The Best Director

Chapter 61 “Juno

Translator: 549690339 |

“Wang Yang’s third movie, the mysterious project ‘Juno’!”

The latest edition of the Los Angeles Times Entertainment section published this news, and then within a day, everyone who follows movie dynamics, Wang Yang’s fans, and all his followers knew about it—he was making another movie!

The Los Angeles Times said in its report, “Just when we thought Wang Yang would take a break for a year or a few years before directing again, he suddenly announced his new project! ‘Juno,’ according to Flame Films, is a high school drama about the story of a 16-year-old high school girl. Other than that, they haven’t revealed much more content. But judging by the filming speed of a high school movie, perhaps we can see this film early next year.” “I personally look forward to whether this movie will set off another school craze; at the same time, I am worried. Wang Yang produces a film every six months, at such an astonishing speed, and he is still the screenwriter of High School Musical 2’1 Will ‘Juno’ be a masterpiece? Will Wang Yang continue to be amazing?” the editor of the Los Angeles Times finally said, “His first two movies proved themselves amidst doubts; and this time, I believe many people are eagerly anticipating, hoping he won’t disappoint us!”

Indeed, fans expressed their anticipation fervently, leaving messages non-stop on the official website of Flame Films, demanding more information about the movie. ‘Juno’? Just from the name, you can’t tell what the plot is about at all. But Wang Yang and Flame Films didn’t fulfill their requests. With his current popularity, keeping a new work mysterious will only increase the attention and anticipation.

This strategy worked, and many fans discussed on various forums what kind of plot could a high school drama have? Most people leaned towards the plot likely being a teenage girl’s love story. By guessing from the style of High School Musical,’ it could be very romantic or touching; some also thought ‘Juno’ might be a lighthearted comedy, depicting how she turns the school upside down.

In addition to the plot, they also discussed who would star in ‘Juno’? The most popular choice was naturally Jessica, as she and Wang Yang were a couple in a hot romance. She is currently riding a wave of popularity and seems poised to become the most beloved female lead in school movies-who else but her to take the role? There were also numerous mentions of Rachel, whose popularity is similarly high. She has already worked with Wang Yang twice, and of course, those were the only two projects in both their filmographies. Fans felt that for the third movie, they would continue to work together.

However, many disagreed, because both Jessica and Rachel were going to shoot ‘High School Musical 2,’ which would conflict with the schedule for ‘Juno.’ So who is the female lead of ‘Juno’? Everyone had different guesses, and nearly all of Hollywood’s young starlets were mentioned at least once.

“Daddy, Mommy…” A chubby baby dressed in a cute pink outfit sat on the floor, her two black eyes round and full of curiosity. Wang Yang and Jessica were squatting in front of her, both wearing smiles of pure joy, clapping their hands and saying, “Juno, come here, come to Daddy and Mommy!” The baby moved, trying hard to crawl towards them on the floor.

But as she crawled and crawled, she couldn’t seem to make it, the distance remaining unchanged. How could this be!? Wang Yang was startled, sensing something wrong, his head suddenly cleared, and he opened his eyes to see the snow-white ceiling, and looking out the window, it was already morning. It had been a drcam!

Wang Yang sat up, rubbing his eyes and letting out a long sigh. If Jessica were really pregnant, then the scene from the dream would become reality… He thought back to “Juno” from his drcam, blurry, with no clear details remembered except for the baby’s clear eyes, somewhat resembling Jessica, and a bit like himself. Wang Yang chuckled self-deprecatingly. He seemed to have come down with a case of “wanna-be-daddy” syndrome.

The human psyche is indeed strange, filled with fear, confusion, and avoidance when unprepared; but once you really set your mind and prepare yourself, and suddenly it disappears, you find a void inside instead.

“Interesting!” Wang Yang exclaimed, and then he got out of bed to start a new day.

Almost a week had passed since the “pregnancy misunderstanding incident,” and Wang Yang had ended his holiday, putting most of his daily effort into the work, writing the script for ‘Juno.’ As for the script of ‘High School Musical 2; he had written a bit every day during the “summer vacation” and had almost finished it. ‘High School Musical 2’ will not follow the resort storyline, continuing the story at East High School instead.

The story of ‘Juno,’ roughly, is about a 16-ycar-old high school student named Juno. She’s a very “unique” girl—sharp-tongued, careless, mischievous… One day, this distinctive girl made a decision to taste the forbidden fruit with a modest, “cool” guy from the school track team whom she had long fancied, and then she got pregnant.

The unexpectedly pregnant Juno consults with her friend Leah. Initially, she contemplates abortion, but after a series of psychological changes, she decides to have the baby and starts looking for adoptive parents. Juno shares the news of her pregnancy with her father and stepmother. They don’t criticize her too much, providing her warm support and preparing to welcome the child’s arrival.

Meanwhile, with her father’s accompaniment, Juno had settled on an adoptive family for her baby, a wealthy, elegant couple. However, as Juno’s due date drew nearer, the long-standing conflicts between the prospective adoptive parents finally erupted, and they were getting a divorce. Juno was in pain, but in the end, she faced the situation with an optimistic and proactive attitude, telling the adoptive mother, “If you’re in, I’m in.”

Then Juno gave birth to the child, and the adoptive mother, Vanessa, wept with joy. Juno returned to her normal life, and she and Paulie “started dating after the baby was born”.

This is the original story of “Juno,” but Wang Yang wasn’t about to leave it at that. If it had been before the “pregnancy mix-up,” he wouldn’t have felt anything special about this story; but now, he didn’t like the whole story. Because he didn’t think that Juno’s choice not to have an abortion, giving birth, and handing the child over to adoptive parents was a form of redemption, a victory; after the mix-up with Jessica, he had a lot on his mind. Giving the child to someone else? To a single mom who’s divorced? He felt that was disrespectful to the child, it wasn’t a victory, it wasn’t cool, it was an evasion.

It was as if she were saying, “I’m too young, I can’t take care of it, I don t have the ability, you’re an adult, you do it.” Then, hand off the child, the whole person relaxed, returning to normal life. That’s not cool, not cool at all. What’s cool? Juno and Paulie genuinely taking up the responsibility, raising the child together, facing whatever difficulties or hardships come their way as a family.

On the other hand, Wang Yang felt that the male lead Paulie in the movie was just a vase, completely useless. Paulie was simply a coward, from start to finish; and he didn’t seem like a normal person, having no ideas of his own, as if his role were purely superfluous.

Maybe this was because the original story’s plot focused on Juno’s interaction with the adoptive couple, but Wang Yang wanted to shoot the interactions between her and Paulie, he wanted to capture the emotional shifts of these two young people, Juno’s journey from considering abortion to deciding to give birth and then to raising the child herself; Paulie’s from initial irresponsibility to gradual reflection, then to the desire to take responsibility. Only when Juno and Paulie were playing the guitar at the doorstep, with the baby peacefully sleeping in the crib next to them, would it represent a victory.

If the theme of the original “Juno” was “respect for life, family tolerance, and understanding, etc.”; beyond these, Wang Yang also wanted to explore “responsibility. How teenagers and young people confront sudden life changes, face the differing perspectives of those around them, and ultimately have the courage and daring to take responsibility.” This was the movie he wanted to make.

Therefore, to highlight this theme, the movie would include much more school and life scenes, while greatly reducing the interactions between Juno and the adoptive couple.

The school and life scenes would revolve around “change” and “confrontation.” The original “Juno” handled this very simply, even to the point of avoidance; but Wang Yang wanted to write about these things. He intended to intensify the hardships Juno faced and the alienating treatment she received, though of course, she would face it all with an optimistic outlook, and during shooting, it would be presented in a sunny and humorous visual style.

Wang Yang would also beef up the role of the male lead, Paulie. Pregnancy is a matter concerning both sexes, and Paulie could no longer be a wooden figure; he would have to turn into a real man.

However, the focus of the story was still Juno. This movie needed Juno’s charm, her sharp wit, mischievous spirit, her endearing nature. Because only beneath her charm would the serious and heavy subject of “teenage pregnancy” get a sunny, light-hearted feel, along with the aura of youthful vitality.

Therefore, the performance of Juno’s actress was extremely, extremely important. To say it without exaggeration, a lot of the time in the movie, she was the one “showing off.”

What was “Juno” like? In appearance, she needed to look like a 16-year-old high schooler, not too tall, with a somewhat youthful face; in terms of demeanor, she absolutely had to have a smart, elfish vibe.

These were just the basic requirements, but the most important thing was her ability to act! This was different from the simple performances in “High School Musical”; Juno’s speech patterns, facial expressions, and body language-even the way she walked-all had very high demands. It could be said that the portrayal of this character had to be infused into every little movement! And considering the basic requirements mentioned earlier, she absolutely had to be young, requiring a prodigiously talented actress.

In fact, nobody could be more suitable than Ellen Page, but she was only 12 years old now, clearly unable to take on the role. So, who would “Juno” be? Jessica was one of the first people to know that Wang Yang was going to shoot “Juno.” At that time, she had asked Wang Yang if she was suitable for the part? Whether it was the story of a pregnant teenager or her eager wish to continue making movies with Wang Yang, she really wanted to play “Juno.” Wang Yang pretended to ponder long before shaking his head to veto her. The first reason was that Jessica was too tall and sweet-looking, lacking the vibe of a quirky little girl.

And an even more important second reason was that with her current acting skills, she couldn’t possibly portray Juno. In addition, even if Jessica were forced to take the role, there was no benefit for her. If you’re not a prodigious, genius-level talent, then you have to gradually progress in acting; by taking on good films suitable for your current skill level and maintaining confidence and reflection, one day, acting ability will suddenly burst forth. Conversely, trying to force growth would lead to losing confidence and direction, stagnating in acting skill, or even worsening. There was no better fit for her than “High School Musical 2.”

Although Jessica felt regretful about Wang Yang’s words, she also understood them deep down.

Sitting at his office desk in the study, Wang Yang looked at the “Juno” screenplay on his computer screen, furrowed his brow, and thought about the choice for Juno. He softly asked himself, “Rachel?” He pondered seriously for a moment, then shook his head, “Her acting is not good enough.”

Now, Rachel was actually best suited for the more exaggerated roles, the “bad girl” vibe, probably because she was a drama major and was thus influenced by the style of stage acting. So in “Paranormal Activity,” Rachel’s performance was by the book, and many times she needed Wang Yang’s explicit direction; but in “High School Musical,” when she played Sharpay, she was truly in her element, and almost all the scenes were good in one or two takes.

But to cast her as Juno – that wouldn’t be right; and in terms of appearance, she looked rather mature, suited for playing the school beauty or cheerleader captain, but not Juno.

Wang Yang then recalled those girls who had auditioned for “High School Musical” last time, like Jennifer Love Hewitt, Eliza Dushku, Jordana Brewster, and others… but he quickly shook his head, none were suitable. Where could one find so many genius-level actresses?

After considering the well-known young actresses in Hollywood at the moment, Wang Yang still had no leads. He picked up his phone and dialed a number, saying, “Sandy, help me contact those talent agencies, I need a female lead. Tell them the pay for recommended candidates is unlimited, as long as she’s ‘Juno’! As for the casting requirements, I’ve already sent them to your email.”

After hanging up the phone, Wang Yang silently prayed, hoping that this time he could find “Juno” smoothly. So, what about the male lead, Paulie’s choice then? His screenplay posed a great challenge for the actor’s performance – it wasn’t enough to just keep a calm face and speak in a soft and meek voice. The actor needed the ability to portray internal emotions to bring out the character’s changes in mentality.

If he were just considering appearance, Wang Yang had someone in mind; not Tom Welling – he was too tall and muscular; nor Zachary, whose temperament was a bit too honest and simple; it was Michael Pitt, who exuded a sort of decadent air when smoking, looking just like a youth rock band leader, yet when his expression softened, without the dark circles, he could be very sunny. At the end of “High School Musical,” in the big Finish at the basketball gym, after the makeup artists’ embellishments, Michael Pitt turned into a radiant, handsome young man, and at times, he could be very cool.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Yang pressed a number, stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the lush green lawn outside. As soon as the call connected, he said, “Hey, Michael, you’ve heard about my new project ‘Juno,’ haven’t you?” Michael Pitt on the other end replied, “Of course, Yang, is there a role for me?” Wang Yang smiled and said, “Yes, come to my house this afternoon and try for the male lead.” Michael Pitt was stunned, his breathing heavy, “The male lead?”

“The male lead; though if you want to try for an extra, that’s fine too.’ Wang Yang laughed again and instructed, “Try to present yourself as sunny as possible, a modest, well-mannered, yet cool guy, got it?” Michael Pitt answered, “I got it, I’ll do it.”

Putting down his phone, Wang Yang walked back to the computer to continue writing the screenplay for “Juno.”

As the evening approached, Michael Pitt arrived at the entrance of Wang Yang’s house. He had spent the afternoon getting ready, getting a haircut, choosing clothes, showcasing his most radiant side. He took a deep breath, pressed the doorbell, and after a short wait, the door opened to reveal Jessica wearing a kitchen apron. Michael greeted her with a smile, “Hello, Jessica.”

“Hey, Michael,” Jessica greeted him, letting Michael Pitt inside while shouting into the house, “Yang, Michael is here.” She smiled at Michael and pointed towards the kitchen, saying, “I’m going to cook first.”

Since Wang Yang moved here, Jessica often came to take care of the kitchen. After the “pregnancy false alarm incident,” she came over to make dinner every day, like a diligent wife.

At that moment, Wang Yang came down from the upstairs study. He gave a slight smile to Jessica heading towards the kitchen and then turned to Michael Pitt, walking over to embrace him and inspecting Michael with a smile, “Hey, radiant handsome man!” Michael Pitt gave a faint smile, “Not bad, right?” Wang Yang nodded in approval, “Very good.”

The two sat down on the living room couch, and Wang Yang continued to scrutinize Michael Pitt, “Michael, I’m quite satisfied with your appearance and temperament. The only issue is your acting.” Michael Pitt nodded, “What should I do?” Wang Yang picked up a few pages of the script that had been prepared on the coffee table and handed them to him, “Start by reading this.” Michael Pitt took the script and began reading it intently. Waiting quietly until he finished, Wang Yang explained, “This character, Paulie, he’s a guy who has never been in love; he’s still a virgin, but just that one time, something happened.” Wang Yang chuckled, and so did Michael Pitt, because he had never been in love either. This was one of the reasons Wang Yang considered Michael: when an actor shares many similarities with the character, they can perform better and with more spirit.

Wang Yang laughed again and said, “Michael, think about it, you like a girl, right?” Michael Pitt shrugged, and Wang Yang continued, “Suddenly, she takes the initiative to sleep with you, and then a month later, she tells you, ‘I’m pregnant’. Act out this part for me—the script on the first page.”

“Okay,” Michael Pitt looked at the script, and his face began to show his attempt at acting. With a dumbfounded expression, he pursed his lips unnaturally, opening and closing his mouth as if hesitating to speak, and after a good while, he finally delivered the line, “I know, so what should we do?”

Watching his performance, Wang Yang remained expressionless but internally commended him, admitting that Michael Pitt had a certain acting talent. He easily captured the character’s personality, so his performance was completely correct in the broader sense. Michael Pitt mumbled to himself as he acted for a while, and then Wang Yang said, “OK, Michael, on to the next part. You see Juno walking across campus, her belly big with child, but her books have fallen to the ground. She can’t bend down to pick them up, and the other students are laughing at her. You want to go over and help her, but you’ve just had a fight with her, and you’re hesitating. Act out this scene.”

Since Paulie wasn’t as lively as Juno, he was a very quiet young man; thus, most of his performance was concentrated on his facial expressions.

Michael Pitt acknowledged the instruction and after a moment of thought, he began to furrow his brows just slightly, his eyes gazing into the distance, as if Juno were right there.

“Not bad,” Wang Yang nodded and then continued to test Michael Pitt with several acting segments, nearly portraying the whole emotional arc of the protagonist Paulie—from initial fear and wanting to avoid the situation, to wanting to care for Juno even though Juno wasn’t much responsive and his own hesitations, to eventually deciding to take responsibility and face everything with Juno, which moved her…

Michael Pitt’s acting, within its framework, expressed the character’s mindset quite well, albeit with some youthful awkwardness in the finer details. However, this actually made him seem more like a high school student, without an overly mature feel.

“Buddy,” Wang Yang winked at Michael, and with a smile said, “I think you’re the one.” Michael Pitt was dumbstruck, breathless, and after a long moment, let out a deep breath and said, “I’m the lead?” Wang Yang nodded with a smile, “Yes, this time there arc plenty of lines, plenty of scenes.”

Michael Pitt seemed a little out of sorts, shifting around in his seat. His right hand went into his pocket and he looked at Wang Yang, asking, “Can I have a cigarette?”

Wang Yang wagged his finger, “No, from now on, you have to quit smoking, until the filming of ‘Juno’. I want to see only the sunny side of you; tuck your sullen side away for now.”

“Oh, okay,” Michael Pitt pulled out his hand, suddenly laughing, his face filled with sunshine. He joked, “For the dream, I’ll quit.”

Wang Yang also laughed heartily, feeling equally pleased. He recalled Michael Pitt’s haggard appearance in New York, remembered him screaming in the streets… Persistence in pursuit, never giving up, there’s always a reward, isn’t there? Patting Michael Pitt on the shoulder with a smile, he said, “Michael, prepare well. Juno is pretty difficult to deal with.”

“Yang, who’s playing her?” Michael Pitt curiously asked. Wang Yang shrugged somewhat helplessly, “You tell me.”

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