Chapter 83

(Listen! (Please vote for the Three Rivers! Many readers are not used to voting for the Three Rivers because it involves two additional steps: claiming the vote and writing a ten-character reason. This is the first time for me as well. Currently, we are ranked second in the Three Rivers, but even second place is useless; only first place can enter the Hanlin Academy! We are only less than fifty votes away from first place! If everyone can take the time to cast a vote, even just one vote, it will be a one-time effort to secure the victory! I beg you all!!)

The camera returned to Natalie, who let out a strange laugh and said, "Wow, this is the first time in Oscar history that a single nominee has been nominated for the same award with two different works, and both films are so unforgettable."

The TV broadcast naturally showed Tian Du Chen, "Ah, Tian Du has appeared."

In a family in a Beijing alley, the Chens were all gathered around the TV.

The poor quality of the Oscar TV commentary was evident, causing the family to watch with mixed feelings, but it did not stop them from exclaiming constantly. The media had already hyped the news of the first Chinese Oscar nominee, and many in China were paying close attention to this year's Oscars.

In an apartment in Los Angeles, Charlize Theron watched the TV with a casual glance, but she couldn't help but perk up, "Will he win? I hope he doesn't get teased."

Tian Du Chen's heart involuntarily raced, "What does she mean by that? Is she hinting that I'll win? No, she hasn't seen the envelope; it's just teasing. Damn Queen Amidala!"

Natalie began to open the envelope and smiled, "The winner is, Chrismos Chen for 'The Sixth Sense'!"

As she spoke, a large screen behind her displayed Tian Du Chen's photo and name.

"Oh my God!"

Kate Belseck jumped up from the sofa in excitement, exclaiming, "Christmas, darling, you won, you got the Oscar..."

The music hall was filled with enthusiastic applause.

Tian Du Chen was a bit dazed; the winner wasn't 'Shakespeare in Love' or 'Saving Private Ryan,' but 'The Sixth Sense'!

"Good heavens, what's going on? This doesn't make sense!"

He couldn't help but be surprised, but the sight of his own dazed face on the big screen proved it wasn't a dream. "Oh, that dazed look is so embarrassing; I can't be embarrassed anymore!"

He reminded himself, rubbed his cheeks, and stood up numbly, hugging Kate and the cheering Haley, who was standing on a chair. Who said the little guy didn't know how to be in the spotlight? This scene of him cheering from the chair was a first for the Oscars, but it felt natural for a child, making many viewers smile.

"Thank you, thank you." Tian Du Chen hugged the two tightly and quickly let go, then jogged out of his seat. The big names sitting in the outer rows all made way for him. "Ha, this is quite a scene." He was starting to like the back corner seat.

As he passed the front row, Tom Hanks and Spielberg stood up to hug him, which was a huge honor. "Thank you, idol, thank you, director."

Tian Du Chen was really dazed at this moment; all his calmness had flown out the window. Kate was right; this is the Oscars, forget about being calm.

He took a few quick steps, leaping over a few low steps, probably the only person in Oscar history to do so, and possibly the fastest to reach the stage.

A light laugh rose from the audience, "A spontaneous young man."

Tian Du Chen took the golden statuette from Natalie Portman's hand, a bit disbelieving, and hugged her. Taking a deep breath, he finally calmed down and said into the microphone, "Thank you, Academy, thank you all, thank you, Queen Amidala..."

Natalie Portman, who was about to leave, was stunned and turned back to look at him, only to find that Tian Du had already turned around to continue speaking. "Is he a Star Wars fan? But my movie hasn't even been released, and he's already calling me that..." She suddenly realized she was on the Oscar stage and quickly composed her surprised and adorable expression, continuing to smile professionally. However, her quick, lively expressions had already been captured by the camera, seen by the world.

"Queen Amidala, ha ha!"

Lucas must be grateful to Tian Du at this moment; he's really giving face, indirectly promoting 'Star Wars.'

Tian Du Chen sighed and said, "I thought the award might go to 'Shakespeare in Love'; it's a great story. I also thought it might go to 'The Truman Show' because when I saw that movie, I only had one thought: wow, tough competition."

His straightforwardness made many in the audience chuckle.

"Of course, with two of my scripts nominated, I thought my chances of winning were higher. I thought 'Saving Private Ryan' had a better chance because of Spielberg's direction; he did an amazing job, and the script wasn't as good as the movie, so I might get lucky and win because of him." The camera focused on Spielberg, who smiled as usual and waved at the camera.

"But I never expected it to be 'The Sixth Sense'! I don't think 'The Sixth Sense' is so outstanding that it surpasses all the other excellent scripts. There's an old saying in China, 'No first in literature.' I can only say that American audiences are too enthusiastic, and the Academy judges are too kind, giving me such a great honor. 'The Sixth Sense' had very little promotion when it was released last year, yet it achieved a miraculous box office success, which is truly overwhelming. I think this award is a motivation, encouragement, and a push for me to continue creating good works to repay everyone."

His English was fast, with a melodic London accent that was very appealing, and his voice was deep and steady, very pleasant to listen to, not at all annoying, as evidenced by his performance in 'The Sixth Sense.'

He continued to speak quickly, saying, "Thank you, DreamWorks, thank you, Mr. Katzenberg, Mr. Spielberg. Thank you to my family, friends, and colleagues; I won't name them all, but you are all wonderful. It's still the Spring Festival in my country, and people are used to wishing each other well. I wish everyone a happy Spring Festival and all the best."

He repeated the last sentence in perfect Mandarin. Instantly, the audience in China, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, and all Chinese-speaking people around the world understood.

For the domestic audience, the three-hour program was filled with the unreliable CCTV host's commentary, which was truly annoying. The only thing they could understand was this one sentence by Tian Du.

"Happy Spring Festival, all the best!"

Such a simple blessing, but it was the first time it appeared on the Oscar stage, the first time in Chinese, a first for the Chinese, which was incredibly exciting. In the future, when people talk about the Oscars, they can proudly say, "Look, we have an Oscar winner too."

The Oscar ceremony in the music hall continued, with applause and cheers echoing throughout. Everyone wore smiles, some small, some big.

After awarding Best Cinematography ('Saving Private Ryan' by Janusz Kaminski), Best Art Direction/Set Decoration ('Shakespeare in Love'), Best Costume Design ('Shakespeare in Love'), Best Sound ('Saving Private Ryan'), Best Film Editing ('Saving Private Ryan'), Best Sound Editing ('Saving Private Ryan'), Best Visual Effects ('What Dreams May Come'), Best Makeup ('Elizabeth'), and Best Original Score for a Musical or Comedy ('Shakespeare in Love'), the ceremony came to one of the most important and most anticipated awards, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Picture, and Best Director.

Overall, the previous awards were a tie between 'Shakespeare in Love' and 'Saving Private Ryan,' with 'Shakespeare in Love' having a slight edge.

Tom Hanks, who had lost the Best Actor award after winning the Golden Globe, lost again to Roberto Benigni for 'Life Is Beautiful.' 'Life Is Beautiful' not only won Best Actor but also Best Foreign Language Film. When Benigni went on stage to accept the Best Foreign Language Film award, he said, "This is an exciting moment; I want to kiss all of you. I now truly feel submerged in a sea of generosity. I want to thank my parents for giving me the greatest gift of poverty."

Unexpectedly, he went on stage again for the Best Actor award and said, "This is a terrible mistake; my English is exhausted, and I can't express my gratitude. I am flustered and incoherent." He was truly incoherent, saying a lot of things, and the music finally prompted him to end his speech.

Gwyneth Paltrow won Best Actress for 'Shakespeare in Love.' She was in tears when she went on stage to accept the award and gave the most moving speech of the night, thanking the audience and listing a long string of family names. She concluded with, "I feel unworthy compared to the other nominees. If I didn't know love, I couldn't have played this role, so I thank my family. I also thank my new agent, who is a great agent."

Finally, it was time for the Best Director award, presented by Tom Hanks.

As the nominees' films were shown on the big screen, Tian Du Chen's image appeared again, making people envious and jealous. A young man's first film, nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress, what more could be said?

Spielberg won the Best Director award again, saying emotionally, "Dad, thank you for showing me the glory of looking back and respecting the past. Thank you... the trophy belongs to you." However, in the Best Picture category, 'Saving Private Ryan' lost to 'Shakespeare in Love.'

This result solidified 'Shakespeare in Love's' dominance for the night.

This year's Oscars were almost entirely dominated by three films. 'Shakespeare in Love' ('Shakespeare in Love') won seven out of its 13 nominations, dominating the night. 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Life Is Beautiful' won the five most important awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Foreign Language Film.

This result aligned with the predictions of some American film critics.

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