[Chapter 375: The Oscars]
"Link, look here!"
"Director Link, can I interview you?"
This year's Oscar ceremony took place at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, attended by hundreds of movie stars and crew members, and was broadcast live across America by ABC.
As Link walked down the red carpet with Renee Zellweger, hundreds of reporters outside loudly shouted his name, inviting this hotshot to give interviews. Given that The Sixth Sense was still running and needed publicity, Link stopped to answer questions from the reporters.
The media's primary concern was whether he had accepted apologies from Richard Gere and the media, and if he would continue to seek accountability and demand financial compensation.
Link stated he accepted their apologies, but mentioned that many media reports had been quite malicious, causing substantial damage to him and his company. His lawyers would pursue action based on the extent of the media's impact.
Matt Kerrang of USA Today asked if there were reliable sources indicating that recent negative attacks against him were orchestrated by competitors to prevent him and Guess Pictures from winning at the Oscars. Would he agree with that? If he missed an Oscar because of this, would he be disappointed?
Link replied that there was currently no evidence proving anyone targeted him, so he wouldn't comment for now. Regarding the possibility of winning at this year's Oscars, he said it didn't matter much. For a director, the best reward was the adoration of countless fans and accolades from peers post-release. Awards were merely the icing on the cake.
"Director Link!"
Al Simmons from the Los Angeles Times shouted, "There's a rumor that Richard Gere's recent televised apology was not voluntary but under some external pressure tied to you. What's your take on that rumor?"
Link glanced at the reporter, somewhat familiar but unable to recall his name. "I haven't heard that rumor and won't comment on baseless speculation. As the victim here, I don't appreciate your insinuation; it's a second harm to my reputation."
"Director Link, the media reports indicate that since 1992, you've reportedly dated 34 women. Is that true? And among these women, none are African American. Does that mean you don't find black women appealing?"
Charlie, a reporter from the New York Post called out.
The gathering gasped! After Charlie asked this question, fellow reporters turned with admiration; many wanted to ask but hesitated, considering Link's status and the interview's decorum.
Now hearing a question, they widened their eyes in anticipation of Link's response.
Before Link spoke, Renee Zellweger, standing beside him, stifled a laugh and leaned in, suggesting he should date an African American woman to quiet the rumors.
Link waved his hand, asking if there were other film and Oscar-related questions; otherwise, he would leave.
Reporters asked about his new movie's filming status -- its genre, when production would wrap. Link briefly answered and then ended the interview, heading with Renee into the Chandler Pavilion.
...
"Hahaha, that reporter's question was hilarious. Just because you don't date black women, they suspect you're a racist! Why not date an African American woman to shut them up?" Renee joked, leaning against his shoulder.
"No need. We're celebrities and can't let media comments affect our lives." Link replied.
"I heard that black women are known for being fit, and their butts are full of meat and elasticity; shouldn't you give it a try?" Renee winked.
"Your own butt isn't small either," Link teased, playfully squeezing her plush figure.
"Of course not!" Renee said, smiling confidently.
...
Once at the awards venue, Link's seat was centrally located in the first row, flanked by the crews of Sense and Sensibility on the left and Braveheart on the right. He found familiar faces from The Shawshank Redemption, Apollo 13, and other film crews around him.
After he arrived, many around stood up to greet him, including Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Mel Gibson, and others who approached for small talk, asking about his new film and wishing him luck on winning several golden statues that night.
Nicole Kidman, Sharon Stone, Kate Winslet, and Alicia Silverstone also came over to greet him, showing great enthusiasm. However, he sat with Renee, Sandra Bullock, Sophie Marceau, and Diane Lane, leaving no chance for other women to get too close.
...
"Link, you're so popular! If we weren't here, those women would rush in and strip you down!" Sophie Marceau joked.
"Yeah, they look at you like hungry wolves gazing at a juicy steak, ready to devour it whole!" Diane Lane added with a laugh.
"Then I should thank you for your protection," Link chuckled.
"No problem!" Diane planted a kiss on his cheek in front of the crowd.
Sophie Marceau followed suit, giving him a kiss on the right cheek.
...
Click!
In the back, the Butterfly Effect crew's Leonardo DiCaprio made a strange noise upon witnessing this.
"What's up?" Mark Wahlberg turned in confusion.
Leonardo held his heart, "I'm heartbroken! Ms. Sophie Marceau is such a beauty, the perfect woman in my eyes. I can't believe she would do that publicly. I envy Link so much!"
"Right? I never expected that either," Mark sighed. After the release of Braveheart, Sophie had stunned the world with her role as Princess Isabella, earning her the title of France's most beautiful star.
However, nobody expected that she would entangle herself with Link, the notorious playboy. This left many of her admirers sighing, equally jealous of Link's love life and frustrated with Sophie for choosing him over so many options.
Yet, as Mark sighed, his gaze wandered over to Sandra Bullock -- his ultimate crush. Beautiful, outgoing, and with an incredible figure. During the filming of The Net, he knew Sandra was Link's woman and lived with him, but he could hardly control his feelings for her.
Unfortunately, his affection seemed unreciprocated.
Mark shook his head, another day of envying Link.
...
"Bitch!"
From the back VIP area, Nicole Kidman quietly cursed, feeling quite unhappy.
She and Link had known each other for a long time. Had she not married, she would have ranked among the top ten in Link's girlfriend list.
Now, after taking a few months because of her divorce, Link had attracted a few more women, and these women were publicly showing affection to him, clearly trying to announce their relationships and gain fame and resources through Link.
Watching Link surrounded by women, Nicole realized she could no longer wait; she had to get closer to Link and solidify their relationship quickly.
---
Clap! Clap! Clap!
With roaring applause, host Whoopi Goldberg took the stage, and the Oscars officially began. The audience fell silent, observing the award ceremony and performances, starting from Best Supporting Actor to the grand finale of Best Picture, totaling 24 awards.
In the middle, Link stepped away for a moment to present the Best Picture award.
After three hours of awards, all 24 Oscars were handed out. Ultimately, Guess Pictures won six awards; Sense and Sensibility took home three -- Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Costume Design.
The Sixth Sense received two awards, including Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing.
The Butterfly Effect won Best Supporting Actress, awarded to Renee Zellweger.
With 27 nominations down to six awards, it was a modest performance.
The biggest winner at this year's Oscars was Braveheart, which snagged five awards out of ten nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Nicolas Cage won Best Actor for Leaving Las Vegas, while Meryl Streep won Best Actress. Kevin Spacey clinched Best Supporting Actress for The Usual Suspects.
Miramax had three films nominated but did not win any awards. Their hopeful contender, Mighty Aphrodite, also failed to secure any wins in fierce competition.
---
"Harvey, you promised me that Mighty Aphrodite would win at least one award, yet you didn't deliver!" Woody Allen grumbled, clutching his drink, thoroughly displeased.
Woody was short, while Harvey Weinstein stood opposite, round and bulkier, almost resembling a monkey facing a hippo.
Harvey frowned, grinning, "Woody, that's not my fault. I did my best, seriously. I invested over six hundred thousand dollars in the award campaign for Mighty Aphrodite, initially estimating that we should secure Best Supporting Actress and Best Original Screenplay.
But Guess Pictures spent more on their Best Supporting Actress push; reportedly, over two million -- we can't compare to Link, a billionaire. The loss of Mighty Aphrodite was significant for the company."
"Link!" Woody turned to glance at the dashing, dark-haired young man in the crowd, seething inside. Ever since the scandal about him and his adopted daughter broke in the 90s, Woody had rarely attended award ceremonies.
He went to this Oscar ceremony thinking Mighty Aphrodite had a shot, hoping to mock Link with a trophy in hand. Instead, he felt it was all for nothing.
"Link was getting too arrogant! Previously, his films only stole box office numbers, but now he's after awards too, intending to monopolize them all, preventing genuinely good films from profiting and gaining recognition. If this trend continues, the North American film industry might go bust!" Harvey said in anger. "We should stop him!"
"What's the plan?" Woody frowned in inquiry.
"Link has the money and movies that keep succeeding; defeating him on the film front is tough. We need to unite every possible force to block him, especially persuading the big seven studios to get involved," Harvey explained.
Woody nodded, agreeing to get in touch with fellow filmmakers to join in.
...
After discussing for a while, Harvey noticed fewer people around Link and approached him to test the waters, wondering if Link was aware of his manipulation.
"Haha, Link, your company picked up six trophies this time; congrats on the big win!" Harvey smiled broadly while keeping his serious gaze on Link.
"Thanks! But with 27 nominations to only six wins, it doesn't feel like much of a win," Link replied, maintaining a calm demeanor.
"That's still better than us! We received seven nominations and ended up with nothing. Only Paramount, out of the big seven, managed to pick up a few awards for Braveheart, while the rest of us fell short against Guess Pictures; it's impressive how powerful Guess Pictures has become!" Harvey puffed out his belly, grinning like a frog.
Link smiled and complimented Miramax's two films released early in the year for their success at the box office, mentioning potential collaborations on good movie projects.
Harvey nodded and relaxed, noticing Link's attitude remained unchanged compared to before.
"Link, it's great that Guess Pictures has become powerful, but I suggest you keep a lookout. The big studios haven't given up on trying to sabotage it. I suspect the rumors about you meddling in Richard Gere's marriage came from their side to prevent you from winning an Oscar. From what I just saw, they might have succeeded."
Harvey spoke earnestly, appearing to genuinely care about Link's situation.
Link chuckled lightly and thanked Harvey for the reminder. Had he not known Harvey's connection to this issue beforehand, he might have actually fallen for his apparent sincerity.
...
"Hey, Harvey, how's the chat with Link going? Can I borrow him for a moment?"
Emma Thompson, the lead actress and screenwriter of Sense and Sensibility, and Kate Winslet approached to greet them.
"Of course, have a wonderful night!" Harvey joked before leaving.
As he walked a few steps, he spotted a group of attractive women gathered around Link, actively making advances, filling him with jealousy and envy. He silently vowed to work harder in filmmaking, striving to outshine Link, hoping those women would one day come to him too.
...
"Link, seeing as you're an investor in Titanic, why haven't you visited the crew?" Kate Winslet asked, her face beaming with friendliness.
"I haven't had the time; I'm busy preparing my new film. Besides, I trust director Cameron's capabilities. Whether or not I visit the set doesn't matter," Link smiled.
"It does matter! Our crew was excited to hear you invested, hoping to spot you and get your autograph. Please come visit us when you get a chance; we'd be thrilled to have you at the set!" Kate enthusiastically suggested.
Link considered it and nodded, expressing he could visit if time allowed -- he was indeed interested in the making of Titanic.
While chatting, he noticed Nicole Kidman and Meryl Streep standing a short distance away, engaged in conversation, their eyes occasionally glancing in his direction and winking.
A smile crossed Link's lips. After Kate and company exited, he set his drink down and headed to the VIP restroom.
...
Upon entering, Nicole Kidman closely followed him in. Wearing a strapless evening gown, her golden-brown hair draped over her shoulders, she was tall and alluring. In the restroom's bright light, her skin appeared smooth and radiant, with a delightful fragrance filling the air.
"I just divorced, so do you still want to reject me?" Nicole tilted her head back, leaning against him.
"Will you regret it?" Link inquired, wrapping his arms around her fragrant figure.
"What do you think? I've nearly given up everything for you."
"You did well. I won't give you a chance to regret it." Link said no more, leaning down to kiss her red lips, guiding her from the sink to a stall.
...
After exiting the restroom, Link summoned an assistant to see Nicole off, then returned to the party to mingle with fellow filmmakers, searching for potential investment projects.
Around ten o'clock, the Oscar party ended, and Link, with Renee Zellweger, Sandra Bullock, and Sophie Marceau, headed back to his Beverly Hills home.
As Renee had won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, they hosted an intimate party in the villa, with Renee as the star of the night. They ended up partying until they were utterly exhausted.
---
After the Oscars, the media began reviewing the awards, finding points of interest to hype.
The first hot topic was "Hollywood's King, the Great Director Link, leaves the Oscars empty-handed." This year, he had two films nominated, achieving five nominations and setting a record for personal nominations at the Oscars.
Statistically, he should have taken home at least one award. However, due to negative press, he walked away with no trophies.
The Chicago Tribune commented that the Oscar judges should focus on the films themselves in future selections, awarding those who performed well rather than being swayed by rumors and public opinion, as it both undermines the efforts of filmmakers.
The second hot story was that The Shawshank Redemption became the biggest Oscar loser. The film received seven nominations this year but walked away with none.
Fans, disappointed, felt it was unfair since its themes were profound, the performances outstanding, and the plot compelling, yet it won nothing.
Fans catapulted its IMDB score to 9.9, making it the highest-rated film on the site by the number of ratings.
Guess Pictures' PR department, realizing this situation, leveraged media hype, magnifying fans' sentiments, showcasing The Shawshank Redemption as the "tragic darling" of awards season, thus boosting its visibility.
Thanks to Guess Pictures' marketing efforts, The Shawshank Redemption's exposure increased during the Oscars, resulting in a noticeable spike in box office.
The third reporting hot topic involved The Sixth Sense underperforming at the awards.
Currently, the movie's global box office had reached $968 million, edging close to the billion mark.
If it had won a few major awards at the Oscars, the box office milestone could have been surpassed even faster. Unfortunately, this great film secured only two not-so-important technical awards.
Media outlets and fans speculated that the reason The Sixth Sense didn't win was due to the judges being influenced by negative press, redirecting votes that should have gone to it towards others. Link was perceived as hindering the film's success.
Aside from the three main stories, other interesting news emerged from the Oscars, including action star Jet Li and NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar serving as presenters; Nicolas Cage crowned Best Actor; Meryl Streep winning her second Best Actress award; and Emma Thompson becoming the first person in Oscar history to win both acting and writing awards; followed by Sophie Marceau and Diane Lane kissing Link in public, causing quite a stir.
However, compared to the first three news items, these stories garnered less traction and attention from media coverage.
...
Due to the news coverage, following the Oscars, the six films from Guess Pictures that either won or were nominated saw a notable increase at the box office.
The Sixth Sense's North American box office totaled $463 million -- an increase of over twelve million since February.
The Shawshank Redemption currently grossed $108 million in North America, adding $8 million since February.
Sense and Sensibility accumulated $62.41 million, marking a rise of $5.8 million.
Other films like The Butterfly Effect, While You Were Sleeping, and In & Out also saw significant box office boosts during the awards season.
According to various departments, during the Oscar period, the total box office increase for the six nominated films from Guess Pictures reached $32 million, a 37% rise from January-February.
Guess Pictures had invested about $6.5 million in Oscar promotion. When factoring in international box office gains and video market revenues, the Oscars brought in net profits exceeding $12 million for the company.
Thus, the investment during the Oscars was deemed worthwhile.
...
"Link, not winning an Oscar, are you disappointed?" At the villa, Cindy Crawford leaned against Link's left side, holding a fruit platter, occasionally feeding fruits to him and Nicole Kidman.
"My goal was to win Best Director, but given my age, I didn't expect they would award it to me just yet. I've anticipated this outcome and won't be disappointed," Link replied, perusing the newspaper.
"Exactly! Link is so talented; attending the Oscars is a courtesy to the Academy. Winning or losing doesn't affect him much," Nicole, nestled against him, looked blissfully satisfied.
Cindy smiled slightly, glancing at Nicole. "Nicole, how does it feel now? Are you very happy?"
"Yes, it's an unprecedented happiness." Nicole gently rested her head against Link's shoulder, "I'm 6 feet tall, while Tom Cruise is only 5'7. I never felt joy with him. Every second with Link is double the happiness and fulfillment. My only regret is not pursuing Link immediately when I first met him, delaying my happiness for three years."
"Link, look at her, she's such a little tease. Shouldn't you give her some more to swallow?" Cindy joked, popping a red strawberry into Nicole's mouth.
"She needs to rest a few days; there's no need to rush," Link affectionately stroked her golden hair.
"Darling, you're so good," Nicole beamed and kissed his cheek.
Link smiled and continued to read the news. Following the Oscars, The Hollywood Reporter released the previous year's performance, including the 1995 North American Box Office chart, total box office revenue by various film companies, the yearly director box office rankings, and the yearly male and female actor box office rankings.
*****
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