July has come, and with pre-production for Say Anything... nearing completion and filming scheduled to commence, Alex Hayes found himself with a rare pocket of downtime. His days, usually a whirlwind of meetings, rehearsals, and shoots, felt uncharacteristically quiet. One sunny afternoon, boredom gnawing at him, he decided to pay a visit to the Creative Artists Agency offices.
His arrival immediately sent a ripple of hushed excitement through the sleek, modern corridors. The receptionist, a young woman with impeccably styled hair, looked up, her eyes widening in recognition. "Mr. Hayes! Good afternoon. Is Ms. Wagner expecting you?"
Alex offered a casual, charming smile. "Good afternoon. No, she's not expecting me. Do I need an appointment?" he asked.
The receptionist, her eyes wide with a mixture of surprise and polite urgency, quickly replied, "Oh, Mr. Hayes, don't joke! Please, go straight in. I'll call her." She knew how important a client he was and that he trumped any other work Paula might have.
Every eye followed him, a mix of admiration and curiosity, as he moved with an easy confidence towards Paula Wagner's office.
Paula looked up from her desk as Alex poked his head in, a surprised but welcoming smile spreading across her face. "Alex! To what do I owe the pleasure? Not usually one for impromptu office visits."
"Just bored, Paula," Alex admitted, leaning against the doorframe. "Pre-production for Say Anything... is almost wrapped, and I've got a few weeks before we actually start filming. I've read everything I have. Do you have anything interesting? Something I can sink my teeth into?"
Paula laughed, a genuine, hearty sound. "Bored? You, bored? That's a new one. I'm used to you pitching us projects. Let's see..." She gestured towards a stack of binders on a nearby credenza. "I've got a pile of scripts here, mostly ones I've reserved for some of our younger, up-and-coming talent. Might be some gems in there, but fair warning, most of them are probably... well, not Alex Hayes material." She chuckled. "Help yourself. I've got to run to a quick meeting, but I'll be back shortly. Make yourself at home." With a final nod, she swept out of the office, leaving Alex alone with the pile of unread possibilities.
Alex moved to the credenza, pulling out a handful of binders. He settled into a comfortable chair, propped his feet on the edge of the coffee table, and began to read. As Paula had warned, many were unremarkable – formulaic comedies, derivative thrillers, and a few truly dreadful dramas. He skimmed, discarded, and sighed.
Then, he pulled out a script titled Blue Velvet. The name alone intrigued him. He began to read, and almost immediately, he was captivated. It was dark, unsettling, and utterly unique. The story, set in a seemingly idyllic small town with a sinister underbelly, pulsed with a bizarre, dreamlike intensity. He found himself engrossed by the psychological depth and disturbing atmosphere. This is very good, he thought, very, very good.
He continued sifting through the pile. He found a script called Hoosiers, a classic underdog sports story set in a small-town Indiana high school basketball team. He liked it; the characters were strong, the narrative was inspiring. He also stumbled upon Peggy Sue Got Married, a Francis Ford Coppola project that dealt with time travel and a high school reunion. Both were well-written, but Alex sighed. They were both high school films, and he was adamant about closing that chapter of his career after Say Anything.... He admired the craft, but they weren't for him anymore.
Then, he picked up a thick script, titled : Platoon. As he read the opening pages, a chilling, visceral honesty gripped him. It was a brutal, unflinching portrayal of the Vietnam War, exploring the moral ambiguities and psychological toll on American soldiers. The raw dialogue, the unflinching violence, the deeply human struggles – it resonated with him on a profound level. This is more than just good, he realized. This is important.
His mind immediately turned to the writer/director: Oliver Stone. Up until July 1985, Oliver Stone had already established himself as a screenwriter with a knack for gritty, intense narratives, earning an Oscar for his screenplay for Midnight Express (1978). He had also written critically acclaimed film like Scarface (1983). As a director, however, his journey had been more challenging. His directorial efforts, Seizure (1974) and The Hand (1981), had not been commercially successful and received mixed critical reviews, largely considered flops. Despite this, Stone's writing talent was undeniable, and his personal experiences as a Vietnam veteran lent an unparalleled authenticity to Platoon.
Alex finished reading Platoon, slowly closing the binder. The weight of the story stayed with him. He remained in the office for three hours, completely forgetting the time as he became engrossed in the stories.
Just then, Paula Wagner re-entered the office, a stack of papers in her hand. "Back already. Find anything that sparked your interest, Mr. Bored?" she asked playfully.
Alex sat up, placing Blue Velvet and Platoon prominently on the table, with Hoosiers and Peggy Sue Got Married beside them. "Actually, yes. These four." He pointed to them.
Paula's eyebrows rose in surprise, then a slight frown creased her forehead as she looked at the titles. "Okay... Hoosiers and One Crazy Summer are good, solid projects for our younger talent, but I thought you were done with high school roles after Say Anything...?"
"I am," Alex confirmed, pushing those two scripts slightly away. "You can remove those for me. But I think they're really good films, Paula. You should work on getting some of your other clients cast in them." He then gestured to the remaining two. "But these two... Blue Velvet and Platoon... these are the ones I'm really interested in."
Paula's brow wrinkled, a deeper concern settling over her face. She picked up Blue Velvet, then Platoon. "Alex... these are... they're not exactly what we consider commercially viable films, especially right now. And David Lynch's last film, Dune, was a major flop. As for Oliver Stone, The Hand didn't exactly set the box office on fire." Her tone was cautious, almost pleading. "These are dark, unconventional. They don't have the typical broad appeal."
Alex met her gaze, his expression firm. "Paula, they are good scripts. Excellent scripts. It doesn't matter how their last films performed as directors. The material is strong. Just contact them, Paula. See what they think. See if they're interested in working with me."
Paula opened her mouth to argue, then hesitated. She remembered Michael Ovitz's words: 'Until Alex makes a mistake, we back him'. He hasn't encountered a failure yet. And it was true. Alex's instincts, however unconventional they seemed, had been unerringly correct thus far. He had proven himself time and again, not just as a star, but as a producer with a keen eye for good material.
She sighed, a tiny flicker of apprehension in her eyes, but she nodded. "Alright, Alex. I'll make the calls."
The calls were indeed made, and the answers were... illuminating.
The first response came regarding Blue Velvet. David Lynch, firmly rejected the idea of casting Alex Hayes. His reasoning was clear: Alex was simply too popular, too much of a known quantity, a mainstream star whose presence, Lynch believed, would fundamentally compromise the dark, unsettling, and highly unconventional artistic vision he had for the film. Producers, recognizing the immense commercial advantage Alex's involvement would bring, had tried to persuade Lynch to at least consider it seriously. But Lynch, a true auteur, stuck to his guns, prioritizing artistic integrity over commercial appeal. Alex, upon hearing this, found a strange sense of respect for Lynch's unwavering commitment to his artistic values.
The response from Oliver Stone for Platoon was different. Stone, while keen on the authenticity of his project, was also a pragmatist. He knew that getting a star of Alex Hayes's magnitude attached to Platoon would be a game-changer, lending immense visibility and, crucially, making it much easier to secure funding for a challenging subject matter. His producers, acutely aware of the financial and distribution benefits, had urged Stone to meet with Alex first before making any decisions. Stone, cautious but recognizing the potential, agreed. He wanted to gauge Alex's understanding of the material and his commitment to such a demanding role firsthand. Alex, understanding the weight of the project and the necessity of such a meeting, readily agreed.