The Best Director

Chapter 189: Are You Ready for Your Acceptance Speech?

In the bright large mirror, a brow brush swept across Wang Yang’s thick and straight eyebrows. He was dressed in a black suit and trousers with a white shirt underneath, his tall and muscular figure with broad shoulders exuded masculine charm. Holding the brow brush, Roland Andersen carefully shaped his brows to make them even more heroic and handsome while saying with an envious tone, “Jessie, your boyfriend is getting more and more handsome.”

“Ahaha, how come I haven’t noticed?” Jessica replied seemingly nonchalantly, but her voice emitted the detectable scent of pride. Although she didn’t particularly care about whether guys were handsome or had average looks, she naturally felt happy when her beloved boyfriend received compliments from a good sister. Standing in front of the dressing room’s full-length mirror, she eyed herself from side to side and said proudly, “Don’t praise him. He’ll start to think he’s really handsome.”

She had already finished with her makeup and dressing, wearing a purple off-the-shoulder evening gown that showcased her alluring sweet and sexy charm. Her wavy brown hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her light blue eyeshadow and pink blush highlighted her enchantingly cute and beautiful nature.

“So it’s all an illusion!” Wang Yang, who sat in front of the makeup table, raised his eyebrow with a smile as Roland firmly held his face and started to define it with an eyebrow pencil, laughing, “Don’t move, it’s real, she’s the one with vision issues. Actually, with your physique, you could be a model.” Jessica giggled, “Roland, he’d say walking the catwalk is a waste of time.” Wang Yang chuckled, “I’ve always found it weird for guys to wear makeup.”

“Yang, that’s the wrong way to think,” Roland said, focusing on his brows as he adjusted their thickness; he spoke softly, “Whether it’s girls or boys, makeup brings out their most beautiful side.”

Wang Yang disagreed as he rolled his eyes, “I think it’s the camera and the picture that make up the most beautiful side. Just imagine, beneath a brilliant blue sky, a hillside covered in all sorts of wildflowers, then a girl in a white dress, or maybe denim dungarees, the wind lifting her brown hair as she runs, with a Labrador Retriever following behind her… that’s way prettier than these evening gowns.”

Visualizing that scene, Jessica indeed found it naturally beautiful and asked with a puzzled smile, “Are you talking about me?” Wang Yang smiled, “I’m talking about Danny.” Roland put down his eyebrow pencil and after taking a serious look at his face, picked up a comb to tidy up his hair, sprayed some gel water and said, “But makeup is still needed, if that girl’s hair is as messy as a vagabond’s and her face is covered in mud, she wouldn’t look pretty.”

“No, if she’s a little girl, the mud on her face would make her even prettier,” Wang Yang countered, noticing the displeasure on Roland’s face; he laughed, “Makeup is good! But I feel like I’ve been using this hairstyle for a long time. Don’t you think it’s time for a change? Maybe shave it all off?” From the side, selecting high heels, Jessica warned, “Just so we’re clear, I don’t like bald heads.”

Roland tousled his black hair to give it a bit of lift, looked at Wang Yang in the mirror, and said with a smile, “I’ve thought about it for you before, but there’s no need. You’re not even 23 yet. Your style should be youthful—like a college basketball team captain; in a few years when you look a bit older, then you can go for the mature man style completely. Don’t waste your current charm!” Wang Yang shrugged nonchalantly, “OK.”

After a good while, the makeup was done. Roland looked at her work with satisfaction—rugged and handsome. When he would walk the red carpet later, he would surely not be outdone by any of the male stars. She laughed, “When you go up to receive the award, those who hear about you for the first time will definitely think you’re up for Best Actor. Okay, pick a tie!” Having styled Jessica and him for so long, she knew well that he didn’t like bow ties and had never used them.

Wang Yang said casually, “What’s there to choose? The black one.”

“I’ll do it, I’ll do it!” Seeing Roland reach for a pure black tie to tie it for him, Jessica laughed and came over. She took the tie and hung it around the neck of Wang Yang who stood up, meticulously knotting it as both of them smiled, basking in a warmth that only they could feel. She tied a simple knot and after the final adjustment of the necktie’s loop and straightening its head, she smiled, “Done!”

Wang Yang turned to look at himself in the mirror, puffed out his chest and hooked his thumbs into his trouser pockets, feigning vanity with a laugh, “Wow, look at him! I want him in my movie.” Jessica also bounced with laughter, “Who’s that girl next to him? She’s got the look of a director!” Standing behind them, Roland shook her head with laughter, “Sorry to interrupt, but I must remind you the Golden Globe Awards are almost all handed out!”

“Wait, let’s take a picture.” Jessica, bursting with excitement, picked up the smartphone from the makeup table, pressed a few buttons, raised her hand high, aimed it at herself and Wang Yang, and with a click, they took a photo. She looked at the phone screen and smiled, “Hmm, not bad, let’s take a close-up!” Saying that, she leaned close to his face and the phone clicked again.

“`

Seeing she had stopped taking photos, Wang Yang headed towards the entrance, laughing and shouting, “GOGOGO! Let’s conquer the Hilton Hotel!” Jessica raised her phone and shouted, “Take down Paris Hilton!” Roland playfully slapped her butt and laughed, “Let’s go!”

On a clear afternoon in Beverly Hills, the 60th Golden Globe Awards ceremony was held at the very lively Hilton Hotel, surrounded by signs emblazoned with “GOLDEN-GLOBE-AWARDS.” The red carpet was dazzling with stars, and journalists from all over the world had already taken their places, taking photos of the entering celebrities in the strut zone; the interview area was filled with reporters chatting and laughing with the stars, asking all kinds of questions.

A slowly approaching black Lincoln car gradually came to a stop, a waiter dressed in a suit and bow tie kindly opened the car door, and Wang Yang and Jessica stepped out, holding hands with smiles on their faces as they entered. The photographers behind the barriers on both sides cheered and screamed as they saw the pair, their cameras flashing non-stop with the sound of clicks and snaps, shouting out, “Yang! The amazing Yang!” and “Jessica!”…

The Golden Globe Awards never lack big movie stars, and this year was the same. Nicole Kidman, the lead actress of “The Hours” wearing a gray evening gown; Meryl Streep, who had 12 Oscar nominations; “newcomer” Adrien Brody of “The Pianist”; Leonardo DiCaprio; Jack Nicholson; Nicolas Cage; Robert Downey Jr.; and even Halle Berry, who was there as a presenting guest.

This year’s ceremony was broadcasted in over 130 countries and regions, with an expected audience of hundreds of millions watching the event.

It once again received warm attention from Chinese film fans all around the world, largely due to the amazing Yang, the director who drew the world’s spotlight. Another reason was that the list of Best Foreign Language Film nominations included Zhang Yimou’s “Hero,” starring Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, and the French entry, “Balzac and The Seamstress,” starring Liu Ye, Zhou Xun, and Chen Kun.

However, Zhang Yimou, Liu Ye, and others did not attend the event today, so the focus of the Chinese media and fans on-site was entirely on Wang Yang. Unlike the 58th Golden Globes two years ago, this year the amazing Yang was one of the main characters.

He was nominated for Best Drama Movie, Best Director, and Best Screenplay for “District 9,” a spectacle seen once every 20 years; he was also nominated for Best Musical or Comedy Movie for “The Hangover,” both of which were strong contenders and not just runners-up without suspense. As for indie science fiction, amazing works, “life is like a box of Chocolate,” and so on, these were the topics the entertainment media loved to report as he was the darling of the flashbulbs and microphones.

“Look who we’ve found!” The interview area on the red carpet was abuzz with voices as stars were surrounded by the media for interviews. The NBC broadcast crew moved about, the cameramen shouldering cameras and sound technicians holding boom mics, while black middle-aged female reporter Claus Hampton also held a small microphone. Seeing a tall, handsome, dark-haired Asian man and a mixed-race beauty in front of her, she quickly approached.

Reaching the pair, Claus spoke with a loud laugh, “Hi, Yang, Jessica!” Wang Yang and Jessica looked toward the camera and greeted with a smile. Claus, dressed in a women’s suit, pointed the microphone at Wang Yang, and amidst the surrounding bustle, she asked with a laugh, “This is your second time coming to the Golden Globe Awards as a nominee, Best Director, Best Movie… Everyone knows how incredible that is! How are you feeling?”

“Happy. Being nominated alongside these excellent movies and filmmakers is very pleasing,” Wang Yang replied with a standard response while Jessica smiled at him. Claus then asked loudly, “Do you feel confident about winning any of the awards? Of these nominations, which one do you most wish to win?”

Wang Yang laughed, giving up the formality was his style. He answered, “When you get nominated, of course you want to win all the awards. I even hope to take home the Best Actor in a Motion Picture Golden Globe, and not just Robert walking on stage.” Claus laughed heartily at his words, and he continued, “But if I had to choose just one, Best Picture would be the highest honor for a movie and its entire crew.”

“So you’re really hoping to stand on the awards stage,” Claus said, her face full of smiles, seeing him arching his brows and saying, “Yes, why not? I love the Golden Globe Awards.” Claus then asked with a laugh, “And what about when you really do stand on the awards stage? Are you prepared for an acceptance speech? How many have you prepared? The amazing Yang, you have four possible award-winning nominations.”

Acceptance speech? Wang Yang laughed and shook his head. Although Mark Strant said he had a good chance of winning an award, either Best Director or Best Screenwriter, his pockets were devoid of any such notes. He said, “I haven’t prepared any notes, but I’ve thought it over. I’m clear on who to thank. Hmm? If I really win an award, I probably won’t be so nervous that I can’t speak, haha! I’ve seen plenty of big scenes already.”

After joking for a moment, amidst the light laughter of Jessica and Claus, he added, “Don’t worry, as long as there’s an award to take, I will thank all the creatures in the universe. No one will be forgotten.”

“`

“Jessica, has he been showing any signs of abnormal behavior lately?” Claus turned the microphone towards Jessica, asking with great interest, “Like, ‘Oh God, there are just three days until the Golden Globes, two days, one day…'” Jessica immediately laughed and said, “No, no, that would be me.”

After answering a few more questions, Claus said with a smile, “Thank you, I wish everyone a happy evening,” and moved on with the NBC crew towards the newly arrived Renée Zellweger. The two of them moved closely together, taking interviews, laughing and talking with others from the industry. After a while, Wang Yang saw little Robert Downey Jr. in a grey suit and orange sunglasses.

After the Golden Globe nominations were announced last year, the crew of “District 9” had a small celebration, and then he hadn’t seen Downey since. He laughed and shouted, “Robert!”

Little Robert Downey Jr. over there smiled and raised his hand in greeting, as Jessica whispered to Wang Yang, “I’ll go to the hotel bathroom for a moment.” Wang Yang nodded, and then he walked over to Downey alone, laughing and saying, “Hey old man, trying to look cool with sunglasses?” Downey punched him lightly and, with a face full of laughter lines, said, “Yes, my stylist told me it looks cool.”

Wang Yang unceremoniously took his sunglasses and put them on his face, letting out a mischievous laugh, “If anyone’s going to be cool, it’s me.” Suddenly, Downey stopped talking and his gaze drifted towards the red carpet entrance, where a woman with a long face, black strapless gown, and golden hair tied into a high ponytail made her way. She was hand in hand with a goofily handsome man in a suit while reporters shouted, “Sarah! Jessica! Sarah—”, “Look over here!”

It was none other than Sarah Jessica Parker, nominated for Best Actress in a Television Series, Musical or Comedy, for “Sex and the City,” with her husband Matthew Broderick beside her.

“She looks truly happy,” Downey said, his eyes revealing a hint of tenderness before it was quickly submerged. If only time could flow backwards… but it doesn’t. He returned his gaze, joking about himself, “Damn drug addict, destined to be lonely forever, huh!” Wang Yang patted his shoulder forcefully and said, “Robert, sometimes I really wish you would go back to drugs, that way I could get a hundred million US dollars.”

Downey pouted and shook his head, “No, you won’t get it, never.” In fact, since his successful rehab, he had mended his relationship with his ex-wife and son. Although there was no chance for reconciliation, he had regained his right to be a father. Downey smiled and said, “I am enjoying my life now. It took me so many years to realize the life I truly wanted, how foolish I was.” Wang Yang laughed, “Just don’t be foolish in the future.”

Before they could talk much longer, they couldn’t have these private conversations anymore as media reporters came up with beaming smiles: “Yang! Robert, what are you doing here?”

“Oh! Magic Yang!” After finishing interviews with several print media outlets, little Robert Downey Jr. had just walked away when a young girl in a white dress and red waistband seemed to be pleasantly surprised by something. She excitedly approached Wang Yang, speaking somewhat excitedly, “Wow! My name is Annie Guest, I’m Jamie Lee Curtis’s daughter.” She had a look of adoration as she said, “Uh-uh! I absolutely love your movies.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Guest,” Wang Yang extended his hand for a handshake, as he had already encountered a few fans before. Annie Guest browsed through her handbag, looking forward with anticipation and asked, “Could I get your email address? Or maybe a phone number? That would be awesome.” Wang Yang smiled and said, “OK, it’s not like it’s an FBI secret.” However, he would only give out the kind of number he would for casual friends; the number that reached him directly was known only to close friends.

After chatting for a bit with the die-hard fan Annie Guest, Wang Yang made an excuse to leave, but he indeed harbored a doubt: Why had Jessica been gone for so long to the restroom? He walked towards the backstage area of the ceremony hotel, and before he entered the hotel, he saw Jessica walking towards him with her head slightly lowered, looking extremely embarrassed and at a loss. Wang Yang hastened to meet her and asked, “Jessie, what’s wrong?”

“Yang!” Seeing him, Jessica’s eyes lit up immediately as if she had retrieved her lost soul. She approached and first thing, she tightly grasped his right hand. Wang Yang asked again softly, “What’s wrong?” Recalling the embarrassing moment before, Jessica’s ears turned red and her voice carried a hint of a cry, “I just fell down in there.”

“Fell down? Are you okay?” Wang Yang paused upon hearing this, quickly scanning her body to check for injuries. Seeing none, he breathed a sigh of relief and couldn’t help but laugh and say, “It’s nothing, really! As long as you’re not hurt, what happened?” This wasn’t the first time she had fallen; not to mention ordinary life, at Tom Willing’s wedding last time, she nearly took a tumble in full view of everyone, saved only by his timely grab.

“I don’t know, I was just walking down the corridor and I tripped over something…” Jessica said, covering her flushed face. Why did she always act like such a klutz? She choked up, “If they had been flats, I could’ve kept my balance; but with high heels… I just toppled forward onto the ground.”

Seeing her so unhappy, Wang Yang kissed her forehead and comforted her gently, “No no no, I think it’s adorable. What’s the big deal?” Jessica looked at him, her brows tightly knitted, “A few reporters caught it on camera, they just happened to be there doing some backstage expose.” Wang Yang was taken aback for a moment, then realized why she was close to tears. After a brief thought, he burst into laughter, “Wow! Now everyone knows how cute you are, just like Sweetheart. Seriously, it’s no big deal, come on, it’s adorable!”

Looking into her eyes, he said with certainty, “It’s really not a big deal, I actually like it when you fall. Have you forgotten? Sweetheart can get knocked down by a lamp post while walking and everyone still loves her. You know, it’s really nothing.” As he spoke, he slowly began to laugh, “Don’t think it’s that bad, okay?”

“Is it really not a big deal?” Jessica said, her face slowly breaking into a smile as she listened to him. Wang Yang nodded with a laugh, “Absolutely not, just think of Sweetheart, everyone loves her to death! And that’s what you are!” Jessica let out a laugh, feeling suddenly enlightened. It wasn’t a big deal after all! Her pretty face brightened up again as she laughed, “It was really awful earlier. I was afraid of spraining my ankle so I didn’t dare to put weight on it, and then… hahaha!”

Wang Yang held her hand as they walked back toward the red carpet interview area, laughing, “You toothless little mouse, you’re so funny.” Hearing the nickname he used to tease her for being timid and shy as a child, Jessica laughed and said, “You’re the big mouse! But still a mouse!”

“Welcome to NBC! We are live at the Hilton Hotel, the venue for the 60th Golden Globe Awards. Let’s see who has walked the red carpet today and what they have to say.” On the television screen, amid the cheering and shouting, the camera flashed images of stars in suits and glamorous evening gowns entering with charming POSES on the red carpet.

Nicole Kidman said to the camera with a smile, “I’m so nervous, the day I got the call saying the nominations were out…” Adrien Brody said, “I’m thrilled to be here, I’ve seen many people I’ve always wanted to meet…” After several stars, the screen then showed an Asian man with black hair, laughing in response to a reporter’s question, “If I could only choose one award, Best Picture is the greatest honor for a movie and its entire crew… ”

“Ahh—Magic Yang! I love you!” Evelyn screamed loudly from the couch, as if seeing Magic Yang streaking before her very eyes. Her friends sitting on the couch stared at her in shock. It was Sunday evening, and they were watching the ceremony together. Kelly Doyle grumbled, “What are you so excited about? Magic Yang can’t hear you.” Still panting from the shouting, Evelyn took a deep breath and said with a smile, “But this is what creates the atmosphere!”

She tore open a bag of chips, grabbed a few to eat, and said with interest, “What awards do you think Magic Yang will win tonight? I hope he takes home Best Director!” She looked around at her friends and whispered with a sly smile, “I’ve already bet 100 bucks on Magic Yang, at odds of 6 to 1.”

“Your hundred bucks are definitely gone.” The white guy with black hair, Andrew, crossed his arms and shook his head, “Martin Scorsese will win the award. Magic Yang is too young. Who has ever heard of a 23-year-old Best Director?” Evelyn corrected, “He’s 22! His birthday isn’t until the 5th of next month.” Jeremy, the Jewish guy with the big nose, shrugged and said, “I think Magic Yang won’t get anything, maybe in a few more years! Oh, Halle Berry!”

Seeing Evelyn’s gaze, the blonde girl Sandra had no particular opinion, “I don’t know, maybe he will win?” Kelly Doyle raised a fist and laughed, “Sweep! This is a night for the young! If they give Best Director to Martin Scorsese just out of consolation, I’ll be disgusted. Even if Magic Yang doesn’t get it, this year’s other movies were all better than what that old guy made.”

“I like that line the most!” Evelyn chuckled and continued to watch the splendor of the Golden Globes from earlier this afternoon on the television screen. By now, those stars would be eating dinner in the hotel, right?

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PS: A new week has arrived! Wow, I’m calling for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets! Please, lend me your strength (no typo there), and help me and this book climb up the weekly recommended list for our category! Your support and thanks are very much needed and appreciated!