1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 621 Road Movie

The script is the original script.

The screenwriter is the same one who wrote the original script.

Jiang Xian simply told "today" to go to the screenwriters he had listed and ask if they had any movies.

Finally, they found the film "Rain Man" through Hollywood screenwriter Barry Morrow.

As soon as they received the news, Jiang Xian told them to buy it immediately.

The inspiration for the film "Rain Man" is a man named Pick, an autistic man from Utah, USA. He has an extraordinary memory and is known as an "expert." He is proficient in 15 subjects, from literature to history, and can recite the contents of at least 9000 books word for word.

When Piqué was born, doctors discovered that his brain structure was different from others, but his parents never gave up on him and lovingly helped him integrate into society.

Barry Morrow was inspired by this story to write the screenplay.

Rain Man is a classic road movie.

These days, road movies seem to favor this kind of duo setup: an elite individual paired with someone who appears to be mentally challenged.

Last year, another road movie released in the United States in 1987, "Cars & Cars," also had this plot:
On his Thanksgiving journey home, advertiser Neil is forced to travel with a vulgar businessman named Griffith. Along the way, they experience a series of unexpected events, including flight detours, theft, train malfunctions, and car explosions. Through these shared hardships, the two gradually resolve their conflicts and eventually develop a genuine friendship.
Does this plot sound familiar?

There seems to have been a similar movie in later generations, telling the story of urban elite Li Chenggong and milkman Niu Geng, who, on their way home, encounter flight cancellations, train delays, bus breakdowns, ferries, and tractors.
Ahem, Director Xu is just taking a look.

Learning from others depends on the individual.

To be fair, Director Tsui does have some talent in this area; his films "Lost in Thailand" and "Dying to Survive" were quite good.

Think about the quality of Director Xu's films, and then think about the quality of other directors' weight loss diaries.

That's incomparable.

As for "Rain Man," it is actually a film that is very suitable for Ang Lee's style.

Although it sounds like something out of a superhero movie like "Superman" or "Spider-Man," it actually has nothing to do with superpowers at all.

The origin of the name "Rain Man" is that one of the protagonists, Rayman, who is also the autistic older brother, has difficulty pronouncing his words and always calls himself "Rain Man." This led the other protagonist, the businessman's younger brother Charlie, to misunderstand and think it was the English word "Rain Man," which literally became the name Rain Man.

Incidentally, after the movie was released, because of its great influence and high box office, "Rain Man" quickly became a special term, referring to a person with a special talent but unable to take care of themselves in daily life. It usually refers to children with autism, and in more severe cases, they are called "idiot geniuses".

Unlike typical Hollywood films, "Rain Man" does not follow the grand and epic route.

Instead, they meticulously crafted the character designs.

This is exactly what Ang Lee is looking for, as it is his area of ​​expertise.

As we all know, director Ang Lee is very skilled at character development, scene design, and attention to detail.

In his hands, the entire film unfolds like a slow, gentle narration.

Charlie Babbitt is a young car dealer in Los Angeles who runs a small car dealership. With his shrewd mind and shrewd business acumen, his business is thriving.

One day, Charlie saw another deal come to fruition, and in his excitement, he took his girlfriend Susanna to Palm Springs for the weekend.

On the way, he received a call from his assistant, Lenny, informing him that his father had just passed away.

Charlie appeared indifferent, but he still decided to go to Cincinnati for his father's funeral.

It turns out that Charlie's mother died when he was two years old, and his father was very strict with him. When Charlie was sixteen, he once disregarded his father's prohibition and took his father's favorite convertible out for a ride with his classmates.

As it turned out, his father was quite something; he actually called the police to report that the car had been stolen, which led to Charlie and his classmates being detained by the police on charges of car theft.

Charlie's classmates were quickly bailed out by their parents, but Charlie's father, wanting to teach him a lesson, deliberately had Charlie detained in the police station for two days.

From that moment on, father and son turned against each other, and Charlie angrily ran away from home.

Charlie then refused to contact his father in any form.

Charlie's father said in his will, "This caused him to lose another son."

But a father is a father after all. Besides wishing Charlie all the best, his father left him the white Buick that caused their falling out and the grafted rose bush that won him an award.

His house and other assets, valued at three million US dollars, were placed in a trust fund and managed by a trustee as the beneficiary of the estate.

Charlie was very disappointed. He had thought he was his father's only heir, but unexpected complications had arisen.

However, Charlie did not intend to give up. He decided to find out where his father's huge inheritance had gone and prepare to fight a battle to defend his rights to the inheritance.

Charlie and Susanna soon found a nursing home called Walbrook and quickly discovered that the trustee of the three million dollar estate was the director, Bruno.

Dr. Bruno, a longtime friend of Charlie's father, was appointed to manage the estate, and the beneficiary of the estate was Raymond Babbitt, who had been living in the nursing home for a long time.

Raymond has autism. He cannot interact with people in a normal way and cannot adapt to social life in the usual sense.

Charlie then learned that he had an older brother.

Charlie was furious at his brother, who had no concept of money but had inherited a three million dollar fortune. He felt that his father was deliberately fooling him, punishing him, and playing a huge joke on him.

So he transferred his resentment towards his father to this suddenly appearing "brother." Looking at this mentally challenged and foolish older brother, Charlie felt both jealousy and contempt.

However, Raymond seemed easy to manipulate, and Charlie decided to use him to reclaim the half of the inheritance that was rightfully his.

Without Bruno's consent, Charlie took Raymond away from the sanatorium.

He felt that if he could win custody of Raymond, he would also be able to reclaim his father's inheritance.

Moreover, he needed to rush back to Los Angeles to handle business matters.

Susanna was very unhappy with Charlie's use of Raymond and left him in anger.

So Charlie had no choice but to embark on the journey alone with Raymond.

And so this road movie began.

Clearly, getting along with an older brother who has psychological problems is by no means easy.

Raymond lives a life bound by fixed rituals; he does fixed things at fixed times. At the airport, he suddenly loses control and shouts because Charlie tries to force him to take the plane. In the end, Charlie has to give up the idea of ​​flying, which prolongs the journey.

During the journey, Charlie was exhausted by Raymond's many eccentric habits and the ridiculous things he did because of his naivety.

However, Charlie soon discovered his intellectually disabled brother's extraordinary talent: Raymond had an amazing memory and the ability to remember everything he saw.

He can accurately recite the flight numbers, times, locations, and causes of all major air disasters in aviation history; he can quickly count the 246 toothpicks that have fallen on the restaurant floor; and he can remember any phone number he has read in the phone book. In short, his mental arithmetic speed is comparable to that of a calculator.

The quick-witted Charlie had a sudden inspiration and came up with a plan.

He trained Raymond and gave him a makeover before taking him to a casino in Las Vegas.

As expected, Raymond won $86,000 by playing cards, thanks to his amazing memory.

For Raymond, this was also an unusual trip. Leaving the unchanging life of the sanatorium and changing his habitual routines made him uneasy, but it was also a completely new experience. Even something as simple as riding an escalator was novel and interesting to Raymond. He won money for his brother by playing cards, spun a lucky wheel, had a brief conversation with a nightclub girl, and made a date on a whim. He insisted that Charlie teach him to dance so that he could keep the date, although his date never showed up.

The most touching scene is yet to come: to comfort him, the kind-hearted Susanna dances with him in the elevator and teaches him how to kiss.

It was this journey, filled with a series of frictions, disputes, and disagreements, that gradually fostered a brotherly bond between the two brothers, or rather, allowed them to rediscover their former kinship.

On one occasion, when Raymond saw the hot water filling the bathtub, he suddenly lost control of his emotions again and shouted, "The hot water will hurt the baby! Charlie Babbitt must not be hurt!"

Charlie then realized that the Rain Man, who remained in his vague childhood memories, was Raymond.

When Charlie was little, the Rain Man would sing to him and comfort him whenever he was scared.

Charlie broke down.

Charlie had always believed that Rain Man was just a friend he had imagined in his childhood.

The truth is that the Rain Man is Raymond, his brother, who protected and comforted him when he was a child, and was eventually sent to a sanatorium by their father because he almost hurt him.

The reason the father kept it a secret was that he was afraid Charlie would feel guilty and burdened if he found out.

Charlie was instantly stunned.

Only then did he realize how much love and care he had received, and what sacrifices his parents and brother had made for him.

Charlie, who had always been indifferent to the concept of family affection, was immediately deeply moved, and his resentment towards his father melted away after discovering the truth.

The man standing before him, Raymond, was his own brother, who had witnessed firsthand the deep love his family had for him.

Charlie's affection for Raymond also allowed Susanna to see Charlie's inner world, his true feelings, and his innate virtues.

As a result, their love grew even deeper and stronger.

Ultimately, Charlie failed to win custody of Raymond.

However, Charlie no longer cared about the inheritance; he was worried about not being able to see Raymond again and whether he could be with his brother.

In the end, Charlie was reunited with his family. He gained a brother, found love, and also let go of his past hatred for his father.

"Clap clap clap."

Jiang Xian clapped his hands. "Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! Well done, and the actors' performances were also excellent."

The two main actors in this movie.

The role of the autistic older brother is played by Dustin Hoffman, who won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 80 for his role in "Kramer vs. Kramer".

The role of the shrewd younger brother was originally played by Tom Cruise, who was supposed to be freezing himself out at home every day.

But those who know, know.

Jiang Xian didn't want to get involved with any science or religion.

Ultimately, with his intervention, the production team selected two actors.

Raymond, who plays the autistic older brother, is still played by Dustin Hoffman.

The actor who played the shrewd younger brother Charlie was replaced by Mickey Rourke.

Those who have seen Iron Man 2 should remember a villain wielding a whip, that is Mickey Rourke.

He was a young actor born in 1952 who initially made a living by boxing. Later, he suffered a severe head injury, and doctors warned him that he could not participate in competitions frequently, otherwise his life would be in danger. At the urging of his relatives and friends, he came to New York with $400, enrolled in an actor training class, and began his acting career.

Because he's so incredibly handsome, he quickly gained some fame in Hollywood. After starring in "Rumble Fish," his unrestrained and wild performance instantly captured the hearts of countless young women. Last year, he starred in "Nine and a Half Weeks," a erotic film that swept across the United States, which solidified his status as a sex symbol.

Then someone said...

I've seen Iron Man 2.

That whip-wielding style is so ugly!

It's so ugly it's unbearable to look at!
This was because Mickey was unlucky. In order to make a living, he returned to the boxing ring, but his face was deformed due to the injury. He thought about getting plastic surgery, but he encountered an incompetent doctor. The plastic surgery turned into disfigurement, which ruined his career. He became poor and lived in a $500 apartment. He could only eat by relying on the help of friends. In short, he was very unlucky and miserable.

Dustin Hoffman is older and has been famous for a long time; he's a middle-aged veteran actor. Mickey Rourke, on the other hand, is still quite young and has gained some fame for his roles in erotic films.

It took a considerable amount of effort to find these two people "today".

The main reason is that Dustin Hoffman is more expensive.

During this time, the production team also discussed whether to replace them with other actors, but Jiang Xian insisted on using the two of them.

Finally, the "money power" deal was reached, and the performance of these two individuals certainly justified the price.

Dustin Hoffman, for example, was extremely dedicated after taking on this film. He not only spent several months living with autistic patients to observe and understand their habits and typical characteristics, but also frequently consulted psychopathologists to understand the psychological state and causes of these patients' illnesses.

As for Mickey Rourke, he's just handsome.

“Three weeks into filming, Dustin Hoffman said he wanted to quit,” Richard told Jiang Xian. “At the time, the entire crew was under a lot of pressure. He felt burdened and thought this film was the worst work of his life.”

"normal."

Jiang Xian understood.

Mickey Rourke was a newcomer to the film industry, and he was already starring in a movie, which must have made him very happy.

Dustin Hoffman is different. He has won an Academy Award for Best Actor and has high standards for his career. He would never accept a role if the film was not up to par.

After watching the movie, Jiang Xian quickly chatted with Richard about the Hong Kong Film Awards. Richard knew that Jiang Xian had come for the Oscars.

"Something went wrong with this year's Oscars."

(End of this chapter)