One of my favorite little moments of the movies is actually the little friend group part of the “La Push baby, it’s La Push” scene. It only lasts like 10 seconds, but it’s so . . . real. Yeah maybe it’s not going to win any oscars. Nobody is delivering an intense brooding dramatic monologue. It won’t take your breath away. But it’s good.
I took acting classes for my entire childhood and we were always taught: good acting isn’t just knowing how to cry on cue. If the audience or viewers can watch and feel like they’re looking through a window at a real conversation between real people, then that is the best acting. Make the audience feel like they aren’t watching actors on a screen. Make them forget that you’re playing a part. If you can achieve that, those moments where they’re fully immersed. Where they feel awkward like they’re eavesdropping on a conversation that they aren’t part of. Then you have truly done your job to the best of your abilities”
That part only lasts maybe 20 seconds but everything about it is so real. How awkward Eric is when he tries to seem cool, but he’s not over playing it. Bella’s facial expression when he asks “La Push baby, you in?”
The way the friends talk over and interrupt each other.
The surf pose Eric and Mike do when Eric says “and I don’t just surf the internet”
Jessica immediately roasting Eric! Angela providing more context and asking Bella to come in that super sincere voice. Bella’s “okay I’ll go if you stop saying that”. Mike lightly roasting Eric some more and Eric defending himself. It’s just so *chefs kiss*. Like yeah all of this totally could’ve flopped but acting choices, even subtle ones, the actors made really made the scene feel real. They seem like an actual group of friends. Even the cheesy lines aren’t over acted. High schoolers can be fucking goofy, but they didn’t make it over the top like most portrayals of goofy high schoolers do.
And it’s not just this scene! It’s almost every scene with bella and her human friends! I feel like the twilight movies, movies about literal vampires, portrayed actual every day highschool friend dynamics better than most movies/tv shows that don’t have a fantastical/supernatural element to them.