Director in Hollywood

Alongside The Sixth Sense, two other films were released, but these were purely for the sake of competition and weren't worth mentioning.

On the past Friday, The Sixth Sense brought in a solid $15.23 million on its opening day, an impressive result.

For an original, non-sequel, non-adapted film, this opening box office performance was enough to be satisfied with.

More importantly, the film received rave reviews—both from media critics and audiences—which was a pleasant surprise.

The cities surveyed by Touchstone Films reported that over 92% of viewers gave it an A+ rating, with some cinemas even achieving 100% positive reviews—there wasn't a single bad review, an extreme case.

The majority of fans praised The Sixth Sense for its excellent quality.

But that wasn't the end of it. With the rise of North American internet, online media has grown to a certain scale.

Younger audiences prefer to discuss their thoughts online. On platforms like Facebook and forum websites, as fans became enthusiastic advocates, the film's reputation spread even further.

"Hey guys, you have to go see The Sixth Sense in theaters; you'll regret it if you don't."

"It was so touching; I cried several times at the theater."

Some commenters were skeptical: "What movie could make you cry at the theater? I don't believe it."

"Don't believe me? Go see for yourself, buddy. Don't say I didn't warn you, you'll need some tissues."

"Really, it's very moving, and the twist is enough to surprise you. I can't say more, you need to experience it for yourself."

Encouraged by this, more people who didn't initially plan to see the film began to visit the theaters.

And The Sixth Sense's excellent quality conquered most of them.

Joel, unable to get tickets in other parts of San Francisco, decided to go to a cinema near Chinatown on Powell Street.

He heard that although this cinema was an independent theater, it was showing films simultaneously with the major North American chains.

Indeed, this was true. The theater's owner originally showed films from Hong Kong, catering to the local Chinese community.

Movies like A Better Tomorrow, God of Gamblers, and the Police Story series had been shown there and were very popular.

However, when the owner noticed that some white people and other minorities occasionally came here when they couldn't get tickets elsewhere, he decided to show films at the same time as the big chains.

He even raised the ticket prices, which caused complaints among local Chinese moviegoers.

But of course, running a cinema meant making money.

In fact, such independent cinemas were quite common in North America because, without the constraints of cinema chains, they had more freedom.

However, no affiliation meant no guarantee of business, so the risks were all on the owner. If something went wrong, the cinema could go bankrupt.

The owner was currently contemplating whether to join a chain for security.

But that wasn't Joel's concern—he couldn't get tickets anywhere else, so he decided to try his luck here.

And it worked. Although it was Saturday, the cinema was still quite empty. Most of the audience was from other neighborhoods.

But Joel noticed a strange couple sitting two rows ahead of him—an Asian man and a white woman.

They were holding hands but remained silent, and there was an odd air of a romantic relationship, with the scent of break-up lingering.

Joel remembered a time when he was in a similar situation with his high school girlfriend. No words were spoken, and silence spoke volumes.

But as the film began, Joel turned his attention to the movie. He wasn't a fan of Gilbert, but The Sixth Sense pulled him in.

The scene of the murdered little girl, the various ghosts appearing, and the heartfelt conversations in the car made Joel wipe away tears.

He thought about his mother and decided to call her after the movie finished. She lived in Oklahoma.

As the film approached its final moments, the huge twist came in the last five minutes.

Joel watched in surprise as the plot unfolded. It turned out that Bruce Willis's character, Dr. Malcolm Crowe, had been dead all along. He was a ghost, and only Haley's character, Cole, could see him.

When Malcolm Crowe noticed his wife's wedding ring and compared it to the ring he had dropped, remembering what Cole had told him, he began to understand.

Cole had said he could see dead people, but Malcolm hadn't believed him.

As the memories rushed back, Malcolm realized he was already dead. People couldn't realize they were dead, so he had thought his relationship with his wife had problems.

But it wasn't true. His wife had never stopped loving him. She lived alone, going to restaurants on their anniversary and ordering two meals.

After understanding all this, Malcolm felt at peace. He loved his wife, but he knew living in the past would only cause her pain.

So, he decided to let go and allow his wife to forget him and move on to a better future.

The emotional impact of the conversation in the car followed by the five-minute twist sent shockwaves through the theater.

Joel quietly wiped away a tear. He was a man and didn't want to let others see him cry over a movie.

When the movie ended, Joel was surprised to hear spontaneous applause from the audience, all of them praising the wonderful film.

He chuckled and joined in the applause. The theater was filled with the sound of clapping.

Such a great film deserved it, didn't it?

The odd couple, the young Chinese man and the white woman, walked out among the crowd after the movie, still silent.

Joel analyzed the situation. Based on the atmosphere, this usually indicated the beginning of a break-up.

Watching a deeply emotional movie only to break up afterward—what a beautiful love story ending.

In the past, Joel wouldn't have bothered, but after watching the film, the emotions it stirred in him hadn't faded.

So, he decided to help this poor couple.

"Hey! Are you two breaking up?" Joel shouted from behind them.

Zhao Jack and Erin turned around to look at the large white man calling them.

"Are you talking to us?"

"Who else could I be talking to? I'm talking to you," Joel shrugged. "Are you two breaking up?"

Zhao Jack seemed a bit embarrassed, but Erin shot him a glance and said, "No, actually, I'm here to say goodbye."

"Oh? Why?" Joel was surprised.

Erin replied, "I've been pursuing him for over a year. I know he has feelings for me, but he's never agreed. I can't hold on any longer. Today is our first and last date."

"Erin, I..." Zhao Jack wanted to explain but stopped when he saw Erin's disappointed gaze. He held back his words.

Joel chuckled, "Haha, you young ones, let the emotional master Joel help you!"

Without waiting for their reaction, Joel dragged them into a fast food restaurant next to the cinema.

"I'm hungry, hope you don't mind if I eat something?" Joel didn't wait for their reply before calling over the waiter and ordering three servings of egg fried rice, something he had never tried before.

While waiting for the fried rice to arrive, Joel started asking questions. "When did you two meet?"

Erin answered, "A long time ago, we first met when we went to the premiere of The Rock. I came here to watch the movie, and that's when I met him."

"That's not too long ago, already two years," Joel said in surprise.

"Yeah, two years, and in two years, I've never heard him say he likes me," Erin sighed, tapping her fingers aimlessly on the table.

Joel turned to Zhao Jack, "And you? Do you not like Erin?"

"No, I…" Zhao Jack hesitated, but Joel immediately continued, "So you do like her, then why not agree? Do you know how many people like a girl like Erin?"

"I…" Zhao Jack looked at Erin, whose eyes seemed ready to melt, and sighed deeply. He silently thought, Our status difference is just too great.

Joel squinted his eyes as if he could see into Zhao Jack's heart. "I understand, you're worried about the gap between your classes. Cross-class relationships are not easy, huh?"

Erin, hearing this, nodded firmly. "I'm ready. My friends all say I'm a fool, but I don't regret it."

"Great," Joel nodded in satisfaction before turning to Zhao Jack. "I don't know what your concerns are, but I do know this: if you don't try, you'll never know what could have been."

He continued, "Look at Dr. Malcolm Crowe, do you know how rare it is to find someone who truly understands you? You need to grab that opportunity!"

Joel's words weren't necessarily motivational, but he was the first one to say such things to Zhao Jack.

Seeing Joel's encouraging gaze and Erin's hopeful expression, Zhao Jack finally spoke his mind.

Though his mother and brother supported his relationship with Erin, they too understood the class difference and didn't speak as openly as Joel did.

As for others, they often ridiculed him behind his back, calling him foolish for trying to reach beyond his station.

These people's lack of support only dented Zhao Jack's confidence, making it impossible for him to accept Erin's love.

But tonight, with Joel's encouragement and the emotions stirred by the film, Zhao Jack finally let down his guard and voiced everything.

After a long silence, Erin finally said, "So, in your eyes, I don't even compare to the idle gossip of others."

She had spent enough time with Zhao Jack to pick up some idioms.

"No, Erin, I… sigh!" Zhao Jack was at a loss for words and could only sigh deeply.

Erin grabbed her purse, her disappointment clear in her eyes. "We shouldn't see each other again. You're a jerk. I regret meeting you."

With that, Erin stormed out.

Joel was stunned. He had come to help this young couple, not to break them apart. But he quickly reacted, urging Zhao Jack, "Go after her!"

Zhao Jack, realizing too late, rushed out of the restaurant, but Erin had already disappeared into the crowd.

Zhao Jack returned to the restaurant in despair. Only at that moment did he realize how useless he was. He cared too much about the opinions of others, worried too much about his pride, and didn't dare face his true feelings.

He had been running away from it all along. Was this really what being a man was about?

Joel, seeing this, sighed too and patted Zhao Jack's shoulder. "You know, sometimes missing the chance means losing it forever."

Joel started talking about his high school girlfriend and his first love, not sure if Zhao Jack was even listening. Zhao Jack remained silent, staring out the window at the diminishing crowd and the fading neon lights.

The fried rice remained untouched, and the restaurant staff informed them it was time to close.

Joel suggested, "How about we go to a bar for a drink? You need to get really drunk, then sleep it off, and afterward, think things through."

Zhao Jack followed Joel like a zombie as they left the restaurant.

Passing by the cinema, Zhao Jack saw the poster for The Sixth Sense, and the image of Bruce Willis saying goodbye to his wife lingered in his mind.

Suddenly, Zhao Jack had an epiphany. He turned to Joel and said, "I've figured it out. I shouldn't worry about things that haven't happened."

"Ah? What do you mean?" Joel was confused.

"Thank you, Joel. I know what to do now." Zhao Jack was determined to act. He immediately hailed a taxi, eager to find Erin.

Joel stood there for a moment, then smiled. "You should have done that earlier, kid. Don't forget to tell me how the story ends..."

Watching the taxi drive away, Joel shook his head and hummed to himself. "I'm a real emotional master. Tonight's worth celebrating."

With that, Joel walked toward a nearby bar, planning to savor the movie's details he hadn't fully understood and decided to watch again tomorrow.

....

Hi For access to additional chapters of

Director in Hollywood (30 chpater)

MV Director (30 chapter)....

Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapter)

Made In Hollywood (50 Chapters)

Join pateron.com/Translaterappu