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I got quite a few interesting comments about last week's column, and I wanted to clarify something. The point of the column was to let you know that if you believe in yourself, you get over the rough points in your life (if you can) and you move forward. It's just that simple.
As writers, one thing we have to face is the simple fact that most of what we write is a waste of time, energy, paper, disc space and brain power. I'm sure that if you added up all the written pages generated by the world's populace and divided them by the number of pages that actually get turned into a mass-consumable medium (books, movies, TV, magazine articles), you'd get a figure lower than 2%. Personally, even though I've been writing this column for over a year and people read 2-3 pages of my work each week, I have thousands of written pages that have yet to become available for public consumption. They might never be. Certainly, my Logan's Run script will never be anything more than 200 megabytes of lost time. I took a chance. Then again, this whole Hollywood pursuit is a chance. Everyone should know that going in.
I don't have any power in this town, and I can't make this project - or any of my projects - happen. Even powerful people have trouble making projects happen. I'm sure Charlize Theron, fresh off the stage with her Best Actress Oscar is still getting resistance for some pet project she wants to bring to the screen. It happened to Sally Field, and it happens to Julia Roberts, and it will keep happening as long as there is entertainment. It's a business, and like any other business, there are always those people who want you to know that they are in charge. There are great projects that've gotten removed from this planet simply because somebody bruised the wrong ego. This is why nobody wants to listen to new talent, even though they say that's what they're looking for. If you were Ross Perot and a janitor gave you a suggestion, you might feel stupid for not thinking of it yourself.
So, keep writing, you monkeys. There's plenty of other movies to remake out there. Maybe one day Keenan Ivory Wayans will remake Watermelon Man (bigotted white man wakes up black), and he's just waiting for the right script. Since that Jerry Lewis movie where he plays a clown entertaining kids in Auschwitz never got released, someone could update it. There's got to be more Free Willy, Beethoven and Air Bud movie ideas. How about a movie where the U.S. Olympic Biathalon team recruits a golden retriever to lead them to a gold medal in the next Winter Games? It could be called Air Bud: Who's Buying This Crap?
If you believe in yourself, you keep going. I think the fact that some of the things I've been working on have seen a birth through someone else is actually an encouraging sign. It means I'm on the right path.
I just hope that path doesn't lead to the looney bin.
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