Hilton Hotel, Golden Globe Awards ceremony.
As usual, a long red carpet stretched all the way to the edge of the asphalt road, surrounded by media reporters and super fans from all over the world.
This year, China's entry for the film awards was Director He Ping's "warriors of heaven and earth," but unfortunately, it did not win the favor of the association and was not nominated for Best Foreign Language Film.
This also cast a shadow over the Oscar Awards a month later; if it couldn't even get a Golden Globe Awards nomination, it was highly likely to return empty-handed from the Oscar Awards.
The result was not as good as last year's "Hero"; facts proved that adding the words "warriors of heaven and earth" was useless, and a Chinese-American co-production was also useless.
However, if one were to say it was due to ideological animosity, deliberately blocking it, that would not be the case.
Firstly, China had not yet hosted the Olympic Games, and the world's attention was not focused there; the West had not yet considered this giant dragon an adversary.
Secondly, looking at the other nominated films, one would know: "Osama" from Afghanistan, "The Barbarian Invasions" from Canada, "Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Quran" from France, "The Return" from Russia, and "Good Bye, Lenin!" from Germany.
Even Russia could be nominated, even Lenin could be nominated, what more could you ask for?
However, Eric still saw the Chinese media logos, Sina and Sohu; as for official media, he didn't spot any.
"Look here, Eric, smile, you'll look even more handsome when you smile."
Eric's lips curved slightly upwards, accommodating the photographers.
Spielberg, passing by, paused and looked at him curiously.
"What's wrong, Steve? Is my attire inappropriate? Or is there something on my face?"
Spielberg shook his head: "No, I'm just curious why you're standing here alone? I remember you're the director and screenwriter of 'transformers' and 'blue is the warmest color.'"
"And the producer of 'monster,' as well as the co-screenwriter and producer of 'get out.'"
"You have four crews to choose from, but you're all alone, which seems very strange."
Clint Eastwood also happened to pass by and overheard their conversation.
The even older man couldn't help but stop, saying with a playful tone: "From my life experience, it's probably because he has too many choices, so he has no choice at all."
Eric spread his hands helplessly: "Did you hear that? This old gentleman has made a brilliant summary."
Clint Eastwood was right; he indeed couldn't get involved with any single group.
Gadot hoped he would be with her, as Eric had put the most effort into "transformers."
The Olsen Sisters, on the other hand, believed that "blue is the warmest color" had the most nominations, making them the protagonists tonight, and Eric should accompany them.
Theron believed Eric had promised to help her contend for Best Actress, so she also hoped he could sit with her to boost her presence.
Nicole, though she had no works, understood her ex-husband Tom Cruise well, knowing he would definitely attend with his young girlfriend Penélope Cruz.
So she hoped Eric could walk the red carpet with her, vowing to outshine him.
Each of the five women had her own agenda, all wanting to monopolize him.
Eric had no choice; being with anyone would inevitably displease the others.
Forget it, I'll just go by myself.
As the three talked, they heard someone behind them shout: "Nicole, you look so beautiful today, let's take a picture."
Eric looked back at the sound, only to see Nicole approaching in a gold and white backless dress, high heels, and holding an Hermès bag.
Accompanying her was a plump woman, half a head shorter, looking in her fifties, in a black and red evening gown.
Soon the two met, and Nicole, pulling the woman, proactively approached and said: "Eric, you look so handsome tonight."
"You too. And this is?" Eric asked casually.
"My mom, Jenny."
"Hmm?"
The woman smiled and said: "Hello Eric, Nicole has spoken about you; she said you are a very remarkable person."
Unexpectedly, the person opposite him was one of his future mothers-in-law. Out of his Chinese soul, Eric quickly shook her hand.
"Hello Jenny, although this is our first meeting, I must say, you are truly beautiful. I've found the reason why Nicole has such a lovely face."
Jenny covered her mouth and laughed heartily: "No wonder she said you are a remarkable person; your words are so pleasant to hear."
"Come visit us sometime; I'm a very good cook."
"Of course, I've had ostrich meat, and I imagine it must have come from a top chef."
"Hahahahaha. Your mouth is so sweet."
Nicole secretly winked at Eric, then pulled her mother away to find their seats.
Watching the two leave, Eric was still a bit bewildered, having completed his first meeting with his mother-in-law in a daze.
"Since when did it become fashionable to bring your mom to the red carpet?"
Hearing his mumble, Spielberg said: "Not only Kidman brought family, but it seems many people have this unspoken understanding tonight."
"Jane Fonda brought her son Troy Garity, Jamie Lee Curtis brought her daughter Annie."
"Patricia Clarkson brought her elderly father, Kevin Costner brought his 17-year-old daughter."
"Everyone seems to have agreed, and many are not from the industry."
Eric joked: "They say the entertainment industry is always cold and heartless. I think this time, with everyone bringing their families to the Golden Globe Awards red carpet, they want to show affection to the outside world."
"Why not love?"
"Heh heh. Because love is fleeting; the divorce rate and infidelity rate in Hollywood are even higher than in France! Only family affection will always accompany us."
Entering the hotel and finding his seat, the layout this time was similar to the Emmy Awards, with round tables where crews or familiar people sat together.
The organizers clearly considered Eric's situation, so the four crews were arranged in a square, front, back, left, and right.
Eric could sit inside the square, making it convenient for him to switch between each crew at will.
But Eric could only curse this arrangement, thinking, "You guys are really meddling where you shouldn't."
Being so close, wouldn't the women be practically face-to-face?
He had wanted to avoid this situation, always trying his best to prevent it. Damn the association!
Finally, Ashley and Mary took the initiative, pulling him to sit between them, sandwiching him from left and right.
Gadot and Theron, arriving a step late, could only curse silently and sit down, blaming the reporters who kept them from leaving.
As the clock struck 8 PM, the 61st Golden Globe Awards for Television and Film officially began.
The camera showed the entire venue, then zoomed in for close-ups, with Michael Douglas, Jack Nicholson, and Cate Blanchett all flashing by.
Eric waved at the camera, and many women watching the live broadcast instantly exclaimed how handsome he was.
The key was that he was not only handsome but also super rich, practically a dream partner.
Since the NBC news live broadcast a few days ago, Eric's fame across the United States had soared, his title as the youngest super-rich far outweighing his director's title.
Then, host Ellen DeGeneres took the stage, delivering a stand-up comedy routine that drew applause and laughter from the audience, and the ceremony moved into the awards segment.
The first award to be presented was Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Meryl Streep, in a black dress, walked onto the stage.
She wasn't someone who excelled at telling jokes, so after a few opening remarks, she proceeded with the ceremony.
"Nominees for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama are Peter Sarsgaard for'Shattered Glass,' Ken Watanabe for 'the last samurai,' Alec Baldwin for 'The Cooler,' Albert Finney for 'Big Fish,' Tim Robbins for 'mystic river,' and William H. Macy for 'seabiscuit.'"
Meryl Streep opened the envelope: "The winner is Tim Robbins for 'mystic river'!"
The camera focused on Tim Robbins. This 45-year-old triple threat—actor, director, and writer—needed no introduction; "the shawshank redemption" had already proven everything.
He walked onto the stage with a smile, accepted the trophy, and shared a brief, polite kiss with Meryl Streep, not the excited kind Nicole would give.
After thanking the association, director, and producers, he walked off the stage.
Then, the four female leads of "sex and the city" appeared together to present the award for Best Actor in a Television Series – Drama.
This year, "the walking dead" received no Golden Globe Awards nominations, leaving many fans crying foul and injustice.
Some felt that at least Best Screenplay should have been awarded, given the excellent script, which had even won an Emmy Awards.
But in fact, the Golden Globe Awards for television did not have a Best Screenplay category; perhaps the association felt it wasn't professional enough to judge this award.
While Best Supporting Actor, which Daryl Dixon won, did exist, it was a combined category for Drama, Comedy, and Miniseries, not separate awards.
To get a nomination here, the difficulty tripled, so Daryl Dixon was also eliminated.
But it didn't matter; Darabont was filming the second season of "the walking dead," which was the original third season's prison arc, widely considered the most exciting part, was about to begin.
He was confident it would conquer both the audience and these judges.
Subsequently, Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy was won by Bill Murray for his brilliant performance in "lost in translation."
"the lord of the rings: the return of the king" took home Best Original Song, receiving the first award of the evening.
On stage, the savior Keanu Reeves and the killer bride Uma Thurman appeared to present the award for Best Original Score – Motion Picture.
The "transformers" crew immediately tensed up, all eyes fixed on the envelope in Uma Thurman's hand.
"Score is a crucial part of a film; it makes the movie more enjoyable, allowing it to offer both visual and auditory stimulation."
"Uma, can you imagine 'Pulp Fiction' without its score?"
Uma Thurman swayed her feet, her body gently rocking, performing the classic twist dance from "Pulp Fiction."
After a few shakes, she immediately stopped, covering her face with her hand and shyly saying: "This is the most shameful thing in the world!"
Hahahahaha
The audience burst into laughter.
"So the next award is to honor those masters of film scoring: Howard Shore for 'the lord of the rings: the return of the king,' Hans Zimmer for 'the last samurai,' Gabriel Yared for 'cold mountain,' Danny Elfman for 'Big Fish,' and Steve Jablonsky for 'transformers.'"
The camera showed each person. Although they were behind-the-scenes personnel, they were important components of Hollywood and cinema.
Uma Thurman opened the envelope and, together with Keanu Reeves, announced: "The winner is Howard Shore for 'the lord of the rings: the return of the king.'"
The hotel instantly erupted in applause. The "transformers" crew deflated; their only nomination was lost.
Everyone quietly comforted Steve Jablonsky, who smiled with resignation. He hadn't held much hope anyway, and losing to "the lord of the rings" was no disgrace.
The awards ceremony continued, and several television awards were handed out.
To Eric's disappointment, his beloved "friends" still received no awards.
"Chandler" Matt LeBlanc was nominated for Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy, but unfortunately lost to Ricky Gervais for "The Office."
These award ceremonies seemed to have made a pact: either give awards to everyone or to no one.
It's unclear if it's because it's widely rumored that this year will be the tenth and final season of "friends."
The six friends had been filming for ten years and were exhausted, and each of their salaries had risen to 1.2 million US dollars.
Not 1.2 million per season, but 1.2 million per episode. Six people meant 7.2 million US dollars per episode, plus the cost of other actors, as well as venue, salaries, equipment, etc., bringing the production cost of one episode close to ten million. This was the main reason for its conclusion.
But don't assume high costs mean losses; NBC calculated it very clearly—they were just earning less.
Moreover, the conflict with the six main actors was already deep. Continuing to film would likely cause more trouble, so timely termination was also a good choice, allowing everyone to maintain some dignity.
They must have known "friends" was ending, so they planned to save the awards for the next season, just like "the lord of the rings."
Then it was time to present Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama. Future Marvel Falcon Anthony Mackie was nominated, and the "get out" crew became tense.
James Wan and Leigh Whannell cheered him on. Eric also stared at the stage; this was the only male acting award nomination for MGM's four films, and he really wanted it.
However, the competition was fierce: Sean Penn, Ben Kingsley, Elijah Wood, Jude Law, Tom Cruise—none of them were easy to beat!
"The winner of Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama is Elijah Wood for 'the lord of the rings: the return of the king'!"
After Jennifer Lopez announced the result, Elijah Wood's eyes widened in surprise, an expression of disbelief.
Gandalf, Viggo Mortensen, and others quickly hugged him, celebrating and roughhousing.
This result was somewhat unexpected, as Sean Penn had been the favorite to win, but then again, this was "the lord of the rings."
Anthony Mackie first sighed, then smiled and clapped. He was indeed too young, with too little weight in Hollywood.
Eric turned and patted his shoulder in comfort. Anthony Mackie smiled: "It's nothing, Mr. Cooper. If I don't win, your and Leigh Whannell's chances for Best Screenplay increase."
Eric thought, "This young man knows how to talk; the Falcon role is still yours."
Amidst applause, the Golden Globe Awards began its musical performance, featuring Kelly Clarkson, the first season winner of "American Idol."
Seeing and hearing her voice live, Eric suddenly remembered that the famous song "Stronger" was hers.
Well then, sorry, it's mine now.
After the performance, a dazzling figure walked from backstage to the microphone—it was the resplendent Nicole.
She held an envelope in her hand, her gaze subtly glancing his way.
"Next, we will reveal the Best Screenplay award. Each of them is the most outstanding writer, depicting vivid and beautiful stories on page after page."
"It is with these excellent stories that excellent films are born."
"Nominees for Best Screenplay are Eric Cooper, Leigh Whannell for 'get out,' Sofia Coppola for 'lost in translation,' Patty Jenkins for 'monster,' and Brian Helgeland for 'mystic river.'"
With each camera flash, a burst of applause erupted, until Nicole read the final nomination: "Eric Cooper for 'blue is the warmest color'!"
Clap, clap, clap.
The applause suddenly intensified sharply.
With two films simultaneously nominated for Best Screenplay, this was a first for the Golden Globe Awards.
Not to mention the Golden Globe Awards, but also the Oscar Awards, the three major European festivals, San Sebastián, Tokyo, Golden Horse.
Across all major influential film festivals worldwide, this was an unprecedented occurrence.
Especially since Eric was truly too young; theoretically, his birthday hadn't even arrived yet, so he was still under 24 years old.
Achieving this at the age of 24, he had already broken many records: the youngest Golden Globe Awards Screenplay nominee record, and the youngest Best Screenplay double nomination record.
It would be extremely difficult for anyone to challenge this in the future, perhaps only if they sent someone to Pluto.
On stage, Nicole opened the envelope, her face beaming with a smile as she announced: "The winner for Best Screenplay is..."