I was just thinking about taking the arts exam and you said I've been playing supporting roles

Chapter 395 The True Meaning of Performance!
Chen Jin's system can view a lot of entertainment news and movie-related information, but he can't see anything about the future of his family.

Therefore, he had no idea what his family's future would be like.

Since his parents moved to the capital with him, they rarely came back to their hometown; as for his maternal grandparents' home, apart from his parents occasionally visiting, Chen Jin basically only visited during the Chinese New Year.

In this respect, he actually did not do enough.

So, while filming in Shanghai, Chen Jin plans to come back and spend time with her parents whenever she has free time.

The process of accompanying someone is also a process of character growth.

On the contrary, Chen Jin's grandparents would often be picked up by his father to go to the capital for a couple of days.

The elderly have many different ideas.

My maternal grandparents live in the countryside and are too lazy to move around, feeling that going to the big city is a painful experience; on the other hand, my paternal grandparents like to travel around before they get too old to walk.

This is a choice made by older people; there is no right or wrong answer.

Chen Jin chose to understand; all the younger generation could do was spend more time with them.

……

Why did you decide to visit your maternal grandparents?

Chen Jin's mother, Su Wanyu, sounded surprised on the phone. Chen Jin, sitting on the way to Kunming, chuckled and said, "I'm filming a movie in Shanghai. It happens to be about my grandmother. While filming, I suddenly remembered some things from my childhood, so I wanted to go and see it!"

"See? I told you you only think of them when you need something. All that pampering when you were little was for nothing!"

"I was in postpartum confinement at the time..."

Whenever this topic came up, Su Wanyu would start her mother's nagging mode.

They just kept repeating the same few sentences: "You were so lucky to have your maternal grandparents take care of you when you were little, but your paternal grandparents never helped you," and so on.

Anyway, Chen Jin just let it go in one ear and out the other.

"Okay, Mom, I'll definitely come back to visit you both regularly from now on!"

Money can never be fully earned, but the elderly are truly one less person you can see every day. No matter what Su Wanyu says, Chen Jin does indeed visit them infrequently.

Being told to stand at attention when being hit is not a matter of filial piety being used to coerce someone.

Some people are struggling to make a living, and their elders at home can understand; Chen Jin doesn't have this kind of worry.

"Okay, remember to buy more things!"

"Call me when you arrive, it's been so long since I've seen them!"

Su Wanyu sounded quite melancholy on the phone; she also wanted to go home and visit as many people as possible.

I've already discussed it with Chen Xianqi, and we'll take some time to go back to our hometown for a while. Before, I was afraid of being targeted, but now that Chen Jin is "famous throughout the land," I don't need to worry about that anymore.

"Okay, Mom!"

"I'm not talking to you anymore, I'll video chat with you when I get there!"

After hanging up, Chen Jin's mind was filled with the plot of "Grandma" and the bits and pieces of her childhood with her grandparents. In the end, she felt that the experience of the movie and the real events that had happened were all integrated together.

As the scenery outside the window flashed by, Chen Jin felt a longing to return home.

Everyone's childhood and past are different, but the way grandparents and great-grandparents interact is often quite similar.

Lee Strasberg, a master of the method acting school, believed that the core of acting theory includes improvisation and emotional memory!

Improvisation is one of your performing talents!

In fact, for actors, emotional memory is even more important!

Swish!
Suddenly, some performance theories she had learned flashed through Chen Jin's mind.

At that moment, I suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment.

It seems... that's indeed how the performance was.

Compared to talent, emotional memory, that is, having experienced memorable events, is actually more helpful for your acting skills.

You will recall something that was once deeply memorable, and then act it out.

For example, a mother's nagging, or a son's impatience.

This is why many acting teachers and actors emphasize the importance of actors having life experience.

There are reasons why many young actors don't perform well.

Because he has little experience.

Aside from winning awards for playing themselves, many of their roles just feel fake.

Chen Jin's outstanding performance, which earned him the Best Actor award at the Venice Film Festival, is largely thanks to the system's experience, which gave him so much life experience and emotional memory.

It's not that it's that strong.

Other peers obviously don't have this kind of experiential advantage.

This means they need to observe and experience the profession in order to play certain specific roles well.

The so-called wide range of roles is actually due to having a lot of experience.

"So, if I didn't have a system, and wanted to play the role in 'Grandma' well, I would have to get along well with my grandmother and observe her..."

As Chen Jin gazed at the familiar and unfamiliar buildings and scenery rushing past outside, she suddenly gained a deeper understanding of the character Ah Jin.

Having a system doesn't mean he has to act the way he experiences within it.

Because that's a story that happened in Thailand.

Since it has been adapted into a Chinese version, Chen Jin must also change some of his behavioral norms and habits.

"Perhaps this visit is also very important for me to play the role of Ah Jin well!"

Chen Jin gained a deeper understanding of many theories in acting, such as "life is the best teacher," which is a classic statement in acting classes.

Soon, filled with longing and insights into her role, Chen Jin finally arrived at the village where her maternal grandparents lived.

The elderly couple already knew that Chen Jin was coming back, and the whole village was quite a stir.

This is a real, top-tier celebrity.

Although the elderly couple didn't like going out, everyone in the surrounding villages knew that their grandson had appeared on the Spring Festival Gala.

There's no need to go out and talk about this, because Chen Jin spent every weekend here when he was a child, and the villagers would recognize him from TV commercials or newspapers.

Even if you just ask someone who looks familiar, the news will eventually spread throughout the village.

"Hey, the Su family's big star is back!"

"Hello, Auntie..."

Chen Jin recognized the other person. When he was a child, he played with many of his peers in the village, so he had run all over the village.

Everyone knows him.

"Hey, hello, hello!"

There was no enthusiastic rush of people asking for autographs or screaming like the fans; everyone's eyes were filled with curiosity.

At most, they'll come to my house to watch.

So Chen Jin's car was blocked by many people in the village as soon as it arrived at her grandmother's house.

A lot of people were gathered there, and my grandparents looked very happy.

"Grandpa, Grandma..."

Chen Jin shouted loudly.

Grandma likes to do farm work. The soybeans she picked are drying on the cement field. Today her grandson is here, so she will definitely welcome him.

Chen Jin's maternal grandfather, on the other hand, would watch movies or listen to Suzhou storytelling, but today was a special day, so he sat in front of the cement yard and chatted with the villagers.

Upon seeing Chen Jin's car, they had already come to greet her.

The two elders appear to be in good health and show no signs of aging. They are both under 70 years old and may not have retired yet in the future.

"You've gotten quite a bit stronger!"

Grandpa patted Chen Jin on the shoulder, and Grandma had already hugged her, constantly calling her "Jin Jin" and "Nannan." The dialect in Kuncheng is similar to Shanghainese, and the older generation is especially affectionate towards their grandchildren across generations.

When Chen Jin was a child, his mother would beat him, but his grandmother always protected him.

Perhaps because of filming or immersing himself in the role and script, Chen Jin felt particularly different this time. In the past, he would definitely have felt embarrassed to be held like this by his grandmother.

Now they're even embracing, and they've welcomed the two elders back home.

"Oh, Yufen, your grandson is so filial!"

"This eldest grandson of mine is really something!"

"Someone came back specifically to see you all..."

"I saw him on TV a few days ago, he's even more handsome than on TV..."

"..."

The villagers chatted amongst themselves, while young people and children crowded around, looking on expectantly. Many clearly wanted to come up and take photos with the villagers.

Some people stood on tiptoe, and the entire area in front of the Su family's house was filled with villagers.

Chen Jin wasn't reserved at all. She greeted everyone she knew by name, offered cigarettes to those who were welcome, and gave the children some snacks.

Finally, after the villagers had dispersed, he sat down in front of the cement yard and chatted with his grandparents.

My maternal grandfather's name was Su Maoxiang. His ancestors were farmers for generations. His children were all quite successful. Some went to university, while others became businessmen, teachers, or civil servants. My maternal grandmother, Chen Amei, only graduated from primary school. She worked in a factory and also did farm work.

The two elders have worked hard all their lives. Although their conditions have improved now, they are still persisting in many of the hard-working things they have done for most of their lives.

Sometimes, when I suddenly quit, I feel a bit lost.

Chen Jin tried her best to be understanding.

Although Chen Amei is not as cultured or elegant as the old lady Mingzhu in "Grandma", the process of getting along with her grandma is actually quite similar.

"Your uncle and his family will be back tonight. What would you like to eat?"

Grandpa suddenly asked from the side.

"Anything is fine, I like whatever you make!"

"You kid!"

Since Chen Jin returned, Chen Amei has been holding his hand tightly; she loves this grandson all her life.

Because I raised my own children when they were young, I haven't really taken care of their other children's children.

Chen Jin didn't tell her parents that she was currently filming a movie called "Grandma," and they didn't ask either. They just chatted about things like whether she had a girlfriend or how well she was eating lately. For them, work was probably too far removed from their lives.

The key is whether my granddaughter is doing well, whether she has enough to eat, and whether she is warm enough to wear.

Chen Jin tried to observe the two elders' state during the conversation.

These subtle expressions, including his own, are something that is lacking in his performances.

Success or failure hinges on absolute attention to detail.

In this way, Chen Jin would occasionally come back during breaks from filming; at first, she would come back every few days, but after Wang Jingchun and the others finished filming, only Zhu Yanmanzi, Wu Yanshu and a few others were left to film.

Chen Jin returned even more often, and even brought her granddaughter-in-law back with her.

The two elders were extremely pleased to see Zhu Yanmanzi, even happier than when they saw their grandson.

Although she was driving back and forth during this period, Chen Jin had a very fulfilling time; this feeling of being away from the entertainment industry and fully enjoying filming and spending time with her family may never come again.

Although there were some annoying reporters who came to interview me, the days were generally pleasant.

Most importantly, Chen Jin's understanding of the role is really different from his own experience; he portrayed a grandson of the Chinese people.

From initial rebellion to eventual understanding and maturity, this is a series of stages of growth.

"Grandma gave me so many green beans..."

"I doubt we could finish it in a week!"

On the way back, Zhu Yanmanz pointed to the large and small bags of vegetables in the car, which would be their food for the next few days.

However, Zhu Yanmanzi's scenes will wrap up tomorrow, while Chen Jin's will take another half month, mainly consisting of scenes with Wu Yanshu at home.

This scene depicts the interaction between the grandmother and grandson. Although it is quite ordinary, it demands a high level of acting skill from both actors.

It will be difficult to portray the interactions between the grandmother and granddaughter.

But good acting is not just a bonus; the more details there are, the more sublime the ending of the film becomes.

This drama isn't tear-jerking; it simply reflects the lives of the elderly in their later years and the unique Chinese culture of children and their families.

Do you want to come again tomorrow?

Chen Jin suddenly asked his girlfriend, because she hadn't said goodbye to the two people.

"Come on, I'll stay a few more days. I can join the crew of 'Silent Witness' a little later. Director Diao's call sheet hasn't come out yet!"

Zhu Yanmanz understood Chen Jin's behavior during this period.

Her maternal grandparents live in Inner Mongolia, and it's not easy for them to visit her once a year.

"That old lady must be overjoyed!"

Chen Jin smiled and said that Zhu Yanmanzi, her future granddaughter-in-law, had been doing an excellent job during this time. She would help Chen Jin shell beans, dry soybeans, and pick green beans. She was enjoying rural life to the fullest and would drag Chen Jin to play in the fields and by the river every day.

These are all his childhood memories.

Zhu Yanmanz, a city girl, had never experienced anything like this before, so she was obviously very excited.

"Are you not happy?"

Zhu Yanmanzi chuckled, looking at the farmland and mountain village outside the car, and said leisurely, "Sometimes, I really don't know what we're working so hard for. Actually, it would be quite nice to have enough to eat and drink and live a life in the countryside all our lives!"

"Desire, ambition..."

“People in peacetime have their own aspirations. In ancient times, life in the countryside wasn’t easy either!”

With all sorts of forced labor, the Chinese people didn't actually enjoy many good days for more than a few years.

Moreover, the rural area where she lives is the best plain region in all of China, where the people must be prosperous and happy.

"What's wrong? You've been in the countryside for so many days, don't you want to work hard anymore?"

"Yes, working hard is so tiring!"

Zhu Yanmanzi wasn't a particularly ambitious girl at heart, but her boyfriend's excellence forced her to grit her teeth and catch up.

Sometimes, your partner's excellence can drive you forward, especially if you both work in the same field, which creates a greater contrast.

While she was happy for Chen Jin winning the Venice Film Festival Best Actor award, she also felt a kind of invisible pressure.

"Then I'll take care of you!"

Chen Jin mimicked a line from a Stephen Chow movie: "I'll take care of you~~~"

"Take care of yourself first, you fool!"

Zhu Yanmanzi replied, but what she said was true: "All you do is eat and stay in hotels all day, I need to learn how to cook for you!"

"hold head high?"

Chen Jin asked with some surprise, "Why do you say that, my lady?"

"My grandma told me that food outside isn't clean, and only homegrown food is fresh!"

Chen Jin: "..."

"I'll listen to my grandma and start learning to cook today!"

"I hope that one day in the future, I can be like them, still together when we're old!"

Zhu Yanmanzi hugged Chen Jin's arm tightly and leaned against him, saying, "Sometimes, when people online talk about women being independent and making their own decisions, I actually envy my grandparents' lifestyle!"

"This must be the retirement life I envied most when I was a child: spending every day basking in the sun with the other side of the world I love..."

Chen Jin was both amused and exasperated by what she heard.

This feels like an idol drama for older people!

This life sounds wonderful, but once you experience it, you'll know... it can be quite boring every day!

People in the city envy the countryside, and people in the countryside envy the city. They all envy each other because they... all live in a walled city!

(End of this chapter)