The Audience

A film's high rating from critics alone might not directly boost its box office, but audience word of mouth was an important indicator of how well it would do.

It was an ordinary weekend. Lina and Wood were on a date, planning to pick a movie to pass the afternoon.

They went to a theater on Fifth Avenue and checked out the movie listings and posters.

"How about Tom Cruise's new movie? The papers are full of praise for it, and the visuals look stunning. It's worth seeing," Wood said first, sharing his opinion.

"But it's 156 minutes long. Isn't that too much? I still want to get my purse cleaned afterward, and the place will close soon," Lina said, less than pleased.

"Then let's watch American Pie. It's funny and lighthearted."

"I don't like movies full of toilet humor. Let's watch Legally Blonde. One of my classmates saw it last night and said it was really good."

Wood shrugged to show he didn't mind. Since there was a showing around then, he bought two tickets for the nearest one.

They grabbed some popcorn and soda, then headed into the modestly sized theater and took seats toward the back.

Other people trickled in after them. Wood munched on popcorn, looking around out of boredom.

As more and more people entered, he realized that by the time the movie started, the theater was nearly 80 percent full. It was the highest attendance he'd seen for any movie that year.

He immediately shared his discovery with his girlfriend.

Lina looked around. Not only that, but most of the audience were women, which was very different from usual. Men had typically made up the majority.

The ceiling lights went out, and the movie began. They stopped thinking about it and focused on the screen.

At the same time, Irene left home and went to the theater to watch Eyes Wide Shut. In her previous life, she had skipped it because it was too risqué and not the sort of movie she liked. This time, she wanted to pay tribute to the great director's final film.

"One ticket for Eyes Wide Shut, please."

She entered the theater's largest auditorium, which could seat as many as two hundred people. When she arrived, only the seats in the very center were occupied; everywhere else was empty. That was hardly a healthy turnout.

The movie started soon after. Irene watched for thirty minutes and still hadn't gotten into it. More specifically, she couldn't make sense of the main plot. All she knew was that the sets were lavish and the leads were beautiful.

Clearly, plenty of others felt the same way. Murmurs and discussion gradually spread through the theater.

"Do you get it?"

"Why doesn't William divorce his wife after finding out she's cheating?"

"He doesn't know. He just keeps suspecting that she's cheating."

"So, did she cheat or not?"

She really wanted to tell them that, in the future, there'd be a term for her behavior: "emotional cheating."

After enduring all 156 minutes, the movie finally ended. The ceiling lights flashed on, seeming to wake some of the sleeping audience. As Irene left, she could still faintly hear people grumbling and complaining.

Meanwhile.

"Elle is amazing! She's smart and beautiful. I hereby declare her my new idol!" Lina was thrilled after the movie. She wanted to be just like Elle.

"What do you think about me getting a graduate degree in law? Harvard must be really hard to get into, right?" Lina chattered as they walked, completely lost in her own thoughts.

"I don't think that's a very good idea..." Wood gave his girlfriend, who seemed to come up with a new plan every minute, a halfheartedly doubtful look.

"Why not? Are you just like the guy in the movie, looking down on women and thinking we're all dumb blondes?" Lina asked, glaring at her boyfriend.

"Of course not. I just think... well, I think..." Wood hurriedly waved his hands, denying it.

"You think what? Explain yourself."

"I just think... ah, I think Harvard is too far away from us. Maybe you could look at New York University or Columbia University instead?" Wood improvised, quickly offering an explanation.

"Oh, you're right. Distance really is an issue."

Wood wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead and quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Then he noticed that Lina wasn't heading in the direction they'd planned earlier. Instead, she'd turned toward the Fifth Avenue shopping district. He quickly caught up and stopped her. "Honey, you're going the wrong way. You should turn right to get your purse cleaned."

"I changed my mind. I want to buy a pink dress. You know, I've always been missing one from my wardrobe."

Wood opened his mouth, then looked into Lina's eyes. It felt as if he'd be dumped the very next second if he dared say no, so he gave in.

"You're right, honey. We can also look at Chanel bags. The one Elle carries would suit you perfectly," he recommended against his conscience.

"Silly, that's not Chanel. It's Prada. But we can still go take a look. It'd be nice if I could find the same one."

Similar conversations had been happening to plenty of people lately. The saleswomen in the shopping district said that pink items, which usually weren't easy to sell, had been selling far better than ever.

The whole city was going pink.

That evening at dinner, Irene's father learned that she'd gone to see Eyes Wide Shut that afternoon and asked what she thought of it.

Irene stopped chewing and thought for a moment before saying, "Not very good."

"Oh?" Francis Coppola was a little surprised. Critics had praised the film far more than Legally Blonde. He'd expected at least a word of praise.

"It's about a rich couple with too much time on their hands, constantly testing each other's limits. The husband recklessly stumbles into a naked party and gets scared out of his wits. The wife imagines herself cheating with a hunky man. In the end, they realize it's safer to go home and argue. How many points do you think I'd give a story like that?"

Francis burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! Well, your summary of the movie isn't wrong. Strip away the substance and you've got the gist. At your age, it's normal not to understand its deeper commentary on marriage."

Irene shrugged. She had no desire to understand it, and no interest in doing so.

Then she suddenly remembered the MTV Awards. Her movie wouldn't make it in time this year, but Britney's album still had a chance.

She called Britney, who kept praising Edward Nelson over the phone. She said he'd taken her in a luxury car to show up their rivals right in front of them. He was such a great friend.

After that, Edward had even lent her the sports car he'd loaned the film crew, and she'd been having the time of her life lately.

As Irene talked with her, she counted how many times Britney mentioned Edward Nelson. By the time she finished counting, she figured it wouldn't be long before the two of them took the next step. So she hinted, "The MTV Awards are coming up soon. Do you want me to go with you on the red carpet?" Before Britney could answer, she added, "If you have someone else in mind, you can choose someone else."

It sounded a little coy, but Britney really did start to hesitate. "I do want you to go with me, but Edward specifically told me last time that I should go and experience the awards ceremony first..."

"Did you say yes?"

"No, no. I said I'd think about it." From her friend's tone, Britney could tell Irene didn't seem to approve.

"Hmph. I think you should keep him waiting a little longer. Don't agree too quickly." She didn't just mean agreeing to take Edward to the awards ceremony, but Britney clearly didn't catch the implication.

"Oh, okay. I'll say yes next week, then."

Irene couldn't help covering her forehead with her hand. Britney was simply impossible.