Disliking Your Creation
One of my top ten moves is Better Off Dead. The 1985 film was written and directed by Savage Steve Holland and starred a young John Cusack. Many viewers would consider this a brat-pack, teeny-bopper, and typical 80s film, but I found it well-written, perfectly acted, and some of the best movie lines ever. And the soundtrack? It is in my top five. (The Breakfast Club, Beverly Hills Cop, Lost Boys, and Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure make up the other four.)
All the gushing aside, there is a big problem. John Cusack hated the movie. He felt Savage Steve humiliated him, and the movie could have been much better. In an interview with costar Dan Schneider, he said:
“The next morning, he basically walked up to me and was like, ‘You know, you tricked me. Better Off Dead was the worst thing I have ever seen. I will never trust you as a director ever again, so don’t speak to me.’”
“It made me not care about movies anymore. And I didn’t even want to do One Crazy Summer at that point. I was just gone. It was sort of like the break-up that I made Better Off Dead about. It was so out of left field that it just floored me.”
https://web.archive.org/web/200602061...
I watched the movie for about the twentieth time last night and began thinking about John Cusack’s opinion. We have all done things we are not proud of, but it is unusual when others cherish those things we created. Typically, we do the opposite by convincing everybody that our awful creation is not that bad.
This kind of reaction has only happened once in my life. I developed a testing device that had many flaws. My company made 50 for production and field workers, but I felt the flaws could easily be corrected, so I built a better version. Clearly, the workers would throw away my abomination and lovingly take my new design into their hearts.
Of course, everybody liked the first design and refused to touch the improved one. I had to look away whenever I saw them using the first version. When I left the company, I asked if I could have one of the second versions, and it is now in a box in my attic. Yet, that is not the same. The equivalent would be writing a book I hated but everybody loved.
My reaction to this possibility is, “Well if I hated it so much, I would not have published it, stopped selling it, or released a second edition to correct the flaws.” John Cusack did not have that option, so this kind of situation is not the same. But let’s drive this train wreck a little further down the track.
Let’s say my books took off, and I signed with a mega-publisher. (Yes, it is more likely that Madona will knock on my door and offer to clean my house for free while humming Material Girl.) The publisher takes an early version of my next book, radically alters it, and makes it an instant hit. Because of the contract, I am powerless to stop them.
That is the closest life situation I can imagine that mirrors what John Cusack faced. So, how would I feel about it? I would be angry and tell all my fans not to read the book. Yet… I certainly would cash those fat checks. And there is the double-edged knife. Would I tell my fans not to buy my book? Are my morals that rock-solid? After all, they would be enjoying my words. And a fat check is a fat check. So, yeah, I can see myself brooding about the incident instead of making a sizeable public deal.
What would I say to a fan who wanted to discuss my book? “Sorry, it wasn’t my best?” But what would listening to endless compliments feel like? “Wow, your book is so fantastic.” Man, that double-edged knife digs in deep.
This thought experiment made me want to interview John Cusack, yet I understand that this topic upsets him. He is a creative person who takes pride in his accomplishments. Seeing that movie or hearing a comment probably feels like a bee sting. I certainly do not want that feeling. Yet, I loved the film.
So, what does that make me? It makes me confused. I want to respect John Cusack and enjoy the film simultaneously. It isn’t easy to merge the two feelings. When thinking about this, I saw two options. I can continue to praise the movie while knowing John is getting paid, or I can eliminate the film from my heart, knowing this secretly makes John happier. Yeah… Did I mention how much I enjoy the soundtrack?
You’re the best -Bill
April 09, 2025
All the gushing aside, there is a big problem. John Cusack hated the movie. He felt Savage Steve humiliated him, and the movie could have been much better. In an interview with costar Dan Schneider, he said:
“The next morning, he basically walked up to me and was like, ‘You know, you tricked me. Better Off Dead was the worst thing I have ever seen. I will never trust you as a director ever again, so don’t speak to me.’”
“It made me not care about movies anymore. And I didn’t even want to do One Crazy Summer at that point. I was just gone. It was sort of like the break-up that I made Better Off Dead about. It was so out of left field that it just floored me.”
https://web.archive.org/web/200602061...
I watched the movie for about the twentieth time last night and began thinking about John Cusack’s opinion. We have all done things we are not proud of, but it is unusual when others cherish those things we created. Typically, we do the opposite by convincing everybody that our awful creation is not that bad.
This kind of reaction has only happened once in my life. I developed a testing device that had many flaws. My company made 50 for production and field workers, but I felt the flaws could easily be corrected, so I built a better version. Clearly, the workers would throw away my abomination and lovingly take my new design into their hearts.
Of course, everybody liked the first design and refused to touch the improved one. I had to look away whenever I saw them using the first version. When I left the company, I asked if I could have one of the second versions, and it is now in a box in my attic. Yet, that is not the same. The equivalent would be writing a book I hated but everybody loved.
My reaction to this possibility is, “Well if I hated it so much, I would not have published it, stopped selling it, or released a second edition to correct the flaws.” John Cusack did not have that option, so this kind of situation is not the same. But let’s drive this train wreck a little further down the track.
Let’s say my books took off, and I signed with a mega-publisher. (Yes, it is more likely that Madona will knock on my door and offer to clean my house for free while humming Material Girl.) The publisher takes an early version of my next book, radically alters it, and makes it an instant hit. Because of the contract, I am powerless to stop them.
That is the closest life situation I can imagine that mirrors what John Cusack faced. So, how would I feel about it? I would be angry and tell all my fans not to read the book. Yet… I certainly would cash those fat checks. And there is the double-edged knife. Would I tell my fans not to buy my book? Are my morals that rock-solid? After all, they would be enjoying my words. And a fat check is a fat check. So, yeah, I can see myself brooding about the incident instead of making a sizeable public deal.
What would I say to a fan who wanted to discuss my book? “Sorry, it wasn’t my best?” But what would listening to endless compliments feel like? “Wow, your book is so fantastic.” Man, that double-edged knife digs in deep.
This thought experiment made me want to interview John Cusack, yet I understand that this topic upsets him. He is a creative person who takes pride in his accomplishments. Seeing that movie or hearing a comment probably feels like a bee sting. I certainly do not want that feeling. Yet, I loved the film.
So, what does that make me? It makes me confused. I want to respect John Cusack and enjoy the film simultaneously. It isn’t easy to merge the two feelings. When thinking about this, I saw two options. I can continue to praise the movie while knowing John is getting paid, or I can eliminate the film from my heart, knowing this secretly makes John happier. Yeah… Did I mention how much I enjoy the soundtrack?
You’re the best -Bill
April 09, 2025
No comments have been added yet.
