When Jeff Bridges introduced Natalie, the camera turned to Natalie Portman, who smiled brightly and struck her best pose; when Jeff Bridges introduced Scarlett Johansson, she laughed and applauded with those around her, seemingly unconcerned about her competitors or the award itself.
But only Natalie Portman knew how nervous she really was!
After the applause, she quietly let one hand drop, clutching the hem of her dress. The deep red skirt was already wrinkled and crushed in her grip like a rag.
She knew this was her best chance to win. How much effort had she put in for today?
When she was initially rejected by the crew of Léon: The Professional, she was unwilling to give up, so she waited for director Luc Besson to leave work and intercepted him to win a second audition, starting the acting career she had dreamed of.
To become famous, when George Lucas visited the Heat crew to see Michael Mann, she worked hard to impress him and won the role of Padmé Amidala, becoming a globally renowned movie star.
To smooth her Hollywood path and create a distinctive image, she temporarily gave up Hollywood and studied at Harvard University, then went to Israel for further training, trying to please the influential elders in the Jewish circles…
How much had she sacrificed for today?
For today, she had even tried to make a devil's bargain with Duke Rosenberg!
"It's mine. It's mine. No one can take it away!"
Natalie Portman's face remained unchanged, but she clenched her fists tightly.
Not far away, Scarlett Johansson was also a little nervous. She held Duke's hand with a slightly stiff smile. Though deeply influenced by Duke, how could she not want to win at such a moment?
Jennifer Lawrence's arm hung at her side, fists clenched tightly. Even knowing her chances were slim, no one wanted to give up such an important award one that could change their life trajectory.
Annette Bening and Nicole Kidman were much more relaxed. They knew very well that unless a third world war broke out tomorrow, they had no chance, not even in their dreams. As Hollywood insiders, they knew who was the strongest contender for Best Actress this time.
However, no matter what they thought, all of them showed excellent acting skills, smiling brightly as if the next moment Jeff Bridges would call their name.
Leaning back in his chair, Duke was very relaxed, looking very confident.
A camera remained focused on him. Scarlett Johansson wore a bright yet reserved smile, her eyes drifting over all the competitors' faces on the big screen, waiting for the final result.
"The Oscar winner is…"
On stage, Jeff Bridges opened the envelope and paused. "Scarlett Johansson, Gravity."
When Scarlett's name was announced, Duke stood up first. Mrs. Leah stood up beside him. All the crew members stood up, and at the Kodak Theatre, everyone rose, applause starting scattered but then becoming steady and enthusiastic.
No matter what others thought, now everyone had to stand and applaud!
A standing ovation! Applause like thunder!
"Congratulations, dear!"
Duke opened his arms toward Scarlett. She covered her mouth, seeming unable to believe it, then threw herself into Duke's arms, hugging him tightly.
Then she turned behind Duke and hugged Mrs. Leah tightly.
"Thank you, thank you, Godmother!"
Leaning on Mrs. Leah's shoulder, tears shimmered in Scarlett's eyes. Only those close to her knew what role Leah Rosenberg had played in her growth.
Lifting the skirt slightly, Scarlett Johansson walked onto the stage and took the highest acting award in Hollywood from Jeff Bridges.
In the audience, Natalie Portman maintained a blank expression as she applauded along with everyone else. The chill she had felt before spread throughout her body. Only when Scarlett Johansson stepped to the microphone did she finally realize she had truly lost the Best Actress award she had dreamed of.
Her mother and fiancé Benjamin Miller whispered consolation, but Natalie didn't hear a word. She felt as if she had fallen into the eternal ice cave of the South Pole, freezing cold.
Summoning all her strength, Natalie slowly turned her neck, and her eyes finally fell on that upright figure. He was just watching the stage, as if only Scarlett Johansson on stage mattered, and she, the loser, could not attract any interest from him.
He was a demon! A Satan from hell!
If possible, Natalie wanted to curse him with every language, but none of it could change her failure.
She slumped back into her seat, her bright eyes gradually losing their shine.
"For me, this is a magical moment, an incredible journey."
Standing at the front of the stage, Scarlett was very moved. "This is the most beautiful moment of my life. I never thought I would stand on this stage. If I said I had never prepared a speech before, that would be a lie."
Looking at the little golden statue in her hand, Scarlett continued, "Along the way, I feel very lucky. I want to thank everyone who has been with me, the whole crew, my friends and family who always trust and support me, especially my family… Godmother, Duke, I love you all!"
With limited time, Scarlett quickly added, "This award means a lot to me. I feel extremely honored. No words can express how I feel now. Tonight will be unforgettable! Thank you very much!"
After finishing, she was led backstage by staff.
Backstage, Scarlett did not go far nor enter the interview area, but stood near the stage. The organizers did not urge her either, because the next award to be given was Best Director, closely related to Duke.
Hilary Swank passed by Scarlett and walked onto the Oscar stage.
"Robert Zemeckis, Steven Spielberg, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood — the Oscars' Best Director is filled with talents."
She stood before the microphone, calmly delivering the introduction, "At last year's awards ceremony, a female director made history by winning this award. Today, she is also here with us. Please welcome Kathryn Bigelow."
As Hilary Swank's words finished, the tall and imposing Kathryn Bigelow walked onto the stage, holding a large envelope, taking over Hilary Swank's spot.
"This year's outstanding films have been truly unforgettable."
The female director spoke with a slight nasal tone, somewhat like Sofia Coppola, "The directors are all exceptionally talented. Tonight, we gather here to appreciate these works and pay tribute to them."
She then turned to look at the large screen, coordinating with the images playing, "This year's nominees for Best Director are Darren Aronofsky for Black Swan, David Fincher for The Social Network, Tom Hooper for The King's Speech, Duke Rosenberg for Gravity, and David O. Russell for The Fighter..."
"Who will take home Best Director?"
This was undoubtedly Wang Ziming's main focus. Sitting at his computer watching the live broadcast, his brow furrowed deeply.
On the live stream, the host and a guest named Zhang Yibai were discussing this very question.
"In my opinion, Duke Rosenberg is the first to be eliminated."
Judging by his tone, Zhang Yibai was definitely an Oscar expert, "His producing style has never followed the Academy's traditional path, and Gravity is a science fiction film. In the 83-year history of the Oscars, no director has ever won Best Director for a sci-fi film!"
Literally, his words made sense, and Wang Ziming couldn't help but worry whether the Oscars would follow precedent and award the Best Director to someone else.
Zhang Yibai kept going, "I believe the most likely winner is David Fincher, followed by Tom Hooper of The King's Speech..."
As he spoke, Kathryn Bigelow had already opened the envelope, quickly glanced inside, then announced the result, "The Oscar for Best Director goes to... Duke Rosenberg!"
On the live broadcast, Zhang Yibai was left speechless, seemingly unable to believe the outcome.
At the computer, Wang Ziming gave a heavy wave of his hand, "He won!"
In the Kodak Theatre, warm applause had already erupted, as if no one found it surprising that Duke won the Oscar for Best Director with a sci-fi film.
In fact, it wasn't that surprising not just because of Duke's credentials and his promotion of Hollywood commercial films worldwide, but simply because he had previously won the Directors Guild Award for Best Director, which was already a strong indicator.
The applause roared like thunder. Duke stood up amid the thunderous clapping, and the entire Kodak Theatre rose to its feet again!
The director standing at the front was the highest-grossing director in history, the first filmmaker in cinema history to surpass ten billion dollars in box office revenue, a symbol of Hollywood!
Whether loved or hated, no one could change those brilliant, unmatched numbers.
Duke stood up and first looked toward Leah, his once-glorious and noble mother, who was gradually aging, her face lined with undeniable wrinkles, and her chestnut hair streaked with gray...
She was the one who educated and raised him, the most important person in his life.
"Mom, thank you!"
All his emotions condensed into that one sentence.
Hearing Duke's words,Leah hugged him with satisfaction, "Well done, Duke! You will always be my pride!"
Collecting himself, Duke exchanged high-fives with his crew one by one, then stepped back onto the stage.
.....
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