Nicolas Cage had once starred in countless classic films, but later, due to gambling debts, he was forced to take on a slew of nonsensical movies just to pay off what he owed. He became a puppet, continuously appearing in all kinds of terrible films, completely losing control over his career.
Naturally, Nicolas no longer had to worry about his films—
Because there was nothing left to worry about.
Ryan hesitated for a moment before finally realizing what was going on with Nicolas and burst into laughter. "Madonna and Cher are the same."
Boom.
In an instant, the car was filled with noise. The exhaustion and nervous tension quietly dissipated, and without even noticing the passage of time, they had already arrived at their destination—
Anson's residence, right in the heart of Los Angeles.
Ryan couldn't help but take a second look. This area wasn't just affordable for anyone; after all, acting is a profession where you never know where the next job will come from once one ends.
Anson didn't notice Ryan's thoughts, but he had an idea after seeing Ryan's reaction and asked, "Tomorrow at noon, we're hosting a movie review reading party here—"
Ryan asked, "A movie review reading party?"
Anson nodded. "Yes, regardless of whether the reviews are good or bad, we'll face them head-on. So, James and I thought we should host a small party where everyone faces the critics' reviews together. It should be a lot of fun."
Ryan was stunned—
If the reviews were bad, wouldn't that make the party unbearably awkward?
You had to admire Anson and James's sense of self-entertainment!
"Brad will be there too. If you don't have any plans for lunch tomorrow, you're welcome to join us."
Anson extended the invitation without hesitation.
Ryan hesitated, "I'm not sure my heart can handle…" that much awkwardness.
"Hahaha," Anson laughed freely. "Don't worry, the world won't end. Even if the sky falls, someone tall like Tom Cruise will be there to hold it up."
All of Hollywood knew that Tom was only 173 cm tall—
This was a sore spot, something everyone knew but no one dared to discuss.
After Tom divorced Nicole Kidman, Nicole famously said, "Finally, I can wear high heels as much as I want."
Ryan tried to hold it in but couldn't, and his laughter echoed through the empty street in the dead of night.
…
Standing at the doorstep, Ryan suddenly hesitated. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.
Last night, Anson might have just extended the invitation out of politeness, but now Ryan had actually shown up. Plus, he might have to face a room full of strangers and bad movie reviews, just the thought of which was enough to make him cringe in embarrassment. Ryan didn't know how he was going to handle it.
Maybe, possibly, probably, he should just leave.
He paused, about to turn around when the door suddenly opened on its own, catching him completely off guard, leading to a moment of eye contact.
"Mary Jane!" Ryan blurted out in surprise.
Standing in front of him was none other than Kirsten Dunst, who played Mary Jane in *Spider-Man*. Ryan had no idea she would be the one to open the door—
"Uh, you, he, this."
Ryan thought he had stumbled upon some kind of secret. Could Kirsten and Anson be…?
But before Kirsten could respond, another figure approached from behind, "Hey, good morning."
Kirsten glanced at the newcomer and gave a sweet smile. "Hey, sleepyhead, it's already noon."
Ryan: ??? What's going on here?
The newcomer stepped forward, ready to hug Kirsten, but she shyly stepped back a little, giving him a warning look.
Following Kirsten's gaze, the man noticed Ryan standing awkwardly by the door, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. The man smiled and said, "I'm Jake. Jake Gyllenhaal."
Ryan blinked, "Ryan Gosling."
Jake greeted him warmly, "Are you here for the movie review party too? God, Anson always thinks differently than normal people, right?"
Ryan was speechless, "I admire his courage."
Before they could continue the conversation, Anson appeared, dressed casually. "Jake, Ryan, you're here. It's about to start."
Ryan was slightly dazed, and before he knew it, he was already inside. Jake closed the door while Kirsten nervously peeked outside, "No paparazzi, right?"
Jake sighed, "Even if they caught us, I wouldn't mind."
Kirsten glared at him.
Jake took a deep breath and let it out heavily, "No, no paparazzi."
Kirsten then invited Ryan inside.
Ryan lagged behind a bit and whispered to Jake, "Maybe she just wants things to stay simple. Once the paparazzi get involved, it's no longer just about the two of you."
Sandra Bullock thought the same way. Even though Ryan didn't mind the exposure, they always kept a low profile.
It seemed that Kirsten being here had nothing to do with Anson; Jake was her date.
Jake took a deep breath and exhaled heavily. "Yeah, I know. That's why I sneaked in here like a thief."
"But today isn't about us; it's about Anson, about *Spider-Man*."
Ryan smiled, "And about Kirsten."
Only then did he notice that the living room was already packed, bustling with activity. James Franco was lounging on the couch, beer in hand; Chris Evans was busy setting out snacks like chips, peanuts, and fruit platters on the table.
Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Sam Levine—the members of the "Frat Pack"—were all there, along with Marla Sokoloff, who was dating James, and James's brother Dave Franco.
Boyd Holbrook looked nervously huddled in a corner, while Anne Hathaway seemed a bit shy, sitting quietly with an opened but untouched bottle of beer beside her. Elizabeth Burbank, on the other hand, moved around the room with ease, chatting with everyone as if she were the hostess.
With just a quick glance, over a dozen people had filled the living room, making this movie review party even livelier than expected.
Ryan felt a bit overwhelmed and didn't know where to start. Suddenly, someone passed by him from behind, saying, "Sorry, no time to chat. I clearly overestimated my ability to host a party. Hey, James, we're not done with the preparations yet."
James didn't even turn around, "Relax, relax! We're the main attraction."
Ryan turned his head and saw Anson.
Anson didn't have time to greet him properly and just shouted, "Everyone, this is Ryan. Ryan, meet everyone."
That was the extent of the introduction, and then everyone began raising their beer bottles—
"Hey, Ryan."
"Ryan, welcome."
Ryan quickly forced a smile and hurriedly called out to Anson, who was about to leave, "Anson, where's Brad?"
Anson spread his hands, "I don't know. He didn't seem to come back last night. I suspect he might have passed out at the Hilton Hotel."
As he spoke, Anson's phone buzzed in his pocket. He glanced at the screen and showed it to Ryan, "Oh, it's Brad."