The Best Director

Chapter 156: “Sweetheart” Released

“Wow, wow— ” The cinema erupted with cheers as the upbeat music played and the audience watched Sweetheart and the others dance energetically and enthusiastically on the big screen. The young audience was not disappointed, the movie was indeed great! As the cast and crew credits floated up on the screen, there was an instant outbreak of joyous applause in the theater, with many viewers who were fans of street dance swinging their bodies and excitedly shouting, “This is what a dance movie is all about!”

“Hahaha!” In one of the seats, blonde girl Clair cupped her hands around her mouth, continuously shouting, “It’s awesome! It’s really cool!” Those familiar friends and unfamiliar peers of the same age in this atmosphere also started laughing and yelling. For a while, the screening room slowly quieted down, but it was still filled with the buzzing laughter and chatter of the audience leaving.

Clair, brown-haired Janet, and Alison walked out together, reminiscing about just-watched Sweetheart, Clair couldn’t help but exclaim to her sisters, “Remember what I said? With the miraculous Wang Yang as the screenwriter and producer, could it possibly be bad? See, we didn’t waste those 8 bucks!” Janet also nodded with a smile, full of interest, saying, “Wow! I want to learn street dance now, why didn’t I know it could be this cool before?”

“No problem learning it.” Clair shrugged self-deprecatingly, and Janet followed with a shrugged smile. Alison, who chickened out last year, put her arms around their shoulders, laughing and saying, “I’m with you guys.”

They were the initiators of the “Juno Operation,” a collective pregnancy incident that shocked America. Last year, Clair and Janet had already given birth to their babies, and both had found very good adoptive parents for their children. During that pregnancy period, just like Juno, they experienced a lot of things, had joys and bitterness; they also thought a lot, became mature, and truly understood what Juno was trying to convey, a process of self-recognition.

The trio laughed and talked as they walked out of the screening room and entered the small cinema’s ticket lobby, where the poster wall was plastered with posters for many upcoming new films. There was Ice Age with a squirrel clutching a pine cone, glaring, Spider-Man climbing the exterior wall of a high-rise, Natalie Portman in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and a red label saying “No aliens allowed to view”…

“I’m wondering, why is that? The reason we think it’s good?” Clair asked quizzically as they walked; Janet casually replied, “We’re not critics, it’s just really good.” She waved her arm with a laugh, adding, “I’m in love with that flavor! It’s not boring at all, funny and cool, their dancing is amazing; there’s also that bit of emotion, when they worked toward the same dream at the end, I really wanted to be one of them.”

Alison nodded in agreement, saying, “Yeah, I think the movie was a bit short. It felt like I just sat down and then, very quickly, it was over, huh?” Janet, feeling the movie ended too soon, said, “I wonder if there will be a sequel. When I get home, I’m going to give Sweetheart a 9 on IMDb.”

“I noticed it’s true, it’s quite comfortable…” Clair slightly frowned, pondering and analyzing Sweetheart from beginning to end. The film was very enjoyable, with Sweetheart’s optimism and smile infecting everyone, without any messy plotlines, and no preaching… It seemed not to have any particularly touching moments, but the details were full of originality, completely different from the same old street dance movies.

The characters among themselves were also very funny and entertaining, like watching a comedy, making one naturally watch to the end, then like Alison realizing, “Oh, it’s ending?” It was a very simple story, why is that? Maybe that’s where its charm lies?

Clair laughed somewhat puzzledly, then contemptuously said, “Those teenage movies should all take a look at the miraculous Wang Yang, what the hell are they shooting?” Janet also disdainfully said, “They did it, but screwed it up, thinking by putting a few pretty vases in and some love, that’ll do, haha! The movie companies think we’re what? Naive! If shot well, friendship can also look good.”

During their conversation, they left the small cinema, and under the night sky, there were many young people lined up in a loose queue, waiting to enter the cinema. At that moment, Alison laughed, “Michael Pitt was really good, wonder how amazing it would’ve been if his hand wasn’t injured?” The girls in line were instantly shocked with an “Oh!” followed by a chorus of hisses, everyone swearing at them, and a white girl shouted angrily, “Now we know why Michael doesn’t dance anymore, thanks a lot, bitches!”

“Oh yeah!” Clair fearlessly flipped her the bird, shouting the words from Juno loudly, “Fuck-You-Very-Much!” Janet and Alison arrogantly turned their backs to them, smacking their butts. The three laughed a few times and continued walking towards the parking lot, saying, “Cool, so cool!”

“I’m even more looking forward to District 9, that’s directed by Wang Yang himself!” Clair’s eyes flashed with excitement, saying, “One hundred million budget, who knows what it will be like?” Alison took over, “But now everyone guesses District 9 will be very serious and heavy, with unbearable things like blood and violence.” Janet laughed mockingly, asking, “So, are you going to see it?” Alison nodded, “Of course! I’ve been waiting a year, how much do you think it will box office?”

In Boston, ordinary student Natalie walked out of the cinema, yawned, and muttered in her mind, “I really am not up for this kind of teen idol movie, watching her dance around all night! That annoying bastard, when will he make MIT-21-TEAM?”

“Awesome!” “Jessica, Jessica—” “Scarlett—” “Michael! Michael!” The young people sitting in the back row shouted and laughed, expressing their love for the movie with whistles and applause that never stopped, and the packed auditorium suddenly boiled over with youthful enthusiasm: “Wow—””Yang, I love you! Forever—”

Dressed in a black suit, Wang Yang turned to look back, seeing the fans who had attended the premiere all standing up, their happy faces just visible, along with their dancing and gesticulating. He smiled with immense satisfaction and let out a sigh of relief, saying, “Jessie, we didn’t screw up.” Wearing a red evening gown, Jessica also turned to look, her eyes brimming with happiness, and she laughed, “It seems pretty good.”

Wang Yang closed his eyes, feeling the joy in his heart. Guys, dance! Driven by the impulse from the movie, scatter your youth and fully display your beauty! He began to clap and stood up, shouting, “Thankyou! I love you too!”

Jessica also stood up with a smile; Annie Fletcher, with a face full of smiles, kept her eyes on the big screen without blinking for a long time; Annie Darren quietly wiped the tears from the comer of her eye, grateful she hadn’t jumped off the building at that time; Scarlett, Michael Pitt, James Franco, Joseph… every member of the “Sweetheart” cast laughed happily, applauding themselves and enjoying the joy of reaping the fruits of their labor.

“Thankyou, Director…” The cast congratulated and hugged each other, and when Wang Yang gently embraced Annie Darren, her eyes were filled with gratitude as she said, “Without you, there’s no me. Thank you!” Wang Yang laughed, patting his forehead as he admired her cute freckles, saying, “Annie, you’re exaggerating a bit and scared me, haha.” After patting her on the arm, he moved towards Michael Pitt, laughing, “Hey, Michael, you acted really well!”

After the celebration, the creative team went on stage to thank everyone, and the fans and audience members quieted down, while the invited film critics pondered how to review the movie.

Annie Fletcher took the microphone, looked at the nearly thousand audience members, and said with a cheerful laugh, “Thank you all for your support. We are all very happy that ‘Sweetheart’ is loved by everyone.” Wang Yang, Jessica, and others began to applaud, and the fans and audience members also shouted their applause. Annie Fletcher continued with a laugh, “We put in a lot of effort, and during the dance rehearsals, Jessie really fell a lot, and Joseph’s feet were swollen from jumping ballet…”

Laughter and applause broke out in the auditorium. Wang Yang quietly said to Jessica beside him, “I just love it when you fall.” Jessica rolled her eyes and laughed, “I knew that already.” At that moment, Annie Fletcher added, “At the beginning of directing this movie, I was excited, I was scared, and I couldn’t sleep for a week straight; this was too meaningful for me.”

She turned to look at Wang Yang and smiled, “Initially, I was all over the place on set, losing my temper; but Yang tolerated me, taught me a lot about how to compose shots, direct actors… Despite being only 22,1 looked up to him like a brother.” The room burst into laughter, and Wang Yang just shrugged with a smile. Fletcher seriously added, “I want to say ‘thank you’ to him here; you are a very good producer!”

Amidst thunderous applause, Wang Yang took the microphone and immediately joked, “Thank you, Annie, you’re not that young.” Laughter erupted again, and he continued with a smile, “But beautiful. Thank you, everyone, thank you. If you want to learn hip-hop or other dances, or do what you want to do, go for it, that’s what we’re happiest to see! Of course, you can contact Annie’s training company; I’m a shareholder, and I announce that the first hundred registrants will get a 40% discount!”

“I’m signing up!” “Wow, I’m coming!” The young film fans began to shout and laugh uproariously, and everyone on stage couldn’t help but laugh. Scarlett leaned over to Jessica and whispered with a laugh, “Is he always this funny?” Jessica smiled sweetly, “Always so handsome.”

“What a pity that’s a lie, maybe I really should start such a company?” Wang Yang laughed, then stopped joking, and looking at the audience, he said, “But there is one thing that is true, guys, in two days it’s the 21st birthday of our sweetheart Jessica who fell down all the time, and for me, this is a big day. So, I ask everyone to join me in wishing her, okay?” Turning his head to look at Jessica, whose face was radiant with a happy smile, he shouted, “Happy birthday, Jessica!” The fans and cast members kept up the noise, clapping and shouting, “HappyBirthday!”

“Thank you, thank you…” Jessica took the microphone, wanting to say something, but she was so happy she couldn’t speak; all she could hear was the rapid pounding of her heart, as if she was back at her 18th birthday three years ago. What did she do then? Without saying anything, she opened her arms and hugged Wang Yang tightly, burying her head in his chest, her face full of intoxicating sweetness.

As “Sweetheart” began its widespread release, the number of IMDb rating users surged, with more than six thousand users giving an average score of 7.0; as film critics from various media and newspapers started releasing their reviews, Rotten Tomatoes’ fresh rating also debuted, with 70% of the more than 150 film reviews being positive. This score is quite a high evaluation for a youth musical film, and even if it may decline later, there’s no doubt that the public and the media generally agree “Sweetheart” is a must-see gem.

“Although the story isn’t particularly surprising—a simple plot with simple relationships—the movie is filled with novelty,” the latest review from The New York Times remarked, writing, “Fun, distinctive characters; a comic- book-like dance city setting; and a perfect blend of various street and ballet dances, ballroom dancing, and even opera in just the right amounts, with professionally impressive dance scenes… These are all unprecedented in previous dance movies and are delightful surprises.”

The Los Angeles Times seemed to find the reason for “Sweetheart’s” success, noting, “Wang Yang’s superb storytelling skills, combined with chief choreographer Annie Fletcher, and the absence of any stunt doubles, amount to a nearly perfect, youth and dream-themed musical. It naturally reminds one of ‘High School Musical,’ although compared to the simple dances there, the professional dance battles in ‘Sweetheart’ are utterly satisfying.”

Beyond praising the content of the film itself, the review also commended the performances of the lead actors: “Jessica Alba’s Sweetheart is adorable enough, and she also reveals her rougher side; Michael Pitt’s Brooke is depressed enough, it turns out he’s most suited for this type of role; Scarlett Johansson is stunningly gorgeous, Annie Darren is quirky enough, Joseph Gordon Levitt is funny enough, James Franco is handsome enough… each character seems tailor-made, extremely impressive.”

“This is a refreshing summer treat, as comforting as ice cream,” wrote the renowned film critic Sandra Taylor in the laudatory magazine The Hollywood Reporter: “Wang Yang, in partnership with Annie Fletcher, has given a new interpretation to the musical genre, hitting and addressing all The Essentials of such themes. My only hope now is, the follow-up films won’t cast too much of a ‘Sweetheart’ shadow.”

Of course, there were criticisms as well, after all, the film’s Rotten Tomatoes freshness score was just 70%, with 30% of 45 reviews being negative critiques. The Chicago Sun-Times: “Another assembly-line scam by Wang Yang, a few good-looking guys and girls, add a childish story, equals a film deeply loved by teenagers.” The Boston Globe: “Exactly the predictable story the audience expected, very sleepy to watch.” The Philadelphia Daily News: “Aside from the messy dances, what else is there?”

No matter whether the reviews are positive or negative, praise or criticism, the North American box office on April 26 came out, and “Sweetheart” debuted at the top with 8.7 million in ticket sales, comfortably beating “The Scorpion King” at 5 million, continuing to lead in this pre-summer slump week. On Saturday, April 27, “Sweetheart” raked in another 11.05 million, maintaining its lead. The same day, the newly released sci-fi horror “Star Wars: Episode II” gathered 7.5 million; Angelina Jolie’s “Hero” only managed 6.8 million.

On Sunday, April 28, while the cinema screenings were still going on, Jessica’s 21st birthday had officially arrived. Last year, Wang Yang missed her important 20th birthday, which was a big regret; naturally, her 21st birthday, now that she could legally drink, deserved proper compensation. However, in the time around the release of “Sweetheart,” Jessica had already attended too many promotional events and cast dinners, and the festivities had been plenty, she didn’t want to have a big birthday party this year.

Her idea was to invite family and close friends, to happily and quietly spend time at home. As Wang Yang simply wanted her to be happy, he had no objections to this.

“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…” In the spacious and bright dining room, decorated with colorful balloons and other birthday party adornments, a table laid with delicious foods and a large birthday cake with 21 candles on top. The people standing around the table, all smiling, sang the birthday song to Jessica, who stood in front of the cake.

Mark and Kathy didn’t attend the evening gathering; besides Joshua, there were also Eileen, Roland, Scarlett, and a few other close girlfriends; as well as Zachary, Michael Pitt, and the couple Tom and Willing. Everyone smiled and sang the last line: “Happy birthday to Jessica!”

“Thank you!” Jessica smiled and glanced at Wang Yang, then clasped her hands together and closed her eyes, silently making a fervent wish: “Dear Lord, I hope all the happiness and joy can continue, Yang’s movie is both critically and commercially successful, and for me… I want to marry Yang and become his wife.” Having said that, she smiled, opened her eyes, and quickly “whoo” blew out the 21 candles.

The crowd immediately burst into applause and cheers. Jessica picked up the cake knife to cut the cake, and Wang Yang let out a whistle, stepping back, laughing, “Wait a moment! My gift is about to make its entrance. Danny, come with me—” But with Danny wagging his tail and drooling over the cake on the table, even after he clapped his hands loudly, the dog paid no attention, forcing him to grit his teeth and lure it with a piece of cake towards the secret storage room.

“What does he want to do?” Eileen asked curiously with a smile, and the others looked on with interest. Joshua speculated, “He’s taking Danny along? Is it another pet dog?” Jessica distributed the cake to them and said with a smile, “I don’t know, but there’s no barking in the house.” She looked at Tom and Willing and thought to herself, “Could it be a ring?” Her heart skipped a beat.

After a good while, just as everyone finished a piece of cake and were about to go looking for Wang Yang, who had disappeared, they suddenly heard a “clang clang clang clang!” sound and saw Danny walking back with a garland around his neck, a bamboo basket in his mouth, and his butt wiggling, followed by a grinning Wang Yang.

“Wow!” Joshua was the first to exclaim, “Oh my god, Danny is so well- behaved!?” Eileen and others applauded and laughed, and Zachary complimented, “That’s a cool entrance!”

Jessica’s heart beat very fast; she patted Danny’s head and took the basket from him. Inside, there were a bunch of lilies, an envelope labeled “To Jessica,” a bottle of wine, and a shimmering crystal pendant necklace. Looking at the basket, she felt very happy and sweet, but there was also a slight, inexplicable sense of disappointment—there was no ring.

“Sweetheart, these are your birthday gifts,” Wang Yang said with a smile, awarding Danny a pet biscuit. He didn’t know what else to give, so he got a bit of everything, all the things that girls liked: beautiful jewelry, flowers, and, of course, a sincere heart. And that bottle of wine… He reached for it and laughed, “Welcome to getting your liquor license, we can have a hangover now! Guys, this wine is a ’82 Lafite.”

Those who knew about wine and those who didn’t all exclaimed in awe, but Joshua wasn’t interested. He pointed at the bamboo basket and asked, “What’s with that letter?” Jessica picked up the letter with a smile, about to open it, and said, “Can I read it now?” Wang Yang put down the wine and stopped her, “No, save it for when you’re alone, haha!” He chuckled, gazing into her clear eyes, and said, “That’s a love letter.”

“A love letter?” Jessica was stunned for a moment, and then she broke into a happy smile, tightening her grip on the envelope, “I like it, this is the most special gift I’ve received!” Eileen, Roland, and the other girls all smiled enviously, “So romantic! What an atmosphere!”

Zachary and Tom Willing both frowned with a bad premonition; Wang Yang spread his hands with a laugh, “I just suddenly remembered ‘I’ve never written a love letter to this girl,’ it’s a bit cliche, but quite interesting. Hey! Eileen, Jamie.” He turned to look at the two girls and inwardly chuckled, “Let Zachary and Tom write one too, I think they’ll do a great job.”

“That wouldn’t be fun,” Eileen gave Zachary a cold look, and Jamie shrugged with a smile. Zachary and Tom both silently glared at the mischievous instigator, who had indeed dragged them into this mess!

Jessica turned the love letter over in her hands, her heart once again uncontrollably picking up pace. What was written inside? Suddenly she recalled the farewell letter she had written, feeling a bit angry—the damned thief who stole her letter! But now, this was quite nice, her anger swiftly replaced with endless sweetness and happiness.

Amid the laughter, everyone happily enjoyed the birthday party, and after seeing the guests off, it had gotten late. Laughter rang out from the bedroom, Jessica lay against Wang Yang’s arm with a faint blush on her cheeks from the alcohol, giggling about various things: “On my 16th birthday, do you know what wish I made? I wished for some changes in my life!”

“Did it come true?” Wang Yang leisurely smelled her hair fragrance, and Jessica, grinning, replied, “Yeah, big changes! We met again, didn’t we? And then everything was different.” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “Then that wish took its time to come true, by that time you were almost 17. Jessica spoke tenderly, “Yang, these past years have been the happiest for me. Since reuniting with you, it’s like I’ve found the meaning of life again.” “Oh, thank you; that’s so cheesy. Is this your response to my love letter?” Wang Yang smiled, frowning, “Surely my letter wasn’t that intense?” Jessica punched him on the chest playfully and laughed, “It’s true! I hate this; I don’t like saying these sweet nothings, it’s not cool at all; but I want you to know how much I love you.”

Seeing her eyes filled with tender warmth and fiery passion, Wang Yang’s heart stirred, placing his index finger to her lips, he shushed, “Don’t speak, you don’t need to say anything now.” She kissed his finger gently, then closed her eyes and leaned in, and they began to kiss softly.

From April 26 to May 2, the North American weekly box office champion, unsurprisingly, went to “Sweetheart.” This teen musical won the crown with a $29.64 million haul, followed by “The Scorpion King” at second with $18.93 million, and “Life Changes” at third with $10.01 million. Also in their first week, “Star Enemies” and “Heavens May Fall” settled for $7-9 million and $7.7 million, placing them fifth and sixth, respectively.

For this opening performance, Flame Films was very satisfied. Nearly $30 million in a slow week and now heading into the official summer break, surely a massive influx of the youth demographic would flood cinemas. Despite the release of many new blockbusters, the well-received “Sweetheart” still had its unique allure. According to analysts at the company, North American box office receipts for “Sweetheart” were expected to be above $80 million, and coupled with over $60 million from overseas, making back its budget and turning a profit naturally wouldn’t be a problem.

But clinching the weekly box office champion title again was impossible, because on May 3, Sony Pictures Entertainment’s $139 million production “Spider-Man” would release, hitting 3,615 theaters in its first week. This ferocious superhero blockbuster was not something “Sweetheart,” the summer ice cream, could contend with. “Ice Age,” Flame Films’ main release for the early summer season and a CG animation film that hadn’t been highly anticipated, was also set to release on the 10th.

The fierce summer battle had officially begun. (To be continued..)