At that moment, Mark Ruffalo, who had been passing behind the monitors in preparation for the next scene, caught sight of Kristen, who had undergone a slight "image transformation," and was taken aback. Instinctively, he raised his hand to cover his eyes.
"My eyes! My poor eyes!" Mark exclaimed.
Kristen glanced at him, then looked down, admiring the result of her altered figure, and, satisfied, turned to Anson. "Looks like it worked well."
Hearing this, Mark mumbled, somewhat unclearly, "What did you do to Mary, exactly?"
Kristen deliberately put one hand on her hip, pulling open her lab coat while swaying slightly from side to side. "A woman's secrets are like time—you can always squeeze out a little more."
Mark, in his playful way, immediately covered his ears. "Oh, Jesus, now my ears too!"
Behind the scenes, Mark enjoyed humor and pranks. In the friendly atmosphere of the set, he often let loose, free from inhibitions.
Then, he turned to Anson, giving him a look of mock desperation. "What's really going on?"
Anson quickly explained the situation in a few sentences.
Mark shifted from joking to thoughtful, piecing it together. "So, you're saying Mary thought Stan only liked her for her looks, but it wasn't really about that?"
Ah, an actor is always an actor.
By association, even though they were discussing Mary, Mark quickly drew a parallel to his own character.
Unlike Anson and Kristen, Mark had spent years making a name for himself in the theater world. By the time he got his big break in Hollywood, he was a relatively seasoned actor with a distinct style, and his approach to character understanding and interpretation had its own depth.
A small spark of inspiration was all he needed. Mark instantly grasped the point.
Anson shrugged slightly. "Or, you could say Stan's earnestness, his slightly clumsy devotion, means he only sees Mary. Yet, in front of Dr. Howard, Stan's honesty, humility, and obedience all become flaws."
"Because what Mary needs is someone she can look up to." Mark's thoughts flowed smoothly now.
In romantic relationships, some people lean towards loving, while others lean towards being loved. Some prefer partners stronger than themselves, while others prefer partners who are weaker. Ultimately, everyone seeks the person who appears perfect to them, especially during the honeymoon phase, when dopamine blinds them to flaws—or even makes those flaws seem endearing.
With Anson's help, the character dynamics and relationships became crystal clear.
Looking at Kristen again, Mark now understood—not just Mary, but every character in the movie follows this pattern. Joel, Clementine, and all the others have outer and inner qualities that, in some way, reflect the movie's central theme—
A beautiful mind. Or, more precisely, the "mind" as the key word.
This was interesting.
Mark glanced at Anson, a hint of admiration in his eyes, and nodded gently. "I can play clumsy and earnest, or I can look up to my goddess."
This, of course, perfectly matched Mark's physical appearance.
Kristen, catching the humor in Mark's words, burst out laughing.
Mark, shaking his head with a mock-clumsy grin, added, "Not the first time I've dreamed of being Anson. But clearly, God had a different path in mind."
Kristen wasn't the only one laughing. The sound engineer, who had been listening in on their conversation through a microphone, couldn't hold back his laughter either.
In the tight space of the clinic, the whole set filled with laughter.
Then, a slightly gravelly voice chimed in, "Seems like the set's in a good mood today."
Everyone turned to see the figure behind the voice—
Tom Wilkinson.
Throughout his career, Tom had never become a massive star, but as a venerable character actor, he was well-respected. Having been nominated for two Oscars—for In the Bedroom and Michael Clayton—his filmography included The Full Monty, Shakespeare in Love, The Grand Budapest Hotel, and the Mission Impossible series, among others.
He had just recently worked with Scarlett Johansson on Girl with a Pearl Earring, and earlier, with Kate Winslet on Sense and Sensibility.
Though audiences might not always recognize his name, they surely recognized his face.
In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Tom was set to play Dr. Howard, the object of Mary's affection.
Until today, Tom hadn't had any scenes to shoot. He had just wrapped Girl with a Pearl Earring and was enjoying a short vacation, which is why he hadn't yet arrived on Long Island.
This was Tom's first appearance on set—
A grand entrance.
Both Mark and Kristen felt a little self-conscious. After all, Tom was a veteran actor with over twenty-five years in the industry, and they hardly knew anything about him. Kate Winslet, their mutual connection, wasn't on set today, so they couldn't gauge whether their earlier joking around had rubbed Tom the wrong way.
For a brief moment, the atmosphere became awkward.
But it didn't last long. Anson broke the silence.
"Shh. The doctor's here."
With that single phrase, everyone stifled their laughter and got back to work. The lively noise of the set instantly quieted.
Tom Wilkinson spread his hands wide. "Hey, I'm a doctor, not a dinosaur."
Laughter erupted again.
The mood immediately lightened.
Tom approached Anson and gave him a hug. Not only did he show no airs, but he kindly looked Anson over. "You're friends with Heath, right? I've always been curious to meet the guy who beat Heath for the role of Peter Parker. Now, I finally get my chance."
"But I'm a little disappointed—you don't have a third eye or four arms."
Heath Ledger?
Anson was surprised to hear Heath's name mentioned here, but regardless, it was a good sign. He welcomed Tom's light-hearted scrutiny.
"Well, maybe that's why I got the part. I mean, Sam Raimi probably didn't want people noticing Heath had two noses and three ears."
Laughter again.
Tom laughed heartily. "No wonder Kate sings your praises."
Anson raised his eyebrows playfully. "Sir, it seems like you've been won over."
Tom patted Anson on the back. "I have a feeling this shoot's going to be a good one."
Michelle, who had been waiting patiently for a chance to speak, finally found a moment. "Hey, Tom, welcome to the set..." After a brief exchange, she added, "I think we should get started. This clinic is rented, after all..."
"Oh, right. Understood." Tom, ever the professional, responded easily. "You're shooting here, so just tell me where my office is and where the next scene takes place. I'll get familiar with the space and the shot sequence."
A professional through and through, he made things smooth and simple.
Meanwhile, Tom and Mark went inside the clinic to prepare for the next scene.
At the clinic's reception, Anson and Kristen were also ready, signaling the start of the day's shoot.
Kristen, looking slightly anxious, asked Michelle, "Director, are you still not calling 'action' today?"