No Fate But What We Make #2: TERMINATOR 2 - JUDGMENT DAY

Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, Robert Patrick, Earl Boen, Joe Morton, S. Epatha Merkerson, Castulo Guerra, Danny Cooksey, Jenette Goldstein, Xander Berkeley, Leslie Hamilton Gearren, Ken Gibbel, Robert Winley, Pete Schrum, Shane Wilder, Michael Edwards, Jared Lounsbery, Casey Chavez, Ennalls Berl, Don Lake, Richard Vidan, Tom McDonald, Jim Palmer, Guss Williams, Gwenda Deacon, Don Stanton, Dan Stanton, Colin Patrick Lynch, Noel Evangelisti, Nikki Cox, Lisa Brinegar, DeVaughn Nixon, Tomy Simotes, Diane Rodriguez, Dalton Abbott, Ron Young, Charles Robert Brown, Abdul Salaam El Razzac, Mike Muscat, Dean Norris, Charles A. Tamburro, J. Rob Jordan, Terrence Evans, Denney Pierce, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Pat Kouri, Van Ling
cinematography by Adam Greenberg
music by Brad Fidel
screenplay by James Cameron & William Wisher
based on characters and situations created by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd
produced by James Cameron
directed by James Cameron
Rated R
1 hr 47 mins

I was at a Christmas party for 20th Century Fox one year, at the home of Jim Gianopolos, the studio’s president, and at one point, I happened to look over at the dessert table, where James Cameron was standing by himself, drink in hand.

I walked up and introduced myself. We’d spoken before, but I never presume that someone remembers me. Cameron seemed to, though, and he was in a totally open, chatty mood. I mentioned to him that I’d just shown the boys their first R-rated film, and it was, by coincidence, The Terminator. His smile got even bigger. “Oh, really?" He was practically laughing. "The cut we released was actually given an X-rating by the MPAA the first two times we tried to get it passed. So… you know… good parenting.”

The entire conversation was like that. He didn’t give an inch, and he seemed more than game to talk about his work, both past and future. At one point, we were talking about Terminator Genisys, which hadn’t come out yet. There was one preview, though, and my first takeaway was that Emilia Clarke did a pretty good job of looking like “young, soft Linda Hamilton.” I mentioned how much the first film had impressed me when I was 14, and how strong an impression Linda had made on me in that first film. “I think that’s still my favorite Linda Hamilton.”

“I think I’m partial to the ripped, badass Linda Hamilton. You know… the one I married.” Okay, Mr. Cameron. Point taken.