Chapter 136: What Right Do They Have to Refuse

[Chapter 136: What Right Do They Have to Refuse]

Matt Damon, Leonardo DiCaprio.

A whole slew of movie titles flashed through Eric's mind, and he shook his head, pushing those fleeting images aside as he continued scanning. Aside from these two former stars, he didn't see any other familiar faces. Of course, the original Chris O'Donnell was also swept away by the fluttering wings of butterflies.

Even if Chris showed up, Eric wouldn't consider giving him the role, as his presence in the original was just too weak. While Al Pacino's performance certainly overshadowed him, the lack of standout moments in Chris's own acting was a key reason as well.

After quickly reviewing thirty audition profiles, Eric borrowed a pen from Martin Brest, checked off Matt Damon's and Leo's names, and after a moment's hesitation, he finally decided on Matt Damon. At eighteen, Matt had a bright, handsome appearance that perfectly matched Charlie's character. In contrast, Leo's image at that point had a rough edge to it.

He circled Matt Damon's name and said to Martin Brest, who had been watching his every move, "Martin, let's give the role of Charlie Simmons to Matt Damon. As for Leonardo DiCaprio, we should hand him the role of Charlie's classmate, George. And I don't care if they have agents or not; if they want the roles, they need to join UTA."

"Eric, what if the two of them refuse to join UTA?"

Eric looked at Martin with a puzzled expression. "What right do they have to refuse?"

Martin was taken aback by Eric's assumption, recalled Matt Damon's and Leo's profiles, and chuckled. "You're right; those two rookies don't have a leg to stand on."

And just like that, in those few exchanges, the two roles were set. Both Scent of a Woman and The Others were projects under Flower Films, and since there was interaction between the two crews, Martin Brest already knew the process Eric followed in confirming roles. He felt that Eric merely wanted to assert his authority over the film by holding onto the final decision.

Although Martin thought Eric's method was a bit rash and childish, he didn't counter his decision. To nearly forty-year-old Martin, Eric indeed still seemed like a kid, so it was understandable for him to act this way. What he and Al could do was carefully select suitable candidates, ensuring that whoever Eric picked would be competent in their roles.

Eric didn't feel the need to justify himself; the reasons for his actions were as Martin had suspected. If he were in his forties, perhaps he could have displayed some benevolence by delegating authority, which might earn him some admiration. But at just eighteen, doing that would only lead people to think he was naive and easily manipulated, so he had no choice but to assert his strength -- both in filmmaking and with women.

It took forty minutes to get from Columbia's studio to Malibu, and Eric quickly finalized the cast list, some of which were based on Martin's advice while others were guided by his recollections of certain actors.

At an intersection along the Pacific Coast Highway, Martin's car came to a stop. Eric put on sunglasses and a baseball cap as he stepped out. "Thanks for the ride, Martin. See you later."

"See you," Martin said as he rolled down the car window, flashed a playful smile at Eric, waved, and told his assistant to drive away.

...

After Martin's Passat turned the corner, Eric walked toward a nearby villa. Arriving at Virginia's house, he took out a key and unlocked the door, stepping inside.

It was already evening, and the lights were on in the villa. Just as Eric approached the door, it swung open from the inside, revealing Virginia in casual home attire, carrying two large bags.

"Ah!" Virginia was taken aback by Eric's sudden appearance, causing the bags in her hands to drop to the floor with a thud.

"Eric, what... what are you doing here?" she stammered, hurriedly picking up the fallen bags and putting them aside to allow him inside.

Eric chuckled and hugged her fragrant figure, giving her a light peck on the cheek. "Why are you so tense? You're not hiding a man in here, are you?"

"I just didn't expect you to come by these days." Virginia rolled her eyes lightly. "Even if I were hiding a man, what could you do about it?"

Eric pinched Virginia's cheek playfully and said, "Well, let me see. There are plenty of ways to punish a cheating woman. In some Middle Eastern countries, they stone women to death. Everyone comes together to throw stones until she dies."

"Ha! How could people be so barbaric?" Virginia shivered slightly. "You're only eighteen; where did you learn all this nonsense?"

"Can't help it, I'm just naturally well-read," Eric shrugged candidly.

"Alright, oh learned one, do you have any ideas for punishing cheating boyfriends? Tell me the most brutal one you can think of."

Eric cleared his throat and answered, "Uh... actually, I don't have any."

"Tch," Virginia rolled her eyes and wriggled free from Eric's embrace. "Quit talking nonsense. You go inside; I'll throw these bags away."

"I'll do it; they look pretty heavy." Eric grabbed a plastic bag, unsure of what was inside but recognizing its weight.

"Just toss it in the garbage bin by the door," Virginia said, noticing Eric had already picked it up and gestured towards the entrance.

After tossing away the trash and returning inside, Eric spotted Virginia busily working in the kitchen. He walked in and wrapped his arms around her from behind, peeking to see her adding sugar and cream to a coffee cup. "Actually, I'm not a big fan of coffee. I'd rather drink plain water. They say drinking plain water is the secret to longevity."

Virginia laughed as she continued to add coffee powder. "You're so young! Why are you thinking about longevity? Are you afraid to die?"

"Of course not. I'm not afraid of death; I'm just afraid of regrets."

"Regrets? What regrets?"

What indeed?

Eric rested his chin on Virginia's shoulder, thinking. In his past life, his biggest regret was not being able to see his children grow up, and the fact that he never managed to make a movie of his own. Although he was nearing forty, he still hadn't completely given up hope. He had even discussed with a few friends that maybe he could spend a few years writing a good script and leverage the connections he had made over the years to secure some funding to produce his own film.

Unfortunately, before he could enact that plan, he found himself in this strange timeline. Even though it had been less than a year since his rebirth, the achievements he had made already marked him as a major success in his past life, making any talk of regrets seem overly dramatic.

"Why did you suddenly go quiet?" Virginia asked carefully, pouring hot water into the coffee cup and turning to assess Eric's expression.

"Oh, nothing; just thinking that if I were to suddenly drop dead right now, what regrets I might have."

Virginia set down the kettle, turning to look at Eric seriously. "Eric, if you've been thinking a lot about death lately, I suggest you see a psychologist. Are you under too much stress?"

"Not at all," Eric said, detecting the deep concern in her eyes as he hurried to deny it. He wanted to explain but didn't know where to start.

"Let's talk in the living room," Virginia suggested, handing Eric a cup of coffee while she took one for herself, and they both moved toward the living room.

Once seated on the sofa, Virginia asked, "What brought you to my place today? Aren't you living with Aniston?"

Eric chuckled bitterly. "You wouldn't believe what happened; Jenny wasn't about to put up with my nonsense. She moved into her own apartment in Burbank."

If it weren't for that accidental tumble down the stairs, he wouldn't be so desperate to coax his girl back into his life.

...

That morning when he woke up from a faint, he exploited Jenny's worry and weariness to get her on his actor list. But then, he made another huge mistake; he had placed Jenny and Drew on either side of his hospital bed for some rest.

By lunchtime, after dining with Jeffrey and Kepler, he returned to find both girls awake and causing chaos, pillows and blankets strewn everywhere, and an IV stand pushed aside. The two girls, like wild cats, were tumbled together on the bed, clothes disheveled, exchanging sharp words while jostling each other as if Eric himself were the object of their tussle.

After a lot of coaxing, he finally managed to separate them. Jenny was in tears, accusing him of favoritism, while Drew's sharp tongue was urging her to break up with him -- better a quick heartbreak than a slow one. Her words only fueled Jenny's rebellious spirit, and she swore she wouldn't give Drew the satisfaction.

Seeing the determination in Jenny's vow made Eric smirk just a little, but afterwards, he watched as she didn't stay at the villa but rather rented a place in Burbank. While she never mentioned breaking up, they had entered a cold war. As filming commenced, Eric was swamped with work and had barely any time to tend to his girl, relegating himself to sporadic harassing phone calls to assert his presence.

...

Hearing Eric's explanation, Virginia's face turned a shade red. "You should spend more time with her. All she needs is some reassurance. Don't always be so domineering."

"Okay, enough of that headache-inducing topic. Aren't you heading off to England the day after tomorrow? I had to come see you. I spoke with Jonathan, and as long as you wrap up production before September without delaying the Venice Film Festival, he plans to perfect everything during filming. So, it looks like you're going to be in England for a long time."

Virginia sipped her coffee, blinking. "Are you going to visit the set? Will you come?"

Eric shook his head. "I'm not sure. The schedule is in July, and if everything goes smoothly and we wrap shooting by mid-May, I might swing by England. If there are delays, I might not make it."

"Oh," Virginia nodded noncommittally.

After a few more casual exchanges, Eric patted his stomach. "So, Virginia, I'm hungry."

She jumped up quickly. "What do you want to eat? I could drive to the supermarket nearby."

Eric stopped her in her tracks. "No need to go through all that trouble; just whip up something simple."

"Alright, I have some spaghetti at home," she said as she made her way toward the kitchen.

...

Once Virginia was busy tying on an apron and prepping in the kitchen, Eric stood up and went upstairs. On the balcony, the sun had fully set, and darkness fell. He leaned over the railing, gazing at the Malibu point nearby, only able to see the dim silhouettes due to the fading light. Construction had begun there, anticipated to be completed by the year's end.

Along with the luxurious seaside mansion under construction, the estate would feature several other villas on the property to accommodate guests and to host events.

Eric had reviewed the complete designs for the estate. The additional villas, being flatter in terrain, would cost significantly less than the seaside mansion. However, Frank Gehry's designs blended seamlessly, along with the estate's greenery, tennis courts, and helipads, creating an effortlessly integrated aesthetic.

Of course, this extravagant development exceeded twenty million dollars, but since a dedicated accounting firm monitored the project's financials, they could afford to be lavish as long as the funds weren't misappropriated or there were no hidden surprises. After all, making money was about spending too.

...

After dinner, even though Eric was tired, he still patiently lounged on the sofa with Virginia, watching a soap opera for a while.

"Eric, I heard Flower Films plans to film a TV show?"

"That's right," Eric's big hand moved across Virginia's chest. "By the way, it's a sitcom that will require many big stars for guest spots. Want to join?"

Virginia breathed lightly, her eyes glazing over slightly as she responded, "If you ask me to go, I'll go."

Eric added, "Jenny is one of the main characters."

Virginia chuckled lightly, pressing Eric's hand on her chest. "Hey, if I go, you'd better handle everything. It's all your fault for stirring this up. I want to see if your girlfriend bullies me in public, whether you'll step in or not."

"I won't," Eric laughed. "According to noble tradition, you're merely a mistress who'd naturally be lower than the main wife. Of course, if you can manage to turn the tables, I'd be all for it."

Virginia, understaning his teasing, lightly bit his arm, leaving a trail of faint teeth marks. "You jerk."

Having had his fill of teasing, Eric withdrew his hand and lifted her up. "Alright, let's stop watching and head upstairs to do something fun."

Virginia found herself swept off her feet, waving her little hands. "Wait... don't rush. We should turn off the TV first!"

Eric snatched up the remote and switched off the television, playfully smacking her behind before heading upstairs.

...

After a night of passion, Eric awoke the next morning at seven, feeling refreshed. He hurried through breakfast and had Virginia drive him to the set.

Though a night had passed, once the on-screen rivalry resumed from where they had left off yesterday, Cruise and Hanks quickly got back into character, wrapping up the remaining shots in half an hour. Joe Pesci, who had heard the bad news of missing Home Alone, also made a stellar appearance, and when he freed Andy, his excited, shaking head resembled the image Eric remembered. Moreover, Pesci's voice was even more comedic than what had been portrayed before, causing the crew to burst into laughter and making Hanks appear worried he might be upstaged.

The filming progressed according to their plan, and a few days later, the crew of The Others departed for England. Aside from the actors, most of the crew had been organized solely by Jonathan Demme. Eric didn't involve himself; Jonathan had been in Hollywood for over ten years and had a greater network than Eric.

Eric didn't take time to see them off. Instead, Jeffrey, as one of the producers, went along with the crew, returning only after several days.

By mid-April, after more than ten days of shooting, they had wrapped all the indoor scenes and began the more challenging outdoor ones. Even though Eric had the entire setup in his mind, actual filming proved more difficult than expected.

*****

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