The Best Director

Chapter 432 -432: Christmas Champion

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“Everything about it is a mistake. On the surface, ‘500 Days of Summer’ compared to what’s beneath is a minor leaguer next to a major one; the movie is one of the biggest catches of the year”—Score: 4/4, Stephanie Zacharek, ; “This is the oldest bittersweet storybook, one you may have heard a million times. But when told in a way that is brimming with confidence, giftedness, and a touch of melancholy that blazes a unique trail, ‘500 Days of Summer’ feels almost like hearing it for the first time.”—Score: 3.5/4, Lou Lumenick, New York Post.

“A surprising, incredible movie that will have a very big impact on me and my life; really, it changed the way I see the world. A toast to this day! I’ve found my favorite romantic comedy, and one of my favorite movies. Some might say I’m overreacting, but when I stop to think about the faults of ‘500 Days of Summer,’ I can’t find any, it’s just too great!”—Five stars, user Ricardo-D, .

After Christmas Eve, Christmas 2005 arrived on schedule. In some places, heavy snow fell; in others, the sun was shining brightly. No matter the weather, nothing could dampen the public’s enthusiasm to step into cinemas. Now two date movies were making big waves—one was the gay-themed ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ and the other was the break-up healing-themed ‘500 Days of Summer.’ Both were FF Productions’ unconventional love movies, both surrounded by applause and praises. However, relative to the former’s controversy and its limited release in only 270 theaters across North America, the latter was undoubtedly a more extensive viewing choice.

‘Brokeback Mountain’ had a sensational social impact, and ‘500 Days’ also had its remarkable effect. For instance, many people wrote film reviews on their blogs while reminiscing about their own past breakups. Others recorded heartfelt self-portrait videos and uploaded them to YOUTUBE. Numerous people who had been through breakups declared they would actively step out of gloom…

“What on earth are you trying to do?” Clair was getting impatient as her boyfriend mysteriously took her to the beach and then to a secluded, deserted place. Looking at his hesitating manner, she wondered, couldn’t Christmas give him some courage? Where had all that audacity from back in the day gone! Then, suddenly, Adam dropped to one knee on the sand, pulled out a silver ring from his pocket, and said nervously and earnestly, “Clair, marry me!” Clair was initially stunned, a surge of excitement and joy arose in her heart, yet she didn’t feel the urge to nod in agreement, “Oh, is that it?”

Seeing her not immediately say YES, Adam became very anxious, declaring, “I’m really very, very serious; I want to be with you! I have been planning this for a long time, and after seeing ‘Summer’ two days ago, I thought I should be more proactive… Why not this Christmas?” His voice trembling, he recited the romantic proposal script he prepared, with her film review in mind: “We can build our future together, you are my summer, my autumn… you make my dreams come true, you, you are incredible, uh, you…”

“Adam.” Clair covered her mouth with both hands, deeply moved, yet fear held her back; she didn’t want to repeat the past, and she hesitated, “I love you, but I don’t know if it’s the right time. We’re still so young, we haven’t been to college, but our careers are just beginning, and besides, I’m preparing to go to community college, just like Magic Yang said…” But Adam refused to give up, interrupting her suddenly, “None of that conflicts, why not ask Magic Yang’s opinion? Don’t you have his number?”

“What!? How stupid, abrupt, and ridiculous!” Clair gasped in astonishment and amusement. It’s just meeting at the ‘Firefly’ premiere, chatting for a bit, and exchanging occasional letters and holiday greeting cards, hardly acquaintances. Who would know who the most popular host on the local public channel is? That guy’s blog doesn’t even have a thousand followers, fewer than her, and yet such a “celebrity” wouldn’t even bother with her; Magic Yang is a superstar!

Call him about this on Christmas Day? Perhaps he was now with his family on some beautiful beach, or a ranch, Las Vegas, Europe… or at a party enjoying the holiday? Clair shook her head, unable to bear it, “Ridiculous! Childish!” Adam said in disappointment, “You mean me kneeling here proposing? Ridiculous?”

“You know what I’m talking about… fine! OK, great!” Clair, full of irritation, pulled out her phone. Magic Yang was Magic Yang, not that kind of “celebrity!” While pressing the buttons, she yelled out,” Alison was right, I should have asked Wang Yang’s opinion back then!” She lifted the phone to her ear, then suddenly engaged in a deadpan conversation: “Hi, Magic Yang, merry Christmas! Yes, it’s me. Here’s the thing, my boyfriend is proposing to me right now, yes, that one, um, he’s still kneeling in front of me, but I… am a little bit scared, should I accept? …OK, thank you, goodbye!”

Adam remained kneeling in a proposal stance, looking up at her with immense nervousness, wondering why she wasn’t the slightest bit nervous. Could it be that she hadn’t figured it out yet? Just then, after Clair said “goodbye,” she snatched the ring from his hand and slipped it onto her left ring finger, laughing, “Before I was Juno, now I’m Summer!”

“YEAH—!!!!” Adam let out a joyous shout, leaping to his feet as they embraced and kissed. After their excitement had somewhat subsided, he came back to his senses and asked, “Did you really call him?” Clair took a deep breath, nodding her head, slowly realizing the terror, “Really! Oh my God—”

Perhaps “500 Days of Summer” spurred many to confess their love or propose, leading to a few marriage-related inquiries on Wang Yang’s busy phone, including one from Clair, the girl whose life he had influenced, whose boyfriend was proposing? It all happened so suddenly, he didn’t know what to say, so he comforted her, “Don’t be scared! Remember, this is a big decision about your life. You’re an adult now, whether it’s YES or NO, it shouldn’t be up to me. Follow your own heart! Don’t Be a Pussy!”

However, it seemed Clair was a bit of a Pussy… too R-rated, Wang Yang thought, perhaps giving Chloe Moretz’s number to her would make it sound cuter. Then came another call, this time from Heath Ledger: “Yang, Merry Christmas… I think Michelle really wants to get married soon, but, you know, I don’t know how to do this… What’s your opinion?” Last year, during his proposal consultation, Wang Yang and Jessica had already foreseen this scenario and even prepared the answer.

On the backyard lawn chair, Wang Yang and Jessica beside him silently high-fived. Keke was sleeping in a cradle not far away. He answered, “Heath, there’s not a woman wearing an engagement ring and holding a baby who doesn’t want to get married, or there is, but I don’t think Michelle is one of them, and you know it. My advice is, one, ask yourself what you really want, are you up for this? Taking good care of Michelle and Matilda, enjoying family life, are you? Two, are you? Three, are you?! That’s the key point. Regardless of YES or NO, Don’t Be a Pussy!”

“Hmm, I think I’ve got it,” Ledger’s voice sounded contemplative, as if he had received great guidance. Wang Yang added seriously, “Cherish it, because gays who want to get married can’t, so if your answer is YES, don’t miss out! Honestly, life really does get better after marriage.”

After a few more words, they ended the brief phone call. Wang Yang playfully shook his phone, “I’m Casanova.” Jessica took a sip of her refreshing juice and put the glass down, “Ahaha, Casanova crazy for one woman.” Wang Yang shrugged, “You know about Henriette, who’s without their Summer?” A tinge of jealousy bubbling up again, Jessica bit her straw, deliberately teasing him, “HEY, big guy, what did the kitty cat do to you?”

“Pff—” In the middle of his drink, Wang Yang sprayed out all the liquid in a coughing fit, “Oh… PUSSY? Oh… you mean… how does it PROVOKE ME?”

His eyes widened in amazement at her. Jessica too widened her eyes, not speaking a word, not stirring, as the meaning of that sentence seemed to have another… Wang Yang was about to say something but shook his head instead, “I feel a bit nauseous now.” Jessica nodded in agreement, “Yeah, me too, let’s drop it.”

“Hahaha!” After a moment of silence, they couldn’t hold back any longer and burst into uncontrollable laughter, bending over backward in mirth, “Hahaha—” The chair tipping up, Wang Yang suddenly tumbled backward onto the grass, and Jessica, seeing this, laughed even crazier, “Ahaha!” Over in the cradle, Keke smiled, and Danny came over with a wagging tail.

“Oh man, don’t lick me, haha…” Wang Yang laughed while stretching out his hand to fend off Danny’s enthusiastic assault, lying on the lawn and looking up at the sky, which was not only home to an old dog but also the intensely blue firmament.

After all, it was the Christmas holiday, so there weren’t many calls for him, but over the last few days, there had been quite a few to congratulate him on the success of “500 Days of Summer” and to celebrate the holiday. Rachel had said, “I wanted to send you a Christmas card, but I think it’s important for everyone to convey their feelings personally, otherwise what’s the point? It’s better to tell you in person, haha, Merry Christmas! Thank you for your two movies this year.” On Christmas Eve last night, Helen also texted Wang Yang, “I watched ‘500 Days of Summer’ and it was fantastic, Yang, Merry Christmas.”

“Thank you, Merry Christmas!” Wang Yang felt that he and Helen had finally returned to a normal ex-couple relationship, free from ambiguity, entanglement, and wistful nonchalance, able to laugh heartily at the antics of their youth and share their marital experiences. He and Helen had a very pleasant holiday phone call, and this change in mindset was probably also one of the valuable gains from “500 Days of Summer.”

“Love Magician Yang to death!” As usual, countless women wanted to flirt with the magical BABY. If before “500 Days,” he was a piece of tempting monk’s flesh, now, having revealed his romantic and sentimental side, this roasted monk’s flesh was seasoned with cumin and spices, enticing everyone to take a big bite. “When I saw Tom heartbroken after his breakup, I cried, really wishing I could comfort his wounded heart,” wrote not just die-hard fans but also Playboy models and reality show stars on their blogs, blatantly provoking that piece of monk’s flesh, going beyond mere admiration.

Aside from attracting some attention from the gossip media, no one received any response from Wang Yang, unless his Christmas Eve blog post to fans worldwide, “Merry Christmas,” was considered a response. Noteworthy was that Wang Yang also announced his daughter’s Chinese and English names along with the post: “Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas too!”

Either you don’t tell anyone, which is hard to keep secret, or leaking a name to the hospital falls within normality. Wang Yang thought it would be better to make the announcement on a festive day himself rather than waiting for an unexpected “exposure” one day.

“What a beautiful name!” Countless Yang fans were overjoyed to hear the news. Evelyn had already decided that HOPE would be the middle name of her future eldest daughter, and nobody could stop her from being the lucky father! Besides the praise, the unique and interesting name HOPE-JUNO naturally sparked speculation about its meaning. HOPE was easy to understand, but was JUNO just to commemorate “Juno”? Or did Magician Yang once have a girlfriend named JUNO? And some Chinese Yang fans were surprised at the Chinese name: “The legendary beauty Akko?”…

It was a coincidence, nothing more. Wang Ke was obviously one of the happiest “Akkos” on the planet, past or present. Either way, in her very first Christmas, she received countless blessings of “Merry Christmas” and wishes to grow up healthy and happy from around the world.

“The destined beauty” HOPE —how beautiful was she? Ultrasound images were too early to tell, and since the day she was born, the whole world has been eager to see her picture. However, Wang Yang hadn’t agreed to any media or magazine offers to buy baby photos or family portraits, even though doing so would have allowed the proceeds to be donated to organizations like the Hurricane Katrina relief or the Red Cross. Nonetheless, this decision inevitably resulted in a horde of paparazzi sharpening their claws, ready to snatch the priceless first photo of the baby.

But the surprise just kept on coming! At the end of his “Merry Christmas” post, Wang Yang uploaded a photo of Keke’s upturned smiling lips and made no statement forbidding republishing, leaving global media in a frenzy and fans spreading the news that she was such an adorable chubby baby!

Wang Yang’s thought was clear, it was better to make the announcement himself rather than be “exposed,” for two main reasons. First, to share the joy of becoming a parent with the world, and second, to undercut the increasingly aggressive paparazzi. He absolutely did not want Keke to grow up in the spotlight from a young age, and he wouldn’t stand idly by. He had already utilized every possible connection and power at his disposal to try to keep the media from circling around the child. After all, his biggest responsibility for the next 18 years was to raise Keke well; first and foremost, protecting her privacy, ensuring that she wasn’t the subject of too much public attention and scrutiny, and providing her with a normal, happy childhood.

Since Keke was too young, the couple had no vacation plans for Christmas and New Year’s holidays, spending it in the around Los Angeles area instead; and because this year’s NBA Christmas Day game Lakers VS Miami Heat was taking place at the latter’s home court in Miami, they missed the chance to watch the game live, but naturally, they weren’t lacking exciting programs for the evening.

After enjoying a joyful and warm Christmas, the three-day North American Christmas weekend from December 23-25 came to a close. “500 Days of Summer” effortlessly took the box office crown with an opening of $51.74 million, averaging $15,442 per theater (in 3,351 theaters), with Christmas Eve recording the lowest ticket sales of the three days. It dominated “King Kong,” which came in second with $21.25 million, and “The Chronicles of Narnia,” which was third with $19.77 million, by more than double the margin.

As for other new releases like “The New Money Heist Couple” and “Cheaper by the Dozen 2,” none surpassed ten million; while “Munich” garnered $4.15 million (averaging $7,805 per theater) for an eighth-place ranking, and “Brokeback Mountain” took in $3.67 million (averaging $13,599 per theater) for tenth place.

By the end of the four-day Christmas weekend from December 23-26, “500 Days of Summer” raked in another $18.34 million in a single day, soaring to a total of $70.08 million over four days, with “King Kong” trailing at $33.27 million and “The Chronicles of Narnia” at $31.69 million. The irresistibly charming “Summer” effortlessly ascended to the champion’s throne of this year’s Christmas season!

“This is the most unexpected cinematic magic.” — Score 3/4, Tom Lang, Detroit News; “Visually witty, perfectly executed romantic comedy, Wang Yang did not let his fans down.” — Score 4/4, J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader; “Directly capturing this exuberant, frustrating love, you have never experienced anything more vivid, more anticipated, more profoundly meaningful, you can even feel the deathly anxiety on the spot.” — Score 4/4, Christopher Orr, The New Republic;

“Ultimately, it gives us a romantic understanding that lets us look positively on our scrapes, our lives and love, and our failures, rather than simplifying it as a celebration of success with a white wedding cake.” — Score 4/4, Desson Thomson, The Washington Post; “Even though ‘500 Days of Summer’ is not truly great, it’s undeniably great fun, bringing a fresh perspective to Hollywood.” — Score 3.5/4, Stephen Whitty, The Star-Ledger;

“Featuring two wonderful, unconventional performances by Joseph Gordon Levitt and Natalie Portman, and a film by Wang Yang that deserves any and all praise.” — Score 4/4, Rex Reed, New York Observer…

Time flew by rapidly, newspapers stacked up on shelves only to sell out, movie tickets exchanged into the hands of viewers, tubs of popcorn carried away… When the week of December 23-29 concluded, the “dong dong” of the New Year’s bells faintly loomed near, and “500 Days of Summer” also captured the box office champion of its opening week. (