The Best Director - Chapter 426

Chapter 426: Chapter 426: Amazing! (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

“Rachel, what are you doing here?”

On the big screen, a cozy apartment was neatly filled with all sorts of items: books, records, DVDs, toys, and more. A dejected Tom smashed plates and other dinnerware. His two closest friends both had headaches, rushing to the rescue as little Rachel said caringly, “I’ve come to help you.” Confused, Tom asked, “How?”

They sat together on the living room sofa, and under Rachel’s direction, with montage cuts, Tom numbly recounted the whole story. Everything had been fine, and the sweet and warm memories proved it, but Summer suddenly asked him out to a restaurant and said, “I think we should stop seeing each other.” The reason was, “What are we even doing? I mean, is this normal?” Tom was stunned and quickly said, “Normal! No, I don’t know… I don’t care, I’m happy, aren’t you?”

Summer said they were always fighting, like in “Sid and Nancy,” and it had been months, with her being Sid. Watching her uncaring demeanor, Tom, who wanted to salvage things, felt like it was truly over. He had been dumped by this woman without a hint of regret and suddenly got up to leave.

“Tom! Don’t go!” Summer, who was thoroughly enjoying her crepe, turned around suddenly, her face showing uncertainty. Seeing him pause and still walk away, she called out again, “Tom!” From the gradually distancing wide shot, she slowly stood up, her expression blank and complicated, and yelled louder, “You’re still my best friend!”

But Tom simply walked away from that sad place without looking back. The camera returned to the apartment living room, where the three friends tried to comfort Tom. Little Rachel said, “You’ve dumped other girls before, and girls have dumped you.” It’s no big deal! Tom was a bit despondently intoxicated, “It’s different this time, this time, because it’s Summer.” His buddy said, “You’re awesome, you’ll forget her,” “There are plenty of fish in the sea”… Tom replied seriously, “I don’t want to forget her, I want her to come back to me.”

“Haha,” “Haha,” chuckles and light laughter came from time to time in the 3,351 movie theaters. The big screen was showing an engaging story. Besides the dialogue, the audience hardly expected Chloe Moretz, who terrified kids all over the world, to be so amusing. This 8-year-old “Rachel” acted entirely like a grumpy old person, which was very adorable. Prior to that, many moviegoers laughed because of the character’s name, as little Chloe played the childhood “Rachel McAdams” in “Paranormal Activity 3.”

Rachel also smiled when she saw this, adjusted her sitting posture, and thought to herself with a laugh, “Am I also in this movie?” Little Rachel is Tom’s sister, roped in by his friends who tried everything to bring her in, and indeed, she managed to make Tom settle down and open his heart. Interesting, who is Rachel? Rachel thought, “This is Yang’s answer, I guess.”

“I want her to come back to me.” A wave of positive energy surged through the audience because of that line. Tom had been dumped by her, but at the time of the breakup, Summer wasn’t wearing her wedding ring, though she wore it at the beginning! They both looked happy! And from the looks of it, Summer wasn’t really that heartless. Evelyn clenched her fist, “Come on, go get her!” She eagerly grabbed a big handful of popcorn and shoved it into her mouth. Kelly gradually felt more at ease; it was indeed a comedy with likely a Hollywood-style ending! But Clair, resting her chin on her hand, thought it wasn’t that simple.

Hmph! Staring at the Summer on the big screen, Jessica’s eyes glinted fiercely, “Keep watching, it won’t work, they’ve messed up!” Natalie, sitting a seat away from Yang, was engrossed, lost in thought.

It’s over! Just less than ten minutes into the opening, the critical reviewers in Chicago knew it was done for. Such fresh and soft visuals, leisurely pleasant music, witty dialogue, exceptional performances, and unique editing… the film’s charming aura washed over them. It was no wonder the movie garnered Golden Globe nominations for Best Musical or Comedy, Best Actor, and Best Actress. A bunch of fresh red tomatoes? This was the worst Christmas gift!

Jeffrey Westhoff of The Northwest Herald was left speechless, his face in his hands. What on earth was Wang Yang trying to do… How could it be possible that, with an injured right hand and suffering from severe post-concussion syndrome, a love interest character who had never shown an edge could still… perform so well! He leaned back in his chair, powerless, with only the hope that the story and theme were very naive — that was his last hope.

Natalie Portman’s acting was truly remarkable! She fully immersed herself in Summer’s inner world. Nancy secretly admired her, thinking that it must be very interesting to work with her, from Juno to Summer. Natalie and Yang indeed had reached a very tacit understanding on the set. She knew very well that once the two of them got the pitch right, the scene only had a few NGs. The role was challenging to play as Summer appeared indifferent and heartless at first, but during the conversation, she switched to being quirky and unpredictable, then had to reveal tension and loss of control when Tom left.

It let the audience know that she actually cared about Tom, instilling confidence and expectation. Nancy understood that the opening scene was far from the whole story; as the plot progressed and the story echoed back and forth, it would reveal a lot.

In fact, Tom’s best friend and pesky little sister had offered him the wrong kind of help, yet Tom depended on them to some extent. He was a naive young man who did not act according to his own inner thoughts, constantly influenced by others, and he hadn’t realized that women say one thing and mean another. Tom himself had once asked Summer the same question, “What are we?” The words she said next were the ones he would later repeat, “I don’t care, I’m happy. Aren’t you happy?”

Tom enjoyed the ambiguity because he was happy too. Summer’s sudden “break-up” was a confrontation; she didn’t want the uncertainty anymore. However, Tom didn’t come to his senses, and when she finally shouted, “You’re still my best friend,” it was a reminder that they were never boyfriend and girlfriend to begin with, but “best friends.” Her use of “still” essentially retracted the “breakup” — we can still see each other, don’t go, stay and talk, look for me, confess to me, let’s make our relationship normal!

Tom said he wanted her back, but what did he do? Nothing at all, not even a phone call.

“That jerk…” Clearly seeing Summer’s true feelings, Helen suddenly felt the emotions of her own youth; waiting, standoff, pain… Wasn’t it just a “go to hell” from her, that allowed one to walk away without looking back? She called him, wasn’t it just to get his attention, YOUNG… Why didn’t he understand back then, why did he think she was so cool? Perhaps, she also did not take a second step, it doesn’t matter anymore, that’s all in the past.

At that moment, another burst of light laughter filled the screening room, easing Helen’s stifled feelings. She turned to look at the person in the seat next to her and smiled, “This is definitely a great movie.”

“I’ve fallen in love with Summer. I love her smile, I love her voice, love her hair, love her knees… love the way she makes me feel, it’s like, it’s like anything is possible, or like, I don’t know, like life has meaning.”

After the opening, the story on the big screen went back to day one, where Tom, an architecture major working at a greeting card company, met his new co-worker Summer. Summer was like a goddess, the kind that dazzled all men, much like the pretty girls in school who always have lots of gossip and rumors about them. Tom’s buddies like Mickey and others were dismissive and critical of her, and at first Tom didn’t care and was unconcerned. But then things took a drastic turn, and he was “dazzled” by Summer, as if it was fated.

Tom then found out that he and Summer were a perfect match! They both loved movies, the same directors, the same painters, basketball, and they even liked anime and video games… to the point they discussed “VR Fighters” for 20 minutes!

How many beautiful girls are into electronic fighting games? Tom was completely lost in his own world, like a love-stricken novice, hanging on every word Summer said, allowing a casual remark from her to throw him into turmoil for days on end.

“It’s me! It’s me!” Turning his head to glance at the fully engaged Wang Yang, Jessica’s chest felt even more stifled; it definitely wasn’t an increase in milk production—Yang and “Summer” absolutely weren’t a good match! Helen would never play video games with him; there would be no basketball, no movies. It was her; it was her!

“I can do it.” Anyway, Natalie knew she wasn’t one, admitting she was a lousy sports fan, but she and Yang could bond over other things, like their mutual concern for the gorillas in Rwanda; “I’m fine with it.” After thinking it over, Rachel felt it was okay. If they were both willing, she and Yang could talk on the phone all night long without running out of topics; “I can’t.” Helen didn’t think she could be like Summer; when she and Yang were dating, she never liked him playing video games.

“Hey, what exactly do I like about you?” Clair scrutinized her boyfriend beside her, who didn’t seem like a soulmate no matter how she looked at him. Adam answered without hesitation: “We both like fishing.” In San Francisco, Eve eyed Kelly and murmured to herself: “We both like shopping.” Kelly’s expression was one of shock: “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” Eve questioned: “What?” Joshua professed his adoration to Alexis in a dreamy tone: “Ali, I love your hair, your voice…”

The movie screening went on, and while venting to a friend at the bar yet another time, Tom said with a mixture of annoyance and melancholy, “I’ve given her plenty of chances.”

What did he mean? A flicker of confusion crossed the audience member Linda’s face. Was he referring to his own initiative in making conversation, which Summer had shown no interest in? In the office scene, Summer passing by said, “I’m heading to the storage room now, does anyone need anything?” Tom beamed with anticipation and said, “I think you know what I want.” Summer looked at him puzzled and Tom bashfully said, “Uh, ink cartridge.” Summer smiled and walked away: “Okay, no problem.”

“Heh.” The theater echoed with soft laughter, and then Tom tried to catch attention by playing music they both loved, only for Summer to walk past without stopping as she left work. The camera switched back to the bar, and Tom, agitated and frazzled, said: “Whatever! I don’t want to deal with this crap anymore.” His friend Paul couldn’t stand it: “You should ask her out!” Tom suddenly grimaced with a mix of disgust and surprise, turned his head, and muttered softly, “Don’t be stupid.”

Taking the initiative to date Summer was not the blueprint Tom wanted! Nancy crossed her arms with a smirk then let them drop, exasperated by her dress. Tom’s idea was that if he and Summer were to be together, it would be by fate’s design—a kind of unspoken, soulmate-esque progression. That was his ideal vision of romance! If Summer and he were truly a perfect match, everything would happen naturally without needing to ask her out.

“Damn, I’m about to be conquered,” Stephanie Zacharek of Salon magazine silently marveled. She had given The Devil Wears Prada a rotten B- (deeming it a limping, timid half-satire comedy) and Firefly a perfect A+100 (a magnificent epic that comes once in decades); and now, she would probably score Magical Yang full marks again—it was an enthralling masterpiece!

How could Wang Yang not understand love? Look at his eloquence, his talents, his appearance—does he seem like a rookie in romance, or someone without suitors? As someone the public saw as a “mild Yang critic,” Stephanie couldn’t help but scoff and mock those real “Yang haters” as “naive.” They seemed to forget that the leading lady was not Jessica Alba but Natalie Portman, and measuring him by High School Musical and TDWP was utterly ridiculous. She suddenly realized—never underestimate Magical Yang.

Magical Yang was no fool! He completely portrayed the nuanced mentality of the idealist-type male! Comparing the surface-level 500 Days of Summer with its in-depth counterpart was like comparing a minion to a sorcerer—she believed the same would hold true for what was to come.

“We’re going to Karaoke this Friday!… This is work-related; everyone from the office has to go, ‘everyone’ from the office has to go!”

The lights inside the big-screen karaoke bar were soft and tinged yellow, where people chattered and laughed over drinks at the bar and tables, some sang on the small stage into the microphone, some listened with smiles, creating a lively scene. Tom’s arrival surprised Summer, “Hey, they said you weren’t coming.” Before Tom could respond, it was Summer’s turn to sing. She stepped lively onto the small stage, tiptoed to reach the raised microphone, and, while lowering it, she laughed and said, “Haha, okay, I’m a newbie, don’t make fun of me!” And she began to sing sprightly.

Watching Summer over there, poised and adorably spirited, and listening to her moving voice, Tom instantly revealed an enraptured smile, once again smitten! The crowd around him cheered and clapped too, “WOO——”

The audience couldn’t help but smile, a truly heartwarming and romantic moment that made hearts flutter! Critics and media reporters from the Xuelan Theater lavished their praises similarly. Michael Ordona from the Los Angeles Times gave a thumbs up, already certain that this was a rare and uniquely romantic comedy.

The film utilized its cinematic techniques very deftly and naturally. Apart from the interesting narrative structure and rapid editing, split screens, voice-overs, documentary-style interviews, and more, such techniques are rarely seen today, and even rarer to see so many at once. From what could be seen in the trailer, it looked like there were even surreal scenes to come, reminding Claudia Puig from USA Today of the playful style’s pioneering romantic comedy, “Annie Hall” (Oscar winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Actor (nominated) in 1978), yet with a distinctly different vibe.

“Annie Hall” was satirical and comical, while “500 Days of Summer” was humorously fresh. Perhaps the most significant similarity between the two was that they both captured the romantic sentiment of their respective eras; “Annie Hall” belonged to the previous generation, while “Summer” is for today’s younger people. Claudia Puig had a hunch that it might be the best romantic comedy since “Annie Hall,” and that Magical Yang was going to sweep countless hearts.

“I, uh… I didn’t know you were joining us…” Back at the table in the karaoke bar on the big screen, Tom, holding a bottle, found that Summer was sitting right beside him. He said nervously, “Should I get one for you… a bottle? Or?” Talk about not being on the same wavelength! Summer laughed, “No need, I’ve already got one.” Tom sat down next to Mickey, looking across at her, and praised, “You were amazing.” Summer said, “I actually wanted to sing ‘Born to Run,’ but they don’t have it here.” Tom found another delight, “I love ‘Born to Run.’” “Me too,” Summer smiled.

The many little details revealed Summer’s distinctive personality, which hit Tom right in the heart – how could they not be a perfect match? Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter just had to commend its exquisite character development, especially the vivid portrayal of Tom and Summer, which also owed much to the natural performances of the two leads.

Not only did the film feature super unique and entertaining techniques, but the score, jointly created by Love Kent and Mitchell Dana, also brought out the story perfectly; its fresh color palette was like the warm morning sunlight, giving the eyes a truly beautiful visual feast. So far, from every aspect, it emitted a subtle sense of warmth and tranquility, sheer smart production! Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Times smiled with praise and enjoyment, devoid of any personal stylistic pretensions. After five years, that sunny Magical Yang was back!

Perhaps he had never been lost; he was just genuinely multifaceted. While still marveling at the grand spectacle of “Firefly,” tasting “500 Days of Summer” was like enjoying a refreshing, cool dessert on a hot summer day. Fabulous!

It embodied a real sense of life! Just like a romantic comedy from everyday life. That was the feeling it gave to David Wiegand from the San Francisco Chronicle. Everything on screen had a sense of familiarity and realism and the vibe of San Francisco was gradually unfolding. He expected there would be even more to come.

All the critics and audiences knew that the film had just begun, and that there were sure to be many more surprises to come. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to cast your recommendations and monthly votes at . Your support is my greatest motivation.)