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Chapter 172: The Great Goal of Revitalizing the Family
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 09:58:12 +0000 UTCTom Cruise performing his own stunts became a major promotional highlight for this Mission: Impossible installment.
In a previous TV interview, Tom Cruise mentioned that his ideas for stunt sequences came from Gilbert, who loved practical effects and had created many incredible stunt scenes that he deeply admired.
Sure enough, Tom Cruise's commitment to performing his stunts personally drew significant interest from fans.
For those familiar with Hollywood, it's common knowledge that actors typically don't perform their own dangerous stunts. Even action stars like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger often leave such scenes to stunt doubles.
This isn't due to the actors' inability but rather the mandates of insurance companies. Of course, if the lead actor insists on doing the stunts, insurance companies can't do much about it.
In Saving Private Ryan, Tom Hanks completed all his scenes himself without a stunt double. However, this detail wasn't highlighted in the film's promotions because the focus of the movie was different. Unlike Mission: Impossible, which aimed squarely at the summer box office, Saving Private Ryan was more aligned with awards season.
Every film needs a clear focus. Pursuing unattainable goals, like Oscars for a summer blockbuster, is unwise.
After walking the red carpet and entering the premiere hall, Gilbert watched the first Mission: Impossible on the big screen for the first time.
The plot hadn't deviated significantly from the original, but Gilbert's innovations in the action genre seemed to have influenced the movie's action design, elevating its quality.
Tom Cruise's trademark charm and cool demeanor were on full display, eliciting audible gasps of admiration from female fans in the back rows.
After the screening, Tom Cruise approached Gilbert with a question:
"What do you think this film's performance will be?"
"Box office success won't be an issue, Tom. From now on, the spy genre won't just have James Bond—it'll also have Ethan Hunt," Gilbert replied confidently.
"That's great," Tom Cruise exclaimed, visibly excited. "Gilbert, I've always looked forward to working with you. When do you think we'll have the chance to collaborate on a movie?"
As he spoke, Nicole Kidman, standing nearby, looked at Gilbert with hopeful eyes.
Gilbert responded, "There'll be a chance, Tom. I've always looked forward to working with you as well."
"Fantastic," Tom Cruise added, then seized the opportunity to advocate for his wife. Turning to Nicole Kidman, he asked Gilbert, "Do you have any roles that might suit Mary? Please consider giving her a chance."
At the peak of her beauty, Nicole Kidman was undeniably stunning, catching the attention of many in Hollywood, although Tom Cruise ultimately won her heart. However, rumors suggested that their married life wasn't as blissful as the media portrayed.
Some speculated that Tom's involvement in a controversial religion was the issue, while others blamed personality clashes, as Nicole was known for her fiery temper.
However, the root cause seemed to be Nicole's career stagnation after marrying Tom. Despite holding the title of "Mrs. Cruise," her film career showed little progress. The few films she did appear in had underwhelming box office results and lukewarm receptions.
With her career at a standstill and feeling overshadowed by her husband's fame, Nicole understandably grew resentful. Though Tom Cruise was notoriously self-absorbed, he wasn't oblivious to his wife's frustrations and often sought opportunities for her.
Unfortunately, North American audiences seemed to dislike Nicole Kidman, even to the point of animosity. No matter how much Tom advocated for her, it made little difference.
Not only did their collaborations perform poorly, but Nicole's projects without Tom didn't fare any better. Frustrated by his inability to help her career and fearing damage to his image, Tom became increasingly exasperated.
For now, however, he continued supporting Nicole, as filing for divorce would be a last resort. Still, he hoped Gilbert might offer her a role.
Gilbert gave a polite yet noncommittal response: "If a suitable role comes up, I'll give Mary a call."
This diplomatic answer thrilled Nicole, who saw a glimmer of hope. After all, starring in one of Gilbert's films might finally help her shed her "box office poison" label.
However, Gilbert privately had his reservations. While he wasn't superstitious, filmmaking often involves an element of luck. Nicole's streak of flops made him hesitant to take the risk of working with her.
After chatting with the Cruise couple, Gilbert approached Emmanuelle Béart to ask about her experience:
"How does it feel to star in your first Hollywood movie?"
"It was an incredible experience," Emmanuelle said earnestly. "I now understand why Sophie wanted to try her luck in Hollywood."
"This is the stage everyone dreams of," Gilbert agreed before asking, "Do you plan to stay here, Emmanuelle?"
"Do you want me to stay?" she asked, her beautiful eyes fixed on him.
"Well, personally, I'd like you to stay. But objectively speaking, the French circle hasn't had much success here. I think you'd do better going back."
"Is it because I'm older or because I don't fit American beauty standards?"
"A bit of both. Hollywood is a young person's game. If you haven't made it big before turning thirty, it's much harder later on—especially for actresses."
Emmanuelle appreciated Gilbert's candid analysis. Having enjoyed a few memorable moments together, he didn't want to see her waste her time.
"You're honest with every woman, aren't you?" Emmanuelle teased, smiling.
She leaned close and whispered in his ear, "Tonight at the hotel, I'll be waiting for you…"
Gilbert, naturally, didn't refuse the invitation. That evening, their "French language lessons" resumed with great enthusiasm. Unfortunately, without Sophie Marceau as the "assistant teacher," Emmanuelle soon found herself utterly spent.
The Mission: Impossible premiere marked the film's official entry into the summer box office race. Its opening weekend grossed an impressive $45.36 million, largely thanks to Tom Cruise's star power.
However, the week's box office crown went to Twister, which had the advantage of a longer runtime. After ten days in theaters, Twister surpassed the $100 million mark, earning $101 million in North America.
Naomi Watts continued her streak of successful films, with both Real Steel and The Rock performing well. But Twister and Sliding Doors, where she played leading roles, solidified her reputation as a top actress.
Unlike Nicole Kidman, Naomi never resented being associated with Gilbert. She openly acknowledged that her success was largely due to him, even telling interviewers, "Without Gilbert, I wouldn't be where I am today."
When asked if she'd consider starting a family with him, Naomi paused before replying, "If possible, I'd gladly have children with Gilbert."
After achieving commercial success, Naomi Watts had only two things left on her mind: winning an Oscar for Best Actress and getting pregnant with Gilbert's child.
However, it seemed that luck wasn't on their side. Not just with her, but even Charlize Theron and Cameron Diaz shared the same misfortune.
Despite Gilbert doing his best, none of the three women showed any signs of pregnancy.
This wasn't Gilbert's issue; it appeared to be a problem with the Landrini family lineage.
The Landrini family had always struggled with continuity. Before Gilbert's father, the family had experienced three consecutive generations of single heirs.
By the time of Gilbert's grandfather, there were finally two sons, but Gilbert's uncle passed away before Gilbert was even born.
Several years after his uncle's death, Gilbert was finally born.
According to Gilbert's father, the Landrini family had other branches, one still in Italy and another living in northern Europe.
But they hadn't been in touch for years, and after three or four generations, the ties had weakened. It was unknown how the other branches were doing.
Gilbert's father often excused his own philandering ways by claiming, "I'm not a lecherous old man. I'm just hoping for a stroke of luck to give Gilbert a brother or sister."
But luck had eluded him in his younger years, and as he aged, the odds only got worse.
Even with good physical health, no one could fight the inevitable passage of time. Age was age.
Thus, the responsibility for revitalizing the family now fell squarely on Gilbert's shoulders.
Gilbert, however, expressed his own frustrations, saying he wasn't having much fun either. It seemed his efforts to charm women were now a matter of duty—to restore his family's legacy.
The success of Twister had solidified Naomi Watts' position as a top-tier actress. She signed on to star in Contact for a $15 million paycheck, plus 10% of the North American box office revenue.
This deal placed her among the highest-paid Hollywood actresses, rivaled only by a select few like Julia Roberts.
Naomi Watts was elated. After wrapping up the promotional tour, she returned to the Melon Manor and spent several passionate days with Gilbert.
This time, she didn't call for reinforcements—primarily because Charlize Theron and Cameron Diaz were both busy filming.
For the noble goal of having children, Naomi Watts insisted Gilbert not waste any opportunities. She was determined to conceive.
