From uncredited roles in ’80s films to Academy Award-winning feats in big-studio projects, Brad Pitt is nothing short of a cultural icon in the film industry. But his ascent to the top of the food chain – as is the case with most self-made successful stars – was ironically enough, kickstarted by a dwindling spiral of mediocre films that would later go on to be immortalized as cult classics. Case in point – Fight Club.
Brad Pitt’s Fight Club Co-Star’s Mom Loathed the ’90s Film
David Fincher‘s anti-capitalistic thriller might be every alpha male’s ‘must watch’ today, but there was a time when the only thing that the movie evoked in people was passionate hatred. Not only did the controversial silver screen adaptation of the novel earn an uproar of ‘boos’ from the audience, especially the critics, but it also raked in poor box office figures, ultimately rendering it a disappointment in every sense of the word.
Even the people who were a part of the pessimistic drama seemed to be confounded about the premise and the film as a whole. Exhibit A – Helena Bonham Carter. Though she seemed interested enough in the project, the Harry Potter star had her reservations about it, especially after her mother dissuaded her from the love interest of Brad Pitt and Edward Norton.
Carter’s mother might as well have been completely sickened by the dark and “awful” script, as the director himself remarked. And turns out that – the actress verified Fincher’s doubts – that was indeed the case:
“Mum put the script outside her bedroom because it was a pollutant. I didn’t get it when I first read it, either. I thought, ‘This is weird. Is this message particularly life-enhancing?'”
At the end of the day though, Fincher managed to get the Ocean’s 8 star on board.
How Helena Bonham Carter Was Convinced to Star in It
Although the 57-year-old English actress was teetering on the edge of uncertainty concerning her role in the film, she soon found herself following the undeniable pull of the script, and all it took was a tête-à-tête with the filmmaker; one conversation with Fincher and Carter, more or less, convinced herself into partaking in the movie.
“Once Fincher explained it to me, I just thought, ‘I want to go with this, go with him. I completely get your point of view now.’ I wrote him a huge fax about my misgivings, you know? […] I was talking myself into it. By the end of the letter, I’d convinced myself to do it.”
And you know what they say, everything happens for the best because look at Fight Club now, a certified cult classic with a zealous fanbase that never gets tired of revisiting it. Speaking of which, you can rent or purchase the movie on Apple TV+.
Source: The Ringer
