Chapter 689
: Four Major Awards Combined in One Person
The news about the current president, which had been making headlines, seemed to have been put on hold, and its popularity suddenly dropped.
The best way to divert public attention from a trending news story is to create a completely new trending topic.
Therefore, whether Leonardo DiCaprio could win the Oscar for Best Actor and achieve his dream of becoming a Best Actor became the focus of media hype.
Ordinary news is hard to overshadow the president, but this is Leonardo DiCaprio, a man at the pinnacle of Hollywood acting, and possesses an extraordinary legendary status.
Regardless of what happened after the movie "The Big Ship," the rumors with Hillary Clinton alone are enough for the media to dredge up and report on for a month.
Moreover, Leonardo DiCaprio also starred as the male lead in the biopic "Sirius," playing the famous character of Zackton.
In addition, Leonardo DiCaprio has been pursuing the Oscar for Best Actor for more than a decade without success.
These are all highly topical.
Oscar ballots by mail have long since stopped being issued, so hype surrounding Leonardo DiCaprio will have little impact on the final results.
It's been fifteen years since Leonardo DiCaprio's infamous attention-grabbing remarks.
Fifteen years of waiting have finally come to an end today.
Leonardo entered the newly renamed Hollywood Highland Center and went straight to the VIP room on the second floor, where he met Hawke and Erica.
He was both excited and nervous: "After so many years in the industry, I've found that my mental resilience is actually quite average."
Hawke, certain that the outcome would be as expected, reassured him, "Keep a calm mind, and don't be speechless when you get on stage."
Leonardo smiled and said, "The more people want something, the more they care about it when they can't get it."
Tom Cruise then came in from outside and said, "Leo, you're turning into a philosopher."
Leonardo hugged him and said, "I feel like these people at the academy are driving me crazy."
Everyone laughed.
Eric and Katherine then came over to say hello, saying, "A lot of people want to come to our party; they all want to support Brian."
People in Hollywood are particularly adept at maximizing benefits and minimizing risks.
“Once the election starts, you guys plan your schedules.” These things had already been discussed, Hawke reminded him, “We might need you to be there in person to cheer for Brian.”
Tom Cruise and his two companions readily agreed.
The theater was getting more and more crowded, and a huge poster lit up on the big screen on the first floor, featuring only one person—Meryl Streep.
This year's Oscars have a particularly strong commemorative feel.
Posters of Meryl Streep were hung everywhere in the Hollywood & Highland Center, and the Oscars even produced a special commemorative booklet for her, which was given to every guest and audience member who attended the awards ceremony.
Erica flipped through the commemorative album, but her attention wasn't on Meryl. She asked, "Why did the Kodak Theatre suddenly change its name to Hollywood Heights Center?"
Hawke simply stated, "Kodak's business has shrunk so much that it can no longer afford the $400 million annual theater naming rights fee. The Academy and CIM Group have terminated their contracts with Kodak and are reportedly in talks with Dolby."
Erica belongs to the generation that grew up with Kodak film, and she was somewhat surprised: "I knew that Kodak was not as good as it used to be after digital technology matured, but I didn't expect it to have come to this."
Hawke said, "Kodak may not last more than a few years before it goes bankrupt. Hollywood directors who like to use film, such as Christopher Nolan, want to save Kodak, but the amount used by these directors is too small to revitalize Kodak's business."
Erica nodded, quite moved: "Those who can't keep up with technological advancements will inevitably be eliminated."
She then looked towards the lobby on the first floor of the theater and reminded Hawke, "Spielberg is here. Isn't that Indian man next to him Mukesh Ambani?"
Following Erica's direction, Hawke first spotted Spielberg wearing round glasses, then Daniel Day-Lewis to his right, and the Indian man to his left was none other than Mukesh Ambani, the Indian tycoon.
Erica was a little worried: "What if things change?"
"Don't worry," Hawke said, speaking the truth: "India has the power to make money, and so do we."
He thought for a moment: "We also have a group of Indian spies constantly sending us messages."
Erica couldn't help but laugh and asked curiously, "Where's Mukesh's brother, Anil? He didn't come this time."
Hawke had already received a call from India, saying, "Anil and Abhishek came to Los Angeles together. They seem to be pursuing a Hollywood actress. They should be in the lobby downstairs. They'll be attending the party the film crew is having tonight, and they'll talk to me about it then."
Erica asked, "About satellites?"
Hawke said, "Next month, West Coast Technologies is going to deliver all the satellites to the Indians. But things are different now. The Indians think they have the final payment in hand, that they have my Achilles' heel, and they want to buy the most advanced drone technology."
Erica knew that Hawke had no liking for Indians whatsoever, and even hated the group of lizard riders.
Just like with Starlink satellites, Hawke never considered selling these technologies, or even slightly more technologically advanced products, to Indians.
Of course, if Indians want to buy, there are plenty of three-wheeled vehicles.
She half-jokingly offered a random suggestion: "Could we do what we do with satellites, sell empty drone shells to Indians, and then collect a large deposit?"
“It will be very difficult.” Hawke did not underestimate India: “The satellite products are about to be delivered. The products have actually been shipped and must arrive in Mumbai in early March. At that time, our relationship with the Indians will inevitably deteriorate sharply. It will be difficult to make money from the Indians in the same way again.”
The music started playing, and Erica stopped talking and reminded everyone, "The awards ceremony has begun."
Billy Crystal returns to the Oscars hosting stage after many years.
However, the opening was devoid of the usual comedic song and dance numbers, instead featuring a somber tribute to Meryl Streep.
In the audience, Harvey Weinstein, who had been suppressed for another year, felt that time was passing too slowly and hoped that the year would pass quickly.
He bought a black-and-white silent film called "The Artist" in the first half of last year, intending to compete for an Oscar.
But the things Leonardo DiCaprio said to him were like a sharp blade hanging over his neck, making Harvey dare not step forward to compete for the Oscar.
Competing with others might at most result in losses and criticism, but competing with the script for "Silali" could very likely lead to disgrace and even death.
Fortunately, Harvey has received clear news that Eric Jones will take a long break after this year's Oscars, and Tom Cruise will return to the Mission: Impossible series.
Most importantly, the man who had been supporting them behind the scenes lost interest in the Oscars after achieving his goal.
After this year's Oscars, Hawke Osment will probably stay away from the Oscars for a few years.
The era of Harvey Weinstein's Oscars will eventually return to Hollywood.
Mukesh Ambani, who was seated in the first two rows, saw his brother Anil waving to him.
The two brothers not only turned against each other, but were also enemies in a sense.
Mukesh tried to pretend he didn't see it, but his younger brother Anil always tried to outdo him, jumping around in front of him.
He asked Spielberg, "Don't we have any chance at all?"
Spielberg couldn't lie to his financial backers: "If Meryl Streep hadn't been shot and killed, we might still have had a chance to compete with the 'Sirius' crew, but now the chances are slim." Meanwhile, Daniel Day-Lewis looked quite grim. In order to make another run at the Oscars for Best Actor, he had moved to Los Angeles more than a year in advance to mingle with the Oscar voters and even do drugs with them…
In terms of acting skills, he's miles ahead of Leonardo DiCaprio.
But an Oscar-winning actor's success isn't just about the role and acting skills.
The first Best Supporting Actor award was given to Tommy Lee Jones from the film "Lincoln".
Based on Daniel Day-Lewis's understanding of the Oscars, he has no chance of winning Best Actor.
Awards were presented one after another, and among the technical awards, the "Sirius" team won no other prizes besides Best Editing.
The main cast and crew seemed relaxed until the Best Actress award was announced.
"Meryl Streep won the Oscar for Best Actress!"
Death is a powerful and moving experience, especially for someone who is a recognized acting talent.
As expected, Meryl Streep won the last Best Actress award of her career.
At this moment, the entire audience stood up and applauded.
Meryl's husband, her adult daughter Grace, and Louisa walked onto the stage together to accept the award on Meryl's behalf.
Oscar reached its climax at this moment.
The awards ceremony also achieved the highest viewership ratings in recent years.
This also made Eric Ethan's subsequent win of his third Academy Award for Best Director seem rather uneventful.
Perhaps because he had already won two Best Director awards, Eric himself wasn't particularly excited.
He quickly said a few words in his acceptance speech and went backstage.
When reporters stopped him for an interview and asked about the key to his success, Eric almost blurted out – "Choice is more important than effort."
Many directors have pursued this for years, such as Martin Scorsese, who lost out on an Oscar because of "Los Angeles Fire," and David Fincher, who is known for his film noir.
Eric considers himself a lucky guy, and his greatest stroke of luck was taking his first feature film to the Sundance Film Festival more than a decade ago.
Because he met Hawke in Parker City.
Without Hawke's help, there would never have been these three Oscars for Best Director.
It was at this time that Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who won the Best Actress Oscar for her role in "Sugar" and was pregnant, stepped onto the Oscar stage.
She watched as the big screen announced the nominees for Best Actor.
"Daniel Day Lewis's *Lincoln*, Leonardo DiCaprio's *Siali*, George Clooney's *The Descendants*..."
Jacqueline opened the envelope and announced the result directly: "The Best Actor award goes to Leonardo DiCaprio."
Since Leonardo DiCaprio won almost every iconic prelude award for Best Actor, no one in the room was surprised.
This wasn't an upset; the most popular candidate won.
Leonardo DiCaprio was overjoyed. He hugged the cast and crew members one by one, then quickly walked onto the stage and accepted the Oscar statuette.
He stood in front of the microphone and, as usual, thanked the Academy, the judges, and his competitors, emphasizing, "This is an extraordinary moment. To receive this golden statuette, I must first thank the people who helped me escape from the dark forces. I was once controlled by them, and they even cast a huge shadow over the entire United States, committing unforgivable crimes!"
"Compared to those victims, I am lucky, so I starred in this movie and took on this role to tell the world how filthy and despicable those evil forces are, despite their mouths shouting about democracy and freedom!"
"Today, I stand here to declare war on them. I will be a warrior and fight them to the very end!"
The urging drumbeats continued, and Leonardo didn't walk backstage until he finished speaking his last sentence, waving his fist in frustration.
Leonardo DiCaprio finally realized his dream of winning an Oscar, taking home his first Best Actor award.
At that moment, he seemed to have truly become a warrior for freedom and democracy, fighting against the dark and corrupt Democratic Party forces and striving for the future of America.
Movies are closely linked to politics, and are often tied to political purposes, both in the United States and elsewhere.
Hollywood has always been a battleground for political forces, and the political correctness of the Oscars has always been blatantly displayed.
If someone else had said this, it might have caused a huge controversy.
However, Leonardo DiCaprio was a victim of the Hillary Clinton and St. James Island incidents, a fact that had already been disclosed by the media and reached a consensus across the United States.
"Silali" has won three major Oscars, including Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Director, making it the biggest winner of the night.
Clint Eastwood, a leading figure of Hollywood's hard right wing, served as a presenter for Best Picture at the Oscars.
With this person's appearance, everyone understood that the outcome was already decided.
After briefly introducing the nominees, the old cowboy announced the results directly: "Best Picture is 'Silali,' congratulations to the 'Silali' team."
Following last year, Kathryn and Tom Cruise once again led their cast to the stage, taking home the Oscar for Best Picture.
California is no longer the blue California it once was, and Los Angeles and Hollywood are not what they were ten years ago.
The skies over California have turned red.
In the VIP room on the second floor, Hawke and Erica also stood up and applauded for the crew.
It has been many years since a film has been able to sweep all four Oscar awards.
The success of "Sila" at the Oscars will have a lasting impact on public opinion for many years.
It is no exaggeration to say that the Democratic Party has been nailed to the pillar of shame in America.
After the awards ceremony ended, public opinion began to ferment.
Hawke received a call from Tom Cruise.
The film crew also held a grand celebration party at the Beverly Business Club.
Erica rarely gets involved in entertainment industry matters. After driving Hawke to the Beverly Business Club, she went straight home.
When Hawke arrived, only Catherine had come over.
Everyone else has to make it in the entertainment industry, and eventually they'll have to show their faces at the Oscars Night party hosted by the Academy and Vanity Fair.
The rebellious Leonardo DiCaprio of yesteryear is no longer the arrogant Jack who didn't know his place.
A few minutes later, Anil, an Indian, and Abhishek entered the business club together. (End of Chapter)