The Best Director

On May 20, an ordinary day for many, cinephiles and fans eagerly anticipated its arrival because the film “The Pursuit of Happyness,” directed by Wang Yang and starring Will Smith, was set to premiere.

After the craze of “Paranormal Activity,” “High School Musical,” and boasting titles like “phenomenal director” and “youngest billionaire,” Wang Yang had an extraordinary popularity among young people. Although he didn’t quite reach the fame of “little sweetheart” Britney Spears, within the directory popularity rankings, he placed very, very high. Will Smith had always been popular among the youth, and now, appearing with Terry Smith, it became a noteworthy spectacle.

So even though this was a biography of a middle-aged man, the young flocked to the cinemas to see it; together with those who had bought Chris Gardner’s autobiography, seen his interviews, listened to his speeches, and were interested in his legendary life, especially the middle-aged. And with the film promoting “fatherly love, warmth, inspiration,” many families chose it as their weekend entertainment.

Despite facing skepticism — from the announcement to the release in just six months, the “Baby” director, the Golden Raspberry Worst Actor nominee… it was the popularity and exceptional promotion that drew countless viewers to the cinemas on this day. Many came not just for the film but also to see if the “miraculous director” could keep his streak alive, if Will Smith could win another Golden Raspberry, or, as Wang Yang said on the “Late Night Talk Show,” “Will’s performance could win an Oscar”…

Media outlets were ready for both outcomes: the first being that “The Pursuit of Happyness” would flop, marking the end of Wang Yang’s miracle run. They were poised to lash out and mock the delirious Baby director and the foolish Will Smith. Many critics already had their headlines sorted, like “An oversimplified biography of a middle-aged man,” “Chris Gardner stuck in a teen campus”; the second possibility was that the miracle would continue with Wang Yang directing a hit film. But the odds for this were slim — a 20-year-old mastering a dramatic biographical film? April Fools’ Day was over a month ago.

In their anticipation, there was no room for “not too good nor too bad, just average” — it was either high praise or harsh criticism, all provoked by the brash words of that miraculous kid. He had brought it upon himself.

As night fell, and moviegoers began their journey to the theaters, “The Pursuit of Happyness” opened in 3050 venues, each with a screening room, showing twice a night at 19:30-21:30 and 22:00-24:00, covering all the major cities across North America.

In Toronto, May temperatures weren’t too cold. Rachel, wearing a light pink thin sweater, gazed at the warm-hearted poster on the wall, and lingered on the line “Directed by: Wang Yang” for a while before shifting her gaze to the tagline, “Will Smith father and son share the screen with heartfelt depth, a sincere work from Wang Yang, ready your tissues.” She couldn’t help but smile faintly at the ad’s wording. Was this his idea too? Truly tacky.

Rachel glanced at the poster again and then made her way to the ticket counter. An excited, familiar voice faintly echoed in her ears, “Hey, Rachel, I’ve thought of a few taglines for ‘Paranormal Activity,’ how about ‘Do you dare to watch?’ or maybe ‘Scaring you to death without paying the price?\'” She murmured softly, just like her response back then, “Of course, ‘Do you dare to watch?’ is better…” Saying this, she shook her head self-deprecatingly.

“I’ll take one for ‘The Pursuit of Happyness,’ thank you.” After a few people, Rachel approached the front of the line and spoke to the ticket seller. The Caucasian seller, noticing she was a spicy girl, struck up a conversation, “Lots of folks coming to see this movie today. That new piece by Magical Yang, the guy’s films are quite good.” Though he hadn’t really seen many. Rachel smiled, took her movie ticket, paid 6 Canadian dollars, and turned towards the screening room.

“Wow, she smiled at me.” The white ticket seller was surprised, straightening his tie strap and talking to himself, “She came to watch the movie alone, oh my god, should I ask her out?”

Rachel walked into the auditorium, clutching her little purse and looking for her seat. She glanced around at the attendance, the 500-seat auditorium was nearly full, with only some seats at the back empty. She found her seat and sat down. The movie had not started yet, and the buzz of conversation filled the hall. Right next to her, a couple was discussing.

“Jenny, I bet this is going to be a crappy movie, Wang Yang’s touch will end here! Right here!” The curly-haired white guy in his twenties sounded very sure. He looked at his girlfriend Jenny, saying, “That guy is just after the money, or maybe he’s just a fool. Have you ever heard of someone making a good biopic at 20? Two hours! I feel like I’m going to fall asleep later, Jenny. I told you we should have gone to see ‘Dinosaur,’ that’s a big production…”

As he went on about how bad ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ was going to be, Rachel frowned. She shifted in her seat, and then she heard the guy say, “I don’t get why you’re a fan of that guy, he’s just a director with some money. You don’t know what kind of person he is in real life. He’s heard to have a temper, maybe he’s bedding chicks every day, sleeping with those Hollywood girls… Yes, he has a beautiful girlfriend, but I don’t believe for a second that a billionaire wouldn’t play around. He’s a lousy person…”

“Shut your damn mouth!” Unable to hold back, Rachel blurted out angrily, “What do you know? Do you know Wang Yang? Or did you read about how bad he is in the newspapers? Tell me! You don’t know anything, damn it!” The guy was stunned as he looked at her, then disdainfully said, “Hey, girl, as if you know better, I’ll be damned.” The girl beside him, Jenny, pulled at him impatiently, “Stop it, Martin!”

Rachel pursed her lips, looking at the big screen displaying trailers and ads, but in front of her was that distinguished face, and she whispered softly, “Ido know, he’s not a rotten person, and this movie won’t be rotten either.” She exhaled, wondering to herself if Yang was also looking at the big screen now.

In Boston, a movie theater auditorium, nobody noticed that “Star Wars Queen” Natalie Portman was sitting in the middle, casually leaning back in her chair, chewing gum. The quality of this film could almost predict the future of ‘Juno,’ so she had to see it firsthand. Moreover, she was curious about Wang Yang’s claim that “Will Smith could win an Oscar.” She smirked, smiling with a cocked corner of her mouth, “Buddy, that guy’s really got confidence!”

In Los Angeles, “Vita Projector” movie theater, following ‘High School Musical,’ it was once again chosen by Wang Yang to host the premiere of ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ Auditorium one was packed, filled with cast and crew, their families and friends, invited journalists and critics, as well as some audience members selected from an event. Dressed in a suit, Wang Yang was walking among the seats, carrying small gifts, engaging in the activity of personally handing out presents.

“Hey, Zachary!” Wang Yang spotted Zachary and Eileen and went over to greet them. Zachary stood up with a smile and said, “Yang, do I get a gift?” Wang Yang stirred inside the gift bag, while saying, “Let me see… hmm, no gift mentioned wanting to be claimed by you!” The people in the surrounding seats immediately laughed. Wang Yang patted a slightly embarrassed Zachary’s shoulder with a smile and moved further up, greeting acquaintances he saw.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar blond girl sitting there in the suit she wore for the interview, with light makeup on her face. He approached with a smile, saying, “Annie!” Annie, who had been watching him move around, didn’t expect him to come over. She smiled happily, “Director.” Wang Yang handed her a gift and smiled, “Annie, your performance was great! Take this, it’s a reward!” Annie received the small gift box with both hands, smiling, “Thankyou, director!”

“You deserve it, the gift wanted to go home with you.” Wang Yang winked at her and continued to make his way toward the back of the audience.

After the gift-giving was over, the premiere’s festivities came to an end, and the clock was nearing 19:30—the movie was about to start. Naturally, the first two rows were occupied by the key creative team of the film, including the cinematographer Valery Fiest, the composer Jan Kaczmarek…each person dressed in an elegant suit or a beautiful evening gown. In the very center sat the happy Smith family, with young Terry wearing a little bow tie, looking proud and spirited. On the other side sat Wang Yang and Jessica, who, although not a creator, naturally wouldn’t miss the event as Wang Yang’s girlfriend.

“Uncle Yang, do you think I could get an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor?” Terry asked excitedly, having developed a passionate love for acting since participating in the film. Wang Yang had heard this question several times before. Wang Yang and Jessica exchanged a smile, he pretended to think deeply and once again replied, “Terry, there is no doubt your performance was excellent, but as for getting a nomination, I don’t know. Maybe you should ask your dad?”

“Oh, buddy!” Will Smith laughed in a quirky tone. He couldn’t say “no,” as that would hurt Terry’s confidence, nor could he say “yes,” as it might lead to disappointment later on. He cleverly said, “Terry! Ask yourself, don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do something, not even me, got it?” Terry nodded seriously and said, “I got it!”

Wang Yang gave Will a thumbs-up, smiling. Seeing that the big screen was no longer playing advertisements, he knew it was about to begin. A wave of nervousness uncontrollably swept through him—this movie that he, Will Smith, and the entire crew had poured countless efforts and hopes into was officially premiering. Suddenly, he felt a strong, warm grip on his right hand. Jessica held his hand and whispered softly, “Yang, don’t worry. It made me cry. I believe it’ll make them cry too.”

“Yeah, thank you, Jessica. I’m not worried,” Wang Yang clasped her hand tightly in return, smiling, “Just a little normal nervousness.” Jessica smiled sweetly and turned her attention to the big screen along with him.

The entire theater quieted down, and the opening animation of Flames Films appeared on the big screen. A moth flew towards the flame, arriving in a beautiful countryside, dancing with butterflies, and the name “Flames-Films” arose from the fire. After the opening animation, soft and appealing piano music began to play, and on the screen, Terry Smith was shown lying asleep in bed, while a tank-top-clad Will Smith was shouting at him to get up. Meanwhile, the film’s production information was also being displayed. After a series of cast credits, the most important names appeared: “Starring: Will Smith, Terry Smith. Producers: Wang Yang. Director: Wang Yang.”

Seeing this scene, Rachel clapped silently, with a trace of a smile on her face. Martin, sitting next to her, said in a very soft voice, “Jenny, look, it starts off kinda boring…” Rachel shushed him, glaring as she said, “Could you please not talk? This is a movie theater!” She immediately turned her gaze back to the big screen, not wanting to miss a frame.

Martin didn’t speak again, and the entire theater was silent, filled only by the gentle and lively music and the dialogue from the characters: “And this Y, I have told you so many times, it’s Happiness, not Yin Happiness, it’s l!” “Then his pants must be really cool!” At this, Natalie Portman couldn’t help but let out an involuntary chuckle. Although the entire theater chuckled softly, her uncontrollable laughter drew many curious glances from around. Covering her mouth with her hands, she laughed continuously, saying, “I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, it’s just… Wang Yang, that guy, is too funny…”

“If you have a dream, you’ve got to protect it! People who can’t do it themselves will tell you that you can’t either. If you’ve got a dream, you’ve got to chase it, don’t let your dreams die, it’s as simple as that!” Annie, Harry George, and those who had fought, and were still fighting for their dreams, pressed their lips tightly together, wiping away the tears welling up in their eyes.

“Wayne, it’s been four months, I need my money, I need it right now! That’s my 18 dollars, Wayne!” “There’s a cave over here, come on, let’s go inside!”

Soon, the movie played the scene where Chris Gardner, homeless, stayed overnight in a subway station restroom with his son. This was the first emotional peak set in the film. With each subsequent scene building upon the last, the first test was to move the audience here. Whether or not the viewers would shed tears hinged on this moment. Beneath the melancholic, slow piano music, Will Smith was bracing his foot against the door, covering his son’s ears, his face a mixture of helpless bewilderment as he silently wept, while aggressive banging echoed from outside.

“Oh, I can’t control myself…” a Caucasian man seated to the left of Rachel, his eyes bloodshot and moist, his body trembling slightly, murmured, “I want to cry, my God, I actually want to cry…”

Rachel’s eyes were also red. She took out a tissue from her bag to wipe the corners of her eyes. At that moment on the screen, Chris Gardner stood still against the wall, gazing at the light tube above. The camera zoomed in on the light tube following his eyes— there was a moth dancing around. Her tears suddenly began to flow, more and more as she wiped, falling drop by drop. Yang, you romantic moth drawn to flame, Yang, you did it….

Then, one after another, the tear-jerking and touching moments of the homelessness stage arrived: Christopher losing Captain America, Chris Gardner squeezing into the church to bathe his son, Christopher’s “Dad, you’re a good dad” which made him cry again but strengthened his resolve; he sold blood, he repaired medical devices at midnight, he read books on stock brokerage all night; he finally managed to attract his first client; he finally became a stockbroker.

Seeing Will Smith in the crowd, so excited he could barely contain himself, his eyes red, the Caucasian man’s face flushed and eyes moist, he clenched his fists tightly, as if he were the one who had succeeded. Rachel glanced at the couple to her right, only to see that the boy named Martin was silent at this moment, his breathing a bit rushed with excitement.

Hearing the heavy breathing and faint sobbing in the theater, Natalie Portman smiled slightly, leaned back in her chair, blinked, and said to herself, “That guy succeeded, it looks like I didn’t put my faith in the wrong person, huh? Very good…”

In the projection room of the Vitascope Projector, the audience was likewise deeply moved by the movie. Amidst the silence, there was a faint sound of sniffling. Wang Yang held Jessica’s hand tightly, his face beaming with a splendid smile. He remembered that day on the streets of Santa Monica, he too was that excited, not knowing where to place his hands, and then he found what he had been searching for, making the audience’s emotions ride the movie’s world through tears and laughter. This is the magic of movies, and he loved it.

Jessica’s hand was held so tightly it hurt a little. She turned her head to look at his profile, feeling nothing but pride and honor. This was her boyfriend, the boyfriend she deeply loved! Wang Yang looked at her, saw her smiling face, and the tears rolling in her eyes. He let go of her hand, took a pack of tissues from his pocket, and passed it over with a gentle laugh, “Girl, perhaps you need this.”

Jessica accepted and laughed, “Yes, thank you.” She pulled out one to wipe her eyes, then laughed in confusion, “Excuse me, sir, oh, are you Yang?” Wang Yang laughed, nodded, and said, “If you mean Wang Yang, then yes, that’s me.” With that, he leaned in to kiss her lips, and she met him eagerly.

Watching the two kiss passionately, Will Smith covered Jaden’s eyes with his hand and laughed, “Buddy, this is PG-13 now, not suitable for you to watch yet. Hey, Terry, you can’t watch either!”

The media reporters and film critics sitting in the middle of the projection room looked at each other in astonishment; almost everyone wore a face of surprise. They had really been fooled by Wang Yang! This wasn’t some crappy movie, this was a heartwarming, grade A+ movie. Although they were somewhat reluctant to admit it, everyone knew that the reports and reviews they would write when they went back would be under the “Magic Continues” plan, because this movie can move people to tears.