Chapter 259: The Butterfly Effect
[Chapter 259: The Butterfly Effect]
After watching The Man from Earth, since The Butterfly Effect was also wrapped up, a test screening was held in the theater.
The Butterfly Effect had been completed around the same time as The Man from Earth, but due to its extensive special effects and a backlog of projects within the production department, the post-production took over two months longer to finish.
One couldn't ignore the structure of Guess Pictures. Following its merger with Good Machine and Trimark Pictures, the company significantly boosted its production and distribution capabilities. However, it remained a mid-sized production company, typically producing no more than ten small to mid-budget films each year -- far less than the twenty to thirty films churned out by the seven major studios.
Link planned to acquire two more film production companies the following year to further enhance Guess Pictures' production capacity and more quickly assess box office performance.
The internal test screening of The Butterfly Effect wasn't large; the attendees primarily consisted of the film's creative team, the management from Guess Pictures' production and distribution departments, Harvey Weinstein and a few executives from Miramax, along with familiar faces like Sofia, Quentin, Steven Soderbergh, and Richard Linklater.
...
As the film began to roll, the audience was presented with a piece of text: "Even a butterfly's flapping wings can cause a hurricane miles away -- Chaos Theory."
This theory, proposed by meteorologist Lorenz in 1963, illustrated how the flapping of a butterfly's wings in the Amazon rainforest could potentially lead to a tornado in Texas two weeks later. This concept was central to the film, highlighting how subtle changes in life can have enormous repercussions, similar to the latter half of the film The Butterfly Effect.
The narrative employed a circular storytelling structure, with the beginning linking back to the end. The protagonist, Evan, donned a psychiatric hospital uniform as he stealthily entered an office and hid under the desk, scribbling:
"If anyone finds this, then I guess my plan didn't work and I'm already dead... But if I can just go back to the beginning of all this, I still might be able to save her."
"Evan! Evan!"
"He should be here!"
Hospital staff began searching, banging on the glass door outside.
The opening set a mysterious tone, transitioning into the main storyline as the audience was taken to a scene of seven-year-old Evan playing on the lawn with a puppy while his mother, Andrea, worked on a car by the front door. Evan questioned her about his father.
...
"This beginning is rather intriguing," Quentin remarked, stroking his chin.
Sofia shot him a glance. "Just intriguing? It's incredibly interesting! Before seeing this film, did you even know what the butterfly effect was about?"
"Of course I did," Quentin replied, his tone a bit uncertain.
"You never went to college. Where would you know that from?"
"Link never went to college either."
"Can you really compare yourself to Link? He's a great writer."
"Alright, you two, stop arguing and pay attention to the movie," Link interjected, taking Sofia's hand.
Sofia obediently closed her mouth, while Quentin shot a glance at their intertwined hands, muttering to himself about the pair.
...
As the film continued, Andrea dropped Evan off at school, where the teacher informed her that Evan had drawn a disturbing and violent picture, yet Evan couldn't recall when he'd done it.
Thinking he was making excuses, Andrea took Evan to see a psychiatrist, hoping he hadn't inherited his father's condition. Following the doctor's advice, Evan began keeping a diary to document everything to avoid future memory lapses, which is how the diary stories emerged.
The first entry recounted a playdate at the neighbor's house, where after playing, he hazily recalled being taken to a basement by Kayleigh's father, resulting in lost memories.
Another entry involved Evan visiting his father, Jason, in a psychiatric facility, where a near-death encounter left him forgetting what they had spoken about.
A third entry detailed an incident at thirteen when Tommy, in a fit of rage, threatened to set Evan's puppy on fire, prompting yet another memory loss.
The fourth entry focused on a mailbox explosion, where he only remembered placing a bomb in a neighbor's mailbox but had no memory of what transpired afterward.
After the mailbox incident, Andrea left town with Evan.
...
"Oh, I see. Evan inherited his father's mental illness, which causes memory loss and worsens with age. Next, Evan will meet a good doctor. With help from the doctor and his mother, he'll gradually recover and overcome his issues. So this film deals with psychological issues and family ties, right?" Quentin confidently asserted.
"It might not be that simple. The butterfly effect illustrates how tiny changes can lead to substantial outcomes. A child with a mental illness is like a ticking time bomb, impacting the lives of those around him. This film might contrast the experiences of two generations grappling with mental illness, emphasizing how family and social support can lead to drastically different life paths. It could be a deep exploration of human nature and society, similar to Forest Gump," bald Steven Soderbergh chimed in.
"I think... time travel!" Before Robert Rodriguez could respond, the protagonist was already in the dorm holding his diary, preparing for his first jump.
...
Evan traveled back to his thirteen-year-old self during the dumpster incident, pleading with chubby Lenny to save his dog from Tommy's fiery threat. When he woke up, he confronted Lenny from his childhood, seeking clarity about that fateful day to prove the time travel was real.
As it turned out, Lenny had grown up to be autistic, recalling Tommy's threats about his mother. Evan realized that his time travel was indeed real.
...
"Whoa, that's a cool setup!"
"Quentin, this is a thousand times better than what you described!"
"I get it now -- the protagonist possesses the ability to time travel. He uses it to help those around him, ensuring everyone leads a happy life. That's the meaning of the butterfly effect," the audience murmured in amazement as they watched Evan navigate through his past, altering events.
Although the concept of time travel had appeared in films since the seventies, primarily involving future scenarios like Back to the Future and The Terminator, a film featuring diary-based time travel to childhood was unprecedented, adding a fresh perspective.
However, the unfolding events took everyone by surprise.
...
Evan learned that attempts to change the past were compounded by each journey, and the outcomes only deteriorated. The people around him suffered misfortunes, and he himself faced disastrous consequences, once even being imprisoned and losing limbs due to an explosion.
As the jumps continued, Evan spiraled into despair, discovering that his father Jason had faced the same plight, repeatedly traveling back to alter circumstances only to create greater chaos. Evan's mother had suffered three miscarriages due to his father's time-traveling actions.
Ultimately, Evan was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. In desperation to alter his fate, he retreated to the doctor's office and scribbled the same opening line: "If anyone finds this..."
Once finished, Evan found a family video from his birth and, while projecting it, plunged back into his mother's womb, strangling himself with the umbilical cord in an act of suicide.
This shocking scene unfolded through hospital ultrasound footage, capturing the terrifying motion of the embryo, leaving the audience horrified yet captivated.
...
"Wow!"
"Is that how it is? Incredible!"
"This premise is so cool!"
During this moment in the film, spontaneous gasps filled the theater, faces lit with disbelief.
It mirrored the test screening of Se7en, where viewers reacted similarly to the on-screen brutality.
As the movie concluded, the audience erupted into applause, standing and cheering.
Link smiled, satisfied. From camera work to performances, dialogue to lighting design, the film surpassed the original.
"Link, this movie is outstanding! A hundred times more thrilling than I anticipated," Leonardo exclaimed, clapping enthusiastically.
Since the filming adhered to a linear structure, he had struggled to grasp the film's overall design and couldn't envision its outcome.
After watching it, he felt profoundly moved, thrilled to have played a role in such an impressive film.
"Leonardo, your performance was fantastic, too!" Link replied with a grin.
"Link, this is an incredible film! Congratulations on yet another masterpiece!" praised Steven Soderbergh, Richard Linklater, and others as they approached him with warm congratulations.
"Thanks!"
"Link, you were amazing! This film is truly spectacular," said Renee Zellweger, excitedly rushing into his arms, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
Julianne Moore also approached with a beaming smile to offer her commendation.
"You guys were excellent, too!" Link replied, wrapping his arms around Renee and Julianne in joy.
Sofia smirked, turning to Quentin. "So, isn't the subsequent plot of The Butterfly Effect even better than you expected? Aren't you feeling a bit envious of Link right now?"
"Meh, I still prefer Se7en," Quentin replied with a flat demeanor.
"That's just jealousy," Sofia teased.
Quentin wanted to deny it, but the sight of Link surrounded by several beautiful women made him clench his teeth in vain jealousy.
*****
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