Harry's life had become an isolated existence by mid-July, structured only around the dull editing room and the excessive repetition of the recording and playing back of footage.
Across the room from Harry sat Walter Murch, the editor. His glasses had slipped down so low on his face that they were about to fall off. He kept his fingers lightly placed on the controls—with very few interruptions during a cut.
Walter was an excellent editor; he was always listening carefully to the sounds that happened just before a line of dialogue, or the sound of a door closing, and to the silence that occurred between the notes played on the piano.
Harry appreciated Walter's careful listening and thought that most Hollywood editors always made comments about a movie instead of really listening to what the movie was trying to convey.
As they continued with the second rough assembly of the film A Blind Man's Gambit, the film was beginning to take its final form. Although there were many great scenes throughout the film, there were still many other scenes that needed editing to remove excess material or to leave them alone completely for a day before editing again.
When the last scene finished, as the video monitor went black and he was leaning into the monitor to inspect the scene to see how it was edited to find the cut point.
"Pause there," he said. "Do not shorten the silence."
Walter Murch nodded in agreement, and said: "You are allowing the viewer to feel the discomfort."
"I think it is important that the viewer feels the discomfort," Harry replied. "If they feel comfortable, we will have failed."
Walter smiled slightly and reversed time to where the last scene had been played back a few seconds earlier.
The release window was still being decided, but the film felt very solid. It wasn't over-produced and it also seemed as if Harry was playing it safe by being overly cautious with the quality of the film itself, unlike other producers. But he was also the director.
Harry received a jolt to his thinking while in the editing room, when Gregory Lang, the Senior Vice President of FunTime Productions, stopped by with a cup of coffee and a file folder of documents.
Greg said loudly, "Let's discuss the release windows," and dropped the file on the table in front of Harry. "December is going to be a disaster for us."
Gregory then spread out the papers in front of him and pointed to the page with the release of Tom Cruise's film, The Last Samurai, along with another page that Greg didn't have to mention, but did anyway, which was Peter Jackson's film, The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.
Harry sat quietly breathing out deeply and trying to think about everything at once.
"We won't live past their release," Greg said plainly. "Someone like us cannot survive against such competition, especially our type of mid-budget thriller."
The next thing out of Harry's mouth was, "What about October?"
According to Greg, "Late October or early November would put us in a better spot for any potential film award consideration without us competing for attention."
In the end, Harry stated, "We set the deadline for the end of October."
Greg responded with a smile, "Great! I'll start working on the movie."
In a few days, Anne Hathaway unexpectedly, but pleasantly, showed up at the editing room. She had brought coffee and stood right behind Harry while he edited the movie, watching in silence and great concentration on the screen.
"That scene seems colder than the others," she said after it ended.
Harry looked over at her, "That's the idea."
Walter Murch was watching the exchange and raised his eyebrows when Harry said that. He thought, 'Directors usually will not bring their actors into a film edit unless they trust the actor or have an emotional attachment that goes beyond what's required.'
But he didn't voice his thoughts out.
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By the time August came, the final cut of the film was locked.
There were no test screenings or preliminary audience responses to the film. Harry turned down all requests for test screenings. Only three men had ever seen the entire film: Harry, Greg, and Murch.
Now there was no way to avoid promotional activity on the film.
Harry's stake in Fox Television necessitated the support of their distribution and marketing of its movies. Unlike Providence, where he could keep his distance, this time he was forced to participate in long meetings that included graphs, advertising expenditures, and "sanitized" excitement of others.
A Fox executive told Harry, "We need you visible. Interviews, appearances, late night."
Harry mumbled, "I make films, not toothpaste."
Another Fox executive jumped in: "You sell your movies; that's the product."
Daniel Hayes and Cate Blanchett were sent as the first wave of press. One night, they appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, in October 2003.
From his mansion, with his arms crossed and his dog Sparky laying at his feet, Harry watched.
Letterman leaned back and held his cards. "So, Daniel, you've worked with Harry Jackson twice now; first for Providence, now for A Blind Man's Gambit. You must know him pretty good by now."
Daniel smiled and said, "Unfortunately, yes."
Harry groaned.
Letterman raised an eyebrow, "Unfortunately?"
"Er, he's brilliant," Daniel replied. "He's definitely brilliant". However, he has this habit of believing that the 17th tape is the luckiest.
Letterman chuckled, "Seventeen?".
Daniel nodded with great seriousness, stating, "Sometimes it could also be eighteen. He somewhat resembles Stanley Kubrick, just younger and somewhat more judgmental".
Harry muttered something critical of the television set.
Letterman then asked Cate, "Did you have a similar experience?".
Cate politely smiled and replied, "Harry is very meticulous. He knows precisely what he requires.".
Letterman teased her by saying, "Well, that doesn't sound like a 'no'".
Cate lightly laughed and reiterated, "It means that you can trust him, even when he is persistent."
Harry fixed a careful gaze at her. She revealed nothing about him. No comments made regarding him.
Lisa was seated across the room with a clipboard, and she laughed at something Daniel had said and had found amusing.
Harry turned slowly. "Don't".
Lisa feigned extreme business and stated, "I am organizing dates."
He switched the television off.
Sparky looked up, tail thumping. Harry dropped to the floor and scratched behind the dog's ears.
"At least you don't talk," Harry said.
Sparky licked his hand.