The airplane from New York had just reached the Los Angeles International Airport. The place was quite busy and bustling as usual; it was such a busy airport.
Inside, the terminal bustles with a symphony of languages and accents. Businessmen tap away on laptops, their suits slightly rumpled after long flights. Young backpackers clutching tattered Lonely Planets mingle with families herding sleepy kids and overflowing strollers. A gaggle of teenagers in ripped jeans and band tees blast Pop music from their phones, their laughter bouncing off the high ceilings.
The air hangs heavy with a blend of jet fuel, coffee, and nervous perspiration. Announcements crackle overhead, a multilingual chorus guiding people to their gates. The smell of airport food carts adds a salty, greasy spice to the mix, competing with the faint aroma of jasmine from flowers nestled among the sterile potted palms.
Lucas exited the airport with a smile, feeling more alive than ever. He had just reactivated his ability to delve into the deep recesses of his consciousness. Surprisingly, while embodying the character of Aron Ralston, Lucas found himself wearing the same clothing as Aron, enhancing his immersion in the adventurous yet wonderful feelings Aron experienced—exploring the Canyon as if meditating.
This experience was truly remarkable for Lucas, even though he could only stay in that state for ten minutes before returning to reality. Though he didn't fully portray Aron Ralston, it was sufficient for Lucas.
In his next journey into the depths of consciousness, he planned to directly act or emulate the scene where Aron accidentally gets his right arm stuck in the chuckstone. While Lucas might intentionally create this situation, he aimed to be fully immersed in the character, appearing genuinely careless and clueless about the impending tragedy he unknowingly brought upon himself.
Lucas hailed a taxi to head to Century City.
As he boarded, memories of Shawn crossed Lucas's mind; he wondered how that guy was faring.
The taxi's worn leather seat pressed against Lucas's skin as it navigated the L.A. afternoon heat. Palm trees blurred past outside the window, their shadows dancing on the cracked dashboard.
Los Angeles buzzed with frenetic energy, amplified through the taxi's scratchy speakers blaring classic rock.
The cityscape shifted from sun-soaked beaches to towering billboards emblazoned with movie stars' faces.
Lucas craned his neck, observing the billboards. Notably, Leonardo DiCaprio's eyes seemed to stare down at him from a tall building.
Lucas observed the billboards briefly before realizing the taxi was approaching his destination.
The taxi rattled to a stop under the awning of an unassuming building. While Century Fox Searchlight lacked the grandeur of its studio siblings, the air crackled with the quiet electricity of ambition.
Lucas disembarked from the taxi and glanced around.
"Finally," Lucas muttered as he approached the building. While walking, his mind couldn't help but wonder.
In his previous life, "127 Hours" was announced in November 2009, but in this world, it seemed much earlier, though he wasn't entirely sure of the details.
Curious as he was, Lucas didn't dwell too much on it. After all, he found himself in a parallel world with differences from his previous life—like the absence of popular bands and songs. Despite these distinctions, Lucas sensed that this world and his former one felt remarkably similar.
Lucas entered the building, marveling at the literary haven he found. Sunlight streamed through arched windows, illuminating walls adorned with vintage movie posters and black-and-white stills.
The receptionist, a young woman with a bored expression and a headset glued to her ear, barely glanced up from her computer screen. "Appointment?" she croaked, her voice monotone.
Lucas swallowed, his mouth dry from the experience of entering the Fox Searchlight building, the indie darling nestled among Hollywood's glossy giants.
After calming himself, Lucas presented the project script for "127 Hours."
The receptionist indifferently observed the paper sheets in Lucas's hands, taking a moment to read them closely.
Realizing that the young man before her was applying for the main role of "127 Hours," she was a bit surprised. She scrutinized Lucas's face but found nothing particularly special. Without much thought, she said, "You're quite fortunate; the audition deadline for this project is about to reach its end next week."
After the young woman provided the information, she directed Lucas to the studio facility where the audition was taking place.
Lucas made his way to the studio, observing the inside of the Fox Searchlight along the way. Upon reaching the hall, he noticed several good-looking men seated in arranged seats, appearing to be in a line.
Lucas took an unoccupied seat.
Donna Isaacson, the casting director for the "127 Hours" film project, watched as actor Jesse Eisenberg auditioned for the role of Aron Ralston.
With her seasoned experience, Donna could see that Jesse's portrayal of Aron Ralston was too weak. Despite being a talented actor, he struggled to convey the depth of Aron Ralston's character, particularly in the moments when he was trapped in the narrow canyon.
Donna's hesitation about Jesse portraying Aron Ralston extended beyond his performance. His built and body shape didn't align with the appearance of the real Aron Ralston.
Despite Jesse auditioning multiple times, Donna couldn't see why she should choose him for the role.
After Jesse Eisenberg finished his audition, the process continued. As Donna observed more, it became apparent that none of the actors vying for the role of Aron Ralston could authentically convey the experience of being trapped in the narrow canyon.
Certainly, it was an exceptionally challenging role, and accurately replicating Aron Ralston's emotions during the 127 hours trapped in the narrow canyon was nearly impossible. The casting team acknowledged this, recognizing that only Aron Ralston himself could truly understand that experience. Donna and her team didn't expect actors to perfectly replicate the situation but aimed for someone who could convey at least half of the real emotions Aron Ralston went through.
In an ideal scenario, Donna would have considered casting Daniel Day Lewis if he were younger, given his exceptional acting skills. Unfortunately, Daniel's age didn't align with the character. However, the casting team was already exploring alternatives in case they couldn't make a decision for the role of Aron Ralston before the audition deadline.
The team considered "Cillian Murphy" as a suitable actor for the role and had already reached out to him. However, Cillian Murphy was currently busy, and they were willing to wait a bit, recognizing his talent and capabilities. He was, without a doubt, their first choice.
In the event that Cillian Murphy was unavailable, "James Franco" emerged as another potential actor to portray Aron Ralston.
Interestingly, James Franco was already en route to audition for the role.
AN:
[Did you find this writing format appealing? Feel free to share your thoughts.]
Sunlight bled through the windows of the Fox Searchlight studio.
Hollywood churned with its usual manic pulse, oblivious to the drama unfolding within these soundproof walls. Inside, a parade of actors sweated their way through recreations of Aron Ralston's harrowing ordeal in Bluejohn Canyon.
The studio facility, with the setup of a narrow canyon built from weathered plywood, painted in sun-bleached desert hues. It wasn't grand, but it felt real, an echo of the Utah chasm that trapped Aron Ralston for 127 agonizing hours.
This was the audition space for actors vying to portray Ralston's ordeal. No artificial shadows or theatrical thunder, just the quiet intimacy of plywood walls and the hum of overhead lights. Here, the raw power of the story hung in the air, a silent challenge.
The studio welcomed one actor after another, each auditioning for the role of Aron Ralston.
One actor named Jamie launched into Ralston's descent, and the scene transformed into a canyon ballet, mimicking the sensation of his right arm being squeezed by the boulder, a manic glint dancing in his eyes.
He wasn't Ralston, trapped and desperate, but a spider ensnared in a flypaper hallucination. Donna scribbled a note: "Too theatrical, lacks grit."
Jamie walked out of the studio with a downcast expression.
Next came Ben, a burly lumberjack of an actor. He chewed up the scenery with Ralston's desperate pleas, spitting gravel between clenched teeth. Donna winced. "Overkill, Danny. We need someone to crawl under our skin, not bludgeon us with it." She said to the British director, Danny, ever the imp, just grinned, enjoying the spectacle.
--
Lucas saw actors leave the studio with a downcast expression one after the other, and he didn't know why, but he was slightly affected as he felt more and more nervous.
Lucas even spotted Jesse Eisenberg, known for notable works such as "The Social Network," leaving the studio earlier.
While Lucas patiently waited, he attempted to use the free time to delve into the deep recesses of his consciousness. He wasn't concerned about sleeping for twenty minutes, as Lucas had discovered during a previous experience on an airplane passenger seat that time passed much quicker in his consciousness. Therefore, twenty minutes in his consciousness translated to just twenty seconds in the real world.
That's why Lucas persisted in attempting to enter his consciousness to embody the role of Aron Ralston.
After five minutes of trying, he finally succeeded. Finding himself in a narrow canyon, it resembled the exact place in Bluejohn Canyon.
Lucas observed his hands, which seemed unfamiliar. Immersed in the character, he felt like an avid solo adventurer exploring Bluejohn Canyon. As he treaded down the passage, joy and peace enveloped him.
"Treading about the canyon, exploring the relics of the past left behind in the canyon, this is joy," Lucas muttered in the Aron Ralston character.
He seemingly experienced the character's feelings, as if meditating while exploring the vast canyon.
Eight minutes passed in his consciousness, yet Lucas was in no hurry.
Finally, after nine minutes, Lucas treaded down the narrow passages. Below, the passage was barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through, carved by millions of years of water erosion.
Whether it was Lucas or Aron, descending through a series of waterfalls and tight squeezes, it seemed like he clearly enjoyed the solitude and challenge of the remote canyon.
Navigating a particularly narrow section, Aron descended with his hand on a chuckstone. Suddenly, he skidded through the walls, bringing him to a halt. His hand remained on the dislodged boulder, which then loosened and tumbled down the canyon.
As Aron skidded below, thinking it would speed up his descent, he sensed something was amiss. Looking up, he saw a falling stone. He momentarily froze as the stone descended.
Even Lucas, engrossed in the character of Aron Ralston, felt his immersion disrupted; he broke out of character and was no longer Aron.
However, this reaction would be expected from any ordinary human being in such a moment.
Lucas felt time dilate, as if he were dreaming, his reactions decelerating into slow motion. The rock smashed against his left hand, registering in Lucas's eyes. He yanked his left arm back as the rock ricocheted, only for the boulder to crush his right hand and ensnare his right arm. The rock slid another foot down the wall with his arm in tow, tearing the skin off the lateral side of his forearm.
Lucas remained silent, his disbelief temporarily paralyzing him. He stared at the sight of his arm vanishing into the small gap between the fallen boulder and the canyon wall. Within moments, pain overcame the initial shock.
The flaring agony threw Lucas into panic; it felt just like a nightmare.
Even though Lucas had anticipated this earlier and prepared himself, it felt too real—the sensation, the fear, the pain!
"Who am I? Where am I? Wait! I'm Aro— no, Lucas! This is a dream!" He seemed to forget who he was for a moment.
Lucas grimaced and was about to growl when he realized that he was back in reality.
Lucas still felt the palpable fear, his heart thumping hard as he chased his breath, attracting the attention of the actor beside him. The actor glanced at Lucas for a few seconds before returning to reading the scripts.
With dilated eyes, Lucas thought, "Not real. Not real. Phew. That's more terrifying than I initially thought it would be..." He couldn't imagine any sane and ordinary person remaining calm in that moment.
"At least I gained some insights into how a person would truly feel at that moment," Lucas reflected.
In fact, Lucas felt that he could at least display the same level of fear, disbelief, and panic—the emotions he experienced in his consciousness—without needing to fully become Aron Ralston, simply by being himself.
After all, Lucas still vividly remembered it: the sensation, his fear, disbelief, and panic, and most importantly, the pain—the flaring agony. He had never experienced such a thing in his previous life. What he initially felt when the boulder fell, in slow motion, his feelings or emotions were something he couldn't fully describe.
Lucas remembered the time slowing down. He didn't know if it was because he was inside his consciousness or if facing death made it possible, but Lucas didn't really care about it.
What happened in his consciousness, his attempt to replicate the moment when Aron accidentally got his right arm stuck at the chuckstone, felt like a nightmare. Lucas was clearly expecting it, but it wasn't exactly what he had anticipated.
He even momentarily forgot that he was in his consciousness and not in reality due to how faithfully his consciousness replicated reality. It felt like a dream where he forgot his identity. He didn't know if being inside his head, playing a character, was just like a dream. That's why, in that moment, he momentarily forgot that he was Lucas, and only when he felt the flaring agony did he remember who he was in his consciousness.
But Lucas learned his lesson. Next time, he wouldn't be so shocked or momentarily forget his identity and the character he is immersing.
Before Lucas knew it, it was finally his turn to audition. He stood up and went into the studio.
Lucas entered the studio, and he saw the set up of the soundstage mimicked that of the narrow canyon built with weathered plywood, while the background wall was green.
"So this is the studio of Fox Searchlight..." Lucas muttered as he looked around the studio.
This is Fox Searchlight studio after all, and with Fox Searchlight, the indie darling of Hollywood, Lucas has been dreaming to be able to enter the studio in his previous life, but now, he can finally enter the soundstage of the film studio.
In the cool shade cast by the plywood walls, a folding table held the nerve center of the audition.
Donna Isaacson, the casting director of "127 Hours", sat perched on a metal folding chair, her gaze sharp as the desert sun.
A notepad lay open on her lap, ready to write her evaluation to the actor that auditioned...
Beside her, Director Danny Boyle, his eyes crinkled with thoughtful concern, leaned back in a battered director's chair. His presence created a quiet hum of expectation.
Lucas felt the pressure as the directors' eyes focused on him, especially when he noticed Danny Boyle, an Oscar-winning director in February 2009.
"Your name?" Danny Boyle asked Lucas, who stood before them.
Lucas faced the green screen wall, and with his "small-time actor" experience, he noticed the camera in the studio capturing his every movement.
"I'm Lucas Knight, 19 years old," Lucas responded.
Danny and Donna exchanged glances, recognizing that the young man before them indeed looked his age, and they weren't surprised by his youth, evident in Lucas's appearance.
"Mr. Lucas Knight, I don't think you need to perform at all. You look quite young, clearly not suitable for the age of the main character," Donna remarked.
Danny nodded, stating, "I don't know what got into your head, young man, applying for the role when the project sheet clearly specified an age range of 25-35."
Lucas remained composed, responding after a deep breath, "Please give me a chance, sir and madam. I swear I'll perform the character of Aron Ralston perfectly!"
Danny and Donna stared at Lucas, and Danny remarked, "Your hair is even blonde, and your eyes are blue. Completely different from the requirements..."
"Please give me a chance!" Lucas exclaimed, knowing that hair color, eye color, or even age didn't matter in Hollywood. Professional makeup artists could alter his appearance slightly to look older, and with just a few adjustments, Lucas would be good to go.
Danny examined Lucas closely, sensing the young man's determination. He turned to Donna, who just shrugged.
"Alright. We'll give you a chance to demonstrate your ability to portray the character of Aron Ralston," Danny said.
The final decision rested on him and the casting director. They didn't need to consider much; even with an average performance, they wouldn't choose him. If Lucas performed poorly, it would be even more unlikely. Picking a young actor with an average or bad performance would be an insult to the real Aron Ralston.
"Thank you very much!" Lucas expressed his gratitude.
Danny and Donna nodded, and Danny instructed, "Go on. Prepare your performance. The scene is when Aron Ralston encounters two fellow travelers. You should be familiar with this from the project sheet, right?"
Lucas nodded, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes for a few seconds. He would first portray Aron Ralston before he was trapped in the narrow canyon.
"This is quite ridiculous..." Donna muttered to Danny beside her.
"Let him have his fun. I've been a young man once—overconfident and all. It's good if his own bad performance bursts his bubble," Danny said in a low voice.
Meanwhile, Lucas, with closed eyes, immersed himself in the character. This time, he didn't activate the ability where his consciousness entered the deep recesses. Although the deep immersion had accidentally taken him to the depths of his consciousness in the apartment the first time, now Lucas had gradually understood his power.
As long as Lucas didn't intend to portray a character where his consciousness was needed to construct the background, such as recreating the scene where Aron had the rock fall and smashed down his right arm, Lucas's ability would not activate.
In fact, Lucas was gradually becoming accustomed to his ability, which he named "Mind Workshop." He wouldn't accidentally activate it like the first time unless he intentionally wanted to, a process that might take a few minutes.
Danny and Donna observed as Lucas opened his eyes, witnessing a significant change in the inexperienced, overconfident young man. It seemed as though his soul had been replaced, sensing a remarkable shift in his temperament.
Poised before the casting table, Lucas stood tall, shoulders squared, like a desert willow rooted in sand. His eyes scanned the imaginary canyon's mouth.
A flicker of hope danced on his seemingly weathered face.
Danny and Donna were both surprised by this incredible transformation in Lucas. He could convey a story through expressions and movements.
The scene Lucas performed depicted Aron Ralston before getting stuck in the narrow canyon. It was the moment when Aron stumbled upon two fellow travelers.
Although Danny and Donna couldn't physically see it, they sensed Lucas imagining two figures emerging in his vision.
As Lucas's posture subtly shifted, his spine straightened, a gentle arch in his back like a cat basking in warmth. A genuine and unguarded smile bloomed on his face, transforming him from a lone adventurer into a welcoming presence. He raised a hand in a casual wave, the gesture as natural as the wind rustling through the canyon's veins.
"Hey there!" his voice called out, a touch of rugged charm in its timbre. It wasn't a booming hail but a friendly melody carried on the wind, inviting the imaginary newcomers into his orbit.
Danny and Donna were slightly surprised, awakening as Lucas's voice rang out, clear and open, echoing through the green walls.
The stark fluorescent lights of the studio cast long shadows as Lucas stood poised on the imaginary sandstone slab. He wasn't a performer reciting lines; he was Aron Ralston breathing life into the cramped audition room. His voice, when he welcomed, wasn't a projected boom but a husky murmur carrying the grit of the unseen canyon trails.
His smile wasn't plastered but a genuine flicker, breaking through the stoic mask of the solo adventurer.
His hands, emerging from his pockets, weren't theatrical flourishes but tentative explorers seeking connection. Leaning against the air, not with a dramatic slouch but with the natural ease of someone belonging to the wilderness, even its fabricated echo.
His gaze, upon meeting the imagined eyes of the unseen women, wasn't a rehearsed stare but a flicker of genuine curiosity, yearning not for applause but for shared adventure. His question, "Just passing through?" wasn't a staged cue but a whispered invitation to join the story etched on his face, carved by unseen winds.
There was no manufactured charm, no overplayed swagger. Lucas captured the essence of Aron in the smallest details: the subtle tilt of his head, the shift in weight that mimicked the sway of unseen rock, the way his voice softened with the imagined setting sun. He wasn't acting; he was living the moment, inhabiting the skin of a man who saw canyons in the blank walls and echoes in the studio hum.
Danny and Donna exchanged glances. They appeared serious, but in the depths of their eyes was shock.
"Were young talents in Hollywood already this good?"
Such thoughts crossed their minds.
Although portraying Aron Ralston before he was trapped in the narrow canyon wasn't particularly challenging for a professional actor, the person before them didn't seem like a seasoned professional but rather a fledgling, young actor.
Danny and Donna, initially inclined to reject Lucas Knight outright, were now considering him.
"You can return to audition for the other scenes a few times. By the end of this audition, we'll decide on the selected actor for the role," Donna said to Lucas, who had just finished his performance.
Danny added, "You're welcome to audition throughout this week. I must emphasize that committing to audition daily is necessary, but there's no guarantee that we'll choose you for the role. It's your choice to come back."
"Thank you!" Lucas expressed his gratitude, appreciating the acknowledgment and the opportunity given by the directors.
Despite the chance of never being selected and the potential time wasted, Lucas was willing to take the risk.
Lucas expressed his gratitude to the directors, clearly thankful, and exited the studio.
Observing Lucas's genuine gratitude, Danny and Donna realized the young man wasn't as bad as they initially thought. They had initially perceived Lucas as arrogant and stubborn.
"What do you think Mr. Ralston would think if we showed him the audition scenes of that young man?" Danny asked Donna with a smile.
"Maybe he'll like the young man. And also, maybe he won't like the performance. Not sure," Donna replied.
"Maybe, huh..." Danny muttered, reflecting on Lucas's performance.