Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 275, Section 273: The Happy Family (Part 1)
As December 1999 approached, the last month of the century, a special atmosphere seemed to permeate the air, a mixture of reflection on the past and anticipation for the new era, along with a touch of unease.

For the Chinese film market, this year has undoubtedly been a year of ups and downs and full of surprises, and the names "Wang Sheng" and "Shengying Media" are undoubtedly the absolute protagonists of this year.

From "The Pursuit of Happyness," which sparked a profound discussion across society at the beginning of the year about re-employment after layoffs, personal struggles, and destiny, to "Flying Colors," which ignited the market during the summer with its inspirational story of a comeback and Fan Xiaopang's outstanding performance, and then to "A Little Thing Called First Love," which swept the country in late autumn and early winter with its delicate narrative of unrequited love and growth, creating the "national first love" Gao Yuanyuan, Wang Sheng and his team have demonstrated extraordinary mastery of different film genres and a precise grasp of market trends.

Not to mention "The Birth of a Warrior," which broke the box office ceiling for patriotic films and created a box office miracle of nearly 1.5 million yuan in October thanks to favorable timing, location, and people. Shengying Media was also an indispensable core force in this.

The media's description of 1999 as "Wang's golden year," while perhaps an exaggeration, is not entirely unfounded.

However, for ordinary viewers, especially movie fans who are looking forward to relaxing at the end of the year, their feelings about Wang Sheng's new film "Happy Family," which will be released on December 10, are quite complicated.

Last year during the Lunar New Year film season, "The Pursuit of Happyness" struck a nerve with countless people during this period of social transformation, like a heavy punch to the heart.

Ge You's portrayal of Chen Jianguo struggling to survive in adversity, and the hardships and glimmers of hope in the father-son relationship, certainly brought profound emotion and strength. However, it also left many viewers who went to the theater expecting a comedy to relax with red and swollen eyes and heavy hearts.

The raw realism of the film felt somewhat "out of place" at the end of the year, a time for family celebrations, and even made some viewers feel a little "apprehensive" about Wang Sheng's "New Year's film"—afraid of being robbed of too many tears or being too heavy-hearted.

But this year, Wang Sheng seems to have grasped this subtle sentiment.

"Flying Colors" is a passionate and inspirational film, while "First Love" is a refreshing and pure romance. Both films accurately hit the "sweet spot" and "dessert" of different audience groups, successfully and gently pulling back the audience's goodwill that was somewhat "hurt" by "The Pursuit of Happyness".

People are reflecting on this carefully and are beginning to try to understand Wang Sheng's "intentions" from last year.

In 1998, the lingering effects of the Asian financial crisis were still present, and the domestic economy faced challenges. The re-employment of laid-off workers was a key social issue.

That winter, perhaps we really needed a work like "The Pursuit of Happyness," which did not shy away from suffering but always held high the torch of hope and resilience, to give strength to people who were lost.

It is not deliberately somber, but rather a reflection and response to the sentiments of the times.

From this perspective, "The Pursuit of Happyness" is not a "mistake" but rather reflects a rare insight into the times and a sense of social responsibility.

"Round it up, Wang Sheng is actually quite reliable." Many viewers thought to themselves, "Then... let's trust him one more time."

This "trust once again" mentality, combined with the strong reputation Wang Sheng has built up through continuous success this year, has given "Happy Family" unprecedented attention and market expectations before its release.

Shengying Media, as always, invested huge promotional resources, combining online and offline efforts to deeply embed the concepts of "dreamlike adventures," "family bonds," and "laughter with tears" in people's hearts.

Huang Bo's relatable, down-to-earth face and Li Xiaoran's gentle yet mysterious image create a wonderful chemistry, arousing people's curiosity.

What's even more remarkable is that the first round of screenings for "Happy Family" covers all the major box office cities across the country, making its distribution network wider than any of Shengying Media's previous works.

In this regard, the relevant departments in Liaoning Province once again demonstrated their efficiency and foresight.

Since Wang Sheng signed a cooperation agreement with Han Sanping and Mayor Xu of Shenyang to jointly invest in the "Crossing the Guandong Film and Television Cultural Tourism Base," Liaoning Province has regarded it as a key project to enhance the province's cultural influence and promote the development of the cultural tourism industry. Successfully introducing and expanding the screening scale of Wang Sheng's new works, especially his highly popular New Year's films nationwide, is itself an excellent demonstration of the achievements of the "Liaoning Province-Shengying" cooperation, and will greatly promote the creation of a "renowned film city" project and enhance Liaoning Province's external image and reputation.

Therefore, Liaoning Province spared no effort in distributing "Happy Family," coordinating with local cinemas and investing additional promotional resources to ensure that the film received the best screenings and number of shows in Liaoning Province and even the entire Northeast region.

This deep partnership and mutually beneficial cooperation between local governments and private film and television companies is a remarkable example in the current market environment.

……

December 10th, Friday, evening.

As dusk settles over the capital city, the city lights begin to twinkle.

Despite a busy week, the cold weather did not deter people from heading to the cinema.

A multiplex cinema located near Haidian Theater was packed with people, with long queues forming at the ticket gates.

The queue leading to Hall 1 was particularly impressive, as it was the premiere of "Happy Family".

Xiao Guan and his girlfriend Xiao Wei, bundled up in thick down jackets, moved slowly forward with the flow of people.

Xiao Guan is a fan of Wang Sheng. He has been following Wang Sheng since "30 Days". He cried while watching "The Pursuit of Happyness" last year, and he also watched "Flying Colors" and "First Love" this year.

"To be honest, I'm a little nervous," Xiao Guan told his girlfriend. "I'm afraid Wang Sheng will do something really intense again this time, and my heart won't be able to take it during the Chinese New Year."

Xiao Wei linked arms with him and laughed, "Relax, isn't the promotion supposed to be a comedy? Besides, look at Huang Bo, he has a funny look. And besides, 'Flying Colors' and 'First Love' were both pretty good, proving that Director Wang can still make movies that make people happy."

"I hope so." Xiao Guan nodded, the slight unease in her heart caused by last year's "trauma" had not completely dissipated.

Inside the theater, the lights dimmed, the familiar dragon logo appeared, followed by the opening animation from Shengying Media. The noisy discussions quickly subsided, and everyone's attention focused on the giant screen.

Plot of the movie "Happy Family" (Dream Adaptation):

The film opens with the hustle and bustle of the city.

The male protagonist, Chen Mo (played by Huang Bo), is a nearly thirty-year-old insurance salesman who has accomplished nothing and lives alone in a messy rental apartment.

He was timid, had a bad job, terrible interpersonal relationships, and felt powerless about life.

The only thing that sustained him was the vague yet warm memories of his family, but these memories seemed to be missing a crucial part, and his childhood was shrouded in a fog.

(End of this chapter)