Reel

Neevah sits with Evan discussing Trey’s screen test. They are at Open Air, a rooftop restaurant at a boutique hotel called The V in Los Angeles. Neevah thinks that everybody looks very glamorous, and she feels out of place. Evan tells her that the place is run by his stepsister, Arietta. Canon arrives with a beautiful woman on his arm, and Neevah is jealous until she realizes that the woman is Arietta.

The four converse, and Canon reveals details about his career, including how he met Monk by working on a music video for a terrible song that Monk co-wrote. Neevah reminds herself that she needs to act like a professional and resist her attraction to Canon. As they leave, Canon wonders how long Neevah will be able to keep her humility once everyone starts telling her how great she is. He says that what matters most is the story: “Always the story” (117). Neevah wonders what it would feel like to be important to him.

Neevah packs to move to Los Angeles for filming and tells Takira that she asked her agent, when negotiating her contract, to specify that Neevah have a hairstylist who knows Black hair. Takira is excited to be going to Los Angeles with Neevah. They discuss how Neevah’s doctor has set her up with a rheumatologist in Los Angeles whom she can check in with as needed.

As the cast and crew of Dessi Blue gather for the table read, Canon establishes his expectations for behavior on set. He warns that they will work hard and says, “This is someone’s life we’re introducing the world to. I don’t take that lightly” (122). Evan warns them that Canon grows out a beard while filming and that it makes him look even grumpier.

The studio back lot has been transformed into 1930s Harlem. Jill Brigston, Canon’s cinematographer, congratulates him on finding Neevah, saying that “she’s the real deal” (125). Jill also guesses that Canon is attracted to Neevah, which he denies.

Takira applies Neevah’s makeup in Neevah’s trailer. Neevah enjoys the look she has for Dessi and the landmarks of Harlem that transform the studio backlot. Monk has worked the music of Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, and Louis Armstrong into the atmosphere as inspiration. Canon is intensely focused on the movie, and Neevah reflects that it’s getting harder to stifle her attraction to him.

In an excerpt from the film, Dessi sits in a dressing room reading a letter from Tilda, who misses her. Dessi is traveling with Cal’s band. Cal enters and says that, with the recent race riots, the club manager is worried that Dessi is too light-skinned and that the audience members might think a white woman is on stage with Black men. Dessi notes that it’s hard enough to find a place to go to the bathroom and objects to wearing grease paint to darken her complexion. Cal asks, “[W]hat choice do we have? What choice do we ever have?” (131). Dessi agrees so that they can do the gig and get paid.

Neevah is upset after filming the previous scene, feeling stung by Dessi’s humiliation. She leaves the set, and Canon comes to her dressing room. Canon praises her performance, saying, “You are stepping into shoes that walked a hard road. Prejudice, disrespect, heartbreak—that was all part of Dessi’s life” (134). Gently, Canon wipes the paint off her face and reassures Neevah that she’s doing a fantastic job.

Canon stands apart at the Halloween party at Evan’s house. Evan teases him about brooding. Canon notices that Neevah is talking and laughing with Trey. She and Takira are dressed as characters from the film House Party. Canon is terse with Neevah when she tries to converse and then takes her hand when she tries to leave and apologizes. Canon reminds himself of the unequal power between them as director and actor. They listen to Luther Vandross and discuss his music. Neevah admits that she was moved by Canon’s documentary about his mother, The Magic Hour. He’s fighting his attraction to her.

Canon watches the dailies and reflects that Neevah is giving a brilliant performance, showing everyone that she was the right choice for Dessi. Jill catches him staring at Neevah on screen. She thanks Canon for accommodating working parents on his set. He declines an invitation to join her family for Thanksgiving, and she tells him about a restaurant she likes.

Neevah works on the dance numbers for the film and gets advice from Lucia, the choreographer. Lucia takes Neevah to the video village where Canon sits, watching the action on set. On display is a diagram of the ballroom of the Savoy, which sat on Lenox Avenue, what Langston Hughes called “the Heartbeat of Harlem” (150). Canon leaves, and Lucia advises Neevah to squash the crush she has on him, saying that it will only distract him and potentially ruin their working relationship.

Turning to their work, Lucia instructs Neevah to dance more like Frankie Manning and suggests that she watch Hellzapoppin’. Jill praises Neevah’s work and asks about her Thanksgiving plans. Neevah says that she’s planning to stay home and cook her mother’s apple cobbler. Jill gives Neevah the name of a restaurant to visit.

Canon is wary that the restaurant advertises itself as Los Angeles’s most romantic. The hostess leads him to a private table on a gazebo overlooking the ocean. Then, she leads Neevah to a table beside his. Canon invites Neevah to share his table.

Neevah informs Canon that she didn’t set this up, and he believes her, telling her, “You’re as clear as glass” (160). In contrast, Neevah thinks he “is opaque glass frosted by his iron control” (161). They converse, and Canon mentions how his mother had multiple sclerosis. He tells her that his father lives in South Africa and has another family there. He notes his mother’s insistence on artistic integrity.

Canon asks about Neevah’s family, and she reveals that her sister cheated with her boyfriend. She recalls how Terry was her best friend and misses what they had. When Canon says he likes apple cobbler, Neevah invites him to her house for dessert.

Canon reminds himself that he promised not to get involved with an actress ever again. Nevertheless, he’s drawn to Neevah because he feels “like she sees [him], and [he’s] not sure anyone ever really has” (169). She changes into a T-shirt with a slogan bearing a Schitt’s Creek reference. When Neevah climbs onto his lap on the couch, Canon thinks he’s not strong enough to say no and reflects that, aside from his movies, his life is empty. He enjoys their first kiss, savoring that it is special. They are interrupted when Evan calls Canon’s phone. Canon realizes that getting involved with him could jeopardize Neevah’s career. He tells her that they should wait until filming is over.