Chapter 39: Do I Have to Apologize?
[Chapter 39: Do I Have to Apologize?]
"Do I have to apologize? That's absolutely out of the question."
In his Beverly Hills mansion, Robert Downey Jr. shouted into the phone.
"Why shouldn't you apologize? You're a public figure who drunkenly criticized a fellow filmmaker's movie; it's a serious mistake. Now everyone believes you're wrong, and you should apologize. The longer you wait, the worse the impact will be."
"I refuse to apologize. Am I wrong to say that Buried was a shoddy film? What kind of good film can you make with $20,000?" Robert scoffed.
"Buried is on track to gross over $40 million next week. That's a return of 2,000 times the investment. How can you say it's a terrible movie?"
"Ridiculous! Just because a movie makes money doesn't mean it's good! Remember when you made a film as a kid that only earned a few thousand dollars? You told me that a film's worth isn't measured by its box office but by its artistry. Why are you contradicting that now?"
"Shut up!"
Robert Downey Sr. barked from the other end of the line. "You're not the center of the universe. Not every movie you dislike is a bad movie. Buried has a high artistic level, with a strong narrative structure, style, and cinematography; it's a cut above the rest -- a mature piece of work. You don't like it because you're jealous of Link, of someone younger than you succeeding."
"Nonsense! Jealous of him? He just got lucky with one film while I'm one of the top actors in Hollywood with hits under my belt. Why would I be envious?"
"At least you can't make a film with $20,000 that grosses over $40 million."
"Can you? How many of your films made over $10 million?"
"Damn it! Keep being stubborn and fall from grace; I can't wait to see how low you'll go."
Click! The sound of the phone being abruptly hung up echoed.
...
Robert hung up the phone and turned to his agent, Jimmy Rich, who just walked into the living room. "Does CAA want me to apologize to Link too?"
"The company's position is you should follow your own instincts. If you want to apologize, then go ahead. If not, that's fine too. Link is just a new director; he's not worth worrying about."
"What's your opinion?"
Robert poured two glasses of whiskey and handed one to Jimmy.
"I think you should apologize."
Crash!
Robert let the glass he meant to pass to Jimmy fall heavily to the ground, the deep brown liquid soaking into the white carpet.
"I don't think it matters whether you apologize or not. First of all, Link is just a minor player; you won't be affected much by him. Secondly, to thrive in this industry, you shouldn't just have friends; you also need competitors. Their presence and pressure will drive you to be more ambitious and better."
"You make a fair point, but someone like Link isn't worthy of being my competitor." Robert handed him another glass.
"Exactly. Link is trying to pressure you through his TV show, demanding an apology, but he is underestimating you. As long as you don't want to, no one can force you to apologize."
"Right! But the fact he dares to mock me on his show is something I can't stand. I want to see him fall back to the gutter. Any ideas?"
"He's a client of WMA now, and is worth millions. It wouldn't be easy with conventional methods."
"What are unconventional methods?"
"Set him up with an accident or a financial scam."
"Damn! I just want to see him in trouble, not commit a crime! Are you suggesting CAA represents hitmen now?"
"I don't know. But other than unconventional methods, there's not much we can do about him right now. However, just wait another year or two. Once his next film flops, the media will jump at the chance to mock him for getting lucky with a hit, then when his luck runs out, his movies will flop. That'll be our opportunity."
"That sounds like a good plan. Let's just bide our time and see how high this gutter kid can fly."
Clink!
Robert raised his glass in a toast with Jimmy.
---
After the airing of the episode with Buried's director Link on TNT, the viewership peaked at 10.5 million. While it didn't break any records, it entered the top ten highest-rated episodes for the show.
The episode sparked media and public interest about various topics, including Link's path to directing, his idol being Stallone, his nonchalance about money, the creative process behind Buried, and his struggles in the industry.
One topic that caught significant attention was the "Robert Downey Jr. vs. Link" feud, making waves in the American entertainment scene. Robert, being a major star and teen idol, and Link, the up-and-coming director and motivational figure, both had considerable clout, making anything involving them newsworthy.
Major media outlets jumped on this, providing commentary, analysis, and speculation, turning the small spat into a larger controversy.
In this controversy, Robert's fans rallied behind him, insisting he did nothing wrong. "It's common for people to say things when they're drunk. Why should Link hold a grudge? He's just riding Robert's coattails to promote Buried," they argued.
Fellow movie star Kiefer Sutherland publicly criticized Link for being disrespectful toward Robert, calling for Link to apologize.
Those supporting Link argued that he graciously gave Robert the chance to apologize despite Robert's reckless comments, portraying Link as the bigger person.
Yet, Robert still refused to apologize, either failing to see his mistakes or believing he had nothing to apologize for to a newcomer like Link.
Regardless of the reason, it was disappointing behavior from Robert in the eyes of the public.
The neutral observers believed that Robert, as a public figure, shouldn't have disparaged another filmmaker's work in public, which could harm box office performance. Many believed he should apologize.
On the other hand, Link's attempts to ride the wave of Robert's popularity to promote Buried didn't help his case either.
Thus, both were deemed somewhat at fault.
This debate ignited by the TV show lingered in the media for several days before gradually fading away.
---
Last week, even with the Buried's overseas earnings were reported, its North American box office declined. However, thanks to the heated discussion, Buried's North American box office soared again.
On Saturday, hundreds of theaters screening Buried saw occupancy exceed 80%, forcing many to add more showings to meet audience demand.
By Monday, Buried's sixth-week box office results revealed a revenue of $3.85 million across 201 theaters in North America, bouncing back to third place on the weekly box office chart, right behind the newly released movies like Beethoven and Basic Instinct.
This fresh wave of box office success helped Buried break past the $15 million mark, reaching an impressive total of $16.56 million.
Internationally, this weekend saw Buried earn $14.74 million across 28 countries and regions.
Though this was a drop from last week's $18.37 million, it marked the second consecutive week Buried surpassed $10 million overseas, bringing its total gross to $33.11 million.
For a film produced with just $20,000, those numbers were nothing short of astonishing.
Originally, media outlets predicted Buried's global earnings to hover around $50 million, but with this week's results, those estimations were already conservative.
The figures could reach $60 million or even $70 million with a fair chance.
This also meant the film's return on investment skyrocketed, going from a 1,000 to 3,000 times return, further illuminating Link's brilliance as a director.
The Los Angeles Times dubbed Link the "Golden Boy" of directing, stating he's unparalleled in turning $20,000 into $50 million.
USA Today hailed Link as a beacon for independent filmmakers, proving that minimal investment can yield massive box office success, inspiring confidence and courage in indie creators. Simultaneously, Buried's success prompted Hollywood studios to shed their arrogant undertones and pay more attention to independent films.
...
"Boss, look at how many praises you're receiving in the papers! You've officially made it as a star!"
In the office, a bright smile lit up Lily's face as she handed him a cup of coffee. Her slender fingers contrasted beautifully against the dark-green porcelain cup.
"Why do you always care about stuff like this?"
"It's just... you have become a big star in Hollywood. I am proud of you."
With sparkling eyes and a teasing smirk, Lily radiated a warmth that was refreshing and invigorating.
Being praised by her felt even better than reading volumes of accolades in the papers.
Link chuckled softly at Lily's sweet words, reminiscing about those early days when he worked tirelessly on this film, waking up early and lying in a cramped box, retaking shots dozens of times until he was satisfied with just one.
Sometimes he even captured scenes late into the night when he was all alone.
After filming wrapped, to cut costs, he spent three days in editing, living off bread and bottled water.
After three continuous days of grueling editing, he finally finished the cut.
At the Sundance Film Festival, he sought out distributors to showcase Buried, only to be met with rejection everywhere.
By the time he left Park City, he was nearly out of resources.
Back in Los Angeles, he knocked on the doors of over thirty different distribution companies, all leading to rejections as well.
With no other options left, he had to sell the script and embark on a self-distribution path.
But good things come to those who wait; everything he worked for finally paid off.
*****
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