TORONTO - Stage and screen stars Ethan Hawke and Andrew Scott agree most actors can benefit from audience feedback, but there鈥檚 a time and a place for criticism.
The stars of Richard Linklater鈥檚 intimate portrait 鈥淏lue Moon鈥 are at the 海角社区官网International Film Festival where they note Canadian audiences are notoriously 鈥渧ery nice鈥 to visiting filmmakers.
Linklater says audience feedback is generally more helpful than an individual鈥檚 hot-take, with 海角社区官网offering 鈥渁 real cinephile audience鈥 of 鈥渞eally highly attuned film people.鈥
TIFF is especially well-regarded as an audience barometer since it also offers direct contact with fans at events including Q-and-A’s and red carpets that are open to the general public.
In “Blue Moon,” Hawke stars as anxiety-riddled lyricist Lorenz Hart, who spends an evening drinking and grousing about a new Broadway show called 鈥淥klahoma!鈥 featuring music by his songwriting partner Richard Rodgers, played by Scott, and his new lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein.
When it comes to stage acting, Scott has one word of advice for armchair critics tempted to voice their complaints: Lie. He says the barb cuts deeper when an actor has dozens or even hundreds more stage performances ahead.
Hawke agrees, noting he鈥檚 less sensitive when critiqued about film roles because by then he鈥檚 had some distance from the performance.聽
In the film, his character Lorenz mostly keeps his caustic barbs to private conversation as he spirals at the legendary theatre-district restaurant Sardi鈥檚, until he gushes with praise when Hammerstein drops by after the 鈥淥klahoma!鈥 premiere.
There鈥檚 little good in grumbling about a play that鈥檚 in the middle of its run, Scott suggested while seated alongside Bobby Cannavale for a press conference Monday.
鈥淚’m of the belief that people, after you see a play, you should buy somebody a drink and say it was great. That’s what I feel. That’s it,鈥 Scott said.
鈥淚 don’t think you should say, ‘For me, mmm, it wasn’t...’ You can do it the next day. Lie. Lie!鈥
Hawke agreed, drawing an analogy to griping about dinner at a friend鈥檚 house that may fall flat.
鈥淵ou just say, ‘Thank you, that was terrific.’ If they called you the next day and say: ‘Did you like the green beans, were they all right?’ (Then) you say, ‘Maybe a little more pepper,’ ” he said to chuckles.
鈥淏lue Moon鈥 was set to make its Canadian premiere Monday night at TIFF before opening in theatres Oct. 24.
Hawke is nearly unrecognizable as a short and balding Hart 鈥 a look he said was achieved by growing out his hair and shaving his crown to create a severe comb-over while he worked on body movements to help forced camera perspectives depict him as barely taller than five-feet.
Linklater said he sees the value of early screenings, especially for comedies where an audience can reveal pacing problems.
But he doesn’t much care for individual opinions.
鈥淚’m not the kind of guy who asks people: ‘What do you think of my movie?’ And when they tell me, if it’s not positive, I say, ‘Did I ask you?’鈥 Linklater said to laughter.
鈥淏ecause it’s done. It’s done, it is cooked. It is baked.鈥
Hawke said test screenings especially can be problematic because 鈥渢hey’re designed to please the most amount of people.”聽
鈥淵ou take a movie like 鈥楤efore Sunrise鈥 鈥 if you test that movie in front of 500 random people, 465 will think it’s boring as hell,” said Hawke, who teamed with Linklater for three “Before” films.
“But 15 people will think it was awesome and phenomenal and, over time, you can find those 15 people and make the kind of movie that (resonates with them).”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 8, 2025.
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