"Cut!"
Gary's voice broke the scene.
Despite his strong reluctance to interrupt the filming, it was the right moment to call it.
Brilliant, simply brilliant!
A single glance, a single smile—that was enough. It not only revealed Michael's crush on Mia but also showcased the trust he placed in her.
He had seen the resilience and courage within her, and through the music, he had drawn out that inner strength, encouraging her to sing with confidence.
Even though it was just a simple music class, just a chorus of students, Mia had found herself amidst the adversity.
And!
There was a give-and-take—
Anne Hathaway, caught off guard, could still feel the energy Anson was sending her way. She didn't shy away or lose her composure; instead, she immersed herself in the character, absorbing that energy, and developed it further, creating a beautiful arc in the performance.
This is what it means to act together.
Two young, relatively inexperienced actors had joined forces to deliver this scene, sparking chemistry that made the entire storyline fuller and richer.
The emotions and content suddenly deepened, adding layers to the scene's purpose and function. This could become the first seed of impression Michael planted in Mia's heart, quietly taking root.
Wonderful!
Gary couldn't contain his excitement. Who could refuse such work?
Inspiration is born from such moments.
"Great!"
Gary gave a thumbs-up, not holding back his applause for the two actors.
Around them, the bustling crew turned their attention to Gary, then to Anson, their envy and jealousy growing. They hadn't expected Anson to pull it off again.
But Gary wasn't concerned with those glances; his focus was entirely on Anne and Anson.
"Anne, that was beautiful!"
Gary praised her.
"Next, we'll need to change the camera angle for a close-up. The eye contact and emotion you just had were perfect, so keep going with that."
With just a few brief words, Gary gave a simple direction and then moved on to change the camera setup. After spending another half hour, they finally completed the scene. From Gary's expression and movements, it was clear he was very pleased.
To Gary, wasn't this obvious?
Michael's first appearance let the audience in on his feelings.
Michael's second appearance created a meaningful interaction with Mia.
These elements were present in the script but felt flat and rough, lacking a clear thread and detailed depth.
But now, without altering the script, Anson had found subtle yet effective ways to breathe life into Michael, giving the character room to grow and evolve, even capturing the storyline and crafting a perfect character arc.
Michael was no longer just a character; he had become a fully realized, vibrant individual with his own storyline and development arc. Was this really happening?
—Wow!
What else could you say?
This is what every director dreams of from an actor—to not only meet all expectations but to inspire even more creativity, sparking a brainstorming session in the director's mind, leading to new ideas, and finally challenging the actor with more demands.
Gary had been in Hollywood for over forty years. He had heard of such actors but had never encountered one himself. The feeling was exhilarating beyond simple words.
Gary had an idea.
Of course, Gary wasn't planning to add more scenes for Anson. He was seasoned and wise enough to know that adding a romantic subplot could disrupt the balance and completeness of the narrative, potentially leading to disastrous results.
But Gary was willing to weave a subtle thread of emotional interaction between Michael and Mia within the existing framework, making the love story's eventual resolution more convincing. Now, he needed to challenge Anson with more demands.
He wondered if this young actor could rise to the challenge.
Gary was eager to find out.
"Cut!"
The scene was completely filmed, and Gary satisfactorily announced the end. He stood up from behind the monitor and walked towards Anson again.
The crew had witnessed this scene more than once, but every time they saw it, they couldn't help but be surprised -
Anson wasn't even the main character.
In terms of screen time, he wouldn't even rank in the top five in this movie. But since filming started, Gary had never concealed his appreciation for Anson. Was this normal?
"Anson."
Gary's eyes revealed a touch of admiration and affection, as if looking at his own grandson -
Don't misunderstand, it's literally that kind.
"Very good, it seems this is the real surprise you prepared for today."
Anson showed a smile, "I'm just trying to be an actor."
"Haha." Gary was amused by Anson's words, confident but not arrogant, "Then, there's another test, and I'm also looking forward to the surprise."
Anson's eyes lit up: Here it comes!
Just like Sandra Oh's performance in "Grey's Anatomy," through his understanding of the character, the plot, and the entire blueprint framework, Anson injected life into the character, making him/her no longer a tool for reciting lines written by the screenwriter, but a person with his/her own thinking ability.
When a character has vitality, it's not the character following the plot, but the plot naturally extending from the character.
Now, Anson had done it too.
Anson showed a smile, didn't speak, just looked at Gary confidently, expressing his determination with his eyes, and waited quietly.
Gary nodded satisfactorily, "You should know Michael's next scene, right?"
Anson nodded, "Yes, the garage."
In "The Princess Diaries," all of Michael's scenes revolved around Mia, serving Mia's storyline.
Mia's mother bought her a 1966 Ford Mustang, which was her number one treasure.
Because in the US, you can get a driver's license at sixteen, Mia had been waiting to get her license after her sixteenth birthday so she could drive herself.
However, this old Mustang needed repairs, a lot of help, and Mia left the Mustang at the repair shop, hoping professionals could bring it back to life.
It just so happened that Michael also worked at the repair shop.
The next scene was a rare moment alone between Michael and Mia, and also Michael's third official appearance in the movie.
A very important scene.
In the script, Mia was very depressed because of the high repair costs. She wasn't sure if she could afford it, and then Michael told the repair shop owner that he could waive the labor costs for his work.
In other words, this was still a scene where Michael further expressed his crush on Mia. Even the repair shop owner could see it, but Mia still couldn't.
In the existing script, that was the plot, nothing more -
Michael's first three appearances, all scenes were in the same tone, expressing his crush on Mia in different ways.
But now, the situation had changed slightly.
In the first and second scenes, Michael had already developed vitality. Gary felt that maybe the third scene could be further developed.
Fifth update.