Who I Am With You (Imagination #10) - Staci Stallings Page 0,151

synergy that happens in filmmaking. It is deeply knowing that each person’s talents and skills are valuable and priceless even, and that ‘being in this together’ quality creates more than would be possible by just putting the various pieces together.”

The clip came up with the director and Keala Settle talking about how he had wanted her to step out from around the music stand, but she didn’t want to. When it went to the beginning of her song, Taylor leaned back to just absorb it and see if she could see what Professor Leigh had explained.

It was crazy because Taylor could almost feel the angst, the hurt, the pain and loneliness in the words and tone as Keala sang the first verse. She looked terrified of all of it, terrified to be up there, terrified to be singing, terrified that someone was going to figure out she was not equal to doing this. Valueless. Vulnerable. Exposed for her weakness to all the world. Then, just like Professor Leigh had said… magic. Keala looked at the others in the room, and she smiled ever-so-slightly as if she knew a secret no one else in the whole world did.

Taylor had seen the movie once, but she had never heard the song quite like this. By the time, the second chorus hit, the whole place was rocking. It was like being lifted up to a realm where anything you could ever dream of was possible, and watching it, she felt tears well up until she had to swipe at them lest they fall. She, too, wanted to stand up and sing along at the top of her lungs. The world had tried to cut her down, judge her, shame her, destroy her, but somehow, by the Grace of God, it hadn’t worked. And here she was, ready to proclaim to everyone that she might be bruised and scarred, but this was who she was and she was done apologizing for it.

Then, at the end of the song, Taylor caught the look on the face of one of the young women in the choir. It was clear in that second that Keala ripped her metaphorical chains off, she had fused her life with theirs so that her victory over all that would hold her down became a victory for all of them. It’s collective flow.

The thought hit Taylor so hard, she shook her head at it. Of course. Just like that, Taylor’s whole soul opened to a reality she had never before known existed. Could creating something together elevate an experience to something completely life-changing like that? Could one person, being brave enough to step out and be themselves, change that many lives? The proof was right there for all to see.

The clip ended, and the lights came back up.

“The next paper will not be due for two weeks,” Professor Leigh said, “but in this paper, I want you to go deeper into the synergistic quality of the movies you write about. Don’t just compare and contrast. Analyze them as profound art, as pronouncements about life, as new ways of thinking about everything.

“Our launch movie will be Much Ado About Nothing, which, if you don’t know, is adapted from a Shakespearean comedy. There are a lot of well-known actors and actresses in this one as well as it being one of Shakespeare’s, so you should be able to easily find a companion film to use. Good luck, and I will see you next week.”

She wasn’t kidding about it being Shakespeare. Greg wasn’t sure how “adapted” it was because it was definitely in Shakespearean English. The weird thing was seeing actors he knew speaking Shakespeare like it made sense. Denzel Washington was easy to spot as was Keanu Reeves. The main lady was Emma but he couldn’t remember her last name. As the film continued with intrigue by the Keanu character trying to break up Hero, yes, that was her actual name and the good-looking guy that Greg had no clue of a name for, he pulled out his phone and searched for the film. It would be easier to know what his plan was for the paper now so he could take notes toward that end.

Thompson. Emma Thompson. Yes. And Kate Beckinsale? He knew the name and quickly scrolled through her movies. He hadn’t seen any of them, but that did sound familiar. Keanu Reeves or Denzel would probably be his best bet. The Matrix.

Greg nearly laughed out loud at the thought. Perfect.

And they