Initially, when filming "The Princess Diaries," Anson focused on using subtle details within limited space to bring his character to life, making it full and three-dimensional. He's applying the same approach now.
In the script for "The Butterfly Effect," the plot is tightly packed with events that come one after another, leaving no room to breathe. Every scene is full of dramatic tension, which doesn't allow much space for reflection—typical of genre films. This approach avoids exposing plot holes and keeps the audience engaged, but it also limits the space for actors to perform.
However, this isn't entirely the case.
In a script full of dramatic highs and lows, every scene is loaded with tension, which naturally creates a space for the actors to perform. The challenge for the actor is to reveal the source of that tension and draw the audience in, making the experience smooth and engaging.
If the actor isn't skilled enough to provide context and detail, the audience may not have room to think amidst the bombardment of information. This often leads to fatigue, causing the emotional impact of the third act's climax to diminish.
This is why audiences often feel exhausted by the third act of a commercial genre film, or they find the climax underwhelming—unless there's a high-energy moment at the end. Otherwise, the film will end on a declining note.
Clearly, this isn't how a commercial genre film should be experienced.
For this reason, many commercial films have started to include "twists" at the end, with some even boasting "multiple twists" to attract audiences. These twists are used to mask the lack of impact in the third act's climax.
But in reality, this approach misses the mark.
The right way to go about it is to use the first two acts to build emotional tension through the actor's performance and the layering of details. When the third act's tension reaches its peak, the energy is naturally released, allowing the "climax" to play its proper role.
Typically, the more twists a film has, the more it reveals its weaknesses, often to the point where the twists overshadow the film itself, weakening its overall impact.
Of course, there are exceptions.
Some classic films with twist endings have stood the test of time, but the key is that these films don't rely solely on the twist. The emotional groundwork in the first two acts must be solid, with the twist serving as an explosive release of built-up energy.
Take "The Sixth Sense" for example.
In its initial release, "The Butterfly Effect" didn't perform as well as expected at the box office, nor did it receive much acclaim. There were many reasons for this, one of which was Ashton Kutcher's inability to fully connect his character's journey. The film was driven entirely by its dramatic plot, lacking the necessary buildup before the third act. The theatrical release's ending wasn't impactful enough.
It wasn't until the DVD release, which included a director's cut with an alternate ending, that the shocking twist completely overshadowed the shortcomings of the first two acts, sparking widespread acclaim and creating a word-of-mouth phenomenon.
Now, Anson is working to inject more energy into the first two acts of the film—
In reality, the space for performance has always been there; it's just a matter of how the actor interprets and presents it.
Anson's brief interpretation immediately made Heath understand. A look of admiration appeared in Heath's eyes, "You've done an excellent job."
As Heath replayed Anson and Rachel's scene in his mind, he noticed more details, making the performance all the more remarkable.
And then, Heath drew a parallel.
Heath said, "That's precisely why making a small change in the past can lead to happiness, causing Evan to lose his sanity."
"On one hand, he's trying to hold onto happiness and refuses to let go."
"On the other hand, he wants everyone to be happy, not just himself."
"So he keeps going back in time, trying to protect everyone's happiness."
Indeed, genius is just that—a few words are enough to put him on the right track without deep thought or analysis.
Anson's eyes lit up.
"Exactly."
"And everyone has their blind spots. It's always easier to blame others."
"Just like Evan's first action."
"He wasn't even sure if his assumption was correct, but he blindly went back in time to stop Kayleigh's father. Just one action, one event, and the entire world turned upside down, everything falling into place."
"This gave Evan the illusion that solving one problem would lead to happiness. At the same time, when faced with other difficulties and misfortunes, it became easier to continue blaming others."
"It's like a bug in the system."
On the side, Rachel looked at Anson, then at Heath. She tried to keep up with the conversation but found the information overwhelming. Just processing and digesting it was challenging enough, let alone thinking and providing feedback.
After all, Rachel was just a rookie actress, barely starting her journey. Asking her to delve deeply into her performance right from the start was indeed a bit too much.
Nonetheless, Rachel didn't lose heart. She remained focused and engaged, even if she didn't fully understand. Listening and taking mental notes would be her first step.
This, too, was a rare learning experience.
Heath was slightly taken aback, naturally drawing connections from Anson's words.
"Tommy is the same way."
From Anson to himself, Heath's mind was flooded with inspiration.
In "The Butterfly Effect," strictly speaking, only Evan's character has space for a full performance. The other characters, including Kayleigh and Tommy, are merely tools placed in the right spots to convey the correct emotions and drive the narrative forward—that's their entire purpose.
This isn't due to the writers' lack of skill but rather a result of the story's concept.
Only Evan is traveling through time and altering history in the story. The other characters exist in fragmented, parallel timelines, showcasing only one aspect of their personalities.
In other words, neither Heath nor Rachel needed to think about the story's full arc or character development like Anson did.
Yet, they remained focused and engaged in the discussion.
Especially Heath.
Heath gasped, mumbled a few incomprehensible words—almost as if he were speaking an alien language.
"...So, that's the root of all the tragedies in this timeline."
Finally, his words became clear. Heath snapped out of his thoughts, looking at Anson with eyes full of excitement and enthusiasm.
"When Tommy finds out that Evan and Kayleigh are together, he comes at Evan with a baseball bat because he believes everything is Evan's fault. If he removes Evan, he won't have to suffer."
"But what he doesn't realize is that Evan, in his defense, also becomes enraged. Evan realizes that Tommy is the reason his life and his friends' lives have been ruined. In the end, Evan's self-defense goes too far, and he accidentally kills Tommy, landing himself in prison."
"Everything has a cause."
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