Curry Barker was deceived.
Last week, the 26-year-old writer-director of Obsession was told was going to a routine meeting at the Focus Features offices in Universal City. Instead, he arrived at the production company to find himself facing 250 employees — all holding glasses of champagne.
Barker thought — for perhaps the hundredth time in recent weeks: Holy shit.
Focus Chairman Peter Kujawski declared, “Congratulations on the biggest movie Focus has ever had!” The employees burst into applause and toasted Barker’s success.
Then Kujawski held out a box. “In the music business, they hand out gold records,” Kujawski said. “We don’t do that. So here’s this.”
