"Breathe, Aaron. Breathe!"
"Mom! I'm breathing!"
"You know what I mean. Don't get too excited. You need to stay calm now. If you get carried away with excitement, you might mess things up... Aaron!"
"Mom, this is it, this is the set of 'The Butterfly Effect', oh, unbelievable!"
"Aaron! Calm down!"
Sarah Johnson's face was filled with helplessness. It was clear that her youngest son's attention had drifted to another planet, his eyes brimming with curiosity as he took in the filming location before him.
In truth, this set wasn't anything extraordinary.
Located in a typical residential neighborhood in south Vancouver, it consisted of ordinary two-story detached houses inhabited by regular working people, not the middle class. People came and went in a hurry, everyone busy with their own affairs. Even the presence of a film crew in the neighborhood didn't make them pause.
At first glance, it had the feel of a constructed studio community like in "The Truman Show," with surface tranquility masking underlying currents.
However, even in such an ordinary and simple neighborhood, Aaron Taylor-Johnson couldn't contain his excitement. Every cell in his body was cheering, his mind already wandering before he even officially joined the crew.
Sarah opened her mouth, trying to dissuade her son once more, but the words lingered on her tongue before she swallowed them back down: Just let Aaron be happy for a while.
Aaron, twelve years old this year, came from a small town in Buckinghamshire, England. From a young age, he had been learning various art forms like acting, dancing, and singing. Sarah, a housewife, took on the responsibility of guiding her children at home.
Aaron also had an older sister.
The Johnsons had nurtured their daughter as well, but unfortunately, she wasn't interested and eventually gave up. They encouraged her to find other hobbies, while seeing hope in Aaron.
Three years ago, Aaron came tantalizingly close to a once-in-a-decade opportunity:
"Harry Potter."
Aaron auditioned for the absolute core role of Harry Potter himself. After six rounds of auditions, he became one of the final contenders, just one step away from an unprecedented opportunity, but in the end, he missed out on the role.
For both Aaron and Sarah, this was a heavy blow.
The entire audition process was long and arduous, lasting nearly a year. The Johnson family devoted countless hours and energy, like running a marathon, step by step towards the finish line, only to be eliminated in the final sprint. The shock and hurt were indescribable.
Missing out on the "Harry Potter" audition was undoubtedly a major setback for Aaron's acting dreams. However, this talented young boy still received numerous acting opportunities, including but not limited to "Macbeth," "Almost Famous," and the recently wrapped "Shanghai Noon."
In this film, Aaron collaborated with Jackie Chan and Owen Wilson, two of Hollywood's hottest action stars at the time. He played the young Charlie Chaplin in the movie.
Undoubtedly, this was a special filming experience that kept Aaron excited for a long time. However, the aftermath of missing out on "Harry Potter" was more profound than anticipated.
When Aaron went to audition for other roles, many casting directors would inquire about his "Harry Potter" audition experience. Sarah, unfamiliar with the workings of Hollywood, wasn't sure if they were trying to pry into other productions' secrets or genuinely testing Aaron's on-the-spot reactions.
But the wound was there, two years later, still gaping like an open wound on an operating table, exposed for everyone to see and comment on.
"If Aaron had been chosen..."
"How perfect Aaron would have been for the role of Harry..."
"I personally think Aaron was more suitable..."
Countless "ifs" weighed them down.
Even Sarah felt this way, let alone Aaron.
But what could they do?
Nothing.
All they could do was keep auditioning, keep looking for opportunities, and keep waiting patiently for a project that would allow Aaron to shine.
Sarah knew that expecting another "Harry Potter" was unrealistic, so she had long abandoned such hopes. Instead, she hoped that Aaron could find a role to showcase his acting talent, be seen by Hollywood, and shake off the shadow of the failed "Harry Potter" audition.
Then.
"The Butterfly Effect" appeared.
For Sarah, the value of this sci-fi film was just average. After all, with its limited investment, it was difficult to compete with those blockbuster movies. But the name "Anson Wood" made things interesting.
In Hollywood at the time, Anson was a guaranteed topic, like Leonardo DiCaprio after "Titanic." No matter what project Anson took on, even a small-scale independent film like "Elephant" could easily attract attention. Moreover, this time, Anson was personally serving as the producer.
And.
The role Aaron auditioned for was Anson's childhood.
To be precise, Anson at thirteen.
This was a golden opportunity, both in terms of topicality and the significance of the role. It was something to look forward to.
When the crew called to inform them that Aaron had passed the audition, Sarah couldn't help but cheer.
For Aaron, the only thing worth discussing and looking forward to was Anson.
Anson Wood, that was Spider-Man!
Aaron had lost count of how many times he had watched "Spider-Man." Thirteen times? If he included the time he was halfway through a midnight screening and got kicked out of the theater due to the "underage curfew" rule, then it was fourteen times!
Wait, could he count the time he stopped in front of a TV wall outside an electronics store on his way to the supermarket because he saw a "Spider-Man" trailer as half a time?
Anyway!
Aaron loved Spider-Man, he was crazy about the movie!
He didn't care about "Harry Potter," or even "The Butterfly Effect." The only thing that mattered was Peter Parker. He was finally going to see Peter Parker in person!
Ah, ahhh!
He wanted to scream but had to use all his strength to control his urge.
Today was the official start of filming for "The Butterfly Effect."
The crew wasn't huge but wasn't small either. Looking around, there were about fifty people bustling about, methodically preparing for the start of filming.
The director, cinematographer, actors, lighting crew, sound crew, and other crew members were all present, creating a scene of thriving activity. At a glance, one could see the two writer-directors, eager and ready for action, their mixed expressions of nervousness and excitement unable to be concealed at the corners of their mouths. One could also see the experienced assistant director and production manager skillfully managing the scene, ensuring the crew was on the right track.
Although Aaron couldn't tell and Sarah didn't know the intricacies behind the scenes, at least Sarah could sense that Anson had done an excellent job as a producer.
Not by micromanaging, but by strategically hiring experienced professionals for the assistant director and production manager positions, making up for the two directors' lack of experience and demonstrating his wisdom as a producer.
But why was the producer so late?
Just then, Aaron grabbed Sarah's arm, his gaze fixed in one direction, his whole body tense. Even without words, one could feel the surge of emotions.
Anson had arrived.