Chapter 73: Culmination

What made [Silver Comets] a great movie, was how well-executed its simple premise was.

Certainly, it wasn’t the first time the audience would be seeing a movie of its kind.

Yet, when the initial scene played out and the hospital scene came around, it didn’t take long before everyone got invested in Owen Winters as a character.

-

"You, on the other hand, seem positively fine with being in limbo,"

"You’d probably call this the ultimate life hack, huh?"

"And look at that, you’ve even got a personal DJ. Beep... Beep... Beep..."

-

A few of the audience couldn’t help but chuckle slightly at that part.

Yet, at the very same time, there was a deep melancholy to Owen’s eyes that contrasted against the expression on his features.

One that did so much to convey how he was coping with the possible loss of his father.

At this point, some of the directors in the room glanced over to where Niall was seated even though they couldn’t see him, each making a mental note of his acting chops.

Amongst the select few who caught this though, was Callow, an uncomfortable knot forming in his gut.

They weren’t even past the ten-minute mark of the movie and yet, Niall’s acting skills were already proving to be crème of the crop.

Nonetheless, he kept watching, anxiously waiting for Niall’s words to come to a pass, his hands absentmindedly rubbing his chin.

In any case, what he had believed to be the scene that was indirectly poking and prodding at him came not a minute too soon.

-

You say "team player," but you don’t play fair, fudgin’ credit stealer,

Raging in caps lock, like the world’s gonna end, by the end of the day,

If stress was money, you’d be so rich, still won’t buy you a little decency,

I wish you did though, maybe you’d finally get, some implants on that head.

-

Following that part, several individuals in the theatres quietly chuckled, most feeling rather vindicated given they’d had to deal with an overbearing boss at least once or twice in their lives.

Callow had started getting pissed when he heard that second verse, his fists curling in an effort to rein himself in.

Yet, no sooner had he heard the other half of the lyric, his hands went straight to his head, his eyes widening and his anger dissolving like wet tissue as a deep-seated insecurity uncoiled in his chest.

Yes, the man had a little bald patch in the middle of his head. One he’d been adeptly covering with his current hairstyles for years.

More than that though, he had also been saving for a hair transplant procedure... one he’d also been doing secretly.

The fact that Niall seemed to have known though...

The man couldn’t help but glance over to where his former talent was seated... though it wasn’t as if he could even see him in the dimmed theatre.

If he could’ve though, he’d have probably caught the slightest hint of amusement on his features.

That said, by the time the trio was introduced, the audience didn’t really seem to feel as strongly for them as they did, Owen.

Yet, when the rooftop scene came about...

-

"Well, for what it’s worth, my old man died a year ago so I can at least understand how you must be feeling."

"My own parents are alive but hey, look at me. Disowned like the failure that I am!"

"My parents are gonna be in for a doozy when I get to heaven and tell ’em all the disappointing life updates I’ve been speed-running since high school."

-

... the audience’s mind flipped just as quickly.

Just like Harrison had been planning, the richness of the scene did well to sell the trio as characters everyone would want to root for.

Yet, just before the scene ended, another moment came up that finally sold the premise of their rag-tag band to everyone watching.

-

"Comets are just rocks wandering aimlessly through space, much like our lives right now..."

"But every once in a while, they streak in silver flashes across the night’s sky and everyone stops to look..."

"Silver Comets..."

"Don’t you think it’s quite fitting for the kind of band we are?"

"Don’t you think it’s quite fitting for the kind of band we could be?"

-

By this point, people were shifting in their seats, expectations gradually rising as the movie, in cliché fashion, built up to the moment the quartet burst onto the stage at the very last minute.

As Tyler hate-watched on, curious to see if his old band members were anywhere near his level--

-

Do you feel the same when I’m away from you?

Do you know the line that I’d cross for you?

We could turn around, we could let it go,

But we’ll take what comes, take what comes

-

That initial riff alone, coupled with Niall’s raw, powerful vocals that followed forced his skin to break into goosebumps, the surround speakers in the theatre accentuating its impact.

But clearly, he wasn’t the only one to have felt the same, as he noticed several people’s gaze widening in real-time, the lights on the screen illuminating their features as the song steadily climbed.

Yet, nothing could have prepared him, or them for the resonating and powerful chorus that came after.

-

We’re threading a tightrope, now!

We’re threading a tightrope, now!

We’re gonna go higher, up!

We’re threading a tightrope, tightrope, tightrope!

-

Tom and Clinton, the reporter and cameraman from Starlight Magazines, glanced over to each other for a brief moment as the original song boomed through the speakers and fed their souls!

Without exchanging a single word, they already knew that they’d done right by interviewing Niall.

Yet, for as much as everyone felt invigorated by that performance, there was ultimately the curiosity that came with it after such a high bar had been set.

"Can the movie keep up this momentum?"

Much to their shock, all their doubts were absolved when the next performance came around.

-

And did you think I’d twiddle my thumbs?

Well, take a look, I’m still standing here,

Living out the life you tried to take away,

Now that all the chains are gone, I’ve got nothing left to fear,

-

Hearing that, not only did Callow finally realize what Niall had truly meant when he said he should keep his seething for later, he was now beginning to feel the gravity of losing his former talent.

Afterall, what else could explain this dastardly phenomenon in his field of view.

A phenomenon that was essentially giving not just him the middle finger, but practically all of Hollywood’s media and press organizations combined.

-

Don’t you see, I’ll keep rising farther than you’d ever dream,

I’m looking towards the future, I’m feeling like a little kid,

And I’ll keep rising with every step,

If you’re looking back, don’t you dare expect me there,

I’ll keep rising! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)

I’ll keep rising! (Yeah, yeah, yeah!)

-

For Tyler though... well he was starting to realize one, very, very important thing.

His former band members weren’t just good. No, no, no.

They had become far better performers. Far more than he’d ever imagined them to be.

As for the audience--be it actor, director, producer, studio executive, the press and everything in between--well if they could get up to their feet and sing along, they probably would’ve.

Without hesitation at that. That was how much of a high frequency the song was.

[Silver Comets], the very movie most of them had written off, was the very same movie that was constantly sending shivers down their spine without even asking for their permissions.

In any case, the next few scenes that came, slowed down their adrenaline to deliver yet again, one of the best emotional beats from an already great movie.

-

"We made it through the knockout rounds,"

"And we’re gonna win this thing, Pops."

"And when you wake up..."

"...I’ll introduce you properly to the stars we’d have become."

-

A couple individuals in the room felt a bit watery eyed by that scene. Yet, not a single thing could’ve prepared any of them for the last performance in the movie.

Afterall, they had been expecting another banger song, only to get hit right in the feels with a song that was Oscar-level worthy.

-

And every tear surely dries,

And every storm eventually goes,

And every broken piece of pain,

Will find its way to joy...

-

Then, as the song built up, each lyric tying back to the very reason Owen Winters was doing all he was, the audience soon came to a realization.

[Silver Comets] wasn’t just that musical. Rather, it was a culmination of what made films one of the best forms of storytelling to have ever been invented.

Afterall, here most of them were, feeling completely overwhelmed by the poignance of a performance from a fictional band.

-

Tears flowing, down your face,

When the light streams into those beautiful eyes,

Tears streaming, down your face,

Is proof I never left...

Tears flowing, down your face,

When the light comes shining through those beautiful eyes,

Tears streaming, down your face,

Is proof I always believed...

-

However, no sooner had that part ended, its tune receded into the background, the movie cutting to the hospital room Henry Winters laid comatose in... only for his fingers to twitch, and then his eyes... to slowly open.

Then, it immediately cut back to the performance as the fictional band rounded up their performance with the outro.

-

And when your soul... comes home,

Somewhere I chose... to be,

You’ll know I stayed... to heal you...

-

As at the moment, several individuals in the room were wiping their eyes. Even as the rest of the scene in the movie played and the final scene was shown, most of them kept wiping their tears.

Then, as the title card hit the screen, signifying the end of the movie as the credits rolled immediately after, the entire room exploded into a round of applause.

Now, it made perfect sense why [Silver Comets] had been chosen as the movie for the opening night of the festival.

Truly, it was the perfect movie to kick off this years’ festival.

However, as the standing ovation continued, complete with people genuinely smiling from the bottom of their hearts, a certain realization soon hit them when they saw the first few credits.

Suddenly, they were reminded, their heads turning over in a single direction as the lights in the room were switched on.

Not only had Niall Parker written this movie, he had also played the lead role and had also, written all the songs in the movie.

And with that realization finally settling... actually settling, the esteem and respect several of his industry peers began to skyrocket in real-time.

As for the people from the press, they were actually starting to feel rather stupid.

For so long, they had ignored the sort of multi-talented comet that he was. But now, now they couldn’t. Not anymore. Not even if they tried.

This was the sort of thing the media would gobble up while leaving the plate clean! An artist who was a triple-threat in every sense of the word.

And for Callow, that outcome was the worst possible thing that could happen to him right now. Afterall, if Niall decided to put him on blast... well, he was practically done for.

Tyler too was in a similar boat, his mind unsettled as he watched more than half of the room crowd over to Niall and his former bandmates seats.

More than that though, he could feel it. He could instinctively feel it.

His movie... it was up against the one movie it probably should’ve never tried to go up against.

Afterall, for as successful as his career was, he doubted any of his songs could even hold a candle to the ones he’d heard in [Silver Comets].

And unfortunately for him, that was only one aspect of what made [Silver Comets] a fantastic movie.

Sadly, he, JukeBox Records and most especially, Diamond Productions, had already signed themselves up to clash with the movie.

The only question remaining, was whether they could manage to suppress it and keep it from becoming the box office hit it was destined to be.

Advance Chapters are available on Patreon!

/Caer07