King of Hollywood-Chapter 179 - : Returning to the Oscars (Part 2)
Chapter 179: Chapter 179: Returning to the Oscars (Part 2)
“I’m delighted to see everyone here again, and I think most of you probably didn’t expect me to still be standing here after a year.” As the host of the awards ceremony, Billy Crystal appeared on stage with a serious expression and immediately said so, drawing loud laughter from the entire hall.
Last year, Adrian had already experienced Crystal’s methods of adjusting the atmosphere and his witty jokes. He clapped along with the crowd, but looking at his forehead, it seemed even more bald than last year.
“Just like this?” Crystal seemed dissatisfied, immediately spreading his hands, “Can’t you be more enthusiastic, or do I need to come down and hug everyone one by one?”
Laughter erupted again. Many eyes drifted toward Adrian, even the camera at the side of the stage turned toward him. Adrian, chuckling, shook his head and continued clapping as he watched Crystal on stage.
After teasing a few more people, he finally announced the first award to be presented. Unlike last year, the first category this time was Best Supporting Actor! Clearly, the organizers intended to capture the audience’s attention from the start.
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Adrian didn’t know how the television audience felt, but the atmosphere on-site certainly heated up, with Samuel Jackson in the front row visibly tensing his body.
Following tradition, last year’s Best Supporting Actress winner, Mercedes Ruehl, took to the stage envelope in hand. After her speech, as she waved the envelope, the big screen beside divided into several segments. The faces of the nominees appeared in succession, and the venue quieted significantly.
Though they all seemed composed on camera, anyone there could see that Jaye Davidson from “The Crying Game” was subtly heaving his shoulders up and down, using his breath to control his emotions; David Pimer from “Mr. Saturday Night” had his hands nervously moving together; Samuel Jackson, right in front of Adrian, sat up straight with hands clenched into fists trembling on his thighs; even Al Pacino, nominated for “Glengarry Glen Ross,” appeared calm but was unconsciously tapping his fingers on the armrest—of course, only Adrian, being so close, could notice that.
The most relaxed was Gene Hackman from “Unforgivable,” who had won Best Actor years ago and didn’t regard the Best Supporting Actor as quite as significant. Of course, that was all relative; in Oscar history, not many actors had won both Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor, so adding another such accolade was still a highlight of any actor’s career, which is why he kept his eyes fixed on the stage.
The atmosphere made Adrian excited as well, especially since his biggest competitor, the “Unforgivable” cast, was sitting nearby—or how else could he have noticed Gene Hackman’s condition. This was probably another deliberate arrangement by the organizers to attract attention.
According to the original history, Clint Eastwood would win Best Director for “Unforgivable,” a film that shattered the traditional hero myth of westerns. But now, with the addition of Adrian, who was nominated for Best Director for two films, it was uncertain who would ultimately win this award.
Everything that could be done had been done, so it was a wait-and-see situation. Adrian crossed his hands and watched the stage, thinking this way.
At that moment, Mercedes Ruehl had already opened the envelope, peeked inside with a surprised look, glanced over the audience, keeping everyone in suspense for a few seconds before smiling and announcing, “Gene Hackman!”
The quiet hall instantly burst into fervent applause. The incredulous Gene Hackman stared at the stage for a long time until someone beside him gave him a slap on the back, waking him up. He immediately jumped up from his seat, punching the air towards the ceiling, and seemed to be shouting “yes.” A man over sixty years old acted this way in front of everyone, showing how excited he was.
As for the other four, Samuel Jackson rubbed his face, not hiding his disappointment; Jaye Davidson shrugged, showing a helpless expression; David Pimer clapped his hands with gentlemanly grace, but his smile seemed forced; only Al Pacino was genuinely applauding for Gene Hackman.
“Don’t be discouraged, Samuel, there’s always next time.” After others had consoled Jackson, Adrian also stepped forward and patted his shoulder.
“I understand, it’s just my first nomination anyway.” Jackson smiled, although there was still some reluctance in his eyes, but he had mostly adjusted.
Adrian nodded, then looked back at Pacino, who was sitting a few rows back. Noticing his gaze, Pacino waved his hand indicating it was okay. It made sense; he still had a more significant nomination tonight, and in a way, losing Best Supporting Actor might even increase his chances of winning Best Actor.
So, Adrian didn’t say anything further and leaned back in his chair to continue watching the ceremony. After Hackman’s excited acceptance speech, the warm applause resounded for several minutes before Crystal reappeared on stage.
“Oh, I really envy Gene. He found a great collaborator and fully showcased his charm on screen. Oh God, why can’t they pick me to collaborate?” Kristo lamented toward the end, causing the audience to burst into laughter.
After a few jokes, the presentation of the Best Supporting Actress began, and the announcer was none other than Jack Palance, who had won Best Supporting Actress last year for ‘City Slickers.’
Watching Palance opening the ceremony on stage, Adrian sighed softly. He could have tried to secure a Best Supporting Actress nomination for ‘Howards End,’ but alas… And today, he couldn’t even excuse himself from attending the ceremony. How naive must one be, not knowing what to say, considering how many actresses long for a chance to walk the red carpet at the Oscars, even without a nomination.
Lost in thought, Adrian suddenly felt a stir in his heart and turned to look at Monica, who was staring at him without blinking.
“It’s nothing, just a pity I couldn’t secure a Best Supporting Actress nomination for you,” Adrian said with a slight smile, a transition he was all too familiar with.
“It’s okay, it will happen eventually, right?” Monica smirked, brushing her hair from her ears, her voice seductively low.
“Yes, it will,” Adrian laughed, subtly patting her on the thigh.
In the end, Marisa Tomei from ‘My Cousin Vinny’ won Best Supporting Actress, followed by a song and dance performance. The flamboyantly dressed performers delighted the audience with their fast-paced routine, and it would have been even better had Kristo not goofed around in the end. However, his antics had their perks; watching his slightly clumsy dance moves with the rhythm had many in stitches. But by the last segment, Kristo suddenly matched the dancers’ rhythm and performed spectacularly, turning the previous laughter into amazement and applause.
“Wow, that brief stint nearly killed me. I have to admire them for dancing so well,” Kristo joked again, “Of course, I’m not bad myself. If I lose my job, I can always dance in bars.”
The audience roared with laughter, and the applause was unending. The effort Kristo put into those last moves was evident. But, that was expected of him as the Oscar host.
Next, of course, came the technical awards—Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing, etc. Thanks to Adrian, ‘Jurassic Park,’ released at the end of ’92, received several nominations for its special effects. With the astonishing effects ‘Jurassic Park’ demonstrated, winning these awards was almost effortless.
Interestingly, ‘Howards End’ was also nominated for Best Art Direction and Best Costume Design, facing stiff competition from Coppola’s ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula.’ Eventually, ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ won Best Art Direction, while ‘Howards End’ won Best Costume Design.
“Maybe, when we have time, we can watch ‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’ together, Monica,” Adrian suggested with a smile to the woman next to him after applauding the costume designer of ‘Howards End’ for their win.
Though Monica didn’t understand Adrian’s sudden interest, she didn’t refuse—there was no need to.
“I’d be delighted,” she said, raising her eyebrows and smiling seductively.
Adrian wanted to say more, but Kristo, appearing on stage, caught his attention.
“Do you know what I found while watching ‘Howards End’? This kind of artistic movie is really a great tool for insomnia, although the costumes are indeed beautiful,” Kristo quipped unabashedly, always finding a way to make people laugh and making those who thought the movie was terrible likely agree with him.
However, Kristo then shifted his tone, “But, it is indeed a good movie, especially after I patiently read the original novel and realized how much effort Adrian put into the script—of course, it’s an experience I truly don’t want to go through again.”
“That guy.” Even with Adrian’s composure, he couldn’t help but roll his eyes amidst the laughter.
“Alright, let’s see what the next award is. I believe some people are already looking forward to it,” Kristo said as he slipped off the stage, and it was clear which award was next to be announced. (To be continued. For more, please visit www.qidian.com. More chapters, support the author, support genuine reading!)
