Capítulo 300: Chapter 301: The Audition Opportunity
[Chapter 301: The Audition Opportunity]
Eric shrugged helplessly. "But Julia really isn't right for the part."
Upon hearing Eric's words, Julia felt a flicker of disappointment, even though she initially hadn't wanted to agree. Elisabeth, however, pressed on, "So, what do you mean by 'not right'?"
"Julia doesn't fit the image of the female lead at all. In my mind, the lead should have short hair."
Elisabeth retorted defensively, "It's just hair! She can cut it. Julia had short hair when she filmed Steel Magnolias last year; you're just grasping at straws."
"Okay, okay, actually, the character in my mind should look like this," Eric said as he glanced around. He dipped his finger into the glass of red wine and quickly sketched something on the coffee table in front of the three of them. Before long, the image of Demi Moore's character, Molly, materialized on the glass surface.
The two women watched curiously as Eric hastily drew. Once he finished, Elisabeth stared at the drawing for a moment before pivoting her gaze upward with irritation. "I see it now; it's just that her mouth is a bit small. You're saying Julia has a big mouth, but when you were... you know, you didn't mind Julia's big mouth, you jerk."
Eric grimaced. "Liz, can we keep this serious and not make it about the bedroom?"
Julia pulled at Elisabeth's sleeve. "Alright, Liz. Even if he offered me the role, I wouldn't take it."
Before Elisabeth could respond, another woman's voice suddenly chimed in from beside them. "Mr. Williams, I didn't realize you were here."
...
Elisabeth and Julia turned to look behind Eric, both gasping slightly in surprise at the sight. Eric also turned, eyes widening. The speaker was Jane Fonda, who had recently presented him with an award on the Oscar stage. But more importantly, it was the young woman alongside Jane that caught their attention.
Jane, noticing the three of them staring at her niece, quickly followed Julia's gaze to the coffee table and displayed a look of confusion.
"Mr. Williams, I didn't expect your drawing skills to be so good. Just a few simple strokes, and it looks incredibly lifelike."
Eric smiled awkwardly and stood, addressing Jane's companion. "Ms. Fonda, may I ask who this is...?"
"Ugh, how disingenuous! You just drew her and you're asking who she is," Elisabeth pouted sarcastically, grabbing Julia's arm and decisively walking away.
While Jane recognized Julia, she didn't know Elisabeth, so she didn't pay the departing women any mind. Instead, she turned to Eric, saying, "Mr. Williams, this is my niece, Bridget Fonda, my brother's daughter."
"Nice to meet you, Miss Fonda," Eric said, shaking Bridget's hand.
Bridget noticed the nearly dry sketch on the table. She had recently cut her hair into a bob for a film, and she realized the resemblance between herself and the woman depicted. Though she didn't understand why Eric drew that image, she felt optimistic that her purpose for being here would go smoothly.
Eric recognized that Jane had approached him for a reason, probably something important. He gestured toward the empty seats where Elisabeth and Julia had been. "Ladies, please have a seat."
The aunt and niece thanked him and moved to the couch.
Eric observed the two women in front of him. It appeared that Jane had had a tumultuous relationship with her brother, Peter. However, judging by the looks of these two women, perhaps the previous generation's conflicts hadn't seeped into this one.
While the Fonda family might not wield the same power in Hollywood as the Coppola clan, they still commanded a certain level of respect. This power was reflected in Bridget, who, despite her middling talent, began her acting career in the late '80s. She had been acting for over a decade, yet her career had been largely lackluster, leading to little acclaim or box office success. In Hollywood, it was almost unfathomable for a star with no background or connections to continue working without significant achievements. Generally, actresses without influence would be dropped by producers after failing to make an impact in a few films.
"Mr. Williams, may I ask why you drew that portrait just now?" Bridget couldn't contain her curiosity once seated in front of him.
Eric hesitated, providing a vague response. "I was just explaining something to Miss Julia and it came to me. I didn't expect it to resemble you so closely."
However, Jane wouldn't let Eric evade the question. With a smile, she asked, "Mr. Williams, that must be the look for one of the characters in your film, right?"
Clearing his throat, Eric replied, "Sort of."
"It wouldn't be for your upcoming film, Ghost, would it?" Jane pressed further.
Since the movie would eventually be released, Eric couldn't lie about the character design, so he nodded again.
The two women exchanged a quick glance, and Jane spoke up. "Well, Mr. Williams, since this is such a coincidental moment, could you perhaps grant Bridget an audition opportunity?"
Eric hesitated. Since Jane asked, she likely meant not the initial rounds of casting but a chance for a final audition.
While Demi Moore's performance in the original Ghost was often criticized, she delivered a notable performance that earned her a Golden Globe nomination. Moreover, Demi had years of experience under her belt before taking on the role, while Bridget had just recently stepped into the industry, and her later work had proven she lacked potential.
Seeing Eric's uncertainty, Bridget looked pleadingly at her aunt, who returned her a reassuring glance. "Mr. Williams, I realize this request is a bit abrupt, but all we ask is for you to let Bridget audition. Both Bridget's father and I will certainly be grateful for your kindness."
Hearing this, Eric nodded. Though if Bridget ultimately didn't land the role, this favor might carry less weight, it was still a favor -- one that could be beneficial someday.
"Alright, Ms. Fonda, I can only offer Miss Fonda an audition, but I can't guarantee how it will turn out."
"Of course," Jane nodded, glancing at Bridget. She stood up and said, "Mr. Williams, I'll take my leave. Bridget has always admired your films; perhaps you two can chat a bit."
Eric stood as well, watching Jane leave before he sat back down across from Bridget. They exchanged a few awkward glances, feeling like strangers on a blind date, unsure of what to say next. Finally, Eric broke the ice. "Miss Fonda, actually, I have seen one of your films."
"Oh? Which one?" Bridget asked, intrigued.
"Aria," Eric replied, gesticulating towards his mouth.
Bridget pressed her lips together. "I had a pimple on my mouth during filming, so I didn't look that good on camera."
"I thought you looked great," Eric teased playfully.
Most of Aria was filled with racy scenes, and Eric had watched it solely for those reasons. So, he couldn't understand why Bridget would take on such a film. Maybe it was because of her family's connections; she didn't need to worry about her image as other actresses might.
At Eric's compliment, Bridget's cheeks flushed slightly.
Since they were meeting for the first time, they kept the conversation short, rambling about a few things. Eventually, Eric remarked, "Miss Fonda, I've been sitting for a while now, and with so many people around, I really should mingle."
"Of course, please feel free to do so, Mr. Williams. And you can call me Bridget."
"Sure thing," Eric smiled, nodding as he stood and headed toward another crowd.
...
After the Oscars, newspapers typically offered their takes on the results. Many felt that this year's ceremony had handed out awards almost too liberally.
At the same time, numerous people lamented Eric's loss of the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Scent of a Woman. In this context, the film that had won that award, Driving Miss Daisy, became a target for criticism.
Driving Miss Daisy was distributed by Warner Bros., which was currently the most powerful of Hollywood's major studios, so after the controversy surrounding the award, Warner's rebuttal quickly followed. This led to a minor uproar in the press, even overshadowing the buzz surrounding several major awards.
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