The End of 1996

Jack Reacher's investigation had no time limit, and he didn't even want it to be carried out in a high-profile manner or become widely known.

Therefore, he could only check things that seemed relevant but were actually unrelated to his official duties in between his daily military work.

Henry, on the other hand, with the help of Brian Mills and others, managed to get through the month that the Continental Hotel had a bounty on his head.

The person who suffered the most during this month was none other than Kitty, the large Tabby Cat. Usually, Henry would take her out for picnics and outings every now and then, and have a treat while he was at it.

But with numerous professional assassins watching him for a month, Henry certainly couldn't go camping with Kitty in peace. So the big cat was really bored.

There was this petty thief who tried to break into Henry's house. He brought a poisoned bone, intending to drug Kitty.

Ultimately, Kitty bit the thief's arm like a bone, dislocating it. The thief was also pinned to the ground by the outstretched tiger claws against the back of his neck, in imminent danger of being bitten or clawed to death.

It wasn't until Henry got home from work that he put the petty thief, who had been used as a human cushion by Kitty, into an ambulance escorted by police cars.

Henry bore no responsibility for the burglary. Old Gary, on the other hand, was more worried, as such incidents were rare in his apartment building.

Now it's happened again. Based on experience, the next one won't be far off. So he has to go out into the streets, asking some people for help and warning others.

Henry couldn't say it outright, but the guy Kitty caught wasn't your average petty thief. What street thug could possibly have Continental Hotel Gold Coin in his pocket?

Considering that even if the other man's hand wasn't crippled, it would take him a long time to recover, and given that he was so terrified by the close encounter with the Tiger that he not only wet himself but also suffered a mental breakdown, Henry decided not to hold it against him.

We should wait until the other person returns to normal before making a fuss. In their current state, there's no point in saying anything.

The month-long protection period ended, and Brian and the others' protection work was completed. Henry had no intention of renewing their contracts, keeping these four shrewd old buddies. After all, they had powerful backers who wouldn't let them continue with long-term contracts.

Moreover, the tolerance period has expired. If any more assassins from the Continental Hotel come knocking, Henry will have to deal with them properly. Having someone watching him at this point would only be a hindrance.

Fortunately, the Continental Hotel's attitude was just as Charlie Fisher had previously revealed. Once the month was up, they withdrew the bounty and removed Henry from the wanted list.

Partly it was because the Arden Family had increased their bounty, offering only 10,000 taels...

In October, Charlize Theron's film, "That Thing You Do!," was successfully released.

Then came the comedy film at the end of November, "Jingle All the Way," starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, in which Charlize Theron played a dashing policewoman.

Both films saw slight changes in box office revenue compared to those based on Henry's memories before his time travel.

The original production cost of "That Thing You Do!" was 26 million dollars, but it only grossed close to its cost in North America, and its global box office was only 34.5 million dollars. It did not reach the generally accepted profit margin of 200% and was a loss.

However, with Charlize Theron's involvement, the company moved slightly closer to profitability, with North America box office exceeding costs and global box office reaching $45 million. Although it still lost money, at least the losses were smaller.

It's hard to say that the more than ten million dollars difference in box office revenue between what I remember and what the actual figures are today is entirely due to Charlize Theron.

However, some problems with this film prove that Tom Hank, a two-time Oscars winner, may be better suited to be a producer than a director.

The box office performance of "Jingle All the Way" has also increased from the memorized 129 million to nearly 150 million. Considering its estimated production cost of 60 to 75 million, it can be considered a commercial success.

The success of the two films added to Charlize Theron's influence in a film that was crucial to her life.

This film is Charlize Theron's first leading role in "The Devil's Advocate," although the focus of the film is on the two male leads, Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves.

Prior to this, Charlize Theron auditioned four times for the film. Even after filming began, her position as the lead actress was not entirely secure.

Director Taylor Hackford worried that the girl's beauty would make it difficult for the audience to sympathize with her. She wasn't just a pretty face in the film; she was a reflection of the protagonist's (Keanu Reeves) tragedy.

The main filming began on October 28, 1996, in New York.

However, the production team faced some problems early in the filming process. One of them was that he refused to play Al Pacino five times, which caused some conflicts with the production team and brought filming to a standstill.

This conflict also shook the status of actors other than Keanu Reeves. Because if Al Pacino refused to act, the director's dream cast could be completely replaced.

To appease this big-name actor who had just won the Oscars Award for Best Actor three years prior for "Scent of a Woman of a Woman".

Charlize Theron organized a dinner party, which Henry Cavill attended, and she even invited Catherine Hepburn to join them. The three of them worked together to appease the big-name actor, thus managing to appease Al Pacino on behalf of the director.

Unfortunately, this method actor of Italy descent, born into a single-parent family, spent a long period of poverty and disappointment after starting his stage career.

Having just received Oscars recognition, he was at the height of his arrogance as the Best Actor winner. You really couldn't appease him without using methods like coaxing a child.

Catherine Hepburn, a master of persuasion, had seen all kinds of actors and people. Even Al Pacino, a notoriously difficult actor in the eyes of outsiders, was won over by her.

Of course, it's also possible that this Italy actor was giving this Hollywood veteran some face.

Charlize Theron, who went to live with Catherine Hepburn after arriving in New York, was taken very good care of by the older lady, who even used her remaining influence to help her.

In short, the positive reviews from supporting actresses in two films, as well as her role in appeasing the director's ideal choice, allowed Charlize Theron to establish herself in "The Devil's Advocate".

In Henry's memories before his time travel, the incident where Charlize Theron was deported from the United States during filming because she didn't have a work visa did not occur.

Because Stark Studios assisted in processing the girl's work visa, ensuring Charlize Theron's acting career was secure—this was Henry's goal.

The only minor drawback is that Henry is filming in New York, so if the two want to meet, Henry has to fly to New York.

This isn't about female superiority or male inferiority, or the idea that "simps can't get a house." Judging from the busyness of his work, Henry, who can openly slack off, is more suited to spending time commuting.

During filming, Charlize Theron spent an hour each day practicing with a psychiatrist on how to portray schizophrenia. Moreover, she wasn't financially well-off, and flying back and forth between the West Coast every week was quite a burden.

Moreover, Henry's trip to New York also allowed him to meet with Catherine Hepburn, and the three of them spent another Christmas holiday together.

Charlize also brought her mother along; it was the first time Henry had met his mother-in-law.

The year 1997 arrived peacefully.