Are Toronto audiences too nice? Ethan Hawke and Richard Linklater say politeness is appreciated

Actors Andrew Scott, Bobby Cannavale and Ethan Hawke pose for a group photo with director Richard Linklater at a press conference for their film “Blue Moon” at the Toronto International Film Festival on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Cassandra Szklarski

TORONTO — Stage and screen stars Ethan Hawke and Andrew Scott agree most actors can benefit from audience feedback, but there’s a time and a place for criticism.

The stars of Richard Linklater’s intimate portrait “Blue Moon” are at the Toronto International Film Festival where they note Canadian audiences are notoriously “very nice” to visiting filmmakers.

Linklater says audience feedback is generally more helpful than an individual’s hot-take, with Toronto offering “a real cinephile audience” of “really highly attuned film people.”

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 “Oklahoma!” 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’s less sensitive when critiqued about film roles because by then he’s had some distance from the performance.

In the film, his character Lorenz mostly keeps his caustic barbs to private conversation as he spirals at the legendary theatre-district restaurant Sardi’s, until he gushes with praise when Hammerstein drops by after the “Oklahoma!” premiere.

There’s little good in grumbling about a play that’s in the middle of its run, Scott suggested while seated alongside Bobby Cannavale for a press conference Monday.

“I’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,” Scott said.

“I don’t think you should say, ‘For me, mmm, it wasn’t...’ You can do it the next day. Lie. Lie!”

Hawke agreed, drawing an analogy to griping about dinner at a friend’s house that may fall flat.

“You 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.

“Blue Moon” 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 — 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.

“I’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?’” Linklater said to laughter.

“Because it’s done. It’s done, it is cooked. It is baked.”

Hawke said test screenings especially can be problematic because “they’re designed to please the most amount of people.”

“You take a movie like ‘Before Sunrise’ – 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.

Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press