What happens to ‘Emancipation’ after the slap?

I’ve been listening to Christine McVie for the past 24 hours and holding her friend Stevie Nicks’ handwritten tribute close to my heart. When Will Smith took the stage Wednesday night at Westwood’s Village Theatre to introduce his new slavery thriller “Emancipation,” the nearly full house cheered and took out their phones to capture the moment. Beneath the surface, however, the rollout of “Emancipation” has strayed well outside the standard awards-season playbook, as the film’s backers delicately attempt to shift the narrative away from Smith’s shocking, profanity-laced Oscar-night meltdown. And, sitting there, waiting, Yeoh thought back to the midnight premiere of her first headlining movie, Corey Yuen’s 1985 Hong Kong action classic “Yes, Madam!,” where she was perched in the balcony tier, first row, constantly peeking over the railing to see how the hardcore moviegoers seated below her, the ones given to sharing their feelings very vocally, would react. “Forty years, man!” Yeoh says, letting out a big laugh, thinking about how long she’s been making movies — and worrying about what people think when she tries something that’s outside her comfort zone.