From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Following "Elephant," "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" debuted.

Like "Elephant," it's an independent film, yet it's writing box office numbers comparable to works like "The Butterfly Effect" and "The Princess Diaries" with a destructive force?

What is this spectacle?

Shocking!

Just as people were jokingly teasing that "Elephant" had ended Anson's streak of continuous $100 million+ box office achievements in North America, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" gave a perfect response.

Independent film? Art film? A maverick, off-the-beaten-path, personal film?

No problem!

As long as it's Anson Wood, everything can be handled.

Considering the various circumstances surrounding "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," and considering the market atmosphere before and after the film's release, this $100 million impact in North America is definitely worthy of being recorded in history. Although Charlie Kaufman and Anson had no intention of slapping anyone in the face, they still gave Hollywood a slap.

Loud, crisp, and ruthless.

The entire Hollywood collective shut their mouths, even forgetting to cover their faces.

If we add "The Butterfly Effect," the answer becomes even clearer:

Everything is not a coincidence.

The key phrase: Anson Wood.

Regardless of what the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences executives think, regardless of what the Hollywood film company executives think, and regardless of the stereotypical views of entertainment industry professionals, the North American film market gave its answer with practical action.

Numbers don't lie.

Undoubtedly and deservedly, Anson now stands at the pinnacle of the Hollywood pyramid—

The pinnacle above the pinnacle.

Johnny Depp? No, no, no, not enough.

Admittedly, "Pirates of the Caribbean" became a phenomenal work, but its real influence isn't in the box office numbers, but in the cultural ripple effect:

Captain Jack Sparrow's image has not only become a popular costume in amusement parks and Halloween, but also an important symbol in talk shows, movies, and television.

However, what Johnny Depp has, Anson also has; what Johnny Depp doesn't yet have, Anson has already taken the lead in possessing.

From all aspects, Anson is the benchmark overlooking the current film market. Continuing to deny or ignore it will only embarrass oneself.

And, the most important point is that everyone knows that "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" is not a "box office film" at all. This box office success is 100% an accident, a surprise; Anson's true highlight moment is coming, and "Spider-Man 2" is the blockbuster of this summer.

Perhaps some will say, what if "Spider-Man 2"'s box office is not satisfactory or even hits a wall? After all, sequel films in recent years have indeed been a mixed bag. "The Matrix" sequels failed to ignite the box office. Would Hollywood have another excuse to slander and hurt Anson?

Before "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," this was indeed a possibility; but after "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," those Hollywood professionals learned to behave.

If "Spider-Man 2"'s box office is successful, it's icing on the cake. Anson's position in Hollywood is already at the pinnacle of the pinnacle, with no room for advancement; if "Spider-Man 2"'s box office fails, it's a minor flaw that doesn't detract from the jade. Hollywood film companies and producers are still willing to gamble on Anson.

In other words, the sudden emergence of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" completely changed the landscape. Anson is already in an invincible position—

Regardless of the box office performance of "Spider-Man 2," Anson's position in Hollywood has been completely solidified, and the story enters a new chapter.

To this end, "The Hollywood Reporter" wrote a special feature, focusing on the behind-the-scenes of "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," revealing the mysterious veil of this literary masterpiece to readers.

"The First Superstar of the 21st Century," the magazine crowned Anson with this title, echoing Leonardo DiCaprio from afar.

Back then, "Titanic" destructively broke all box office records in film history, subverting Hollywood's understanding of the film market, and creating a new era. Leonardo was even more popular than ever. The media hailed the film as "the box office bomb of the end of the century," and Leonardo became "the last superstar of the 20th century"—

At that time, no one expected that this title would eventually evolve into "Hollywood's Last Superstar." Even Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr. were unable to become superstars, but instead became witnesses to the end of Hollywood's superstar era.

Of course, in the current time and space, no one expected the subsequent development of the Hollywood film industry; but in the same world but different time and space, after the butterfly flapped its wings, before Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr., Anson took the lead in taking over from Leonardo.

In other words, in the eyes of "The Hollywood Reporter," an authoritative professional magazine in the industry, Anson is now able to sit on an equal footing with Leonardo.

And, interestingly, Leonardo and Anson's collaborative partner is both Kate Winslet.

"The Hollywood Reporter's" special report was like a blockbuster, triggering a tsunami-like discussion in the entire film industry, spreading in all directions.

Envy. Jealousy. Hate.

All kinds of gazes gathered towards Anson in the form of a storm; however, this still cannot change the fact that Hollywood is forming a tornado centered on Anson—

Everyone craves Anson Wood.

Edgar, as his agent, is currently the most sought-after presence in all of Hollywood.

All of this is a story for later.

Let's turn our attention back to "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

This whimsical, imaginative, romantic, and sci-fi film, after breaking $100 million at the North American box office, did not immediately stop. Amidst the buzzing discussions and bustling promotions, audiences continued to enter the theaters, avoiding missing out on this fashion trend.

In the end, "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"'s North American box office settled at $116 million, running for a full thirty weeks, perfectly concluding with excellent results.

Later, Focus Features promoted the film for the awards season. To awaken people's memories, they arranged a re-release in December, a very common practice.

Although the film had only been off the screens for a short two months, Focus Features' re-release was still highly sought after, surprisingly reaping another wave of impressive box office numbers.

The reason still lies in the film itself.

After "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" achieved great box office success, the film received many criticisms and complaints. For the general public, this film has a distinct and strong literary atmosphere, which obviously does not conform to mainstream aesthetics; but at the same time, precisely because of this, the film has become a favorite of countless literary youths.

Niche, unique, distinctive, and sentimental.

Moreover, the film raises a question, giving the audience room for discussion. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" has become a hot topic for literary youths.

Anson and Kate have become the male and female gods in the hearts of literary youths.

Therefore, when the film was promoted for the awards season, a small number of viewers re-entered the theaters to re-watch it, and a small number of viewers entered the theaters with anticipation to appreciate it. This surprisingly brought a wave of considerable traffic to the film, which was ultimately reflected in the box office numbers, with gratifying results.