Actor in Hollywood

Anson's mind was in turmoil.

Heath had thrown out a suggestion that effortlessly made the film's stormy scenes flow more smoothly, more completely, more richly, releasing an incredible energy and breathing vivid life into the characters and plot.

Rachel was utterly stunned.

Heath was visibly excited.

However.

After the brief mental storm subsided, Anson grasped a thread of rationality.

"But, if we do that, Tommy's motivations and state of mind won't be complete."

Anson had found a blind spot.

Indeed, Heath's solution made Evan's arc whole. But this method wasn't fundamentally different from the way the two screenwriters had originally crafted the script; it was still using dramatic tension to cover up the narrative's underlying flaws.

As long as there's enough drama, the audience won't notice the gaps in the narrative or the missing arcs.

Sure, you could do that.

And it would work! A hundred percent, no problem.

Plus, Tommy is a supporting character. Sacrificing the fullness of a supporting character's arc to make the protagonist Evan complete would already improve the film's quality.

Heath paused. "Isn't that enough?"

Anson looked at Heath with earnest eyes. "Is that the best we can do? Are you sure?"

Heath stared at Anson, the words rolling around in his throat, but for once, he swallowed them back and said nothing.

Rachel: She felt like Heath might swing at Anson any second now. Is this normal? Does she really not need to call for help?

But Anson wasn't fazed. He changed the subject.

"Maybe we just need to slightly alter Tommy's state of mind."

"Tommy, who's lived his entire life in hell, initially just wanted to teach Evan a lesson, make him back off, just like when they were kids."

"But standing in front of Evan and Keller, he suddenly realizes that Keller has always been protecting Evan. Keller used to protect him in front of their father, but now Keller is protecting Evan in front of him, which makes him deeply uneasy."

"And that's when a twisted thought pops into his head."

The words hung in the air—

Heath's thoughts were back on track, running at full speed again.

And not just Heath—Rachel was finally keeping pace with the conversation.

With this change, in just this small scene, the arcs of Evan, Keller, and Tommy all become fuller and more complete.

For Keller, protecting her brother is instinctual. Falling in love with Evan and protecting him is the same. When her brother, in his confused state, shows up, her instinctive action is not just to protect Evan but also to prevent Tommy from making a mistake. She doesn't want to see anyone get hurt.

But things don't go as she wishes.

Tommy misunderstands her intentions and sees her protection as a sign that she's choosing Evan, so he ruthlessly attacks, leading directly to the ensuing tragedy where she sees the man she loves lose control and accidentally kill her brother.

In Keller's world, her despair and breakdown are no less intense than anyone else's, which also becomes the reason Evan tries to go back in time to change everything once again.

At the same time, for Evan and Tommy, both of them experience rapid psychological changes during the brief, chaotic conflict. But now, their emotions are no longer one-dimensional—

It's not just anger, not just impulsiveness, but a full and complex character arc.

In just one scene, all three characters would come to life in a complete and vivid way.

And all three actors would have a chance to shine within the limited space.

In an instant, ideas were surging.

Rachel: ...

A silent "Wow" echoed in her mind, but no sound escaped her lips.

Rachel hadn't fully recovered from the chemistry of the first scene that felt almost too real, and now she was being swept up in a whirlwind of creative inspiration:

Who knew actors could interpret a story this way? Who knew characters could be developed like this? Who knew actors didn't need to challenge the director or change the script to discover a whole new world within the confines of their roles? Who knew the world of acting had such depth?

Ideas were surging.

It was so explosive, so overwhelming, that even her praise felt cheap, stuck in her throat without a sound.

Just seconds ago, Rachel had thought Anson and Heath were both crazy. But now, she was being swept up in their storm of madness.

And yet, this feeling... wasn't so bad. Rachel was starting to crave it, her thoughts scattering in the storm, pushing open the door to a whole new world.

Meanwhile, Heath was lost in thought, letting his inspiration grow.

Finally, he slowly looked up, a hint of admiration in his eyes—

Sure enough, he hadn't misjudged Anson.

When all of Hollywood was calling Anson a pretty face, an idol, a symbol, Heath always held a different view. He believed Anson was an actor with ideas, even though he hadn't delved deep into it.

Anson taking on "Spider-Man" was like Heath taking on "10 Things I Hate About You"—starring in an idol movie didn't mean the actor had no ideas.

So, when Anson invited Heath to collaborate, he agreed without hesitation.

Now it seemed his judgment was correct.

Heath felt a bit proud. He knew his instincts about people were spot-on.

But outwardly, Heath remained composed, quietly watching Anson. He didn't comment or judge Anson's elaborate speech, instead, he suddenly asked,

"Is that the best we can do? Are you sure?"

Using Anson's own words against him, Heath had been planning this.

However, Anson wasn't rattled. "No, I'm not sure, but I'm all ears."

After speaking, Anson even made an inviting gesture, his face showing genuine interest, putting Heath in an awkward position.

"Ahem."

Heath coughed twice to clear his throat.

"No need, I was just checking."

One sentence nearly made Rachel break character. She quickly lowered her head to hide her smile.

Heath was a little embarrassed.

No matter what the future holds, right now Heath was just a young man, stubbornly defending himself, trying to justify his stance.

"The script has limited space, and it doesn't allow us to create more layers, or things would get chaotic. So, I think Anson's interpretation is pretty solid."

After finishing, he gave a slight nod, as if to say, "I approve."

Rachel didn't argue, her face full of obedience, tilting her head as if listening intently, then slightly raising her chin, showing a serious expression as if she was listening to a masterclass.

That expression successfully made Heath slightly uncomfortable.

Meanwhile, Anson's eyes showed a trace of a smile, and he perfectly timed his words to ease Heath out of the situation.

"One step at a time."

"Shaping a character is like telling a story; it can't and shouldn't be done all at once."

"Just like we were saying earlier."

"Evan always assumes the problem is somewhere else, so he keeps going back in time to solve it, hoping to find true happiness."

"But things don't go as planned."

"Every time Evan goes back, it only leads to tragedy. Forget happiness—the situation only gets worse, more chaotic."

"Until finally, he realizes: What if he's the root of the problem? What if there was never a problem to solve in the first place? What if the perfect life never existed at all?"

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