Chapter 17: Wrapping Up the Shoot.
How do you get close to someone you've just met? There are plenty of ways, but sharing a common interest and talking about things she actually cares about is definitely one of the best.
"Yeah, I've been studying dance since I was three. I even performed with a troupe, and I still do community theater shows whenever I can. During vacations I go to drama camps too." Under Ryan's subtle guidance, the conversation quickly shifted to acting. Natalie's eyes lit up the moment she started talking about it, and she unconsciously lifted her little chin.
"Which do you like more—dance or acting?" Ryan asked.
"Acting!" Natalie answered without hesitation, then shot back, "What about you, Ryan? Are you into performing too?"
Ryan shrugged but didn't answer right away.
He and Natalie were tucked away in a corner of the living room while Nicole chatted with the Hershlag couple on the sofa. It was kind of funny seeing people who had never crossed paths in his previous life sitting together like this.
"Hey, Ryan, I'm talking to you." Natalie wrinkled her nose in annoyance.
Honestly, this guy who was only a year older than her was pretty interesting—way better than the little kids at school or in the neighborhood. He wasn't childish at all; he acted like a tiny adult. Everything he said hit the mark, and he always steered the conversation toward topics she actually liked.
The only downside was that he seemed to have trouble focusing and kept spacing out.
"Huh?" Ryan scratched his head. "What?"
"Do you like acting too?" Natalie ground her teeth and proudly raised her pointed little chin again. "From the look of you, I bet you've never even performed before."
"You can tell just by looking?" Ryan deliberately rolled his eyes.
"Of course!" Natalie seemed ready to keep arguing.
"Actually, I'm in the middle of filming a movie right now. Why else would I come all the way from Los Angeles to the East Coast?" Ryan said it casually, like it was no big deal.
"A movie? Filming?" Natalie's eyes widened, then filled with suspicion. "Come on, Ryan, I'm not stupid. You can't fool me."
"It's true. Ask Nicole if you don't believe me." Ryan pointed toward the center of the living room. "See her? That's Miss Nicole Kidman, the famous Australian actress. The movie Days of Thunder that's playing in theaters right now—she's the lead. Just call any theater and you'll know I'm telling the truth."
Natalie wasn't about to actually call, but hearing him say that made her believe about seventy percent of it. Still, she refused to back down. Everyone who had ever seen her perform called her a genius; there was no way she was letting some kid her own age one-up her. "So you only got a tiny role with no lines because of Nicole?"
"Ouch, Nat. That really hurts." Ryan put on an exaggerated wounded expression.
"Hmph~"
Ryan and Nicole didn't stay long. They said goodbye before dinner. Even though he and Natalie had traded plenty of verbal jabs, they'd actually had a great time—especially since he'd managed to get her talking about herself without her realizing it. Just like in his previous life, this girl was too smart and too mature for kids her age, so she didn't have many friends.
With just a little skillful maneuvering, Ryan walked away with her phone number and mailing address. He openly declared that today's art debate was unfinished and that once he got back to Los Angeles he would write her letters until he proved her wrong.
Kids their age are naturally competitive.
Natalie wasn't about to lose, so she fired back that her letters would definitely put him in his place.
Nicole was genuinely happy to see Ryan finally click with a kid his own age. She had never said it out loud, but she had always worried that his refusal to interact with other children would hurt his development. This girl Natalie was clearly very bright—she had noticed that right away.
Maybe smart kids only get along with other smart kids? The thought popped into Nicole's head on the drive back to Philadelphia.
The New York trip helped Ryan shove the things that had started bubbling up again—things he had kept buried deep in his heart—back into the darkest, most hidden corner of his mind.
After meeting Natalie and calling her one last time before leaving New York, Ryan began working hard to shake off that awful habit of blurring the line between dreams and reality.
Since he now truly existed in this world, why keep obsessing over everything from his previous life as Alex? If he kept going like that, he might actually split his personality one day and end up in a mental hospital.
By mid-November, the film had entered its final phase. Ryan followed the crew from street shoots to church scenes, sometimes playing a troubled student, and even performed a King Arthur and the Sword in the Stone scene on a stage inside the movie.
With over a month of experience under his belt, Ryan's acting had stabilized a lot. The problem of getting stuck in character had mostly been solved—he no longer needed Nicole to come pull him out. His flawless performances earned consistent praise from David Fincher, Al Pacino, and the rest of the cast.
"David, you're not still complaining about the actors I picked, are you?"
During a break, Harvey Weinstein and David Fincher were chatting. The big man still remembered how much Fincher had grumbled at the beginning—that the female lead was too beautiful and looked like a vase, and that he had never even seen the little boy before and worried he might ruin the whole movie.
"But I still have to say Nicole Kidman is almost too gorgeous. Of course, her acting is every bit as good as her looks. As for Ryan… Harvey, where on earth did you find this kid? I'm telling you, once this film comes out, everyone's going to be comparing him to Jodie Foster!"
David Fincher let out a long breath. He suddenly felt like this movie becoming his breakthrough was nothing short of divine luck.
Harvey Weinstein patted Fincher's arm and walked off. Over the past few months he had carefully read every children's book Ryan had published. They were full of charm and surprisingly well-written—actually more like all-ages stories. Most importantly, every single one screamed "perfect for film adaptation."
He even suspected the boy had already been thinking about movie rights while he was writing them.
This wasn't just a gold mine. It was a whole damn treasure island.
Ryan stretched lazily. Any normal kid who had gone through such long, repetitive shooting days would have been exhausted and yawning nonstop.
Ryan was tired, but he could clearly feel that his seemingly frail little body was far stronger than it looked.
Several night shoots had gone past midnight, yet after one good night's sleep he would wake up full of energy again.
In fact, this had been happening for the last few years; otherwise he never would have had the stamina to "borrow" so many works from his memories.
"…She wants me to tell you she went to watch you dance!" The boy's voice, full of emotion and slightly hoarse, continued from the driver's seat. "Grandma said you had a fight with her once, right before a dance performance…"
As the boy spoke, the mother slowly covered her mouth. Tears welled up in her eyes, and finally she couldn't hold back any longer—she started crying.
The boy looked at her. "Grandma's answer was… every single day!"
Watching his mother cry into her hands, the boy asked softly, "What did you ask her back then?"
The sobbing mother tried to steady her voice, her hands unconsciously pressed to her chest. "I… I asked if I had ever made her proud!"
The boy's lips trembled. For a moment it sounded like he was talking to his mom… or maybe to Nicole. In the car, the two of them could no longer hold back their feelings and hugged each other tightly. Warm, heavy affection filled every corner of the vehicle.
"Great!" David Fincher clenched his fist in triumph, then unconsciously rubbed his slightly stinging nose. He suddenly decided he should call his own parents after today's shoot.
Everyone else on set was in the same state. A few of the more emotional crew members were secretly wiping their eyes. The scene was so perfect, so moving, yet no one clapped—because the on-screen brother and sister were still holding each other.
"Nicole!" Ryan poured every ounce of strength into hugging the woman who had given him nothing but wholehearted love. "I love you! You're the best person in the world to me!"
"I love you too, Ryan!" Nicole ruffled the back of his head until his light-brown hair turned into a complete bird's nest, still unwilling to let go.
This was Ryan and Nicole's final scene. Even though the movie still had a few more days of shooting left, after this they could finally leave Philadelphia and head back to Los Angeles.
They had to go back anyway. St. John's Elementary had already called several times saying Ryan's absence was too long. If he didn't return before December, he would have to repeat the grade. Even if he went back now, there was still a big test waiting for him.
Of course, none of that worried Ryan. Tests at this age were child's play to him.
That night the crew threw a small farewell party for the two of them. Compared to the somewhat aloof and elegant Nicole Kidman, Ryan was far more popular on set. Even though he caused trouble now and then and loved pranking people, almost everyone had grown to like him.
Especially Al Pacino. The boy had teased him the most, yet they had the best relationship. When it was time to leave, Pacino specially gave him a purple amethyst lucky stone.