Chapter 426: Chapter 426: Amazing! (Vote for Monthly Ticket)
“Rachel, what are you doing here?”
On the big screen, a cozy apartnt was neatly filled with all sorts of items: books, records, DVDs, toys, and more. A dejected Tom smashed plates and other dinnerware. His two closest friends both had headaches, rushing to the rescue as little Rachel said caringly, “I’ve co to help you.” Confused, Tom asked, “How?”
They sat together on the living room sofa, and under Rachel’s direction, with montage cuts, Tom numbly recounted the whole story. Everything had been fine, and the sweet and warm mories proved it, but Sumr suddenly asked him out to a restaurant and said, “I think we should stop seeing each other.” The reason was, “What are we even doing? I an, is this normal?” Tom was stunned and quickly said, “Normal! No, I don’t know… I don’t care, I’m happy, aren’t you?”
Sumr said they were always fighting, like in “Sid and Nancy,” and it had been months, with her being Sid. Watching her uncaring deanor, Tom, who wanted to salvage things, felt like it was truly over. He had been dumped by this woman without a hint of regret and suddenly got up to leave.
“Tom! Don’t go!” Sumr, who was thoroughly enjoying her crepe, turned around suddenly, her face showing uncertainty. Seeing him pause and still walk away, she called out again, “Tom!” From the gradually distancing wide shot, she slowly stood up, her expression blank and complicated, and yelled louder, “You’re still my best friend!”
But Tom simply walked away from that sad place without looking back. The cara returned to the apartnt living room, where the three friends tried to comfort Tom. Little Rachel said, “You’ve dumped other girls before, and girls have dumped you.” It’s no big deal! Tom was a bit despondently intoxicated, “It’s different this ti, this ti, because it’s Sumr.” His buddy said, “You’re aweso, you’ll forget her,” “There are plenty of fish in the sea”… Tom replied seriously, “I don’t want to forget her, I want her to co back to .”
“Haha,” “Haha,” chuckles and light laughter ca from ti to ti in the 3,351 movie theaters. The big screen was showing an engaging story. Besides the dialogue, the audience hardly expected Chloe Moretz, who terrified kids all over the world, to be so amusing. This 8-year-old “Rachel” acted entirely like a grumpy old person, which was very adorable. Prior to that, many moviegoers laughed because of the character’s na, as little Chloe played the childhood “Rachel McAdams” in “Paranormal Activity 3.”
Rachel also smiled when she saw this, adjusted her sitting posture, and thought to herself with a laugh, “Am I also in this movie?” Little Rachel is Tom’s sister, roped in by his friends who tried everything to bring her in, and indeed, she managed to make Tom settle down and open his heart. Interesting, who is Rachel? Rachel thought, “This is Yang’s answer, I guess.”
“I want her to co back to .” A wave of positive energy surged through the audience because of that line. Tom had been dumped by her, but at the ti of the breakup, Sumr wasn’t wearing her wedding ring, though she wore it at the beginning! They both looked happy! And from the looks of it, Sumr wasn’t really that heartless. Evelyn clenched her fist, “Co on, go get her!” She eagerly grabbed a big handful of popcorn and shoved it into her mouth. Kelly gradually felt more at ease; it was indeed a cody with likely a Hollywood-style ending! But Clair, resting her chin on her hand, thought it wasn’t that simple.
Hmph! Staring at the Sumr on the big screen, Jessica’s eyes glinted fiercely, “Keep watching, it won’t work, they’ve ssed up!” Natalie, sitting a seat away from Yang, was engrossed, lost in thought.
It’s over! Just less than ten minutes into the opening, the critical reviewers in Chicago knew it was done for. Such fresh and soft visuals, leisurely pleasant music, witty dialogue, exceptional performances, and unique editing… the film’s charming aura washed over them. It was no wonder the movie garnered Golden Globe nominations for Best Musical or Cody, Best Actor, and Best Actress. A bunch of fresh red tomatoes? This was the worst Christmas gift!
Jeffrey Westhoff of The Northwest Herald was left speechless, his face in his hands. What on earth was Wang Yang trying to do… How could it be possible that, with an injured right hand and suffering from severe post-concussion syndro, a love interest character who had never shown an edge could still… perform so well! He leaned back in his chair, powerless, with only the hope that the story and the were very naive — that was his last hope.
Natalie Portman’s acting was truly remarkable! She fully imrsed herself in Sumr’s inner world. Nancy secretly admired her, thinking that it must be very interesting to work with her, from Juno to Sumr. Natalie and Yang indeed had reached a very tacit understanding on the set. She knew very well that once the two of them got the pitch right, the scene only had a few NGs. The role was challenging to play as Sumr appeared indifferent and heartless at first, but during the conversation, she switched to being quirky and unpredictable, then had to reveal tension and loss of control when Tom left.
It let the audience know that she actually cared about Tom, instilling confidence and expectation. Nancy understood that the opening scene was far from the whole story; as the plot progressed and the story echoed back and forth, it would reveal a lot.
In fact, Tom’s best friend and pesky little sister had offered him the wrong kind of help, yet Tom depended on them to so extent. He was a naive young man who did not act according to his own inner thoughts, constantly influenced by others, and he hadn’t realized that won say one thing and an another. Tom himself had once asked Sumr the sa question, “What are we?” The words she said next were the ones he would later repeat, “I don’t care, I’m happy. Aren’t you happy?”
Tom enjoyed the ambiguity because he was happy too. Sumr’s sudden “break-up” was a confrontation; she didn’t want the uncertainty anymore. However, Tom didn’t co to his senses, and when she finally shouted, “You’re still my best friend,” it was a reminder that they were never boyfriend and girlfriend to begin with, but “best friends.” Her use of “still” essentially retracted the “breakup” — we can still see each other, don’t go, stay and talk, look for , confess to , let’s make our relationship normal!
Tom said he wanted her back, but what did he do? Nothing at all, not even a phone call.
“That jerk…” Clearly seeing Sumr’s true feelings, Helen suddenly felt the emotions of her own youth; waiting, standoff, pain… Wasn’t it just a “go to hell” from her, that allowed one to walk away without looking back? She called him, wasn’t it just to get his attention, YOUNG… Why didn’t he understand back then, why did he think she was so cool? Perhaps, she also did not take a second step, it doesn’t matter anymore, that’s all in the past.
At that mont, another burst of light laughter filled the screening room, easing Helen’s stifled feelings. She turned to look at the person in the seat next to her and smiled, “This is definitely a great movie.”
“I’ve fallen in love with Sumr. I love her smile, I love her voice, love her hair, love her knees… love the way she makes feel, it’s like, it’s like anything is possible, or like, I don’t know, like life has aning.”
After the opening, the story on the big screen went back to day one, where Tom, an architecture major working at a greeting card company, t his new co-worker Sumr. Sumr was like a goddess, the kind that dazzled all n, much like the pretty girls in school who always have lots of gossip and rumors about them. Tom’s buddies like Mickey and others were dismissive and critical of her, and at first Tom didn’t care and was unconcerned. But then things took a drastic turn, and he was “dazzled” by Sumr, as if it was fated.
Tom then found out that he and Sumr were a perfect match! They both loved movies, the sa directors, the sa painters, basketball, and they even liked ani and video gas… to the point they discussed “VR Fighters” for 20 minutes!
How many beautiful girls are into electronic fighting gas? Tom was completely lost in his own world, like a love-stricken novice, hanging on every word Sumr said, allowing a casual remark from her to throw him into turmoil for days on end.
“It’s ! It’s !” Turning his head to glance at the fully engaged Wang Yang, Jessica’s chest felt even more stifled; it definitely wasn’t an increase in milk production—Yang and “Sumr” absolutely weren’t a good match! Helen would never play video gas with him; there would be no basketball, no movies. It was her; it was her!
“I can do it.” Anyway, Natalie knew she wasn’t one, admitting she was a lousy sports fan, but she and Yang could bond over other things, like their mutual concern for the gorillas in Rwanda; “I’m fine with it.” After thinking it over, Rachel felt it was okay. If they were both willing, she and Yang could talk on the phone all night long without running out of topics; “I can’t.” Helen didn’t think she could be like Sumr; when she and Yang were dating, she never liked him playing video gas.
“Hey, what exactly do I like about you?” Clair scrutinized her boyfriend beside her, who didn’t seem like a soulmate no matter how she looked at him. Adam answered without hesitation: “We both like fishing.” In San Francisco, Eve eyed Kelly and murmured to herself: “We both like shopping.” Kelly’s expression was one of shock: “You’ve got to be kidding, right?” Eve questioned: “What?” Joshua professed his adoration to Alexis in a dreamy tone: “Ali, I love your hair, your voice…”
The movie screening went on, and while venting to a friend at the bar yet another ti, Tom said with a mixture of annoyance and lancholy, “I’ve given her plenty of chances.”
What did he an? A flicker of confusion crossed the audience mber Linda’s face. Was he referring to his own initiative in making conversation, which Sumr had shown no interest in? In the office scene, Sumr passing by said, “I’m heading to the storage room now, does anyone need anything?” Tom bead with anticipation and said, “I think you know what I want.” Sumr looked at him puzzled and Tom bashfully said, “Uh, ink cartridge.” Sumr smiled and walked away: “Okay, no problem.”
“Heh.” The theater echoed with soft laughter, and then Tom tried to catch attention by playing music they both loved, only for Sumr to walk past without stopping as she left work. The cara switched back to the bar, and Tom, agitated and frazzled, said: “Whatever! I don’t want to deal with this crap anymore.” His friend Paul couldn’t stand it: “You should ask her out!” Tom suddenly grimaced with a mix of disgust and surprise, turned his head, and muttered softly, “Don’t be stupid.”
Taking the initiative to date Sumr was not the blueprint Tom wanted! Nancy crossed her arms with a smirk then let them drop, exasperated by her dress. Tom’s idea was that if he and Sumr were to be together, it would be by fate’s design—a kind of unspoken, soulmate-esque progression. That was his ideal vision of romance! If Sumr and he were truly a perfect match, everything would happen naturally without needing to ask her out.
“Damn, I’m about to be conquered,” Stephanie Zacharek of Salon magazine silently marveled. She had given The Devil Wears Prada a rotten B- (deeming it a limping, timid half-satire cody) and Firefly a perfect A 100 (a magnificent epic that cos once in decades); and now, she would probably score Magical Yang full marks again—it was an enthralling masterpiece!
How could Wang Yang not understand love? Look at his eloquence, his talents, his appearance—does he seem like a rookie in romance, or soone without suitors? As soone the public saw as a “mild Yang critic,” Stephanie couldn’t help but scoff and mock those real “Yang haters” as “naive.” They seed to forget that the leading lady was not Jessica Alba but Natalie Portman, and asuring him by High School Musical and TDWP was utterly ridiculous. She suddenly realized—never underestimate Magical Yang.
Magical Yang was no fool! He completely portrayed the nuanced ntality of the idealist-type male! Comparing the surface-level 500 Days of Sumr with its in-depth counterpart was like comparing a minion to a sorcerer—she believed the sa would hold true for what was to co.
“We’re going to Karaoke this Friday!… This is work-related; everyone from the office has to go, ‘everyone’ from the office has to go!”
The lights inside the big-screen karaoke bar were soft and tinged yellow, where people chattered and laughed over drinks at the bar and tables, so sang on the small stage into the microphone, so listened with smiles, creating a lively scene. Tom’s arrival surprised Sumr, “Hey, they said you weren’t coming.” Before Tom could respond, it was Sumr’s turn to sing. She stepped lively onto the small stage, tiptoed to reach the raised microphone, and, while lowering it, she laughed and said, “Haha, okay, I’m a newbie, don’t make fun of !” And she began to sing sprightly.
Watching Sumr over there, poised and adorably spirited, and listening to her moving voice, Tom instantly revealed an enraptured smile, once again smitten! The crowd around him cheered and clapped too, “WOO——”
The audience couldn’t help but smile, a truly heartwarming and romantic mont that made hearts flutter! Critics and dia reporters from the Xuelan Theater lavished their praises similarly. Michael Ordona from the Los Angeles Tis gave a thumbs up, already certain that this was a rare and uniquely romantic cody.
The film utilized its cinematic techniques very deftly and naturally. Apart from the interesting narrative structure and rapid editing, split screens, voice-overs, docuntary-style interviews, and more, such techniques are rarely seen today, and even rarer to see so many at once. From what could be seen in the trailer, it looked like there were even surreal scenes to co, reminding Claudia Puig from USA Today of the playful style’s pioneering romantic cody, “Annie Hall” (Oscar winner for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Actor (nominated) in 1978), yet with a distinctly different vibe.
“Annie Hall” was satirical and comical, while “500 Days of Sumr” was humorously fresh. Perhaps the most significant similarity between the two was that they both captured the romantic sentint of their respective eras; “Annie Hall” belonged to the previous generation, while “Sumr” is for today’s younger people. Claudia Puig had a hunch that it might be the best romantic cody since “Annie Hall,” and that Magical Yang was going to sweep countless hearts.
“I, uh… I didn’t know you were joining us…” Back at the table in the karaoke bar on the big screen, Tom, holding a bottle, found that Sumr was sitting right beside him. He said nervously, “Should I get one for you… a bottle? Or?” Talk about not being on the sa wavelength! Sumr laughed, “No need, I’ve already got one.” Tom sat down next to Mickey, looking across at her, and praised, “You were amazing.” Sumr said, “I actually wanted to sing ‘Born to Run,’ but they don’t have it here.” Tom found another delight, “I love ‘Born to Run.'” “ too,” Sumr smiled.
The many little details revealed Sumr’s distinctive personality, which hit Tom right in the heart – how could they not be a perfect match? Kirk Honeycutt from The Hollywood Reporter just had to comnd its exquisite character developnt, especially the vivid portrayal of Tom and Sumr, which also owed much to the natural performances of the two leads.
Not only did the film feature super unique and entertaining techniques, but the score, jointly created by Love Kent and Mitchell Dana, also brought out the story perfectly; its fresh color palette was like the warm morning sunlight, giving the eyes a truly beautiful visual feast. So far, from every aspect, it emitted a subtle sense of warmth and tranquility, sheer smart production! Roger Ebert from the Chicago Sun-Tis smiled with praise and enjoynt, devoid of any personal stylistic pretensions. After five years, that sunny Magical Yang was back!
Perhaps he had never been lost; he was just genuinely multifaceted. While still marveling at the grand spectacle of “Firefly,” tasting “500 Days of Sumr” was like enjoying a refreshing, cool dessert on a hot sumr day. Fabulous!
It embodied a real sense of life! Just like a romantic cody from everyday life. That was the feeling it gave to David Wiegand from the San Francisco Chronicle. Everything on screen had a sense of familiarity and realism and the vibe of San Francisco was gradually unfolding. He expected there would be even more to co.
All the critics and audiences knew that the film had just begun, and that there were sure to be many more surprises to co. (
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