"Well done, Gary. Now, I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?" Adrian, who was behind the monitor, raised his head and looked at Gary Sinise, who was playing the role of Lieutenant Dan, and said loudly.
"Hmm …" Sinise glanced around and shrugged. "What's the good news?"
"The good news is that your image is very good. I'm very happy," Adriaan said with a smile.
"What's the bad news?" Hanks, who was standing next to Sinise, asked first.
"The bad news is that my technical consultant told me that a small part of the blue material wrapped around your leg is not in place, so we have to redo this scene." Adriaan spread his hands and raised them. Suddenly, there was a lot of crying.
They were filming the wedding of Jenny and Jenny at the end of Argan. Lieutenant Dan had brought his fiancée to attend the wedding. This scene was the first and only time that the two most important people in Argan's life, Jenny and Lieutenant Dan, would meet.
Regarding this scene, Adriaan remembered a comment saying that the two representatives of extreme views in the United States shook hands because of Argan.
Jenny undoubtedly represented the young people who were once known as the Beat Generation in the 60s and 70s in the United States. They were addicted to drugs, promiscuous, radical, and longed for freedom. They desperately wanted to stand out and be noticed by others. Lieutenant Dan, on the other hand, represented those who were conservative and traditional, and didn't want to change. For example, he believed that he should die on the battlefield, instead of becoming disabled and living on.
In the end, they all lost their life goals and confidence. On the other hand, Argan, who had the simplest outlook on life, remembered his mother's words no matter what he encountered. He always persisted in running forward and achieved success that no one else could. The comparison was ironic and meaningful.
Therefore, "Forrest Gump" was a completely American theme movie. Although the character of Forrest Gump was fictional, it was regarded by many people as the representative of the American dream: as long as you worked hard, you could succeed!
Many people actually knew that the American Dream was, to a large extent, just a painting. Yes, there were people like Steve Jobs who became successful from scratch — that was why Argan invested in the computer company that sold Apple — but there were more people like Bill Gates who had both ability and connections. There might not even be one in a hundred thousand people who started from scratch and achieved success entirely through their own efforts, unless the standards were lowered.
However, giving hope was better than giving nothing. That was why Adriaan appreciated the Oscars, even if the Film school was a bit conservative and not so fair. Just by looking at the Best Movie Awards, one would find that most movies, no matter how dark and negative the overall story was, always had a touch of bright light that gave people encouragement and hope. For example, a few years later, "American Beauty" was released. Many people said that the movie peeled off the glamorous skin of the American middle class, but after Linus died, the sentence "I am proud of my small life" sublimated the whole theme.
Therefore, a completely black film like "Seven Deadly Sins" might be outstanding, but it would never win the Oscar for Best Film. A large media group in a country would inevitably promote mainstream values, whether it was in the United States or the country Adriaan had lived in in his previous life. It was just that China took a few years to understand and get back on the right track, and the propaganda work was terrible.
There were many reasons for this. Americans were more familiar with this system and knew better how to integrate their own values and views into the story, and subtly influence people. For example, Adriaan was currently filming "The True Story of Argan".
Other than that, the strong culture and the system were also part of the reason. However, some of the Chinese filmmakers were also idiots. As someone who had been in that circle in his previous life, Adriaan relied on his innate advantages to make a name for himself in Hollywood in this life. He had every right to label some people as idiots.
Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's get back to the set. Lieutenant Dan, played by Gary Sinise, had lost his legs in Vietnam, so his legs could not be exposed during filming. Normally, it was easy to sit in a wheelchair. All he had to do was hide his legs underneath. However, for the scene at Argan's wedding, he walked with crutches and rolled up his trousers to show Argan his titanium alloy prosthetic leg. As a result, his calf had to be wrapped in a special blue cloth, and then the whole thing would be removed during post-production and replaced with a prosthetic leg. Therefore, the blue cloth had to be just right, and the slightest problem could not be allowed.
Fortunately, after another round of filming, everything went smoothly. After another round of filming, the scenes in Alabama were almost finished. The rest were just some scattered scenes and parts that needed to be reshot.
Before Adriaan left, he handed over some of the less important scenes to Richard Ryan, the assistant director. He did a good job, except for a few scenes. For example, when Jenny returned to Argan for the first time, the two came to Jenny's original home while walking in the wild. Jenny, who remembered all kinds of past events, picked up a stone angrily and threw it at the house. In the end, she fell to the ground and cried softly. Adriaan's original intention was to shoot this scene from the bottom up, to show the feeling of the sky being high and the earth far away, so as to reflect the emptiness and loss in Jenny's heart at the moment.
Although Ryan did this, the scene did not meet Adriaan's expectations, so after thinking about it, he decided to reshoot. Fortunately, the scene where Argan ordered people to knock down the hut after Jenny left had not been filmed, so they could still make use of it. Although it did not matter if it was knocked down, as it would only take a few days to build the set, why not make use of it if they could?
"You performed very well before, Linda, so you just need to remember the feeling of the past." At this time, Adriaan was talking to the female lead, Linda Dylan, about the requirements, while Tom Hanks stood next to him.
Linda Dylan, who was 25 years old, was only a second-tier actress in Hollywood. Her acting skills were not bad, and she had a good grasp of the role of Jenny. Because Adriaan's current women were not suitable for this role, he chose a random actress at first. Who knew that Richel would come to him two weeks after filming began?
Yes, the image of the drug addict and promiscuous woman that he told Richel was Jenny in "The True Story of Argan". Although it was a little strange for a British woman to play a typical American woman, Adriaan believed that if Richel performed well, she might be able to play the role well. After all, he knew her very well. It was not difficult for him to guide her to master the role. Moreover, when he said that Richel's career was narrow, it was not an alarmist statement. She was indeed very suitable for the kind of female role that was heavy on books. However, if she acted too much, it would be easy to limit herself, and it would not be easy to change. This was essentially the same as the transformation of a youth idol.
"Yes, Mr. Director, I understand." Linda nodded, then walked to the side and began to prepare her emotions.
Adriaan turned to Hanks. He did not say much to Hanks, he just patted him on the shoulder. Hanks, who had a crew cut and was wearing a blue and white checkered shirt and white trousers, also smiled and said nothing.
It had to be admitted that as an actor, Tom Hanks was indeed very good. He had a good grasp of Argan's feelings. From the beginning of filming until now, there were very few NGs, so Adriaan did not have to worry at all.
After a moment of silence, Linda, who played Jenny, suddenly picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the cabin as if to vent her anger. One stone, two stones … Finally, she slipped and fell to the ground. Then she lowered her head and cried quietly. Argan, played by Hanks, stepped forward and silently supported her.
Jenny was also a woman with dreams, but unfortunately, she was hurt by her father from the beginning. Argan's lines were already very clear: his father was very loving, and always touched her lovingly. As for what exactly this meant, whether it was domestic violence or something deeper, it was up to the audience's own understanding. In short, Jenny, who had been hurt since she was a child, developed a rebellious personality. She desperately wanted to prove herself and find her own path.
But the more she did this, the deeper the hurt. In the end, she stood on the balcony and looked down at the lights of the city. Fortunately, in Alabama, there was still a man who had always loved her, from the beginning to the end, so Jenny finally came down from the balcony. But she was still confused, even when she returned to Alabama and returned to Argan's side, until …
"Although I'm not smart, I know what love is," Argan said with some anger and sadness.
At this moment, Jenny finally understood Argan's feelings for her, and that was the reason for the rest of the story.
The scene was shot in one go, and both Linda and Hanks performed so perfectly that Adriaan directly asked them to stop with applause. After these scattered scenes were finished, the scenes in Urwell were almost finished. Then the crew moved to Montgomery, the second largest city in Alabama, to shoot some of the city scenes. There were exteriors of Argan's university, exteriors of Jenny's girls' school, and most importantly, Argan sat on a bench and told every passerby his story.
The original film was shot in different places, including North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. But Adriaan thought that since the story took place in Alabama, it should be shot in Alabama. Anyway, as long as one was willing to look, there was more than one suitable place to shoot, and the filming settings were easy to set up.
"Well done, ma 'am. Thank you for your help." On a T-shaped street in Montgomery, Adriaan said to a young black woman. She was an extra, playing the first person Argan talked to while waiting for the bus.
For these roles, Adriaan did not find too professional actors. According to him, it was more appropriate to let the locals play, so that they could better blend in with the local atmosphere.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Adriaan." The woman named Jeanne thanked Adriaan excitedly, and then enthusiastically pestered Hanks to talk. Unfortunately, she was a fan of Hanks, and a very enthusiastic one at that. What was even more unfortunate was that until now, Jeanne was really patient.
Of course, this kind of thing was left to Hanks to worry about. Adriaan immediately called the director's assistant Ray, "Ray, what about the middle-aged man I need next, who is a little fat and bald?"
"Sorry, director, we are not sure which one is suitable. Maybe you can take a look?" Ray said with a bitter face. Not only did he have to find a local actor, but he also had to have acting experience, and there were rules about the character's image. How could it be so easy to find the right one?
"Well, let me have a look." Adriaan frowned and said.
Ray quickly took the information, and after a quick look, there was no suitable one. Adriaan's frown deepened.
"Why don't we shoot the old lady's part first?" Charlize, who had been by his side, suddenly said.
Adriaan pondered for a few seconds, looked at Charlize, and then looked at Ray, and was about to agree. He also knew that it was not easy to find an extra with good acting skills. But at this moment, Hanks, who had gotten rid of the trouble, came over, "I have an idea, Eide."
"You have an idea?" Adriaan looked at him with some surprise.
"Yes." Hanks nodded, and smiled a little slyly, completely different from the simple and honest Argan.
"How about you play this role?" he said.
"Me?" The corner of Adrian's mouth twitched. "I think you're mistaken about something, Tommy. What I'm asking for is …"
"Come on, Eide, the script does not specify whether this person is tall or short, fat or thin. Why can't you make a guest appearance?" Hanks said calmly, and then without waiting for Adriaan to answer, he suddenly clapped his hands. The staff of the crew, as well as some onlookers, suddenly turned their eyes to him.
"Hey, guys, I have a suggestion..." Hanks said loudly with a smile, repeating the previous suggestion and emphasizing the reason, "... Eide is the director, and he obviously understands what the story is trying to express better than we do. And we all know that he made a guest appearance in Friends, and the effect was very good, so there is no need to worry about his acting skills. So, why can't he make a guest appearance in this role? What do you think? "
When Hanks clapped to attract attention, Adriaan had already guessed what he wanted to do, but it was too late to stop him. Besides, even if he stopped it this time, Hanks could do it next time. Could he stop him every time? So, it was better to let him say it, and then suppress it himself.
But Adriaan made two mistakes. First, he underestimated Hanks's ability to incite, and second, he overestimated his own prestige. Just as he coughed and was about to speak, Hanks clapped again and shouted loudly, "Eide! Eide! "
At first, only a few actors clapped and shouted with Hanks, but slowly, other staff joined in. Later, even Ray, who was standing next to Adriaan, did the same. Although he quickly stopped after being glared at by him, he ran to the side and began to clap and shout again.
For a moment, "Eide!", "Eide!" and the sound of clapping came one after another, causing people on the other streets to look at them. Adriaan glanced at them with a wry smile, and then looked at Charlize next to him. Although she did not clap and shout with them, she turned her head to the side, as if saying, "I don't know anything."
"Okay, okay." Adriaan had no choice but to raise his hands. If he didn't calm them down, he was afraid that he wouldn't be able to film today. "I agree to be a guest star, is that okay, everyone? I agree. Are you satisfied now? "
The whole crew cheered thunderously.
"I think I should change my directing style. I should be stricter and more unquestionable. What do you think, Matthew?" Adriaan looked at himself in the mirror and said to the makeup artist who was fiddling with his face.
"I think it's good now," Matthew said, holding back his laughter.
"Good? If I wasn't so good-tempered, would you dare to do this? "Adriaan said discontentedly.
"This means that everyone likes you, Eide." Matthew tried to make his expression look serious. "If they don't like you, how can they join in the commotion, right?"
"Ha, you finally admit that you're joining in the commotion?" Adriaan said immediately.
"Alright, Ed, you'd better let Matthew finish your makeup as soon as possible. If you delay any longer, we won't be able to finish today's progress," Charles, who was sitting next to him, said impatiently.
Adriaan glanced at her, snorted, and finally stopped talking. Matthew couldn't help but look at Charlize, but he quickly retracted his gaze and focused on the director's makeup.
After spending half a day, Adriaan finally tidied up and sat next to Hanks, who was also Forrest Gump. He was wearing a gray suit, and there was something padded under his stomach, making him look a little chubby. His face with makeup seemed to have aged a few years, turning from a young man to a middle-aged man.
"I never thought that one day I would be acting with an Oscar winner," Adriaan said after reciting his lines a few times.
"But I'm sure you knew that one day you would be directing an Oscar winner," Hanks replied with a smile.
"That's true." Adriaan shrugged and gestured to the assistant director that they could begin. He then took two deep breaths and faced Hanks to get ready.
Although he was confident that there wouldn't be too much of a problem, after all, when he was a guest star on "Friends", and the feedback from the survey after the episode was aired showed that the audience was satisfied. But when the assistant director, Richard Ryan, shouted "Start", he NG'd ten times in a row!
This scene was actually very simple. After Argan finished telling his story in Vietnam, Adriaan, who played the second passerby, asked curiously, "That was a bullet, right? The one that jumped up and bit you on the butt. "
It was a very simple sentence, but only God knew why Adriaan's performance couldn't pass the test. Not only did the assistant director think so, but Adriaan also had the same opinion after looking at the screen.
"I told you, I'm not a professional actor!" Adriaan said, half annoyed and half depressed.
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