Dunn chatted with Francis Coppola for a long time and was honored to attend a dinner at the Coppola family's home. He saw plenty of familiar faces there, including Sofia's cousin—Nicholas Cage.
Nicholas Cage these days is full of energy, steadily climbing his way to superstardom. But this guy's personality? A bit aloof, to say the least. During the entire dinner, he didn't say a single word to Dunn!
Dunn tried striking up a conversation with him a few times, but noticed Cage's eyes never even glanced his way. Feeling a bit annoyed, Dunn eventually just gave up on him.
No wonder this guy, despite having the Coppola family backing him, still managed to go bankrupt later on. And after that, hardly anyone stepped in to help. It's gotta be his personality—he's just too arrogant!
By comparison, Francis Coppola is someone you can't help but respect. Dunn had a great chat with him and got a sense of the man's passion and vision. It also gave Dunn a glimpse into the mindset of that generation of Hollywood filmmakers.
They've spent their whole lives in Hollywood—it's their home! No one wants their home to be a mess, and no one wants rats sneaking in to steal the food. Maybe that's why Katzenberg, Spielberg, and David Geffen started DreamWorks, huh?
With their status and fame in Hollywood, they really didn't need to go through all that trouble. They could've just taken cushy jobs at one of the big six studios, raking in stocks and dividends—probably more money than starting DreamWorks ever made them.
Steven Spielberg directs two movies a year and produces a blockbuster on top of that—what's he after?
---
When it was time to leave, Sofia drove Dunn home. "My cousin's always like that, don't take it personally," she said.
Dunn shook his head. "I'm just curious, that's all."
Sofia gave a wry smile. "Talented people, aren't they all like that? Super arrogant. Otherwise, he wouldn't have ditched the Coppola name."
Dunn smirked. "I'm talented too, am I arrogant?"
Sofia laughed softly. "Aren't you?"
Dunn shrugged, relaxed. "Nah, this isn't arrogance—it's confidence!"
---
The post-production for *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* was super simple. If *Titanic*'s post-production was like a college thesis, then *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* was like an elementary school essay.
With Morgan Carey, the assistant producer with a "production skill" of 98, helping out, Dunn's job was even easier. When he got to Dunn Studios, the place was buzzing with energy.
Once he settled into his office, art analyst Manola Dargis knocked on the door. "Boss, I've got something I want to talk to you about." Manola's into avant-garde and art films, and she's got a sharp personality.
Dunn, always laid-back, poured her a cup of coffee. "Sure thing, go ahead and tell me."
Manola's face was serious. "While you were out shooting on location, I looked into some of the bestselling books on the market. I found a bunch of topics that'd be great for movies."
"Oscar bait?" Dunn asked, surprised but excited. He hadn't assigned her this task, but her initiative was impressive.
Manola nodded. "Exactly. I'm not sure if they'd be box office hits, but they definitely fit the Oscars' artistic vibe."
Dunn sat down on the couch across from her, eager. "Alright, tell me—which one?"
"Uh… there's quite a few." Manola paused. "I bought all the books. Want to… take a look?"
Dunn waved it off. "Nah, no need. Just tell me about them. I want to hear the topics." He wasn't in the mood for dense, brainy literature.
Manola sat up straight. "There's this guy, Colin Clark. He's a nobody, but he was an intern on the set of *The Prince and the Showgirl*."
"*The Prince and the Showgirl*?" Dunn's eyes lit up. "The one with Marilyn Monroe?"
Manola nodded. "Yup, that's the one. Colin Clark wrote a book before called *My Six Months with Monroe on Set*, and now he's got a new one out, *My Week with Monroe*. They're both about his time working on that film—what he saw, what he heard, and, uh… some interesting stuff."
Dunn got her drift immediately. After being reborn in America for over a year, he'd felt firsthand how much Americans adore Marilyn Monroe. Even in Hollywood, her legendary stories are everywhere.
Setting aside the gossip, her iconic image as a sexy goddess is enough to make her a national treasure. She never won an Oscar, but she's still in the top ten of Hollywood's all-time greats. That shows just how much influence she has—and how much the Academy and fans still love and miss her.
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Market analyst Andrew O'Hare burst in, looking frantic. "Dunn, whatever you do, don't listen to Manola's suggestions!"
"Huh?" Dunn blinked, stunned.
Andrew fumed. "I read all the books she's recommending. I don't know if they'd win awards, but if you make them into movies, it's like throwing money away."
Manola gritted her teeth. "Andrew, what's that supposed to mean? Should we just not make art films anymore?"
Andrew shot back, "We can't just blindly do money-losing projects either! I know art's important, but do you want to watch Dunn Studios go bankrupt?"
Manola faltered, her face turning pale.
Andrew huffed and turned to Dunn. "Boss, the projects she's recommending… to break even, it'd take three to five years at best, or ten years at worst. That'd put huge pressure on the company's finances."
From the tension, Dunn could tell they'd argued about this plenty of times before.
Dunn raised a hand, sighing softly. "Andrew, I appreciate your concern."
Andrew let out a breath, relieved. He used to be unemployed, and now he finally had a job at Dunn Studios, a rising film company. It was his pride, and he didn't want anything to jeopardize it.
"But…" Dunn glanced at Manola. "I don't think Manola's suggestions are wrong either."
"Boss…" Andrew looked shocked.
Dunn waved him off, cutting him short. "Andrew, I get where you're coming from, but trust me—even if I lost everything, Dunn Studios wouldn't go under! Sure, we're tight on funds right now, but believe me, the future's bright, and the path ahead is full of promise!"
Andrew stayed silent, unimpressed by the grand talk.
Dunn sighed, speaking earnestly. "Andrew, you and Manola are my most trusted assistants. I know you mean well, but I hope you can see the bigger picture, think broader."
Andrew raised an eyebrow, confused.
"Manola, don't laugh just yet. What I'm about to say, I hope it resonates with you too." Dunn took a deep breath and slowly shared his experience visiting Francis Coppola.
The office fell quiet, with only Dunn's voice echoing like thunder.
Andrew's expression was complicated. He stared up at the light, lost in thought.
Manola kept her head down, holding her coffee cup, her face resolute. When Dunn finished, she added, "Back when I worked at *The Village Voice* with Andrew Sarris, studying avant-garde films, I felt the same way. That generation of critics—they had such a deep, unique connection to movies, to Hollywood."
Dunn nodded,sighing, "Exactly. For a movie studio to survive, commercial blockbusters are a must. But as filmmakers, how can we act like those Wall Street sharks? Hollywood's spirit has been passed down for a century, spreading universal values to the world. In our generation, we can't just leave behind empty special effects and bland popcorn flicks!"
Manola's eyes welled up. "Boss, you said it perfectly!"
Dunn shook his head, his tone heavy. "Just some thoughts. Francis Coppola—what kind of person is he? His worries represent an entire generation. Haven't we learned enough from MGM's downfall? At the end of the day, Hollywood belongs to filmmakers!"
Andrew looked down, dejected. "Boss, so is the company going to focus on art films from now on?"
"Of course not. Art films will always be niche—they're just Hollywood's last bastion of spiritual purity. Commercial blockbusters are still Dunn Studios' main focus."
Dunn smiled, easing Andrew's disappointment, and then said something that both Andrew and Manola would remember for the rest of their lives—
"Capital is shit, but movies are our passion! We need to make money, but we can't forget our ideals! Blockbusters are a must, but art films can't be ignored. Only when both bloom together do we truly honor our passion."
belamy20