If someone were to open the latest official program of the Sundance Film Festival, they would witness a rare sight: a torrent of praise all directed toward a single actor, Renly Hall.
This is the sanctuary of independent cinema. Unlike other festivals, where the focus lies on the films themselves or the independent directors, Sundance places the spotlight on the independent film movement as a whole. Throughout its history, luminaries like the Coen Brothers and Quentin Tarantino have achieved revered status, all as directors. Even the festival's founder, Robert Redford, made his mark here as a director. In Sundance's award system, there isn't even an award category for actors.
However, now in an unusual twist, the official program of Sundance heaped all its acclaim on a single actor, Renly Hall.
If one took a closer look at the official program, it wasn't the first time Renly Hall had drawn attention. "Like Crazy" was his third work.
Before this, his first work, "The Pacific", won him an Emmy for Best Actor. His second work, "Buried", secured a spot in the awards season. And now, his third work had garnered widespread acclaim at Sundance.
What was even more remarkable was that Renly Hall was merely twenty-one years old.
If he wasn't a genius, no one would believe it. Even for a second-generation star with a powerful background, gaining such unanimous praise from the media is almost impossible. So, "genius" was the only explanation.
In an instant, all attention was directed towards "Like Crazy": the twelve media outlets had given it an average score of eighty-eight!
As a point of reference, "Blue Valentine" received a media composite score of eighty-one.
Of course, "Blue Valentine" had already been released nationwide, receiving scores from thirty-three media outlets and achieving an average score of eighty-one. This success proved the excellence of the film, securing a place for it in the awards season.
Now, "Like Crazy" had only been scored by twelve media outlets. After its official release and as more data came in, the scores were bound to fluctuate. Whether they rose or fell, no one can predict.
However, the excellent rating of eighty-eight was enough to make one deeply feel Sundance's admiration for this work. It was the highest-rated film since the opening of the Sundance Festival this year. It was also the most discussed, with the most fervent premiere.
Naturally, "Like Crazy" had become the focus of everyone's attention. Almost every individual was discussing and debating: What kind of film was this really? What kind of performance did Renly Hall deliver? To earn such unanimous media praise, how good is this film truly?
Even more importantly, it wasn't the director, not the work itself, but the actor who'd risen to prominence in this film. Moreover, all three lead actors had received acclaim—this rarity was truly remarkable. The anticipation and excitement had surely gone off the charts.
Eli Wallah watched the massive queue before him in disbelief, his steps involuntarily coming to a halt.
As a reporter from the Seattle Post, he was well aware of the enthusiasm of the Sundance Film Festival audience. Independent cinema enthusiasts were undoubtedly a potent force in the industry, but queuing wasn't a hallmark of Sundance.
Because the festival's audience had diverse tastes; missing a film didn't mean they were out of options. There was always another screening to catch up on. Even if occasional queues formed, they wouldn't be too dramatic—after all, this wasn't Cannes, and big-name actors with substantial pulling power were rare.
However, today, Eli felt his eyes were deceiving him. Within his sight, at least eight hundred people were queuing, and the winding line, though not as long as Toronto's famous queues, was equally impressive. Such a scene, it seemed like tickets for the next three screenings might be sold out.
This kind of turnout before the opening of Sundance this year was certainly unexpected. Oddities happened every year, but this year seemed to have more than usual.
When Eli first encountered Renly Hall on the Emmy Awards' red carpet, he sensed Renly's wit, humor, wisdom, and composure. He had high hopes for Renly's future. But Renly's rise had been too rapid—within just four and a half months, his name had spread widely within the industry, capturing everyone's attention.
Eli couldn't even keep up with Renly's pace, witnessing his ascent with astonishment. Now, when the discussion about "Buried" in Hollywood hadn't even subsided, "Like Crazy" had ignited another storm in Park City. This was truly unbelievable!
Eli involuntarily opened his mouth wide, walked towards the ticket booth at the front, and attempted to interview one of the ticketing staff. After politely nodding at the people waiting in line, he asked, "Excuse me, is this the ticket line for "Like Crazy"?"
"Yes, but please join the queue," the staff member was incredibly busy, not even turning their head as they answered in haste. They then gestured towards the line behind, indicating for Eli to join.
Eli was somewhat bemused and couldn't help but explain, "No, I'm a journalist."
But before he could finish, the staff member interrupted directly, "Even if you're a journalist, you still need to queue. This is Sundance, not Toronto."
Toronto Film Festival had a separate media screening, but Sundance didn't. This aspect was similar to Telluride. Enthusiasts were the core of both festivals.
Eli chuckled awkwardly, shaking his head, "I'm not here to join the queue, I'm here for an interview." After saying this, the staff member's expression finally softened. "May I ask if you have time right now? Or perhaps there's a staff member on break who could spare a short interview with me?"
The staff member looked hesitant, glanced at the extensive queue before him, and then at the person behind him, who had approached while drinking water. This person tapped his shoulder, signaling that he would handle things, then walked over to Eli. "How can I assist you?"
"I'd like to inquire about "Like Crazy". How many screenings are scheduled for today? How are ticket sales?" Eli swiftly inquired.
"Four screenings. According to today's plan, there are four screenings. One in the morning, two in the afternoon, and one in the evening." The staff member seemed quite young, probably a volunteer. He helped organize the festival's operations around this time every year. Despite this, his responses were well-organized and showed he had experience. "The tickets for the first two screenings have already sold out, and the third is close to being sold out as well."
Eli widened his eyes, "Does this situation often occur at Sundance?"
The young man smiled and shook his head, "No. At least, not in the five years I've been a volunteer at Sundance. This is the first time."
Eli turned around, his gaze falling on the massive queue, which seemed to show no signs of diminishing. It was certain that most people wouldn't be able to get tickets today. "What should they do then? What about the people left in the queue?"
"As far as I know, there are three venues in Park City screening "Like Crazy" today. Those who didn't get tickets can try their luck at other venues first." The young man's words were cut short as he saw Eli smiling cheekily. Eli had just come from the venue on the main street, where they had announced that tickets were sold out. That's why he was here now.
The young man paused briefly before continuing, "If that doesn't work, they'll have to come back early tomorrow morning to queue."
Sundance's film tickets weren't sold in advance. To maintain the tradition of fans queuing for tickets, they resisted online pre-sales, sticking to the most primitive ticketing method—buying tickets on the day of the screening.
Eli was genuinely surprised.
If, previously in Toronto, the tickets for "Buried" were in short supply due to the festival organizers' unpreparedness and limited screenings, then this reasoning didn't apply in Sundance. With three venues and four screenings in a day, that meant there were twelve screenings in total, accommodating nearly 2,500 viewers. For Sundance, this was more than enough.
However, it was clear that "Like Crazy" was once again in the situation of ticket scarcity. The audience's enthusiasm was beyond imagination.
In Eli's view, the excellence of "Like Crazy" was one reason, Renly Hall's widespread acclaim was another reason, and apart from these, the strong momentum of "Buried" during the awards season also played a significant role. Over the past month, there had been quite a bit of news about Renly, and with the Golden Globe Awards just concluded and the Oscar nominations about to be announced, the audience's enthusiasm had naturally intensified.
But regardless of the reasons, "Like Crazy" was enjoying a frenzy of attention. This was the reality playing out before him.
"However, considering the film's popularity, we will adjust the screening schedule for tomorrow and add additional screenings," the young man seemed to anticipate Eli's thoughts and explained, "What I can confirm now is that we've added two midnight screenings, available for purchase after 10 p.m. tonight. The additional screenings for tomorrow are still under discussion."
Eli felt somewhat at a loss for words. In such a fervent atmosphere, any words of description seemed redundant and pale. Only by truly experiencing the on-site excitement could one understand the exceptional treatment "Like Crazy" was receiving. "So, have you seen this film?"
The young man, who had been composed all along, suddenly looked embarrassed, "That's a personal matter."
Eli also couldn't help but laugh, "This is just a private conversation between us, it won't be included in the interview. Personally, I haven't watched this film yet, so I can't make a judgment. Do you like it?"
The young man hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Personally, I don't like the whole film because the emotions are too intense, and I'm not accustomed to that. However, the actors' performances are indeed remarkable, effectively immersing the audience. In fact, one reason I don't like it is also that—when watching the film, you're completely engulfed in the actors' emotions and can't disentangle yourself."
As if to echo his words, a bustling noise came from nearby. The first screening of "Like Crazy" today had ended.