Anson believes that the character in The Butterfly Effect has the potential to develop a grotesque, profound, and complex portrayal comparable to There Will Be Blood. However, he knows that potential alone doesn't guarantee it will actually happen. This largely depends on the director's vision and how much room the script allows for such depth.
From the outset, The Butterfly Effect and There Will Be Blood have different focal points. But it's undeniable that Evan, the main character in The Butterfly Effect, has untapped potential for deeper exploration.
In the original timeline, Ashton Kutcher played the lead role in The Butterfly Effect. Born in 1978, Kutcher is a quintessential heartthrob actor. Despite his limited acting abilities, Kutcher has had a remarkable career. He started as a model, featuring in numerous magazine spreads and even landing a CK campaign, along with runway shows in Paris and Milan.
At twenty, Kutcher moved to Los Angeles, quickly securing a role in That '70s Show thanks to his good looks and charming persona. His career has been relatively smooth, with little adversity. He went on to star in a string of romantic comedies like Just Married,Guess Who,Valentine's Day,Killers, and No Strings Attached, becoming a beloved figure among mainstream audiences. Later, he replaced Charlie Sheen on Two and a Half Men after Sheen's off-screen controversies led to his dismissal, maintaining a steady career.
However, in his fifteen-year acting career, Kutcher never managed to break free from his image as a handsome face with limited range. His stiff, unexpressive acting and somewhat over-the-top soap opera style confined him to similar roles repeatedly, much like Adam Sandler, who was also stuck in a typecast for thirty years. Yet, in 2019, Sandler made a comeback with Uncut Gems, a low-budget independent film that showcased his acting prowess. Kutcher, on the other hand, attempted to reinvent himself in the 2013 biopic Jobs but failed, receiving poor reviews.
In November of the same year, Kutcher made an unexpected career shift by joining Lenovo as a product engineer. Surprisingly, despite his lackluster acting, Kutcher proved to be a successful entrepreneur and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley. He founded his own investment firm, backing companies like Uber, Airbnb, and Skype, turning an initial $30 million into a $250 million net worth in just six years.
While people might critique his acting or gossip about his sixteen-year age gap marriage to Demi Moore, or his subsequent relationship with Mila Kunis that led him to gradually step away from Hollywood after 2013, Kutcher has always lived life on his own terms, enjoying every moment.
Now, back to The Butterfly Effect. In this film, Kutcher delivered a standard performance, adhering strictly to the director's guidance without bringing much depth or complexity to the role. His portrayal was more like a puppet executing the director's instructions.
From the finished product, it's evident that the movie didn't aim to develop the character's growth arc. The intense, dramatic narrative captured the audience's attention, making Kutcher's lackluster performance less noticeable. Kutcher didn't make any glaring mistakes, but at the same time, he didn't explore the character's potential.
Anson couldn't help but ponder: If he were to play this role, how would he approach it? How should he approach it?
On a personal level, Anson feels a deep connection to the character, believing that no one could portray Evan better than he could. After all, in his previous life, he often fantasized about changing the past, and now, he's living out a second chance. Even though he's not rewriting his past life, his current actions are causing a butterfly effect, transforming the world he once knew into a new parallel reality. In a way, he's experiencing exactly what happens in the movie.
A bit narcissistically and boldly, Anson thought that this movie was practically tailor-made for him—even though no one currently knows that the soul beneath this exterior has traveled through time. If they did, he probably wouldn't be sitting here so calmly.
But there's a critical point: overdoing it could be disastrous.
Not just from his experience with Elephant, but in the commercial films he's worked on so far—finding a balance between character development, plot progression, and thematic depth is always a challenge in a commercial movie. If an actor focuses too much on showcasing their acting skills or exploring a character at the expense of the story's pace, it could disrupt the entire movie's rhythm and ruin its overall balance.
In other words, while Anson believes he's the perfect fit for this role, if he tries too hard to showcase himself, speak out, or delve too deeply into the character, he might end up destroying the film.
No one likes a "Mr. Know-It-All," which is why sometimes, being a puppet like Kutcher was in the movie—playing a role exactly as the director envisions it—can be a good thing. Alfred Hitchcock, for example, openly expressed his dislike for method acting, insisting that actors simply follow his instructions to deliver the performance he wanted.
So, Anson needs to find a way to explore the character within the limited space the script provides, while avoiding disrupting the movie's framework and narrative structure. He needs to control his urge to dominate the role and keep his performance in check.
In The Princess Diaries and Spider-Man, Anson successfully achieved this balance, and he believes he can do the same with The Butterfly Effect.
But things aren't that simple. The Butterfly Effect has an incredibly tight, fast-paced plot, where each scene leads directly into the next, leaving no time for the audience to think and little room for the actor to showcase nuanced performance.
If Anson wants to capture the essence of the character, he needs to fully understand the character's state of mind at each moment in the story. He must rely on his interpretation of the character to connect these moments and ultimately convey that connection through his performance, creating a coherent arc.
However, if he gets too immersed in the role, as he did in Catch Me If You Can, or if he pushes too hard, as he did initially in Elephant, he might disrupt the director's rhythm.
This will be difficult. Even though Anson has prepared himself and envisioned different scenarios, the reality might prove more challenging than expected. After all, it's always easier to strategize than to execute.
Moreover, Anson hasn't forgotten Edgar's casual remark—that the director still hasn't finalized the ending. Could this mean that the current version of the movie is different from the one Anson remembers from his past life? Could Anson's attempt to take over Kutcher's role be causing a butterfly effect that's influencing the movie itself?
Anson thinks it's better not to rush to conclusions. Instead, he should calmly read through the script before telling Edgar his decision.
This is the first time Anson has had the power to choose a project.
After putting away the script, Anson reentered the room. Charles and Nora immediately averted their eyes, pretending to be busy with their own tasks. But Lucas made no attempt to hide his curiosity and stood up, looking directly at Anson.
"What, did your agent call to complain about you?"