บท 582: Social responsibility

Early in the morning, a large crowd had gathered at the high school where the "Detachment" film crew was located. A rough estimate put the number at nearly a hundred people. For the larger film crews, this was just a small fraction, but for an independent small-scale crew, it felt vast, like an ocean.

However, despite the large crowd, there was no noise. More accurately, the entire crew seemed somewhat despondent and sad. Today was the day when the "Detachment" crew would wrap up filming, with only the final scene remaining to be shot. After this, the entire film would be considered completed, and everyone couldn't help but feel a sense of reluctance to part ways.

During the filming, everyone had complained endlessly, especially when dealing with Tony and Renly, one a big maniac and the other a small one. The work process had been extremely arduous. Besides the initial scene involving the public bus, which had set a record by being shot seventy-one times, many other scenes had also been reshot multiple times, with at least ten scenes undergoing more than thirty retakes.

According to the production team, this time the footage shot for "Detachment" could easily be edited into a movie nearly as long as "Once Upon a Time in America." As a point of reference, the director's cut of "Once Upon a Time in America" ran for two hundred and twenty-nine minutes, nearly four hours. No one knew how long Tony intended to make the movie, not even the screenwriter, Carl Lund, who had quipped, "I can guarantee that this movie is made with the intention of driving the audience out of the theater."

But as the project approached its end, everyone began to feel a sense of attachment. There was only one main reason for this: Renly Hall.

To be honest, Renly wasn't a versatile, all-encompassing person. He was not familiar with most of the crew members, and they had never spoken to him. However, Renly was a dedicated and wholehearted actor. Watching him act was truly a pleasure, much like watching a play in a Broadway theater.

The difference was that, when watching a Broadway play, the audience would be amazed, astonished, and awestruck. But when watching Renly act, they would see the process, layers, and depths of the performance laid out before them. On one hand, this made people deeply feel the difference in acting ability, truly distinguishing excellent actors from average ones. On the other hand, it made people genuinely experience the difficulty and challenges of acting, while also understanding the difference between professionalism and mediocrity.

Tony was a movie fanatic, and to make "Detachment" a great film, he had strict requirements for the professionalism of the entire crew, as could be seen from the caliber of the cast. These were all people with artistic sensibilities who could discern quality.

The shooting process was indeed challenging, and an independent film like this had taken nearly seven weeks to complete, which was no less than the time required for big-budget commercial films. However, it was also enjoyable, and it allowed people to truly feel the torment and happiness of artistic creation.

Previously, there had been rumors during the shooting of "50/50" that Renly had become so absorbed in his role that it had affected his health, leading to his regrettable absence at the Oscars. Many had doubted these rumors at the time. Now, having experienced it firsthand, they understood the reality of it. Consequently, quite a few people were now becoming interested in "50/50".

Now, the day of wrapping up had arrived, and a sense of regret and loss began to permeate the hearts of those present. Bitterness filled their mouths, but they couldn't find the words to describe it.

Jeremy Marks had a smile on his face. The arduous ordeal was finally coming to an end. Sensing the low morale of the crew, he couldn't help but console them, saying, "Finishing is a good thing. If you want to torture yourselves again, there will be opportunities for future collaborations." However, even Jeremy himself delivered these consoling words with a lack of energy, his smile appearing heavy and weary. The inner emptiness he felt was indescribable with words.

Were their school days like this too? When they were in school, they longed for the holidays, but once the holidays arrived, they missed the time in class. Even though they knew it was absurd, they couldn't control it.

Thinking back now, Jeremy couldn't help but chuckle at his initial sternness toward Renly. Life was indeed full of surprises.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning, sir!"

The sounds of greetings echoed in his ears. Without turning around, Jeremy knew that Renly had arrived on set.

In the film, Renly played a teacher, and the students referred to him as "sir." This time, all the actors playing students were ordinary people with no acting experience, and each of them was a high school student. Gradually, they got used to this address, both on and off the set. Over time, even the crew members began to call Renly by this title.

Even the director, Tony, didn't receive such treatment.

Turning around, Jeremy saw Renly, who wore a relaxed smile on his face. His refined and scholarly demeanor was exceptionally pleasant, and Jeremy approached him, greeting, "Good morning. Are you ready? The crew is all set, and we're waiting for the actors to take the stage."

Renly nodded with a cheerful smile. "No problem, we can start right away." With that, he walked straight towards the classroom.

The final scene of the entire movie was set in one of Henry's classes.

Prior to this, Henry had already decided to end his stint as a substitute teacher at this school and move on to another one. The students felt reluctant to see him go. Among the many teachers they had, Henry was the only one who truly cared about them. But now, even this teacher was leaving. Life continued to seem bleak.

This class was the last one before the semester ended after Meredith's suicide. The atmosphere in the classroom was extremely heavy. Henry gazed at the vacant seat where Meredith used to sit, feeling a profound sense of sadness. Here, he recited a poem by Edgar Allan Poe, the same one Renly and Tony had chosen during their auditions, "The Fall of the House of Usher".

The movie would conclude within the verses of this poem. However, this scene was undoubtedly very challenging. All emotions were submerged beneath the surface, hidden within the lines of the poem. It required the actors to have a profound understanding of their lines, emotions, the director's intentions, and their fellow students. Nevertheless, Tony had absolute trust in Renly and had chosen this high-difficulty scene for the wrap-up, as all the other shots had already been completed.

As Renly entered the classroom, he saw the student actors already seated at their desks, preparing for the shoot. He waved his hand and greeted them, "Good morning."

"Good morning, sir," the students replied sparsely, their voices sounding weary and subdued.

This brought a light chuckle from Renly. "Why so downcast? Shouldn't you be happy? The long torment is finally coming to an end. You won't have to endure this any longer, and next comes the vacation... Oh, I almost forgot, school starts again in a week, right? Is that why you're feeling regretful, because summer break is ending?"

The students exchanged glances, but none of them spoke. After a short pause, a black student raised his hand, and after receiving Renly's approval, he said, "Sir, I feel sorry that we're about to part. Do you think we'll have a chance to meet again?"

"Yeah, sir. Do you think we can leave the Bronx? I still want to continue my education, but I'm not sure if I can after the school year starts."

"Sir, I want to become an actor. Do you think that's possible?"

"Sir, is studying really useful?"

...

The chattering voices continued, one after another, and this made Renly pause for a moment. For him, this was a performance, but it was also an experience of life. However, for these students, it was like a dream, a beautiful and happy dream. After today, they would awaken and return to the realities of life.

Out of the corner of his eye, Renly saw Sami and Betty. Their scenes had already been shot, but they had come to the set today. The two of them stood at the back of the classroom, their gazes complex as they looked at Renly.

At this moment, Renly keenly felt the weight on his shoulders, just like Tony felt when shooting "Detachment". If they were only extending a helping hand to individuals in need, their personal capabilities would always be limited. They needed society's attention and support from more influential figures. Only by truly changing the perception of education and improving the conditions of communities could they help more people.

Renly put down his bag, walked to the front of the classroom, organized his thoughts for a moment, and then began to speak. "Believe me, studying is the only way to change your life. You can travel far away, find a job right now, or choose to give up or compromise."

"Life doesn't have answers. Everyone will walk their own path. Why can't you become an actor? Why not be a photographer or an artist? Even becoming a blue-collar worker or a wanderer is nothing to be ashamed of." Renly stood in front of the podium, deeply feeling the responsibility of a teacher and a parent. For these confused children, teachers and parents were their only support. "Everyone has their own choices. Can studying make money? Can it fill your stomach? The answers to both are no, but studying gives you the opportunity to make those choices."

"Will we have a chance to meet in the future? Maybe yes, maybe no. But at least we should try," Renly said with a smile, though his heart felt heavy.

All the children applauded, their eyes filled with hope as they looked at Renly. This made Renly feel somewhat embarrassed. He suppressed his emotions and showed a broad smile, raising his right hand to press it down. "I'm not a teacher, I'm just an actor. In the eyes of many, actors are not good role models."

This teasing remark successfully made everyone laugh, including Betty, who stood at the back of the classroom. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks, transitioning from tears to laughter.