Christmas lights adorned the streets and alleys in a riot of colors, but unfortunately, a city without snow always lacks a bit of festive atmosphere, and Los Angeles's mild winter made Christmas feel like an isolated island Santa wouldn't visit.Hugo couldn't help but mischievously wonder if Santa Claus would melt when delivering presents at the equator.Joseph returned to Los Angeles a day earlier than expected.He went straight to the third floor with his luggage and saw Hugo curled up on the sofa, clutching a box of potato chips and watching "Home Alone."Joseph was momentarily stunned, then a faint smile touched the corners of his lips, "Are you still a child?"A heartwarming movie like "Home Alone" is fine to watch once, but after multiple viewings, only children would still enjoy it.Hugo, however, didn't even turn his head, still laughing incessantly at the screen, "It fits the holiday spirit!"His hearty laughter indeed brought a more Christmassy feeling to the house, and this pure sound of joy allowed Joseph's tense shoulders to relax slightly.Things at home hadn't been great these past two days."Why are you back early? Didn't you say your flight was tomorrow?"Hugo raised the potato chips in his hand and offered them to Joseph.Joseph tossed his luggage aside, sat down next to Hugo, and reached for the chips."Peter got into trouble again.He didn't come home on Christmas Eve, and then we were stuck at home.Some gang thugs came looking for him, but I sent them away."If Hugo remembered correctly, Peter was also the one who owed gambling debts last time.The plot of "Home Alone" on the TV screen had lost its appeal.Hugo's gaze still lingered on the television, but his thoughts had shifted."So, is it okay for you to come back now?"Logically, this should be the time the Gibbs family needed Joseph the most.Joseph shook his head, his lips pressed together slightly, revealing his inner helplessness."My brother Paul is home; he's already seventeen this year.With him taking care of things at home, there's no need to worry.Besides, Mary is still there; she's the most capable one in the family right now.""Oh, Mary, is she doing well?"Every time Joseph mentioned his younger sister, he was always full of affection; Hugo had heard it so many times his ears were calloused.Joseph indeed chuckled lightly, "She, she's doing very well, very well.She decorated the Christmas tree at home this year, and she did a great job."A smile flickered in Joseph's eyes, but it quickly faded."It's just Peter... I don't know where he is."This was also a drawback of the early nineties.In the 21st century, with advanced communication networks, mobile phones and credit cards could all be used to track locations.Of course, this was also criticized as the culprit for people's privacy being involuntarily exposed.However, in the current situation, it wasn't so easy for Joseph to find Peter.It was imaginable that Joseph's large family didn't have an easy life."Peter is already thirty, right?" Hugo asked.Joseph nodded."That's right.He already has an independent personality and the ability to act on his own.You've done your best, so the rest is up to him.You can't carry everything on your shoulders; you're not Superman."Faced with Hugo's comfort, Joseph seemed a bit lost.He looked up, his eyes hazy as he gazed at Hugo, "Did I really do my best?"This question immediately choked Hugo.Family can never be measured by normal standards.Even if, from an outsider's perspective, Joseph had done his utmost, in Joseph's heart, if he wasn't willing to let himself off the hook, then things would never end.To this, Hugo couldn't say anything better, only, "You've always tried your best..."This made Joseph lightly tug at the corner of his mouth, stuffing potato chips into his mouth, chewing them feebly, filled with heaviness and loneliness.Looking at Joseph like this, Hugo suddenly wondered why he didn't have siblings.America wasn't like China with its family planning policy; here, it was quite normal for many families to have siblings, but the Lancaster family didn't.Was there a reason for this?However, Hugo quickly dismissed this thought.He was simply too sensitive now, questioning everything, like someone with heightened anxiety.On the TV, Kevin in "Home Alone" was wreaking havoc, punishing the two burglars attempting to break in.Watching the thieves get pranked, creating endless laughter, even though these scenes had been seen before, it still put one in a good mood.Indeed, as Hugo said, this movie suited the holiday atmosphere.Joseph let out a long sigh, sinking completely into the sofa, letting out a low, comfortable groan, "I absolutely have to buy a sofa like yours."Hugo grabbed a few more potato chips and put them in his mouth, his attention once again focused on the TV screen, "If you want to watch TV, just come downstairs.""Oh, right, I came back early because I have work," Joseph suddenly remembered.It was this job that brought him back to Los Angeles from his hometown in Houston ahead of schedule.Hugo, however, frowned and grumbled, "Work on Christmas? I thought everyone was on holiday these days.""Actually, it's not work, it's an audition, a movie audition," Joseph said, temporarily putting thoughts of home behind him and gradually relaxing."'The Firm'?" This was Hugo's first reaction, after all, this movie had been rumored to be auditioning since before "A Few Good Men" was released, but a month had already passed, and auditions still hadn't started.If there hadn't been any news from within the industry, Hugo would have suspected that Brad Pitt had already been secretly chosen as the male lead by Sydney Pollack."Oh, no, the auditions for that movie will be pushed back, probably around the New Year.The 'around' here actually means 'after,'" Joseph tilted his head slightly, glancing at Hugo from the corner of his eye, indicating his helplessness.In the end, it was still because his power as an agent wasn't enough; if it were Ron Meyer, this audition certainly wouldn't be so difficult, especially with "A Few Good Men" achieving such excellent results.Hugo shrugged and pouted, "I'm used to it.Big directors always make us wait, and besides, it's the holidays recently, so maybe Sydney is on vacation."This was also a guess, but overall, that was the situation.Hugo couldn't do much besides waiting because he wasn't famous enough yet to influence the movie audition process."So what kind of audition is this time?"Although the auditions for "The Firm" were delayed, the success of "A Few Good Men" clearly had a far-reaching impact.Other film companies had seen this, so it was no surprise that invitations were coming in."It's a chick flick; do you know what a chick flick is?"When talking about work, Joseph sat up a little straighter, his spirits returning significantly."'Pretty Woman' and 'When Harry Met Sally' are chick flicks."So-called chick flicks are essentially lighthearted romantic comedies, mostly centered around female characters with males playing supporting roles.Even if not, the female characters' weight in the film is enough to rival that of the male characters, and the film's theme is often love.In English, "chick" is a slang term for a woman, so this type of film can be called a chick flick.Chick flicks have always held a very important position in Hollywood, not only creating many American sweethearts but also making many handsome and dashing men the objects of women's desires.For example, "Breakfast at Tiffany's" made Audrey Hepburn a star; "Dirty Dancing" made Patrick Swayze famous overnight, leading to his role in "Ghost"; and "Pretty Woman" not only made Julia Roberts an instant sensation but also solidified Richard Gere's image as a golden bachelor."Yes, of course, I've always liked chick flicks," Hugo nodded, he had some understanding of them.Unexpectedly, Joseph gave him a scrutinizing look, which made Hugo feel annoyed, "What's wrong? Is it only girls who are allowed to watch chick flicks?We can also really enjoy excellent works like 'When Harry Met Sally,' can't we?"Generally speaking, the main audience for romantic comedies is women, and in the male-dominated Hollywood film industry, the proportion of chick flicks is quite limited.However, it cannot be denied that chick flicks have also produced many excellent films, such as "When Harry Met Sally," which explored gender relations; and "Breakfast at Tiffany's," a 1961 film that is still revered as a classic today.Joseph chuckled lightly, "Yes, that's right.You know that 'When Harry Met Sally' is Rob's work, don't you?""Of course."Rob Reiner, the director of "A Few Good Men," started as an actor, but his acting career didn't take off significantly.However, he achieved remarkable success as a director and, with "When Harry Met Sally," entered the ranks of first-tier directors.Hugo naturally wouldn't forget this."This audition opportunity was strongly recommended by Rob," Joseph finally got to the point of the job."Nora Ephron, the screenwriter of 'When Harry Met Sally,' is personally directing a movie this time.This is her second work, and it's also a chick flick, so she approached Rob, hoping he could make a cameo, and they also discussed the details of the film's production.Then... then Rob recommended you to Nora, believing you were very suitable for the male lead in this script."Hugo's excellent performance in "Scent of a Woman" earned him the audition for "A Few Good Men"; and now, the outstanding success of "A Few Good Men" has, in turn, won Hugo two audition opportunities.The Hollywood circle is indeed interconnected.Nora Ephron is a renowned and excellent screenwriter.Her debut work, "Silkwood," received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay, and then "When Harry Met Sally" earned Nora another nomination for Best Original Screenplay.This fifty-one-year-old powerhouse woman brought new life to Hollywood chick flicks with her female perspective.It could be said that she was a pioneer in the chick flick genre, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration.Hugo nodded repeatedly.He wasn't surprised that Rob would so actively recommend him, as Rob had always looked out for him on set before.However, Hugo was more curious about which script Rob was so enthusiastically recommending him for."What's the name of the script?"
