America: Child stars start with The Shining

Chapter 100 The Final Battle

The woman gently patted Justin on the shoulder and whispered, "Justin, say hello to them."

Justin is still young and doesn't have much experience attending award ceremonies like this, so he seemed a bit reserved.

After all, this was only his first film role, and he ended up getting an Oscar nomination, as well as nominations for various other awards.

Not long after that Oscars ceremony, any child would probably find it difficult to immediately adapt to a similar occasion.

With a gentle pat from his mother, Justin seemed to finally snap out of his daze, quickly sat up straight, and said somewhat awkwardly, "Hello."

Upon hearing this dry greeting, Charles didn't stand on ceremony any longer. He quickly gave a polite smile, nodded, and shook hands with the other person.

However, in comparison, Charles was clearly much more at ease.

At least in this situation, he was able to handle things with ease, unlike Justin who was so nervous that he didn't know how to respond.

However, after the two greeted each other, the atmosphere quickly fell silent again, and neither of them seemed inclined to continue the conversation.

Drew, sitting beside him watching this scene, finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Charles turned his head and glanced at her expressionlessly.

Drew immediately pursed his lips, pretending nothing had happened.

But the gloating look in her eyes was almost overflowing.

After a moment, she patted Charles on the shoulder from behind, leaned closer, and whispered, "I know this guy, Justin Henry, your rival, right?"

"I've seen 'Kramer vs. Kramer,' and his performance in it was pretty good."

She paused, looked at Charles, and continued, "However, I still think your acting in 'The Shining' was superior."

"As long as those judges aren't blind, I believe they should know who should receive this award."

Unexpectedly, Drew spoke up for Charles at this moment.

This made Charles a little uncomfortable, and he looked at her with surprise.

Drew immediately understood Charles's meaning, glared at him, and said angrily, "What's with that expression? You've wasted my good intentions, hmph..."

"7

Charles looked at her sullen face and twitched the corner of his mouth.

It wasn't that he didn't believe Drew would praise him, but it was quite rare to hear such a genuine compliment from this guy.

What's more, just a moment ago she seemed to be waiting to see him fail to win the award so she could make fun of him, but in the blink of an eye, she actually sided with him again.

This rapid change in attitude is somewhat puzzling.

After thinking for a moment, Charles finally said, "Don't worry, the awards will be announced soon, and then we'll know the results."

"However, I still want to thank you for your recognition."

Drew crossed his arms and gave a cold snort: "You know that's good."

She raised her chin, looking somewhat uninterested in acknowledging Charles.

Charles sighed helplessly and turned his head away.

The awards ceremony began soon afterward, and the stage lights gradually came on. The once lively venue slowly quieted down as the lights changed.

The curtain in front was drawn back and suddenly illuminated by a soft spotlight.

Immediately afterwards, Judy lifted her skirt and slowly walked up from the side of the stage, standing under the spotlight.

"Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Young Artist Award ceremony."

She had a smile on her face, her voice was clear, and her pace was neither too fast nor too slow; she appeared very composed.

As her voice faded, applause erupted from the audience.

Charles sat in his seat, quietly watching Judy on the stage.

It must be admitted that she is indeed very suitable for this occasion, especially since she looks neither as mature as others nor as naive as the other actors present, possessing a unique charm.

Even if there's a large group of restless young actors in the audience, she can naturally draw everyone's attention back to the stage just by standing there.

Drew, standing behind Charles, also looked up at the stage with an envious gaze.

In her mind, Judy is definitely one of her idols in this industry.

Drew sat in the back watching for a while, then couldn't help but lean closer and whisper, "Judy looks so charming..."

'

Charles didn't turn around, but casually said, "You could learn from him too."

Drew was taken aback by his words, immediately glared back, and was so angry that he wanted to reach out and slap Charles again.

This time, however, Judy's gaze happened to sweep over from the stage.

For some reason, Drew felt a chill down his back, and his movements froze in mid-air.

She glanced at Judy on the stage, then at Charles, and finally reluctantly withdrew her hand, obediently returning to her seat.

Ciel noticed this and couldn't help but smile, winking at Judy on the stage.

But clearly, Judy seemed to have just happened to glance over and didn't notice his little actions.

The awards ceremony proceeded quickly, unlike the Oscars, where the host would spend most of the day before the awards were presented.

If that were the case, Judy would probably be exhausted on stage all by herself.

Initially, only minor awards were given out, such as for TV dramas, comedies, and family programs.

Of particular note is that the Best Young Female Recording Artist award was given to Erin Cara.

She sang the theme song "Fame" for her starring film "Fame," a classic dance track that perfectly captures the disco style of that era.

After its release, the song immediately climbed to number 4 on the Billboard 200. If the movie hadn't been released a bit later, she probably would have been seen at the Grammy Awards recently.

Unsurprisingly, the Best Family Music Album award was also given directly to the soundtrack album of the movie "Fame".

This film is a musical drama, somewhat similar to the later "La La Land". It performed quite well at the box office, grossing more than 20 million US dollars.

This film is a classic example of a critically acclaimed and commercially successful blockbuster, not only making a fortune at the box office but also winning numerous music awards for its theme song.

In Charles's opinion, the film's soundtrack will definitely cause a bloodbath at next year's Grammy Awards, causing countless nominees to suffer a crushing defeat.

After the smaller awards were presented, it was finally time for one of the main events of the day.

Best Young Actress in a Film Award.

Judy had already stepped off the stage. After all, she was one of the nominated actresses, and to avoid any appearance of impropriety, the organizers specially invited a staff member to stand on the stage as a temporary host.

She lifted her skirt and returned to her seat, then naturally sat down next to Charles.

Charles turned his head and asked in a low voice, "Nervous?"

Upon hearing this, Judy chuckled softly, tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, and said gently, "Aren't you underestimating me a little?"

"I'm an Oscar-nominated actor, after all. What's there to be nervous about in such a small situation?"

Charles glanced at her.

Judy said it very calmly, and you couldn't see any flaws in her expression.

However, she seemed to have spent a little more time fixing her hair than usual.

Charles didn't expose her, but simply nodded and said earnestly, "I see. It seems I was overthinking it."

Judy gave him a disapproving look.

However, at this moment, the staff on stage had already begun to introduce the next awards, and she did not continue to argue with Charles, but simply turned her attention back to the stage.

Charles followed her gaze.

On the big screen, the nominees for the Best Young Actress in Film award are being displayed.

The first one to appear was Jodie Foster, with clips of her performance in "The Little Fox" playing on the screen.

Next up is Brooke Shields, with "The Coral Island".

As soon as the scene appeared, some parents in the audience instinctively covered their children's eyes.

Unfortunately, some scenes in the movie were too inappropriate for children.

But Brooke Shields, sitting in the audience, had a calm expression and even slightly raised her chin, clearly very satisfied with the film.

Soon, the image on the big screen changed again.

This time, it was Christy McNicholm who appeared.

A clip from her performance in "Premature Youth" was shown, depicting the noisy girls at summer camp and scenes reminiscent of adolescence, which quickly eased the atmosphere in the audience.

This finally feels like a normal teenage movie.

But then, the parents realized something was wrong.

Just by looking at the title of this movie, you can roughly guess what its plot is like...

Therefore, some scenes still appeared that were not suitable for children to watch.

Once again, the parents all covered their little actors' eyes.

Just then, Charles heard someone whisper beside him, "Christie actually has a good chance too; she's been very popular for the past two years."

The other person lowered their voice and said, "But this is a film award after all, and Diane Lane's reputation is better among the judges."

As soon as he finished speaking, the last nominee appeared on the big screen.

Diane Lane.

Her clip from "Warm Hearts of Children" has been released.

Charles frowned. Compared to the other nominated actors, Judy was definitely Judy's biggest competitor this time.

Because this is a very positive and uplifting film that aligns with the mainstream ideology, telling the story of a young nurse who encourages a girl with cerebral palsy to write a letter to her favorite rock star, Elvis Presley.

Just by looking at the synopsis, you can tell that this movie is absolutely perfect for the tastes of those judges.

After the nomination clips on the screen finished playing, the camera cut back to the stage.

Charles couldn't help but glance at Judy, who was adjusting her skirt and didn't seem to care much about the outcome.

He suddenly asked in a low voice, "Are you nervous right now?"

The results are not yet available, but in just one minute, everyone will know who will win the Best Young Actress in a Film award.

It would be absolutely impossible for Judy not to be nervous.

However, Judy paused for a moment, looked at Charles with gentle eyes, and said, "Of course I'm a little nervous."

"But... well, I'm not actually that nervous. It's much better than when I was waiting for the Oscar nomination results all by myself last time."

She looked at Charles, the meaning in her eyes was self-evident.

The staff on stage had already picked up the envelopes and were giving their opening remarks in the standard award ceremony tone.

The stage lights dimmed slightly, leaving only the spotlight in the center of the stage shining brightly.

Charles suddenly smiled and said, "You will definitely win, I promise you."

The conversation between the two ended abruptly here, as the staff on stage lowered their heads and opened the envelopes in their hands.

The scattered whispers that had been emanating from the audience fell completely silent at that moment.

The camera began to pan across the faces of the nominated actresses.

Judy sat up a little straighter, her gaze looking very determined.

Brooke Shields slightly raised her chin, displaying her beauty.

Christy McNicholm, with her hands folded on her knees, smiled with a hint of nervousness.

Diane Lynn sat not far away, clearly holding her breath.

The staff member glanced at the card, smiled, and announced, "The final winner is..."

'

Everyone present instinctively held their breath.

Charles sensed that although Judy was still smiling, the fingers resting on her skirt tightened slightly.

The next second, the staff read out the name: "Jodie Foster, The Little Fox!"

The applause erupted instantly like a tidal wave!

The camera immediately focused on Judy, who stood up with a smile, looking surprisingly composed, as if she was not surprised at all by the outcome.

Charles joined in the applause, then stood up and gave Judy a hug.

The photographers below the stage immediately started pressing the shutter, and the flashes went off one after another, illuminating the area around the two people.

Immediately afterwards, Judy walked up to the stage at a leisurely pace, stood in front of the microphone, and delivered an acceptance speech.

"Thank you for the Young Artist Award, and thank you to the judges for giving me this award."

"Of course, I also want to thank the director and crew of 'The Little Fox,' and everyone who worked with me to make this film."

""

She paused for a moment, her gaze seemingly glancing casually at the audience below.

Charles was sitting in his seat when he met her gaze.

Judy's smile didn't change much, only her eyes held a faint hint of amusement.

Charles breathed a sigh of relief and was somewhat pleased that Judy had won the award.

But soon, his gaze met that of Justin Henry sitting opposite him.

What followed was a fierce battle between the two of them.

This time, Judy didn't return to her seat; instead, she stood on the stage, taking the place of the previous staff member.

She will serve as the host and announce the final award for Best Young Actor in a Film.