Chinese Entertainment: Academic Director

Chapter 277 How to Choose from Six

Compared to the sensational news of Cao Yang winning the Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay for the third consecutive year, even though the last major award in the television category, Best Series, was presented right after Best Screenplay, the guests' reaction was not particularly enthusiastic.

In the United States, the Golden Globe Awards are second only to the Oscars in terms of scale, number of participating stars, and star power.

However, if we're talking about who values ​​the Golden Globe Awards the most, without a doubt, it's television actors.

Television actors who win major Golden Globe awards almost always naturally transition to Hollywood.

So the actors who won Best Series were very excited, but the reaction at the scene was rather lukewarm. The guests were still thinking about Cao Yang's feat of winning Best Screenplay for three consecutive years, which was quite a shock to them.

Unfortunately, the next award presented was for Best Foreign Language Film.

This is something that hardly anyone cares about.

The award was presented by Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey.

Matthew McConaughey isn't that famous right now, while Sarah Jessica Parker is quite famous, especially in the television industry.

Her starring role in "Sex and the City" was a huge hit in the United States and had a significant impact.

Interestingly, Sarah Jessica Parker received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress for every season of Sex and the City.

Furthermore, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series at the 58th, 59th, and 61st Golden Globe Awards for her role in "Sex and the City".

She almost won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress for the third consecutive time.

She was also nominated for the 60th Golden Globe Awards, but the Golden Globe Awards did not make her the third consecutive winner of Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy Series.

Therefore, she is very sensitive to the phrase "three consecutive terms".

She had high hopes for the 60th Golden Globe Awards in 03. Her agency and she spent a lot of time and effort working on it. Winning two consecutive Golden Globe Awards is different from winning three consecutive Golden Globe Awards. Unfortunately, she didn't win in the end.

The biggest shock came when Cao Yang won the Best Screenplay award for three consecutive years.

She remembered an old man from the Hollywood Foreign Press Association telling her that the Golden Globes wouldn't give anyone the same award three years in a row.

However, thanks to her efforts, the old man was very satisfied and promised her that he would do his best to help her win Best Actress again next year. Although it wouldn't be three consecutive years, winning three Best Actress awards would still be a remarkable achievement.

But what's the deal with Cao Yang being named the best screenwriter?

Even when she went on stage to receive the award, perhaps because it was so close to Cao Yang winning Best Screenplay, with only one award in between and so little time to spare, Sarah Jessica Parker was still in shock and indignation.

So much so that his mind went completely blank, and he forgot all the lines he had rehearsed with Matthew McConaughey beforehand.

Fortunately, Matthew McConaughey reacted quickly and skillfully, taking over the conversation and saving Sarah Jessica Parker from an awkward situation, thus preventing a embarrassing moment.

The following films were nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Golden Globe Awards:

Kung Fu, China.

Wuji, China.

Merry Christmas, France.

"Paradise Now," Palestine.

Gangsters, South Africa.

The winner is…

Matthew McConaughey handed the envelope to Sarah Jessica Parker.

I thought to myself, "Big sister, I don't know why you suddenly became an idiot, but don't be an idiot. At least you can open the envelope, read the name, and that's it, right? Otherwise, people will really think you're an idiot."

Chen Hong suddenly felt her hand tighten. Old Chen had actually grabbed her hand for the first time ever, but he used a bit too much force, and it hurt her a little.

Chen Hong knew very well that, despite Old Chen's seemingly calm demeanor, he was actually very nervous inside, to the point that he cared so much about the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

She couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Old Chen... was no longer the spirited Old Chen he once was.

In fact, a large part of the reason for all of this lies with Cao Yang.

Cao Yang is too successful.

As the senior student, and someone who always considered himself the elder brother, Chen was becoming increasingly insecure.

Old Chen's most prestigious award is the Palme d'Or at Cannes, which was once the only one of its kind.

But Cao Yang also received this award.

So, in front of Cao Yang, Lao Chen had no reason to be arrogant at all. Unlike Lao Tian, ​​he hadn't long since let go of his pride. Lao Chen was too concerned about saving face.

"Too proud to suffer for it" perfectly describes a scholar like Old Chen.

Chen Hong knew him better than Lao Chen himself. Although Lao Chen wouldn't admit it, Chen Hong knew that from the moment Lao Chen asked Cao Yang to help him win the Best Foreign Language Film award, he had actually "give in."

Sarah Jessica Parker opened the envelope, glanced at it, and mechanically read: "The Promise".

Matthew McConaughey looked at Sarah Jessica Parker, and seeing her look up after reading, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly before speaking into the microphone: "China!"

Sarah Jessica Parker made a serious mistake; the Best Foreign Language Film award requires the country name to be read out, and she didn't.

Fortunately, Matthew McConaughey salvaged the situation. He had been on tenterhooks ever since he realized his partner was out of sorts, and he was on high alert, ready to step in at any moment.

The guests in the audience applauded symbolically, and few noticed Sarah Jessica Parker's mistake, assuming that was how it was designed.

Old Chen was especially excited, and Chen Hong could clearly feel it, because when the award presenter read out "The Promise," her hand suddenly hurt, as Old Chen had squeezed it quite hard.

However, Old Chen remained outwardly calm. He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his inner excitement, nudged Chen Hong, and whispered, "You're the producer, you go up."

The award for Best Foreign Language Film can be accepted by either the producer or the director.

Chen Hong did not refuse.

Old Chen is a renowned director who has won the Palme d'Or at Cannes and a Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film. He probably felt that going up there would be a bit "undignified" for him.

Stephen Chow was very disappointed. His film "Kung Fu Hustle" received very good reviews and was much better than "The Promise" in mainland China.

Unfortunately, in terms of box office, although "Kung Fu Hustle" grossed 1.7 million yuan in mainland China, it still lost to "The Promise" which grossed 1.8 million yuan.

Now, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film has been lost to "The Promise".

It's so frustrating. Even if it were just any foreign film that won this award, it would be much better than losing to "The Promise" in a direct confrontation.

Several more awards were presented, and Cao Yang went backstage to prepare. He was going to present the grand prize for Best Director that evening.

The suspense surrounding this award is actually quite small; Cao Yang is almost certain it will be for "Brokeback Mountain".

After realizing their chances of winning the Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture were slim, Focus Features set their sights on the Golden Globes.

"There are always some exceptionally talented directors who can make classic films and create characters that are deeply ingrained in people's minds and unforgettable..."

Cao Yang felt a little awkward as he delivered his warm-up remarks before the awards ceremony.

Sure enough, the guests in the audience started laughing.

Then came a round of applause and cheers.

Cao Yang felt somewhat helpless. Awarding the Best Director award was certainly the right thing to do, but saying it himself felt like he was bragging.

"There are many excellent directors in the audience today, you are all the future pillars of Hollywood... Oh my god, who wrote these lines? Did you get the wrong ones? Director Eastwood, did you secretly switch my lines with yours?"

"Ha ha……"

The guests laughed again.

This is the official script, and Cao Yang didn't make many changes. It's a way to interact with Eastwood and create some laughs.

Cao Yang smiled along, and waited until the applause subsided before saying, "In any case, being nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Director is an extremely commendable achievement. The nominated directors are:"

Woody Allen's *Match Point*, George Clooney's *Good Night and Good Luck*, Peter Jackson's *King Kong*, Ang Lee's *Brokeback Mountain*, Fernando Meirelles' *The Constant Gardener*, and Steven Spielberg's *Munich*.

The winner is…

Cao Yang opened the envelope and, sure enough, he had guessed correctly.

“Li An, Brokeback Mountain”.

The Golden Globe Awards visuals are much cruder than the Oscars visuals; there aren't five squares showing the nominees at the same time, and then the winners taking up the entire screen.

The audience burst into applause.

Li An went on stage, and Cao Yang handed him the trophy, saying, "Congratulations, Director Li." "Thank you, thank you."

Cao Yang remembered a news story from his previous life: Clint Eastwood was the presenter for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and after Li An won the award, he lowered his head and kissed the hand of the presenter, Clint Eastwood.

It's just like in Western etiquette, where a gentleman kisses a lady's outstretched hand in a very gentlemanly way.

Fortunately, Li An didn't try that on Cao Yang, and Cao Yang was also very reluctant to do so. Just thinking about being kissed on the hand by a grown man made him feel very uncomfortable.

Zhang Ziyi felt a pang of sadness again.

"Brokeback Mountain" helped Lee An win Best Director at the Venice Film Festival and then at the Golden Globe Awards.

It's surprising that after such a big fall, Li An was able to start over in the art film industry and successfully make a comeback.

The two people on stage are the most successful Chinese directors in Hollywood.

Of course, although Li An has recovered his losses, he is still far behind Cao Yang, a fact that Zhang Ziyi is well aware of.

Looking at Cao Yang's handsome face, especially compared to Li An and the other "older men" directors, Cao Yang seemed like the protagonist in a story. She once again regretted that she hadn't taken the initiative enough.

After a few more awards were presented, Renée Zellweger took the stage to present the Best Musical or Comedy Film of the night, which was nominated for "Juno".

Cao Yang knew that the award could not be given to "Juno".

Even if the Golden Globes wanted to steal the spotlight from the Oscars, they wouldn't make it too controversial.

Otherwise, if the Best Picture in a Musical or Comedy category had gone to "Juno," then as the producer, the award would have been rightfully Cao Yang's.

"Brokeback Mountain" should also win Best Picture in the Drama category. If that happens, the biggest awards, including the two Best Picture winners, as well as Best Director and Best Screenplay, will all be won by Chinese people. Wouldn't those people in Hollywood go crazy?

After careful consideration, the Golden Globe Awards preferred to let Cao Yang win Best Screenplay for the third time rather than Best Picture.

Winning Best Screenplay for three consecutive years is definitely sensational, even better than giving Cao Yang Best Film.

After several more awards were presented, it was finally time for Best Actress in a Drama Series. Zhang Ziyi was nominated for this award for her role in "Memoirs of a Geisha," and she really wanted to win it.

Several candidates appeared on the big screen one by one.

Zhang Ziyi was very nervous. Among the five nominees were Charlize Theron, an Oscar-winning actress, and Gwyneth Paltrow, an Oscar-winning actress who had not won an award.

Of course, even Gwyneth Paltrow, who has been criticized, still won a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in 99, despite the controversy surrounding her Oscar win.

When the award presenter announced the winner.

The good news is that neither of the two Oscar-winning actresses won this award.

The bad news is that Zhang Ziyi didn't get it either.

This caused Zhang Ziyi to feel frustrated, disappointed, jealous... all sorts of emotions welled up inside her, leaving her with mixed feelings.

She felt a great sense of crisis.

Actually, it's not just a matter of the four leading actresses and five people anymore.

As the mainland market continues to improve, a large number of Hong Kong and Taiwanese artists are moving to the mainland, leading to increasingly fierce competition among female stars.

In November, Shu Qi won the Golden Horse Award for Best Actress at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards.

This is yet another major competitor.

More than that.

"Perhaps Love," starring Zhou Xun, is a major contender for this year's Hong Kong Film Awards, and Zhou Xun is also a strong contender for Best Actress.

If Zhou Xun also wins the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress in April, Zhang Ziyi will be in an even more awkward position.

She originally thought that after winning the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actress and the Hong Kong Film Award for Best Actress, plus the Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress that she had already won, this series of Best Actress awards would surely allow her to stand firmly among the Four Great Actresses.

But no!

Of the five actresses in the "Four Great Qingyi" category, four are top three European film queens. Anyone without an international film queen is embarrassed and ridiculed.

Zhang Ziyi must be cursing right now. She doesn't know which bastard started it. The current atmosphere in China is terrible. Everyone is always comparing awards, especially international awards. Screw that!

Even the three leading actresses are now competing for awards; is the world any better?!
You're all leading ladies, is it really necessary for you to be chasing awards? If you all had awards, wouldn't you be just like me?
How am I, a mere courtesan, supposed to conduct myself in this situation?
Thinking about this, Zhang Ziyi was furious.

The three leading actresses have all won major domestic film awards. Should she, as a Qingyi actress, return to the category of leading actresses since she hasn't won any international awards?

There are now stupid media outlets and stupid reporters saying that they want to re-rank the Four Great Qingyi and Four Great Huadan, and the meaning behind this is self-evident.

And now she's missed out on the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress, which is really worrying!

Just as Zhang Ziyi was filled with worry, the final Best Picture award in the drama category was presented, to Anthony Wong's "Brokeback Mountain".

Judging from the awards, there is no doubt that Brokeback Mountain is the biggest winner tonight.

It won a total of three awards: Best Picture in a Drama, Best Director, and Best Original Song. Among them, Best Picture in a Drama and Best Director were the most important awards.

However, Cao Yang's three consecutive Best Screenplay awards overshadowed everything else.

After the Golden Globe Awards ceremony, the guests did not leave. There was a Golden Globe after-party hosted by NBCUniversal, also known as a celebration party.

NBCUniversal has a close relationship with the Golden Globe Awards.

The Golden Globe Awards, hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, is one of the most important awards in the global film and television industry, and the broadcasting rights for its awards ceremony have long been held by NBC.

NBCUniversal was formed in 2004 by the merger of NBC (National Broadcasting Company) and Universal Pictures.

Focus Features, the company that invested in Brokeback Mountain, was newly established in 2004 and is a subsidiary of Universal Pictures.

Now you know why Brokeback Mountain won two of the most important Golden Globe Awards, right?

NBCUniversal is one of the major financial backers of the Golden Globe Awards.

Although the Golden Globe Awards are a banquet, it mainly consists of drinks and snacks. You can't actually eat and drink while they're presenting the awards, can you?
So the NBCUniversal party was very timely; everyone started eating, drinking, and bonding.

Of course, Cao Yang is the most popular today.

Although there were big directors like Spielberg and Eastwood at the party, Cao Yang was the most popular because he could promote people, write good scripts, win awards, and had high box office returns. He was also young and handsome.

"Director Cao, thank you."

Zhang Ziyi raised her wine glass, clinked it against Cao Yang's, and said with a smile.

"no need thank me?"

Cao Yang was a little confused. He hadn't helped Zhang Ziyi with anything, and Zhang Ziyi hadn't won an award today.

"Director Spielberg told me that you recommended me for 'Memoirs of a Geisha,' and of course I want to thank you."

Cao Yang was initially confused, but after thinking for a moment, he remembered this matter.

Spielberg initially asked him to contact Li Xiaoran and the other two, so he had them create some buzz around it, then claim they had to drop the project because of a passionate scene, and subsequently recommended Zhang Ziyi, thus subtly putting Zhang Ziyi at a disadvantage.

"You're welcome. Spielberg insisted that I recommend actors, so I just gave you a nod."

Zhang Ziyi stared intently at Cao Yang, pursed her lips, and said:
"Director Cao, this film has been a great help to me. You should know how difficult it is for Chinese actors in Hollywood. Resources are so scarce, and every resource is extremely precious. I don't know how to thank you enough to express my gratitude..."

Zhang Ziyi hugged Cao Yang and handed him a room key, saying softly, "Director Cao, I admire and respect you very much. I hope you can come and give me some acting coaching when you have time."

Watching Zhang Ziyi leave, Cao Yang stuffed the room key into his pocket, wanting to laugh.

He now has six room keys in his pocket.

Charlize Theron secretly slipped him one, Anne Hathaway secretly slipped him one, Scarlett Johansson, whom he had just met, also slipped him one, and Keira Knightley also slipped him one.

Emma Stone gave him one too, and said with a smile, "Dear director, you don't actually have to wait until I'm eighteen, you can do it anytime."

Adding Zhang Ziyi's, that makes six.

"Cao Yang, thank you."

Old Chen and Chen Hong walked over together. Old Chen clinked glasses with Cao Yang and drank half of his glass in one gulp.

"Senior brother, you're too kind. We're on the same side."

Sister Hong clinked glasses with Cao Yang and said, "You're right, we're family."

Then, she downed the glass of wine in one gulp.

(End of this chapter)