'Crash' Gang Still Waiting To Get Rich Off America's Bad Taste
The writers, director, and actors who deferred their usual paychecks in hopes that they would one day roll around naked in the big piles of money generated by little-heavy-handed-racism-parable-that-could Crash are still waiting for Bob Yari, the film's producer and alleged profit-hoarder, to make their dreams of high currency denominations rubbing up against well-oiled flesh come true. But according to the agent for one of the aggrieved actors, Yari should have done a better job of showing them some love while accusations of Harvey Weinstein-style "Hollywood accounting" are flung back and forth between camps. Reports the NY Times:
In Hollywood it is not unusual for squabbles to erupt over dividing the spoils when a small film becomes a very big hit. But part of what is creating bruised feelings with "Crash" is the sense among the starring cast members that their initial sacrifice has not been acknowledged with a gesture, whatever the precise state of collection accounts.
"You'd think that for a movie that won best picture, what you would do is write the actors a check against their profits, or you give them a car, or something," said a representative for one of the leading actors, who spoke on condition of anonymity because his client had barred him from speaking on the record. "That would be the classy thing to do." He added: "The money is dribbling in. It's almost offensive how little money it is."
Indeed, it does seem like a pretty egregious breach of established industry etiquette to not distract the talent with shiny trinkets while trying to screw them. Even a struggling actress without a SAG card gets a Tiffany necklace and as many glasses of champagne as she can drink before a producer mounts her in the hot tub.