You would not have expected a breakout film to hold its world premiere at Funtime Theatre.
Although the Funtime Theatre in L.A. is a "classy" venue (recently renovated) and has very attentive management, it is intentionaly understated. There was no "red carpet" presence on the sidewalk, no "barricade" system up, and no screaming/cheering fans outside. The marquee simply stated...
A BLIND MAN'S GAMBIT — Private Screening
Harry Jackson was at the back of the theater lobby, standing with his arms crossed, watching guests steaming in. He recognized many of the attendees, such as some of the "select" reporters and some of the "critiques," but not by name.
He recognized Fox Executives because they all wore nicely-fitted suits and had an awkwardly friendly demeanor. He saw Daniel Hayes, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway, Javier Bardem and the remainder of the cast enter, he saw them enter in "cliques".
Clearly, this was not a traditional high-profile premiere to establish dominance.
Lisa hovered nearby with a clipboard she did not really need. He had previously seen Gregory Lang enter into the theater and was conversing with the editor who was situated in the sound booth location adjacent to the front of the theater; with that in mind, Harry took an additional look around the room prior to entering the theater.
The lights dimmed.
The hum of the projector filled the hall, familiar now, almost comforting. Harry took a seat a few rows back. He had learned from Providence not to sit where everyone could watch his reactions.
As soon as the movie started, the first thing shown on the screen were Aaron's crossing the street and Sophie colliding with him. Then the two exchanged an awkwardly "sorry" and the first few notes of piano began to drift in.
A few minutes had passed and you could feel the audience relax and settle into their seats. There was a palpable change in the atmosphere as people began leaning toward the screen and getting comfortable without realizing what they were doing.
As soon as the interrogation scene began, Fox executives exchanged quick glances because they were interested.
The scene in which someone was murdered was shocking due to the cold, abruptness and was almost overly normal. There was no whispering in between those two scenes. One person seemed to write very quickly while another was frozen, with their pen poised above their note pad, not moving.
Harry did not move during these scenes.
He concentrated on the movie, although he was most interested in hearing the audience breathe, the stillness of everyone, or the lack of noise. The absence of noise is a good thing.
When the credits appeared, the applause began, but the first round of clapping was a second late.
It was not a thunderous applaud by any means. But Harry smiled at the genuineness of it.
As the lights went up in the auditorium, conversation began to occur with people feeling their way along, much like kids at a school dance who want to know if it is OK to talk first.
Mark Benton, Senior Vice President of Fox, was the first of the Fox executives to approach Harry. Although his smile was warm and practiced, his eyes were focused.
"The first half of your film was fantastic to watch. You don't see such suspense movies anymore," he commented.
"It's great to hear!" said Harry in response.
"With this movie, people will definitely be talking about the second half. That's always the case with movies. The important thing to remember is that the film stays in people's heads after they watch," said Benton, as he leaned in close and lowered his voice.
Another exec added, "Cate did an amazing job!"
Cate accepted the praise with a humble nod. "That was Harry's idea. He pushed me so hard," she said. "I figured that I would take out my frustration in front of the camera." She delivered this statement with a laugh.
Reporters were huddled into small groups. Harry was answering their questions cautiously, without making any big statements, or revealing too much about how the movie ended.
A member of the press asked, "Will viewers understand the ambiguity of your film?"
Harry replied, "I think that there will be discussions about it. That would be a good thing."
While at the aisle, Daniel saw Harry and gave him a good smack on the shoulder. "You're a bastard", Daniel said, quietly, but very much aware of what Harry was thinking.
Harry looked at Daniel raising an eyebrow.
"You made us suffer. Then you made it look absolutely effortless."
"You took on that weight", Harry said. "Because of you, the entire film works."
Daniel shook his head while saying, "I have seen directors with clear visions. I have also seen directors do a good job of pretending to have a vision. You are a different breed. But next time, try to end in maybe one or two takes."
Harry chuckled.
Anne stood to the side of them, listening with her arms crossed, until Daniel walked away, and Anne stayed behind.
"You didn't warn me that watching it would leave me feeling this way," Anne said.
Harry studied her face. "Do you regret it?"
"No," Anne said quickly. "I just thought people would be making a lot of noise when they were watching it."
"When they were paying attention, is when they were quiet."
Anne smiled at that.
The evening ended quietly. There was no hoople, or big speeches. There were just small groups of people disbursing as cars pulled away from the theatre, and the city returned to its unhurried daily cadences.
Harry offered to drive Anne home.
Anne accepted.
The drive was quieter than he expected. Anne leaned back in the passenger seat, heels kicked off, one knee drawn up, giving Harry a teasing view. Harry tried very hard to focus on the road ahead, while Anne smirked knowingly.
At the house, Maria was still awake, pretending not to notice them as she wiped down an already spotless counter.
"Good screening?" she asked, too innocently.
Harry nodded. "Good enough."
Anne followed him upstairs, fingers brushing his wrist, not accidental. The night unfolded in intimacy. Just warmth. Laughter muffled into pillows.
And some moans. Lots of it actually.
Later, when the house had gone still, Maria passed the closed bedroom door once, shook her head with a fond smile, and turned off the last light.