King of Hollywood-Chapter 545 - 266: Competition

With each year’s Oscar nomination list drawing countless attention, this year was no exception. Before its announcement, there had been plenty of speculation. However, as surprising as the discussions might have been, it wasn’t until the list was revealed that people realized, no matter how bold the predictions, one could still not foresee just how extravagant certain nominations would be. Indeed, life is always stranger than fiction.

"Shakespeare in Love" and "Elizabeth" both being nominated for Best Picture was expected; Gwyneth Paltrow and Kate Blanchett both being nominated for Best Actress was also expected; the Miracle Director receiving two Best Director nominations for "Shakespeare in Love" and "Elizabeth"... Hmm, that wasn’t anticipated—because Adrian had claimed all three Best Director nominations with "Shakespeare in Love," "Elizabeth," and "Mulholland Drive"!

When the list came out, many were momentarily speechless. It was just too exaggerated. Even though a few years prior, Adrian had received two Best Director nominations in the same Oscar ceremony for "Pulp Fiction" and "Howards End," obtaining three at once... Well, it wasn’t unprecedented in Oscar history, but those occurrences were from the ’40s and ’50s, and such an event was nearly impossible now.

"The Miracle Director proves once again that he can always create miracles," was the front-page headline of the "Washington Post."

"Decades later, another director has made a stunning reappearance, securing three Best Director nominations in a single ceremony, and he is still so young," "Hollywood Report" remarked with such emotion.

"Has the Film Academy been bought by AC Media?" someone questioned online.

"The Miracle Director is the best!" fans of Adrian celebrated joyously.

"Frankly, I’m also surprised. This is a huge recognition, and even if I don’t win, it’s still an honor," Adrian replied when asked about the nominations after returning to Los Angeles.

He was indeed surprised. He knew the film company had submitted three spots for him and hadn’t stopped it; Adrian didn’t believe the Film Academy would really give him three nominations. The surprise was that the old guys actually did it! What were they trying to do? Could they intend to give him the Best Director award again at this Oscar ceremony?

It had been nearly four years since he last broke the record to become the youngest director in Oscar history. Spielberg had also received his next Oscar statuette for Best Director four years after his first. However, now because of him, "Saving Private Ryan" had to be hurriedly completed, causing Spielberg to miss out on another chance at Best Director.

It could also be a coincidence, of course. The nearly 6,000 members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, most of whom likely wouldn’t have seen all the submitted films. Watching a few clips was already pretty good, and plenty voted without watching. Their votes relied more on the reputation of the movies and the lobbying of public relations, which made them easily influenced. The so-called relative fairness was only due to their large numbers making it impossible to be entirely swayed toward one side.

On this front, "Shakespeare in Love" needs no mention, a very thoughtful classic English-style comedy. Maybe winning Best Picture is debatable, but a nomination is absolutely deserved. As for "Elizabeth," after Adrian’s revisions and adjustments, the story had gained much strength, and its reputation was no less than "Shakespeare in Love," with North American box office reaching $80 million, though not as high as "Shakespeare in Love’s" $100 million, it did greatly exceed the original.

Therefore, it was not particularly startling that these two films secured Adrian simultaneous nominations for Best Director. The key was with "Mulholland Drive." It’s known that the old members of the Film Academy don’t favor this type of film. However, the oldest and most influential members within the Academy were quite professional, and not only did they watch the clips but also actively gathered related materials. As "Mulholland Drive" had just won a directing award at the Cannes Film Festival, providing an Oscar nomination seemed appropriate, so the bizarre occurrence of three nominations was actually possible.

Of course, no one knew exactly what had happened, and Adrian didn’t mind winning another Oscar statuette, but he hadn’t instructed his subordinates to engage in too much public relations.

"It’s simple, I have better plans. Now, winning another Oscar statuette would just make me look more impressive; it does not reach the astonishing or unprecedented level yet," he told his secretary.

"You always have a lot of plans," shrugged Charlize, indifferent. "What if they really award it to you?"

"That’s okay," laughed Adrian, waving his hand carelessly, "who knows, this might even turn out to be a blessing in disguise."

Aside from Adrian’s unique achievement of three Best Director nominations, there were plenty of other noteworthy points on the list of nominees. For instance, Hanks unsurprisingly snagged another Best Actor nomination. Having been nominated for three consecutive years and winning twice, many film fans hoped he would make history by winning yet another, his popularity far exceeding that of the other Tom.

Dennis wasn’t so lucky. Despite a respectable performance in "Shakespeare in Love," he failed to receive a nomination. Judi Dench, however, despite only appearing for about twenty minutes, was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Elizabeth I—a role apparently favored by the old guard.

"Good Will Hunting," also nominated for Best Picture, was not to be underestimated. Although Gus Van Sant missed out on a Best Director nod due to Adrian’s domination with three spots, other nominations were quite significant—the Best Original Screenplay was almost a given, considering the unchanged plotline of the film. Then Joaquin Phoenix, like his brother, secured a Best Actor nomination; Robin Williams was nominated for Best Supporting Actor, and Natalie got a nod for Best Supporting Actress.

On the day the nominations were announced, Adrian called Natalie to congratulate her. The first-time Oscar nominee, though thrilled, couldn’t hide a hint of worry in her voice.

"Is something bothering you, Nata?" Adrian asked bluntly.

"No... nothing, just a bit nervous, you know... it’s my first time," Natalie quickly replied. "Don’t worry, I’ll be fine soon."

Despite her reassurances, Adrian sensed a disguise in her tone. Though he found it somewhat strange, he didn’t press further, merely offering comfort, "Well then, I’m looking forward to seeing how beautiful you’ll look at the ceremony."

The biggest loser in this year’s nomination list was probably Terrence Malick. Before this, his self-written and directed "Thin Red Line" was widely praised—some even extravagantly proclaimed it the best WWII movie and dubbed Malick the "Film Poet"—unfortunately, he snagged neither a Best Picture nor a Best Director nomination.

This, in fact, was normal. Malick’s works are few, but they epitomize auteur cinema—that is to say, they are utterly self-indulgent, showing no concern for the audience’s viewing experience, a trait even more pronounced than many European directors’. To put it more bluntly, he made films solely for himself. His father was an executive in an oil company, and he himself had worked there, giving him the capital to splurge on his endeavors.

Such movies might typically catch the eyes of Oscar jurors, but with more and better options available, they’d end up cast aside.

Nevertheless, Adrian’s opinion of Malick was somewhat favorable. At least Malick wasn’t like those European directors who boasted unabashedly after indulging in their own world. The man kept a low profile, seldom giving interviews, with few photos of him in circulation—traits similar to Adrian’s own. But future behavior was unpredictable; memories were many, and people changed, so Adrian didn’t feel sorry for edging out his competition.

With the announcement of the nominations, various speculations began to abound again, such as which film would take the Best Picture, or whether the Miracle Director could bag another Best Director after four years. But the most gossip-worthy topic was whether Gwyneth or Blanchett would take home the Best Actress award. Both were Miracle Girl and both collaborated with the Miracle Director, so whom would Adrian support?

"That’s a tough decision, isn’t it?" Adrian lay back on his bed, wrapped in a white blanket, hands behind his head, and chuckled at the two beautiful women snuggled up on either side of him.

"Not at all, you just have to pick one," Gwyneth’s fingers traced playfully across his chest, glancing over at Blanchett.

"Exactly, which is why I’m the perfect choice," Blanchett, resting her head on Adrian’s shoulder, took the lead unapologetically.

Both women’s bodies were partially exposed, their bare skin catching the golden rays of the morning sun filtering through the window, and the intimate parts were tantalizingly half-concealed—everywhere lay an alluring hint of spring.

"Really? Don’t you think you’re a bit too arrogant, Kate?" Gwyneth immediately retorted with a cold laugh.

"Of course not, I just think you’re overestimating yourself, dear," Blanchett said with a beaming smile, then kissed Adrian on the neck.

"How ridiculous. Although your soliloquies are outstanding, without someone exceptional to set you off, they often have the opposite effect," Gwyneth huffed softly, then nestled her breasts into Adrian’s arm with a seductive smile, "Right, Ed?"

Faced with the two of them who started sparring with words upon waking up, Adrian couldn’t help but laugh out loud, feeling somewhat proud. They had shown signs of this earlier, like last night, although it was the usual threesome, they were always much more passionate when it came to one-on-one. After all, there was only one Oscar to be won, and while there had been a tie in the past, it was the result of many coincidences. Although Adrian could always achieve what was beyond others’ reach, neither Gwyneth nor Blanchett would pin their hopes entirely on that possibility.

Besides, how could sharing the spoils compare to enjoying them alone? They were already sharing a man, and with many other women at that, so why should they also share this honor? Even though for over a year now, Gwyneth and Blanchett had been "intimately inseparable."

"You see, this is my dilemma," Adrian sighed, "I can’t bear to see either of you lose, but honor is always more dazzling when one claims it alone." He stroked Gwyneth’s chin and caressed Blanchett’s cheek, appearing to have a hard time making a decision.

"I’ve said it, I’m the best fit, Ed," Blanchett immediately chimed in, her gray-blue eyes filled with longing and provocation, "You know, there are things that Gwyneth rarely does even now."

"Don’t listen to her, Ed," Gwyneth quickly countered, her gray-green eyes flashing with irritation, "True, there are things I do less often than you, but there are also things that I do better than you do!"

That was the insidious part—they didn’t feel there was anything inappropriate about so openly vying for Adrian’s favor. If they weren’t worried about each other holding back cards, their words would have been even less censored and more without limits.

"Okay, ladies," Adrian soothed with a laugh, "don’t rush, there’s plenty of time, and competition should be healthy, right?"

His words had a deeper meaning, and both women were momentarily taken aback. Then Blanchett was the first to regain her composure, flashed a smug smile at Gwyneth, and suddenly dove under the covers. It was only after the blanket covering Adrian’s lower body ballooned into a large bulge that she realized what was happening, her eyes flaring up as she immediately flipped the blanket and followed suit.

"Ha!" Adrian couldn’t help but let out a laugh, followed by a sharp intake of breath. Just by the tangled shapes under the blanket, he knew how fierce the struggle was, let alone the more direct sensations.

He sucked in breath after breath until finally, in the struggle, the blanket was completely thrown off, revealing a more direct view of the battle between the two women below. Not to get into details, but those two red tongues—one as nimble as a swimming fish, the other as unpredictable as a spirit snake—sometimes fought their separate battles, sometimes entwined together, either cooperating or competing.

The towering pillar along with the two keystones were not spared from the battlefield. Among the participants were not only the fish and spirit snake but also the bright petals, the pristine shells, and the all-encompassing universe that gave shelter to both. The earth-shattering battle ended with streams of crystal liquid soaking everything at the end.

It was the first time Adrian had enjoyed an encounter of such intense ferocity. Even though he breathed heavily, after such a three-round fight, under one particularly bone-melting attack from Blanchett, he had to let go of control.

In that moment, it was as if the fountains in Haywood Park, Sydney, had their valves opened. Countless sprays of water erupted upward, and the woman responsible for it all danced joyously in their midst.

"I won!" A flushed Blanchett propped herself up, panting and said to Gwyneth. Although one eye couldn’t open, her triumph was unmistakable.

Gwyneth, unwilling to admit defeat, gazed at her and grabbed onto the fountain still spouting tiny sprays of water, licking her lips. "Round two starts now!"

No matter how much attention the Oscars garnered, the award ceremony was still over a month away. Before that, many other awards events would unfold sequentially, such as various film critics association awards and guild awards, among others. People always liked to use these events as indicators of who might be closer to an Oscar, and the media were equally enthusiastic. Even though some of them knew that these awards didn’t necessarily correlate with the Oscar results, ratings, subscriptions, and sales volumes were everything.

On February 23, the 56th Golden Globe Awards ceremony took place as usual in the Hilton Hotel of Beverly Hills; many Hollywood stars attended. Regardless, the Golden Globes still carried significant weight. Adrian was also there, and although he had not attended the Golden Globes often, this time he was there because of his nominations for Best Director for both "Shakespeare in Love" and "Elizabeth," so he came to the Hilton Hotel.

Of course, most of all, he was there to support his woman. Ever since Blanchett had officially "declared war" on Gwyneth that day, Adrian had enjoyed an extraordinary pleasure. While threesomes were quite common, both Gwyneth and Blanchett often held back somewhat. But now, that reserve was also being let go of, to his great delight.

This was precisely what Adrian wanted to see. After all, if a woman keeps breaking her own limits in front of you, then she will have no more limits left in front of you.

Bringing them together in the first place was a wise decision, Adrian thought proudly to himself while applauding Gwyneth on stage.

She had just received the award for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy and was giving an excited speech. Over on the other side, Blanchett looked slightly displeased; the award for Best Actress in a Drama that she was nominated for had gone to someone else. Even though she knew this did not decide the Oscar’s fate, losing to Gwyneth inevitably made her somewhat unhappy.

"What’s the matter, it’s not like you lost directly to Gwyneth," Adrian whispered to Blanchett when he found the chance.

The Golden Globes were given out in a hotel, so the guests were all seated at round tables. With Gwyneth’s father also attending, Adrian avoided going over there even though the two production crews were sitting together; he had to be extremely careful even when speaking.

But once they were back home, there was no need to be so cautious.

"I am truly sorry, Your Majesty, but I won this round," Gwyneth teased, swaying the trophy in her hand with a triumphant tone to Blanchett.

"You’ve always been lucky, Miss Viola, but luck doesn’t last forever," Blanchett replied arrogantly, lifting her chin while sitting with a wine glass in hand.

"Let’s not talk about that now. I wonder if Your Majesty would be willing to dance with me," Adrian said with a smile, walking over and taking the wine glass from Blanchett’s hand before downing it in one gulp.

"As you wish, Mr. Adrian," Blanchett immediately extended her hand into his.

"Perhaps, a change of attire might be better?" Adrian suggested.

"No problem," Blanchett said, looking at Gwyneth. "Perhaps Miss Viola would be willing to lend a hand? Mr. Adrian would certainly like you to change as well."

"It would be my pleasure," Gwyneth replied, pretending to pick up the hem of her non-existent skirt and curtsying. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your votes and support the author. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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