Sam was an architect whose wife sadly passed away from cancer. To heal his inner pain, he moved to Seattle with his son Jonah. Jonah, who was seven years old, felt his father Sam's loneliness. On Christmas night, he called a radio station program and said his Christmas wish was to find a wife for his dad.
Reporter Annie from New York happened to hear this program while driving and was deeply moved by Sam's story. Hence, she went to Seattle, wanting to meet Sam. Afterward, they arranged over phone calls and letters to meet at the Empire State Building's observation deck on Valentine's Day.
While Sam and his son were waiting at the observation deck, Annie was in a restaurant across the street from the Empire State Building and was proposed to by her boyfriend. However, she eventually rejected the proposal and ran to the Empire State Building to meet Sam, and they left hand in hand.
On Greenwich Street, in the offices of Castle Rock Entertainment, Andrew Williams was recounting the story of Sleepless in Seattle in front of Alan Horn and others.
"You can think of it as a story where a child acts as a matchmaker between his widowed father and a woman reconsidering her fiancé," Andrew smiled. "Believing in true love and fate overcoming all obstacles is the theme of the film!"
Alan Horn also smiled. "A lovely fairy-tale romance, art imitating life. This isn't just shallow entertainment; it's quite good."
"Thank you," Andrew said as he sat down. The people here had the final say on investment amounts and casting choices. Anyway, Andrew's intentions were already in the submitted plans; it was up to Nora Ephron to secure them. Next, Andrew acted as a listener and only spoke when asked for his input.
In the afternoon, after the discussion ended, Alan Horn asked Andrew to stay.
"Your script is quite good. Castle Rock is willing to spend $350,000 to purchase your script. And, you will also participate fully in the film's development as one of the screenwriters and producers!"
Alan Horn expected to see an excited expression on Andrew's face, but his youthful features remained calm.
Alan reminded him, "Andrew, a first-time script selling for $350,000 is quite impressive!"
Andrew nodded. "I know. It's not easy. But I believe my script is worth this price, isn't it?"
Right now, scripts were in high demand, especially original screenplays that were fetching hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. After all, the script craze in Hollywood wouldn't cool down until after the millennium, when remakes and sequels would dominate, reducing the appeal of original scripts significantly.
"The '87 crash and economic slump are over; now the economy is recovering, and Hollywood's movie market is expanding. Last year, the North American box office totaled around $3.5 billion. According to forecasts, this year's North American box office will exceed $4 billion. With economic growth, Hollywood's market will keep on growing. And the market for laser discs and VHS tapes is booming; the film industry is more prosperous than ever!"
Andrew smiled and talked about the current Hollywood industry and environment instead of discussing *Sleepless in Seattle.*
"I'm well aware of what my script is worth, whether it's $250,000, $350,000, $450,000, or $550,000. I honestly don't care much!"
"Really?" Alan Horn glanced at Andrew again. "Never underestimate young people. When someone says they don't care about immediate gains, they usually have bigger ambitions. But Hollywood never lacks ambitious people. State your demands!"
Andrew said seriously, "I just want *Sleepless in Seattle* to start production quickly and be released by next summer. I have confidence that Nora Ephron will become another great comedy director in Hollywood, and Sleepless in Seattle will do as well as When Harry Met Sally."
Alan Horn smiled. "Castle Rock Entertainment indeed plans to launch the *Sleepless in Seattle* project. Your confidence is good, but when it comes to a $20 million investment, that's a big deal. I think we should discuss your script first."
Andrew replied helplessly, "You should talk to my agent about these matters."
"Andrew, you're a smart guy. Someone who writes this kind of plan—do you think a mere agent can control you for long?" Alan Horn shook his head. "We have to consider the interests of investors and distributors!"
"If you can allocate the production costs by October, I'll sell my script for $350,000," Andrew said with a smile. "In fact, I won't take a cent of the advance—just give me substantial bonuses after the movie's release!"
"You're that confident?" Alan Horn knew Andrew well enough. He had only played a small supporting role in Edward Scissorhands so far, and his parents had died in a car accident. He had also dropped out of school. How could such a person be unmoved by the offer of hundreds of thousands of dollars? The script fee, adaptation salary, and film production salary must have added up to more than $500,000!
Andrew looked at Alan Horn. "If Sleepless in Seattle doesn't gross $50 million in North America next year, I'll sell the script to you for $1. As long as you promise to prepare the film's shooting budget within a month and allow me to work with director Nora Ephron!"
"Hahaha, Andrew, are you trying to imitate James Cameron?" Alan Horn laughed. The script for Sleepless in Seattle wasn't just attractive to Castle Rock. If put to auction, his judgment said the script could fetch around $650,000.
James Cameron sold The Terminator for $1 to direct it himself. Andrew had similar intentions, prioritizing the development of the script over its monetary value. The difference was that Cameron was a newbie director, while Andrew would be a screenwriter and producer. Although he was behind the scenes, if Sleepless in Seattle succeeded, Andrew Williams would gain both fame and fortune!
"So, what do you think? Do you want to consider it?" Andrew smiled as he proposed.
Alan Horn adjusted his glasses. "Your proposal is very tempting, Andrew."
Castle Rock indeed wanted to develop this project, and Andrew's sincere push would ensure he gave his all to the film. Alan Horn understood Andrew's intentions. As long as the film started shooting with him involved as a producer, even if the film failed, he'd end up with an impressive resume.
"I'll return to Los Angeles tomorrow and discuss it with the company's higher-ups," Alan Horn didn't give an immediate answer. He wasn't too concerned with the script's price but feared Andrew might find other film studios interested in working with Nora Ephron.
Andrew nodded and shook hands with Alan Horn. "I hope we can work together..."
Downtown Manhattan, next to the Lower East Side, was the East Village, where Jennifer Aniston rented her apartment. It overlooked Queens across the East River and was a residential area in Manhattan.
"Are you going back to Los Angeles?" Jennifer Aniston asked as she held Andrew's arm. They were strolling near Tompkins Square Park.
"Soon. I met with the people from Castle Rock Entertainment a couple of days ago, and my agent has already gone back. Now, I'm just waiting for Castle Rock to start developing *Sleepless in Seattle*. My first screenplay will be produced, and it will be my first time as a producer."
"Oh, I'm really looking forward to it!" Jennifer smiled.
Andrew smiled and wrapped his arm around Jennifer's waist. "You should be happy for me!"
Jennifer kissed Andrew on the cheek. "Of course, you're the best. You even had a small role in your first movie!"
"That's nothing to brag about," Andrew said, giving Jennifer's waist a playful squeeze.
"But you filmed for six weeks, so you must have had several scenes," Jennifer said, a hint of envy in her voice.
Andrew smiled. "Don't worry, you're the future big star!"
At that moment, Jennifer glanced at a second-hand car shop. Following her gaze, Andrew saw an old Mercedes-Benz 280SL.
"Do you like it?" Andrew asked, pointing to the car.
"No," Jennifer shook her head, but even as she denied it, her eyes lingered on the car. It cost at least $10,000, and all her belongings totaled less than $20,000. She wouldn't spend that much on a car.
Andrew smiled. Jennifer's eyes couldn't lie. He took her hand and walked into the used car shop.
"Andrew, you—" Jennifer tried to pull him away.
"Shh, trust me," Andrew kissed her on the cheek with a smile.
"Oh, you two, which car do you like? We have the best second-hand cars in all of downtown Manhattan," a middle-aged man in a suit approached them enthusiastically.
Andrew led Jennifer to the vintage Mercedes 280SL. "How much for this one?"
"This one? It's one of our rare vintage cars. Excellent performance and in great condition, perfect for a collector," the salesman began.
"Alright, alright, how much?" Andrew interrupted. "People like us prefer the latest models."
"Uh, okay, $13,000," the salesman smiled.
"$13,000? God, you're treating it like an art piece!" Jennifer exclaimed.
"$13,000," Andrew echoed, looking at the salesman with mock seriousness. "You should wait for a collector to come by for that price."
"How much do you want to pay?"
"Ahem, $8,000," Andrew countered.
"Oh my God, $8,000? You might as well kill me. How about $12,500?"
After some haggling, they settled on $11,000 for the Mercedes 280SL.
"Andrew, why spend the money? I could have bought it myself," Jennifer frowned as Andrew wrote the check.
"Sweetheart, just test the car. I got paid for my role, and I have a screenplay to sell for tens of thousands more. When the movie starts, I'll get several paychecks from the production," Andrew said, kissing Jennifer again.
While Andrew was writing the check, a female employee handed Jennifer the keys for a test drive.
"Your boyfriend is so handsome, and he must love you a lot. You're such a lucky girl!" the employee complimented Jennifer as they drove off.
Jennifer felt a wave of happiness wash over her. "He's heading back to Los Angeles soon."
"Really? He looks young. Is he still a student?" the employee asked.
"He just took a break from school this summer to start working," Jennifer replied, smiling.
"He must be very capable to attract such a beautiful girl like you," the employee observed.
Soon after, Jennifer drove the Mercedes 280SL back to her place with Andrew.
"Ugh, $11,000… I think we overpaid," Jennifer said, sitting on the bed with Andrew.
Andrew leaned back on the bed. "You work at a café near High Line Park, so driving will save you a lot of time."
High Line Park wasn't far from the Hudson River, and crossing from the East Village meant traversing much of downtown Manhattan.
Jennifer then climbed into Andrew's lap, kissing his neck and unbuttoning his shirt, kissing his lips passionately.
Andrew responded warmly, his hand roaming over Jennifer's body.
"Andrew…" Jennifer whispered seductively, her hand caressing his chest. She then whispered in his ear, "Wait, you lie still and let me take the lead, okay?"
"Okay," Andrew nodded.
Jennifer smiled and kissed Andrew's neck, moving down to his chest. Soon, Andrew helped her remove his pants, feeling her kisses on his abdomen.
Then—
"Ah," Andrew closed his eyes, feeling a rush of sensation, gripping the bed sheets tightly, breathing heavily.
In the bathroom, Jennifer was rinsing her mouth and coughing.
"Darling, are you alright?" Andrew asked, looking refreshed and gently rubbing her back.
Jennifer leaned against Andrew's chest. "I told you to hold back, but you didn't listen and pressed my head down!"
Andrew laughed awkwardly. "How could I hold back in that situation, right?"
"Was it really that good?" Jennifer asked, recalling Andrew's pleased expression.
"Yeah, it felt amazing," Andrew said, hugging Jennifer.
"First time? Did you learn from movies?"
"What else?" Andrew laughed.
Jennifer Aniston smiled. "I've seen it in movies and discussed it with my friends. They wouldn't believe your body is so great!"
Andrew laughed. "Your conversations are really something!"
Jennifer didn't respond but smiled. "How would you rate my performance?"
"About 79," Andrew said, caressing Jennifer. "I can't wait for next time!"
"Not even 80?" she pouted.
"Practice makes perfect, darling!" Andrew explained with a smile. "I'm heading back to LA and might even go to Seattle. Who knows when I'll be back?"
"Let's wait until night. We'll have a bath and then go out for dinner," Jennifer agreed to her man's request.