industry. The fact that Rob Reiner could immediately fire Algric was already an explanation to Hugo, and pursuing it further would yield no results.

Joseph took a deep breath and whispered, "No, at least we know the enemy exists. Let's hope we won't continue to be passive."

Their former manager now stabbing them in the back was something difficult to accept. But Hugo was fortunate; he didn't have that kind of reliance and trust in Ron. So, although he felt cold-hearted, he didn't experience the anger and sorrow of betrayal.

What concerned Hugo more was why Tracey had reminded him and what her motive was. Could it be just to see Hugo and Ron fight? It definitely wasn't that simple. Even if Tracey was trying to show goodwill to Hugo, there were no signs of it during their conversation.

Tracey was a bigger puzzle than Ron.

Joseph looked at Hugo with some concern, but surprisingly, Hugo's expression, although a bit stiff, didn't show much emotional fluctuation. It was different from what Joseph had expected. But upon careful consideration, in the past six months, Hugo had hardly mentioned Ron anymore. It seemed that he had truly given up on Ron, so his current reaction was not surprising.

After a moment of silence, Hugo took the initiative to change the subject. "After going back, I'll buy the original novel and read it again." After experiencing the filming of "Scent of a Woman" and "A Few Good Men", Hugo knew that acting wasn't that simple. Even if he had someone to imitate in his mind, if he couldn't turn imitation into something of his own, his acting would never break through. So he had to work hard.

Although it was just an audition for now, thorough preparation in the early stages was necessary. Regardless of whether the audition would be successful in the future, it was one of the stages for honing his acting skills.

Hearing Hugo's determined tone, Joseph relaxed a little. "I'll contact Sidney in the next few days to find out how the auditions will be conducted." According to Rick, the auditions were still in the early planning stages, which meant the production team was just forming, so there was no need to rush.

"You haven't forgotten about this Thursday, have you?" Joseph lightened the atmosphere with a casual tone. "So, are you planning to stay in Los Angeles or go back to Cheyenne?"

Hugo stood frozen in place, not responding to Joseph's words. Just when Joseph almost thought Hugo had fallen asleep, he finally let out a hesitant "Uh." He furrowed his brow and asked with a perplexed tone, "Thanksgiving is here already?"

"Of course!" Joseph looked at Hugo in astonishment, and his hands on the steering wheel almost lost control due to the sudden movement. He was startled, causing cold sweat to break out. "Hugo, don't tell me you still haven't called Mr. Lancaster!"

Hugo could only remain speechless, then he pointed at the upcoming intersection. "Hey, the light's green."

"I'm not colorblind," Joseph rolled his eyes and helplessly replied. The tactic of changing the subject was too clumsy.