Renly knew the movie Seth was talking about, "50/50".
Originally, the movie was named "I'm with Cancer," but later, due to the negative connotations of the word "cancer" in the title, which didn't align with the movie's tone, it was changed to "Live with It". Ultimately, it evolved into the name it had when released, "50/50".
As Seth said, the movie offered a unique perspective on cancer. Adapted from the screenwriter's personal experience, the script was particularly real and delicate.
Although cancer is no longer a terminal illness under current medical conditions, it remains one of the most challenging diseases to cure. The word "cancer" alone carries potent destructive power, easily shattering lives into pieces.
It's like facing difficulties, choices, death – everyone has the right to choose their own attitude: anger, sadness, pain, struggle, despair. And the protagonist of "50/50", Adam, who is dealing with cancer, chooses strength and optimism.
Adam isn't a robot; he has his emotions. He can be lost, angry, frustrated, sad, vulnerable. When facing the blow of cancer, he's also facing the threat of death. Yet, he chooses courage.
In his previous life, when Renly watched this movie for the first time, he felt deep resentment.
Because Adam at least had the chance to fight, while he had been deprived of that right; because Adam reflected all his flaws – cowardice, timidity, fear, hesitation; because Adam ultimately recovered, like a fairy tale, he triumphed over cancer, yet remained trapped in a hospital bed.
And because he knew better than anyone how precious Adam's courage was, how unbelievable his strength was, but he couldn't attain that for himself.
The movie projected too many personal emotions; being objective wasn't easy.
Later, after a long hiatus, Renly finally summoned the courage to watch the movie again. This time, however, he deeply appreciated it. Because he saw hope, and he saw life.
Life is always filled with hardships; cancer is just one of them. Often, people don't have the right to choose the form of their hardships. But at least, they have the right to choose their own stance and way of living.
Fate is indeed an interesting thing.
Initially, Renly missed "Horrible Bosses", missed the opportunity to participate in a comedy movie, expressing regret. This became the opportunity for Andy to accept Seth's plea to step in urgently. Then, he found another chance to perform in a comedy, albeit in a different way, and it was even a project tailored for him.
Even Andy, even Seth, even Renly himself couldn't have anticipated this turn of events.
Seth was only halfway through his introduction when Renly caught on. He knew that "50/50" had come to him in this cycle-like way.
In this movie, Renly saw many familiar shadows. He saw himself, he saw Hazel, and those children from Sinai Hospital. He also saw the motivations that kept him going – family, love, and most importantly, friendship. James McAvoy missed the opportunity on his own accord, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt missed it passively. However, Renly wouldn't miss it.
In this script, Adam cast the shadow of Will Reiser, but in Renly's eyes, Adam reflected himself. To be more precise, Renly was going to play his previous self from the previous life, Chu Jiashu.
As Seth's incessant voice continued, Renly's emotions were immersed in his own world, causing ripples.
He felt excited – it was a return to himself, just like Will. He had the chance to share his own story with the audience. He felt nervous – he was about to expose his past self in front of the camera.
He was looking forward to it – he would take method acting to the extreme while intersecting with the expressive acting style. He was apprehensive – he worried he might blur the lines between Adam, Chu Jiashu, Will, and himself.
His emotions surged so intensely that his fingertips trembled slightly. Renly straightened his posture and pulled out a box of cigarettes from under the coffee table. He took one, placed it at the corner of his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and ultimately didn't light it, letting the faint scent of tobacco linger on his fingertips. He settled down a little.
"Seth, I have a question. While you've been telling stories, you haven't delved much into the details of the character. I'm just not too sure, what kind of character is this exactly?" Renly forced himself to calm down and said with a half-joking tone.
Seth, however, was caught off guard by this question. As a screenwriter, his talent was recognized, but as an actor, he only possessed comedic talent and lacked the depth of acting. Thus, Seth didn't quite know how to answer, "Um, I'm not entirely sure, but maybe you can meet Will."
In a crisis, Seth could only come up with such a fallback plan.
But after saying it, Seth realized the words weren't quite appropriate, so he hurriedly added an explanation, "I mean, this is a very special character. Although Will projected many of his own shadows onto the character, he also gave it an artistic treatment, creating a brand-new character. This part is going to be handed over to you, for you to breathe life into the role."
Seth's brain finally connected the dots, "Entrusted to an exceptional actor like you. You know, the tone of the entire movie is determined by you. I'm just there to crack a few jokes on the side. The steering wheel, gas, and brakes are all under your control. We hope this is a story full of hope, but how it's interpreted will depend on your performance!"
It must be said that Seth's quick wit was indeed impressive. He deftly redirected the conversation, didn't reveal any specifics, and subtly praised Renly in the process, which brought a smile to Renly's face.
Renly understood the character of Adam; he understood him better than anyone else.
Adam had his sadness and struggles, but the subtle sadness never truly gained the upper hand, let alone defeated him. Underneath the facade of strength and optimism, Adam was sensitive and fragile, delicate and warm, bright and powerful. The relentless strength ran through him consistently, becoming his greatest motivation for rebirth.
Just as Seth had said, Adam set the tone for the entire movie; he was undoubtedly the soul of it.
Renly knew Adam like the back of his hand. In fact, he was worried that he knew him too well, to the point of confusing the distinction between Adam and Chu Jiashu, crossing the boundaries between Chu Jiashu and himself, and getting entangled to the point of being unable to extricate himself, ultimately disrupting the movie's tone and rhythm, leading to a disaster.
This was himself, yet not quite himself.
This challenge, a completely new challenge, a challenge of grappling with oneself, was just as powerful as "Detachment" but fundamentally different.
Seth waited for a moment, not hearing Renly's response. His mood began to feel anxious, and he hastily said, "Renly, I'm serious. The whole crew is looking forward to your participation. I know we missed you during the preparation stage, chose other actors, and it may sound like I'm making excuses now. But the truth is, I really, really, really hope that you can be part of this project."
Devoid of flowery language, Seth's words became earnest, but the sincerity in his words remained undiluted.
Renly's lips couldn't help but curl into a slight smile. "Sure, I'm willing to participate."
Renly was certain – he wouldn't reject this proposal.
Even though he knew that the box office performance of this movie was destined to be a challenge, at most reaching around $30M in North America, just like "(500) Days of Summer". Even though he knew that the prospect for awards season was unlikely to go much further, probably just making a brief appearance at the Golden Globes. Even though he knew that the buzz around this movie wouldn't compare to "Buried" or "Like Crazy".
Yet, he wouldn't refuse.
"...Uh, really?" Because Renly's acceptance came so quickly and resolutely, Seth was actually taken aback. He furrowed his brow, and his initial reaction was that Renly was joking. "Are you sure? Don't you need some more time to think? You know, filming starts in five days. You still have, uh, I'm not sure, forty-eight hours? Seventy-two hours? Think it over."
Renly understood that he had time and space to think, but he didn't need it.
"Do you need me to think it over again?" Renly smiled and asked back.
"No, no, of course not!" Seth got flustered, "Absolutely not!" He hurriedly emphasized, "Great, you agreed to participate! Excellent, everything's great! I'll call your agent now to discuss the contract's outline. We'll be shooting this film in Seattle. When can you come?"
Seth took a deep breath and his face creased, "No, no, I'll discuss all this information with your agent. What you need to do is rest well, yes, rest well! That's settled then! You will be in this project! Great, perfect! Couldn't be better!"
As he spoke, Seth couldn't help but scream in excitement, "Jesus Christ, I can't believe it, you've really agreed to be in the film! Renly, even though we've never met, I have to say, I love you. You're my superhero. My Mr. Fireman!"
The uncontainable excitement in his voice infected Renly through the phone, and a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
This film was extraordinary to Seth, and now his elation and joy made sense. It was clear that the friendship he had with Will was truly touching.
After screaming his heart out for a while, Seth gasped for breath, "Sorry... huh, sorry, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you. I hope you won't regret your decision after hearing it."