Whoosh. Whoosh, whoosh.
The cold wind howled, swirling and biting as it squeezed through the cracks into the house. Even though the doors and windows were shut, the freezing weather from the outside world could still be felt. The old wooden floorboards creaked, as if the entire apartment was swaying in the chill.
Looking up through the fogged-up window, the rusty fire escape ladder divided the skyscrapers of Manhattan Island into neat little blocks, like cubes of tofu. The gray lines of the buildings sketched the city's outline amidst the drifting rain, giving it a unique charm.
Winter in New York makes you instinctively want to huddle up by the fireplace, hugging your knees and curling into a ball, quietly staring at the flames—like a cat, perfectly in sync.
This is why Michel Gondry and Charlie Kaufman insisted on filming in New York.
The weather, the environment, the atmosphere—it's irreplaceable. Forget about CGI, even shooting in a different city would feel completely different.
When The Butterfly Effect was shot in Vancouver, it worked because the story wasn't tied to any specific city. But Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is different; this is a story set in New York, and it belongs to New York.
So, despite the high production costs, the crew still chose to film here.
The texture captured by the camera is something CGI could never replicate. And the emotions actors display when they're immersed in a real environment are unmatched. That's something unique to Charlie Kaufman's scripts.
Hidden within his words are the pulse of the city, the lives of its people, and the atmosphere. Even without dialogue, you can feel the unique essence of the characters and the city they inhabit. It's irreplaceable.
At this moment, Anson's importance shines through.
It was Anson's willingness to accept a low base salary with profit-sharing—much like John Travolta did for Pulp Fiction—that allowed Focus Features to maintain the $20 million production budget. This way, every penny could go toward making the film, turning Charlie Kaufman's whimsical imagination into vivid scenes.
Not only Charlie but Michel also realized the importance of Anson.
Even before filming started, the entire crew was already grateful to Anson.
However, even with Anson agreeing to the profit-sharing deal, $20 million is still a drop in the bucket. Filming in New York is expensive, so the difference in filming locations is stark.
Spider-Man was filmed in Manhattan, Catch Me If You Can in Queens, but Eternal Sunshine was shot on the outskirts of Long Island.
Long Island is located about fifty miles southeast of Manhattan. It takes about an hour to drive or take a bus to Manhattan, and there's also a suburban train connecting the two, with trains running every hour or two. The ride takes less than two hours.
People living on Long Island often commute by train, escaping the hustle and bustle of Manhattan. With its two coasts and a river on the other side, Long Island feels like a hidden paradise, offering residents a life of serenity by the sea.
In Growing Pains, the main family lived on Long Island.
Most of Eternal Sunshine was filmed here, with only a small part shot in Manhattan, helping the crew save on expenses.
The sky drizzled, the sound of crashing waves filled the air, and the entire long winter was devoid of sunlight, painting the world gray.
"Ah, New York."
This kind of sigh comes naturally, thanks to Anson, whose contribution allowed Eternal Sunshine to be shot on Long Island.
Even before Anson joined the crew, his reputation preceded him.
However, gratitude is one thing, but work is another. If Anson couldn't pull off the role, or if his performance was a disaster, not even a free appearance could save the production.
Also, because of Anson's sacrifice, the crew had higher expectations for him. They genuinely hoped he wasn't just taking a pay cut to rub shoulders with Charlie Kaufman and then walk away without caring about the film's success.
So, the gratitude stays before the cameras start rolling. Once filming begins, professionalism and collaboration become the focus.
At least, from the initial impressions, everything seemed perfect.
Creak.
Grant Perkins pushed open the apartment door. As a member of the production crew, he had to arrive early to set everything up before filming began.
So, while they weren't the first to arrive, they were among the first.
On top of that, today's heavy rain had dropped temperatures to the lowest in two weeks. It was freezing, and while taking the train might have been easier, anyone driving was probably stuck in traffic.
Grant expected the set to be mostly empty.
He scanned the room.
As expected, only a few people were around, and the world seemed quiet and peaceful.
But every scattered gaze was fixed in the same direction.
Grant followed their eyes and immediately spotted the figure sitting cross-legged by the fireplace.
He was wearing an oversized dark green sweater, clearly not his regular size. The shoulders, sleeves, and hem were all too big, wrapping him up like a woolen blanket.
Oddly enough, while someone else wearing such an ill-fitting outfit would look like a disaster, on him, it exuded a lazy and casual vibe, made even more captivating by the flickering orange glow of the firelight.
Wait, who was he?
The full beard on his face gave him a weathered and tired appearance, his entire presence settled into the moment, making time seem to slow down with him.
His side profile flickered in and out of the fire's light and shadow, making it hard to see clearly. On his knees was a script, which he was reading intently.
That script…
A lightbulb went off in Grant's mind, nearly making him choke.
"… Anson? Cough, cough."
In the end, he did choke.
Then.
The figure looked up at Grant and smiled.
"Good morning."
After the brief greeting, he lowered his head and continued reading the script.
What was going on?
Could someone explain how, while they were arriving to set up for filming, a giant Buddha-like figure had already appeared here—and it was the biggest star in the cast?
Wait, is Anson a bigger star, or is Kate Winslet?
That wasn't the point!
The point was, why was Anson here so early?