**Chapter 47: Revising the Setting**

"The story takes place in a small town in central Florida."

"Seven-year-old Mary has been living with her uncle Frank since her mother passed away."

"Frank is a boat mechanic, and his income isn't high. The two live modestly. To make ends meet, Frank has to take on some less-than-honorable jobs on the side, just so Mary can have a better life."

"However, the town has a nice environment, and the people around them are very friendly. The teachers at school are also kind to her, and Mary can live a carefree and happy life here."

"But as she grows older, Mary begins to show the same math talent that her genius mother had."

"This catches the attention of her grandmother, Evelyn."

"Evelyn was a mathematician in her youth, but due to her limited talent, she gave up on mathematics and turned to business, where she achieved considerable success."

"Later, when she discovered that her daughter, Mary's mother, had a much greater talent for mathematics than she did, Evelyn was overjoyed. She started pouring her unfulfilled dreams into Mary's mother."

"However, being too strict led to Mary's mother rebelling. As soon as she became an adult, she left home and fell in love with a romantic artist. Although they never married, they had Mary."

"Evelyn despised her son, Frank, for not inheriting any of her talents and distanced herself from him, which led Frank to resent his mother."

"One day, after confirming that Mary had inherited the same mathematical talent as her mother, Evelyn showed up."

"She first assured Frank that she wouldn't be as harsh with Mary as she had been with her mother. She also promised to provide Mary with a better material life and help her become more successful."

"Then she pointed out that the 'jobs' Frank was doing could negatively influence the increasingly aware Mary. It wouldn't be good for Mary to stay with him."

"After tentatively asking Mary and mistakenly thinking that she was more interested in math, Frank, though heartbroken, agreed to Evelyn's proposal and sent Mary to live with her."

"Being somewhat mature for her age, Mary misunderstood and thought Frank found her to be a burden. She believed that because of her, Frank wasn't earning enough money and couldn't properly date or get married. So, though sad, she didn't 'bother' Frank anymore."

"Yet, all the beautiful memories of their time together kept haunting and tormenting both of them."

"Finally, Frank couldn't help but go see Mary. He didn't dare get close, only wanting to see her from a distance."

"But as if sensing his presence, Mary turned her head, saw him, and ran straight into his arms."

"After some tears and conversation, both Mary and Frank expressed their true feelings."

"They finally understood each other and decided to live together again."

"But Evelyn wouldn't allow it."

"She saw in Mary another chance to realize her unfulfilled dreams—if she couldn't become a great mathematician, she would make her granddaughter one."

"So, she did everything she could to prevent Mary from moving back, even going so far as to falsely accuse Frank and threaten to send him to jail."

"However, in court, the bond between Frank and Mary moved the jury, and Frank successfully won custody of Mary."

"Afterward, just as Evelyn was feeling utterly defeated, Frank and Mary showed up at her door, hand in hand."

"Since Frank had custody, Evelyn had no choice but to compromise. They reached a mutually satisfactory agreement—Mary would live with Frank, but she would visit Evelyn for tutoring every week."

"Over time, as Mary grew, the relationship between Frank and Evelyn also gradually improved."

"In the film's final scene, a grown-up Mary stands on the stage at the Fields Medal ceremony, holding her trophy with joy as she delivers her acceptance speech."

"'Thank you to my strict grandmother, to my academic mentors, but most of all, to my silly uncle.'"

"In the audience, Frank and Evelyn sit together, sharing genuine smiles of happiness."

After finishing, Wayne, feeling a bit parched, took a sip of juice.

Meanwhile, Mia and the others, after thinking for a moment, began to share their opinions.

"Sounds really interesting!" Hannah was the first to speak.

"Preparation and filming shouldn't be too difficult, and the cost won't be high. It'd be perfect for a Christmas release," Mia added, speaking from a producer's perspective.

Even though the movie hadn't been decided yet, Mia was already thinking about the release date.

"But sweetheart, aren't we about to shoot *The Bourne Identity*? If this story becomes a movie, who do you have in mind for the cast?" Jessica, as an actor, naturally focused on casting.

This kind of story, if done well, could be an award contender.

"I'm still considering the casting."

"Like Mia said, if we want to release the movie around Christmas, a traditional family time, then you and I won't be able to star in it."

"The lead actress should be easy to cast, right?" Mia teased with a smile.

Wayne shrugged calmly, not denying it, knowing there were plenty of actresses who could play the lead.

But finding the right actor for Frank was proving more difficult.

Frank's character, though not as iconic as Bartleby, was still quite remarkable. Letting someone else take the role felt like a loss.

"What if we change Frank into a woman? A man raising a child and dating doesn't seem too problematic," Hannah suddenly suggested.

Her idea, though half-joking, made Wayne pause, and then his eyes lit up.

"Yeah! Making the protagonist a woman is a great idea!"

Wayne quickly analyzed, "It makes more sense for a woman raising a child to have trouble finding a boyfriend, and a single woman with a low income is more believable. Plus, her shady work could be changed to something more fitting, like being a surrogate or even a street worker, which would explain the concern about Mary being negatively influenced."

"But does that mean we'd change the original female teacher character into a man? Would that be problematic?"

The thought of a male teacher and a little girl made Wayne uncomfortable, reminding him of the film *The Hunt* starring Cannes Best Actor Mads Mikkelsen, which gave him chills.

"If we keep the female teacher, should we cut her romantic involvement with Frank, or make her a lesbian?"

Wayne rubbed his chin as strange ideas popped into his head, feeling oddly excited.

But he ultimately pushed aside those thoughts, deciding not to disrupt the family-oriented tone of the movie.

As for those ideas...

"Maybe have Anne and Naomi Watts try out?"

(End of chapter)