Chapter 347: A Story of Self-Discovery

[Chapter 347: A Story of Self-Discovery]

"You know, Kate, my full name is Famke Beumer Janssen. Actually, my nickname is Fam, and my mom and dad always called me that. But Eric keeps calling me Fami. A few days ago, I couldn't help but correct him, and he insisted he was right, citing a whole bunch of reasons. It was really amusing, haha."

Kathryn Bigelow glanced over at the two men and then leaned in toward Famke Janssen. "He's just a little punk who's barely twenty; he's bound to be a bit headstrong."

"Little brat is more like it," Famke said, using a playful tone typical among friends.

Kathryn Bigelow followed up quietly, "Actually, Jim is like that too; they're both quite obsessive."

"Hey, Fami, I've got 1.5 sensitivity in both ears, so don't think I can't hear you," Eric suddenly raised his head from a discussion with Cameron about special effects, sending a menacing glance at Famke Janssen. Cameron also looked up at his wife with a sly grin.

Kathryn Bigelow glared back, clearly annoyed. "We were supposed to be discussing Point Break today. You two are just wasting my time, and I haven't even complained! What gives you the right to express dissatisfaction?"

Eric finally checked his watch; it was already a quarter past ten. The couple had come by at nine, and over an hour had passed. Realizing this, Cameron reluctantly said, "Eric, could you show me the scripts for those disaster movies? Then you can discuss the film with Kate."

"Sure thing," Eric said, opening the safe. He took out scripts for Twister and other films, handing them to Cameron. "I don't plan to direct all of these myself. Take a look. If you're interested, maybe you could choose one to direct yourself."

Cameron nodded noncommittally. While he found the ideas for the films intriguing, whether or not he would collaborate depended on the script's quality and the conditions Eric would offer. After his experience with Piranha II, Cameron detested others meddling in his directing, and it was clear that Eric was someone with a strong desire for control. If Eric didn't allow him enough leeway, even if he was interested, Cameron wouldn't take on the project.

Taking the scripts from Eric, Cameron eagerly opened Twister and quickly got immersed in the storyline.

...

Eric moved to the couch, sitting down next to Famke Janssen. He turned to Kathryn Bigelow. "Ms. Bigelow, show me the script for Point Break."

Kathryn Bigelow pulled the script from her bag and handed it over, along with a seven- or eight-page budget summary. "Here's the script, and below that is the budget Jim and I worked out over the past few days -- around $20 million."

A $20 million budget seemed quite conservative for the project. However, Kathryn's tone carried a hint of uncertainty. Her previous films had only been made on budgets of two to three million each.

Eric placed the budget aside and began flipping through the script.

The male lead was a character named Johnny Utah, a once-promising football player who had to give up his career due to a knee injury. After graduating from the police academy, he became an FBI agent.

Eric found this premise quite engaging, particularly since the actor Kathryn had in mind for the lead was Keanu Reeves. In reality, Keanu had also been a promising hockey player who switched to acting after a knee injury.

In Los Angeles, a group of mad bank robbers appeared, wearing masks of former American presidents. They had robbed over twenty banks, but because these criminals were extremely restrained and didn't seek the banks' vaults, they only cleared the cash from the counters in a swift 90 seconds before leaving, clean and leaving little trace. The FBI was at a loss.

Young and passionate, Johnny Utah persuaded his boss, Angelo Pappas, a down-on-his-luck old pro who constantly wallowed in his past glories, to join him in pursuing these reckless fugitives.

Based on the clues left from the twenty-plus heists, Angelo focused on a group of surfers. To get close to the surfers at L.A.'s Radigo Beach, Johnny Utah began learning to surf and invented an identity as an orphan to get close to the beautiful surfing instructor, Tyler Endicott. As they grew closer, Johnny met the thrill-seeking surfer Bodhi and quickly deduced that Bodhi and his friends were likely the bank robbers he sought.

However, during yet another bank heist, Bodhi and his crew managed to escape from Johnny and Angelo, exposing Johnny's identity as an FBI agent.

Without sufficient evidence, Johnny couldn't directly arrest Bodhi and his gang. After discussing among themselves, Bodhi and his friends kidnapped Johnny's girlfriend, Tyler, to threaten him into compliance.

Bodhi dragged Johnny along for one last bank robbery and a skydiving escapade. Ultimately, Johnny's inner madness was awakened as he found a resonant connection with Bodhi. During the final arrest attempt, Johnny uncuffed Bodhi, letting him surf away into a once-in-a-lifetime tidal wave while he tossed his FBI badge into the ocean.

Though many points in the script felt somewhat forced, overall, it was a story of self-discovery.

Johnny Utah initially believed his goal was to become a top FBI agent, even going so far as to fabricate a heart-wrenching backstory of being orphaned to get closer to Tyler. In the end, he realized that being an FBI elite wasn't what he desired; it would only turn him into someone like his boss, Angelo Pappas. Angelo was an FBI elite who, in order to decode the purpose behind a certain essential oil left by the robbers, had researched hundreds of oils, becoming somewhat of an expert. Despite his expertise, he remained a frustrated figure, while younger, less talented colleagues climbed over him.

*****

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