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Chapter 66: Aftermath
🕑 Added 2024-09-23 17:37:10 +0000 UTCThe death of River Phoenix sent shockwaves through Hollywood.
He was not the first celebrity to die amid media criticism, and he would not be the last.
But in the week following his death, the previous smear campaign bizarrely ceased.
All gossip tabloids went silent, and mainstream North American media ran special reports, making River Phoenix's death the main topic of public discussion.
This smear campaign had exposed many of Hollywood's glamorous stars and their chaotic private lives.
Numerous celebrities had been implicated in scandals, causing significant harm to Hollywood's image.
Despite their chaotic private lives, there was a shared understanding that maintaining Hollywood's outward glamor was crucial.
As a result, after River Phoenix's death, many Hollywood companies communicated and ceased their mutual smears.
Seeing Keanu Reeves and Johnny Depp participating in charity work at orphanages and engaging in charitable activities arranged by Disney and Warner Bros., the effect was very positive.
Everyone followed suit, and suddenly, charitable acts became a trend in Hollywood.
Tom Hanks visited starving children in Africa, Julia Roberts launched charity fundraisers, and the Cruise couple established a charity foundation, among other acts.
With the mainstream media's deliberate guidance, previous scandals seemed to be overshadowed, and Hollywood appeared harmonious and friendly, like a big family.
Logically, those responsible for such negative events should be brought to justice collectively.
But the fact was, everyone had been involved.
If River Phoenix hadn't died, the smear campaign might still be ongoing.
In this sense, River Phoenix's death was actually a good thing.
Amid the smear campaign, fans of Gilbert noticed that there was surprisingly little negative coverage about him.
The young director seemed detached, observing the turmoil in Hollywood from afar.
How could someone in Hollywood, full of temptations, maintain such purity? It seemed impossible.
But it was indeed the case. Apart from his interest in beautiful women, Gilbert was uninterested in Hollywood's vices.
And liking beautiful women was a right granted by God. As a man, liking beautiful women was not wrong!
As time passed, "Speed" resumed its normal promotional activities.
A few weeks after River Phoenix's death, Gilbert finally met with Keanu Reeves.
Keanu's first question to Gilbert was, "How do you resist those temptations?"
Gilbert was taken aback, knowing that River Phoenix's death had deeply affected Keanu, causing him to reevaluate his past and future.
Since Keanu was once a star Gilbert greatly admired, Gilbert responded candidly, "I've never really resisted temptations, Keanu. I just know that there are things you can do and things you can't do.
Before doing anything, you must weigh the gains and losses, consider the costs, and determine if the exchange is worthwhile.
When you can clearly assess the consequences of all your actions, you can make decisions that benefit yourself."
Keanu nodded repeatedly, saying, "I've just realized that we wasted a lot of good time in the past. Johnny and I have decided to quit drinking and drugs and actively engage in charity work to atone for our past sins and seek forgiveness from God."
In the Western religious context, admitting mistakes and involving God is standard practice.
Keanu and his friends hadn't done anything wrong, as many people engaged in similar behaviors.
The worst mistake was perhaps becoming the focus of media attention and being attacked.
Gilbert patted Keanu on the shoulder, "Change is a good thing. I believe River would be pleased to see your transformation. Condolences."
After days of reflecting on life, Keanu decided to turn over a new leaf.
He also began participating in "Speed" promotional activities, working hard to promote the film.
During interviews, Keanu openly discussed the impact of his friend's death on him and his personal changes.
"I feel like my life has changed in an instant. I used to overlook many people and things. But now I will live more carefully and pay more attention to the world."
Keanu truly followed through on his words. Unlike other celebrities who merely performed charity as a public relations stunt, Keanu was genuinely committed to it.
He donated all his earnings from "Speed" and planned to allocate part of his future film income to charity.
He was serious about this commitment and kept his plans private.
Ultimately, the film's promotion was centered around the film itself.
The smear campaign had a significant impact on "Speed," but Disney and Warner Bros. still had high hopes for the film.
After consulting with Gilbert, the distributors decided to hold the premiere at a theater in South Los Angeles to commemorate the victims of the Los Angeles riots.
The Los Angeles Police Department also helped promote the film, hoping to improve their public image tarnished by the riot.
Before the premiere, Gilbert visited his father and invited him to attend.
After all, it was his father's first time attending a premiere; it would be inappropriate not to invite him.
"Gilbert, you did well in connecting with the Los Angeles Police Department. It helps build good relations with city officials."
In the backyard by the pool, Gilbert's father, holding a glass of red wine, shared Hollywood wisdom with his son.
"Do you know who is really behind all this?"
Gilbert replied, "Whoever benefits is behind it."
"That's correct, but not entirely," his father continued, "Others might have just jumped on the bandwagon, but there are one or two people who are your true enemies."
Gilbert asked earnestly, "Who are my true enemies?"
His father did not answer directly but took a sip of wine and said meaningfully, "I've heard that Disney's internal dissatisfaction with Michael Eisner's autocracy has been brewing for a long time. They want him to step down and replace him with someone else."
"Do you think Mr. Eisner will agree to that?" Gilbert inquired.
His father shook his head, "Of course not. But Disney is not just Eisner's Disney; they will have to make concessions.
I've heard that Michael Eisner intends to bring his friend Michael Ovitz into Disney as the CEO."
Gilbert understood immediately, "I see…"
It seemed that Michael Ovitz wanted to create achievements for CAA before leaving and also prove his capabilities to his friend.
Even though he was considered the most powerful person in Hollywood's agency circle, according to Vanity Fair for three consecutive years, it was still less tempting compared to the CEO position of a major company.
This demonstrated that the so-called most powerful person in Hollywood was just a joke.
