Chapter 25: Filming Crew

Muller-Lance didn't make it difficult for Evan Bell when it came to requesting a leave, giving him the green light all the way. It only took Evan an afternoon to finish all his school affairs.

School matters were straightforward, but the script of Donnie Darko troubled Evan Bell. The script itself wasn't very complicated. The story was narrated in chronological order, with regular characters and plot.

There were almost no interludes or non-chronological segments, and there were no abstract or meaningless shots.

Everything followed a traditional narrative method. However, after reading the script for the first time, many questions remained, and he couldn't connect the entire plot.

This reminded Evan of David Lynch's Mulholland Drive, a classic suspense film. Few people can figure out the relationships between the characters in the film the first time they watch it.

The film won the Best Director Award at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival and is one of Lynch's most famous works. Since it's only September 2000, the film is likely in post-editing.

Donnie Darko may not be as renowned as Mulholland Drive, but it is also an obscure movie. Evan carefully read the philosophy of time travel mentioned in the script before finding the answer to the movie.

Although the terms in the book are never explicitly mentioned in the film, they form the foundation of the system constructed by the Donnie Darko script.

The book mentions a series of awkward terms, including Tangent Universe, Primary Universe, Artifact, Living Receiver, and Manipulated Dead.

But by integrating the book's content into the script, the story of Donnie Darko becomes clear.

We live in a Primary Universe full of dangers. Due to unknown reasons, the Primary Universe will occasionally deviate from the normal time track and head towards a doomed path: the Tangent Universe.

The first signal of the Tangent Universe is the advent of the Artifact. To avoid the destruction of the entire world, the chosen Living Receiver must return the Artifact to the original universe before the Tangent Universe's deadline.

The Manipulated Living and the Manipulated Dead will do their best to guide the Living Receiver in completing this arduous task. After that, the Tangent Universe will close on time, and the Primary Universe will return to the starting point of the detour and continue on its original path.

All the manipulated entities, including the Living Receiver, will lose any memory of the event, leaving only fragments in their hearts, as if waking from a dream.

Except for the beginning and the end, the entire middle part of Donnie Darko takes place in the Tangent Universe, and all events follow the fateful trajectory leading to the only ending: Donnie Darko sacrifices himself to save the Primary Universe.

"Then from what I can understand Donnie Darko is the receiver, and he must sacrifice himself to prevent the world from being destroyed and return to the track of the original universe?" Evan Bell pondered. Unbound scripts were scattered on the table, each page marked with a red pen, evidence of significant homework.

Seeing Evan's eyes flash with excitement, Richard Kelly also seemed very excited, because the actor worked so hard, which was great for the film. "Yes, that's it. At the beginning of the film, the plane engine that falls from the sky is the Artifact, and the other residents in the town are manipulated entities. Among them, Frank, dressed as a rabbit, and the heroine Gretchen, are both Manipulated Dead. Frank communicates with Donnie through a time portal, while Gretchen interacts with him directly. Their only role in the Tangent Universe is to set up guiding traps to ensure that Donnie understands the truth and successfully sends the Artifact back to the Primary Universe in time."

This conversation was so bizarre that if anyone heard it, they would probably think it was between two mentally ill people. Fortunately, this was a film set in Virginia, and the crew had read the script.

Even if they didn't understand the details, they knew the context. So Evan and Richard successfully avoided being considered crazy.

"Then, 28 days, 6 hours, 42 minutes, and 12 seconds is the limit of the Tangent Universe. When that moment comes, it will be the end of the world, right?" Evan's words were recognized by Richard, who nodded repeatedly.

"Then, the story requires Donnie to sacrifice himself and send the Artifact back to the Primary Universe. Frank and Gretchen have been guiding Donnie. Donnie goes from ignorance to understanding, to accepting his fate; from confusion and fear to acceptance and sacrifice. This is the main theme of the script." Evan concluded.

Richard Kelly slammed the table excitedly, but grimaced in pain, making everyone around laugh. "Evan, I'm really lucky. No, our crew is so lucky. I'm more and more confident in your performance."

But Evan didn't share Richard's joy completely. He could understand it thoroughly because he had read film reviews in his previous life, which, although not clear, helped his understanding.

On the other hand, his excellent academic performance at Harvard also contributed to his comprehension. But understanding does not equal acting. This role is much deeper and more complex than expected.

The intricate personalities of being lonely, unique, fearful, depressed, bold, challenging authority, rebellious, helpless, sensitive, and fragile all focus on Donnie Darko.

His eyes, his movements, his speaking habits, and even his standing and walking postures are all worth studying. Evan had a vague impression of Jake Gyllenhaal's performance, but this time, he needed to start from scratch.

He was indeed a little worried about challenging his acting skills. He wasn't just talking nonsense when he spoke to Anne Hathaway on the phone that day.

If he decided to act in a movie, he had to do it well and even stand out. Therefore, Evan attached great importance to his first role.

On the first day of joining the crew, Evan met Drew Barrymore. This actress, who had experienced the ups and downs of the entertainment industry at the age of 25, had completely walked out of the haze by this time and was radiant due to the popularity of Charlie's Angels.

Although her face looked older than her age due to long-term drinking and drug abuse, Drew Barrymore undeniably had her own charm.

After talking with Richard Kelly, Evan found Drew Barrymore. Drew, who had been acting since the age of seven, could definitely give Evan some advice.

"Haha, I have nothing to teach you about acting," Drew Barrymore's answer was unexpected. "Everyone has their own way of acting, maybe it's the details, maybe it's the eyes, maybe it's the posture. There is no one right way. Only when you explore your own way of acting can you interpret the essence of the role."

This was indeed the case. Following others' paths might never lead to a breakthrough and could only result in copying. Only by finding his own method could he innovate and have unlimited possibilities.

Evan realized he had been obsessed before. He always felt that having the advantage of being reborn and knowing how others succeeded meant he should follow that path.

Understanding others' interpretations was an advantage, as it can increase his understanding of the role. But to present the character's traits and show his understanding of acting, he had to start from himself and start over.

Take Donnie Darko for example. Evan is Evan, and Jake Gyllenhaal is Jake Gyllenhaal. Even if Evan performed like Jake, he might not capture the role's charm.

"Miss Barrymore, thank you very much." Although Drew Barrymore had never won an acting award at a major award ceremony, her 18 years in the entertainment industry had given her a profound understanding of acting. This information was invaluable to Evan.

"Evan, I'm the producer of this film. I'm absolutely happy to see you do well." Drew Barrymore carefully looked at the boy in front of her. He had a handsome face and an upright figure, which can be considered attractive by any standard in the world. 

Although he wasn't her type, it was undeniable that Richard Kelly had a keen eye for selecting actors. "If you have any questions, please feel free to come to me." Drew Barrymore's green eyes glanced at Evan, then slowly retracted her gaze.

The green eyes looked towards Evan again but only from the side. Only a trace of dark green emerald light could be seen.

A smile appeared on Evan's lips. It seemed that the rumors were true. Although Drew Barrymore no longer took drugs or drank alcohol, she was still relatively open-minded.

The look in her eyes just now was clearly directed at him.

But Evan wasn't a rookie. He had a smile on his face, different from his usual pure and bright smile. This smile was ruffian and had a lazy sexiness.

Evan extended his right hand and said to Drew Barrymore, "Of course, I hope we can have a pleasant cooperation in the next three weeks."

Drew Barrymore lowered her eyes and glanced at the hand in front of her, then met Evan's gaze. The smile on her face grew bigger. "Happy to cooperate." She extended her right hand. This hand was large, the palm warm, and the slender fingers easily wrapped around his palm.

Soon, Evan loosened his hand, pulled it out, and left with a smile, leaving Drew Barrymore to feel the warmth of his palm and the touch of his skin against hers.