Chapter 212: Saving Ryan
[Chapter 212: Saving Ryan]
The screenplay was titled The Legendary Life of Fritz Niland.
It told the story of Fritz Niland, a soldier in the 101st Airborne Division during World War II. After his unit captured the town of Carentan, he received the devastating news that his brother Bob, who served in the 82nd Airborne Division, had been killed. Shortly thereafter, he learned that another brother, part of the 4th Infantry Division, had also lost his life at Utah Beach. To compound the tragedy, his third brother, a pilot, had gone missing after being shot down by Japanese forces in the China-Burma-India Theater.
On that same day, Mrs. Niland received three telegrams announcing the deaths of her sons. Fritz was now the only surviving son. After receiving this heart-wrenching news, the Army commander ordered a special task force to bring Fritz home from the front lines.
This narrative was based on true events from World War II and resembled Saving Private Ryan, but with over 60% different elements. The protagonist, Fritz, found himself engulfed in sorrow as he grappled with the loss of his brothers. He vowed to continue fighting against the enemy. However, the Army commander, concerned for Fritz's life, sent personnel to find him and bring him back home.
Despite the special task force locating Fritz, he refused to leave. Instead, he chose to stay and fight alongside his comrades, ultimately achieving a significant victory. The screenplay's theme revolved around sacrifice and devotion. While the theme may have seemed somewhat cliched and not particularly profound -- similar to a superhero film -- it nonetheless resonated.
In Spielberg's version of Saving Private Ryan, the storyline addressed a group of soldiers during the Normandy invasion. Captain Miller received orders from higher-ups to lead a small squad behind enemy lines to locate Private Ryan, a soldier who had lost three brothers in a week. This adaptation explored the fragility and brilliance of humanity, as well as the war's impact on individuals and families, making it a war anti-thesis film.
In comparison, this version possessed a deeper theme and evident artistic merit.
Link went over the script twice, contemplating its potential, and decided to take it on. The original Saving Private Ryan was produced by DreamWorks Studios, which had not yet been established at that time; Spielberg had likely not received this screenplay. Link preemptively acquired the rights, planned to develop the script, and intended to film it after finalizing a few ongoing projects.
Moreover, Saving Private Ryan was a cornerstone for DreamWorks; without its success, the studio's progress would have been significantly hindered, giving Guess Pictures one less competitor. The benefits were numerous.
...
The next day at the studio, Link handed the script for In & Out to the production department for review. At the same time, he asked the copyright department to secure the rights to adapt the Saving Private Ryan story, intending to make it a flagship project for the company.
After seeing Saving Private Ryan, Link had also considered producing Titanic concurrently. However, he had heard that James Cameron began prepping for that film in 1992, with plans to start shooting after the release of True Lies. At that moment, it was too late to beat him to it.
...
"Link, we've secured the rights for Hachiko. When do you plan to initiate that project?" Daniel DeVito asked.
"How much funding do we have left?" Link responded.
Last year, the company had made $620 million. After distributing $500 million in dividends, they retained $120 million, along with a $100 million loan, totaling $220 million for movie production and marketing.
Currently, the company was invested in seven mid-tier projects, each with a moderate production budget. The budgets were as follows:
The Mask cost $20 million,
Before Sunrise came in at $1.5 million,
Sense and Sensibility had a budget of $16 million,
The Butterfly Effect was budgeted at $12 million in partnership with Miramax,
Good Will Hunting cost $10 million,
Rumble in the Bronx at $10.5 million in collaboration with Golden Harvest, and
The Man from Earth was simply $20,000.
The overall expenditure was close to $70 million, leaving around $50 million in reserve for additional investments.
However, the production department was already overloaded due to the numerous projects underway, and there were no extra hands available for other movies. Any new film projects would need to wait until later in the year, after the completion of existing films.
"Let's hold off on Hachiko for now; we can film it next year. How's the casting for The Butterfly Effect going?" Link inquired.
"It's going well. The four main roles have already been selected, and we're currently casting for the younger versions of those characters, needing actors for ages 7 and 13. It should take about a week to finalize."
"No rush, take your time."
This film was scheduled to begin shooting after April, with plenty of time for preparation.
---
On Friday, Pulp Fiction premiered at the Hollywood Highland Theater, and Link, along with Steven Soderbergh and Robert Rodriguez, attended the event to support Quentin.
Before the screening, Quentin seemed anxious, not bantering as he usually would but sitting quietly with a furrowed brow, anxiously awaiting the film's start.
"Is it really necessary to be this nervous? It's not your first film premiere," Link joked.
"I'm not nervous; it's just stuffy in the theater, and I'm not feeling well," Quentin replied, taking a deep breath.
"If the film does well, what's the first thing you're going to do?" Link asked to help him loosen up.
"I'm going to throw a three-day party and invite a hundred beautiful women to come dance at my place," Quentin exclaimed.
"One hundred women? Remember to call me," Robert Rodriguez added, drooling slightly.
"A hundred is too many; you'll need to buy a big villa first," Link laughed.
"Absolutely! If Pulp Fiction grosses over $400 million, I'll buy the biggest villa in Hollywood Hills. If it surpasses $500 million, I'll snag the penthouse of Manhattan's tallest apartment. If it reaches $600 million, I--"
"Wait! Are you out of your mind?" Rodriguez interrupted, "Have you even considered the genre of this film? It's a dark comedy, an indie film. You seriously think it can gross $400 to $500 million?"
"Why not? Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project were indie films too; one grossed over $600 million, while the other made over $300 million. Is Pulp Fiction inferior to those films? Absolutely not! If they can achieve those box office numbers, why can't Pulp Fiction?" Quentin contended seriously.
"What do you think, Link?" Rodriguez turned to him.
Link responded, chuckling, "Pulp Fiction is a well-crafted film and has big box office potential. If luck is on our side, it might even reach $400 or $500 million."
Quentin nodded in affirmation.
...
As the screening concluded, a thunderous applause erupted in the theater. Many applauded the film, which truly delivered in terms of structure, plot design, cinematography, and performances. The levels of artistry were remarkable.
Having borrowed many plot points from older films, Pulp Fiction sparked a trend, and after its success, numerous movies began to replicate its style.
With the film's breakout success, Quentin rose to become an internationally renowned director and a leading figure in the independent film arena. However, despite its positive reception, the movie faced challenges in achieving blockbuster status due to its unconventional narrative structure. The film was a collection of three interconnected stories told in a non-linear fashion without a singular protagonist; this made it harder for general audiences to grasp fully.
In contrast to simpler films like Paranormal Activity and The Blair Witch Project, which communicated their themes straightforwardly -- even the uninitiated would understand that those films told ghost stories -- Pulp Fiction was not as easily digestible.
Applause rang out once more from the audience.
...
"Link, have you ever heard such prolonged applause?" Quentin shouted proudly.
"No, I haven't!" Link replied.
"Ha! I bet Pulp Fiction's box office will outperform your previous films," Quentin shot back with confidence.
"Let's hope you're right."
If the film could indeed gross over $600 million, Guess Pictures could pocket over $100 million, and Link was even more eager for the movie's success than Quentin.
As the audience continued their applause, Quentin took the stage with the cast and crew, accepting their cheers. He expressed his gratitude and shared insights about the film's production, urging everyone to support it.
...
"Link, congratulations on landing another great role," Tim Robbins approached, clapping.
"Are you talking about that eccentric cop?" Link asked.
"Exactly! I didn't expect you to appear in this film. You did a fantastic job; if you weren't directing, you could have easily been a great actor."
"Thanks! That role is a product of Quentin's creativity. How's your new film coming along? When do you expect to finish?"
Tim Robbins' new film, The Shawshank Redemption, was slated to begin shooting early that year. He had heard from Morgan Freeman that they would jump right into filming The Shawshank Redemption after completing Se7en, with no breaks in between.
"It's going terribly; there's a serious disagreement between the director and the production team over the script, which has led to a halt in production. When we'll start filming again depends entirely on the production team's schedule."
"Hope you get it sorted out soon."
After exchanging a few more words, Link and Tim Robbins went to congratulate the creative team behind Pulp Fiction, while Quentin slowly began to lose himself in the echoes of applause.
...
In its opening week, Pulp Fiction grossed $9.33 million from 1,334 theaters, becoming the weekend box office champion.
*****
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