Hollyland by Patricia Leavy

Author:Patricia Leavy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: She Writes Press

“I’ll tell you—I’ve worked with Seymour before, and his reputation is well-earned. He doesn’t care much for other people’s opinions, but he hangs on your every word,” Rye said as they drove through the most elite part of Beverly Hills.

“When I was a kid, he was the only adult who spoke to me like I was an equal. I loved that about him.” Dee paused thoughtfully. “It’s funny—because of our long history, I think I’ve seen a side of him that most people in the industry haven’t. In some ways, it’s like seeing that the great and powerful Wizard of Oz is really just an old man with a smoke machine,” she explained.

“How so?”

“Well, when I was sixteen, I spent the summer with them before I left for college. He let me tag along to the studio whenever I wanted. He’d always say, ‘We’re off to the Emerald City.’ One day, I sat in on a meeting he had regarding a film the studio was releasing. The details are a blur after all these years, but it had something to do with appeasing advertisers and making some concessions on the content. After the meeting, he looked me straight in the eyes and said, ‘Dee, I’m the luckiest man I know, but there’s always a price. Don’t ever become like me. Don’t ever worry about demographics or corporate interests. There’s no place for it in art, only in entertainment. Outside opinion is the death of art. Keep your heart pure and it will never betray you.’ Those words are seared into my memory and have guided my practice.”

“Wow. I’m floored.”

“He’s a remarkable man. It was the best advice I’ve ever received. It’s probably why I’ve never been impressed by the Hollywood thing or by what’s popular.”

“That’s so different from what people in my field see when they look at the great Seymour Peretz,” Rye said.

“My dad told me that he fell completely in love with filmmaking when he was a young boy. He saved his pennies and worked odd jobs to pay for movie tickets. He saw cinema as magic and wanted to be its wizard. He came to California to make his dream a reality.”

“He sure has done that.”

Dee shrugged. “Maybe. There’s been a steep price. Filmmaking isn’t always romantic. Gold isn’t always born from gold dust. To be successful, he’s had to make compromises, like a politician; even if they start out with pure intentions, they inevitably get their hands dirty. No one ever imagines that their idealism will fade to black. I think it’s why he and I have stayed close. I’m a reminder of home, of his simple dream to make art. He’s the Wizard of Oz and he sees me as his Dorothy.”

“In all the years I’ve known Seymour, this is the first time we’ve hung out socially. Award shows and cast parties aren’t the same, and he only ever pops in for a quick appearance,” Rye said as he pulled up to the security gate outside the palatial estate.

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