Nothing quite as communal, galvanising and compelling than a jig saw puzzle. A story that I regret omitting from Eclipsed involves The Impossible jig saw puzzle. Bought in Spain but started and completed in Thailand, a 2000 piece intricate beast exercised the efforts of the entire cast and crew over many many weeks. Transcending all languages, people from the world over got drawn in and helped to complete it.
But the completed puzzle was huge. Four feet long and a foot wide lying proudly on its dedicated table at the Orchid Beach Resort, Khao Lak – so what to do with it? Leave it?
We couldn’t countenance leaving it behind so we split it in to thirds, packed it flat, brought it home, added it to our ‘stuff’’ and promptly forgot about it – until Christmas just gone.
Not terribly easy buying a present for a son like Tom – unless his mum puts her mind to it and comes up with a great idea. She does this often as anyone who has read Eclipsed can attest.
‘Let’s get that jig saw puzzle framed for Tom. He can hang it in his flat when he eventually moves out.’
A brilliant idea and a perfect gift. Something on a wall with a story. The jig saw of The Impossible. Tom’s first film, not to mention the hundreds and maybe thousands of hours of collective effort that went in to it.
Scroll forward from here and Tom’s 21st is upon us and the problem recurs – what to buy for a kid like Tom.
The problem is that Tom is about to move out in to a flat and understandably he expects to take his framed jig saw with him.
But why is this a problem?
Well, because the jig saw puzzle currently hangs in our house and looks bloody great. So good that I have announced that it should stay where it is. After all, Tom hardly did any of it himself; too busy making a bloody film. Lazy sod.
Step forward his brilliant Dad who also has a mischievous streak…
Nikki found the puzzle on line – and Amazon duly delivered it – the perfect birthday present for the kid who has everything.
Opening it got the laugh we were all expecting and suffice to say that over the next few years, Nikki and I and the remaining Holland boys will be busy doing this almighty puzzle again.
LOVE this family and puzzles lol