Rejection

I watched Remember the Titans for the first time tonight. What an awesome, uplifting movie! I'm partial to sports movies anyway, but not since Monster's Ball have a cried like that while watching a movie. It's such an inspirational story, with amazing characters. The fact that it's based on a true story just makes it.

Afterwards, I was watching the DVD features and they talk with the screenwriter. He tells a story about how, after writing the script, his agent said, "If this doesn't sell, we're in the wrong business," and then they go out with it, and it tanks. It was turned down by every studio, even multiple times by some, and everywhere they went, they only got a "No." The screenwriter talks about how he was trying to drum up the courage to tell the guys that the movie was based on that no one in Hollywood was interested in making their story, when Bruckheimer called and asked to see it, and it all went from there. They get a sound byte from Bruck saying how sometimes, you just need one person to believe in a project to get it rolling.

What an amazing story. If you've seen the movie, then you know that in itself, the events are wonderful and tragic and uplifting. But to hear that such a great tale was rejected over and over by the powers that be in Hollywood, is a reminder that as a writer (or director or actor or whatever you are), you can't let that stuff get you down. You can't take the No as a reflection of your work. You just have to believe in it, and sometimes, things that seem dead in the water are given new life when the timing is right. You just have to keep the faith.

Anyway, if you haven't seen the movie, watch it.