Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 168: Getting Heated

This is Renly's moment.

Not just the entire audience, not just the fellow actors, but also director Rodrigo stood up, raised his hands high, clapped vigorously, his eyes shining with excitement and joy!

No one knew better than Rodrigo how much Renly had sacrificed and endured for this movie. The entire work of "Buried" was essentially Renly's one-man show. With his solo performance, he brought this brilliant piece to life. Even though Rodrigo, as the director and editor, had seen the film countless times, seeing the complete version on the big screen again left him just as shaken. Instead of diminishing, his excitement surged, pouring all the applause, all the accolades, and all the tributes onto Renly.

The overwhelming emotions surged like a tide, with Renly at the center of the vortex. All the praise, all the madness, and all the respect swirled around him. The mixed emotions resonated in his chest, rendering his mind momentarily blank.

Looking up, Renly saw Ryan Gosling's beaming smile, nodding his head and clapping, exclaiming, "Madman, you're a madman, madman!" He laughed as he spoke.

Beside him, Rami gave Renly two thumbs up in amazement, then whistled, leading James and others around them to whistle as well, making the scene lively. Yet, Rami wasn't satisfied; he patted Ryan on the shoulder, the two whispered, and Ryan's face lit up with a bright smile.

Before Renly could react, Rami raised his hands high, clapping and shouting, "Renly! Renly! Renly!"

Ryan joined in with Rami, jumping up and down like kangaroos, their smiles brighter than the sun, chanting "Renly! Renly!" Soon, Renly's friends caught on, imitating the jumps and chants, loudly shouting "Renly!"

To the audience in the theater, over ninety percent of whom likely didn't know who "Renly" was, and perhaps had never heard the name, the fervent atmosphere led them to imitate, jump, shout, and celebrate, showcasing the festival's passion and frenzy.

Chanel was startled by Tessa, who was wildly shaking her head, her long hair flying, looking more like a music festival than a film festival. Music festival? The thought flashed in Chanel's mind, then she started jumping too, "Renly! Renly!" As the first shout broke through, the sheer joy and happiness made her want to scream.

And so she did, "Renly!"

The entire theater witnessed an incredible scene with the audience jumping and shouting in unison, a spectacular sight. Reporters looked around in astonishment at the fervent crowd. Although the Toronto Film Festival was known for its enthusiasm, such a scene was a rare sight.

Gavin also wanted to scream, jump, and join the celebration, but his journalistic instincts kept him focused on capturing the moment, even as his heated blood made it hard to keep still.

Renly looked at Rami and Ryan, his smile tinged with helplessness. These two were just stirring things up. He stood up, walked to the open space in front of the seats, and, under the spotlight, accepted the applause like a Broadway actor at the end of a performance.

It felt both strange and familiar.

Standing at the center, bathed in light, Renly saw a sea of faces blur into a mass of enthusiasm. He earnestly took in the sea of applause, cheers, and accolades, openly enjoying his moment. For now, he let himself revel in it.

The applause lasted over ten minutes, seemingly endless. Eventually, Renly invited Rodrigo to join him, sharing the applause, filling the room with wild cheers as the audience expressed their love for the movie. This was something the reporters hadn't anticipated.

This is the essence of a film festival—providing a platform for movie lovers to discover more artistic, independent, and niche films, enriching the market beyond commercial releases. An independent film receiving such acclaim is the festival's magic.

The 35th Toronto Film Festival had reached its fifth day, and so far, the most popular film was "Blue Valentine," which received a ten-minute standing ovation and glowing reviews from critics, making it a strong contender for the awards season.

However, the Toronto Film Festival focuses on audience awards, with the People's Choice Award being the highest honor. Thus, audience reception is crucial. "Buried" was receiving even more enthusiastic applause than "Blue Valentine."

Though the "Buried" screening room only held 300 people, far fewer than "Blue Valentine" at the main venue, the over ten-minute applause showed genuine love for "Buried."

When the applause finally died down, Renly's first words were, "Your hands must be numb. Take care of them, and maybe skip other premieres."

A double-edged joke, not only poking fun at the applause but also subtly teasing "The Town"—everyone's focus today, overshadowing "Buried." His humor drew laughter from the audience, even the journalists.

During the Q&A, Gavin couldn't wait for Renly to call on him and stood up first, causing laughter again—today's less-prepared journalists lacked the enthusiasm seen at "Blue Valentine," leaving Gavin standing alone.

Gavin didn't mind, taking the mic, "Director, my question is for you. Why did you choose Renly Hall as the lead? This one-man show was a bold choice for a newcomer. What do you think of his performance?"

Surprisingly, Gavin directed his question to Rodrigo.

Rodrigo was taken aback but composed himself quickly, "Honestly, Renly wasn't my first choice. As you said, I didn't know him before this film. He came for the audition, and his performance convinced me—no, it shocked me. For the first time, I saw the immense power of acting."

Rodrigo turned to Renly, who smiled and nodded, enjoying the praise. Seeing Rodrigo's gaze, Renly gestured for him to continue, like a boy proudly listening to his parents boast about his high test scores, his chest puffed out with pride and satisfaction.

The audience laughed.

Rodrigo smiled, "As you just saw, the whole film rests on Renly. Though other actors contributed voices off-screen, Renly's performance is the soul of the movie. I don't know your thoughts, but mine are..." Rodrigo didn't finish but applauded, the audience joining with cheers and claps.

No response could be more direct or effective.

Bradley stood quickly for the next question, only to find others standing too—Daisy Lucas from Vanity Fair, Cornell McGregor from Entertainment Weekly, Eli Wallach from the Seattle Times—six people in total!

"Don't rush. I'm right here, and we have plenty of time. Everyone will get a chance to ask questions. Let's avoid a lull later, so take it slow." Renly's joke brought more laughter, "Daisy, you go next. And it's not because you're the only woman among the six."

Daisy shrugged, "I don't mind, as long as I get to ask." Her forthright and teasing manner sparked more laughter, keeping the atmosphere lively.

---

200 powerstones - 1 bonus Chapter