The Best Director

Chapter 446: Chapter 446: The Best, The Best

“And now, onto the Best Director nominations…”

“‘Good Night, and Good Luck,’ George Clooney,” said Clint Eastwood. The audience immediately erupted into enthusiastic applause along with whoops of excitement, as the big screen and televisions in millions of homes displayed George Clooney, head bowed with a modest smile; “‘King Kong,’ Peter Jackson” followed by another roar of applause, Peter Jackson finally on screen, his bearded, chubby, and flush face looking like he had enjoyed some drinks, he responded by nodding at someone nearby; “‘Brokeback Mountain,’ Ang Lee” the applause was even louder, and while Ang Lee revealed a row of white teeth in his smile, his expression still carried a hint of shyness and timidity.

At that moment, the Nielsen viewership data shot up again, 27 million, 28 million, 29 million… Surpassing Best Actor/Actress in audience attention due to its marvel, the Best Director award is here!

This was the first nomination for 44-year-old Clooney (0/1), the fourth for 44-year-old Peter Jackson (1/4), the third for 51-year-old Ang Lee (1/3), the first for 50-year-old Fernando Meirelles (0/1), the third for 25-year-old Wang Yang (1/3), and the tenth for 59-year-old Spielberg (2/10).

In the media’s predictions, without a doubt, Ang Lee and Wang Yang had the highest chances of winning. But the same issue from three years ago remained: the opposition from editors at Hollywood.com to Wang Yang winning was still that “he’s too young.” Would he, at the astonishing age of 25, lift his second Golden Globe Best Director trophy? Or would Ang Lee return to the stage after five years? Or would there be a surprise upset?

“Fernando Meirelles, ‘The Constant Gardener,'” Meirelles appeared on screen, sporting rimless glasses, and he made a phone call gesture with a smile; “Stephen Spielberg, ‘Munich,'” Spielberg with his round glasses pursed his lips into a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, apparently absorbed in thought, while his wife Kate Capshaw and others beside him clapped and laughed loudly.

Eastwood continued in an unhurried pace, “Wang Yang, ‘Firefly.'” Instantly, the banquet hall boiled over with excited cheers and applause. “Clap, clap, clap!” “Woo, woo, woo!” Applause and shouts crazily burst from all directions. One guest stood up, then two, then three… Scarlett Johansson, Rachel McAdams, Wentworth Miller, Jim Parsons, Heath Ledger, Joseph Gordon Levitt… They unanimously rose to their feet, honoring the director they admired with their applause! Their friend, their mentor, the person they looked up to…

Wang Yang had already tightly gripped Jessica’s gentle hand. As Eastwood called his name, a sudden squeeze hit him, and once again, the emotion from three years prior welled up in his heart, stronger and more fervent than ever!

That one fake breakup weekend, MIT-21-TEAM, ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ standing on the rocky summit of Everest, Canada, Texas, China, that brilliant summer, the fervent tour of Asia, ‘500 Days of Summer,’ the baby’s giggles… The past three years rushed by like a swiftly played film strip, flickering past his eyes, from proposing to being engaged to getting married to having a baby. His career had changed so much, his life had transformed too. Was that firefly still okay?

“How does it feel?” Wang Yang silently asked himself, breaths erratic with excitement, chest rising and falling. As the cameras panned over and amidst the deafening applause and laughter from the crowd, he naturally broke into a smile. It felt great! Suddenly, there was just one thought left: Was Keke watching?

He wanted to lift that trophy, he wanted to thank these people! Looking at those around him, whether chuckling or clapping—Jessica, Natalie, Joss Whedon, Kiefer Sutherland, and all those smiling faces, as well as Rachel, Downey, and others not far away… And at home in front of the TV, his parents, family, friends, colleagues, and fans from around the world cheering for him… Wang Yang extended his hand with a smile, waved at the camera: “Good evening, everyone!” He wanted to stand on that stage, thank those people! And tell his baby, he loved her.

The love of his people, the love of his life, they would not be let down, not tonight; as for those who hated him… they no longer mattered. They’d had their share of disappointment already, and tonight would be no different, right?

“The Golden Globe goes to…” Eastwood slowly tore open the golden envelope amidst the attention of the entire hall, the whole of America, and the entire world. He glanced at it and said nothing, then flipped the envelope over—he had initially held it upside down.

God, God, God, God, God, God, God!! Jessica tried her best to maintain a normal smile, but her lips trembled with nervousness, forcing her to purse them tightly, her heartbeat so rapid it was uncomfortable, her eyes brimming with confidence—it had to be Yang! Natalie was tapping her foot anxiously on the floor. Who could it be? Old man, just say it! Fellow tablemates like Whedon and Jimo were just as tense about the director’s fate, with the largest supporters in the venue, seated or standing—Downey, Charlize Theron, Evangeline Lilly… everyone was looking at the white-haired old man!

The banquet hall was silent as guests with different supporters and mentalities were brewing a more ferocious storm. Drew Barrymore naturally supported The Godfather Spielberg, especially after the embarrassment caused by “Lucky Card Player” and multiple failed attempts to join, which made her love turn to hate towards Wang Yang; Sarah Jessica Parker supported Wang Yang; Kate Beckinsale supported Wang Yang; Keira Knightley supported Wang Yang; Gwyneth Paltrow, Harrison Ford, John Travolta…

“George Clooney!” The entire press room backstage was just as quiet, with Mizrahi barely holding back from shouting out his thoughts. Reporters were ready to release breaking news pieces “Wang Yang wins Best Director,” “Ang Lee,” “Clooney”… Paris Hilton, the Olsen sisters were staring at the TV screen, “George Clooney!”

“Oh, God!” Watching Clint squinting at the upside-down envelope, the viewers in front of the TV couldn’t wait to reach into the screen and snatch the envelope away—if only they could. Michael Pitt, Ellen Page, Annie Darren, Nancy, and others held their breath; Joshua took a deep breath, Ali and others watched without blinking, as Keke, who was lying in Mother Wang’s arms, also stared wide-eyed, wondering why everyone had suddenly fallen silent.

Eastwood, leaving countless people’s hearts hanging in their throats, finally moved his lips and read the results without joy or sorrow.

“YOUNG-WANG, ‘Firefly’.”

“Ahhh–“, “Wowwww–“, “Hoo-hoo–” Madness erupted! The entire vast and crowded banquet hall went into a frenzy! One after another, guests stood up to applaud, and in an instant, almost ninety percent of them did so. The solemn and fierce melody played for the second time tonight when the award was won! The thrilling drumbeats made everyone’s blood boil! The youngest 25 years and 11 months Best Director! The second-youngest award winner! With 8 years to spare from the third-youngest, 33-year-old Francis Ford Coppola!

“Yang!! Hoo-hoo! –“, “Congratulations! This is unbelievable!”, “Fantastic–! Hoo-hoo!” Just hearing “YOUNG,” many guests already standing up burst into euphoric cheers, some even punching the air and fist-pumping, jumping for joy.

The “Brokeback Mountain” crew’s table was also jumping with excitement, as if Ang Lee himself had won the award. The Ledger family cheered and clapped, Hathaway beamed with a wide-open smile, and Ang Lee exchanged nods with Schamus; At “The Big Bang Theory” table, “Sheldon” and “Leonard” displayed their characteristically goofy grins, and the tablemate “Scofield” was happier than if he had saved his brother, as Evangeline Lilly’s eyes crinkled into crescents; The “Desperate Housewives” table saw the beautiful housewives laughing together, Eva and Hatcher moving as if rocking out; Sarah Jessica Parker, Keira Knightley, Charlize Theron, and others applauded heartily, Barrymore bit her lip in frustration, while Gwyneth still appeared nonchalant…

“YOUNG!” On the giant screen, Wang Yang was already tightly embracing Jessica, with so many girls wishing it was they who were in his arms at that moment! Scarlett beamed with joy, her flowing blonde hair swaying with her excited applause, adding to her allure; Rachel covered her face with both hands, moist eyes betraying her joy as she bit her lip, revealing her dimples; Joseph perfectly embodied the “bewildered frown,” while Downey’s face full of wrinkles laughed, calling out, “Yang, Yang–”

“Ahhh!” Upon hearing the most familiar pronunciation, Jessica screamed uncontrollably, “Yang, Yang, Yang!” Best Director! Yang won his second Golden Globe Best Director! The movie in which she stars as the female lead won Best Director! Is Keke watching? Oh my God–!!

Young… With a buzz, the whole world seemed to lose its sound, yet it was also filled with applause and shouting, and the battle music of “Firefly”! Toot-toot-dong-dong-dong… Wang Yang suddenly pulled Jessica into his arms, kissed her forehead and cheek firmly, and shouted, “We did it!” He stood up again to embrace Joss Whedon, to greet the incoming Natalie, “Congratulations, buddy!!!” Natalie tilted her head to kiss his cheek, suppressing a burst of laughter, thinking this Godzilla was truly handsome!

Wang Yang continued to embrace Joseph, as the live broadcast cut to the few defeated nominees, with Spielberg clapping with a smile; Clooney, however, grinned wryly, perhaps feeling more relaxed amidst his disappointment; Lee chuckled and clapped, as did Jackson and Meirelles who never expected to win.

Eastwood, taking the trophy from the hands of the Golden Globe miss, was also all smiles; Dakota Johnson, who had shown little emotion all night, finally laughed showing her youth and beauty, her smile declaring the magic of Yang!

“Wow!” The press room backstage erupted too, as reporters cheered and sent out news flashes like “Wang Yang wins Best Director” and “Magical Yang Triumphs” in record time, soon the whole world would know the news! The victor, a space cowboy! A legend is born, a legend continues! After three years, Wang Yang wins his second Golden Globe Best Director (2/3)! Once again a sci-fi film reaps Best Director! There’s only one Magical Yang in this world!

Good news? Bad news? With no other option, Mizrahi pressed his wide forehead: “Oh my God, what the hell is going on!” Paris Hilton was close to having a breakdown, wanting to kill someone! What was even more infuriating was Nicky’s exclaiming “YEAH,” as she glared at her sister and bellowed like thunder: “What the hell are you on about!!!”

“YES! YES! YES!” The Yang fans in front of the TV were shouting wildly without any restraint, Evelyn was screaming non-stop, the second Best Director award, her bet won again, won again! Michael Pitt and Jamie Bochert hugged each other happily, Harry George, Nancy, and the others were jumping and dancing, how fantastic! “Ahahaha—” Joshua couldn’t help laughing out loud, no one would call him childish, in the elegant living room there were only sounds of laughter and shouting, even Keke was amused to laughter: “Oh ho ho!” Danny wagged his tail excitedly.

On TV screens in thousands of homes, Wang Yang walked onto the stage amidst applause and congratulations. He shook hands with Eastwood and then accepted the Golden Globe trophy and the gold envelope from the old man.

“Thank you, thank you.” Wang Yang had always held Eastwood in high esteem; receiving the award from this eternally cool cowboy was a special honor of great significance. He smiled and said, “Sir, receiving this award from you is a dream come true.” Eastwood’s deep voice was a bit hoarse: “Enjoy your moment, young man.”

The trophy still had that solid, heavy feel, so real and so satisfying! Wang Yang, holding the trophy in his right hand and the envelope in his left, approached the microphone, looked at the audience below, black suits, colorful evening dresses, familiar and unfamiliar faces… just like the scene from three years ago, some people were the same, some were different, but the joy of sharing with the people who mattered remained the same. Wang Yang chuckled a few times, and the crowd erupted in cheers, he laughed and said, “Thank you, now I stand here, and it’s only been three years.”

“Huhuh—” The banquet hall instantly filled with thunderous applause and cheers. Jessica, Natalie, Rachel, and others’ eyes were brimming with rapture as Wang Yang interrupted them: “What I mean is, how could this happen?” He frowned at the trophy and said, “Look at the other nominees and Mr. Eastwood… you know it’s an unrivaled honor, I must say, the feeling is really good.”

At that moment, the applause from the guests below rose again; the live broadcast camera also quickly swept over Spielberg, Clooney, and others, their smiles seemed to intensify.

“In ‘Firefly,’ I delved deeper into various aspects of filmmaking, like acting, which is why you saw my heroics.” His words once again induced laughter from the guests that evening. Wang Yang continued with a smile, “Scoring, editing, cinematography, writing lyrics for the theme song… it made me realize how difficult it is to make a movie, how challenging it is for everyone and every department. I can’t say being a director is the hardest part, but it sure is the most annoying, YOU, NG! WA——! NG.”

“Hahaha!” The audience burst into laughter, and Natalie couldn’t help but look up and clap even harder. His name was indeed that of a born director.

“I NG’ed myself a hundred times, which was terrible,” Even as everyone was laughing joyously, Wang Yang didn’t intend to continue joking around. He earnestly said, “But they didn’t hate me; they liked me, trusted me, helped me, stood with me, overcoming every difficulty together, working hard to achieve the goal, this means so much to me.”

Whether on-site or in front of the TV, all members of the ‘Firefly’ cast and crew, Jessica, Downey, Ledger, Joss Whedon, Valery Fest, Margaret, and others were all smiling at this moment.

“So the people I should thank the most are you, without your support I couldn’t stand here! You’re like wings that allow me to fly! It isn’t this trophy telling me I’m the Best Director.” Wang Yang shook the trophy and said loudly, “It’s you telling me I’m the Best Director.”

“Huhuh—” It was hard for the guests to remain indifferent; it was not just a ‘Firefly’ crew thing but something that resonated with every film crew, and they were applauding his humorous, modest, and confident speech! Scarlett and others nearly started whistling, this was the charm of the 25-year-old two-time Golden Globe Best Director, the magical Yang! The TV audience was also full of admiration; Yang was not just an “idol director” because of his physique and looks but also for his admirable qualities.

Wang Yang on stage continued, “Thank you, I won’t read anyone’s name this time, because you all are equally important, we are a team, and this team is called ‘Firefly’.”

As the audience’s applause subsided, looking at Jessica and others’ smiling faces, he laughed and said, “And thanks to my parents, my family, my wife, my friends, thank you to my colleagues at Flame Films, thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, and all the fans and everyone who supports me, I’ll pray for you. Thank you Dr. Martin Luther King, we all have our dreams, but no matter what race or color, your dreams are our common wish.”

“Finally, I must say, thank you to my daughter!” Wang Yang looked towards the direction of the camera, wanting to tell his baby! He laughed and said, “I cannot express how much I love you… I made some jokes tonight, I heard a lot of jokes, a lot of laughter, to be honest, none were as sweet as my daughter’s laugh. Some things become more complicated over time, and we forget the original beauty, like laughter, which wasn’t like this at the beginning. Those jokes and humor, she may not understand, but she will laugh… I dedicate this to my daughter, and to everyone.”

Just as everyone was somewhat puzzled, an astonishing scene occurred without warning. Wang Yang suddenly rolled his eyes, stuck out his tongue, and made a brilliantly twisted face.

“Oh my God…” Jessica felt almost suffocated, a warm current surged from the bottom of her heart, spreading throughout her body, warm and cozy, her heart melted in an instant, and so did she. What pressure? What jealousy? All disappeared in a puff of smoke. “Haha!” Natalie laughed, the world that is filled with childlike innocence and love, is the most beautiful world of all.

“Oh heavens! HOPE, look!” Joshua exclaimed in surprise. Alexis couldn’t help but cover her mouth. Mother Wang hurriedly and carefully cradled Keke, supporting her head towards the television screen. It wasn’t clear if she saw anything, but Keke seemed amused and started laughing, “Oh oh, eeya, eeya!”

After a chorus of “Oh” gasps, thunderous applause and cheers filled the air! Parents understood his feelings, admirers were heart-struck, and countless others were deeply moved. If it were Tom Cruise, he would undoubtedly be jumping on a couch again, but this was the amazing Yang… Too cool!

Wang Yang maintained the face for three to four seconds before returning to normal, and lifted the trophy high, he called out with a beaming smile, “Baby, I love you!”

“Whoo—” Nearly all the guests stood up, and the applause was thunderous, seeing off Wang Yang and Clint Eastwood towards the backstage. As he disappeared to the left side of the stage, Jessica slowly sat down, barely able to suppress the surging love. At that moment, she just wanted to rush into his arms. How could she be so lucky! Natalie and Rachel also wanted to know, while Scarlett slightly shook her head, finding it hard to believe that such a good man existed.

Breaking news: “Wang Yang gives speech, makes funny face for daughter,” “Amazing Yang’s heartfelt gratitude wins the audience over”… This was destined to be a classic scene tastefully covered by the media. Those who saw the live broadcast were thrilled, and those who couldn’t find video or photos were burning with impatience. What kind of face did he make!?

As Wang Yang went to the award ceremony’s press room backstage for an immediate interview with NBC, two more major awards were presented in the banquet hall. Felicity Huffman, with her stunning performance in “Transamerica,” beat out Charlize Theron and Gwyneth Paltrow, among others, taking home the Best Actress in a Drama; then, Philip Seymour Hoffman from “Capote” outdid Heath Ledger and others, taking home the Best Actor in a Drama trophy, making the result official, bringing the ceremony to its final moments.

“Now let’s take a look at the nominees for the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Drama, ‘Firefly’;” as it was Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, the organizers had invited Denzel Washington to present this ultimate award. The big screen showed space battleships firing at each other fiercely, with the Serenity navigating perilously through them; “Brokeback Mountain,” with Jack and Ennis herding cattle on horseback; “The Constant Gardener,” a child in Africa with a radiant smile running on a muddy road; “Good Night, and Good Luck,” with Edward at a typewriter; “A History of Violence,” with scenes of barroom brawling and gunfights.

“And the Golden Globe goes to…” Denzel Washington looked down, opened the golden envelope with a serious gaze.

Wang Yang had just returned to his seat at the table, having yet to speak with Jessica and the others, when the Best Film was about to be announced! Everyone’s hearts began to pound once more as countless North American viewers stared at the screen. Who could it be? Denzel Washington leaned into the microphone and announced, “Brokeback Mountain.”

“Ahhh—” The banquet hall boiled over once again for the cowboys! The melancholic guitar music rang out for the third time during the award moments tonight! The Hollywood Foreign Press Association did not choose the phenomenon-level science fiction film “Firefly,” and the first science fiction film to win Best Motion Picture still had not emerged; “Brokeback Mountain,” the controversial work, was crowned the best!

Before Denzel could finish speaking, the “Brokeback Mountain” team’s table was already a scene of jubilation, with James Schamus, Ang Lee, Mike Motley, Ossana, Hathaway, and others joyfully rising to their feet; guests from “Good Night, and Good Luck,” “The Constant Gardener,” and other films clapped in congratulations, while the “Firefly” team of Joss Whedon, Kiefer Sutherland, Downey, and others were all smiles; Wang Yang and Jessica also joined the vigorous clapping, exclaiming loudly, “Whoo—”

The two exchanged smiles, feeling both regret and contentment in this night. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to qidian.com to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)