58 (1) : Redoing my Life, The Cameo

Time passed quickly, and soon December was here. This year seemed to pass very quickly; the holiday spirit was already ablaze, and our house was no exception. 

Toy Story 2 was supposed to come out this month, but Chris decided to move the release to next year due to some problems that arose during production. There was also the fact that the studio was expanding.

Mom, Nathan, and I were busy preparing for an evening out. The occasion? We were going to a Christmas party organized by one of Mom's friends, Pepper, whom she had met through Cam and Mitchell. I had never met him in person, and apparently, he had specifically requested my presence—a detail Mom wouldn't let me forget.

As I played with my tie, sitting on the couch in the living room, I looked at Mom coming down the stairs. "Mom, do I really have to go? I was planning to hang out with Haley and the gang. I don’t get much free time with all the book events and school stuff."

From across the hallway, Mom’s voice floated back. "Daniel, we’ve been invited for months, and Pepper specifically asked for you to be there. It’s important."

Bewildered, I asked, "Who plans a Christmas party months in advance?"

Just then, Nathan walked in. "Well, he is an event planner," he chuckled, adjusting his own tie. "Probably planning for next year already."

I sighed and continued, "Did he plan your wedding too?"

Mom laughed. "Oh, we wanted him to, but Pepper was booked out for a year. He did help us find a fantastic replacement, though."

Reluctantly, I got off the couch, resigned to the fact that there was no getting out of this. Maybe I’ll have some fun at the party. Cam and Mitchell will be there; I haven't seen them in a while, not since I went to visit Luke after he broke his arm on his birthday.

"Come on, Danny," Mom called from the entrance. 

Alice was being babysat by Nathan’s mom, who was visiting. 

Sighing, I grabbed my coat and followed my Mom and Nathan out the door.

The party was in full swing when we arrived, the place decked out in lavish holiday decor—a bit overdone, in my opinion. As we entered, we instantly spotted Cam and Mitchell, and they were the first to greet us.

“Daniel, it’s been ages!” Cam exclaimed, pulling me into a hug.

“Oh, relax, Cam, we just saw him at Claire’s,” Mitchell said.

“So, how is everything? I hope everything is going well with Haley,” Mitchell added.

I was about to respond when Mom appeared beside me. "Daniel, look who I found!" she said cheerily. Behind her was the host of the party, Pepper Saltzman.

"Daniel, I'm so glad you could make it. It's high time we met," he said with a smile, extending his hand.

“It’s great to meet you as well, Mr. Saltzman,” I said, shaking his hand.

“Mr. Saltzman? No, no, call me Pepper. 'Mr. Saltzman' makes me sound old,” he said with an exaggerated tone of disgust.

“Well, Pepper it is then,” I said. Before I could continue my conversation with Cam and Mitchell, Pepper took the lead, whisking me away to meet various guests. "Come, I want you to meet some very interesting people," he insisted, his tone suggesting these were more than just casual introductions.

“Well, we won't be seeing him for a while,” I heard Mitchell say as Pepper led me into the house. To my surprise, as we navigated through groups of chatting guests, Pepper introduced me to several figures in the film industry. They were behind-the-scenes people, so an average person might not find them special in any way, but these were the people you needed to know, and there was even a member of the academy among them. Maybe coming to the party was worth it after all.

Seizing the opportunity, I engaged the man in a conversation about the Oscars, curious about the intricacies of the voting process and film selection. "So, how exactly does the selection work? I’ve read a bit about it, but I’d love to hear from someone with firsthand experience," I asked, genuinely interested.

The man, a middle-aged gentleman, was more than willing to share. "Well, it’s a combination of factors—artistic merit, of course, but also the campaigns behind the scenes. You'd be surprised how much of it is influenced by the right screenings and the buzz they generate."

“You would not believe the amount of ‘gifts’ I have received over the years. It has only increased in the last decade. I’ll tell you this, Mr. Adler, it's all about how the campaign is run now. I feel the whole award will become meaningless after a while,” he said, taking another sip of his drink.

As we talked, I gathered insights that were both fascinating and a tad disheartening, realizing how much of the industry was driven by orchestrated promotions rather than artistic value. Yet, this was the reality of the cinematic world—a reality I was slowly becoming part of.

As the evening progressed, I found myself enjoying the party and was soon dragged into a conversation between Cam, Mitchell, Pepper, and their friends. Mom and Nathan had disappeared somewhere, leaving me with them.

"So, Daniel, Cam here has been boasting that he was almost in 'The Blair Witch Project.' Is there any truth to that?" Pepper asked, his tone teasing but curious.

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[Cam and Mitchell Commentary]

"I might have told our friends a small lie," Cam admitted. "I told them Daniel offered me a role in 'The Blair Witch Project.'"

"I told you it wouldn't end well," Mitchell said.

"I know, I know. But it seemed harmless at the time, and everyone got so excited. How was I supposed to back down after that?" Cam said, holding his head.

[End commentary]

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Everyone's eyes turned to me, including Cam's, which carried a silent plea. I caught on quickly and decided to play along.

"Actually, yes," I said, nodding. "Cam was indeed supposed to be part of the project, but unfortunately, we wrapped up production earlier than expected."

A collective gasp followed by enthusiastic murmurs spread through the group. Cam's face lit up with a mix of relief and pride as he received congratulatory pats and looks from everyone around.

Then an idea came to me, something I had been thinking about. "And that's not all. Cam is also set to voice a character in our next movie," I announced.

The surprise was palpable, and I looked to see the shocked expressions on Cam and Mitchell's faces.

“Is this true, Cam?” Pepper asked. “Why didn't you tell us?”

“I... umm... I wanted it to be a surprise... Surprise! Now you know,” Cam said quickly, playing the part. We talked for a while, and soon Cam, Mitchell, and I found ourselves alone.

“Why did you do that?” Cam asked.

“What, I thought you would be excited to be in a movie,” I said.

“Wait, you were serious?” Cam asked.

“There's a character in the next Toy Story that I think you would be perfect for; it's just ten seconds of lines,” I said.

“Oh my God, Mitchell, I'm going to be in a movie!” Cam said, shaking Mitchell.

“I know, Cam, I heard,” Mitchell said, calming his boyfriend. “So, what is the part anyway?”

“So, Haley told me about Fizbo,” which got a reaction from Cam, but Mitchell stopped him and asked me to continue.

“There is a character, a clown. I thought, when I heard of your clown persona, maybe you could voice him—a small cameo, if you will.”

Cam's excitement reached a new height, and he turned to Mitchell, who was equally astonished. "Mitchell, did you hear that? Fizbo is going to be in a movie!" Cam exclaimed, his voice filled with giddy joy.

"Daniel, I can't thank you enough. This means a lot to me," he said, his voice thick with emotion.

"I’ll call you later with details," I replied, clapping him on the shoulder.

Cam nodded eagerly. "I won't let you down," he said as I walked away.