The Benefits of Success

"Irene, this is Adelaide Griffin, head of distribution management at 20th Century Fox."

"Mr. Griffin, it's a pleasure to meet you." Irene stepped forward and shook his hand.

"Mr. Griffin happened to be nearby on business. He got in touch with me especially because he wanted to meet you."

"Miss Coppola, I've heard so much about you. Please, call me Adelaide. May I call you Irene? Seeing you in person makes it even easier to understand why they call you a genius. If I'd gotten married a little earlier, I'd have a granddaughter your age!" Adelaide Griffin laughed warmly, his sincerity unmistakable.

"Of course, Adelaide. I imagine your granddaughter is at that sweet, well-behaved age."

"No, no, she's a handful. Just yesterday, she was telling everyone at home that she plans to go to Harvard one day, too. Irene, you made an excellent film. It's even had a very positive influence on the next generation."

Praise like that from the head of distribution at a major Hollywood studio was an enormous affirmation. It was far more satisfying than all the empty flattery in the newspapers.

"I'm truly flattered to hear you say that," Irene said sincerely.

"I'm not flattering you. That's my judgment based on years of experience in the market." Adelaide leaned forward, his gaze growing eager and intent. "If you'd let us distribute the film, with our channels and resources, I'm sure it would have done even better than it has."

Anyone could make claims in hindsight. MGM had been forced to make the transition, which was why they'd skipped test screenings and gone straight to a wide release. She still had to thank MGM for its wholehearted support. As long as the studio stayed the course, her next film would probably go to them too, barring any surprises.

But she certainly wasn't going to say that so bluntly in front of 20th Century Fox.

"Perhaps the timing just wasn't right, Adelaide. I really appreciate your interest, but sometimes I have to follow other people's arrangements. I'm sure we'll have a chance to work together in the future." Irene put on the familiar, resigned expression of someone doing business, as if she truly regretted not having worked with 20th Century Fox.

Shelly Ovitz, standing off to the side, raised his left eyebrow slightly. If he hadn't been there when Irene had handed the film to MGM without a moment's hesitation, he might have believed that the director was just a puppet with no say in the film's distribution.

"I understand. Young directors all go through this. I don't blame you. So, let's talk about 'next time.' Shelly told me you're already thinking about a new project?" Adelaide kept his eyes fixed on Irene, his voice dropping almost unconsciously.

Shelly smoothly picked up the thread. "That's right. Irene has some wonderful new ideas. I'm sure they'll give us a much better starting point for working together."

"I'm very much looking forward to it," Adelaide said firmly, his smile spreading again. "Irene, please make sure Fox is high on your list. Missing out on one wonderful collaboration is a pity, but missing out twice would be a failure on my part. I sincerely hope that next time we can bring an outstanding work to the world together."

"I certainly will, Adelaide! I look forward to working with you."

Back in the lounge, Irene rubbed her stiff cheeks and said to Shelly Ovitz, her tone a little stern, "I thought you'd at least give me a heads-up instead of suddenly bringing someone from Fox to meet me. Were you testing me?"

Shelly answered with his usual cheeky grin. "It was a little sudden, sure, but you did great. I couldn't detect a trace of acting from the sidelines. Before long, people outside will probably be saying our Irene Coppola is a sincere young woman, pitifully under her father's thumb."

"Why would we want people to think my father and I don't get along?" Irene didn't understand what they stood to gain from this.

"You have to understand, most people would rather hear about another family's scandals than their happy news. There's an old Chinese saying: 'Good news doesn't travel beyond the door, but scandal travels a thousand miles.' That's exactly the idea. You shouldn't seem too perfect right now. A few flaws might actually make those bigwigs more inclined to look out for you."

"What a hassle."

"Tell me about it. Managing your public image is a whole discipline. Don't worry about any of that; I'll handle it. Your main job now is to get your next film made while the iron's hot."

Irene heard another familiar expression and gave him a thoughtful look. "I didn't realize you knew so much about Chinese culture." Just which one of them was the white person with a Chinese heart?

"Didn't I tell you? I studied in China for two years. I can speak quite a bit of Mandarin, too."

"Fine. Given your experience studying in China, I'll let you off for making this decision without telling me. Whatever your plans are, you still need to give me a heads-up. Don't let it happen again."

With Runaway Bride opening wide, its first-week box office haul of $28.61 million left everyone green with envy.

Legally Blonde's box office growth had slowed, but it still brought in $22.06 million over the new weekend, keeping close behind.

It was now early August, and Legally Blonde's North American box office had already reached $84.49 million—a figure many directors couldn't achieve in a lifetime. Irene Coppola had picked it up with ease, and it would continue to rise over time, eventually breaking $100 million.

Some people were overjoyed, others burned with jealousy, and still others seethed with resentment.

None of that had anything to do with Irene. She had something more urgent to take care of: choosing a dress for the MTV Awards.

The MTV Awards were decided by fan votes and centered on entertainment and popularity. Full of pop culture and mass entertainment, they were more like a celebration of popular culture than a serious professional awards ceremony.

The awards were divided into two main events: the MTV Video Music Awards and the MTV Movie & TV Awards.

This year, Irene had been invited to the MTV Video Music Awards. Her entry was the music video she had made for Britney.

Originally, the video had just been meant to pad out her résumé, so that when she looked for investors for a film, she'd have something to show and wouldn't seem completely inexperienced.

But once her father had decided to invest in her film, the video had become almost irrelevant. For a while, she'd nearly forgotten about it.

When she answered the phone and heard that she'd been nominated for Best Director, she'd thought it was a scam call—the kind where they said you'd won a prize but had to pay money upfront to prove your identity. After all, her film was still in theaters. How could she already have won an award?

They later contacted her agent, Shelly Ovitz, and that was when she learned she really had been nominated for Best Director. What a pleasant surprise.