Chapter 119: The Trump Card

Tom Cruise and his wife, Nicole Kidman, sat in the VIP box on the second floor of the theater. Tom removed his sunglasses and set down his handbag, glancing at the time as it approached midnight, waiting for the movie that had turned him down to begin.

Compared to Tom Cruise's gloomy face, Nicole Kidman appeared slightly more composed. Her pale face showed no particular expression. She knew well that jealousy and anger wouldn't solve anything. Duke Rosenberg's progress seemed unstoppable, and if *Independence Day* grossed around $500 million globally, it would solidify his position as a top Hollywood director.

Even though he had rejected her audition and they had exchanged harsh words recently, Nicole didn't want to hold a grudge. In fact, she had instructed her agent to find ways to mend fences with him, knowing that befriending a major director had far more advantages than becoming enemies.

Unfortunately...

Nicole's light blue eyes shifted toward her husband. He seemed to have no intention of reconciling with Duke Rosenberg, despite Pat Kingsley's repeated warnings.

Nicole was well aware that ever since the news broke that Tom Cruise was passed over for *Independence Day* with a $5 million paycheck, her good husband had reignited his old grievances from *The Rock* and *Interview with the Vampire.* He wasn't here tonight because he liked the film; he simply wanted to assess his rival's work as soon as possible.

Although Tom never mentioned it, Nicole could guess that he had other plans in store.

Under the glamor of Beverly Hills, many dark secrets lay hidden.

About three miles west of the theater was a mansion that had been under the watch of paparazzi for the past year. The man once known as the world's epitome of a gentleman had, in their words and photos, become a figure ruined by scandal.

Sitting in the mansion's living room was Sean Connery, his hair neatly slicked back, and his beard meticulously trimmed, embodying the appearance of a true gentleman. Yet, his eyes, dark and brooding, flashed with an anger few could detect.

"Sean, are you really going through with this?"

Across from him sat his most trusted friend, who also served as his publicist. "This isn't a small sum."

"Three million dollars means nothing to me!" Sean Connery ground out his words. "Jack, contact every well-known critic. I want them to launch the most vicious attack on that bastard's film! Warner Bros. and 20th Century Fox didn't get critics on their side, so I'm sure the vultures are just as dissatisfied as I am."

"Sean, doing this..."

Jack hesitated, "This won't help your career."

"Career?" Sean Connery nearly bit through his teeth. "Jack, do you think I have a career left? Can things get worse? All my personal matters are out in the open. What more can Warner or Fox do? Have me killed?"

Jack didn't respond. The situation was exactly as Sean described. His image as a gentleman, which had sustained his career in Hollywood, was utterly destroyed. Scandals overwhelmed him, CAA had all but shelved him, and his divorce and alimony battles were never-ending. He hadn't landed a single job in a year—he was already in the worst possible position an actor could be in.

"Duke Rosenberg!"

Sean Connery spat the name out like a curse. "Jack, I have to see him suffer! See him fall! I have it on good authority that the mother and son behind my scandals have his backing. The famous lawyer fighting for their case? That was arranged by Duke Rosenberg's people!"

Sean Connery even believed that his scandals had been exposed with Rosenberg's help, though he had no evidence.

"Calm down, Sean!"

Jack, who knew the stars better than anyone, urged Connery to stay composed. "You need to keep your cool right now. Acting on impulse won't solve anything."

"Just contact the critics!" Sean took two deep breaths, temporarily suppressing his rage. "Especially Roger Ebert!"

"Don't worry, I'll handle it."

With a nod to Sean, Jack quickly exited the mansion.

For a director—even one with more experience than most—breaking into the top echelon of directors was just as difficult as Earthlings defeating the ruthless aliens in *Independence Day.*

In this fiercely competitive industry, rivals weren't content with just trading words. They were prepared to take action…

In New York, at a theater in the Upper East Side, the midnight screening of *Independence Day* had already begun.

A massive shadow loomed over the moon. The American flag and the lunar surface trembled in its wake. Irene held her breath, subconsciously gripping Anna's hand as they watched a huge spaceship head toward Earth. Remembering the previews and posters, Irene's hand trembled slightly. The battle to defend Earth was about to begin!

"Classic Duke Rosenberg style," Anna thought, allowing Irene to hold her hand while her mind automatically began analyzing. "No unnecessary dialogue, no confusing scenes. The film dives right into the action without wasting any time!"

"It's about to start!" Irene murmured.

Seated beside them, David Denby, a critic from *The New Yorker,* frowned deeply. The opening shot was entirely special effects—a blatant display of technical showboating. This kind of film left a bad taste in his mouth. It's not that movies shouldn't use special effects, but did they really need to kick off with such a spectacle? Wouldn't a more gradual build-up be better?

"Opening scene: failure!" he wrote in his notebook.

However, as the massive spaceship approached Earth, and the models and CGI effects fully rendered the scene, gasps of awe echoed through the theater. It was just like the moment audiences first saw the T-rex in *Jurassic Park* last year—utter astonishment.

This was the best special effects work of its time!

As a film school graduate, Anna was certain of this, and so was Sarah, a journalist from the *Los Angeles Times.*

The film used parallel montage techniques to show various perspectives as the alien ship approached, establishing the human characters and setting the stage for the coming disaster. Duke Rosenberg's trademark explosion scenes hadn't appeared yet, but Sarah, sitting in the Los Angeles Municipal Theater, could tell from the audience's breathless anticipation and focused expressions that the film had everyone hooked.

Hollywood, the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, the Washington Monument, the Statue of Liberty, Central Park, the Empire State Building—countless iconic American landmarks were cloaked in the shadow of the alien ships.

In cities like New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Boston, and Chicago, after a brilliant sunset-like cloud of fire faded, the alien ships revealed their true forms.

From children to police officers and taxi drivers, the entire nation stared in awe. Across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, Seattle to Miami, audiences were equally dumbstruck.

These meticulously crafted effects might have only been passable in Duke's eyes, but to contemporary viewers, they were nothing short of the best, most realistic visuals imaginable!

In a theater near the University of Southern California, Alan, Jones, and Kunistz sat wide-eyed, their mouths slightly open in disbelief. Their expressions could be summed up in one word: shock.

"Oh my God, save me!" Kunistz clutched his chest. "With *Independence Day,* how are we supposed to watch any other special effects films?"

"Duke Rosenberg is destroying every other effects-driven film in Hollywood!"

As the flames faded and the film moved into a slower transitional scene, Jones took the opportunity to turn to his friends. "Every effects movie this summer is doomed!"

"They're definitely doomed!" Alan agreed.

For casual moviegoers, the focus was clearly on the effects. They were waiting, eager to witness the destruction of America's biggest cities and landmarks by aliens. They were waiting to see the full version of the White House being blown to pieces…

In a theater in Chicago, Roger Ebert wasn't fixated on the special effects. Though not a staunch opponent of effects and big-budget films, as a critic with "exquisite taste," he was more interested in other aspects of the movie.

For example, the film's structure and narrative.

Beyond the theme of an alien invasion and humanity's response, Duke Rosenberg wove in subtle elements that tapped into concerns North American audiences cared deeply about. These moments not only alleviated the tension from the suspense and large-scale action but also enriched the themes and moved the plot forward. In doing so, he was able to use limited screen time to craft characters with real emotional depth.

For instance, the film included several moments that celebrated family.

The President and his wife's love for their daughter was portrayed with a few carefully chosen scenes. In many critical moments, the President anxiously asked his staff, "Where is my daughter?" These few shots were enough to cement the idea of the President as a loving father in the audience's minds.

Even Roger Ebert, despite his sophisticated sensibilities, couldn't deny that this emphasis on "family first" was deeply ingrained in American culture. The President's family was the perfect model of the ideal American family, and Duke Rosenberg's efforts to highlight the President's "family-first" mentality would undoubtedly resonate with mainstream audiences.

Then there was the Latino pilot, who, after struggling with alcoholism, bravely crashed his plane into the alien ship. His motivation wasn't some grand, abstract ideology—it was to protect his children, to sacrifice himself for his family.

Roger Ebert knew that, despite the predictability, stories of sacrifice for family were among the most effective emotional hooks in movies. These "tear-jerker" moments, though overused, never failed to move audiences. Duke Rosenberg's designed it in this way to please the audience.

Yes, in his opinion, whether it is the explosion or the description of family and love, the director Duke Rosenberg always sticks to the mainstream values ​​and tries to please the market and the audience in the most vulgar and annoying way. But the most disgusting thing about the film is another thing!

This scene ignited the emotions of ordinary audiences across the United States and can be said to be the film's biggest killer besides the special effects!