King of Hollywood-Chapter 604 - 12: Progressing Smoothly

The withered yellow leaves carpeted the ground, and the chilly light cast down, rendering the quiet woods even more desolate as if nothing else existed. The girl squatted on the ground, staring blankly at the sky for a long time before turning her head to look at her mother.

"Mom, look at me," she pleaded, a bright glimmer flashing across her eyes. However, the middle-aged woman with mental illness sitting behind her just stared blankly ahead, showing no reaction.

"Something has happened, and I don’t know what to do," the girl said, lowering her head, but she quickly raised it again to continue looking at her mother, "Can you help me this time, Mom?"

But still, her mother showed no response, and the girl couldn’t help but raise her voice slightly: "Mom, look at me!"

This time, the mother finally lowered her head, but those eyes remained utterly vacant.

"’Teardrop’ is advising me to sell this piece of woodland, should I sell it?" the girl asked with a trembling voice, as a tear at last slid down her cheek.

Unfortunately, the mother continued to remain silent, and the previous response was nothing more than a reflex.

"Please, help me this time!" The sorrow of being overwhelmed by immense pressure emerged uncontrollably on the young face, and she lowered her head and shook it: "I don’t know what to do anymore..."

More tears burst forth from her eyes, and despite being silent, they thoroughly moistened the girl’s cheeks, leaving a noticeable trace.

"Very good!" Adrian, who was directing the scene himself, cried out at this moment.

After a pause of about two or three seconds, the quiet set suddenly became lively. The lighting technician, sound recorder, and the props master holding the reflector all relaxed. But Natalie squatting on the ground didn’t react; she remained with her head bowed, not getting up for quite some time. The actress playing the mentally ill mother beside her soothingly grabbed her hand.

A few seconds later, Natalie finally looked up, smiled at the actress, stood up, and walked aside, the wet marks still very evident on her cheeks.

"You did very well," Adrian walked over, handing her a tissue and then gestured to an assistant nearby.

Natalie didn’t say anything, after wiping her eyes, she covered her cheeks with the hot towel handed by the assistant and leaned back in the chair for quite a while before recovering with a long breath.

"You did very well, Natalie," Adrian, who had been sitting nearby and watching, repeated, "I’m glad you’ve captured the most important quality of Ray Dollie."

"Restrained," Natalie answered with a calm voice.

"Yes, restraint," Adrian nodded with an approving look.

Although Matilda was also restrained, she became uncontrollably ignited after meeting Lyon, whereas Dollie, the girl who had to shoulder the burdens of life, was restrained from beginning to end. She was always firm and chilly, always solemn and reticent, so to accurately express her emotions, one had to put in extra work on the subtle changes in body language and facial expressions, so that the character appeared both vulnerable and fierce.

This was why, after some fairly ordinary shots, Adrian chose to first film this scene where, to hide her stress from others, she took her mentally ill mother into the woods to confide in her; rather than proceeding scene by scene to other people’s homes in search of her father’s whereabouts. This way, Natalie could gradually get a better handle on the temperamental emotions needed. After all, the scenes and props required for this movie were relatively simple and easy to switch between.

"In essence, this kind of restrained tenacity runs through the entire film. To properly convey this emotion is to master the character," Adrian said after briefly touching upon the subject. "I can’t give you more guidance, Natalie. The rest is entirely up to you to figure out—have you considered studying psychology?"

Natalie was momentarily stunned by the sudden change in topic, but she quickly nodded an agreement. She had grown numb to Adrian’s well-informed nature.

"If you have the time, perhaps talking with someone who has researched the area could help you do even better." Adrian smiled, then stood up, ready to leave.

Natalie opened her mouth as if to ask something, but then hesitated and remained silent. However, Adrian caught all these subtleties.

"Isn’t this what you wanted, Nata?" he suddenly lowered his voice and the form of address changed. "If you don’t want to reveal it in front of others, of course, I have to keep my distance, right?"

He smiled again and walked away quickly. Although Natalie kept her gaze on him, she managed to restrain herself from showing any unnecessary emotions on her face, not even a small gesture such as biting her lip, even though her heart felt somewhat stifled by his last remark.

She had demands, and naturally, they should be met. Adrian was more than willing to accommodate all her reasonable requests, such as making her stand out a bit from the other women. It wasn’t difficult to do so, like now, keeping a distance from her in front of the crew. Most knew he rarely hid his relationships with women from the crew; although they were strictly managed, occasionally some news would leak.

Maybe this couldn’t be concealed forever, but a few years would pose no problem. If Natalie still harbored thoughts on this, she would cooperate on her own. And it wasn’t just that—Adrian had other plans, such as—

"The name ’Missouri’ comes from the Sioux language, meaning ’canoe,’ with the Missouri River and the Mississippi River running through the west and the east boundaries respectively. One can easily conjure up in their minds scenes of Indians rowing canoes down the river, fishing for winter food centuries ago," said Adrian as he stood next to a small, ecologically natural pond, speaking to Jessica by his side.

"If you like, next summer we could come here and try canoeing," he continued, brushing the girl’s hair with his hand.

Jessica smiled, then took a deep breath with her arms wide open: "It’s really cold here, even the air is so cold."

Indeed, January was the coldest time in Missouri, with temperatures hovering around 25 degrees Fahrenheit (about -4 Celsius). Even if the temperature warmed up by March, what could the increase be, given that the average temperature in Missouri was only about 60 degrees Fahrenheit (about 15 Celsius)? Of course, in two more months, the temperature would rise to the expected levels for summer, so Adrian’s decision to start with "Winter’s Bone" was a sound one.

"Doesn’t this remind you of anything?" Adrian asked with a hint of surprise raising his eyebrows, "I remember you lived in Mississippi until you were four."

"Biloxi City is a port city and it’s located by the Gulf of Mexico—winter is not so cold there," Jessica shrugged.

"Well," Adrian started to laugh, "Enough about that, they’re ready. I need to go over there."

He pointed to the other side of the pond, where the prop team had prepared a small boat, ready to shoot a scene where the protagonist, led by several middle-aged women, saws off the hands of her drowned father’s corpse. Taking the severed hands to the police station proved her father had been murdered, thus saving her house.

"After we wrap up, I’ll take you to Kansas City to have a look around, okay?" He said this, then drew closer, and Jessica, though she shrank her neck, still kissed him.

The shooting went smoothly, Natalie had great control over her character; she nearly became one with Ray Dollie, the actress playing the protagonist nicknamed "Teardrop" and John Hawkes, the actor playing her father’s brother, could not stop praising her.

"It’s hard to imagine that a girl who grew up in such a big city like New York can portray the restrained wildness of a country girl," said the veteran actor from Minnesota.

Indeed, it was a strongly impressionable scene when Natalie, her face covered in fake blood, stood unwaveringly cold and even ruthless in front of a group of dangerous adults while shooting the beating scene. Similarly, Matilda’s stubborn yet fragile appearance when she had a bloody nose from getting hit was striking, but Dollie’s loss of a tooth conveyed a perseverance and toughness rooted in the marrow. For someone like Hakes who grew up in the inland areas, there’s a particular sensitivity to such temperament. They all praised Natalie, making it clear how exceptional she must have been.

As Hakes had said, for a girl who grew up in a big city to be able to convey such a feeling was indeed quite an achievement. Adrian didn’t pay too much attention to this. Natalie’s ability to do so was due not only to his systematic arrangements and the continuous grind of the shooting process, but also her own efforts and some more complex reasons that need not be mentioned here.

"What a strong girl, I’d really like to play such a role too," remarked Jessica, somewhat wistful and envious after reading the script.

Though her lively and self-expressive nature had been subdued a bit due to her pregnancy, and especially because she was pregnant at such a young age, the maternal aura that naturally emanated from her still earned her a good reputation on the set. Dakota really liked her and talked to her more than anyone else, besides Adrian of course. Of course, it also helped that Jessica’s belly wasn’t so obvious yet, and Adrian was very open with his affection.

He made no effort to hide his relationship with Jessica before the cast members, and often hugged and cuddled her in front of Natalie. Those who had worked with Adrian knew that when making a movie, if he wasn’t involved with the female lead, then a woman with whom he had a relationship would come to visit the set. So, this approach to dispelling rumors about his relationship with Natalie was particularly apt. After all, everyone knew he was very secretive about his personal life outside but rather casual within the set. Who would guess after getting used to such behavior that he would be the same on the set?

But there were other reasons as well. Despite Natalie acting indifferent, her small actions and certain tones during conversation betrayed her mental state. As smart as she was, and as much as she currently resisted, it’s peculiar how women can’t overcome subconscious behaviors, even if they are aware of them. That was the interesting part.

Jessica didn’t stay long; Adrian spent three days taking her around Kansas City before she went back to Los Angeles. In another month, her belly would be noticeably bigger, and it would be better for her to move to a place outside of Los Angeles County and gradually reduce her visits home. So, it was appropriate for her to get out and relax now, and besides, Adrian had promised to invite her to visit the set in Missouri.

It was unfortunate that "Dark Angel" Season Two had already finished shooting; otherwise, it would have been nice for her to stay in Canada for a few months. If not, perhaps buying another house in Orange County would suffice.

As for the future, Adrian wasn’t the slightest bit worried. Even if Mark Alba was a military man and a Catholic, he would have to acknowledge a fait accompli, and Adrian still had many flexible tactics up his sleeve. However, Jessica’s career trajectory was another issue. A role like Ray Dollie’s was nearly impossible for her; in a sense, like Liv, she was best suited to be a decoration.

He would think more about it later. If all else failed, she could pursue romantic comedies. Although such comedies were on the decline after the year 2000, there were still good ones. Adrian thought about it this way.

The shooting continued. As Natalie maintained her condition, the progress was quite rapid. Adrian estimated that if things went on like this, all shots could be completed in just five weeks. After all, the entire story was quite simple; what mattered was the female lead’s interpretation and how to capture those details that adequately displayed the themes. Additionally, with Adrian’s "experience," shortening the production cycle was very probable.

So, on the second weekend of shooting, Adrian flew back to Los Angeles, taking with him Dakota and her mother who had finished their scenes.

-------------------

"Okay, Mom, I have to go, otherwise I’ll be late," Sarah said as she packed her things and greeted her mother.

"Aren’t you having dinner at home, Sarah?" A middle-aged man’s head popped out of the kitchen. "I specially made my signature dish."

"Sorry, Ronnie, there’s a party I must attend," Sarah said with an apologetic shrug.

"That’s a real shame," sighed Ronnie.

"Next time, I promise I’ll have dinner at home," insisted Sarah before turning to apologize to her mother again, "Sorry, Mom, I should be here with you."

"It’s okay, you have your own work and life," Roselan said with a smile as she escorted her daughter to the door.

"Ronnie is a good man, and with him, you’ll be happy, Mom," Sarah hugged her mother.

Over the past few years, Roselan had been involved with several men, but nothing lasted long until she met Ronnie Raymond. He was a doctor and very caring.

"Yes, I know," Roselan said with a smile when her current boyfriend was mentioned, but soon her smile faded, hesitated, and then she looked intently at her daughter and asked, "What about you, Sarah?"

"Me?" Sarah shrugged as if it didn’t matter, "I’m not in a rush, Mom. I’m currently in the rising phase of my career..."

But Roselan interrupted her, "You’re dating Adrian, aren’t you?"

Sarah suddenly fell silent, looking at her mother in a bit of a panic, not knowing what to say.

"I’m not a fool, Sarah. I’ve known for a while, and besides, those rumors about Adrian aren’t exactly a secret," Roselan sighed, "I never brought it up because I wanted to see the joy on your face after your performances. I’m glad to see you’ve become an excellent actress, Sarah, you’re my greatest pride, but I don’t want you to... I know that man has helped both of us a lot, but..."

"No, Mom," this time it was Sarah who interrupted, "It’s not like that. I love him, Mom, I love Ed."

She looked directly into her mother’s eyes, "I know it may sound strange to say this, and sometimes when I think about it deeply I find it strange too, but... I just love him, Mom. Ed has given me... something I’ve never had before, a feeling of warmth and security... I’m sorry, Mom, but I really do love him."

Roselan said nothing, staring at her daughter for a long while before finally sighing.

"I just want you to be happy, dear," she said, "Promise me you won’t hurt yourself, okay?"

"I promise, Mom. Don’t worry," Sarah hugged her mother, "I love you."

The mother and daughter held each other tightly for a moment before parting, and then Sarah got into her car, waving goodbye to her mother.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah felt a sense of relief. Although she was aware her mother must have known all along, saying it out loud was still a bit awkward and uncomfortable. Fortunately, while her mother didn’t offer support, she didn’t oppose either, which delighted Sarah and filled her with anticipation for the upcoming party.

The party was hosted by Sarah, naturally at her own home, and she had invited quite a few friends. The cast of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was all there without exception. The invitation for that particular someone had been sent out early and received a definite response.

"Excuse me for a moment," she said to her friends nearby before heading off to the side. The party was lively, and she was happy, but a certain guy who had promised to come still hadn’t shown up, making her a bit angry and worried. After all, this guy had never broken a promise or been late before, and just now she thought she’d caught a glimpse of that familiar figure passing by. Since he hadn’t come over to greet her, she couldn’t help but go looking herself.

Then, after walking a circuit around the corridor, Sarah didn’t find anything. Observing that there weren’t many people around and listening to the joyous noises outside, she couldn’t help but feel a bit deflated. Could she have been mistaken?

Sarah turned back and as she passed by a room, the door suddenly opened, and two hands stretched out, one covering her mouth and another wrapping around her waist, swiftly dragging her inside.

"Ha, Miss Buffy Ann Summers, now you’re in my grasp," after pinning her against the wall, the other person chuckled darkly in a low voice.

Even though the room was dark, Sarah’s tense body immediately relaxed, and then she punched the figure in the ribs, complaining in a disgruntled voice, "Ed!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for it, give it monthly tickets at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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