The Greatest Showman #1067 – 1 Inspiration

Renly offered a solution, but Joel Cohen gave a look of disdain. His eyes briefly flicked to Andy, but his expression remained indifferent, before turning back to Renly. There was no need for words—just one glance made Joel's resistance clear.

Andy, standing innocently to the side, spread his hands in a gesture of innocence.

Ethan Cohen, ever more adept at navigating social situations, noticed Joel's unspoken tension and quickly added, "We'd prefer to talk to you directly. You know, once things go through an agent, they start to get complicated."

Ethan's words weren't just about avoiding the middleman—they hinted at a deeper truth: when an agent is involved, interests shift, and what might've been simple becomes tangled. It was clear the Coen brothers were reluctant to engage with Andy. These directors, whose films have shaken independent film festivals, weren't ones to follow conventions, and their unique style of work reflected that.

Going a step further, Ethan's comment revealed something else: this wasn't a personal matter, but a professional one.

Joel, ever the impulsive one, jumped in with an idea that he immediately voiced, "How about this? We talk in the car on the way to the airport. That way, we won't waste your time, and we can finish up the conversation while you're on your way."

Ethan quickly chimed in, "As long as you're okay with it, we promise we'll wrap up the conversation by the time we get to JFK. We hope it won't be too intrusive."

Renly smiled broadly, clearly amused by their directness. "Of course, sounds like a plan. It's my pleasure."

The black van cruised smoothly through Manhattan's busy streets, the hum of the engine the only sound in the spacious vehicle. Roy and Nathan sat in the back, while Andy occupied the passenger seat. Their eyes were fixed on the three people in the middle: Renly on the right, Ethan on the left, and Joel stretched out behind Ethan, his hands resting on his knees, eyes locked on Renly. His posture radiated tension, an almost aggressive energy.

But there was an odd stillness in the van—no one spoke. Joel, usually the first to break the silence, remained unusually quiet. Even the normally talkative Ethan seemed to be biding his time. The awkwardness in the air was palpable, and both Andy and Roy exchanged confused glances, unsure of what was happening.

The only one who seemed at ease was Renly.

"So," Renly began, breaking the silence with a playful tone, "Which of you is entering the beauty pageant today?" His voice was calm, but the faint smile beneath it was impossible to miss.

Everyone turned to look at him, their faces filled with confusion. Ethan was the only one who understood the reference.

Ethan paused for a moment, then a grin spread across his face. He couldn't help but laugh out loud, pointing at Joel with mock seriousness. "Him," he said, flicking at Joel's unruly curly hair, "What do you think? Isn't he a natural?"

Renly shot back, grinning, "Too bad he's not blonde."

Ethan's laughter only grew. The moment was a nod to a film from 2006, Little Miss Sunshine, in which a dysfunctional family embarks on a road trip to a beauty pageant. The youngest member of the family, a blonde girl, becomes the focal point of their chaotic journey. It was a subtle joke, an inside reference only Ethan understood at first.

Joel, clearly still trying to catch up, looked utterly lost. When Renly and Ethan saw the confusion on his face, their laughter intensified.

Humor, as always, broke the ice. The tension between the two directors was now, for the most part, gone. It was a small bridge built between them, and while the atmosphere in the van was still somewhat stiff, Renly and Ethan had managed to find common ground.

Ethan leaned back, finally speaking up. "So, why a ballad?" His tone was casual, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in his voice. "You wrote the album Don Quixote, right? 'Cleopatra,' 'The Beast,' 'Your Bones'... those are your songs. But why ballads?"

Ethan's question was straightforward, devoid of overt praise, but his interest was evident.

Renly, instead of answering directly, responded with a question of his own. "Why a movie?"

Ethan blinked in surprise, clearly thrown off. "The folk song wave died down thirty years ago, but movies...?"

"No," Renly interrupted with a smile, "Movies have quieted down, too. We're in the era of TV and the internet now."

Renly's answer hung in the air for a moment. "Look at what's flooding the big screen now—the future is comic book adaptations, where the artistry of film is dying. Real artists are moving to TV and streaming platforms, where the focus is less on profit and more on creative expression."

It was a reflection of the state of the industry in 2017. Streaming services like Netflix and Amazon were already reshaping TV and film, offering more freedom for creators to explore new forms of artistic expression. In contrast, the film industry seemed to be stagnating, with blockbusters dominating while the quality of stories and artistry continued to decline.

The Coen brothers had already made the leap to television with Fargo, and this was only the beginning of the shift. Renly's sharp take on the state of cinema surprised Ethan, who had been expecting something more simplistic from an actor, not this kind of maturity and insight. But Renly didn't linger on the topic. There were more pressing matters to address.

"I mean," Renly continued, bringing the conversation back on track, "the reason we persist, whether it's ballads or films, isn't because they're trendy. It's because they're the mediums through which we can pursue our art, our self-expression. It's as simple and pure as that."

Before Ethan could respond, Joel cut in from the backseat, his voice low but filled with intensity, "Is that why you created 'Beast'?"

Renly's expression shifted slightly.

Joel's eyes were intense, a mix of obsession and fascination, and Renly could sense the underlying passion. Their first serious conversation, and it wasn't even about movies. It was about music. This was a side of the Coen brothers he hadn't expected.