Chapter 42: The Bridge Journal

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: The Bridge Journal

Irene’s hand paused while cutting her steak, then continued as if nothing happened.

"How come I haven’t seen this novel in bookstores?" Irene had also considered this film.

The plot was simple, the story warm, and most importantly, it had strong box office potential, matching her criteria.

She hadn’t seen the original work in stores and had nearly written the script herself, but ultimately chose the lower-budget Legally Blonde and Mean Girls to start.

"It’s said to be unpublished, but the author is a close friend of Director Marshall, so he saw the story early and decided to adapt it, with the novel and movie releasing together."

Now she was glad she hadn’t moved forward, or she might have faced plagiarism claims, though Hollywood directors didn’t worry much about that.

But was there a role in The Princess Diaries for Julia Roberts? Would she, at her age, play the protagonist’s mother? A single mom? That would be a departure, Irene thought.

"So who was cast in that role?"

"They’re still holding open auditions. Who knows who’ll get it." Jessica’s tone held longing.

One was a known lead, the other an unknown supporting part. Everyone understood the difference.

But she wasn’t naive. Showing a little envy was enough. She wouldn’t drop a current role for an uncertain future.

"You’re all young. You’ll be leads someday."

She meant it. Of everyone here, except Edward Nelson, whom she’d discovered, which of them wouldn’t become a recognized name in Hollywood?

Even for Edward, as long as he treated Britney well, even if other directors didn’t see his acting, there’d always be a place for him with her.

The meal ended with crew chatter.

Irene returned to the hotel, washed up, and took out her notebook. She found the line for The Princess Diaries and crossed it out.

This was a reminder. She needed to be more careful selecting films. Checking bookstores for source material was unreliable.

She didn’t have money before, but now she did. She could hire a team for deeper research.

The internet was developing fast, and organized online promotion was still new. She could establish it early to benefit her films.

But where to find people?

The evening breeze came through the window. Irene sat on the lounge chair, relaxed, her gaze wandering until it stopped on the desk.

Looking closer, it was a stack of entertainment papers.

"Entertainment papers?!" Irene stood and picked them up. They had typical Hollywood news, but one, titled The Bridge Journal, read: Hollywood in October 1999 was at the crossroads of an old and new era.

On one hand, traditional dramas like American Beauty were elevated; on the other, challenging films like Fight Club tested mainstream audiences.

At the same time, cable networks were rising in television, and the industry moved forward amid excitement and anxiety about technology and the millennium.

The name didn’t sound like tabloid press, and that kind of commentary was rare in an obscure paper. Maybe acquiring a newspaper could start her promotion business.

Existing staff, location, and industry awareness were advantages.

She wrote down the name and gave it to Vera, asking her to collect recent Bridge Journal issues and research its background to see if acquisition was feasible.

The next evening, the set atmosphere was tense. The upcoming scene was key: Regina encounters Katie, who Aaron just invited, in the hallway and uses her "plastic smile" and lies to undercut Katie’s happiness.

"All departments ready. Shooting scene 137, Regina’s ’friendly warning,’" Irene said over the intercom, steady.

The set was the familiar hallway. Rachel, as Regina, was in character, a sweet smile on her lips, but her eyes cold as they moved to Katie.

"Action!"

Regina linked arms with Katie affectionately. "Hey! I just saw you with Aaron? Did he ask you to the Halloween party?"

Katie blushed, nodding with shy joy. "Yeah, he said his friends will be there..."

"Oh, honey." Regina cut her off with "sympathy," like sharing a secret.

"As your best friend, I have to tell you... Aaron invites every girl to that party. I mean, every girl. Even Susie, who works in the cafeteria, got invited last week. It’s not special."

The close-up held on Katie’s face. The light in her eyes dimmed. Her initial joy was replaced by embarrassment, disappointment, and a hint of anger.

"Cut!"

Irene stood from the monitor. She didn’t critique immediately but walked to the actors.

"Reese, your emotional shift is good, but the move from joy to disappointment is too quick. Add some doubt in between." Irene explained carefully.

"First, you shouldn’t believe Regina. You’d glance toward where Aaron went, looking for confirmation. Then comes the loss of trust and self-doubt. One more take, add that thought process."

Then she turned to Rachel. "Rachel, your layering is also good, but that last line, ’It’s really nothing special,’ could be more dismissive, casually cruel, like it’s trivial. That hits Katie harder. Got it?"

"Got it, Director!"

"Action!"

After, the performances had more depth. Katie’s instinctive glance after Regina’s words showed her internal struggle.

Regina’s subtle condescension landed, especially when she mouthed the improvised line—"Game on"—Irene smiled behind the monitor.

"Cut! Very good!" Irene’s voice had excitement.

"That’s a wrap for today. Thank you, everyone!"

After 54 days, before winter, the school scenes and exteriors were done. Tomorrow, they’d move to the final location—the villa—to shoot the Halloween scenes.

"Tomorrow is night shoots, so rest tonight and during the day tomorrow. Stylists, please check tomorrow’s costumes with actors before leaving to avoid issues."

Before wrapping, Irene gave the last instruction for the day.