The Best Director

As Wang Yang loudly announced the result on stage, the Kodak Theatre suddenly erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. Thousands of audience members and guests propelled the ceremony’s atmosphere to a climax, with many even standing up to applaud for the excited Hjalldard as he walked towards the stage. The excitement seemed as if it were for the Best Picture award, when in reality, it was merely for the usually advertisement-interrupted Best Sound Effects Award.

It wasn’t that this year’s Oscars attendees were particularly enthusiastic; rather, the presenter was extraordinary. Firefly’s easy humor had the whole audience laughing non-stop, without a doubt stealing the spotlight from the real host, Chris Rock, whose sharp and critical opening monologue didn’t generate nearly as much laughter as Firefly’s equally unrestrained full map assault. Not only was the event a hit on site, but the TV audiences at home were also in stitches, with Nielsen quietly showing that the nationwide viewership had significantly risen since Wang Yang appeared on stage.

“Thank God!” The organizers at ABC, the ceremony producers, and the award ceremony producer Gilbert Cates and others wiped their foreheads, relieved that the atmosphere had become lively. Indeed, he was the most humorous Best Director in history! Too bad he would present only once tonight…

At the same time, American online media and news agencies such as the Associated Press, Reuters, The New York Times, as well as global online media like Sina and Sohu, which were broadcasting text and images live, and live-streaming video, reported the latest developments: “Wang Yang showcases his talent for humor, jokingly states he fears growing old alone,” “The atmosphere at Oscar night is dull, Firefly becomes the fire brigade,” “One man’s award presentation triggers a burst of laughter throughout the audience, looking back at his past brilliant comments”…

However, it seemed Gilbert Cates and others weren’t in for much luck tonight after Robin Williams’ antics and Wang Yang’s humor. No one else followed up, and the show gradually returned to being calm and somewhat dull again after the Best Sound Editing (The Incredibles), Best Costume Design (Sandy Powell, ‘The Aviator’), Best Documentary Feature (Ross Kauffman, Zana Briski ‘Born into Brothels’), and Best Editing (Hughes Winborne, ‘Crash’). Not even guest stars like Kirsten Dunst and Orlando Bloom had any notable moments, less interesting than watching ‘The Crow’ choir’s musical performance.

Just as the organizers were fretting like ants on a hot pan, Adam Sandler and Chris Rock teamed up to present the Best Adaptation award (Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor, ‘Sideways’), poking fun at Catherine Zeta-Jones, which drew quite a bit of laughter and eased the awkward atmosphere a bit.

Following that, the presentation for Best Visual Effects (‘Spider-Man 2’) by Jake Gyllenhaal and Zhang Ziyi continued the lull, with Zhang Ziyi, who was not very fluent in English, speaking only two sentences in a tense and rigid manner, much to the disappointment of the small number of viewers who had tuned in specifically to see her. Al Pacino solemnly presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to the renowned director and cinema master Sidney Lumet, reviewing his classic works, after which the Best Live Action Short Film (‘American Zealots’) and Best Animated Short Film (‘Ryan’) were awarded amid applause.

By this point, excluding honorary and lifetime achievement awards, 13 of the 24 major awards had been presented, with ‘Mr. Hughes 2’ winning 3 technical Oscars and ‘Crash’ having 2. Half of the ceremony was over, and while it was tightly run, it lacked comedic relief. At that moment, Natalie Portman, holding the envelope with the results for Best Documentary Short Subject, walked on stage to applause. She was dressed in a Greek V-neck light black chiffon gown, which, combined with her sexy yet fresh demeanor, made her quite charming.

“Hoo hoo!” Wang Yang clapped enthusiastically and also cheered a few times. Jessica laughed and clapped her hands next to him. He turned to her and said, “Now she’s at Harvard, we can all smell that Ivy League bookishness from here.” While that was the case, the timing and place for humor had to be right, especially for documentaries, which required a serious approach. And girls needed to maintain their charm and grace, unless it was something like ‘Big Momma’s House.’ But Natalie Portman was a popular idol.

“They’ve truthfully recorded the impact of autism, racial and religious prejudice, homelessness, and complex family relationships on life,” Portman began her speech as the applause died down. She held the envelope in both hands, her gaze steady forward, her demeanor calm as she read the prepared award presentation. It was her first time agreeing to present at the Oscars and because of her Best Supporting Actress nomination, it was also her first time standing on this stage in front of more than three thousand stars, celebrities, audience members, and reporters.

Oh my! How did Firefly do it so well? Graceful, witty, humorous, and fun… Natalie’s mind was flooded with stray thoughts as she robotically read the script, experiencing slight unease and nervousness. She looked towards a direction in the audience, speaking aloud, “They are the ones nominated for this year’s Best Documentary Short Subject award, and I salute them. Griding Uzberg, ‘The Next Generation of Leninism’; Hanna Polak, Andrzej Celiński, ‘Hardwood’…”

“We made it. I don’t know what you all think, but I’ve been practicing my Oscar acceptance speech in the bathtub since I was eight years old…” Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston, who finally won for ‘Miracle Moment: The Children’s Journey,’ were quite humorous.

After John Matheson received the Best Cinematography award for ‘The Phantom of the Opera’; presenter John Travolta handed the Oscar for Best Original Score to Jan Kaczmarek, who got his first Academy Award nomination with ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ at the 73rd ceremony, and, four years later, finally won for ‘Finding Neverland.’ As an old friend, Wang Yang was very happy and applauded with particular vigor; for ‘Firefly,’ this was also great news, as two Oscar-winning masters of score collaborated!

“I cannot express my joy in words, thank you to the Academy, uh…” Jan Kaczmarek, with his bow tie and glasses, was very cultured and elegant. Although he didn’t show his excitement overtly, his voice tone and continuous shifting of standing foot revealed his inner joy. He adjusted his glasses and continued towards the microphone, “Finding Neverland has been a great experience, Marc Forster (director) should be here, thank you for your meticulousness and talent; Richard is also here, Richard understands the charm of music the best…”

Under the quiet atmosphere of the audience, Kaczmarek’s eyes moistened as he thanked everyone from the ‘Finding Neverland’ team, his wife, family, friends, and agent. The sense of achievement that comes with winning an Oscar, which represents one of the highest honors in film, was immense. Even the usually composed Kaczmarek was visibly moved, somewhat lost for words: “Who else, so many people, I’m too excited… I should take this opportunity to thank Wang Yang for his support, for the support to ‘Finding Neverland.\'”

On the television screens of tens of millions of viewers across America, the camera immediately cut to a guest seat, where numerous movie fans and female fans either smiled in reminiscence or excitedly shouted, “Magical Yang!!” Wang Yang was seen blinking his left eye while smiling and waving with undiminished energy.

“He is a person of taste, passion, and inspiration, and he’s given me a bit of help with my creation.” It seemed that mentioning Magical Yang and recalling his humor, a relaxed Jan also suddenly cracked a joke, prompting laughter to erupt in Kodak Theatre. The teased Wang Yang was once again caught within camera range, as he shrugged with a smile and blinked his right eye; beside him, Jessica proudly grinned from ear to ear.

Onstage, Jan chuckled, “I am grateful to be here today thanks to him. And to all the musicians, they are extraordinary people, often forgotten, yet they are the ones who turn scores into music. Without them, there would be no music. Thank you to my collaborators in Poland and the United States, thank you!”

As the newly-crowned Best Original Score winner left the stage amid thunderous applause, it was time to present the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. This award is not an annual staple, but this year’s recipient was Roger Mayer, who had been actively involved and leading the work of the Motion Picture and Television Fund, a charitable organization that provides social and medical assistance to Hollywood filmmakers. He was also the first chairman of the National Film Preservation Foundation, doing his utmost to preserve our celluloid heritage.

“Hahaha!” After Roger Mayer received the Oscar and thanked the foundation, MGM, UCLA, the Academy, and other related organizations that had supported these two causes for over twenty years, laughter suddenly burst forth from the audience as the elderly man said, “I also want to thank my family! They are all here tonight, my children Patty and Lally, daughter-in-law Neva, sister Florence, granddaughter Natasha and Anna, and especially my wife Pauline, to whom I’ve been married for 52 and a half years!”

Amid continuous applause, as the camera cut to the three generations who were all present with smiles on their faces, the elderly man loudly proclaimed, “52 and a half years! They say in Hollywood, not many things last that long! Indeed, only love can! Caring for ourselves can! And well-preserved films can! So I shall continue my work. I hope for your continued support, thank you very much!”

Moments before, Magical Yang had mocked Hollywood’s low rates of lasting ’till death do us part,’ so Roger Mayer’s words were like a rebuttal, a boast. After he finished his speech and went backstage, the scene cut to an innocent-looking Wang Yang amidst ongoing applause and laughter. The audience was thoroughly entertained by this delightful moment.

“Haha!” Surrounded by laughter from the crowd, Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh heartily, quickly took his wife Jessica’s hand, and kissed the back of her hand.

But soon, the atmosphere in the Kodak Theatre turned solemn and earnest as the renowned Chinese-American cellist Yo-Yo Ma ascended the stage, paying tribute with a mournful and poignant cello piece to famous Hollywood stars who had passed away in the previous year, including Ronald Reagan, Peter Ustinov, Carrie Snodgress, Marlon Brando…

“…” Watching the “Godfather” on the screen who was no longer of this world, Wang Yang and the entire audience gave a respectful round of applause, also feeling a deep regret for not having had the opportunity to work with this great actor. He was not a fan of Marlon Brando, yet there was no director who wouldn’t want such a figure in their movie; now that the legend was gone, this regret would only remain a wistful sigh forever.

Soon, Firefly Films had won its sixth Oscar of the night. Paul Haggis and Robert Moresco received the Best Original Screenplay for “Crash,” with both men on the award podium giving a continuous stream of thanks, naturally not forgetting to mention Firefly Films and Black Hole Magical Yang, who had strongly backed “Crash.” Like Jan Kaczmarek, Paul Haggis was so excited that his voice almost broke into sobs, and he clutched the trophy tightly in his hand: “I especially want to thank Wang Yang for his support of ‘Crash’! He put in a lot of effort for its distribution, helping our efforts to bear fruit. Thank you!”

Thus, the live camera switched to a close-up of Wang Yang for what seemed like the umpteenth time, even more frequently than Captain Jack Sparrow nominee Johnny Depp. He applauded with a smile, refraining from goofing around due to the serious nature of “Crash.”

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

Following was the highly anticipated but unsurprising Best Supporting Actress award, which was won by 23-year-old and nine-month Natalie Portman, securing her first ever Oscar! She did so 8 years ahead of Meryl Streep, who accomplished the feat at the age of 31, making her the 69th Oscar-winning Best Supporting Actress!

As Tim Robbins read the name “NATA,” the Kodak Theatre erupted with cheers and applause, “LIE-PORTMAN! ‘Closer’!” The focus of the live camera was the delighted and excited Natalie; she reflexively covered her mouth with her hands for a moment and then embraced her ‘Stealing Heart’ colleagues, glancing behind. She walked toward the stage with a smile amidst the warm standing ovation from the audience—she had won!

“Whistle—” Wang Yang let out a loud whistle, nearly being the first person to stand and applaud: “Wow! This is just fantastic! Oh my God, what a surprise!” Despite being more certain of Natalie’s win than any media outlet or betting agency, Wang Yang only realized how he felt when the moment actually arrived—happy! So incredibly happy! This girl was his close friend, someone he could talk about anything with—a “rival” in personal film achievements, and they had shared many youthful years inspiring and helping each other…

Now, seeing her about to lift the Oscar statue, he felt even more excited than when he received his own award! Wang Yang almost lost himself in pride and turned to Jessica, laughing loudly, “Ha-ha! I told you so, I said it when I was 14! This girl would win an Oscar! Oh-ho-ho! She definitely has to thank me for my support!”

Jessica nodded with a smile. If you had seen ‘Camp Nowhere’ back then… what would you have said? On one hand, she felt genuinely happy for Natalie; on the other, she couldn’t help but wonder when he would feel such joy and pride for her?

Because her seat was towards the front, Natalie couldn’t embrace the person she most wanted to at the venue. She mounted the spacious stage for the second time that evening, again with inner reflections, oh my God! The whole world had suddenly fallen silent, with no applause, cheers, or her own “thank you” heard—as he put it, the volume had been turned all the way down. As she hugged Tim Robbins, received the gleaming and heavy trophy, she thought to herself that at 23, she hadn’t won Best Actress, but winning Best Supporting Actress wasn’t too shabby either!

“Thank you! I am really, really thrilled, thank you to everyone on the ‘Stealing Heart’ crew, thank you to the Academy…” Natalie’s voice trembled a bit, looking at the more than three thousand people in front of her, as her volume gradually increased. She could hear her own voice and after thanking the ‘Stealing Heart’ director and other crew members, her parents, family, and friends, she lifted the trophy towards a young face in the guest seats, smiled, and announced loudly, “And I especially, especially want to thank Wang Yang!”

Concerned about something else? Seeing Black Hole Magical Yang mentioned again, director Louis J. Horvitz once more had the camera switch to a close-up of Wang Yang, who was grinning broadly and gave a big thumbs-up in praise. Fans familiar with the pair weren’t surprised—wasn’t it common knowledge that Black Hole Magical Yang and Natalie were super good friends?

Under the keen gaze of countless audience members and journalists, Natalie continued with a laugh, “You really do swear like a trooper on set.” Her sudden humor brought a wave of laughter back to the Kodak Theatre. Tonight, Wang Yang had teased everyone in the audience and had been teased in return numerous times. Natalie sincerely said, “But it’s because of your cursing, your encouragement, your support, that I was able to be so miraculous!” She was so overcome with emotion that she clenched her trophy tightly and burst out laughing, “I really like you, buddy, hehe! Haha!”

“Whoa!” The entire theatre erupted at once, with applause and cheers ringing deafeningly loud, and the camera had to focus on Wang Yang at his seat. He laughed brightly, clapping his hands; next to him, Jessica clapped along, laughing and not minding the praise one bit—it was no big deal.

But the media was another story! Especially the gossip and entertainment media! Really like? What did Natalie Portman mean? Was this a confession? Was she stealing hearts? Reporters’ eyes lit up; this was definitely fantastic news material. Plus, considering Black Hole Magical Yang’s fear of not getting a divorce… Just now, billions of viewers across the globe heard Natalie say she liked Black Hole Magical Yang—wasn’t that right?

“Hehehe! Haha!” Natalie laughed several times from the stage, without giving it much thought—it was just an appreciation of thanks, and she hadn’t even said LOVE. She laughed and said, “Really, thank you! And finally, thanks once more to my parents and family, your support is so important, thank you!”

With the Best Supporting Actress award given out, the ceremony only had suspense remaining in the five major categories: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Foreign Language Film, “The Best Foreign Language Film goes to ‘Eternal Slumber in the Deep Sea’ (Spain)!” “The Best Actress goes to Hilary Swank for ‘Million Dollar Baby’!” On this star-studded night, the 30-year-old Hilary Swank, five years after her first, had received her second Oscar for Best Actress! She emotionally said, “I don’t know what I did to be this lucky, I’m just a girl from a parking lot with a dream, I never imagined this dream would come true…”

Hilary Swank is naturally talented and extraordinarily gifted in her acting; having married at 23 with no scandal in her private life, her gratitude towards her husband Chad Lowe saying “You’re everything in my world” made the whole audience explode into applause. But one Best Actress award might be alright, now she’s won two! Hollywood has always held the unanimous view of “Best Actress curse of three years of bad luck”, and even the scary “Married ladies who win Best Actress are bound to divorce.” Will Swank be able to evade the Oscar Best Actress curse? That was also a topic of interest for the gossip media.

The ceremony took a turn that was disappointing for Flame Films but almost expected—Best Actor was not awarded to the comedy king Jim Carrey, who was nominated for the first time. The Academy voters really didn’t take kindly to him; it was unprecedented that they even nominated him. Jamie Foxx, with his exquisite performance in “Soul Men”, became the third Black actor to win the Academy Award; the Best Director went to Clint Eastwood for “Million Dollar Baby”, his second Oscar following “Unforgiven” in 1992.

Christopher Nolan and Paul Haggis, who had mentally prepared themselves for just being nominees, were not disappointed. Along with the other contenders, they all clapped and paid tribute, with no pretense of being unbothered by the loss.

“And the Oscar for Best Picture goes to… ‘Million Dollar Baby’!”

Hearing this ultimate prize announced, the Kodak Theatre immediately boiled over with excitement. Everyone stood and applauded the winners, and the cast and crew of “Million Dollar Baby” were already ecstatically jumping and hugging each other in celebration; Wang Yang quietly applauded while letting out a sigh, feeling a hint of loss. He’ll fight again next year! (