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Chapter 186: Oscar Nomination List Announced
🕑 Added 2025-01-08 18:52:47 +0000 UTC"I initially thought that, as an action movie actor, Bruce's acting skills wouldn't be that great, but he completely exceeded my expectations."
Naomi Watts watched Bruce Willis perform on set and said this.
"Have you seen Haley's performance?"
"You mean the little boy you picked?"
"That's right," Gilbert nodded and said, "He's an unparalleled acting genius. He has scenes scheduled for this afternoon; you can come and see for yourself."
"Then why isn't he on set now?" Naomi Watts looked around but didn't see Haley.
"He's attending tutoring lessons," Gilbert said with a slight smile.
As required by the Screen Actors Guild, production crews must hire private tutors for child actors to ensure their academic progress.
So, besides acting, Haley had to keep up with his studies. Fortunately, his current academic workload wasn't heavy, and Haley was quite intelligent, so there wasn't much of a problem.
Gilbert shifted the conversation to Naomi Watts' new movie. "How's the filming of Contact going?"
"It's already wrapped up. I plan to take a break. I've been working non-stop lately, and it's exhausting," Naomi Watts replied.
"That's good! Has the release date been set?"
"Not yet," Naomi Watts shook her head and then looked at Gilbert. "We're waiting for you to decide the release date."
"Me?" Gilbert was momentarily surprised. "Am I that intimidating?"
"Not intimidating, absolutely terrifying," Naomi Watts emphasized.
For some reason, other directors avoided releasing their movies in early May. Most big-name directors preferred late May or June and July.
Yet, somehow, this avoidance created an illusion: whenever Gilbert's films were released during that time, other movies scrambled to avoid clashing with them.
Gilbert felt helpless about this. It wasn't his intention.
"It's not my fault that others don't value this release window. What can I do about it?"
Next year would be different, though. Perhaps influenced by Gilbert's consistent success with early May releases, others couldn't sit still anymore.
Steven Spielberg's The Lost World: Jurassic Park, produced by Universal Pictures, was scheduled for release at the start of May next year.
This sequel to the blockbuster science fiction film, directed by Spielberg, would surely pose stiff competition if Gilbert decided to release his film during the same window.
In a way, Spielberg was a mentor to Gilbert as he entered Hollywood. Both had publicly acknowledged their teacher-student relationship on multiple occasions.
While this might put Gilbert at a lower rank than Spielberg, there was no shame in learning from someone like him.
After all, just being associated with Saving Private Ryan made calling Spielberg a teacher worthwhile.
Moreover, DreamWorks owned many valuable assets. In the future, Gilbert could leverage this connection to acquire some of those assets.
Speaking of Saving Private Ryan, the Academy Awards nominees luncheon was scheduled for December.
Thanks to a robust public relations campaign and the film's inherent excellence, Saving Private Ryan achieved massive success in nominations.
The film garnered a total of eleven nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Sound Editing, Best Art Direction, Best Makeup, and Best Original Score.
Meanwhile, Miramax's The English Patient wasn't far behind, earning nine nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Both films told stories about World War II, one focused on love, the other on sacrifice and homecoming.
Compared to the lofty themes of Saving Private Ryan, The English Patient felt somewhat minor in scope.
The financial investments between the two also differed significantly. Saving Private Ryan had completed its global theatrical run and grossed $547 million worldwide, setting a box office record for R-rated films.
On the other hand, The English Patient was still in limited release, having grossed only $4.5 million so far.
This was understandable, as films like The English Patient were not widely favored by theater chains. Miramax's strategy was to target the Oscars, with a broader release planned only after the awards ceremony.
Winning major awards like Best Picture, Best Actor, or Best Director would undoubtedly boost its box office performance.
This was why many believed that Harvey Weinstein and his brother had turned the Oscars into a business.
This wasn't untrue, but they weren't the first to do so. Others had done it before them.
The difference was that the Weinstein brothers openly brought this to light, making people realize how much a good PR campaign could simplify things.
Harvey Weinstein used this advantage to maintain good relationships with directors and stars aspiring to win Oscars.
Initially, he thought Gilbert would be like those independent filmmakers—easily swayed by sweet talk and flattery.
However, after a few encounters, Harvey realized he had underestimated Gilbert.
At just 21, Gilbert directed his first film and achieved tremendous success. His continued success over the years wasn't something that could be attributed to luck alone.
From handling scandals to animal rights controversies and the Mel Gibson incident, Gilbert had proven himself not just as a great filmmaker but also as someone capable of ruthless decisions.
Harvey had long coveted Gilbert's rumored girlfriends, particularly Naomi Watts, but dared not make a move, fearing Gilbert's retaliation.
In theory, the rivalry between The English Patient and Saving Private Ryan for the Oscars should have emboldened Harvey.
However, Miramax was now a Disney subsidiary.
Compared to The English Patient, Disney cared far more about Gilbert's opinion, given its interest in acquiring Gilbert's production company, Melon Studios.
Disney's board, especially Robert Iger, was keen to avoid upsetting Gilbert, even issuing a directive prohibiting Harvey from badmouthing Saving Private Ryan.
Forced to comply, Harvey could only proceed with standard PR tactics.
Given that Saving Private Ryan was an American story and The English Patient was a British one, Oscar voters were likely to favor the former.
This diminished The English Patient's chances of sweeping the Oscars.
Harvey wasn't satisfied but had no choice under Disney's watchful eye.
He did, however, pull some minor stunts behind the scenes to ensure The English Patient didn't fail entirely.
Unaware of Harvey's inner thoughts, Gilbert focused on his own work.
After Saving Private Ryan received its nominations, PR expert Marco Wald advised Gilbert to focus on securing Best Picture.
Winning Best Director on his first nomination was unlikely since the Academy often balanced the awards by giving the director's trophy to someone else.
Gilbert agreed with this strategy.
Before Christmas, The Sixth Sense wrapped filming in Philadelphia. Due to the involvement of child actors, the crew refrained from partying at nightclubs, opting instead for a proper wrap party.
As major investors, Warner Bros. and Touchstone Pictures ensured media coverage of the event to keep audiences informed about Gilbert's new project.
Once the media left, the cast and crew mingled freely.
Haley immediately approached Gilbert to express his gratitude.
Gilbert patted the boy's head. "No need to thank me, Haley. You did a fantastic job, and I'm glad you were part of this film."
Haley hesitated before asking, "I've been thinking about what you said. Will gaining weight really affect my acting career?"
Gilbert often reminded Haley to avoid gaining weight, which puzzled the boy.
"Well," Gilbert thought for a moment, "not necessarily. It depends on the person. Your facial features are small, but your greatest asset is your eyes.
"If you gain weight, it might obscure your eyes, which are your most striking feature. That's why I suggest maintaining a healthy physique."
This reasoning seemed to resonate with Haley, who nodded thoughtfully.
"Thank you, director. I'll make sure to stay fit," he promised before walking away.
Watching Haley leave, Gilbert sighed. Did I just save a young genius? Probably.
Bruce Willis also came over to toast with Gilbert. "This was the most exhausting film I've ever worked on."
"But the results are amazing, aren't they?" Gilbert clinked glasses with him.
The Sixth Sense had extensive dramatic scenes, something Bruce Willis wasn't accustomed to.
Previously, his action movies didn't demand much from him in terms of acting. But on this set, it wasn't unusual to do 20-30 takes for a single dramatic scene.
Action sequences could rely on stunt doubles, but dramatic performances required the actor's own skill.
Among the cast, the most surprising performances came from young Haley and Bruce Willis. The latter delivered an award-worthy performance that shocked many.
James Gunn, a fan of the Die Hard series, once told Gilbert, "I never imagined that the tough detective could turn into such a brilliant psychologist.
"Bruce's attention to detail—the subtle changes in facial expressions and body language—is extraordinary.
"If not for his career in action films, he could've achieved even greater heights."
Gilbert had replied, "That's not surprising. Bruce came from Broadway, which is why I wanted to work with him.
"After The Sixth Sense, his range as an actor has expanded."
James Gunn thought about it and agreed.
