The Best Director

In early February, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences officially announced the nominees for the 72nd Academy Awards. “American Beauty,” an ethical drama film, received 8 nominations including Best Picture and Best Director. The 34-year-old director, Sam Mendes, made a sensational debut; he had been directing stage plays up until “American Beauty,” which was his first film project. The film quickly became a classic in movie history, making Mendes a hot favorite for Best Director, a veritable supernova. Sam Mendes suddenly found himself the darling of the media.

Besides, “The Cider House Rules” and “The Insider” both received 7 nominations, making them one of the leading contenders for the Oscars that year.

Meanwhile, “Star Wars Episode I” which swept the global box offices in 1999, earning over 900 million US Dollars, only received a few technical nominations for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. In the Razzie Awards—which also announced their nominations—it garnered 8 nominations, including Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Screenplay, Worst Supporting Actor and Actress, tying with “Hurricane Policemen” for the dubious honor, and becoming a hot favorite.

In the list of Razzie nominations, the name “Will Smith” stood out. He received two nominations for Worst Actor and Worst Screen Combo. This was definitely a major blow; while Smith’s popularity remained unshaken, for an actor, a Razzie nomination is not just a humiliation but also a merciless denial and mockery. Many in the media kicked him when he was down: “Will Smith’s performance is as bad as his judgment.”

This was not good news for “The Pursuit of Happyness.” For a biographical movie that values acting prowess, having a Worst Actor Razzie nominee as the lead, and directed by the astonishingly rapid “Magical Baby Director” Wang Yang… Media outlets began a new round of doomsaying, predicting “it will likely be a disaster, and Will Smith will regret his choice once more, possibly even defend his title as the holder of the rotten Razzie throne; by his side, accepting the Worst Director award, would be Wang Yang.”

However, before Wang Yang would pick up his Razzie for Worst Director, he was to step into the Oscars’ hall. Because just like in 1999, “High School Musical,” another box office miracle that sparked a craze, was shortlisted for the Oscars. Its soundtrack album, which had the top-selling original songs of the year, had six songs nominated for Best Original Song. Though it wasn’t nominated for Best Original Score, the success of “High School Musical” in the music department was undeniable; its light and passionate melodies were like a burst of youthful sunshine, making people want to dance along.

With the success of “High School Musical,” David Lawrence became the preferred music composer for teenage campus films, and his value surged; of course, the success of “High School Musical” was also thanks to his excellent music. Every aspect of film production complements each other, as human beings are accustomed to perceiving things visually and auditorily—film is the perfect combination. Music accentuates and elevates the visuals, making up for the limitations of the screen alone, giving the film a more three-dimensional and textural feel.

For a film to become a classic, or a classic biographical film, the score is extremely important, and “The Pursuit of Happyness” was no exception. After completing the fine cut version, Wang Yang once again contacted Jan Kaczmarek by phone, inviting him to come to America for a meeting. The idle Jan responded, arriving in the United States from Poland on the third day. Inside the electronic recording studio, Jan Kaczmarek—with round-frame glasses and a goatee—sat in front of the scoring equipment, engrossed in the film playing on the LCD screen; beside him, Wang Yang watched as well. This was the 160-minute fine cut version, and the content structure was basically set. What remained was the cutting of some scenes and shots, which is the stage where directors and film editors fiercely debate, all to highlight the theme and make the rhythm more fluid and suitable for screening.

But many times, this version conveys more ideas and the story becomes more complete. Although it was only a live recording without any narrations or dubbing completed, Jan Kaczmarek was deeply engrossed because the score was in his mind. He was deeply attracted by the story and by the vivid performance of Will Smith and his on-screen son. When he saw the scene of Chris Gardner crying in the bathroom, a flash of excitement from a sudden inspiration crossed his face. It seemed as if he couldn’t hold back any longer. He turned to look at the computer screen that was playing simultaneously, adjusted a few buttons, rewound the footage, placed his hands on the electronic piano, watched the screen, and began to play softly and slowly.

Wang Yang immediately smiled happily and listened quietly to Jan’s playing. The piano sound was gentle and sorrowful, combined with the violent knocking, Will Smith’s reddened eyes, and the tears that welled up. Each “ding” seemed to strike at the heart, making his heart tremble slightly. He couldn’t help but praise inwardly, “That’s fantastic!” When Jan pulled his hands back, ending his performance, Wang Yang clapped and laughed, “Mr. Kaczmarek, that was fantastic!”

“Young man, you’ve made a good film, and my inspiration is hovering right here!” Jan Kaczmarek drew a circle around his head, a gentle smile on his face, and said, “I can hardly wait to start composing for it.” Wang Yang grinned and extended his hand for a handshake with Jan, excitedly saying, “Thank you! Mr. Kaczmarek, with your involvement, I believe ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ will move many viewers to tears, truly something to look forward to.”

Having confirmed their collaboration, the two immediately began an initial discussion about the soundtrack style for ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. Although the work of recording the music wouldn’t begin right away, Jan Kaczmarek also needed time to feel the story and conceive the music, so the foundational ideas had to be set.

After his collaboration with David Lawrence on ‘High School Musical’, Wang Yang not only gained much knowledge about music and film scoring but also learned how to express his ideas and requirements to a composer. He looked at Jan and said, “Soft and soothing, like a serenade, I want music that’s so natural the audience won’t notice it’s there, but it will keep touching them throughout.”

Jan understood what he meant and replied with a smile, “You mean without auditory impact, using light music for both happiness and sadness.” Wang Yang nodded, a bit unsure, and said, “Yes, I don’t know if my comparison is accurate, but it’s like the lullaby you hum to put a child to sleep, or perhaps the babbling of the children themselves?” Jan looked genuinely intrigued and after a moment of thought, he said, “I think both will be present. It’s a kind of innocent music, which suits the essence of pursuing happiness…”

The two talked for a long time, exchanging ideas between the director and the musician, and preliminarily agreed on a soft style. Of course, this wasn’t set in stone: during the stages when Chris Gardner was still living in the apartment, the music would tend to be more cheerful and lively; when he and his son had to stay in motels, sleep in bathrooms, or squeeze into churches, the music would turn somber and sorrowful, with some specific parts, like street chases, becoming fast and tense.

“Jan, I’m glad you could join us.” With everything largely agreed upon, Wang Yang shook Jan’s hand once more and added, “By the way, in a couple of days it’ll be my 20th birthday. I’m planning a private dinner, and Jan, I’d like to invite you.” Jan Kaczmarek nodded happily and replied with a smile, “Of course, young man, happy birthday.”

Following the confirmation of Jan Kaczmarek’s involvement, Flame Films released the news immediately, but it didn’t attract much attention. For one, such news is usually overlooked as fans care about the cast, the story, and other elements that are visible on screen—the fame of the behind-the-scenes crew, other than the director, is often minimal; and secondly, Jan himself lacked fame in Hollywood. He might have been well-known in Poland, but this was his first film score in Hollywood.

What gained more attention from the moviegoers was the advanced trailer for ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’ This 2-minute trailer centered around a conversation between Will Smith and his son on a rooftop, briefly outlining the story, filled with many essential scenes, as well as some that might be removed in the official release. Even though it was arranged nonsensically, the trailer didn’t seem disorganized. When the fans saw the warm moments of the Smiths, Will Smith crying in the bathroom, and heard him say, “If you have a dream, you’ve got to protect it!” everyone felt something was off, especially the media who had made predictions before—they faintly sensed that they had been played by Wang Yang once again. Could this movie really be a flop?

Look at Will Smith’s haggard and worn look, observe how his usual cheery and suave performance is gone. A 2-minute trailer doesn’t reveal much, but at the same time, it reveals a lot; his completely refreshed on-screen persona, and the scenes where genuine emotions are portrayed seem to effectively refute both the Golden Raspberry’s worst actor nomination and the media scrutiny. Of course, the media didn’t switch sides just like that. It’s just a trailer, after all. Trailers are always thrilling but are not strangers to heralding a string of bad films. The verdict will have to wait until the version that gets released.

On February 5, 20 years ago on this day, Wang Yang came into this world in a hospital in San Francisco; two years ago, before he was expelled from the University of Southern California, he attended classes happily every day, working part-time jobs and striving for scholarships and a DV camera when he had no class. Now, everything is rapidly changing, and he has also arrived at his 20th birthday.

As he got to know more people, the number of invitees for his birthday celebration grew. Unless it was a small gathering strictly confined to family and close friends, for the special occasion of turning 20, he decided to hire an entertainment company to arrange a large private birthday dinner, inviting family, good friends, and those with whom he had collaborated and gotten along well. Natalie Portman was also among the invited, but she declined due to her studies and not wanting to appear in the papers.

In the hotel ballroom where the dinner was held, the guests had mostly arrived. They were mingling in small groups, getting acquainted and chatting with laughter. Many of those old enough to drink held wine glasses, sipping lightly, while soft piano music wafted through the hall. Dressed in a black suit and wearing a tie, Wang Yang busily moved among the guests, greeting them, a task Jessica was also undertaking on her own initiative.

“Yang, how’s the film editing going? I saw the trailer, hey, it’s fantastic!” Will Smith said with a beaming smile, seemingly unaffected by the Golden Raspberry nomination, or perhaps he had placed all his hopes on ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ now.

Wang Yang nodded and answered with a smile, “Everything’s progressing smoothly. You have to do the voice recording next, then we can slowly fine-tune the editing.” Normally, big-name stars could have the privilege of entering the editing room, and even personally edit their own scenes; but in his case, no one had this privilege—the editing room was reserved exclusively for the director and the editor. As he was talking to Will, Wang Yang suddenly caught sight of Zachary, in a black suit, laughing heartily and talking to Eileen Irelyn. “Will, I’ll be over there for a moment,” he said, and then clenched his teeth secretly as he walked over with a smile. “Hey, Zachary, Eileen!”

Zachary and Eileen turned to look at him, both smiling and wishing, “Yang, happy birthday!”

“Thanks! Eileen, I have some things to discuss with this guy, man to man,” Wang Yang said with a smile to Eileen and then, still with a puzzled look on his face, he pulled Zachary aside, hugged him while laughing and said, “Buddy, long time no see!” Zachary reciprocated his embrace, smiling, “Yeah, Yang, I’ve been wanting to invite you guys to watch a movie.”

“Oh, watch a movie…” Wang Yang maintained a slight smile and, taking advantage of the embrace, suddenly punched Zachary in the stomach. Zachary let out a pained “Oh” and rushed to say, “Oh my God! Yang, what are you doing, why are you hitting me?” Wang Yang kept a smile on his face but hissed through clenched teeth, “I should be asking you what you’re doing? What marriage plans? How long do you plan to wait before proposing, and how long before getting married? Please! You’re killing me!”

Zachary still had an innocent look on his face as he said, “What’s the matter? How could it harm you?” Wang Yang took a deep breath, suppressed his voice, and said slowly, “Because Jessica heard about your plan, now she wants one too. But I was careless when I first heard it and didn’t react much, and she’s really unhappy. I didn’t realize she would care so much about this kind of ‘plan’; now I want to make one with her, but she always feels like I’m just pacifying her, which is pretty much the case… Buddy, what should I do?”

“I can’t help you with that,” Zachary shook his head and then shared his own thoughts, “I think if you make one with her sincerely, she’ll be happy.” Wang Yang rolled his eyes and said, “Zachary, it’s not that I don’t want to make one, it’s just that thing, like a rope tying you up, reminding you, leaving you no peace. You only have three hundred days left, you only have two hundred days left…” He looked helpless, patted Zachary on the shoulder, and said, “Buddy, just consider it a birthday gift, and don’t make so many plans in the future, okay?” Zachary scratched his head and said, “I’ll try, but actually it wasn’t my idea, it was Eileen’s…”

Eileen’s? At the mention, Wang Yang furrowed his brow, wondering if it was an idea Jessica and Eileen came up with together, then each brought it up to their respective boyfriends…

“Yang, happy birthday.” At that moment, Michael Pitt, dressed in a pristine white suit, came over. Wang Yang broke off his train of thought, stepped forward to embrace him, took a good look at him from several angles—no dark circles, no exhaustion, just a sunshiny face—and sniffed around him a few times, laughing as he said, “Michael, no smell of smoke, looks like you’ve been strict with your promise.” Michael Pitt smiled faintly and said, “Yeah, I’ve almost quit, only smoked a few times in my dreams.” Wang Yang laughed and said, “That’s still cheating!”

Wang Yang and his good friends chatted and laughed for a while, when the hall suddenly burst into applause. It turned out Jan Kaczmarek had personally taken the stage to play the piano. Everyone began to dance with their partners to the gentle music of the piano. Seeing Zachary and Eileen, Tom Wellington and his girlfriend, among others, dancing, Wang Yang joked, “Where’s my dance partner? You? Not you.” He glanced at Michael Pitt and went off to find Jessica.

Suddenly, Wang Yang saw a blonde girl in a purple evening dress ahead, laughing as she turned down a gentleman’s invitation to dance. As if sensing something, she looked over, hesitated briefly, then smiled. Wang Yang also nodded and smiled back. She took a sip from her glass of red wine, smiled again, then turned and walked away. Wang Yang watched her retreating back, frowned slightly, and muttered to himself, “Rachel, she can drink now…” “Ha!” A laugh burst out from behind him, and his shoulder was patted suddenly. He couldn’t help but turn around, only to see a radiantly smiling Jessica standing there. She said with a laugh, “Yang, did I succeed?” Wang Yang immediately broke into a smile, “No, you can’t scare me!” He grabbed her hand, laughed, and said, “Come on, let’s dance!”

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PS: The 72nd Oscars list was originally announced on February 15; in the novel, it’s a few days early. In 1999, it was announced at the end of January, so it’s no big deal.