Chapter 371: Sorting Things Out

Chapter 371: Chapter 371: Sorting Things Out

The sisters chatted for a while longer about the details of the story in Brokeback Mountain.

Sophia shared her understanding of the two characters, Ennis and Jack, and offered some suggestions regarding the script adaptation.

For instance, she suggested strengthening the scenes of their time together on Brokeback Mountain during their youth to make their emotional foundation more solid.

She also suggested adding more internal conflict for Ennis’s wife, Alma, to show her pain and struggle after discovering her husband’s secret.

Irene listened attentively, nodding from time to time, and took Sophia’s suggestions to heart.

Although they could not co-direct, Sophia’s ideas were still very helpful for the project.

At dinner, Eleanor and Francis joined the discussion as well.

Francis surprisingly remarked that Director Ang Lee was a director he greatly admired.

The success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon at the Oscars proved his ability and his grasp of the Western market.

If they could invite Ang Lee to direct Brokeback Mountain, the artistic quality of the film should not be a problem, but as for the market prospects, Irene might need to prepare herself to lose money.

Irene smiled and said nothing.

Under the current social climate in the United States, a film depicting the love, hate, and entanglement between two men would 99% likely flop, so she could completely understand Francis’s concern.

Eleanor was more concerned about the script adaptation.

She reminded Irene that the story of Brokeback Mountain involved sensitive subject matter, so she needed to be careful with the degree of portrayal during adaptation.

It needed to realistically show the characters’ emotions without being too explicit, so as not to provoke a backlash from the audience.

At the same time, she needed to focus on the universality of the story, allowing the audience to transcend gender boundaries and feel the essence of love: desire, possession, sacrifice, and regret.

The family sat around the dining table, the lights warm, with bursts of laughter.

Although the choice of director for Brokeback Mountain had gone through some minor twists and turns, Irene’s heart was filled with warmth and confidence.

The early morning in Malibu carried the unique, humid scent of the ocean.

The sky was just beginning to brighten, and a faint, pearlescent white appeared on the eastern horizon, dyeing the sky a soft pinkish-blue.

Irene’s internal clock went off right on time.

She changed into lightweight sportswear, and as soon as she pushed open the door, a furry figure joyfully pounced on her, its tail wagging like a little motor.

"Lucky, good morning." Irene smiled, crouched down, and rubbed its soft, big head.

"Let’s go, we are going for a morning run." Irene stood up and patted Lucky on the back.

Lucky, as if it understood, excitedly circled her twice before running toward the coastline outside the courtyard, looking back every few steps for fear that Irene would not keep up.

Along the coastal trail, the morning light gradually dispersed the mist.

Beneath her feet was the soft sand, and beside her was the boundless sea.

The waves gently lapped against the reefs, making a "swish-swish" sound, like a lullaby from nature.

Facing the cool sea breeze, Irene ran forward at a steady pace.

Lucky darted happily around her, occasionally lowering its head to sniff the seashells on the beach or chasing low-flying seabirds, its crisp barks echoing along the coastline.

Morning runs were one of the ways Irene relieved stress.

Whether it was the high-intensity work of film production or the treachery of business negotiations, as long as she ran a lap along the coastline, feeling the caress of the sea breeze and the companionship of the waves, the restlessness and fatigue in her heart would vanish into thin air.

After running for about an hour, Irene gradually slowed her pace.

She walked over to a reef and sat down.

Lucky immediately lay down obediently beside her, resting its head on her lap and panting with its tongue lolling out.

Irene gently stroked its fur, gazing at the distant horizon.

The sun had already risen, and golden sunlight spilled onto the sea, shimmering and dazzling.

She thought of the conversation with Sophia last night, thought of the deeply moving story of Brokeback Mountain, and thought of the name Director Ang Lee.

The thought in her mind became increasingly clear.

It was time.

She would tell Ang Lee about this project now.

If he took a week to consider and did not agree to take it on, she would spend another week persuading him; she would definitely be able to finalize it within this year.

She took out her phone to check the time.

It was 8:00 AM in Los Angeles, while the time in Northern Europe should be 11:00 PM.

Ang Lee should not be asleep yet, right?

She should have known to call last night.

When she returned home, the servants had already prepared breakfast.

Eleanor saw Irene and Lucky return and said with a smile, "You have been running for so long, come over and eat something to line your stomach."

Francis handed Irene a towel and joked, "Lucky really benefited from you today. Usually, it will not even run a few steps, but it ran quite happily following you."

Irene smiled, took the towel, and wiped off her sweat. "I will go back to my room to take a shower and come down in a bit."

She returned to her room, took a quick shower, changed into comfortable loungewear, then sat at her desk, picked up her phone, and found the private phone number that Ang Lee’s agent had previously given her.

After hesitating for a moment, she dialed the number.

She knew that private numbers were usually not suitable for discussing work, but she felt that given her friendship with Ang Lee, communicating directly would be more sincere.

After the phone rang a few times, it was answered.

From the receiver came Ang Lee’s gentle and slightly lazy voice: "Hello, how are you?"

"Ang Lee, good evening. This is Irene Coppola." Irene’s tone carried a hint of familiar greeting.

"Irene?" Ang Lee was clearly a bit surprised, and his tone immediately became enthusiastic. "How did you think to call me? How have you been lately?"

"I am very well, thank you for asking." Irene said with a smile. "I just thought of you while out for my morning run, and I was not sure how you have been lately, so I called to say hello."

"Me? I am doing alright. I am currently on vacation in Europe." Ang Lee’s voice carried a hint of contentment. "I am on a cruise ship right now, sailing along the coastline of Northern Europe. Every day I look at the scenery and read books, living a slow life. It is quite leisurely."

"A cruise vacation? That sounds so enviable." Irene exclaimed sincerely. "I have been busy with film projects and Marvel matters lately, and I have not even had time to rest properly. I really yearn for such a slow-paced life."

"You, you are just too driven." Ang Lee said with a smile. "But you are young and promising; this is the time to strive. Unlike me, I am just an idler now; I could not get busy even if I wanted to."

His tone carried a hint of imperceptible dejection.

"Ever since The Hulk was released, the response has not been as expected, and my agent has not brought me a single decent project since. That is how Hollywood is; if one work fails, everyone loses confidence in you. I do not want to retire early, and I still want to make a few more films that I like, but now it seems, the opportunities are becoming fewer and fewer."