The recent release of
“Creed” took me back to what I have always thought of as the quintessential
“Hollywood Moment” of my personal experience.
I mean, I’ve done other “Hollywood” stuff, but to me, this one hits the
bull’s-eye dead center.
As usual, after a
monumental effort of close to a minute, I could not find the original version
of this story. So I am writing it again
from memory, which recedes exponentially as we speak.
Okay. So…
My quintessential
“Hollywood Moment.”
Here we go.
I was attending a Writers
Guild Film Society screening of Rocky. As frequently occurs with the Film Society, the movie had not yet
opened in theaters, so we knew absolutely nothing about it.
(Dr. M, who, before she was Dr. M, was getting her Masters Degree in “Communication Arts”, had already seen Rocky in her film class. So I attended that Writers Guild screening alone.
(Note: She revealed
nothing to me about the movie. Because
she did not want to spoil it for me, or because she did not like it, a boxing
movie being excessively distant from her Singing
in the Rain wheelhouse, or as she recently confided, because it was too
early in our relationship for her to interfere.
I prefer “Explanation Number One” or “Number Three”.)
The movie was about to begin. Amongst the gathering, primarily film and
television writers, the sense of distain for what we were about to experience
was palpable. How dare some untutored
“nobody” (Sylvester Stallone – Sylvester!)
get a film made (from a self-written screenplay he had refused to sell unless
he could star in the movie himself.
BITTER WRITERS’
GUILD WRITER: “We can’t even demand that they allow us on the set!”)
It is quintessentially “Hollywood” – though this is not the
quintessential element I am talking about – to root against someone you have
never met and theoretically have no reason to disparage. Beyond disturbing the writers’ already shaky self-confidence,
a rookie’s success – as unlikely in this case as it was – would make experienced veterans look terrible.
I mean, if a (lowly paid) novice can do it, anybody could do it. Expanding the competition immeasurably, and
maybe, Hollywood being “Copycat City”, making it harder for experienced writers
to sell.
STUDIO EXECUTIVE: “Bring me only
writers who have never written anything.
And pay them ‘Minimum’ for
doing it.”
The curtain goes up, and we are immediately greeted by these
ridiculously cheesy credits (from a clearly low-budget undertaking), accompanied
by this overblown, heralding trumpet music:
“Bum bum buh-buh-bum buh-buh-buh-buh-buh bum
Bum bum buh-buh-bum buh-buh-buh-buh-buh bum…”
… like it’s “The Event of the Century”, or something. Oh, yeah.
This thing is going to stink big-time,
was the prevailing sentiment throughout the audience.
And then it didn’t.
As the movie progressed, little by little, you could feel
the crowd’s attitude towards it begin to alter.
The simple, plain-spoken dialogue, the endearing working
class characters, the “instant classic” occurrences like “Rocky-In-Training”
running victoriously up the stairs, and a story that built organically to its
climactic (for me at least) moment, exceptional for a sports sagas, in which a clearly
beaten Apollo Creed screams, “Ain’t gonna be no rematch!”, the triumphant-without-winning
Rocky screaming back, “Don’t want
one!”
“Exhilarating” is the most evocative word I can think of.
And I wasn’t alone.
During the closing credits, the jaded Writers Guild membership was literally standing on its feet and
cheering.
And then it was over.
Or so we believed.
As we exited up the aisles, the positive buzz was virtually
deafening to the ear. Everyone
agreed. The movie was manipulative, but
wonderful.
They then opened the doors at the back of the theater…
And standing in the lobby was Sylvester Stallone.
Looking appealingly humble in his jeans and white, cable-knit
sweater.
I may have possibly teared up. As I am close to doing right now.
“That’s the guy!”
Was the unspoken reaction.
“And he’s standing in
our lobby!”
It was a miraculous “Hollywood Moment.”
And it never happened again
---------------------------------------------------
A Happy Birthday shout-out to son-in-law Colby. It's not your fault we got attacked on your birthday. You weren't even born yet. But now you are, and I'm delighted to know you and hang out with you and go Chanukah shopping with you. We did great, by the way.
Best to you in everything you dream, wish and work for. I hope you are richly rewarded in every direction.
P.S. I am also fond of your wife.
Have a great B-Day Colby. And many, many more.
3 comments:
Here's the original version of this story: http://earlpomerantz.blogspot.com/2008/12/my-favorite-hollywood-moment.html
For the most part, I like the retelling better, though the first version has the exciting part about the writers cheering Rocky on. Maybe a merging of the two would be a good exercise for you one of these days.
What a great recap, of what many forget was an "against the odds" undertaking.
Loved Rocky, still have a tremendous fondness for that movie. Stallone standing in the lobby, waiting for the jurors' verdict, must've been pretty nerve wracking for him with all those 'known' writers emerging from the movie. I'd say he's done ok for himself.
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