The Best Director

Chapter 343: Chapter 343 We Will Continue to Be Cool

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“The Best Supporting Actress goes to… Natalie Portman, ‘Stealing Heart’!”

The date was January 16th, and the 62nd Golden Globe Awards ceremony was held as scheduled at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. The red carpet naturally sparkled with starlight, and the evening’s award banquet was exceptionally lively, the entire hall brimming with a tense yet fervent atmosphere. The ceremony had already presented the award for Best Original Song, honored to “In the Deep” from “Crash”; and Jan Kaczmarek, nominated thrice, finally won Best Original Score for “Finding Neverland” tonight.

The Best Supporting Actor had just been awarded to Clive Owen for “Stealing Heart”; and next, for Best Supporting Actress, Natalie Portman defeated the likes of Meryl Streep and Virginia Madsen, and after winning Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy for “Juno” at the 58th awards, she once again garnered a Golden Globe.

“Wow, huff huff!!” As presenter Kate Hudson announced the result on stage, a thunderous applause and cheering instantly filled the banquet hall. The guests and celebrities seated at the tables all burst into applause and cheers, with many standing in a show of respect. The camera panned to the “Stealing Heart” crew’s table, capturing Natalie Portman, in her long black evening gown, excitedly covering her mouth; she hugged and celebrated with those around her, smiling brightly as she walked onto the stage to accept her award.

“Thank you, wow, thank you…” Natalie received the heavy trophy from a staff member, and the moment she gripped it, she was suddenly hit by a wave of nostalgia—it was the proud and invincible feeling from four years ago, that intense dopamine rush! Would there ever be another period as fulfilling as those days in Toronto? Perhaps never again in this lifetime; some things, once gone, are truly gone, no matter how much she praised Mike Nichols or provoked him, even making a movie together wouldn’t bring those times back.

Natalie gripped the trophy tightly, as if with a click, that sense of poignant loss stopped like an aged film reel coming to a halt. Savoring the joy of victory, she stood in front of the microphone, gazing at the smiling faces in the audience. Was he watching on TV? She began her acceptance speech with a laugh, “Hehe! Thank you…”

Wang Yang and Jessica were not present in the banquet hall. The Golden Globes, with its limited seating, strictly controls the number of guests for the dinner, allowing only nominees and award presenters to bring one companion. Stars and celebrities not on the list had no entry tickets, though they could still participate in the various celebratory parties following the ceremony. This year Wang Yang wasn’t a nominee for any category, and he had declined the invitation to present the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy award, thus neither attended this edition of the Golden Globes.

Wang Yang had no desire to attend this gala event where Flame Cinema boasted nine nominations. Partly due to his busy schedule, he didn’t have the time to get involved in award proceedings; it was also a form of self-punishment and saving energy, aspiring to see “Firefly” shine resplendently and soar as a nominee to the Golden Globe and Oscar awards ceremonies! However, he was still considering this year’s 77th Oscar invitation; obviously, his company recommended accepting it, since higher visibility would only benefit the promotion of “Firefly.”

The new year had already progressed past its initial days, and the world continued to churn out fresh news daily. After the vacation, Wang Yang dived back into the post-production of “Firefly”; brainstorming for “Paranormal Activity 3,” he oversaw the smooth progression of the horror movie. After finalizing the script, director, and Chloe Moretz as the lead, Lionsgate & Flame were preparing vigorously for nearly two months, and the production crew would officially start filming on January 17th, Monday, with promotional efforts for “Paranormal Activity 3” set for an April release.

The TV mid-season break of 04-05 had also ended, with major networks’ TV series gradually returning. Popular primetime series “Prison Break” Season 2 and “The Big Bang Theory” resumed broadcasting on NBC on January 10th, while “Desperate Housewives” was back on ABC. A week later, they continued to achieve enviably stable good results.

If “Prison Break” maintained a “steadily simmering” rhythm, then “The Big Bang Theory” was becoming increasingly explosive. Its popularity soared after the mid-season break, with half-season DVD releases, a new round of promotions, and geeks’ status on the internet all contributing to its global explosion. As the show contained a significant amount of scientific elements, the Royal Canadian Institute of Science had expressed intention to bestow the title of “Honorary Fellow” on “The Big Bang Theory” creators Wang Yang (Young-Wang), Bill Prady, and Graham Linehan, recognizing their outstanding contributions to disseminating scientific knowledge.

“We are proud of Wang Yang, Bill Prady, Graham Linehan, and the entire ‘The Big Bang Theory’ team,” Bruce Gitelman, President of the Royal Canadian Institute of Science, told the media, explaining the reason for the decision: “They have integrated science with our daily lives. This series has shown the astonishing and marvelous side of science through entertainment. Since ‘The Big Bang Theory’ began airing in Canada, it has not only given the general public more access to science but has also brought joy to many people involved in scientific careers.”

Thus, Wang Yang was about to become an Honorary Fellow at the age of 25. It’s worth noting that among the approximately 1,000 Fellows at the Royal Canadian Institute of Science, include all Canadian Nobel laureates and distinguished achievers across various scientific fields. Being dubbed an Honorary Fellow for producing a TV sitcom was indeed unprecedented. Not just as a Fellow, the amazing Yang had also become a hero to geeks worldwide. Those who thought “The Big Bang Theory” was an affront to nerds were, after all, a minority, with the majority enthusiastically embracing characters like Sheldon and Howard. Howard’s mother, with her distinctive voice, had also become a relatively well-followed TV star.

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“Isn’t that the amazing Wang Yang responsible for ‘The Big Bang Theory’? His name appears every time they play the theme song at the beginning of each episode! The one who showed up at the end of the second episode?” Even to some confused audience members, Wang Yang’s fame and contribution behind the TV screen seemed greater than those in the film industry.

With such fierce momentum, don’t let it stop! Firefly Entertainment did not squeeze the cost per episode, allowing the creative passions of Graham Linehan and Bill Prady to flourish under Wang Yang’s supervision. ‘The Big Bang Theory’ became more and more brilliant as it progressed, with scientific special effects, geeky behaviors, and hilarious dialogue… and it featured cameos by a host of movie stars. NBC is currently going crazy promoting the 17th episode “Comic Con,” which is set to air on February 10, aiming for the highest viewership of the season; the cost for a 30-second commercial slot in that episode also nearly doubled.

The reason is simple: a few days ago, ‘The Big Bang Theory’ studio welcomed several hugely popular stars, Jessica Alba, Natalie Portman, and Rachel McAdams, who were promoting ‘Firefly,’ ‘Star Wars: Episode III,’ and ‘Fantastic Four’ respectively at the comic convention in the storyline.

Despite Sheldon’s arch-enemy Wang Yang not appearing in the performing area, the live audience on the day didn’t need the host to set the mood to burst into laughter, with Penny, envious, trying to outshine the guest stars in beauty, and Sheldon, feeling that Rachel McAdams was unsuitable for Sue Storm, argued with fan Rachel and added her to his enemy list; Leonard’s unrequited love got inadvertently crushed by Jessica Alba to the brink of depression; and Howard, styling himself as a casanova, was humiliated by Natalie Portman in six different languages…

“I got her number! I got her number! 01189998819991197253…”

In the teaser, Howard recites Natalie Portman’s unusual “phone number” with great excitement, only to dial it when he gets home and find out that the number is actually… In fact, there are three different versions of the teaser for episode 17, and NBC doesn’t even know who to promote more, Jessica Alba? Natalie Portman? Rachel McAdams? It’s simply too extravagant! In just half an hour, one episode gathers three big names that other shows would beg to have.

To avoid upstaging and repeating jokes, Wang Yang didn’t appear, but he would soon join forces with Natalie Portman to participate in the game show “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?” for its premiere episode. This program had already started its promotion during the winter break, including invitations to numerous celebrities; the first episode will air on Wednesday, February 16th from 8:00 to 9:00 PM on the NBC channel with the comedic master “the smartest redneck” Jeff Foxworthy as the host. The promotional slogan is just like the name of the show: Are you smarter than a 5th grader?

One is a USC high-flyer, a wonder of the age, the youngest Oscar winner for Best Director, a genius; the other is a Harvard alumna, also a wonder of the age, an ethereal spirit, touted to win an Oscar for Best Actress before turning 30, a genius.

“I didn’t hear it wrong, did I?!” Upon hearing the news that Wang Yang and Natalie Portman would be on this new show, everyone was shocked; these two geniuses teaming up to answer questions from a 5th grader? What a joke! Isn’t that million-dollar prize money simply there for the taking? What’s Wang Yang’s purpose for organizing such a show? However, when many people tried to answer some elementary school questions presented during NBC’s promotion, they were left speechless without options, and even with options, they couldn’t answer correctly. These are questions for 5th graders? What a joke!

NBC says yes, Firefly Entertainment says yes, these are elementary school questions, and they were even selected and written by the first season’s five regular 5th grader guests from their textbooks. Everyone was surprised, skeptical, and expectant; this show seemed very interesting!

“From ‘MIT-21-TEAM’ to ‘Prison Break,’ and then to ‘The Big Bang Theory,’ now arriving at ‘Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?’ Wang Yang seems to be gradually challenging the intelligence of the entire country.” — Yahoo Entertainment

This news naturally attracted plenty of media coverage, especially with the team-up of Yang and Natalie Portman. But what’s recently outshining even the Golden Globe Awards, the topic pursued by all entertainment media and gossip tabloids! Stirring up paparazzi, movie fans, and fans! On January 7th, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston announced that they were getting a divorce! Just when everyone thought the rumors were merely rumors, as Pitt & Aniston attended the premiere of ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ hand-in-hand, they released a joint statement on the website of People magazine.

“Hereby we officially announce that after seven years together, we have decided to separate. To the media that has been following our relationship, we want to say that our separation is not the result of tabloid speculation. This decision was made after careful consideration, and we will remain good friends after the split, still full of love and respect for each other. We hope that in the coming months, everyone can respect our privacy and stop the relentless hype around this affair, as it would bring us much peace.”

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Another Hollywood fairy tale marriage shatters! Pitt & Aniston walked together for four and a half years. Why? What caused the breakup? The tabloids only knew they were about to make a fortune! Suddenly, there were countless high-profile topics: Angelina Jolie! Serious disagreements about having children! Pitt looked haggard, Aniston wept…

No one would respect their privacy, and the tabloids wouldn’t let them go! This is definitely the most explosive and lucrative celebrity marriage news of the year. If Brad Pitt turns around and dates Angelina Jolie right away, then this love triangle will undoubtedly be a focal point for speculation in the coming years, jackpot! For the paparazzi, the more celebrity divorces and breakups, the better! What they care about is, who’s next? There are not many “fairy tale” couples or spouses left, Wang Yang and Jessica…

Wang Yang and Jessica have been married for almost a year now, and although they always appear loving, gossip tabloids have reported that they often quarrel fiercely; during the shooting of “Firefly,” Wang Yang was extremely dissatisfied with Jessica’s foolish performance. It was only because she later fell ill that a blowup was avoided; there were also serious differences over matters like religion, careers, and especially having children. It was said that Wang Yang wanted to be a father sooner rather than later, while Jessica was reluctant to give up her budding film career. Some insiders revealed that Jessica was desperate to become a mother, and didn’t mind leaving her career to go home, but Wang Yang wanted to wait until after 30 to have children, not wanting his life to be interrupted by kids too soon; last year, Jessica did not attend the Emmy Awards…

According to the tabloids’ depiction of their tense relationship, the couple should have divorced several times by now, but up till now, they still show off their love, seemingly unconcerned about these gossip rumors. Just the other day, they were photographed playing wildly at Six Flags Magic Mountain on New Year’s Day.

Indeed, with their wedding anniversary on January 31st just around the corner, regardless of what happens to Pitt and Aniston or anyone else, the couple has their own sweet life. Amidst busy work schedules, Wang Yang secretly planned and prepared a surprise for his beloved wife, to be presented on their wedding anniversary.

“Thank you to all the staff who worked hard on ‘Stealing Heart’, thank you to director Mike Nichols, and thank you to Mr. Patrick Marber for writing a good script… Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.”

On the dazzling stage, holding the trophy, Natalie thanked the “Stealing Heart” crew, and looking at the crowd below, she smiled and said, “Finally, I want to thank my family and friends who have always been so supportive! Four years ago, I stood on this stage for the first time; now once again, I am always so grateful…” That old reel suddenly clicked and turned a few times, and for some reason, she felt a touch of loneliness, followed by a mist in her eyes, and she stopped speaking, as if overwhelmed with emotion.

The audience immediately applauded for this remarkably talented representative of the new generation, and amidst vigorous clapping and cheers, Natalie goofily smiled and said thank you several times. Amidst giggles, she glanced at the tables for “Mr. Hughes 2” and “Crash”, and saw the smiles of couples like Paul Haggis and Christopher Nolan. Natalie lightly raised the trophy and said with a smile, “It’s truly an honor to be able to keep this trophy on my planet, and I hope that one day, the movie will be played again, thank you!”

With a burst of enthusiastic applause, Natalie hoisted the gleaming trophy and walked towards the backstage with a happy smile, accompanied by the staff.

As for her last words, the guests at the venue and the viewers in front of the TV naturally thought she meant “I hope to stand on this stage again”, but Wang Yang, who was also watching the ceremony from the living room sofa, vaguely felt that this clever girl’s last words were meant for him? Since she started praising Mike Nichols, he had this feeling. Another film together? Like “Juno”, winning an award for a movie he directed… If that’s what she meant, she should just tell him directly.

“Natalie’s acting is really amazing,” said Jessica, sitting next to him, feeling genuinely impressed. After performing together on “The Big Bang Theory”, she felt this even more. Natalie’s acting was very natural, whereas once Jessica started reciting lines, her delivery would be too obvious. They both debuted on the big screen the same year.

Wang Yang didn’t think any more about Natalie’s words, and tenderly wrapped his arms around his sweetheart. He was a little afraid that she might be upset because of Pitt and Aniston’s recent divorce and his upcoming show with Natalie, and he said with a smile, “Jessie, as long as you solve the problem of getting into character, your acting talent will also burst forth. Haven’t you noticed? When you shoot ‘The Big Bang Theory’, those spoof videos, in short, when it’s not the ‘serious’ acting you think of, but ‘just for fun’ acting, you reach your peak and give fantastic performances. Why? Think about it.”

“Yang, I will try,” Jessica pursed her lips and watched the award ceremony continuing on the TV screen with a distracted look. She knew she needed to immerse herself in the character and forget herself. River was manageable, but thinking of other roles, like “Stealing Heart”, she suddenly couldn’t help but give him a peck on the cheek, saying, “But sometimes… it’s really hard.”

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The award ceremony at the Hilton Hotel continued, as one Golden Globe trophy after another was taken away amid applause. Teri Hatcher won the Best Actress in a Television Series—Musical or Comedy for her exquisite performance in “Desperate Housewives.” If there was a connection between this year’s Golden Globe Awards and the magical Yang, it would be the multiple nominations of the new show “Desperate Housewives,” which he had high hopes for and promoted.

This award was dominated by Marcia Cross, Felicity Huffman, and Teri Hatcher, who took three of the nominations; the soap opera king “Sex and the City” had only Sarah Jessica Parker holding down the fort, seemingly signaling that the mantle of the number one soap opera was officially handed over to the ladies of “Desperate Housewives.” The fifth nomination of the year went to Debra Messing, the leading lady of NBC’s “Will & Grace.”

True to expectations, “Desperate Housewives” later beat out shows like “Sex and the City” to win Best Television Series—Musical or Comedy! Marc Cherry, who took the lead in accepting the award on stage, was truly overcome with emotion. Having faced many challenges and rejections from everyone, he had never imagined there would be a day like today. In the end, with Marc Cherry holding the trophy on television screens across America in front of thousands of households, his eyes reddened with gratitude, “Thank you to Fireflies Home Entertainment for producing ‘Desperate Housewives’! A big, big thank you to Wang Yang! Thank you for his trust, his encouragement, oh my, I can’t express my feelings…”

Amidst the blessings and smiles of countless “Desperate Housewives” fans, along with the warm and enthusiastic applause and cheers on site, Marc Cherry wiped his teary eyes, his lips nearly quivering as he said, “You may not know, but ‘Desperate Housewives’ did not even have a name everyone supported at first. The magical Yang said, ‘Just call it Desperate Housewives! Desperate Housewives is cool.’ Thank you, thank you to everyone who thought it was cool! We will keep being cool, thank you!”

“Ha ha!” There was also a clear round of applause in the living room, as Wang Yang and Jessica clapped with smiles, and he muttered laughingly, “We will keep being cool too!”

Watching Marc Cherry and the other creators walk towards the backstage amidst applause, aside from the top brass at ABC channel beaming from ear to ear, everyone from TV networks like CBS, FOX, NBC that had initially refused Marc Cherry regretted it to death! Why didn’t their consultants have even 1% of the magical Yang’s ability? A bunch of incompetents!

As the ceremony approached its final stages and FX channel’s “Nip/Tuck” won for Best Television Series—Drama, the more anticipated film awards became the complete focus. Previously, Best Actor in a Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy went to Jamie Foxx for “Soul Men,” with Annette Bening taking Best Actress for “Being Julia.” Best Motion Picture—Musical or Comedy was awarded to “Sideways”; Best Screenplay went to Fireflame Films, with Paul Haggis winning with “Crash” over competitors like Jonathan Nolan for “Mr. Hughes 2” and Patrick Marber for “Stealing Heart,” joyfully lifting the trophy high.

With Best Foreign Language Film going to Spain’s “Eternal Slumber in the Deep Sea,” tonight’s award ceremony only had the four most watched awards remaining: Best Actor/Actress in a Motion Picture—Drama, Best Motion Picture—Drama, and Best Director.

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PS: Thank you! Wow, thank you everyone for your valuable support. With everyone’s effort, we have achieved the 25th position for the annual works and the 4th place in the urban category. Thank you all so much ^0^. Additionally, in an emergency call for help, I seek recommendation tickets to keep our position on the recommendation list; thank you everyone! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)