"No, oh no no no, it wasn't planned at all. It was just an idea that suddenly popped into my head."

When Travis was asked by The New Yorker to recreate the situation, he had to wave his hands repeatedly to clarify, trying to avoid further misunderstandings after being hit with that controversial question.

"I just followed up on Anson's answer and, given the recent debates, the question just came to me, so I asked it."

"But I never expected Anson to come up with such a clever response, nor did I anticipate such a strong reaction."

"'A movie is just a movie'—it's a simple truth, isn't it?"

As the flash mob at Washington Square concluded, media across North America and even worldwide began buzzing with excitement.

This was a groundbreaking moment in movie marketing. Even as audience expectations kept climbing, and the event seemed to fall into the routine and lose novelty, Anson managed to surprise everyone again with a grand finale.

According to incomplete statistics, at least ten thousand people attended the event at Washington Square that night, if not more. It became the hot topic of New York's sleepless night, generating excitement and fervor comparable to New Year's Eve.

Even more so because of the unexpected controversy sparked by the exchange between Anson and Travis, the slogan "A movie is just a movie" took off, spreading like wildfire, fueling a fourth wave of buzz for Catch Me If You Can.

Not just Travis, but even Anson and Edgar themselves were surprised. Who would have thought that a casual comment could cause such a sensation?

But that's reality—

The hype was real. Combined with the festive atmosphere of Christmas and New Year, Catch Me If You Can was undeniably becoming the must-see film of the holiday season.

And that wasn't all.

The real reason this controversy took off, and the reason Catch Me If You Can became the biggest winner, was Anson himself.

After the crowd's cheers calmed down a bit and Travis regained his composure, he finally threw out a planned question, which Anson answered one by one.

Among them, Travis asked a particularly interesting question.

"Anson, in this movie, you had an amazing back-and-forth with Tom. How did you go about shaping your character?"

The question itself was fairly standard, lacking novelty—something that any average viewer or journalist might have asked. But Anson's response was another highlight of the evening.

"I'm not sure if this will sound confusing, like a set of Russian dolls, but for me, I treated young Frank Abagnale as if he were a fictional character."

What?

Anson joked to himself.

"Yes, I know how absurd that sounds."

The crowd erupted in laughter.

"What I mean is, when young Frank becomes a pilot, a doctor, or any other role, he's not just playing a part—he's creating an imaginary perfect world in his mind, a world free of troubles, pain, and built entirely on his imagination."

"Just like in a movie. Of course, you could also say it's like his dream, or an illusion."

"In fact, it was like this from the very beginning."

"When his father received honors, when his parents' love seemed perfect, young Frank lived in a fairytale. Steven's direction framed it as this perfect world, where everything was so beautiful it didn't feel real."

"So, every time this perfect world started to crack, young Frank would try to escape, and then build a new world. He kept running from one illusion to another."

"And yet, he himself realizes this is all fake. He's always hovering, unable to settle down. He needs to find something real, but at the same time, he's terrified that reality will destroy him."

"And Tom—well, I mean, FBI agent Carl Hanratty—is like an NPC in a game, always chasing him. He's Frank's only link to the real world."

"When he's lonely, confused, Carl is the only thing that makes him feel connected to reality."

"For me, portraying this character was about returning to reality bit by bit, constantly fleeing, passing through different illusions, trying to forget the pain of reality, but eventually landing back on solid ground, feeling the pull of gravity."

"To be exact, it's only in the final scene where we truly meet the real Frank Abagnale."

"So…"

Clap, clap, clap.

The applause couldn't wait to break out.

"So, in the movie, I played a character who transitions from performance back to reality. That's the Russian doll effect I'm talking about—I'm not sure if it makes sense, but…"

Ha ha ha.

Laughter mixed with applause filled the air once again. And as Anson smiled and set down the mic, the place erupted.

Clap clap clap!

The applause was thunderous, sweeping through the entire square.

Even Nicholas couldn't help but join in, offering heartfelt applause for Anson.

It was because of Anson's sincerity. Even though this was just a promotional event, just a free event at Washington Square, he still gave a professional and profound response, far from just going through the motions.

The crowd fell silent, fully engaged.

Because Anson's response offered a deeper interpretation of Catch Me If You Can.

A coming-of-age story?

That reading is far too simplistic. Sure, everyone can see the father-son dynamic between young Frank and Carl.

But Anson offered another perspective—seeing Frank's journey as a series of stories, or a game, where he moves through different fairytales before finally returning to reality. This gave the film a new layer of complexity.

Now that's not something you often find in Hollywood.

With this in mind, Steven's vintage, playful style of filmmaking suddenly seemed even more brilliant.

Just like the opening of the movie—a television show, a fictional stage.

Brilliant. Simply brilliant.

Everything stemmed from Anson's words, sparking widespread discussion after the event.

Indeed, a movie is just a movie. There's no need to make a big deal out of it.

But at the same time, a movie is more than just a movie—it's a fertile ground for imagination and creativity.

And so, the hype exploded.

However, the real key to it all came with Anson's next move.

"A movie is like this, and so is tonight."

"I'm not an actor right now; I'm just a viewer, an ordinary movie fan. I'm sorry for interrupting your movie earlier, but if you don't mind, I'd love to stay and watch Superman 2 with you all."

The entire square froze.

Even Travis stammered, "W-what do you mean?"

Anson smiled, "I'm stepping off the stage, coming back to earth, back to reality, back to being part of the audience. How does that sound?"

Wha…what?

Like a stone tossed into water, the entire crowd at Washington Square was stunned.

Who would have thought the real climax was just beginning?