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Chapter 136: The Oscars
🕑 Added 2025-01-01 08:55:42 +0000 UTCThe Oscars officially announced that due to the outbreak of the Iraq War, this year's Oscars ceremony would forgo the traditional red carpet to align with the current wartime atmosphere.
This was the first time in Oscars history such a decision had been made, catching many off guard.
As a result, the value of many celebrities' outfits dropped, with several fashion brands opting out entirely. Only a few established luxury brands remained steadfast.
Nevertheless, nominees for Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Director were still highly sought after. On the other hand, awards like Best Cinematography, such as the one Ethan was nominated for, saw little change in interest due to their traditionally lower profile.
On the day of the ceremony, Ethan arrived in Los Angeles via flight, purposely timing his arrival to the last moment. He was escorted to the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood by a vehicle provided by the organizers.
Upon exiting the car, he immediately noticed a large golden Oscar statue displayed outside, with the ground covered in a purple carpet.
Walking alone into the Oscars venue, Ethan didn't see any familiar faces around him, except for Will Smith, who was being interviewed by reporters.
"Hey, man," Will suddenly called out as Ethan walked past him.
"Hello, Smith," Ethan replied, puzzled as to why he was being addressed.
Will smiled and quickly explained, "I've seen your music videos, man. Come on, let's head in together."
"Together? Are you still singing these days?" Ethan asked as they walked.
"Not anymore," Will shrugged. "Honestly, I've thought about it, but I'm so busy with all these movies right now."
Ethan raised an eyebrow. Although he wasn't a fan of Will's son, Will Smith himself gave off a warm and lively vibe, much like the characters he portrayed in his films.
As they entered the Kodak Theatre, Will was about to continue chatting when a woman's voice suddenly interrupted them.
"Excuse me, can I join you two?"
Ethan and Will turned to see Scarlett Johansson.
She was dressed in a black off-shoulder gown, the hem swaying at her calves, and her diamond-encrusted high heels sparkled under the lights.
"Of course," Will nodded, then, noticing the familiarity between Ethan and Scarlett, asked curiously, "Do you two know each other?"
"Of course," Scarlett admitted with a smile. "Ethan has taken photos of me before."
"I see," Will nodded in understanding, though Ethan had to suppress a laugh internally.
The photos Ethan had taken of Scarlett weren't just ordinary portraits—most were rather risqué, and many had been taken in a hotel with his Leica camera.
The developed photos were now safely stored in a locked darkroom at his home. He was even considering buying a separate property solely to store them. However, he couldn't risk buying a villa, given how bizarre American property laws could be in the future.
For instance, laws allowed homeless individuals to occupy abandoned properties, preventing owners from evicting them or seeking compensation. If the occupation lasted long enough, the original owners could even lose ownership of their property.
Ethan had read stories of homeless people targeting unoccupied mansions, essentially becoming modern-day squatters. To avoid such a scenario, Ethan decided he'd invest in a high-rise apartment instead for storing his photos.
As these thoughts passed through his mind, Scarlett had already finished chatting with Will, who graciously let her take the seat next to Ethan before heading to the lounge.
Once Will left, Scarlett glanced at Ethan with a teasing glint in her eyes and said, "Sir Knight, can you guess what color underwear the lady is wearing today?"
Ethan maintained a composed demeanor, pretending to discuss work as they walked, but couldn't resist guessing aloud. "Black?"
"Nope."
"Purple?"
"Wrong again."
Ethan tapped his trousers thoughtfully before suddenly pausing. "You're not wearing any, are you?"
Scarlett pursed her lips, crossing her legs slightly, and smiled seductively. "Sir Knight knows the lady all too well."
Damn, Ethan felt a fire ignite within him.
But this wasn't the stage for him to act on such impulses.
"The lady is quite bold."
"Bold? I think not bold enough. If Sir Knight wins an award tonight, there's something even more exciting awaiting."
"Very well. I'll look forward to it."
Ethan nodded at Scarlett and quickly walked away toward his assigned seat, giving the impression of retreating from her advances.
To Scarlett, he seemed flustered and overwhelmed. But to Anne Hathaway, who had been watching him from a distance, Ethan's departure appeared polite and composed.
Once seated, Ethan noticed Scarlett heading to the front row and, seeing she wasn't paying him any further attention, allowed himself to relax. He waved to Anne Hathaway, who responded with a smile, before settling back into his seat.
"Hey, Ethan!" Director Rob arrived just then, enthusiastically hugging him.
"Rob, how are you? Feeling nervous?" Ethan patted his arm.
"Of course I am! Not just me—the whole crew is on edge," Rob said, gesturing behind him. Ethan turned to see familiar faces: screenwriter Bill Condon, art director John Myhre, and costume designer Colleen Atwood. They all waved cheerfully at him.
After greeting them, Ethan adjusted his suit as Rob's gaze fell on his watch.
"What brand is that? I've never seen it before," Rob asked curiously.
"Richard Mille. New brand. You know, expensive stuff," Ethan said, tapping the intricate, industrial-style mechanical watch on his wrist.
Rob admired the watch, clearly intrigued by its design, before reluctantly letting go. Meanwhile, Ethan's attention shifted to Martin Scorsese, sitting in the front rows, seemingly unaware of what awaited him with Gangs of New York.
Ethan reflected on how, just over a year ago, he'd dreamed of attending the Oscars, never imagining he'd be sitting here today as an invited guest.
It was a humbling thought. Many close calls in the past year could've gone wrong, leaving him either buried alongside Raymond or stuck in the rut of freelance photography.
Shaking off these thoughts, Ethan clasped his hands together and rested them on his knee. This was just the beginning. Compared to the future he envisioned, tonight was merely a small step.
As the deep melody of the cello played, the double doors of gold and silver on the stage opened, and a white-haired man in a black tuxedo, the host Steve Martin, stepped out from behind the scenes.
"Wow!" The celebrities collectively applauded, with some even giving a standing ovation.
The applause was thunderous, and as more and more people stood up, Ethan and the others had no choice but to follow suit.
It wasn't until Steve Martin nodded and said "Okay" a few times that the enthusiasm gradually died down. Then, standing before all the media and journalists, he delivered his opening monologue.
"Wonderful. This year's awards ceremony is truly understated and unpretentious."
"Hahaha!" The audience burst into laughter in unison, knowing that Steve Martin was hinting at something.
"You may have noticed the lack of an extravagant red carpet. The message behind this is quite clear, isn't it?" Yet, Steve Martin didn't stop his sharp satire. He continued, "Tonight's television broadcast revenue, I think, is fascinating because the profits will be divided among the big corporations."
This remark drew even louder laughter.
Steve Martin went on to mention a few stars, sparing neither Black nor White celebrities from his jabs. Everyone was laughing so hard they could hardly keep their seats. It wasn't until he shifted the focus back to movies that the laughter subsided.
"This year, there are a lot of great movies. I really liked The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. That was a remarkable piece of drama. Another is Chicago. To be frank, Miramax bent over backward to ensure Chicago got nominated. That's their way. Let's hear your thoughts—is it fair?"
Steve Martin paused for a moment and added, "They made a movie everyone loves to watch!"
"Hahahaha!" Everyone laughed again, and the camera immediately panned to Renée Zellweger and Martin Scorsese. The clever shot composition was amusing because everyone knew Scorsese's Gangs of New York was aiming for the Oscars. What did this mean?
It seemed to imply that the ultimate showdown would be between Chicago and Gangs of New York.
No one knew the outcome—except Ethan.
After a lengthy series of jokes, Ethan glanced at his watch. The opening segment of the ceremony lasted about fifteen minutes. Fortunately, Steve Martin, a seasoned Saturday Night Live regular, was in charge. Few hosts could maintain such control over a crowd for that long, keeping everyone laughing nonstop.
Once the comedic monologue ended, the awards ceremony finally began.
However, the very first award encountered a small hiccup. The first Oscar statuette to be presented was for Best Animated Feature.
As the presenters introduced the nominees, the big screen displayed the titles: Ice Age, Lilo & Stitch, Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron, Treasure Planet, and Ethan's childhood favorite, Spirited Away.
When the presenter announced the winner as Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki, the audience erupted in cheers. The applause and whistles filled the venue. Unfortunately, Hayao Miyazaki himself was not present at the ceremony.
The legendary director had refused the Oscar invitation due to his strong condemnation of the United States' invasion of Iraq.
