350-352

Chapter 350: A Perfect Finale  

Hollywood’s movie structure is a lot like most stories—it follows a familiar pattern.  

The classic four-act formula: Setup, Development, Turning Point, Resolution.  

The Unsinkable sticks to this playbook perfectly.  

It kicks off with the oil tanker Pendleton hitting disaster at sea. The Massachusetts Coast Guard rescue team picks up the distress call, setting up the conflict. Our hero, Bernie Webber, brushes off the danger and, driven by duty, heads out with his crew to save the day.  

That’s the Setup.  

The rescue team battles through brutal challenges—tsunami-sized waves included—until they finally locate the stranded Pendleton tanker. They load up 32 crew members and start the trip back. One problem solved, but a new one pops up.  

That’s the Development.  

On the return journey, the Coast Guard boat—built to hold just 12—is now crammed with 36 people. It’s buckling under the weight! Heath Ledger’s sailor character steps up, ready to sacrifice himself to give the others a shot. It’s a clash of human nature, elevating the story at this pivotal twist.  

That’s the Turning Point…  

The premiere of The Unsinkable might not have been as flashy as Pearl Harbor’s, but with heavyweights like Dunn Walker and James Cameron in the mix—plus Mel Gibson and Charlize Theron starring—it still drew a crowd.  

Plenty of industry insiders and film critics showed up to support it, including big names from the Los Angeles Times, Kenneth Turan and Carter Bettany.  

The Unsinkable was a stunner, no doubt, but as a commercial flick, it played by the rules. Once Heath Ledger’s character got rescued, Turan and Bettany could already see the ending coming a mile away.  

A happy wrap-up!  

That’s the Resolution, the final piece of the four-act puzzle.  

“Honestly, for a second there, I thought Cameron and Walker were about to pull off another tragedy,” Carter Bettany whispered.  

Kenneth Turan shook his head. “Nah, it’s different. Titanic’s emotions were straightforward—easy to connect with. This one’s way more layered, especially with Charlize Theron’s character. She’s pushing a feminist angle. If anyone’s jumping overboard, it’d be her.”  

Carter’s face twisted in horror. “That’d be awful!”  

Turan sighed. “Yeah, but Dunn and James are commercial pros. They respect the audience too much to throw in some wild value-challenging twist.”  

Carter shrugged. “Either way, it’s a damn good movie, right? As long as they don’t botch this last part, I’d say Pearl Harbor doesn’t stand a chance.”  

“Oh?” Turan raised an eyebrow. “What, you’ve seen Pearl Harbor already?”  

Carter smirked. “Do I need to? Michael Bay’s got, like, three tricks up his sleeve, and that’s it.”  

Turan chuckled. “Fair point. Honestly, disaster movies are way more in tune with the market right now than war flicks. Titanic, The Perfect Storm—they raked it in. War movies, though? Even Saving Private Ryan didn’t exactly light up the box office.”  

Carter mulled it over, then lowered his voice. “Pearl Harbor’s whole campaign has been riding Titanic’s coattails, like they’re trying to copy it. But to me, The Unsinkable feels a lot closer to Titanic. You picking up on that?”  

“Totally. The pacing’s practically identical! The tanker chaos, Heath Ledger’s tears, Whitney Houston’s song—it’s got Titanic’s fingerprints all over it,” Turan said with a nod. “Of course, it all comes down to how they stick the landing with this final scene.”  

…  

The movie rolled on, and the last act unfolded beautifully before the audience.  

The battered Coast Guard lifeboat trudged through ferocious, snarling waves, clinging to the slimmest hope of survival.  

No navigation lights, no North Star—just the crew’s gut instincts to guide them.  

The boat drifted through the pitch-black night, the freezing cold seeping into everyone on board.  

If they didn’t make it back soon, they’d either get swallowed by a tsunami or freeze to death!  

Charlize Theron, the lone woman aboard, stood up and cracked a half-joking line: “Hey, how about we all hug for warmth? Any cute guys wanna volunteer?”  

“Haha!”  

A spark of life and energy finally flickered through the lifeboat.  

Then, something incredible happened!  

Countless beams of light sliced through the darkness, all coming from one direction!  

They were faint but numerous—hundreds, maybe thousands of them!  

“That way!”  

The whole boat buzzed with excitement. Everyone knew these weren’t navigation lights, but they were better than that!  

Hope was here!  

They were saved!  

The camera shifted, and after being MIA for over two hours, the leading lady, Liv Tyler, finally reappeared.  

Rocking 1950s-style curls and draped in a big cloak, she stood on the shore, gazing out at the sea with hopeful eyes.  

Behind her? Every car in the entire town!  

Every single one had its headlights aimed at the ocean, blasting beams of light into the night!  

Then, a warm, soaring melody kicked in.  

Soft, touching, with a faint chime of wind bells woven in.  

Through Liv Tyler’s POV, the camera zoomed in. At the edge of the coastline, a tiny black dot appeared.  

It grew bigger and bigger—until it was clear: the Coast Guard rescue boat that never gave up, that would never sink!  

Tears welled up in Liv Tyler’s eyes.  

Behind her, hundreds of cars honked their horns in unison.  

The sound of hope echoed across the shore!  

…  

Kenneth Turan blinked rapidly and let out a sigh. “Smart move! Bringing in the townsfolk like that, using a wide lens to zero in on this small moment—it’s got real heart!”  

Carter Bettany kept his eyes glued to the screen, nodding hard. “Yeah, even if… it’s not exactly realistic. I’d bet the real Coast Guard boat followed the base’s navigation lights to find their way. But this setup? It’s cleverer, more emotional, right?”  

“No matter what, this movie delivered exactly what I expected. It’s fantastic!”  

“For real. Two hundred million bucks… I swear, I’ve never seen effects this lifelike. Those waves? It’s like they’re crashing right in front of me.”  

Their chat wasn’t even done when the music faded, the credits rolled off, and the theater lights flicked back on.  

Dunn and the entire The Unsinkable crew jumped to their feet.  

So did the whole audience.  

A tidal wave of applause crashed through the room. People clapped hard, their faces lit up with excitement, like they were letting out all the emotions the movie had bottled up.  

Tear streaks on their cheeks said everything about this film’s artistic triumph.  

Dunn glanced at the fired-up crowd, then snuck a peek at James Cameron. The guy’s eyes were… glistening?  

“Man, poor director and his soft spot,” Dunn thought, shaking his head with a quiet sigh. 

Chapter 351: Mad Max Madness  

The Unsinkable clocks in at 135 minutes, while Pearl Harbor drags on for 183 minutes. So, when this movie wraps up, that one’s still chugging toward its end.  

Over here, the crew’s holding a post-screening thank-you event, but Dunn’s sitting it out. He pulls out his phone to check the updates from his insiders.  

Thirteen text messages!  

Dunn scrolls through them one by one, a smirk creeping onto his face.  

“When the leads kissed, some people in the audience laughed!”  

“David Thomson, the critic from The New Republic, looked dead serious. He scribbled a long rant in his notebook, all huffy—definitely not good vibes.”  

“The romance dragged on too long. A lot of folks were visibly annoyed—I even heard boos.”  

“I saw some people dozing off.”  

“Famous critic Roger Ebert kept shaking his head during the screening. He didn’t seem happy with it at all.”  

“…”  

James Cameron sidles up quietly. Like Dunn, he’s not into these fan-pleasing gigs and has handed them off to the lead actors.  

“Got any news?”  

“What do you think?”  

“Good news?”  

Dunn chuckles and hands over the phone. “See for yourself.”  

Cameron skims the messages, a sly grin tugging at his lips. “Is it really that bad? This is a premiere, man. You’d think the audience would at least show some basic respect.”  

Dunn shrugs. “Maybe… that movie’s so rotten even a premiere crowd can’t stomach it.”  

Cameron sighs. “If that’s true, it’s no fun. No competition at all.”  

Dunn bursts out laughing. “You’re such a sneak!”  

The night’s festivities are just getting started.  

Dunn Pictures and Universal Studios are throwing a joint party at the Lois Hotel—a celebration of this pretty solid premiere, and a chance to drum up some buzz.  

Dunn shows up a bit late. He got a call.  

Two days from now, on Saturday night, the TARZ network’s airing Saw. Latest stats show the network’s installed in 24 million households.  

Paid subscribers haven’t spiked, but thanks to Spider-Man’s pull, TARZ is making a name for itself across North America.  

Of course, Saw deserves some credit too.  

Horror flicks are a staple for niche cable channels!  

Most movies shine brighter in theaters, but horror? Sometimes watching it on your couch at home hits different.  

Dunn arrives just in time to spot Mel Gibson coming from the restroom. He waves with a grin. “Hey there, big star!”  

“You talking to me?” Mel Gibson flaps a hand dismissively. “These days, it’s all about the young guns.”  

Dunn wags a finger. “This summer, you’ve got two blockbusters—The Unsinkable and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. No question, you’re the brightest star of the season!”  

Mel Gibson waves it off, a little exasperated. “Alright, enough with the flattery. I’ve heard it all before. Besides, you’re the producer on both. If anyone’s the star, it’s you!”  

Dunn cracks up. “You sound like you’re not feeling it?”  

Mel Gibson shakes his head, exasperated. “I’m just wiped out! These past weeks, bouncing between promo for both movies, running around, plastering on smiles for every event—my face is about to cramp up.”  

“Hmm, once this craziness dies down, how about I take Nat to Australia… maybe hit up your place for some hunting?” Dunn says, perking up.  

“Anytime, mate!” Mel Gibson lights up, then pitches an idea. “You should buy a ranch down there. Land’s cheap—you could snap up a huge farm. Forget hunting with rifles, you could roll out tanks!”  

“Whoa, seriously?” Dunn’s eyes gleam. Now that sounds tempting.  

Mel Gibson grins. “You’re Dunn Walker, man. The Aussie government would roll out the red carpet. Safety-wise, no cannon fire, but speeding around? Totally doable.”  

“Sweet! Everyone else races cars—we’d race tanks!” Dunn laughs heartily.  

Mel Gibson gives him a long look. “You’re not joking? If you’re serious, I could make some calls.”  

Dunn pauses. “I’ve always had a plan to snag a big estate in Australia.”  

Mel Gibson smirks. “Cool, I’ll keep an eye out. If nothing fits, just build one to your liking. You’re not exactly short on cash.”  

The tank thing? No need to dwell on it—just a young guy’s wild daydream.  

If Dunn actually went for it, it’d be too flashy, clashing with his big-shot persona.  

Everyone’s got their way to unwind, sure.  

But it can’t be too far off from who you are, or it’ll turn into a joke.  

“I’m also planning to build a place of my own in L.A., so no rush,” Dunn says, switching gears. “Oh, by the way, my business is branching into TV now. We’re shooting a bunch of shows this year—The Wire, The Punisher, and Six Feet Under 2 are locked in. We’ll need tons of actors. If you want, I can save some spots for you.”  

“TV shows?”  

Mel Gibson raises an eyebrow.  

He’s a movie star legend—TV’s not really his world.  

Dunn explains, “The movie market’s limited, resources are tight, and there’s only so much room. TV’s a bigger playground by comparison.”  

“Our Aussie crew mostly sticks to movies…” Mel Gibson’s brow twitches, suspicion flickering in his eyes. “Wait a sec—you’re not scoping out some pretty girl again, are you? Not enough hotties in movies, so you’re eyeing TV now? Trying to sweep up all the Aussie beauties?”  

“No way!” Dunn laughs it off. “Fine, forget it. The TV biz is big enough anyway—never too late to jump in.”  

Mel Gibson waves a hand, getting serious. “Let’s talk business. I’ve got a project I’ve been itching to get off the ground, but for all sorts of reasons, it hasn’t happened.”  

Dunn’s heart skips. Not The Passion of the Christ, right?  

That movie made bank but stirred up a storm of controversy, ticking off the Jewish community big time. Even Dunn would have to tread carefully.  

“Not a religious flick, is it?”  

“Nah.” Mel Gibson shakes his head.  

Dunn breathes easier and grins. “No problem then. With our friendship, your project’s a go—even if it flops, I’ve got your back!”  

“A movie with me starring would flop?” Mel Gibson shoots him a mock glare.  

“Haha!”  

“Know how I got famous?”  

Dunn blinks, waiting for the answer.  

Mel Gibson sighs nostalgically. “Two franchises. Mad Max made me a star in Australia, and Lethal Weapon made me a Hollywood name.”  

Dunn’s mind clicks—suddenly, it’s making sense.  

Lethal Weapon is Warner’s series. The latest, fourth installment hit in ’98 with Jet Li as the big bad, raking in $285 million worldwide.  

Meanwhile, Mad Max is an Aussie creation. As Mel Gibson’s star rose, Australian film companies couldn’t keep up with his salary demands. After 1985’s Mad Max 3, no more sequels came.  

Sure enough, Mel Gibson says, “Australian cinema’s been slipping lately—especially commercial stuff. They can’t crack overseas markets anymore. I want to use Mad Max to give Aussie films a boost.”  

Dunn shrugs. “It’s not just Australia. With Hollywood’s effects era taking over, movies worldwide are losing their shot at global reach. English-language films especially—top talent flocks to Hollywood. It’s a one-horse race now.”  

Mel Gibson sighs. “Still, you’ve got to try. Mad Max in Australia is like 007 in the U.S.—a generation’s memory.”  

Dunn nods. “Mel, we’re brothers. You want to shoot a Mad Max sequel? I’m all in! But… I need to know—who’s the main player here? Dunn Pictures, or some tiny Aussie film outfit no one’s heard of?”  

Mel Gibson locks eyes with him. “You’ve got ideas?”  

Dunn says, “As a friend, I’d back you no question. But Dunn Pictures is a company—a Hollywood company. It’s got to keep its Hollywood pride!”  

Hollywood studios often team up with overseas companies for co-productions.  

But the lead producer? Always Hollywood!  

The Mad Max rights sit with Australia’s Village Roadshow and George Miller’s production company—two outfits that don’t have the clout to negotiate with Dunn Pictures.  

Dunn Pictures investing at all is a huge favor!  

Mel Gibson gets it and nods, relieved. “No worries, I’ll smooth things over with the Aussie side.”  

Dunn smiles. “If possible, Dunn Pictures would love to buy up all the rights.”  

Mel Gibson shuts that down fast. “No chance! This series is George Miller’s baby—he wrote and directed the first three. He’s not handing over control.”  

“George Miller… yeah, he’s a headache!”  

Dunn’s brow furrows, lost in thought.  

In his past life, George Miller teamed up with Warner for Mad Max: Fury Road. The visuals were jaw-dropping, the experience electric.  

But massive budget disputes soured things between Miller and Warner.  

That led to Warner half-assing the marketing and botching the release schedule—pitting it against Avengers: Age of Ultron, Pitch Perfect 2, and Tomorrowland. A killer flick like that only pulled in $378 million, making it the year’s biggest box office letdown.  

Miller, furious, dragged Warner to court over every excuse he could find.  

Dunn’s not about to sign up for that kind of thankless mess. 

Chapter 352: We’re Gonna Rule the Whole Summer 

“The Wall Street Journal… weird, right? A financial paper reviewing movies? They said Pearl Harbor is like a depthless Marvel comic, with a flimsy story that turns World War II into a goofy symphony. Ugh, that ticks me off—Marvel comics are awesome! Typical financial rag, spouting nonsense.”  

“Variety’s take is kinda fun. They start off harsh, then soften up. They say Pearl Harbor has jaw-dropping visuals, but the script and story are as shallow as the lead actors’ performances.”  

“The Chicago Sun-Times review… oof. Pearl Harbor’s got a dull, outdated love story, and even the war scenes lack depth. Half an hour of planes bombing ships, explosions, bodies flying, and people dodging attacks—it’s pointless. Just a horrifying massacre that doesn’t move or entertain anyone.”  

“Haha, this one’s even better! Los Angeles Daily News says the movie’s so bad and bland that HBO’s already given up on fighting for TV rights.”  

“I love this bit from The Hollywood Reporter. It’s David Bordwell’s review—he calls Pearl Harbor a straight-up crime that duped everyone. The film keeps comparing itself to Titanic, but honestly, it doesn’t have a single thing that holds a candle to it.”  

“The New York Post says… Hey, are you guys even listening to me?!”  

Rose Byrne stood by the bed, clutching a stack of newspapers, glaring at the three tangled up in action.  

Dunn was pinning Charlize Theron and Penélope Cruz beneath him, switching between them like a wild animal on the charge. The visual impact? Way more explosive than Pearl Harbor.  

Charlize giggled and stretched out a soft, slender arm, waving at Rose. “Come join us!”  

Rose had been tight with Natalie lately—similar ages, more in common—so she just huffed, standing there like a mannequin. She shuffled through a few more papers, trying to ignore the heat rising in her chest, and kept reading calmly.  

“Forget Pearl Harbor’s reviews—they’re all trash. A lousy movie like that daring to measure itself against Titanic? What a joke. I’ll read the Unsinkable reviews instead.”  

“Ahem, here’s Kenneth Turan from the Los Angeles Times. He says The Unsinkable keeps the polish and pacing of Titanic. The two leads teamed up to throw in obstacle after obstacle—full of surprises and suspense. The film breaks through constant conflict and struggle, showing the nobler side of humanity. It’s a commercial flick with depth, breadth, philosophy, and thought.”  

“The New York Post says The Unsinkable, based on a real Coast Guard rescue, nails the atmosphere and keeps the thrills coming. It doesn’t even need clichéd romance to shine—it’s already plenty gripping.”  

“Oh! Charlize, someone’s praising you! Big-time critic Jonathan Rosenbaum says you’re the gorgeous standout in The Unsinkable’s sea of guys. You set the movie’s rhythm. Not a ton of screen time, but you’re the finishing touch—fits Dunn Walker’s feminist push perfectly… Huh, why does this feel like brown-nosing to me?”  

…  

Thanks to a weak early promo push, The Unsinkable’s opening weekend box office lagged way behind Pearl Harbor. But everyone who saw it? They couldn’t stop raving.  

Mainstream critics showered The Unsinkable with praise, calling Dunn Walker and James Cameron’s second collab a massive win. No matter how the box office shook out, this was a dazzling commercial hit.  

In short: its reputation was off the charts!  

Meanwhile, Pearl Harbor’s reputation didn’t just soar—it imploded.  

The kind of implosion that leaves casualties.  

The reviews were a total landslide of hate, like a bucket of ice water dumped on Pearl Harbor’s blazing-hot hype train.  

Some level-headed critics broke it down: in theory, Pearl Harbor wasn’t that bad. It didn’t deserve to be called a complete flop.  

The problem? Its marketing team kept tying it to Titanic, building sky-high expectations in fans’ minds.  

Titanic’s place in movie history? Untouchable. It’s the Gone with the Wind of our time!  

Pearl Harbor cozying up to a legend like that during its campaign? Bold move. The higher the hopes, the harder the fall!  

That massive gap between expectation and reality didn’t just disappoint regular moviegoers—industry folks couldn’t help but pile on too.  

Has Jerry Bruckheimer lost his mind?  

Who gave him the guts to stack Pearl Harbor up against Titanic?  

Was it Disney pulling strings, or Michael Bay calling the shots?  

What a laugh!  

The movie’s long, boring, dry, flat love story was unbearable. That level of romance daring to stand next to Jack and Rose’s epic love?  

Talk about guts!  

Even nice-guy Ridley Scott shot Dunn an email, saying he was glad he didn’t team up with Bruckheimer on Black Hawk Down. If it’d turned out like Pearl Harbor, his reputation would’ve been toast.  

…  

Monday rolled around, and Dunn strolled into the office to check the latest numbers.  

Last night, Saw aired on TARZ TV, pulling in 14.5 million viewers. Of those, 3.08 million were paying subscribers—up 530,000 from when Spider-Man aired!  

Before Dunn decided to hike TA Network’s prices, its subscriber count had already topped 3 million.  

But once the rates went up, users griped, and paid memberships dropped by 30%.  

Now, thanks to Spider-Man and Saw, TARZ’s subscriber base was bouncing back!  

And it was sparking an even bigger pool of potential users!  

That was straight-up good news.  

It proved Dunn’s roadmap was spot-on—TA Network was headed in the right direction!  

Compared to that win, the movie side of things wasn’t as rosy.  

Last week’s box office numbers were in. Over the three-day weekend, Pearl Harbor racked up $53.63 million in North America.  

Sure, that was half of Disney’s lofty $1.2 billion prediction, but it was still enough to snag last week’s box office crown!  

Runner-up was DreamWorks Animation’s first CG flick, Shrek, with $50 million in North America.  

Dunn Films’ The Unsinkable? Just $43.69 million, landing third place for the week.  

For a movie with a $200 million budget, that was a downright awful haul!  

Pearl Harbor’s rep might’ve been garbage, but bad buzz hadn’t fully sunk in by opening weekend. Its carpet-bombing promo campaign still dragged tons of fans into theaters.  

The Unsinkable had killer reviews, sure, but this wasn’t the internet age—word spread slow. Its promo disadvantage left it crushed by Pearl Harbor in that first weekend tally.  

Still, Dunn wasn’t sweating it too much.  

In his past life, James Cameron’s Titanic had an even shakier start. Lousy early hype, a measly $26 million opening week, and critics tore it apart.  

Then the buzz kicked in. Titanic’s magic took over, turning it into a cinema legend and box office monster.  

To Dunn, The Unsinkable matched Titanic in story, effects, delivery, emotion, and production quality—no question.  

Sure, its actual shoot only took 10 months, but Cameron had been prepping it since 1998.  

That’s a year ahead of Pearl Harbor!  

Confidence was one thing, but Dunn wasn’t about to sit back and let Pearl Harbor own the box office.  

When it was time to act, he’d act!  

He picked up the phone and dialed Ron Meyer, Universal Pictures’ chairman. “We need to tweak The Unsinkable’s marketing strategy.”  

“Oh?”  

Ron had just skimmed the data report too, and he was stressing. He knew full well why The Unsinkable trailed Pearl Harbor—Universal’s promo game couldn’t touch Disney’s.  

Good thing Dunn didn’t sound like he was pointing fingers.  

“Go ahead, I’m all ears.”  

Dunn didn’t hold back, laying it out like an order. “Shift all of The Unsinkable’s marketing to lean on Titanic. Say it’s me and James’ second collab—our second Titanic!”  

“Huh?”  

Ron froze, then it clicked.  

Brilliant!  

Pure genius—young folks think fast! This move could knock Pearl Harbor flat on its face!  

Dunn wasn’t done. “Also, I’ve already reached out to The Hollywood Reporter. I’m doing an exclusive interview about The Unsinkable, tying it straight to Titanic. Make sure your team’s ready to back me up.”  

Ron’s mood shot through the roof.  

Dunn stepping up himself?  

That was huge!  

One interview from Dunn could outshine $10 million in ad spend for The Unsinkable!  

With him in the ring, how long could Pearl Harbor keep dancing?  

Ron took a deep breath and boomed, “Alright, you go for it! Universal’s got your back—I’m throwing in an extra $10 million for promotion. I promise, by the end of this week, The Unsinkable will be the star of every TV channel and newspaper!”  

Dunn grinned. “Thanks, man! Honestly, this summer’s a cakewalk for us. Win this May showdown, then June’s got Mr. & Mrs. Smith, July’s got Jurassic Park 3… We’re teaming up to own the whole damn summer!”