The Best Director

Chapter 62: Chapter 62 Happiness

Translator: 549690339

“Huff, huff!”

Wang Yang’s face was etched in pain as he slept, his fists clenched tightly. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, waking from the nightmare drenched in sweat, his breath slightly hurried. Thinking back on the scene from his dream, he couldn’t help but run his fingers through his hair and muttered with a wry smile, “Damn…”

Wang Yang glanced outside the window; the sky was still a murky, gloomy blur. He then looked at the bedside alarm clock; it was just past five in the morning. He lay in bed, hands behind his head, pondering the screenplay for “Juno” and the issue of casting “Juno.”

“Searching for Juno” had been going on for nearly two weeks now. Wang Yang was now, after all, a “magical director.” “High School Musical” had turned Jessica and Rachel into the new generation of popular idols, and even Zoe Deschanel, who played the pianist, had gained numerous fans. He was now preparing to shoot a new high school movie. Naturally, there were countless girls who wanted to become Juno.

In this period, Wang Yang interviewed dozens of famous or semi-famous actresses of the right age. Among them, he also received several sexual advances from some of the girls whom he rejected without hesitation. How could a girl with that kind of mindset perform Juno well? As for those who were serious, they too were eventually turned down by him, not even one was passable. The issue wasn’t their appearance or aura, but their acting skills and understanding of “Juno.”

If he hadn’t seen Ellen Page’s performance, he might have found a candidate quickly. For instance, Christina Ricci, who had performed in “Mermaids,” was quite skilled; but after witnessing Page’s genius-level acting, the gap became apparent. Juno was not just a “sprite”; she evolved from a capricious, strong- willed girl, dealing with various issues during her pregnancy and experiencing the divorce of the adoptive parents, learning and understanding more, with her mindset gradually changing, becoming mature and brave in the face of it all.

Throughout this process, Juno would talk tough, getting jealous of Paulie going to parties; she would also feel sad, and cry… All these elements combined are what made Juno.

But no girl could fully and effectively portray all these aspects. They just hadn’t truly grasped the character of Juno, who was tough on the outside but tender at

heart.

Regarding this, Wang Yang had prepared mentally early on. It’s not like he could find a performing prodigy just anywhere on the street; otherwise, stars wouldn’t command such high salaries. There was only one Ellen Page, and she was currently 12 years old. It was also one of the reasons he increased the male lead Paulie’s role, for the male lead needed highlights too, to share some of the pressure Juno bore in carrying the movie. However, Paulie’s role was not a solo show; more often, he was there to complement Juno and complete the transition of mindsets together.

Now, those talent agencies couldn’t recommend any good candidates either, so Wang Yang and Flame Films had no choice but to widen the casting scope. They set an appointment with the actors’ union to hold the casting at Flame Films, allowing all the age-appropriate girls who were willing to audition to come and try.

Today was the first day of the needle-in-a-haystack search. Wang Yang lay in bed thinking for a long time until daylight brightened before getting up. After a lovely morning, he drove to the company and took a seat in the chairman’s office to continue writing, awaiting the arrival of the audition time, 930.

“Knock, knock, knock- ” Suddenly, there was a knock on the office door. Wang Yang, seated in the swivel chair, didn’t look up as he focused on the computer screen, saying, “Come in.”

Mark Slante, wearing a black suit, walked in, greeted with a smile, “Hey, boss. He sat down in the chair in front of the desk. Wang Yang looked at him and asked, “Mark, what’s up? The auditions haven’t started yet, have they? Glancing at the time, it was only 9 o’clock.

Mark Slante nodded with a smile, “It hasn’t started, but many girls have already arrived; the company is turning into a girls’ school.” Wang Yang snapped his fingers and chuckled, “Good, the more girls attend the audition, the higher the chance of finding Juno.” But Mark Slante seemed somewhat skeptical, “Boss, to be honest, I’m not very optimistic about this audition.” “Those out there are just ordinary girls; their acting skills are very limited.” Mark Slante spread his hands and looked at Wang Yang, “You know, what you need is a prodigy, and prodigies are usually famous already, starting their acting careers even before they’re out of diapers.” He shrugged and continued, “Then, at 16 or 17? Do you think they’ll participate in such a large-scale casting call? They might already be Oscar-winning actresses by now.”

Wang Yang frowned and fell silent for a moment before saying, “Mark, I know that, but what other choice do we have now? We have to try.

“Actually, I do have a pretty good candidate in mind.” Mark Slante crossed his legs, looking rather pleased with himself. Seeing his expression, Wang Yang couldn’t help but smile, “Who? An artist from your days as an agent?” Mark Slante shook his head, laughing exaggeratedly, “Wow, if I were her agent, I would’ve become a top agent long ago; maybe I’d be living in Beverly Hills by now.” Wang Yang laughed and asked, “Really impressive; who is this girl? Mark Slante quickly replied, “Natalie Portman.”

“Natalie?” Wang Yang was taken aback. He should have guessed it, Natalie Portman? He immediately frowned and said, “No, that won’t do.”

Mark Slante, having apparently anticipated this reaction, smiled and spread his hands, “Why not? We all know, she’s a prodigious actress, and there’s no one her age in Hollywood who can act better than her right now.” Wang Yang didn’t argue, conceding without a doubt that Natalie Portman was indeed a prodigious actress, but still… he paused, then explained, “Natalie doesn’t fit the physical and temperamental profile for Juno; and her acting style might not be able to capture Juno.”

“Please, your reason is so lame, I know you can’t even convince yourself, Mark Slant said with an indifferent laugh, looking at the silently pensive Wang Yang, he continued, “Yang, I understand what you’re thinking, is it because of that scandal? Oh!” He touched his forehead and said, “My young boss, you’ve always been so mature and rational, but this time, you’re acting like a shy little boy. You should know, work is work, everything should prioritize the movie!” “Mark…” Wang Yang, feeling helpless, crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair, spinning around, but couldn’t come up with a reason.

In terms of appearance and temperament, Natalie Portman and Ellen Page were definitely two different types, but Natalie’s figure and looks fit the requirements of a high school student, and she could be very lively when she smiled; the key aspect of acting ability, Natalie and Ellen Page were quite evenly matched. Her acting style? A genius actress, facing different scripts and roles, would have her own understanding and performance, and Natalie’s style was simply superb. At least before the auditions, no one knew if she could play

Juno.

But Wang Yang did indeed have some concerns about that outrageous scandal, not that he was worried about media making up stories, but if Natalie Portman were to play Juno, Jessica would definitely be very upset… Was he not being rational enough? Wang Yang frowned for a while, suddenly thought of something, and burst into laughter, saying, “Mark, we’ve been too presumptuous. Even if I invited Natalie to play Juno, she wouldn’t accept! She said in the newspapers that she wants to focus on studying at Harvard, and besides the Star Wars series, she won’t take on new films for the next few years.”

Mark Slant slapped his forehead with an “Oh” and showed a face full of regret, then rolled his eyes and said, “Boss, you think I didn’t know that? But I still recommend her.” He paused and said earnestly, “As far as I know, this girl, when faced with a good script, sometimes doesn’t even care about the remuneration; the key is whether you can move her.” He slowed down his tone and said, “Contact her.”

“No!” Wang Yang rejected promptly, glanced at the time and saw it was about time, stood up and said, “Let’s have a look at the auditions first, maybe I can find a Juno.” Mark Slant also stood up, shrugged his shoulders and said, “God bless you.”

Leaving the office, Wang Yang and Mark Slant headed towards the audition room. In the corridor, the lobby, and other areas, indeed, there were already girls everywhere, blondes, brunettes, brunettes… Many girls greeted him with a smiling “Yang!” Wang Yang glanced over, slightly dazzled by the sight, he smiled at the girls, then turned his gaze back and walked into the audition room.

“Let’s start, let the girls come in,” Wang Yang, sitting behind a judges’ desk, said to his secretary Fiona Hassan. Next to him sat Mark Slant and a casting director from the actors’ union, Ms. Jackson; they were just there to assist, the final decision was in Wang Yang’s hands. Fiona nodded and went out to call the girls to come in, one by one.

Wang Yang, looking down at a list of casting requirements he compiled himself, then heard the door close and the “tap tap tap” of footsteps. He lifted his head to look at the girl who walked in, and his calm face froze. He saw that the Caucasian girl, with her light blonde, soft, long hair, had a pretty face with a few freckles, and an aura of tranquility about her…

The girl walked over, greeted the judges with a self-assured smile and said, “Hi, everyone, my name is Annie Darren.” She handed her resume to Wang Yang, gave him a slight smile and said, “Director.

“Oh,” Wang Yang took the resume, staring at her without blinking. His heart was racing, it was Annie, Annie Darren… Before his eyes, there emerged the scene from underneath the dim streetlights, the girl crying in utter despair, her body trembling. And the face he would never forget, full of desolate beauty, along with that phrase, “Director, should I go home?”

The face of the girl in front of him slowly merged with the memory, Wang Yang’s breathing started to get choppy. He was trying to control the unexpected excitement inside him. Looking at Annie Darren with a smile, he couldn’t help but silently thank God in his heart. He suddenly broke into laughter, happy and relieved, tightly clutching Annie’s resume, murmuring, “Annie, Annie…” His eyes were filled with brightness as he said, “Do you remember me?”

Annie ahead nodded, flashing a bright smile, her voice softly answering, “Director, I think I will never forget you.”

Wang Yang grinned, his heart beating very fast. He tilted his head back, glanced around, and noticed the company’s LOGO on the wall, the pale yellow moth- that represented the girl named Annie Darren.

Mark Stronget and Ms. Jackson were watching Wang Yang and Annie curiously, listening to them, it seemed they had known each other for a long time? Of course, Mark Stronget was the interviewer for “Paranormal Activity,” but he had completely forgotten this ordinary girl. Mark curiously asked, “Hey, you two know each other?”

“Yes, old friends,” Wang Yang briefly replied, and while opening Annie’s resume, he smiled at her and said, “You’re always the earliest to arrive. But actually, arriving too early isn’t good, there’s nothing to compare to.” Annie smiled with her head slightly lowered, not saying a word. Wang Yang flipped through her resume, feeling a sense of familiarity. She was born on December 4,1978, and hasn’t yet celebrated her 21st birthday. She started performing arts in high school, acting in several school and local stage plays. After graduating high school, she came to Hollywood. Her acting experience was…

Looking at those couple of obscure movie titles listed, seeing those minor roles with names, Wang Yang found himself unable to control the tight fist he made, filled with joy and excitement, as if he himself had achieved victory! After a good while, Wang Yang closed the resume and said with a smile, “Annie, I don t know how to say this, you are a wonderful girl… Let’s start the audition. You re portraying a girl who is careless, very casual. I think you’ve already looked over the profile for the character Juno, please show me how she walks.”

“Alright,” Annie closed her eyes, thought for a moment, then started walking around the room. She swung her arms vigorously, taking large strides, with an indifferent expression on her face.

Wang Yang instantly felt a pang of regret. It was too much. Although her facial expressions had reduced the influence of stage acting, her body language was still too exaggerated. Of course, the walking posture was just one aspect, he could forcefully correct her to walk as he required, but that would be meaningless. Annie’s understanding of the character and her grasp of the performance clearly couldn’t handle Juno.

Next, Wang Yang had Annie try out Juno’s way of speaking and a few of her expressions, all of which had the same problem of being over the top. Annie turned Juno into a peculiar girl who brought opera into everyday life, rather than a witty and genuine one.

Looking at Annie’s calm face, the words that used to come out so easily suddenly stuck in his throat. Wang Yang took a deep breath and managed to say, “Annie, I’m sorry, you’re not suitable for this role.”

“Oh.” Annie’s face flashed with a hint of regret, but she quickly smiled and said, “Director, I understand.” She took back her resume passed from Wang Yang and said to him and Mark Strong, Jackson Miss, “Then, goodbye.” With that, she turned and left.

Just as Annie was about to open the door and step out, Wang Yang suddenly stood up and called out, “Annie!” Annie stopped and looked back at him, Wang Yang walked over, handed her his phone, and said with a smile, “Give me your number.” Annie uttered an “Oh,” took his phone, typed a string of numbers, then gave it back to him, and said with a serene smile, “There.”

On the other side, Mark Strong shrugged at Miss Jackson and said, “Old friend.” Miss Jackson also shrugged and replied, “I know, old friend.”

Wang Yang looked at “Annie-Darren” in his phone’s contacts and couldn’t help but smile. He walked back to the table and loudly called out, “Next!”

Throughout the day, Wang Yang interviewed several hundred girls, eventually group-interviewing them in batches of five, but just as Mark Strong had unfortunately predicted, he found no gems. None of the girls’ acting skills were up to Christina Ricci’s level, much less comparable to Ellen Page’s. By five in the afternoon, Wang Yang had wrapped up a day of auditions. He called Annie- Darren and invited her to have dinner; he wanted to see that girl again and have a good chat about her recent situation.

Annie-Darren accepted his invitation and informed him of her location; Wang Yang then drove to pick her up.

in an elegant restaurant, Wang Yang and Annie sat in a corner, and a waiter in a suit asked them, “Sir, Miss, what would you like to eat?” Wang Yang glanced at the menu and asked Annie, “Steak okay?” The ordinarily quiet Annie shook her head and said with a smile, “No, I don’t eat beef.” Wang Yang then asked, “How about two pastas?” Annie nodded.

After the waiter left, Annie explained to Wang Yang, “I grew up on a farm, and I think cows are very human-like animals. They are very emotional, as if they understand what you say.” She shook her head with a gentle smile and continued, “That’s why I hate the farm. My dad always took those old cows that no longer produced milk to the slaughterhouse. I used to cry about it all the time as a child; I wanted to escape from there.”

Wang Yang silently listened to her words, feeling a bit awkward. As a chef’s son and the third generation of a restaurant family, he had prepared beef dishes more than once or twice. But he could understand Annie’s sentiments-it was likely the same as if someone wanted to slaughter his beloved dog. He wouldn t cry but would fight that person fiercely. Looking at the silent Annie across from him, he smiled and said, “Annie, it’s really nice to see you today. It’s great that you didn’t go home.” Annie smiled, and Wang Yang asked with another smile, “It’s been over a year, have you been okay?”

“I’ve been great,” Annie nodded and replied happily, “I’ve had two opportunities to perform, both with speaking parts, as you saw on my resume.” Wang Yang smiled and said, “Yeah, that’s awesome.” Annie suddenly became serious, and said softly, “Director, thank you. It was your words that kept me going.”

“Annie…” Wang Yang felt a warmth in his heart and was about to say something. Just then, the waiter brought their two plates of spaghetti, said “Enjoy your meal” and left. Annie picked up her fork and smiled, “You know? I was really shocked when I saw the frenzy over’ Paranormal Activity,’ I knew it was your movie, it’s just unbelievable, you’re amazing.” She twirled some spaghetti into her mouth and said, “Rachel McAdams was really good, and then I understood what you mean by a natural performance, and I’ve been doing it

ever since.”

Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh, he also picked up his fork and twirled some spaghetti, saying with an amused expression, “Actually, Rachel is like you, greatly influenced by stage plays, it’s just that she knows how to control it.” He continued with his suggestion, “Annie, maybe you should specifically look for those more exaggerated roles to audition for; or work hard to rid yourself of the influence of stage plays.”

“Mm.” Annie nodded and said, “I’ve been thinking the same, that’s why I got those two roles.” She flashed a smile and said, “I’m also working hard to shed that stage style, just that I’m a bit clumsy.” She shrugged and laughed, “I don’t even know if I’ve made any progress.”

“You have made progress, your facial expressions have become much more natural,” Wang Yang complimented her, saying warmly, “Annie, keep it up. Annie nodded and smiled, “Thankyou, I will.”

The two quietly ate their spaghetti for a while. Wang Yang watched the girl opposite him, feeling very peaceful and comfortable. A question he had pondered for a long, long time suddenly cleared up; he had been so scared that this girl was still struggling in pain; on the other hand, he was afraid she had gone home, but now here she was, in front of him, she had persisted and played two roles.

The moth that flutters towards the flame had, through its own efforts, escaped the darkness and arrived at the idyllic fields, how wonderful.

Wang Yang was reminded of the figure limping away and, looking at Annie Darren taking small bites of her spaghetti, he suddenly said, “Annie, I’m sorry, that day I didn’t stop that guy from hitting you.” This incident had always been like a thorn in his heart; he always thought that if he had run faster, he could have prevented that slap and that kick. He had only ever been good at fighting, but never protected anyone, maybe except for Jessica when they were kids.

“It’s okay, Director,” Annie stopped, her eyes filled with the light of memories, “I just couldn’t let him take my bag.” She shook her head with a smile, “At that time, I couldn’t afford my rent any more, all my money was in that bag, over a hundred US dollars, it was all I had.” Wang Yang silently nodded, Annie looked down and added, “During that time, I kept thinking about suicide, it was too hard, I didn’t want to go home, but I felt so useless. Director, that night I was standing on the rooftop of my building, I was about to jump.”

Wang Yang’s heart clenched tightly, even seeing her still alive and well before him, he still felt very distressed. He took a deep breath and said, “Annie, I’m so glad you didn’t jump.”

“At that time, I was thinking, what kind of idiot am I, why have I become such a person, what am I really chasing after? To be a star? A love of acting? Dreams? Annie frowned in self-mockery, “It’s so ridiculous, I’m not worthy, my parents were right, going to Hollywood was seeking death, I’m an idiot, I deserved to die. Then I stepped onto the railing, the wind was very strong.” Wang Yang frowned, but as Annie got to this point, she suddenly burst into a radiant smile, “But then I thought of you, your words ‘if you like it, you should persist, I don t think anyone can take away my pursuit of film, not even God, I don’t want to grow old and have regrets’.”

Hearing her repeat his words verbatim, Wang Yang felt fulfilled and happy. He thanked God that he hadn’t said “Go home,” because if he had, would Annie have jumped?

“I love to act, but if I jumped, would I get anything?” Annie shook her head with a smile and said, “Nothing at all; only then I would truly be an idiot. Maybe I’d meet God, and He would say, ‘You idiot, why did you jump? If you had just held on a little longer, you could have gotten the role!”‘ She burst into laughter, and Wang Yang chuckled along before she continued, “I keep telling myself to hold on! That director spoke true; if you love it, you’ve got to keep at it. Whatever the goal, whatever the dream, you have to fight for it before it can come true.” She paused then softly added, “Director, thank you.”

Annie’s smile was so sweet, and her freckles so endearing, that Wang Yang couldn’t help but smile back and said, “Don’t thankme, Annie. Thank yourself.”

“Okay, thank you, Annie,” she said playfully with a smile before taking a bite of her spaghetti and adding, “Do you know? When I finally got my first role, even though it was only five lines, my feelings…” She paused, still excited and thrilled, and continued, “I can’t describe the joy, it was just so amazing!” A look of unforgettable delight flashed across Wang Yang’s eyes, and he said, “I know, I completely understand. It was the same feeling when I got the distribution contract with Lionsgate. Wow, it was amazing, feeling like you re completely enveloped in happiness, that it was all worth it.” “Happiness,” Annie affirmed with a smile as she looked at him, “That’s what it is, happiness.”

Wang Yang nodded in agreement and confirmed, “Yeah, happiness, we’ve both found it.”

After an enjoyable dinner, Wang Yang drove Annie Darren back to her place before returning to his own home. It was very late, but Jessica was sitting on the living room sofa, watching TV. She looked up at Wang Yang and smiled, “Yang.” He had told her he would be home late, but she had wanted to see him before going to bed.

“Hey,” Wang Yang walked over and kissed her deeply, then jumped onto the sofa to wrap his arms around her as he watched the talk show on TV and exclaimed, “Oh, today’s guest is Jim Carrey? Damn, I missed half of it.” Jessica leaned into his embrace, laughing along with the talk show, but after a while, Wang Yang quieted down. She looked up at him and asked softly, Yang, what are you thinking about?”

“Jessie, I had a dream last night,” Wang Yang said with a slight smile, tightening his arms around her. Jessica, intrigued, asked, “What dream?” Wang Yang looked into her eyes and replied, “I dreamt we were just regular high school students, you had given birth to Juno, and we had to raise her ourselves. But our families, everyone, was against us, saying we weren’t cut out for it. Obviously we weren’t, we had no money, got kicked out of our apartment by the landlord, and you couldn’t take it anymore, you left me.”

Jessica’s brow furrowed immediately, interrupting him, “No, I wouldn’t do that, I would never leave you.”

“I know, it was just a dream. The ‘you’ in it even had blonde hair,” Wang Yang chuckled before continuing, “Then I was left with Juno, down and out on the streets. During the day, I kept chasing my dream of directing, peddling ‘Paranormal Activity’ DVDs everywhere; at night, I’d take Juno and fight for a spot in a shelter, but when we couldn’t find one, we had to sleep in a subway station bathroom…”

As he spoke, an idea in Wang Yang’s mind grew clearer, and he suddenly said, “Jessica, I saw Annie Darren today; I had dinner with her.” Jessica, still listening to his dream, was caught off guard by the change of subject, and asked puzzled, “Annie Darren?” Wang Yang nodded and explained, “Yeah, remember, the first girl who came to audition on the ‘Paranormal Activity’ audition day.” Jessica thought for a moment, then shook her head, “I don t remember very well, a vague impression, but I’m not sure. What about her?” “She’s doing well,” Wang Yang said with a smile, “She’s found her happiness. Jessica, I’m really happy for her; I’m proud of her.” Jessica looked puzzled and asked, “Why?” So Wang Yang recounted everything that had happened but didn’t mention Annie’s attempt at suicide, as it was a personal secret after all.

Jessica seemed to understand, and before she could say anything, Wang Yang clenched his fist enthusiastically and exclaimed, “Jessica, I want to make another movie, a story about the pursuit of happiness!” Jessica looked stunned and asked, “What about ‘Juno’?” Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders and smiled, “Of course we’ll make that too! Both of them.”