"Gus Van Sant, for the first time in his career, has won the Palme d'Or."
"Elephant wins the Palme d'Or! After a ten-year gap, an American film claims the top prize at the Cannes Film Festival, following Pulp Fiction."
"Controversy, surprise, chaos—Cannes Film Festival delivers a perfect conclusion with Elephant."
"Cannes closes—and the winner is Elephant!"
"Bringing cinema back to its roots—Elephant wins the Palme d'Or, and Anson Wood wins Cannes."
"From controversy to controversy, Elephant rises from the chaos to claim Cannes' top honor."
"With the Palme d'Or and Best Director, Elephant is the biggest winner of this year's Cannes Film Festival."
"Not just the Palme d'Or—Gus Van Sant also takes home the Best Director award. Elephant is in the spotlight."
The media buzzed with excitement as the news of Elephant winning the Palme d'Or dominated the headlines of mainstream outlets, becoming the biggest story of the day.
A glance at the front page of The New York Times alone reveals the waves created by the closing ceremony and awards presentation:
"Elephant, Palme d'Or."
Simple, direct.
No frills, no gimmicks, straight to the point, not even an exclamation mark, yet it highlights the power of words.
In this article, written by Nicholas Flynn, all the praise and recognition are given to Elephant in a straightforward manner.
On one hand, Nicholas examines this year's Cannes lineup, reviewing not only the final four award-winning films but also other works in and out of the main competition, ending with Elephant to highlight the jury's bold choice.
On the other hand, he analyzes Elephant, a film focusing on school violence, while reflecting on the daily struggles of today's youth, as depicted in its mockumentary style, and the lingering thoughts Gus Van Sant leaves behind.
A comprehensive analysis.
"...Can Elephant become the most important film of the first decade of the millennium? That remains to be seen. But without a doubt, Elephant is one of the most important films this year, especially for America. We should wake up and acknowledge the elephant in the room.
The future is happening now."
The New York Times, a leader in the industry, crafted an in-depth report with a special feature on Elephant's triumph, showcasing the responsibility of the press to society. Amidst the media frenzy, they made their voice heard with this thoughtful and comprehensive piece.
And that's not all.
As Nicholas predicted, a storm was brewing, from Europe to Hollywood.
"Who is Anson Wood? From almost rewriting film history with Spider-Man to winning the Palme d'Or with Elephant, he's made an impressive leap in just one year."
"The Anson Craze continues—how did Elephant win the Palme d'Or?"
"Turning stone into gold! Anson Wood proves his keen eye once again."
Initially, Hollywood was waiting to laugh. Actors trying to make a serious career move happens all the time, but few actually succeed.
So far, the most famous success story is Kim Basinger, a former Playboy model who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1997 for L.A. Confidential.
However, such fairy tales are rare in Hollywood, the dream factory, where most actors never shake the "pretty face" label and end up being discarded and forgotten. All signs pointed to Anson being just another drop in the ocean.
But no one expected a miracle.
A miracle is called a miracle because it is difficult, grand, and rare. When it happens, it creates waves.
This is one of those moments.
All of Hollywood was stunned. They didn't expect Elephant to win the Palme d'Or, nor did they foresee Anson's acceptance speech creating such a sensation, sweeping from Europe across the entire North American continent.
It's unstoppable!
Of course, some may still argue that the Palme d'Or belongs to Gus Van Sant, not Anson; that Anson's role in Elephant was insignificant, and he's still just a pretty face without proving his acting chops.
But the truly smart people know that these arguments are meaningless—
The Palme d'Or carries weight in the industry, and that's enough.
Producers, studios, and investors, the ones controlling the money, know the significance of the Palme d'Or, and that's what matters.
While Gus's future projects may gain more attention, the fact is that Gus has never lacked funding for his films. Unless he wants to make another Good Will Hunting, his films won't likely break through to mainstream awards or box office success, and investors will still think twice.
Elephant is no different.
Despite the Palme d'Or win, the film's box office prospects remain bleak. HBO's reaction says it all—this TV network has a habit of winning awards, with countless Emmys to its name, so another Palme d'Or doesn't mean much. At the end of the day, they're focused on converting awards into profits.
HBO remains calm and collected.
By contrast, Anson stands out.
Maybe the Palme d'Or recognizes the director, not the actor, but the fact remains: the film Anson chose won the Palme d'Or.
From The Princess Diaries to Spider-Man, Catch Me If You Can, and now Elephant, all four of Anson's films have been massive successes, each one solidifying his position. If it's all just luck, no one in Hollywood will believe it.
Turning stone into gold?
This speculation is quickly spreading like wildfire.
How did Tom Cruise and Will Smith rise to superstardom?
The answer lies in five consecutive films grossing over $100 million at the North American box office.
Anson has already achieved this with three films, two of which he led and grossed over $300 million domestically. Now, add a Palme d'Or to that, and it's a near-perfect trajectory.
While it's uncertain whether Gus's next project can break through and deliver awards or box office success, there's no doubt that Anson's next film will be the focus.
A thought emerges: if Anson really has the golden touch, wouldn't studios just need to follow his lead and watch the profits roll in?
This idea quickly takes root.
Many are now watching closely: when is The Butterfly Effect releasing? Will it continue Anson's box office streak? And this time, Anson is also a producer, making it the perfect test.
The Cannes Film Festival may have ended, but the wave of excitement has just begun.