Chapter 728: Chapter 135: It Begins
The Kodak Theater, which could almost be described as purposefully built for the Oscar ceremony, paid close attention to how it received guests. After entering through the tall square arch, one had to walk a long distance to reach the lobby, then climb several steps before finally entering the screening hall. At this time, reporters were not allowed in, so guests could chat in pairs or small groups as they walked without worry.
"It’s such a pity, Dan, too bad—I thought you could at least get a nomination," Adrian lamented loudly in front of a group of one man, three women, and a little girl.
Dressed in a suit and tie, Dennis looked handsome, while Aniston, clinging tightly to his arm, wore a silver sleeveless mermaid evening gown, her hair neatly bun up, appearing quite beautiful, not at all like someone who was already a mother. The Dennis family’s twins had just turned one year old. It was a good thing they were both girls; otherwise, Adrian would have been quite upset.
Unfortunately, Winona seemed to have already gone inside, otherwise staying here would have been very interesting. After being caught red-handed and then having a threesome, Winona simply moved into their home, declaring she wanted to live with Aniston. And according to what Dennis relayed, she kept persuading Aniston to elope with her at every moment, which made one wonder if this counted as a straightforward declaration of love.
Adrian wanted to remind him to be careful of being photographed by reporters with the three of them out and about, but then thought better of it—Dennis was no fool, he would surely be cautious. If he was still caught in such a situation, it would just mean he was unlucky.
There was no need to mention the little girl—aside from the adorable Dakota Fanning, there would be no one else. She wore a long-sleeved chiffon top, a light blue shading to white, over a black dress, along with white velvet socks and small leather shoes, looking very well-behaved. Her golden hair was pinned with a delicate clip, her blue eyes wide open, eliciting tenderness from anyone who saw her.
As for the other two women, one was naturally the petite Naomi Watts, wearing a jewel blue thin-strapped evening dress, having received her first Oscar nomination for her outstanding performance in "I Am Sam." The tall and slender woman next to her, in a bright red off-the-shoulder evening dress—only half a head shorter than Adrian—was Nicole Kidman, the evening’s strongest contender for Best Actress.
"It’s okay, it’s just luck, plus I lack the years of experience," Dennis shrugged nonchalantly, showing a breezy demeanor, "but Naomi, on the other hand, is exceptional, getting a Best Supporting Actress nomination without any issue.
"Thank you," Naomi’s eyes curved with delight, overwhelmingly happy and excited. This was quite normal; after nearly a decade of struggling, she finally made it into the ranks of A-list actresses and received an Oscar nomination—how could she not be thrilled?
"Actually, Hannah wasn’t bad either— it’s a pity she didn’t get a nomination," she modestly added at the time.
"No worries, there will definitely be chances in the future." Like Dennis, Dakota casually shrugged her shoulders, her cute gesture immediately drawing laughter from everyone, though Adrian saw a flash of dissatisfaction in her eyes.
It made sense—last year, Small Emma and Julia, aunt and niece, were both nominated, breaking the record for the youngest in the Best Supporting Actress category. And as Dakota, praised by many for her spirit, especially given her memorable role in "I Am Sam," couldn’t help but yearn. The little girl was quite precocious, and if she had indeed received the nomination, she would have set a new youngest record. Just then, Adrian slightly furrowed his brows but soon put it out of his mind.
"All right, let’s go in," he said, glancing around.
Blanchett and Liv had already come in, Sophie and Monica were not far behind, and the silhouettes of Kate and Sarah were wavering at the entrance. Although Zhiling, Kirsten, Natalie, Rachel, and others were still outside, their mere approach was enough to turn heads. Besides, although Julia, Zetajones, and Gwyneth had walked ahead, they hadn’t entered the hall yet. Seeing this situation, they might come back, as they wouldn’t miss an opportunity to make it difficult for him, so it was better to move on quickly.
"I know this is your first Oscar nomination and you’re excited, but could you be a little less obvious about it, Naomi?" Adrian teased, walking two steps behind Naomi Watts.
"It’s all because of you, Ed. Without you, this wouldn’t be happening!" Even though she said this, her tone was petulant, obviously playful.
"Now you’re not blaming me for arranging your work schedule too tightly?" Adrian asked with a laugh.
This year, Naomi had two films released, not only was "Chicago" set, but also "Panic Room" directed by David Fincher. After "Fight Club," Fincher started conceiving a new film. He greatly agreed with Adrian’s belief in balancing art with commerce, and since "Fight Club" was indeed too niche with its cult status and anti-social themes, this time he aimed to direct something more commercial, like "The Game" after "Seven Deadly Sins."
Although the time between his films as director was long, he was not idle, such as taking on producer roles for certain movies or creating a greatest hits video collection for Madonna. Furthermore, Adrian had intentions to mentor him, so it wasn’t until early 2001 that he received the screenplay for "Panic Room" from David Koepp.
He wanted to invite Nicole Kidman as the female lead, admiring her performance in "The Others." But Nicole had just finished "Moulin Rouge!" and needed a rest, so she declined the offer. Then Adrian recommended Naomi.
He was familiar with this film; although it wasn’t ranked the highest among Fincher’s works, as a commercial film, it was fairly successful. Moreover, the role offered a lot of potential. The character needed to demonstrate strength and motherhood through the suspense. If she could capture these qualities and display them fully in the film, even if the film’s reviews were mixed, the praise for the actor would still be there.
Naomi had previously followed a thriller path and seamlessly interpreted it. Plus, with the complexity of this character, it presented her with an opportunity for transformation. It seemed tailor-made for Naomi. Thus, it was decided, David Fincher greatly respected Adrian’s opinion, and after the auditions, he also felt she was good for the role. As for Judi Foster, she was not lacking such types of roles.
As for the daughter, it was naturally Kristen Stewart. Originally, Adrian considered Dakota Fanning, who was a bit young but very talented. Although Kristen’s features were delicate, she still didn’t look like a girl without long hair. However, considering Dakota had "I Am Sam" by then and had played an important role in "A Beautiful Mind," the choice fell on Kristen.
The film began shooting in mid-2001; after it wrapped up, Naomi didn’t rest long before she started preparing for "Chicago," and Adrian had already informed her that "King Kong" was set to officially commence the following year, where she would play the female lead. It was no wonder Naomi would complain that the filming was scheduled too tightly; of course, it wasn’t really a complaint.
"Don’t be so stingy, Ed," Naomi sneakily rolled her eyes at him, "I only said that, and you still remember it now."
Then her gaze softened as she looked at him, filled with an indescribable fondness: "Just as you said, I want to make up for all I missed in the past decade."
He had extended a helping hand when she was most helpless. He had nurtured, encouraged her, helped her stand up, and fully tapped into her potential, and now he had given her an even bigger stage. So, even though she knew he was lecherous and liked chasing after various women, be they beautiful, charismatic, or distinctive, she was still more than willing to stay by his side.
Adrian’s eyes softened as well, but in the next second, he reverted to form and swiftly pinched her pert bottom, which made Naomi instantly drop her smile and give him a big eye-roll.
If possible, he really wanted to sneak into the restroom for a passionate moment with Naomi at the awards ceremony today, but unfortunately, the decision on that matter had already been made beforehand. Thinking this, Adrian slowed his pace and soon walked parallel to Monica.
"Sophie seems to be in high spirits today," Adrian remarked with a glance behind him as he teased Monica.
Just a short distance behind, Sophie was walking with a beaming smile, chatting and laughing with those around her. When Adrian looked over, she even boldly threw him a flirty wink.
"Of course, it’s her first time being nominated for Best Actress at the Oscars," Monica replied with a slight smile, not showing any displeasure that Adrian, walking beside her, was talking about Sophie instead.
"But I think she’s probably unaware that she might just end up happy for nothing," Monica added teasingly. As the second woman beside Adrian to become an Oscar-winning actress, she had a clear understanding of certain things.
"Don’t worry, it’ll come sooner or later," Adrian said with a chuckle and a shrug of his shoulders, not continuing on the subject but turning his attention to the entrance of the hall that was now just a stone’s throw away. Slowing down to speak with his lady wouldn’t draw too much attention, but it also made it impossible to speak with all the women, since they kept moving forward.
Of course, that didn’t matter. After all, he had never spoken to all his women during the Oscars red carpet event anyway. Moreover, Rachel and Natalie probably didn’t want to talk to him. The former had grown accustomed to waiting for his dominating presence, while the latter was likely internally conflicted and afraid that facing him would cause her to make a poor judgment. But did she really think she could escape Adrian’s grasp that way?
Even if he did speak to them, there were still many women at home, like Charlize, Ivanka, and so on.
"Have you really decided, Monica?" Adrian suddenly asked.
Though it was somewhat out of the blue, Monica nodded earnestly, "Yes, haven’t you always said that people should try new things? I am already satisfied with my film career, so it wouldn’t be bad to challenge myself in other areas, especially since..."
She broke into a smile that blended tenderness with a touch of sly playfulness, looking absolutely charming with that mature allure, "...someone is sponsoring me, so it doesn’t matter if I fail."
Adrian chuckled and nodded, "Alright then, best of luck. You’ll definitely succeed."
Monica wanted to establish her own fashion brand, and that was what they were talking about. As she had just said, having won the Best Actress Oscar and having starred in a film like ’The Matrix’ that was successful both commercially and artistically, and renowned internationally, with Italians calling her a national treasure, her achievements were already enough.
Not to mention, even three or four years ago, Monica wouldn’t have thought she could achieve this much. She was content and not overly ambitious, especially after so many years at Adrian’s side, which is why she wanted to try something new after ’The Matrix’ was completed, like creating her own fashion brand.
She had spent at least ten years as a model and had grown up in Italy; she had a natural sensitivity to fashion. Whether it was clothing, perfume, or shoes, she could grasp the trends. However, this meant that she had to commit fully. To create a brand, it’s best if the founder hands-on designs it to capture the preferences of the people, or rather, the jet set, and thereby set trends.
When it came to connections, Monica was not lacking at all. Putting aside Adrian’s support, over the years, she had made plenty of friends in both the entertainment and fashion industries. But this would mean putting her film career on hold unless she decided to play around like some stars do, creating one or two designs for a well-known brand to draw in fans and their wallets.
No matter what, Monica was now primarily identified as a movie star, which was why Adrian was worried. However, since she had already made up her mind, he chose to support her.
"I’m really looking forward to it, Monica—I am truly eager to see what kind of trend your fashion brand will set. A future like that seems much more intriguing." With this thought in mind, Adrian entered the Kodak Theater’s grand auditorium.
The ceiling was adorned with beautiful light fixtures that spiraled into an oval, casting a brilliant glow that was dazzling to the eyes. On the stage stood a golden arch that looked incredibly lavish. The seating area, which could accommodate more than 3,000 people, was already about half full, with three tiers to the rear and over a dozen private boxes on either side.
"True to its name as a multipurpose stage, this place can showcase films, layouts, and stage plays," Adrian remarked with a sigh after settling into his seat, then turned to Nicole, with a hint of teasing in his wink, "Why couldn’t the organizers arrange for us to sit in one of those private boxes to the side? Personally, I’d find it more comfortable to watch the awards ceremony from there."
Nicole huffed lightly, turning her head away to ignore him. She knew exactly what he meant. Adrian just laughed, then looked around. Gwyneth, Blanchett, and Liv were nearby, while Julia, Zetajones, Kate, and Sarah were seated farther away. This was because this year’s "Moulin Rouge," "The Lord of the Rings 1," and "A Beautiful Mind" were closely associated with him, hence seating for the three productions was arranged together. It was nearly an Oscar tradition by now, and for him to be treated this way, he was indeed in a league of his own.
A few more minutes passed, and the hall finally filled up. The award ceremony was about to officially commence. However, the host’s entrance was quite special—she descended from the ceiling on a rope ladder. Moreover, the background music that began to play was the soundtrack from "Moulin Rouge," and coupled with the glamorous attire, there was no doubt she was imitating Nicole’s stunning look from the film.
Well, if a beautiful woman made such an entrance and dressed up like that, it would certainly be a feast for the eyes. But Ubi Goldberg, a beautiful woman? Consequently, the audience erupted in laughter. Especially when she started speaking, her deliberately oily tone and the movement of her rather plump body provoked even more laughter in the hall.
Watching from his seat, Adrian simply shook his head slightly. Although Nicole smiled, there was a hint of disdain in her eyes. After all, this was her proudest role to date, and to see it parodied by a comedic actor—and a Black one at that—was somewhat uncomfortable, even if she knew there was no malice intended, and it was merely to liven the atmosphere and draw attention.
Adrian saw her subtle dissatisfaction and shook his head slightly again. This was just the beginning; Goldberg was known for her variety of antics. This was Ubi Goldberg’s fourth time hosting the Oscars. Billy Crystal had done a great job, but it was unrealistic to have him host indefinitely. Even if the Film Academy wanted him to, Billy might not agree. Hosting the Oscars was prestigious, but also a strenuous task.
However, not many were capable of replacing him as a good host, so for safety’s sake, the Film Academy had invited Ubi Goldberg this time. At least, the viewership ratings for the previous ceremonies she hosted were fairly decent.
Still, Goldberg had one particularly... not so much terrible, but rather discomfiting habit for Adrian, who had an appreciation for beauties. She greatly enjoyed changing into extravagant clothing and parading them across the stage. In the three previous Oscars she hosted, the least number of outfit changes in a night was seven or eight.
Even though her main purpose in changing clothes was to attract attention and viewership, as mentioned before, it would be pleasing if a beauty did the changing. Unfortunately, it was a Black, overweight woman—it wasn’t discrimination, just stating it plainly.
As expected, during the following award ceremony, after every two or three awards were given out, she would reappear in a new outfit. Most were imitations of Nicole’s looks in "Moulin Rouge." The outfits, complete with peacock feathers and other extravagances, turned her appearances comical rather than glamorous, so Nicole’s mood was noticeably less than cheerful throughout.
"Why fret over something so trivial?" Adrian whispered to Nicole as he found a moment to hold her hand by her ear.
Nicole, of course, realized this too and took a deep breath to calm down, watching the awards being presented one after the other. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to vote and support it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.)