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My name is John Crowley, and I'm the director
of "The Goldfinch."
So in the scene, we have young Theo
who is played by Oakes Fegley, who
is in Hobie, who is played by Jeffrey Wright,
in Hobie's basement workshop, which is a place that
restores antiques.
Here, at this moment, he is literally passing on
in a tactile fashion--
how to recognize what is real or authentic piece
of period furniture, as opposed to a reproduction
one.
"If it's too even, like, here.
then it's reproduction."
It's the kid learning in action
and being surprised and slightly delighted
that his hands actually feel what Hobie's pointing out
to him.
Jeffrey Wright brought such a gorgeously tactile quality
to this scene, which I think he spotted
in the expert who came in to talk
to him about the antiques.
So this idea of touching the antiques.
And using his spittle to bring up the grain on the mahogany
is very much what he learned hands-on himself.
"So this one is fake."
"Well, no, it's only fake if you try to pass it off
as an original."
The idea of the doubles is very important in the scene.
That's why we set up that shot between those two chairs
and end with the pair of them framed between
them.
And moving from there around to the side
was all about which is the key piece of information that's
moving forward.
So you come around on Hobie when
he is actually beginning to handle the furniture
and touch it.
"That glow-- that's hundreds of years
being touched, used."
We also have added in a piece of music,
which is embedded into the background there--
a piece by a Zydeco accordion player called Boozoo
Chavis which has a sort of warmth to it and is not
like the musical identity of any other part of the film.
[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]