Hello, my name is Sandy, the social media director for the page, international Screenwriting Awards, and your host for the Writer's Hangout. A podcast that celebrates the many stages of writing, from inspiration to the first draft, revising, getting a project made and everything in between. We'll talk to the best and the brightest in the entertainment industry and create a space where you can hang out, learn from the pros, and have fun. Hi, I'm Sandy Adamis. Hi, I'm Terry Sampson. Terry? Yes. You know how I turn the writer's hangout into the weather report? Yeah. Got a big one. Okay. Did you know that we have possibly a hurricane coming our way? It's gonna be exciting. Hurricane Hillary? Hillary. Hillary. Hurricane Hillary. Yeah. I am over the moon. Excited. Yeah. Now I know. It's bad. Storms are bad. Sure. But for a rain lover. Oh my goodness. I'm so excited. I haven't had time to kind of look at the pattern. did you look into it? Yes. it's gonna work like this. So this is a, obviously a Pacific, storm, forming Near Mexico, but off the coast of, okay, that seems logical, seems to be going north. It's gonna go into, Southern California by way of, Mexico and then into San Diego. Now when it shows up there, hold onto your seat with this one, 110 mile an hour winds Wow. And a whole bunch of really fast moving water. No, sir. Yeah, Will we get, well, apparently by the time it gets to, Los Angeles. It's gonna die down to like 35 miles an hour. That is huge. Yeah. For Los Angeles. Yeah. You can fly a kite. It's gonna be fine. Wow. Yeah. A wet kite though. Wow.'cause if the water will be included, it won't go up for very long. But yeah, up it'll go. That's kite weather. Yeah. It's, and as you know, everyone around here, looks at this thing and says, a, I don't when's the last time you remembered that? It actually even rained in August. I don't remember. It. Never, I, no, I don't think it ever had. No, I mean, I never wake up thinking. Hmm. Is it gonna rain today? No. Never. Yeah. This is gonna rain terror is the only way I can relate to that thought in the morning. Exactly. But, but, no, it'll be a nice, a nice three day affair of great, of water. And you and I both know that the worst thing about Los Angeles in the past 10 years is that we've adopted a fire season. Correct. Which is a horrible thing. It's very bad. So if everything got a good dosing, Yes. It should be nice. Yes. Maybe we can skip. Skip it. It'll help fire season. Yeah. Oh, skip. Skip is good. Let's skip it. No one wants to kinda skip it. It's not the kinda season that you look forward to. Exactly. Fall's lovely. Mm-hmm. Summer. Beautiful. My favorite month is November in Los Angeles. Yeah, I agree. you see buildings in the distance that you didn't even know existed. Yeah. You see mountains, you go, oh, there's mountains behind the mountains. Who knew? That is fabulous. Yeah. I kept hearing about'em, but yes, the, yeah. The beauty of the, of November two is, is that the, the heat is finally over. Percent. We can put a jacket on. We can put a jacket on. Yeah. Yes. That's exactly it. Yeah, that's exactly it. So Terry, today, We're gonna share with the writers something brand new. We're gonna do the news brought to you by the writer. Hang out. I'm gonna start out by telling you that the real life characters portrayed in the award-winning 2009 release. The blind side, our gathering together again this time in a lawsuit by former N F L Offensive lineman and guy who thought he was adopted, Michael, or, or is charging, that he made no money at all from the story about his life with the Tues while they and their children made millions. Yes. let me pause here and ask. When I think of that, I go, why are the kids getting millions? They're just in it. Millions. Millions, I mean, I've worked on things before in my life and didn't make millions. I know. And these guys are just standing there. Yeah. Even life story rights isn't gonna get you millions. Yeah, that's right. You know, and they're in a house and just because they're in there underneath the roof Yeah. They get a piece of it. If this was a reality show, the kids don't even get paid. No. Only the parents. Right, of course. And they're not even really at, they're not in the age when this was, was happening, right? They weren't in anywhere near 18 or anything else. So you have to think that the two e, I mean, you're gonna look out for your own kids, but it looks like they were really looking out for their own kids, but portraying that they were looking out for Michael, it was apparently an even split. If you can imagine this, that's not fair. No, it seems wrong. That's not fair. Now I know they did some really nice things, those two Uhhuh, let's say. According to the movie that I've watched. so I don't know why in the world they would be given this kind of dough. Let's start with the movie. What do you got on the movie? Okay. Here's the synopsis from the movie from I M B D, the Blind Side, which as we know, Sandra Bullock, she won an Oscar for it, and Tim McGraw played, Sean Toy. Lily Collins, Phil Collins, daughter of Wow. Emily in Paris, which everybody dumps on, but I do like it. Right? played Collins Chewy. Oh oh. Collins Toy. Isn't that interesting? Lily Collins played Collins Toy. Oh, with both with S's. How did that happen? And then of course, J Head played, Sean Toy, there were two. Seans, the dad and the son Uhhuh. And here's the synopsis. The story of Michael Orr, a homeless and traumatized boy who becomes an all American football player and first round N F L draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family. So that's the synopsis. the people that were involved with it now are getting paid, the first time around, would've been by the person who wrote the, story they, seem to have suggested that the payment was$14,000 a piece for that. And, Michael, so each person in the family got 14,000 for their, and Michael. When was this movie? 2009. 2009. Okay. All right. and I think he, they probably got paid before that. You know how that works? If somebody writes a novel I'm sorry. I misunderstood. So it was 14,000, for the rights to write about them. We're not talking the movie yet. Right? Oh, okay. Yeah, that's a lot. That's, that's a nice chunk of change. Yeah. I think it was some kind of split. I'm still stunned at the idea of the kids getting money. that's hard for you. I mean, I, yeah, I've been, I've seen the movie. I feel like maybe I should have gotten a 14,000. Exactly. Well, I sat through the whole thing, so, and by the way, I would've done it. And imagine. My name Terry Tooey. That would've worked out great. So, The, the crux of this is twofold. I think we talked about this just briefly, whether o's reason for doing what he's doing now, suing the IES is because he's heart was broken, that the family bond was broken, or that he really felt like he was cheated out of a whole bunch of money. That is so interesting. Yeah. And it makes me even more interested in the story now that you said the heartbreak. how long has it been since he's talked to the two E? they haven't communicated, I don't think, in at least a decade. Oh, that's sad. Yeah. Okay. So there's a, there's a mess there. Yeah. And right now all we have are these tidbits to figure out what we. Think could have been the motive okay for him doing what he's doing. I can imagine that if he felt he had been adopted at the time and found out that, in this general time period now that he had been. Not adopted. And that instead, he was bonded to the family with, legal paperwork signed, the time that he thought he was adopted, at 18 or a few months after 18 years, instead a few months after 18. That's interesting. Yeah, it is interesting, isn't it? that's when a conservatorship, was established, giving the two power to make decisions for him. And maybe that concept of at some point now made him feel bad and maybe you wanted to get back at them because he signed papers at some point after he turned 18, and it sounds like he thought he was being adopted. Right. But the two s were actually. Adopting the potential money he was going to be making? Well, yeah. Yes, you could say that. Or is that me judging? Or, or, well, the conservatorship can go either way. it's that they, maybe they felt if we're going to help him get from one place to another. We'll be paying the lawyer fees we're gonna take on. He's going to, yeah, yeah, sure. Can he go to a, college and play football? Turns out he could. Was he great? Could he go to the N F L? Turns out that as well, maybe they were creating a path for him to be financed enough to get through these things. These are always expensive, situations, right, with lawyers and, and agents and stuff. Now, Michael showed very early his potential. Yes. the idea was for them to get him to a, a high school that their children were going to, so by playing athletics would've been an easier way for him to get through it. He didn't test well He struggled according to the movie. So Michael Orr's deal is that, he feels he knew all along that, that they knew he had never been adopted and, The Tuy attorneys, say that that couldn't be because, Ora put out a book in 2011, which again, I didn't make any money from just, just being in front that, but he explains that he knew he was never adopted in that book. Oh, interesting. So that was 2011 and now the crux of this right now is that he was never adopted. So he's dragging that out for whatever reason. or also said that he did not make any money from the movie. He also refused to cash small profit checks that he got from the family. Now you see he's, now he's saying he did get some money from them, but he wouldn't cash the check. But he wouldn't cash the check. so everything ran through their business. It sounds like, you know, they Chewy foundation. Maybe if you were paying Michael Orr for something, you had to pay the Chewy Foundation and then they cut a check. To Michael, it would seem that was the case. Interesting. Yeah. but I surmise that maybe he just didn't like the long hours it took to cash checks. It can be very draining and, this is where I think I could help him. Okay. That's for a significant fee. I'll do that. You will wait in line motto is, No check left behind. Get'em all. Put'em through. Let's do it. Do you remember the Seinfeld episode where Jerry's hand got cramped because that's right. Yeah. His nana sent him, yeah.$3 a checks check or something. And I think actually what ruined his hand was. and$3 checks from a Japanese, that's right. Yes. You got it right from residual. Yes. And you kinda look, oh, I know. I've actually had checks like that. Yes. There's a bar in Studio City mm-hmm. Called Residuals, where if you bring a horrible residual check, they'll still like, give you a full drink. Adorable. Isn't that the greatest? It's just so great. I have used that. Have you? I absolutely have. Oh, cool. Because when you get. A dollar 13. There's nothing you can really do with that. residual, in my neighborhood and I've been once, but, it's, is it still up and running? I think it is. I think it is a little strip I think's where that's where we're going right after this. Cool. Woohoo. Woo. so Michael. Is now saying I'm upset because I never really was adopted by the chewies who took me in and they got most of the money. He's using that side of it. Mm-hmm. And it's, and what his claim right now is he says, I want$15 million. Wow. Yeah.$15 million. Now, I say to you that he knows the movie made 300 million. Correct. And. That's exactly 5% of the box office, and this is a number you come up with on a bar stool. You're sitting there going, that's a lot of money. I should make at least 5% of this. That's where that, I swear to God, that's where that$15 million thing came from. when in reality, the box office stuff like that doesn't really have a lot to do with. After the story's been paid off. Oh, and the screenwriters have been made. Yeah, absolutely. The idea of going in and getting that money again is really ridiculous. The screenwriter. And I'm sure the director have never seen that amount of money. Right. And Sandra, I'm sure was, do you like the way I say Sandra Bullick. Oh, that's really nice. Sandra Bullick. Mm-hmm. I'm sure got a big payday. Tim McGraw, who played Mr. Tuy. Yeah. I'm sure. Got a lot of money. 2%. Everybody else got B kiss. Sure. yeah. That's the point. Had, Michael had the foresight to direct and produce the movie, he would've made a little bit more. There you go. I don't know. I didn't do that. there was some, some chatting from the, the father Sean, Tuey. so the father, Sean Tuy, has said he only made quote 14. Thousand dollars from the Michael Lewis book and, Michael Lewis being the author. What did you find on Michael Lewis? You know, I saw in, entertainment Weekly, this is what Michael Lewis, the author, responded to Michael Orr's lawsuit and he said, Everybody should be mad at the Hollywood studio system. Michael Orr should join the rider's strike. It's outrageous how Hollywood accounting but the money is not in the Chewy's pockets. So Michael Lewis, who wrote the book, I believe is saying the studios have the money, not the ies. chewies. Got money. But they're not sharings, not millions. The millions and millions and millions, right? Correct. So according to the writer, Michael's idea of the money that's available is way off, correct? Yeah. Well, I shouldn't say correct as far as we know. So the father says he only gets 14. Thousand dollars. Everybody got$14,000 from the payment from the Mark Michael Lewis book. the father went on to say quote, we were never offered money. We never asked for money. my money is well documented. You can look out how much I sold my company for. And the last thing I needed was$40,000 from a movie. Now. Really? Oh, I wanna slap him. That's the last thing you need, because I think you might need a PR professional to grease up some of the things you say in public. I mean, come on man. Why don't you just stretch yourself farther from the common man and the rest of us go, oh Lord, yeah, that's gonna go over great with the jury. Okay. Meanwhile, the family son, Sean, Jr. He estimated that he has received 60 to$70,000 over the course of the last four years or five years from the movie. I know. Why could it possibly be$70,000 at this stage of the game? That was from 2009 that I, I'm very, who makes that? I'm very confused. Yeah, I'm too confused too. he seems like he's making more than his dad is this guy. There's Sean Jr. Guy. I'm gonna get As an agent because Wow. And it, it seems like there's a whole bunch of money floating around just available to anybody who doesn't really care about it. Mm-hmm. Just showing up for this thing. Mm-hmm. And I don't know how that would ever work. and again, for the record, I have not made any money for this movie yet, it's interesting to me because, he's suing the two. He should be suing the studio. Yes. And using a forensic accountant. Because I mean, that's the way to go about it. But the seesaw thing that's going on. Oh, right. This is, wants to hurt, comes in with your hurt. Yes. Yes. So the deal is, They could go after Fox for the money. Fox is the studio that made it. Yeah. Okay. So you get an accountant, you get lawyer you chase down the cash.'cause that's where the cash is. It seems only emotional to attack the people that really didn't have the money. You're so right. So I, think there's a hurt there that's going on. Yeah. And he wants them to pay for something. so the good news is that this celebration of human beings caring for one another, opening their hearts with love and support for their fellow man. Whether he was a successful, high paid professional football player or not, is going to be a long, drawn out and hateful fight in the mania for the years to come. Yeah. This is America. even cable news was talking about it. Yeah. People are emotionally connected to it because, They wanna think, and I, this is a good, good thing to put in your mind whenever you see a story that certainly spins this way, this, you know, kind of a rags to riches story or a guy coming from nowhere. Mm-hmm. You know, like a rocky story in, in that case. and especially one where they'll put a tag on it that says, you know, from a real. Life situation or however they say it. Right. the movie, people are gonna do what they have to do to make the, make the movie right? Right. Now I remember. when I first heard about the Blind Side, it kind of was out there in the world. We were kind of getting a little tired of white savior stories'cause Michael is black, right? A young black man. But, and so I was kind of like, oh, do I wanna go see another movie? White Savior, young black man went to go see it. I, I really, I'm, I, I'm not gonna say I loved it'cause I can't remember if I loved it, but I really liked it and it teared up and I was going, oh man, this story really should have been told. It is a great story. It, part of the story is the birth of self. This guy had no self and by. People, anyone believing in him mm-hmm. Was, was able to open up. study enough to get through the classes, go to college, play football. Right. And go to the N F L. Which, here's another question. Do you get nothing for being in the N F L? part of it might be that he has run out of dough. Oh, I did not know that. So again, this may be a very thick. Okay. And for the young writers out there, do you wanna explain what dough is? Bread man. Bread after fire. it's a hipster meaning money. Exactly. Yeah. So, when I first heard about this lawsuit, I was thinking, oh, there you go. It wasn't the the Hollywood movie. We thought it was he, this young black man was being taken advantage of. Right. But now I'm thinking, It is the Hertz because he's going after the ies. They don't have the deep pockets. Well, they do well financially. They are very wealthy. But not com a studio has deeper pockets. Right. I think the question is gonna be, and this is gonna be really interesting, someone's gonna come up with the, with the amount of money that was actually paid in. It's gonna take a while, but somebody's gonna have to go in and say, okay, how much money did the IES get? Right. And how much of that did they, did they send to him? Right. That's gonna be the end of it. if they did something wrong, if they did a criminal type thing mm-hmm. They'll have to pay a lot to him. Yes. So that's the thing that's actually hanging. But the motive, we're not gonna ever really be sure of. I hope they televise it like Johnny Depin. Yeah. This would be a good one to follow. Yeah, that would be a very good one to follow. you've changed my mind actually.'cause I immediately thought he was getting ripped off. And maybe it's a bit. Of everything, but definitely putting that emotional part on it makes everything click in my mind and it makes it all make so much more sense. There's still one other thing wrong with this. Oh, okay. Yeah. of course we've heard some online contributors in social media who think and suggest that Sandra Bullock should give her Oscar back for this what I know. these people, I have some terrible news about Santa Claus. If you think, if you think Sandra Bullock should give this up, elves in the whole business, we'll discuss it later. But, this is completely ridiculous. I'm always amazed at how people, many of'em, the general public believe that actors have. Really anything to do with the roles they play except doing them well, while the camera's moving. Right, exactly. That's really just their job. Yes. They cannot, you know, a guy that plays Hitler is not responsible for World War ii. He just isn't. Yes. And Sandra did a fantastic job on this, and I mean, I, I, I watched a couple of scenes before this. She was deep in it. It's pretty great. She was good in this movie. Yeah, it's really good. When she gives that speech to Michael about the way you block, you blindside people who went after sj, the little boy. Oh my goodness. And that's what you need to do on the football field. It was really good. And I also like the way her character was just like, come on, get in the car. I'm just taking you. Yeah, I am not, you're, it's cold. You don't have a jacket. She just get in the car. Is it too, I really liked it. Shall I drop a name? Please do. The name is Sandra Bullock. My wife was Palsey. She was a costumer for Sandra's first, TV show. Working it something. It might be working girl. It could have been working Girl. Yeah. Maybe, was it the, takeoff of the Movie Working Girl? Yes, I think it was. Which we will do a whole podcast of Working Girl. I love that movie. How interesting. Yeah, so, so much so She was so nice to us that we went over to her house for Kegger. Get Outta Town. Yeah, fine. This was back when she was just a gal trying to. Make her way. so I do sort of know her. You do. I I hung out with her a couple days and I like the idea of how different this role was than her personality. Really different. She was really zoomed into this character. So I have, the rare firsthand knowledge saying, wow. I remember we, we do that pretty often with, with her. We love to watch something she's done because we have at least some Right. You know, uh, experience with it. Right. And we couldn't be happier that she, I was in the same room with Sandy Bullock. There you go. my friend Darlene Chan produced a thing called Love River Phoenix. Actually, not River Phoenix, last movie, because he did make one after it, but it never came out because, I don't know if it was the editing, but he had, Oh, oh, passed away. so it was a screening of a thing called Love on the Paramount Lot, and Sandy was there. I just stared at her. I didn't speak to her or anything. I mean, I didn't stare at her all night, but she's little. She's little right. Your name's still on a list, I gotta tell you don't get her name, but Peter Bogdanovich directed that movie. So he was there and he did a little speech ahead of time and he had with him a gallon jug of water. And just a big old plastic supermarket gallon of water that he drank from. He drank a gallon of like, the, looked like a milk carton. that the see-through plastic jug. Yeah. Wow. he just went up to the, I think there's like a little stage and just talked about the movie for a little while. Well, this was, and he had the jug with him up on stage. This was before water was popular. Right. So he was a trend. He was a trend that Peter back Donovan job. Go Peter. Yes. Just find your own way, man. So I'm fascinated, with Peter because of Dorothy Stratton, who was murdered Star 90, Meryl Hemmingway. And then Peter Banovich went on to marry Dorothy's younger sister, and I'm blanking on her name, but she was there also. So that was a big night for me. we just had a couple of beers with Sandra, so No, no, no, no. Your story. I think you win. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. You win because that was real friendship. Mine was a, I just had a pass to get onto the paramount lot. That was the big thing. Well, the funniest part about something like that is, and I have run into plenty of people that have like done well. Mm-hmm. And it's weird to. Uh, watch that happen in a way. Oh. You know, we're around famous people all the time, but you're in Sandra Book's house. Well, it was a, that's a fun night. It was a rented house in Encino. Mm. See this was before she was making the Oh, that's true. Yeah. Yeah. She was a, although I think she's just a working girl. Yeah, exactly. But it's, it's one of those things where also people think that if you're on tv, you. You've got a house in Malibu. Yeah. That's not true. No TV's true at all. A tough, nasty, little world. Yeah. You gotta survive through that. And also our prayers to Sandra because she did lose her partner recently. Oh, he passed away. So no, Sandra Bullock should not give back her Oscar. I think the interesting part of this story is going to be finding out the motive of Michael Orr. That's what this is gonna end up being. What was it? Hurt or cash? I