Hope's lips couldn't help but curl upwards as she watched Jacob and Anna, two individuals on their awkward and sweet first date. Their eyes, hesitant and nervous, scanned each other, discussing topics that were hilariously insipid due to their lack of humor. They shared hearty laughter over jokes that weren't remotely funny, but in their exchange, their gazes landed on each other's brows, their minds drifting away, illuminated by the sunlight, their youthful innocence and beauty a captivating enchantment.
Coffee shops, campus pathways, shared dinners... Eventually, Jacob escorted Anna back to her place, and she invited him to sit for a while. They continued chatting about music, poetry, the future, family - those trivial, mundane, and silly topics.
Jacob's gaze grew tender bit by bit, from unfamiliar and awkward to familiar and warm, and then focused and bright. One could almost see the distance between them narrowing gradually. Everything seemed to be naturally aligning, effortlessly and beautifully. His deep eyes sparkled within the hue of lemon yellow.
Hope could even capture the radiance hidden deep within their pupils, as if countless stars had fallen into them. Their unrelenting gaze, the smiles that danced in each other's eyes, the slow descent into romantic feelings, it all made Hope's heart melt slowly.
"Ah," a soft, contented murmur reached her ears from Tessa, a sweet and light sound that immersed her in bliss.
Not only Tessa and Hope, but also the other female audience members in the theater, unconsciously curved their lips into similar smiles, thoroughly enjoying the scene. However, the male audience members sitting beside them seemed puzzled and blank, not perceiving the beauty of the opening scene at all.
William was one of them. He knew that Jacob and Anna were falling in love. He also understood the vivid transformation of Jacob's emotions... with just a gaze, Renly brought his acting skills to full display. But so what? This was merely a moment of two people falling in love; he didn't find it extraordinary. Many romance films could portray this.
On the contrary, William felt somewhat disappointed. Compared to the stunning opening of "Buried", the beginning of "Like Crazy" felt somewhat ordinary. It seemed that Renly was somewhat wasted in a movie like this. Nevertheless, thinking of "The Pacific", he patiently suppressed his impatience and continued to watch attentively.
Jacob and Anna were in love, a grand and intense love that bloomed like a meteor crashing into the Earth. Their youthful exuberance and vigor unfolded uninhibitedly.
Everything was too beautiful, almost unbelievably so. Even Anna's parents coming from London to Los Angeles, meeting Jacob, and getting along with him, seemed like a scene from a dream. They liked each other. The topic of Anna teaching Jacob to appreciate whiskey even excited them; whiskey happened to be her father's favorite.
After sending off Anna's parents, the two returned to Jacob's apartment. "Close your eyes," Jacob said with a beaming smile. Anna, however, looked curiously at him, unwilling to comply. Jacob, helpless, covered Anna's eyes with both hands. "Come on, close your eyes. Count to sixty."
Anna raised her hands and obediently covered her eyes. "... fifty-eight, fifty-seven, fifty-six ..." Then Jacob left the room. Anna kept her eyes shut, diligently counting down, looking like a three-year-old child with her innocent and romantic demeanor, playful and adorable.
"... thirty-eight, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three ..." As she counted, her countdown eventually became a countdown to the present, but Anna didn't notice. She heard Jacob re-enter the room and couldn't contain her excitement. Like a young girl, she playfully shook her shoulders and asked eagerly, "Can I open my eyes?"
However, Anna didn't hear Jacob's response and stubbornly said, "I can sense you've brought something." Jacob remained silent, and Anna hesitated for a moment before cautiously moving her hands aside. She then saw Jacob standing nervously beside her with his hands crossed over his chest.
Right in front of them stood a handcrafted wooden chair.
"Ah!" Hope was on the brink of screaming, but then she realized that both she and Tessa were gripping each other's hands tightly, gaping in silent shrieks. They both recognized it: the chair in front of them was the same as the sketch Jacob absentmindedly drew in the classroom at the beginning of the movie!
Anna lightly bit her lower lip, lifting her gaze to Jacob, only to find him awkwardly scratching his head. His eyes carried a mix of unease, embarrassment, anticipation, and panic. He seemed to want to avoid Anna's gaze but couldn't resist looking up at her.
Anna didn't say anything; she simply sat down in the chair, leaning back against its backrest, and looked at Jacob with happiness brimming in her eyes. She caught his slightly shy smile, and her own smile broadened. Then, she walked over, wrapped her arms around Jacob's neck, and planted a kiss on his lips. "Thank you."
Nestled in Jacob's embrace, Anna gazed contentedly at the chair. "It's my chair."
Jacob showered Anna's neck with a series of soft kisses, caressing her skin with his cheek. He whispered in a low voice, "Look underneath."
Kneeling down, Anna lifted the chair and saw the words underneath: "Like Crazy". A chorus of sighs, melting into happiness, echoed throughout the entire theater. "Oh."
William was taken aback, glancing around, only to see Hope and Tessa both placing their right hands over their hearts, their cheeks radiant with happiness. He shook his head in slight disgust. It was too much, indeed. Public displays of affection were more suited for girls, he thought, and this type of romance film wasn't his cup of tea.
"It's your first one," Anna tilted her head back, looking at Jacob.
Jacob's lips tugged slightly downward, suppressing his pride and satisfaction. Anna couldn't help but smile at that subtle expression, and she stood on her tiptoes to kiss Jacob's lips. "I love you," she whispered, and then kissed him again with a nearly breathless voice, "... like crazy."
Jacob stared at Anna, his eyes fixed on the woman before him.
Everything was as dreamlike as a fairy tale, immersing everyone in its beauty, reluctant to wake up. This dreamlike state lasted until the harsh reality gradually cooled the burning flames.
Anna was an exchange student from the UK. She was about to graduate and had to leave. The uncertainty of their future loomed over them. Anna's visa was expiring soon, and she needed to return to the UK for a close friend's wedding, spend a summer at home, and then reapply for a visa. Ideally, she would find a job in Los Angeles and apply for a work visa.
However, before finding a job, she had to leave. For both Anna and Jacob, this was an incredibly difficult decision. The two deeply-in-love individuals struggled with the idea of parting. They fell silent, avoiding eye contact, fearing that they might reveal their inner regret and pain, letting the silence linger in the air.
On the day before her departure, Anna and Jacob decided to spend their last night on Catalina Island.
Seeing Anna's gloomy and sad demeanor, Jacob did everything he could to make her happy. He cracked unfunny jokes, made silly faces, and even imitated the awkward waddle of penguins. Anna, pretending to read, laughed until tears streamed down her face. In that fleeting moment, Jacob impulsively wanted to follow Anna to London and spend the entire summer there, but he ultimately let go of the idea.
Jacob gifted Anna a bracelet with the word "Patience" engraved on it. Anna put it on her wrist and looked at it, her eyes slightly reddening.
In return, Anna gave Jacob a diary, using her words to record every moment they had spent together. Jacob slowly flipped through it, tears welling up in his eyes.
Then, they made love passionately, as if time would never end.
Anna couldn't bear to leave. She decided to stay, to spend the summer here, then go back for her friend's wedding, and return again to seek a job. Jacob disagreed, "Your visa..." But Anna's bright and resolute gaze softened his resolve, and he eventually nodded in agreement.
"This!" William's eyes widened, alarms blaring in his mind. "This can't be happening!" Yet, when he turned to see tears rolling down Hope's, Tessa's, and others' cheeks, their smiles of happiness radiant, and even Graham on the other side looked bewildered, they exchanged a glance. Graham shrugged, mouthing the word "love."
That was the only explanation. Like crazy, passion had consumed all rationality.
William's protests and objections suddenly vanished. He could feel the sparks flying between Jacob and Anna, the intense chemical reaction igniting everything outside of them like a wildfire. He could even sense the strong scent of hormones permeating the theater.
Everything fell into place. William couldn't argue anymore. Even though reason told him that violating the visa agreement was fatal, he could only close his mouth. At this moment, he began to understand the reason for the intense sweetness of the first twenty minutes of the movie. For the first time, he became genuinely interested in the movie's development.
They stayed in Los Angeles throughout the summer, spending every day in bed, enjoying their own world, a world of just the two of them. Then, Anna left.
In the morning, Jacob carefully prepared their favorite whiskey, along with flowers, and arrived at Los Angeles International Airport to pick her up. However, he didn't find Anna there; instead, he received a phone call from her.
She had been intercepted by customs for violating the stay agreement. As a result, she was being deported back to the UK by the Department of Homeland Security.
Jacob was like a headless fly, rushing around the airport. Anna helplessly sat in a small room at customs, making a call with tears streaming down her face. But in the end, they were both helpless.
Anna went back; Jacob went back too. Yet this time, their paths back home were divergent.