The Big Seven Can Only Be the Big Seven

Beverly Hills, The Wilshire Grand Hotel.

Aaron attended a business cocktail reception with Christiana Yeri and ran into Seagram Company chairman Edgar Bronfman Jr., whose expression did not look too good.

"Mr. Bronfman, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

Aaron greeted him with a smile.

Edgar Bronfman Jr. forced a smile. "Nothing. It's just that End of Days, which just opened, has received terrible reviews!"

Produced by MGM and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the horror-action blockbuster End of Days had opened to 20 million dollars in its first weekend.

However, the reviews had been overwhelmingly negative, and no one was optimistic about it. End of Days was bound to have a bleak run.

"At least MGM has The World Is Not Enough this year, and that one's doing pretty well!"

Aaron took a sip of his drink and offered some consolation.

Edgar Bronfman Jr. shook his head. "Not even as good as DreamWorks' low-budget drama American Beauty?"

American Beauty was a low-budget drama produced by DreamWorks, made for 15 million dollars. Its male lead was Kevin Spacey, while its director was the young British filmmaker Sam Mendes, making his first feature film.

The film told the story of a middle-class couple whose marriage was only a facade, living bleak, dull lives. Later, the husband became infatuated with his daughter's high school classmate and decided to throw caution to the wind and reclaim his life, while the wife, desperate to get ahead, simply began an affair.

American Beauty had been in theaters for nearly two months, with its North American box office surpassing 70 million dollars. Yet its reputation was exceptionally strong, earning widespread praise!

USA Today: "American Beauty is a miracle of cinema, a dazzling and exquisitely executed drama featuring the year's finest ensemble cast and marking the stunning screen debut of