William had never known that a happy ending could be so heart-wrenching. Nor had he realized that a beautiful ending could be so cruel.
Amidst the scattered sobbing sounds that filled the air, causing a slight ache in his nose, he knew without looking that it was Hope. Not just Hope, but the girls around him had all turned into a sea of tears, their voices choked. Yet, William didn't cry. Amidst the stifling heaviness and oppression, silence was the truest reflection.
The suffocating bitterness that pressed upon his chest, rendering him melancholic, voiceless in his cries, and tearless in his weeping. He opened his mouth, but found that he couldn't produce a sound. William didn't shift his body, sitting quietly in the darkness, savoring this moment of darkness like never before. He listened to that weathered and moving song, allowing himself to fully embrace this fleeting moment.
In this instant, he wanted to believe in love.
The orange lights in the theater gradually brightened. Like reins pulling up from the depths, the audience emerged from the underwater world of the movie into reality. The warm halo descended, thawing the ice-cold blood and gradually dissipating the suffocating bitterness in his chest.
William couldn't wait any longer. He stood up with a "whoosh," but his feet were numb, causing him to stumble and fall back onto his chair. However, he didn't care. He propped himself up on the armrests, adjusted his posture, and stood up again. He clapped his hands forcefully, slapping them with all his strength, feeling a slight sting in his palms, reminding him of how marvelous the film had been.
Graham watched in astonishment as his friend stood up. He knew how much William disliked romantic movies, how he had no interest in such sentimental tales. But now, William was leading the applause? Moreover, his earnest expression didn't seem remotely insincere. This truly broadened Graham's perspective.
A smile broke across Graham's face, lightening his heavy mood slightly.
However, Graham had to admit that this was indeed a film capable of moving every single viewer. The delicate and genuine emotional transitions easily ensnared people, making them sink into the story, unable to extricate themselves. He was no exception. Thus, he stood up as well, joining William in applauding.
More and more members of the audience began standing up gradually. The applause grew from small to resounding, allowing those who merely relied on their ears to sense the surging emotions in the theater. How many remained silent, how many were spellbound, and how many were shattered?
Tessa realized she was "behind." She lifted her head and found herself immersed in a "forest" of standing people. Even Hope had risen. A whole circle of people around her had stood up, leaving her alone. Yet, the feeling of collapse continued to rampage through her, unstoppable.
Whenever she recalled Jacob's final gaze, it struck her fiercely. As if a person stripped of all weapons and armor, she stood bare and defenseless amidst a hail of bullets.
Deep breaths, another deep breath. Tessa let out two loud burps, slightly calming herself. Hastily wiping away the tears on her cheeks, she quickly stood up, clapping her hands vigorously, unprecedentedly exhilarated and excited. She even raised her hands high, offering the most enthusiastic applause.
In her line of sight, Tessa saw the members of the cast also standing up. She immediately spotted Renly, and shouts burst uncontrollably from her lips, "Ah! Oh!"
She liked Renly, not just because of his temperament, not just because his appearance was her type, but also because of Renly himself, the actor.
Relying solely on the span of a movie, she had fallen deeply in love with Renly. That heartbroken, numb gaze was etched in her mind, unable to resist sketching out the eyes that once were as lifeless as stagnant water, restoring the appearance of stars.
"Heir!" Renly heard the call and turned around. Tessa couldn't help but scream again, "Ah!" The excitement and exhilaration that couldn't be put into words gushed out like a fountain, filling every cell in her body. Full of happiness, she jumped on the spot, vigorously waving her hands. "Heir! The most handsome man in the world!"
Whether Renly heard her, Tessa didn't know, but one thing was for sure: the nearby audience heard it. Hope, William, and the others all turned their heads. However, Tessa felt no embarrassment. On the contrary, she displayed a broad smile, a determined expression, nodded vigorously to confirm she wasn't joking, then continued to scream, "Ahhhh!"
Applause, cheers, screams, shouts.
The whole theater grew more and more lively. Eventually, all the audience members stood up. The two hundred and fifty seats were all folded up, and every person expressed their respect and love for the crew in their own way. Especially when the cast members gathered at the front, the noise reached its peak, and even the roof seemed to be trembling.
This was Sundance, not Toronto.
The Sundance audience was known to be picky. If they didn't like a film, many would leave halfway through.
Due to the nature of independent films, the audience that attended were seasoned film enthusiasts. People like Tessa, who came with pure enthusiasm to join in the fun, were growing in number in recent years, but they remained a minority.
Professional audiences had no intention of going easy on independent directors. They regarded every work with a strict and critical eye. Outstanding works were bound to be highly praised, even years after their release. Terrible works, however, faced ruthless criticism. Yet, the audience wasn't blindly criticizing; they could always offer their professional opinions, hoping that these independent directors would improve and produce even better work next time.
Thus, directors were willing to accept criticism, and they were open to communication with the audience.
In Sundance, standing up collectively and applauding was undoubtedly the audience's best affirmation of the film, the director, and the crew. At this moment, the "Like Crazy" crew was basking in this honor.
The thunderous applause erupted with an earth-shattering energy, so powerful that even outside the cinema, it could be felt.
Audience members queuing up outside for another screening heard the resounding noise, causing them to turn their heads, their eyes revealing an incredulous expression. They knew better than anyone how precious and rare this occurrence was. The unending waves of sound were palpable, growing increasingly evident and astonishingly powerful.
Finally, someone couldn't restrain their curiosity and asked aloud, "What movie is playing in there?"
It was evident that the same question was in everyone's eyes: how could a film win such acclaim? For any seasoned professional film enthusiast, it was fatally appealing.
The liveliness in the theater continued to escalate. Whistles, cheers, and jeers filled the air, especially when everyone saw Renly and Felicity quietly conversing, the noise grew even louder.
Felicity's eyes had grown slightly red. This was the first time they were watching the finished film. Although she had been involved in the entire shoot, her emotions were still deeply immersed, making it hard to extricate herself. Not only was she like this, Jennifer's eyes were also red, and her voice carried a slight nasal tone. Seeing each other's disheveled appearance, they couldn't help but chuckle together.
Seeing this, Drake couldn't help but chuckle and slapped Renly's back firmly, excitement evident in his gaze. No one was happier than him, and no one could understand his bittersweet feelings at this moment. However, he knew that the strong response "Like Crazy" was receiving meant the actors needed to be recognized.
Then, Drake took a step back, patting the shoulders of each actor in turn, expressing gratitude.
However, due to the overwhelming noise in the venue, nobody understood Drake's intention. Renly had to explain with a gesture, pointing to his own eyes, indicating for the two girls to stop crying. "He's blaming all the mistakes on me because my performance was too outstanding."
This instantly made the two girls burst into tears of laughter.
Felicity leaned in to Renly's ear and raised her voice, "Are you sure it's not because Jacob let Anna down?" This teasing joke made both of them laugh.
Then, the scene exploded.
A continuous wave of cheers lasted for three whole minutes. A short three minutes, yet an incredibly long three minutes. At the Sundance Film Festival, this was the highest praise. If not for the host, Joe, walking up to the stage and signaling for everyone to quiet down, this applause might have continued.
Because after the applause ceased, the audience still stood, unwilling to sit. They stood tall like rows of straight poplar trees, expressing their profound respect for the crew in this simple way.
Joe looked at the scene before him and couldn't help but smile. "Truly an incredibly brilliant film, isn't it?" A simple sentence garnered waves of support from the audience. "Please take your seats. For the next thirty minutes, we'll be engaging in a conversation with the cast members, sharing thoughts about the movie. I believe everyone wouldn't want to stand the whole time."
However, nobody sat down. Joe had to raise his hand and gesture downwards. "Please sit down. Otherwise, we won't be able to see your raised hands later." This caused a light laughter, and then the audience gradually took their seats. "Well, I won't waste any more time. I'm sure every viewer is eager to share their thoughts about the movie, so let's dive right into today's topic."
Joe glanced at the row of actors. "Today, we have a total of five members from our cast present – the director and the four main leads. Each one is open to questions and ready to share insights and interesting anecdotes from the film. So, who has a question?"
His words had just fallen when a forest of raised arms shot up in the air, layer upon layer, seemingly endless.