Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Chicago, the crown jewel of Illinois—it was the third-largest city in the United States next to New York and Los Angeles, home to the Chicago Bulls, as well as the city in which Harpo Studios, the producer of the Oprah Winfrey Show, was based. Wang Yang and his companions had come to Chicago at the invitation of Harpo Studios in order to film an episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Wang Yang was thrilled to have been invited, as he had been a fan of the show ever since he’d been a boy. Besides, from a practical standpoint, appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Show had its advantages. The truth about the “college expulsion incident” may have been established, but Wang Yang was not out of the woods yet. The topic was still fresh on everyone’s lips and his public image was still up in the air. For all he knew, he could be labeled as a troublemaker by the media. After all, he had given Terrance Ben a thrashing. And what a thrashing it had been!
But Wang Yang did not care very much about his image. He was a director, not a movie star. He made films. He worked behind the camera, not in front of it. He sought neither attention from the public nor visibility in the media. It did not matter to him how others painted him. As long as everyone knew he was not a scumbag, and as long as he could continue making films, he was happy.
Lionsgate Films, on the other hand, was shooting for the moon. John Feldmeyer was due to be promoted to CEO and he was not about to let a golden opportunity slip by. The Oprah Winfrey Show could provide a final impetus to Paranormal Activity’s sales. Although the movie had grossed a spectacular 118.5 million dollars in box offices in the fourth week, it had shown little signs of slowing down. There was potential yet to be tapped from that movie, so what better way to promote it than an appearance on America’s highest-rated talk show?
Upon their arrival, Wang Yang and Zachary were escorted to a hotel located downtown, which John had arranged for them. After making sure they had settled comfortably in the hotel, John left the two to their own devices. “Feel free to travel around and explore the city. This isn’t summer camp, you know,” John told them. The Oprah Winfrey Show had been scheduled for filming on Wednesday afternoon; at that moment, it was noon on Monday. John Feldmeyer had gone to Harpo Studios to discuss the specifics of the talk show, whereas Zachary had gone out to have some fun by himself.
Zachary had been looking forward to going to Chicago. Throughout the trip, his face beamed with an elation that made him appear ridiculous to those around him. From time to time, he tugged on Wang Yang’s shirt sleeves to ask in disbelief and wonderment, “Am I really going to be on The Oprah Winfrey Show?” And every time, Wang Yang nodded assuredly and answered, “Yes, you’re going to be on the Oprah Winfrey Show.” Then, Zachary would wind up his body in jubilation and break into his little dance. During these moments, he crowed, “Oh, my God! All my family and friends are going to see me on television. It’ll totally blow them away!”
It was Wang Yang’s first time at Chicago, and he had just arrived in the early morning, but he had taken upon himself the task of fetching Rachel at the O’Hare International Airport that night. He did not have to do it; he could have simply waited at the hotel for her, but he could not wait to see her.
Wang Yang sat on a bench at the arrival hall. As he observed the endless procession of people walking past him, he could not help assigning a background and a story to each and every one of them. He lifted his head at the electronic display intermittently to check on flight arrival statuses. After a while, he lifted his head to look at the display one more time, and sure enough, Rachel’s flight AC5149 had touched down safely.
Wang Yang reminisced about the night Rachel had left him for Toronto. That been a few months before. As she had been about to enter the boarding gate, she’d turned around and said to him, “I hope our movie makes it to the silver screen. Then, we’ll be able to see each other again!” It had been four weeks since the movie had been released in the cinemas, and their promise had yet been fulfilled. But that was about to change; he’d see Rachel again in just a few minutes. Wang Yang smiled to himself as he thought about it.
After a while, a river of passengers and tourists gushed along the boarding bridge and into the arrival hall, carrying along with them all manner of bags and suitcases. They did not appear to be tired, as the flight from Toronto to Chicago only took less than an hour. Rachel had originally booked her flight in synchrony with their schedule, such that all of them would arrive at Chicago on Sunday night—she from Toronto, and Wang Yang and the others from Los Angeles. But when Wang Yang and the others decided to postpone their flight, she had no choice but to change hers too.
Wang Yang arose from the bench. His eyes swept the length of the boarding bridge. Suddenly, he was glad to spot a familiar and beautiful figure. She was wearing a purple jacket and dragging a small suitcase behind her. Her light, golden hair flowed like a sunbeam. It was Rachel.
Her eyes found Wang Yang’s, and immediately she smiled. Her smile, with her dimpled cheeks, was as sweet as everything else about her. She quickened her footsteps, hurried toward Wang Yang, then began to slow as she approached him. She looked up at Wang Yang, biting her lips as she smiled.
“Hi!” Wang Yang waved a hand at her smilingly. He surveyed Rachel for a second, then said cheerily, “You look great.”
“You think so?” Rachel responded with a giggle. For reasons unknown to her, her heart was beating fast. She sized Wang Yang up and said, almost meekly, “You look great too.” She unhanded her suitcase and stepped up to him.
Wang Yang responded to her advances in kind. He stepped forward with his arms wide open, scooped her into his chest, and greeted her with a hug. “Welcome to Chicago, Rachel,” he said with a smile. Subdued by a sense of comfort and security as she lay in his arms, Rachel replied softly, “Thank you, Chicagoan.”
They gave each other two more small hugs, one left, one right, then separated. Wang Yang took her suitcase, smiled at her, and said, “Allow me, Ms. Chicago.” Rachel lifted her shoulders and said, “Thank you.”
Afterward, they made their way out of the airport, chatting and laughing, and started for the hotel where Wang Yang had checked in. It had been four months since they had last seen each other, but the pair felt as if they had never parted in the first place. It would be difficult to describe the familiarity that had been established between them. It was more than the result of their frequent phone conversations, and there was surely in it a chemistry that was personal and heartfelt.
The following day—Tuesday—was still a work-free day for them. Wang Yang and Rachel decided to visit the Navy Pier. Zachary declined their invitation unhappily as he had planned to visit a bar there called Hip-Hop Mecca. When they extended their invitation to John Feldmeyer, he said cheekily, “No can do. I’ve got to work today. There’s still much to be done. Besides, why would you bring me along on your date?”
Wang Yang and Rachel looked at each other unamused, grinned slightly, then rolled their eyes at John’s blatant attempt at humor.
Navy Pier was one of the many tourist attractions in Chicago. It consisted not only of the pier, but also a park, shops, a museum, and other points of interest.
Wang Yang and Rachel visited the museum, and then the art center, where they saw countless collectible items, including some rare and unusual paintings. As they gazed up at an original Picasso oil painting, Wang Yang said to Rachel, “Rachel, did you know, back in high school, my art teacher used to say I had the talent to become a famous painter.” Rachel’s face shone with amazement. “Wow, a painter? Like Picasso?” she cried. “No, like Van Gogh,” Wang Yang said with a solemn expression.
“Van Gogh’s not bad, either,” Rachel pointed out with a smile. But Wang Yang was serious. He said, “Yeah, my teacher thought so, too. One time, he said, ‘Yang, your painting is absolutely mind-bending. It’s way ahead of our time, just like Van Gogh’s was. I’m not sure I know how to appreciate it.'” Then, he switched his tone to that of a different person, mimicked his art teacher’s angry expression—eyes wide and mouth agape—and said, “But seriously, what the heck are you drawing? Is it an apple or an a*s?”
“Oh, my God… haha!” Rachel cracked up upon hearing Wang Yang’s parody of his teacher. Her face reddened as she convulsed with laughter. She smote Wang Yang’s back and condemned, catching her breath. “Oh, Lord! That was uncalled for, you dirty-mouth!” Wang Yang replied innocently, “It wasn’t me who said it; it was my teacher. He gave me a fear of apples. I’ve never looked at apples the same way ever since. I’m the victim here.” Rachel rolled her eyes at him with a smile.
After half a day of fun-filled activities, they came to the seaside at Navy Pier. There they stood, leaning against the railing as the wind from Lake Michigan blew gently against their chins, cheeks, and brows, watching the clear, blue skies, and the clear, blue lake. At that moment, all was right with the world.
Unconsciously and simultaneously, Wang Yang and Rachel looked at each other, and they smiled softly. The wind tangled Rachel’s hair as she slid her hand across it. She closed her eyes and said in beatitude, “What a beautiful view. I never would’ve imagined myself coming here a few months ago.” Wang Yang looked sidelong at her and said, “Yeah, me neither.” Rachel suddenly turned her face on Wang Yang and asked, incredulous, “Yang, did I really act in a 100-million-dollar movie? As the female lead?”
Wang Yang smiled at her and nodded. “Rachel, you’re beginning to sound like Zachary. That’s exactly what he says every day, except for the part about being the female lead,” he commented.
“But Yang, can you blame us?” Rachel said as she squinted up at the sky with the traveling snow-white clouds and wagged her head in incredulity, “It’s all happening so fast.” She smiled, then complained to Wang Yang, “It’s been such a drag lately. Whenever I walked around my neighborhood, people would point at me and shout, ‘Oh my God, it’s Mae! She’s not dead after all…'” Smiling resignedly, she added, “You know, school’s about to start. I can’t imagine what will happen when I walk into my class. Everyone’s going to treat me like I’m some kind of oddity.”
“Well, you can’t blame me for that,” Wang Yang said with a chuckle. Then, he recalled the reason Rachel went to Los Angeles the last time. He had been meaning to ask her about it but had never got around to it due to his hectic schedule. Since the question had surfaced on his mind, he might as well ask. “By the way, Rachel, how’s your term paper coming along? Is everything okay?”
Rachel nodded and said, “It was okay. Passed. My professor gave me some pretty good comments. He said my ideas were original and my understanding of film was very profound. Hah! Little did he know that most of the ideas in my term paper came from you.” Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders and said, “Still, you’re the one who wrote the paper.” She twitched her mouth, threw her hands up, and said, “But my classmates weren’t impressed. When I told them about my term paper, they said, ‘Whatever. The golden age of the musical is long gone. There’s just nothing going on these days. It’s dead. And who cares about movies like Grease and Flashdance anymore? Rachel, you must be dreaming…'”
She looked at Wang Yang with a certain sadness and remarked casually, “Sometimes I think to myself, ‘if only someone could produce a musical that’ll take the world by storm. Then, they’d know I was right all along.'” Shrugging, she added, “And I’d know I was right, too.”
“Perhaps I could make such a movie?” Wang Yang teased. It brought a smile to Rachel’s face. “Wow, that’d be awesome! I’d be able to tell them, ‘See? The musical is still alive!’ then,” she exclaimed.
“Perhaps I could make such a movie?” Even as Wang Yang said those words in jest, he suddenly felt a rush of inspiration. His mind ventured off into speculations as he stared at the deep blue lake. As of late, he had been wondering what he would do after Paranormal Activity had run its course.
Perhaps he would go back to San Francisco and become a chef? Perish the thought! Or perhaps he would continue his studies at USC? No way. And not because he had a grudge against his alma mater. It was because school had nothing to offer him besides theoretical knowledge on film production, cinematography, and directing—things he already knew like the back of his hand. He knew full well that getting his hands dirty was far more enriching than sitting through lectures, reading textbooks, or taking practical classes in college.
That was the reason why most college graduates had to start as an assistant director—to familiarize themselves with the realities of filmmaking and earn their chops. Then, there were the greats, such as James Cameron, who had not studied filmmaking in school, but they had taken up various roles within the industry and gained invaluable experience before they got their big break. Hence, Wang Yang saw no reason to go back to USC to study, for he had already been doing what he loved, which was making films.
To Wang Yang, the road ahead was obvious. He would continue doing what he loved and make another film. And this time, there was nothing to hold him back. He decided that his next movie would be shot on traditional film instead of a digital medium. He hoped to gain more experience with the former as he had always wanted to work with real film, which was a completely different ballgame compared to DV movies. Besides, the market was still infatuated with Paranormal Activity. It would take some time before the craze died down. So, it was unlikely for another DV movie to achieve a similar level of success during that time, no matter how well-made it was.
It would take 10 years after the phenomenal success of The Blair Witch Project in 1999 before another worthy contender would appear. Paranormal Activity would have been released in 2009 and outshined The Blair Witch Project 2, bringing an end to the franchise. Such was the fate of DV movies. Though there had been no lack of outstanding DV movies between 1999 and 2009, the market had been simply too saturated. When the DV movie genre had first been introduced, it had shaken the world. But its novelty had gradually worn off with each successive movie release. Wang Yang foresaw no place in the world for another DV movie, so he decided to focus on traditional film instead.
Traditional films were often associated with big, commercial productions, also known as blockbusters. But that was not Wang Yang’s style. First, blockbusters required vast sums of money to make. In pursuit of excellence, directors had to pull out all the stops. Nothing was ever too expensive; nothing was ever too much trouble. They could not afford to cut corners and put out subpar movies. Moviegoers expected to be dazzled at the cinemas, so if a blockbuster missed the mark and turned out to be a boring, forgettable, waste of time, they would have no qualms about voicing their dissatisfaction.
Lacking funds was one thing, but lacking experience shooting with traditional film was another. Wang Yang knew better than to think he could defy the rules of cinema and set the world afire just because he had taken a few classes and made Paranormal Activity using a DV camera.
To produce a proper movie involved a staggering amount of work. Even before shooting could begin, he would need to put together a crew. He would need to hire people, screen for actors, choose the right filming locations, and organize his contacts, among other things.
He could very well delegate these tasks to a producer. However, he wanted to be the producer. These were the nuts and bolts of making a proper movie, and he wished to experience it all. Besides, he did not like the idea of a producer meddling with his work. He resolved that he would stay true to his vision and make his movies exactly the way he wanted them to be, free from anyone else’s influence. That was the spirit of independent films that he admired so much.
On the other hand, as a director, his job would no doubt entail shooting the movie. He would need to learn how to use all kinds of film shooting equipment, including filming equipment, lighting equipment, and sound recording equipment, He would also be expected to lead a crew of over a hundred people, ensuring every member performs their duty as planned.
It dawned upon Wang Yang that he had left college with neither the experience to work as a producer nor the skills required of a bona fide director. He was a layman, an outsider, a dabbler. He had to take the first step. But if he committed himself to a big-budget production right off the bat, he might fail miserably before he even began.
If blockbusters were not suitable for him at that time, how about drama movies? After all, they did not require expensive effects or laborious post-production work. He just had to throw in a few superstars and let them do their thing. But therein lay the problem—what actor worth his salt would be interested in working on an 18-year-old director’s drama movie?
He might have succeeded for now. He might have earned his place in the sun. The media might have called him a “superstar” with “limitless potential”. But the truth was that even Lionsgate Films thought he was a one-hit wonder. Just a few days ago, John Feldmeyer had said to him, “Yang, we’re considering making a sequel for Paranormal Activity. We might offer you around one million dollars for the rights. The project is still pending approval, but I want you to think about it first. Oh, and by the way, you won’t be directing the sequel.”
What John Feldmeyer really meant, and Wang Yang understood, was that he should go back to USC to finish his education first.
But that was to be expected. Flash-in-the-pan directors sometimes made it big with their first one, but often faded. That was certainly the case for the three young creators of The Blair Witch Project. Wang Yang foresaw that the three young men would take America by storm with their movie. And by dint of them being of the “mainstream race”, the media would put them on an even higher pedestal than they did Wang Yang. They would receive requests for interviews wherever they went. Among them, Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick, aged 30 and 35 respectively, even made it to the cover of Time Magazine. In no time, they would become America’s most celebrated directors.
But what would become of them afterward? Had they gone on to do amazing work, living up to their potential? No. On the contrary, they had nothing much to show for their lives ever since.
During the first two years after The Blair Witch Project had become a huge success, they’d spent most of their time and energy slugging it out against Artisan Entertainment in court. They had not had a hand in The Blair Witch Project 2, which had come out in 2000, as the sequel rights had been bought out by Artisan Entertainment. After they had won their lawsuit, the two directors had decided to make a comedy movie. However, their sponsors had insisted they make a horror movie instead. They had not been willing to listen to their sponsors, nor had they been willing to fund their own vision. In the end, none of their plans had made it beyond the drawing board.
One year later, the two directors had begun producing a series of movies, but none of them achieved any success at the box office. At that point, no one remembered the young men who were once featured on the cover of Time Magazine; no one remembered the praises the media had piled on them. And over time, their names faded.
When a man had achieved success, broken out of his shell to display his beautiful wings, and had been regarded as important by the world, he would’ve been filled with the feeling that all possibilities were available. But if he hadn’t stayed grounded in reality, he would become lost; he would fly farther and farther away until he could no longer find his way back home. Eventually, he would exhaust his energy and drop to the ground. Should fate decide he be picked up and preserved in a book as a specimen, to be admired at times when someone opened the book and saw its beauty, he would still be a shadow of a butterfly that had once dazzled the skies. And once the book closed, he would be forgotten again.
Such was the cruel reality of life. The world was filled with pretty butterflies, fluttering busily in kaleidoscopes, and Wang Yang was but one that fluttered slightly above the others. But if he did not know his limits, he might very well suffer the same fate as the directors of The Blair Witch Project.
Wang Yang thought it best to start with a low-budget, low-difficulty, and non-technically-challenging movie so that he could grasp the foundations of making a proper movie. But he could not decide on the genre, although he was leaning slightly toward school comedy.
And as for why he did not choose horror movies, it was because he simply lacked the drive and the passion for them. He had always been squeamish about watching horror movies, and those weeks when he’d shot Paranormal Activity had been accompanied by frequent nightmares and bouts of night terrors—waking up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat was not an experience he would like to relive. Besides, although he wanted to continue working with Rachel and Zachary, he would also love for Jessica to act in one of his movies, and he knew Jessica had been looking forward to an opportunity to do so.
He looked forward to making his next movie with his best friends and the fun they would have together, but he also wanted his friends to share in his success and become famous actors, so he had to choose a movie that would suit his own tastes as well as elevate his friends’ careers. A high school drama seemed to fit the bill. In fact, a musical set in high school sounded like a pretty good idea…
Rachel noticed that Wang Yang had not spoken in a while and wondered what was on his mind. She tapped his elbow, which he had rested on the railing, furrowed her brows, and enquired, “Yang, a penny for your thoughts?”
Wang Yang reacted with an “oh”. He shook his head and his thoughts scattered like a drawing on a Magna Doodle board. He looked at her with a smile on his face and said, “It’s nothing. I’m just thinking, what kind of musical should I make?”
“What?” Rachel asked in disbelief, then huffed out a laugh. She thought he was kidding. But when she perceived his serious expression, her eyes lit up. “Oh, are you serious?” she asked in astonishment.
“Of course I’m serious. Why not?” Wang Yang answered bravely, nodding. Then, as if directing the question to himself this time, he asked again, “Why not?”
Suddenly, Rachel seemed doubtful. “But, with the way musicals are going… I’m afraid it won’t be easy,” she said hesitantly, looked at Wang Yang, and, in a serious tone, gave him a few sincere words of advice. “Yang, you must understand; your next movie will be the most important one yet. It’s going to decide your future. You mustn’t take the decision too lightly.”
“I know, Rachel,” Wang Yang said with a smile. He took a deep breath crosswind and felt at once refreshed and energized. Musicals and high school dramas had been dead for some time and were due for a revival. They had a distinctive charm and deserved to burn as brightly as any other genre, and Wang Yang felt it was the right time to rekindle the craze. Rachel thought Wang Yang should be dissuaded and was opening her mouth to do so, but was overridden by him. He was shaking his fist at her, his voice frothing with conviction. “You’re thinking too much! You said it yourself, I was the one who came up with all the points in your term paper, so I’m going to put my money where my mouth is. I’m going to show the world that I was right. Don’t you want to prove your classmates wrong as well?”
Amused by his antics, Rachel let out a hearty chuckle. Shrugging, she said, “I was the one who wrote that term paper.” Accepting that nothing she said would ever change Wang Yang’s mind, she asked with great interest, “So, Yang, what’s your plan?”
Wang Yang shook his head and looked at her in a way that communicated his uncertainty. “I’ve yet to come up with a plan. But I’m dead serious about it. I’m going to do it. It’ll be my next movie,” he declared. “Okay. I look forward to it. I’ll be the first in line to audition if there’s any role that suits me,” said Rachel. “I know you will,” said Wang Yang.
The two spent the entire day at Navy Pier. When night fell, Rachel suggested watching Paranormal Activity at a movie theater. Wang Yang obliged. Their day of fun and leisure concluded as they returned to the hotel at midnight.
Wang Yang and his companions were not required to attend any outdoor shoots for that particular episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, so on the second day—Wednesday afternoon—they went straight to the studio for the shoot.
Wang Yang, Rachel, Zachary, and John Feldmeyer were standing by backstage. It had been planned that Wang Yang would be the first to go on stage. And when the conversation came to the movie’s production, Rachel and Zachary would go on stage. After that, as the spotlight shifted to the movie’s publisher, Lionsgate, and its triumphs, John Feldmeyer would appear on stage.
“Oh my God! Oh my God…” Zachary Levi paced back and forth anxiously, smoothening out his black-colored suit from time to time. His hair was lacquered with gel and his leather shoes gleamed as darkly brilliant as the surface of a pool of oil. With all that effort put into his appearance, he might have been a groom waiting to walk down the aisle.
Wang Yang, seemingly annoyed by Zachary’s nervous behavior, said, “Hey, Zachary, relax! I’m the one who’s going to be on stage for the first time. If anyone’s going to be nervous, it’ll be me.” His outfit was understated and informal; a navy-grey jacket and a pair of jeans completed his youthful look. While The Oprah Winfrey Show was not a comedy, he did not feel the need to dress so formally.
Rachel looked upon Zachary with empathy and remarked, “To be honest with you, I’m a little nervous too. This is my first time appearing on a talk show. I fear I might get tongue-tied later.” She was wearing her purple jacket with a white and blue gingham shirt underneath and a pair of black pants. She looked classy and elegant. One would be hard-pressed to see in her Mae’s gruesome vibes.
John was decked out in his powerful black suit. He sat in his chair utterly at peace, with arms crossed over his chest and his right leg placed languidly over his left. “How come I’m not nervous?” he said, casually smiling. Wang Yang, Rachel, and Zachary rolled their eyes at once and decided to conspire to ignore the middle-aged man.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the partition, sitting on a couch at the stage in front of the cameras and the lights, wearing a sweater of yellow cashmere, was Oprah Winfrey herself. And sitting in front of her was a packed audience; at least 500 people had come to see her show. The cameraman gave his cue and the talk show started. Oprah Winfrey turned her recognizable face towards the camera, smiling, and said, “Welcome to The Oprah Winfrey Show. Today, we’ll discuss how a young man became an overnight success. What are his thoughts on it? What challenges did he go through? How did his success affect him? And how should young people today go about achieving their dreams?” After introducing the topic for the day, she gestured with excitement and intoned, “Let’s see who our guest is for today.”
Typically, The Oprah Winfrey Show revolved around a single topic for each episode, whereby the audience would participate in the discussion. That day, the discussion was focused on Wang Yang’s experience and what young people could learn about handling success.
Then, on the screen behind Oprah’s couch, which bore the show’s title, “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, a video began to play. There was a montage consisting of bustling streets in Chinatown, San Francisco, and the dazzling night lights in Los Angeles. As the video panned from view to view, a disembodied voice narrated, “Some call him a miracle worker. With no more than 10 thousand dollars, he had produced a movie that grossed over 100 million in box offices. He’s just 18, which makes him not only the youngest director who ever lived but also the youngest director ever to gross over 100 million dollars…”
“Yes, you’ve guessed it, it’s Wang Yang!” Oprah cheered, then announced with a smile, “Let’s have a big hand for him! Yang, come on out here.”
As Wang Yang entered the stage from the wing, wearing a smile, thunderous applause broke out among the audience. Most of the audience were young people. They clapped their hands animatedly and cheered Wang Yang’s name on as soon as they saw him. Wang Yang flashed a smile and waved his hand at the audience as he walked toward the couch in the middle of the stage. Then, he sat down, shook Oprah’s hand, and said jovially, “Hi, Oprah, nice to see you.”
“It’s good to have you, Yang,” Oprah said with welcoming laughter, and went on, “Yang, I must say, I’m impressed. You’ve turned 10 thousand dollars into a movie that grossed over 100 million dollars and counting.” Wang Yang listened to her with a smile. “So, I heard you’ve always been passionate about film since you were little?” Oprah asked, prompting Wang Yang to talk about his childhood and his experiences growing up.
Wang Yang nodded and said, “Yes, I’ve loved movies as far as I could remember. When I was four years old, I went to this cinema—it was my mom who brought me there—to watch a movie called Romancing The Stone. Yep, it was one of Robert Zemeckis’ works—the director of Forrest Gump. Back then, I didn’t know any better about films…” He recollected that incident the best he could. And though he could hardly remember a thing that had happened on that day, he distinctly recalled how it made him feel. “At that time, I looked at the big screen and thought to myself, ‘Wow, those people are huge! Are they giants?'” he stated. And suddenly the crowd went wild with applause. “And that’s how I became addicted to movies. Every week, I’d beg my Mom to take me to the movie theater; that went on until I was old enough to go on my own,” he recounted with a smile.
“I see. So you’ve grown up with movies,” Oprah said. “But when did you decide ‘I’m going to make a movie of my own?’ What triggered you?” she asked.
Wang Yang knitted his brows as he searched within for an answer. Then he shook his head and said, “I don’t remember exactly when that thought first popped into my head, but there was this movie that inspired me to become a filmmaker called Cinema Paradiso. I fell in love with it the first time I watched it…”
And so, Wang Yang went on with his stories.
After The Oprah Winfrey Show had been filmed, Wang Yang and his friends packed up and headed back to Los Angeles that Wednesday night. Instead of going back to Toronto, Rachel had decided to follow the rest of them, as she still needed to take part in the post-release promotional activities organized by Lionsgate. The episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, which they had just recorded, would be aired on that Sunday during the daytime. And families across hundreds of cities in America would be able to see them on television.
On television, Wang Yang, Rachel, and Zachary were sitting on a couch while Oprah besieged them with questions, spurring them to share their personal experiences and inner thoughts. In one stance, Oprah asked Wang Yang, “Yang, I’m curious. What was on your mind when you made the movie? Did you expect it to become such a huge success?”
Wang Yang, lounging on the couch, smiled and said, “No, I never thought of it that way. I’ve never worried whether the movie would become a failure or success because, if I get too obsessed with the outcome, I’ll lose my motivation.”
Jessica listened intently as Wang Yang spoke on television with casual confidence. She was sitting on a fabric sofa, her arms tied around a pillow. Her big, shiny eyes were fixated on the program. A loving grin hung faintly on her lips. For her, that episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show was turning out to be the best yet.
Joshua, who was sitting beside her, raised his hand and held it sneakily above her head as if poised to strike. But Jessica, engrossed in the television program, was oblivious to the threat of her brother’s looming fist. Joshua wheeled upon their mother Cathy silently, stretched his eyes wide, and thrust his lips out in a way that meant, “Can you believe her?”. Cathy gave him a smile and a look that said, “Let her be.”
At that moment, Oprah turned to Rachel and asked, “Rachel, I understand you were visiting Los Angeles at the time. Why did you suddenly decide to star in that movie?”
The anxiety that Rachel had felt backstage still lingered in her heart, but she mustered her courage and put on a smile that showed off her dimples subtly. “That day, I came across Yang’s audition poster by accident. I’ve always had an interest in DV movies, so I thought, “Why not give it a try?”. I went for the audition, and luckily, I got the part. At first, I thought it was Yang’s final year project or something. But then he told me one day it might reach the silver screens and even become a commercial success.” She gave Wang Yang a knowing glance, then shrugged at Oprah and said smilingly, “But, to be honest, I thought he was nuts.”
“Hey!” Wang Yang smote Rachel’s head playfully as if he were really appalled. To evince surprise at Rachel’s comment was part of his duty as an amiable talk show guest. “You thought I was crazy? But you said you liked my confidence and my drive!” Rachel nodded and said gleefully, “Yes, well, now you know.”
The audience burst out in laughter that filled the entire studio.
Meanwhile, Jessica, though she smiled, was a little stiff around the mouth. Her arms tighten around her pillow ever so slightly as she witnessed Wang Yang and Rachel’s friendly repartee on television. For a while, she brooded at the television. If only she had starred in Paranormal Activity, she would be the one up there with Wang Yang bouncing off each other. But Yang had told her she was not suitable for horror movies—or had he meant that she was not good enough?
“Wow, Yang and Rachel are really clicking,” Joshua said in a deliberately loud voice. He looked sidelong at Jessica, awaiting her reaction.
“Yeah,” Jessica answered as impassively as she could while shuffling uncomfortably in her seat. Faint lines appeared on either side of her jaw. It was at that moment that she decided she had to be part of Wang Yang’s next movie, even if it meant being a background actor. She could not let the opportunity pass her by again. She just could not…
Just then, Oprah had broken up the “fight” between Wang Yang and Rachel with a smile. Then she threw another question at Wang Yang. “What made you decide to make that movie? I understand you only had 11 thousand dollars left at that time, yet you went ahead and sank 10 thousand dollars into your movie. Didn’t you consider what might happen to you if you failed?”
“When I was expelled from USC, I was absolutely crushed. I didn’t know what to do or where to go from there,” Wang Yang commented calmly. “But then,” he continued in a more emphatic tone, “I got reacquainted with a childhood friend of mine. We used to be very close, but I’d not seen her in many years. She’d known about my ambition to become a director since we were little. And that day, she asked me, ‘Have you forgotten about your dream?'”
“And I was like, ‘Oh my God!'” Wang Yang cried, “Her words sliced through my heart like a knife. At that instant, I felt as if my heart had stopped beating. As I regained my composure, I asked myself once more, ‘Have you forgotten about your dream? What do you really want in life?’ And then it hit me—I want to make great movies. So I decided I’d produce that movie no matter what, even if it meant sleeping in the streets. I didn’t care if I’d fail or succeed; I just wanted to seize that opportunity.” Then, smiling and waving at the camera, he said, “To my dear friend out there, thank you!”
As he said that, the audience clapped and cheered. Jessica, who had been brooding at the television, suddenly lit up. She sprang up from the sofa, turned around, and crowed at Joshua and Cathy, delighted and hyperbolic, “Did you hear that? Yang is talking about me! Haha!”
“Yeah, did you see that?” Joshua murmured as he looked at his mother and shrugged.
Cathy saw a certain sweetness in the way Jessica gawked at that television in idolatry. She smiled resignedly. As much as she hated to admit it, her daughter was all grown up.
After that, no one said another word.
On a television in a McDonald’s somewhere in Los Angeles, The Oprah Winfrey Show was airing. It was a non-peak hour during the daytime, and there were not many customers at the restaurant. Free of work, the staff gathered around and watched television.
The cashier Smith Sean was gazing at the television from behind the counter. “Well, I’ll be. Looks like Yang has made it big time. Look at that babe, Rachel McAdams. You just know there’s something going on between them. God, why is Yang so darn lucky? Why, he was one of us just a few weeks ago!” Sean remarked with admiration and envy. “Would you believe it? That lucky b*stard actually worked here for almost two months. We should’ve gotten his autograph. They could be worth a fortune by now,” he cried in a lamenting voice.
Harry George, the fatty, stared at the television, not saying a word. His head was full of echoes of Wang Yang’s voice. “How many studios did you approach back then?””I’ll have you know I’ve already approached fifty-four film companies, and soon it’s going to be fifty-five.””My dream will never die.” Harry clenched his fists tightly as he looked at Wang Yang’s smiling face on the television. Then, he said with equanimity, “Smith, Yang is not like us…”
“You can never guarantee success. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. And as much as I hate to admit it, it also requires a bit of luck. But if you give up too soon, you’ll never get lucky at all,” Wang Yang said in response to Oprah’s question on how to achieve success. Giving his two cents on the matter, he added, “When I was scrambling to find a publisher for my movie, I often felt dejected and frustrated. There were times when I was so close to giving up. But then I remembered why I wanted to do it in the first place, and then I persevered. So, whenever you feel like giving up, sit back, take a deep breath, and think about your purpose. If it’s something you’re really passionate about, you’ll hang on and keep walking that path. And who knows? Success might be within your reach one day.”
“So what path are you going take next? What kind of future do you see for yourself? As you know, you’re very young, yet you’re about to receive a lot of money—way more than anyone your age could’ve imagined. The world is full of temptations. Do you think you’ll be able to stay true to your purpose?” Oprah asked, building on Wang Yang’s statement. With her questions, she had honed in on the topic of the day, which was how young people should handle success.
Wang Yang answered with a nod, “Yes, I think I’ll continue down the same path. I’ll keep making movies. It’s what I live for. It’s my dream. And I don’t think it’s going to change anytime soon.”
A big round of applause from the audience at the studio. Harry George stood in front of the television with his fists so tightly clenched that they trembled. “Dude, I’ve seen it all.””You’ll fail. We’re the same, you and I. We’re both failures!””Failure! Failure! Failure!” Harry’s face was mask-like. He looked around the restaurant, dazed. A hundred thoughts swung in his skull. Why was he there? What was his purpose? A McDonald’s server? Why did his dream die and Wang Yang’s didn’t? Did it mean he was not passionate enough to be a cameraman? Was he not passionate about film and cinema?
“Sh*t!” Suddenly, Harry George plucked the McDonald’s server’s cap from his head, crumpled it in his hand, and threw it on the floor, where it unfurled frailly. Then, he stomped his feet angrily and cursed in a trembling voice, “D*mn it! D*mn it! D*mn that b*stard to hell…”
“Harry? Have you gone mad?” Smith cried in utter shock. The customers at the restaurant, mouths agape, burgers in hand, looked on in stupid silence as Harry George went off the deep end.
Harry darted Smith Sean a menacing look. He ground his teeth then roared, “I quit! Does it matter how many burgers we sell yesterday, or how many chicken wings we sell today? I don’t give a d*amn!” He sank his foot on his cap for good measure and stormed out of the restaurant, shouting, “I quit!”
But Smith Sean began to laugh. “You’ll be back, fatso! Mark my words!” he yelled after him.
“Over my dead body!” Harry George cried. Without looking back, he strode right out of that door.