1978 Synthetic Writers

Chapter 627 Oscar

However, it must be said that Xue'er's outfit on the red carpet this time was truly astonishing.

So bold!

She wore a black lace dress that I wouldn't even dare to write about, yet she brazenly appeared in front of the camera, boldly showing off her figure.

After the red carpet event ended, the guests took their seats, with Jiang Xian sitting in the "Last Emperor" crew's section.

Although the theater was dark, the occasional flashes of light from the cameras and the shimmering tassels on the guests' clothes created a dazzling spectacle, truly a star-studded affair.

"Are you nervous?" Zhu Lin squeezed Jiang Xian's large hand in the darkness. She was wearing a pair of black lace gloves, and Jiang Xian could feel the threads of the gloves rubbing against his skin.

"What are you nervous about?"

"We'll be receiving the award soon."

"That's impossible to say."

Jiang Xian smiled and said, "A nomination doesn't guarantee an award."

"But you've already won the Golden Globe."

Zhu Lin said, "I think this year's Oscar committee was quite fair. Look at the list of nominees for Best Director, they are all foreigners, and none of them were born in the United States."

This is true.

This year's Best Director nominees include Bernardo Bertolucci from Italy.

There's also John Boorman from Britain.

Lars Holström, born in Stockholm, Sweden, is the director of "Hachi: A Dog's Tale" and "A Dog's Purpose".

Norman Jewson, born in Canada, is an American, but he was born in Canada.

Adrian Lane, the British director of "Lolita".

In short, none of the nominees for Best Director were born in the United States, which is relatively fair.

As he spoke, the entire audience applauded. Robert Wise, with an aged face and wearing a black suit, slowly walked onto the stage with a smile under the gaze of everyone.

"Is he famous in America?" Zhu Lin clapped her hands and turned to Jiang Xian's side.

"Very famous."

Jiang Xian looked at the stage and slowly said, "He has won the Academy Award for Best Editing and several Academy Awards for Best Director. His films have also won several Best Picture awards. Haven't you seen 'The Sound of Music'? That was directed by him. In the United States, he is equivalent to Xie Jin in China."

"So famous."

Zhu Lin had not only seen "The Sound of Music," but was also well aware of the film's status in the American film industry, and knew that Jiang Xian's comparison of Robert Wise to Xie Jin was absolutely correct.

"Ladies and gentlemen, film lovers from all over the world."

Robert Wise leaned closer to the microphone, a gentle smile on his face, and waited for the applause from the audience to subside before slowly speaking:

"—Welcome to the dazzling night of the 60th Academy Awards!"

Everyone applauded again.

Facing the star-studded audience, the constant flashes of light, and the cameras broadcasting globally, Robert Wiston paused, then picked up his prepared remarks:

Sixty years ago, when the first Academy Awards ceremony was held in a hotel banquet hall, only 270 people attended. At that time, the "art and science of film" we talked about was just a toddler taking its first steps.

Now, the Oscars have spanned sixty years.

I couldn't help but recall the era of black and white movies.

I was once a young editor, staring blankly at film in the editing room, pondering how to connect isolated shots into a living story. It was then that I edited "Citizen Kane."

When he mentioned Citizen Kane, cheers immediately erupted from the audience.

"This film is considered by Hollywood to be the pinnacle of cinematic art," Jiang Xian explained to Zhu Lin from the side.

"—Yes, yes."

Robert Wise smiled and said, "That movie taught me how a single shot can convey a thousand words."

Later, I picked up the director's tube and was fortunate enough to bring the passion of "West Side Story" and the warmth of "The Sound of Music" to the world.

I know that everyone here, whether actors on stage or craftsmen behind the scenes, shares the same dream: to capture fragments of humanity with light and shadow, and to connect our lonely hearts with stories.

Film has evolved from silent to sound, from black and white to color, and from linear narrative to time-space jumps.

We experienced the impact of television, witnessed the rise of New Hollywood, and now face the challenge of home videotapes.

But look at us sitting here tonight, this hall still shines brightly. Why?
Because no matter how technology changes, the audience's original desire to be moved and inspired has never changed.

Film may fade, technology may become obsolete, but a great story never ends; it will be reborn again and again in a small cinema in Paris or in an open square in Rio de Janeiro.

Tonight, we are not just competing for the Hong Kong Film Awards; we are celebrating this unwavering creativity and paying tribute to the artists who have dedicated their lives to the screen—those who have passed away and those who are rising.

So, on this night dedicated to film, let us remember: we are not only storytellers, but also guardians of dreams.

After delivering a long and passionate speech, Robert Wise put down his notes, smiled at the audience, and said:

"Now, let us unveil the curtain on the 60th Academy Awards and witness together those moments that once again stir our hearts. Thank you."

The applause rang out once again, marking the official start of this year's Academy Awards ceremony. ABC broadcast the event live to over 90 countries worldwide, making it a truly global spectacle, eagerly anticipated by the entire world.

However, somewhat embarrassingly, the script for this year's Oscars ceremony was incomplete.

Previously, the organizers tried to approach Jiang Xian to write the script for this year's Academy Awards ceremony, but Jiang Xian was unwilling to get involved in the conflict between the Producers and Writers Guild of America.

Therefore, the organizers had to find another way and hired many comedians to create jokes for the show.

So Jiang Xian sat in the audience and felt that the Oscars ceremony was like a talk show, with a very happy atmosphere.

He couldn't help but wonder if it was precisely because the success of having comedians perform in this year's show that they retained the old tradition of inviting stand-up comedians, which led to Will Smith's slap when he rushed onto the stage.
Looking at it this way, it really is all part of the butterfly effect.

The first awards presented were mostly minor ones: Best Visual Effects, Best Supporting Actress, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Animated Short Film.
The lineup of presenters was equally impressive, including Sean Connery, who rose to fame for his role as James Bond in the 007 films.

Olivia de Havilland rose to fame with "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

There's also "Richard" from Friends, played by Tom Selek.

Even Mickey Mouse came as a presenter for the Best Animated Short Film award.

Soon after, Zhu Lin and John Lone, the male and female leads of "The Last Emperor," were invited onto the stage as presenters for the Best Documentary Short Film award.

The moment the two appeared, they immediately attracted the attention of the entire audience, because in the past period, "The Last Emperor" has been a huge hit film all over the world, and its nine nominations at this year's Oscars have also given the world a huge shock.

At this year's Academy Awards ceremony, every member of the creative team behind "The Last Emperor" received a great deal of attention.

"Say hello to everyone," said host Chevy Chase, a comedian who rose to fame with "Saturday Night Live," standing smiling beside the two.

Zhu Lin and John Lone made a gesture of mutual courtesy, and finally John Lone said "ladies first," so Zhu Lin had no choice but to pick up the microphone first and calmly face the camera:

"Hello, Hong Kong Film Awards."

Hello, Hollywood.

Hello, world.

"."

Chevy Chase led the applause on stage, and after the applause subsided, he said, "Hello, Zhu Lin, we are very happy to welcome you. How does it feel to attend the Hong Kong Film Awards for the first time?"

"not bad."

Facing the cameras broadcast live to the world, Zhu Lin appeared remarkably relaxed, radiating an indescribable sense of ease.
"There's a bit of traffic congestion on the road."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Chevy Chase gave an awkward laugh: "I heard you won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress recently. You must be in a good mood these days."

"not bad."

Zhu Lin nodded, "However, I have been trying to contact the organizers of the Hong Kong Film Awards. I suspect that they may have accidentally left me out of their list of Best Actress winners."

"Ha ha ha ha."

Chevy Chase was stunned. He laughed, but was also a little surprised. In his impression, Chinese people were very rigid. However, when he chatted with Zhu Lin, he found that her sense of humor was no less than his own as a comedian.

However, Zhu Lin's words were indeed quite explosive.

Historically, the winner of the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Television Film, especially in a performance category, often goes on to win the Academy Award.

As a result, Zhu Lin, a Golden Globe winner for Best Actress in a Television Film, didn't even receive a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards.

The difference in judging criteria for performance between the Golden Globes and the Academy Awards seems a bit too great, doesn't it?

Chevy Chase was well aware of the implications behind this issue and knew it was a sensitive one.

After Zhu Lin's reminder, the audience members also felt it was very unfair. It's just an award, why make it so petty?

They certainly knew that winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress proved that Zhu Lin had the ability to win the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress.

If there wasn't even a nomination, then the organizers' intentions were practically written all over their faces.

It's blatant political maneuvering!

Fearing that Zhu Lin might make another explosive statement, Chevy Chase quickly invited her offstage after presenting the award for Best Documentary Short Film.

He also understood that other actors still had to be somewhat afraid of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences behind the Academy Awards. If you offended the Academy, it would be difficult to make a living in Hollywood. Just like Will Smith, who was immediately blacklisted because of the slapping incident, and his career was basically over.

The reason is simple: all movies want to compete for the Academy Award, but if the Academy explicitly states that actors cannot participate in the Oscars or Academy activities in any form, then what movies would want those actors?

But Zhu Lin is different.

She's a Chinese actress who has always worked in China. Even if Hollywood is furious, it's none of their business.

Awards were presented one after another, interspersed with performances. Jiang Xian was quite looking forward to seeing if Michael Jackson, the current King of Pop in the United States, would make an appearance.

Although MJ is only thirty years old this year, he has already become a sensation in half of the United States. His major works, such as "Beat It" and the moonwalk, have been released and performed. His songs have topped the charts of major American music charts, with extremely high sales, and he has won countless Grammy Awards.

Last year, he also went to China and visited Zhongshan, Guangdong as a tourist. He took photos with the local villagers and spent eight hours there. This was the only trip he ever took to mainland China, as he later mentioned. He even sent the photos back to the tour guide and the local villagers.

In addition, there was a major news story in the United States this year: last year, MJ bought approximately 2700 acres of property in Santa Barbara, California.

He modeled the place after Disneyland, adding facilities such as a zoo, amusement park, train station, cinema, and arcade, and named it "Dreamland" after his favorite fairy tale, Peter Pan.

This year, he officially moved into this dreamlike manor, a life that most people could only dream of.

Furthermore, because he is kind-hearted, he invites sick children, the poor, and fans to visit the manor for free. There are also two isolation rooms in the theater in the manor for children who are undergoing chemotherapy and have low immunity to watch movies, in order to prevent them from being infected by bacteria.

In addition, he also hosted people who participated in expensive fundraising events at Neverland Ranch, as well as local students and sick children.

Later, everyone learned that because of these things he did, he was targeted by someone with ulterior motives, who fabricated a famous false accusation, calling him dirty and vulgar, which almost ruined his career and the reputation he had built up over the years.

While lamenting the unpredictability of human nature, Jiang Xian was also very interested in MJ's Dream Manor.

If he has the chance, it wouldn't be impossible for him to build one like that later.
As we were talking, "The Last Emperor" had already won seven awards, including Bertolucci's Best Director award. With seven wins out of nine nominations, it can be said to have been a resounding success, not to mention that there are still two nominations yet to be announced.

At this moment, Cuban singer Gloria Isteffen took the stage and sang a very well-known hit song, "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now".

Then it was finally time for the announcement of the Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Original Screenplay.

This award is quite the grand finale.

Because besides this award, the only remaining major awards are Best Foreign Language Film, Best Actress, and Best Picture.

Even Jiang Xian couldn't help but tremble as he watched the guest standing on the stage about to present the award to the screenwriter.

Because the woman standing on the stage is a famous actress who has amazed the world.
—Audrey Hepburn.

(End of this chapter)