Chapter 427: 427 Flawless (Vote for Monthly Ticket)

“I just feel uncomfortable; being someone’s girlfriend, I don’t want to be anybody’s anything. You know… I like being myself, free and easy. If a relationship gets too complicated, then comes emotional hurt, who would want that?”

On the big screens of 3,351 North American Cinemas, the karaoke bar’s lights are dim, Summer’s smile extremely confident. She looks at Tom and Mickey, takes a sip of her drink, and says, “We’re young, we live in the most beautiful city in the world, why not be happy? Let’s put all that serious stuff aside for now.” Mickey is astonished, “Fuck! She’s a man, she’s a man!” Tom also wears a self-assured smile, “What if you fall in love with someone?” Summer instantly lets out a scoff, her face showing a hint of disdain and amusement, “You don’t believe in that stuff, do you?” Tom looks at her with a smile, “It’s love, not Santa Claus.”

“Well, what does love mean?” Summer frowns, shrugs with a mix of disdain and confusion, and speaks in a light voice, “I’ve been in that kind of relationship, but I don’t think I’ve seen it; and then… can you imagine two people together forever? That’s just terrifying, which is why most marriages end halfway, just like my parents.” Tom asks provocatively, “What about those that don’t end?” Mickey, already drunk, waves his arms and quotes Shakespeare, “It seems to me that the lady doth protest too much!” Summer points sternly at him, “This lady does not!” She turns to Tom and laughs, “There is no love, it’s just a fantasy.”

“I think you’re wrong,” Tom retorts, gazing into her eyes with a grin, “If you believe, it exists; if you don’t, it still exists, waiting to find you anytime. That’s love.” Summer looks back at him, smiling faintly, and then calms down, “OK, so what am I missing?” Tom smiles gently, “You’ll understand when you feel it.”

In the crowded audience seats in front of the big screen, viewers’ minds flash with a question they ask themselves: to believe or not? In love, in marriage? Various answers emerge. Clair thinks she believes; Evelyn very much believes; Linda hesitates… Heath Ledger unconsciously takes a breath, feeling as melancholic as Summer, he glances at the entranced Michelle beside him, what to do? There is love, but marriage…

Film critics realize that this interesting and thought-provoking dialogue is important; Wang Yang is gradually constructing the film’s perspective on love, now Tom believes, Summer doesn’t.

“I believe, one hundred percent.” In the Xuelan Theater, Jessica leans towards Wang Yang’s ear to speak, her voice still audible, Natalie suddenly laughs out loud, and seeing Wang Yang look over, she waves her hand and laughs, “It’s very interesting.” What was she really thinking at that moment? “I don’t believe in forever.” Is love time-limited? Why did she answer him like that? She forgot. Why do women always speak with dual meanings, always carrying so much melancholy, in the end who’s smart and who’s playing the fool?

It must be said that Natalie’s interpretation of this scene is nothing short of perfect, as if she had lived through it. Nancy remembers that at that time, Wang Yang didn’t need to direct; Natalie just said, “Summer isn’t that extreme, is she?” Wang Yang replied, “She would be if her parents were divorced.”

“Outside-there’s-a-boxcar-waiting, Outside the family-stew…” The auditorium echoes with pleasing singing, and on the small stage on the big screen, Tom, a beer bottle in one hand and microphone in the other, sings The Pixies’ ‘Here Comes Your Man’ enthusiastically, his powerful and pleasant voice drawing cheers from the audience including Summer, “Out by the fire breathing, Outside we wait till face turns blue…”

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“Your man is coming, your man is on his way—” Watching Tom’s passionate performance, the loudly cheering Summer gradually calms down, a different look appearing in her eyes.

Joseph Gordon Levitt’s singing is really good, and the audience members who are fans of The Pixies can’t help but smile. In some place in New York, an excited female voice rings out, “This is amazing! I love The Pixies!” She can’t help but sing along, “Take-me-away-to-nowhere-plains!” The neighboring audience members give a few glances at this blonde woman, she looks familiar; with darker eyeshadow… Younger teens and those unfamiliar are also suddenly intrigued, what song is this?

The Pixies band (1986-1993) was one of the most influential alternative rock bands in America toward the late ’80s. Combining punk with independent guitar rock and incorporating themes like the cosmos, religion, and death in their music, they faced ostracism from mainstream society then, to the point that no one wanted to play Pixies’ songs. Later on, the band disbanded due to internal conflicts. However, it’s hard to imagine the popularity of Grunge (garbage rock) and the NIRVANA band (1987-1994) in the early to mid-’90s without the influence of this band.

“It goes like this, da-da-da-da duh-duh…” Jessica hummed some tune on a whim by the karaoke bar, and Tom shook his head with a smile, “It’s not like that.” Jessica asked with a laugh, “Then what is it?” Tom rubbed his chin and said with a chuckle, “I don’t know, it’s something I guess, but it certainly isn’t that…” Jessica kept thinking, “What is it? I used to watch it every week.” Suddenly, Tom had an epiphany, “Oh yes! ‘Knight Rider,’ the best TV show ever!” Jessica pondered, “Hmm…” Tom said with delight, “Right, the theme song was amazing…”

Jessica was still thinking about something else and answered half-heartedly, “Amazing.” Another shared love! Tom started humming excitedly, “Da-da-da-da, do-do-da-da! Knight Rider, a shadowy flight into the dangerous world of a man who does not exist. Michael Knight, a young loner on a crusade… Back then, it made me look forward to every week.” Jessica said lazily, “Me too.”

Watching this scene, fans of ‘Knight Rider’ and Wang Yang in the audience couldn’t help but smile knowingly. In another ten or twenty years, someone might hum the ‘Prison Break’ theme song just like Tom, praising, “That was the best TV show ever, I had to watch it every week when I was a kid.”

The astute audience and film critics could naturally tell that the tune Jessica hummed was not actually the ‘Knight Rider’ theme song. Was it a beautiful misunderstanding? Associated Press critic Christy Lemire knew that this meant the “match made in heaven,” as Tom once put it, wasn’t entirely true. Some of their supposed shared interests were merely figments of his imagination, with “Jessica” not just being Jessica but also the ideal soulmate he had built up in his mind.

The story on the big screen continued, and at the end of this karaoke bar incident, a drunk Mickey exposed Tom’s crush on Jessica right in front of her, which inadvertently acted as a catalyst for Tom and Jessica. Under the pretense of “not taking things seriously,” their relationship progressed rapidly, and they soon became intimate at Tom’s place.

“Still nothing, huh!” The audience, holding onto a sliver of hope before entering the cinema, had finally given up—Wang Yang stayed true to his style with not a single “rated R” scene. But was it needed? Nobody cared. Through the magic of editing, the movie contrasted the state of love across 500 days, creating a unique and delightful sensation. It was refreshing, cute, warm, and simply incomparable to mainstream romantic comedies—uniquely splendid! Audiences like Linda from various places all said, “I love it.”

“What-I-want-youve-got-and-it-might-be-hard-to-handle, Like-the-flame-that-burns-the-candle…”

The next day flashed on the big screen, and as Tom strutted out of the apartment building looking triumphant, the screening room was filled with the joyful rock tune of Hall & Oates’s ‘You Make My Dreams.’ With a clear mind and a proud demeanor, Tom walked to work as passersby—strangers and acquaintances alike—smiled and nodded at him as if congratulating him. The world seemed filled with beauty; being with Jessica, life had meaning!

“Hahaha!” The screening room suddenly burst into laughter when Tom, preening in the side mirror of a car parked on the street, saw the reflection of none other than Captain Han Solo of ‘Star Wars,’ a young and dashing Harrison Ford winking back at him playfully. Tom felt as cool as Ford himself!

“Ooh-ooh! You make my dreams come true, Ooh-ooh…” As the song played, Tom couldn’t help but dance as he passed through the park. The audience felt his happiness and joy in embracing the world! Workers, office clerks, and all passersby on the park street beamed smiles of congratulations at him. Suddenly, Tom and everyone started dancing together to the accompaniment of the song, and even a saxophone band appeared out of nowhere, sending the audience into fits of laughter.

Just like the cartoonish antics in “Annie Hall,” with each dance step Tom and the others took, the park’s foliage grew and blossomed with sudden speed. “Twee, twee, twee,” a joyous Cartoon Bluebird-of-Happiness flitted around Tom, then soared freely through the azure sky.

The mythology of the Bluebird-of-Happiness dates back thousands of years to indigenous tribal cultures, and even today, it symbolizes joy, happiness, prosperity, hearth and home, good health, rebirth, spring… virtually any positive emotion.

More than that, this surreal musical scene paid homage to numerous classic films, even including “High School Musical.” The elements were rich and varied but not chaotic, the scene flowed with ease and the ambiance was delightful, capturing Tom’s dream-come-true mood to perfection. It was sure to become an iconic memory in the history of romantic comedy! Not only were regular viewers wearing broad smiles, but critics were also moved, naturally recalling their own wonderful moments, now resonating more deeply: “You make my dreams come true, Ooh-ooh…”

“I really want to dance along!” Countless young viewers swayed their hips and moved their bodies to the rhythm, longing for their youthful days when they had watched “High School Musical” and danced freely in the theaters. Some flash mob enthusiasts even toyed with the idea of organizing a “500 Days of Summer Flash Mob Event” to recreate this movie scene and upload it to YOUTUBE. Not a bad idea!

Humph! Watching “Tom” so happy on the screen, Jessica was seething with jealousy, gritting her teeth, taking deep breaths repeatedly—that damn song! Those shitty lyrics! What’s he so smug about! Finally, she couldn’t hold back and punched Wang Yang hard on the thigh, staring at him: “Happy?”

“Oh! Sweetheart…” Wang Yang was startled by her seething anger and knew it was best to keep silent now. She’d cheer up when she saw what came later, probably… if she liked seeing Tom lose his mind. “Hey!” Natalie chimed in, playfully chuckling and nudging his shoulder: “Feels good, doesn’t it, Top-Captain.” Don’t add fuel to the fire! Wang Yang rolled his eyes and screamed inside: “Come on, Padmé Amidala, you should be asking Anakin!”

As everyone laughed and grinned, Tom arrived at the greeting card company, stepped into the elevator, and his exuberant face disappeared as the elevator doors closed. Now over 300 days later, with a “ding,” the elevator doors opened, and Tom, with his hair in disarray and head and shoulders slumped, walked out looking despondent and irritable. It was over.

Without Summer, the world was filled with gloom. Dreams shattered, life had no meaning! As Tom sank into despair, it wasn’t just the music that turned deadly silent; even the color tones of the visuals entered a wintry chill, making the audience palpably feel Tom’s heartbreak. They all couldn’t help but feel a tightness in their hearts. What’s the deal! Was Michael Yang going to depress everyone right before Christmas? Evelyn took a deep breath: “Oh, here it comes!” Kelly turned to her suddenly. What had her “excitement radar” picked up now?

“No, it can’t be.” Trying to think about losing Michelle and his daughter made Heath Ledger feel overwhelmed with panic. He looked at Michelle next to him, remembering the hints she had given him about getting married. But marriage… but what, didn’t he want to return to his old muddled life? But…

At the Xuelan Theater, Jessica glared at Wang Yang again: “You’re not happy?” Wang Yang felt the need to explain, speaking softly to her: “That’s Tom! Not me, I’m very happy! Extremely happy!” Watching his earnest expression, Jessica lifted the corners of her mouth and shook her head with a resigned smile: “Why the nerves? Would I get jealous over this? Ha ha!” Natalie on the other hand was full of admiration; it seemed no woman could resist the charm of saying one thing and meaning another.

“Da-da-da-da, doo-doo-da-da!…” Sometimes saying one thing and meaning another is also a way to cheer someone up. In the greeting card company’s office, Summer hummed the “Knight Rider” theme song to Tom over the phone. Tom smiled happily at his phone: “That’s it! Da-da-doo-doo…”

Yet Tom, the naive young man, clearly didn’t understand that when they visited the music store next, and Summer said The Beatles’ best song was “Octopus’s Garden,” Tom, certain that her answer of “Hey, Judy” meant she was kidding, couldn’t help but laugh and say, “Why don’t you say it’s ‘Little Piggy’?” But for a couple in the throes of passionate love, even disagreements and arguments are filled with fun—they didn’t think they were in a dark ‘Sid and Nancy’ scenario. They would make up with a session of love, but their attempt to imitate a difficult position from a porno ended in failure.

On the big screen, there was not a soul in sight, certainly nothing R-rated, leaving parents with a love-hate relationship regarding the wondrous Wang Yang. Watching his movies, beyond the F-WORD, they believed that even if the rating was NC-17, they wouldn’t need to be prepared to cover their children’s eyes at all times.

“What’s that?” Jessica leaned into Wang Yang’s ear to ask, and he was a bit slow to catch on: “What do you mean?” Jessica pouted and blinked at him, while her thumb caressed his palm, clearly indicating, “When we get back home, I want to try that difficult thing.” Wang Yang nodded silently—That he didn’t mind at all.

Under the gentle sound of music, the romantic saga of Tom and Summer unfolded on the screen, allowing San Francisco’s beauty to blossom in full. They rode the cable car around, went hiking, watched the sunrise and sunset on the beach near the Golden Gate Bridge, and Tom sketched a blueprint on Summer’s forearm…

“Heh, interesting.” Recalling some memories, Helen flashed a faint smile. That guy really knew how to do romance and surprises. Is he still like that now? “Wow!” Evelyn and Kelly both voiced their amazement, stunned by the beautiful scenes on the screen. How come their boyfriends lacked such romance? They were all in San Francisco! The surrounding audience members also harbored similar thoughts, with countless girls showing a mix of complaints and expectations: “When will you be romantic?” Whereas the guys were all secretly grumbling: “Damn you, Magic Yang, don’t drag me down!”

“This feeling is so irresistible.” David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle leaned back and crossed his legs enjoyably. “500 Days of Summer” was unmistakably one of the best romantic comedies in recent years. It’s so real and detailed, so warm and profound. Now Wang Yang had endowed the city’s romantic traits to its fullest, something not easily achieved by a native—surely he must have observed and experienced it first-hand to capture its soul-stirring essence.

Whether it’s San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, or Toronto… North American film critics all gave it big thumbs-up. This movie bore the mark of the times, the investment of emotion in every scene, everything was just too seamless. Who would dare say Magic Yang couldn’t make a love story? There will be no such claims anymore.

They knew the suspense now was how high this wave of accolades would go.

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PS: Asking for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, slipping out of the category charts! Please support me with all your strength, thank you! (.)