America: Child stars start with The Shining

Chapter 101: A Panoramic View from Above! A Perfect Ending!

On the big screen, just like before, the nominees for the Best Young Actor in a Film award were displayed one by one.

The first one to appear was, naturally, Justin Henry.

His performance in Kramer vs. Kramer was beyond question, and the film had just swept the Oscars, making him the most famous actor at the time.

Perhaps the judges will also be easily influenced by this momentum.

What followed were some clips of Ciel from The Shining.

Even just a few fragmented performance clips were enough to give many people in the audience goosebumps.

The sense of immersion was just too strong.

Even without knowing any of the plot details in the movie, just seeing the subtle, almost fleeting micro-expression changes on Ciel's face in the scenes is enough to send chills down your spine.

Especially the scene where Charles stands at the end of the hotel corridor and slowly raises his head.

His face was pale, but his eyes were unusually calm. As the camera zoomed in, his lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something.

It was just a very short clip, but it made many people in the audience subconsciously hold their breath.

Unlike Justin Henry's naturalistic performance in *Kramer vs. Kramer*, Charles's performance in *The Shining*...

The performance in it is clearly another, more extreme type.

The former is closer to reality and makes it easier for the audience to empathize, while the latter carries a strong sense of oppression and impact.

But it's hard to say which kind of performance is more appealing to the judges.

One is authentic and natural, the other is highly memorable.

However, judging from the audience's reaction, the entire venue was clearly stirred up after the clips from The Shining were played.

Judy, who was standing on the stage, turned her head and glanced at him at that moment.

Ciel was very close to the stage and naturally noticed her gaze.

However, his expression did not change significantly; he simply continued to look quietly at the stage.

He appeared to be intently watching the screen, but in reality, he was secretly keeping an eye on Judy out of the corner of his eye.

Immediately afterward, while everyone's attention was drawn to the clip on the screen, Judy quietly made a gesture to him.

Charles was slightly taken aback.

Judy was looking at him.

She didn't say anything, but gave him a reassuring look.

The meaning in his eyes was very clear.

"Since I was able to win that award, I believe you can do it too."

Charles understood what she meant.

He let out a soft breath, and the tension that had been weighing on his heart dissipated considerably at that moment.

Next, footage of the other nominated actors was shown.

Some of these are actors who have appeared in previous films, such as Christopher Atkins, the male actor in "The Island of Youth".

His approach is somewhat similar to Brooke Shields's, relying more on the buzz surrounding the films themselves and the exposure of his appearance to gain attention.

In this movie, he also boldly showed off his physique.

It must be said that this kind of image is indeed very easy to create a buzz in the media.

However, when it comes to competitiveness in terms of acting skills, they may not be that strong.

In addition, there are two actors from "Fame," Paul McLaney and Berry Miller.

Charles didn't have a deep impression of them.

At least in his memory, these two people did not seem to have starred in any truly well-known films in later generations.

The music and youthful spirit of the film "Fame" are indeed very strong, and its overall popularity is quite high.

But if we were to actually compete for this award—

It's probably still a long shot for these two actors to win an award.

The final two nominees are Matt Dillon from "My Bodyguard" and Rick Skrull from "The Last Noah".

Um..

Charles hasn't seen either of the films, so he can't make any arbitrary judgments.

Just watching the clips shown at the event, it felt like they were just there to fill out the nomination list.

"My Bodyguard" is a comedy film with a not particularly novel plot, but it performed quite well at the box office, grossing over 20 million US dollars.

As for "The Last Noah," it is an adventure film.

Judging from the clips, neither the subject matter, the quality of the material, nor the actors' performances stood out in any particular way.

As is well known, these two types of films, although they may sometimes perform well at the box office, are usually not favored by the judges of these film awards.

no way.

Judges often prefer things that are profound, artistic, and have a realistic or family ethical theme.

Ideally, it should also have some so-called depth.

From this perspective, Kramer vs. Kramer naturally has a significant advantage.

While The Shining is a horror film, it excels in its powerful performances, and Ciel's portrayal of the character is truly unforgettable.

In addition, Kubrick, as a director, likes to include his own personal touches, so the depth of the film's plot goes without saying.

Finally, all the clips of the nominated actors had finished playing on the big screen.

And then...

The screen gradually darkened.

The applause that had been rising and falling in the hall due to the clips gradually quieted down.

Judy returned to center stage.

In her hand, she held the envelope with the winner's name on it.

All eyes were on her, after all, this was the last award presented today, and also the most prestigious one.

Charles's body, which had relaxed slightly, tensed up again at this moment.

This was a feeling he could never experience at the Oscars last time.

Last time, he was just an observer.

This time, through his own efforts, he sat in the position of a candidate, waiting for an award that belonged to him.

Having spent many years as an extra in his previous life, he had never been to such an occasion before.

And now, he has finally seized such an opportunity.

He already had the right to sit at the poker table, and for that reason, he cherished it very much and was absolutely unwilling to miss it.

There may be many more opportunities in the future, but right now, there is only one for Charles.

Justin Henry on the other side also became visibly nervous.

He sat very upright, with his hands neatly placed on his knees, his eyes fixed on the stage.

Even though he has been nominated for an Oscar, he is still just a nine-year-old child. It is obviously impossible for him not to be nervous at such a moment.

Drew sat at the next table, initially looking like he was waiting to see what would happen.

But at this point, she couldn't help but quiet down.

She leaned forward slightly, as if she was even more eager to know the result than Charles himself.

Judy stood in the center of the stage.

She glanced down at the envelope in her hand.

According to the procedure, she should have paused slightly to create some suspense.

But whether it was Charles's imagination or not, she seemed to be a little slower in opening the envelope.

At that moment, the room was so quiet that only the faint sound of papers being pulled out could be heard.

Judy looked down and saw the name on the card.

The smile on her face remained unchanged.

As the host, she obviously couldn't have much emotional fluctuation; she had to maintain composure and not show any obvious emotions before the results were announced.

But whether it was because he was too close to the stage, or because he knew Judy too well, in any case...

He saw it.

He saw Judy's eyes, and for a fleeting moment, they seemed to light up slightly.

The next second, Judy looked up and spoke into the microphone: "The winner of Best Young Actor in a Film is..."

Her voice carried clearly throughout the entire venue.

After a brief pause, she uttered the name.

"Ciel, The Shining!"

Applause erupted immediately, and Charles remained seated, seemingly still in a daze.

Drew reacted even faster than him.

She immediately clapped her hands excitedly and patted his shoulder hard from behind, saying, "Hey! Charles, see, I told you so!"

Charles was swayed slightly by her pat before he finally came to his senses.

He stood up and looked towards the stage.

Judy stood on it, looking at him with gentle eyes.

Charles nodded slightly to her.

Then he looked at Justin sitting opposite him.

A hint of disappointment flashed across Justin's face.

This sense of disappointment is not hard to understand. After all, no one can be completely indifferent to winning or losing when they are just one step away from the trophy.

However, he quickly joined in the applause.

Charles looked at him and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

Justin paused for a moment, then nodded somewhat embarrassedly.

Immediately afterwards, Charles straightened his suit jacket, then stepped out from between his seats and walked toward the stage.

When the light fell on him, he could feel countless eyes focused on him.

Everyone was watching him.

But Charles's gaze remained steadfastly fixed on the gleaming trophy on the stage.

He went up to her, and Judy handed him the trophy. Their fingers briefly touched the rim of the trophy.

Judy lowered her voice and said in a tone only the two of them could hear, "Congratulations."

Charles smiled broadly, accepted the trophy, gave Judy, the host, a brief hug, and then whispered back, "Thank you, Judy."

He then turned to face the audience.

How can I describe this feeling...?

When he actually stood in that position, accepted the trophy, and looked down at the audience, he realized how special this feeling was.

It was very complex, with joy and excitement.

But more than anything, it's a farewell to the person I used to be.

Charles glanced down at the trophy in his hand.

To be honest, this trophy is certainly not comparable to an award of the level of the Oscars.

Even in the eyes of many adult actors, the Young Artist Award is nothing more than a small embellishment in the early stages of a young actor's career.

But for Charles, it still holds special significance.

It felt as if some long-cherished wish had finally been fulfilled, followed by a sense of relief and joy.

This is the first award that truly belongs to him.

It was an award he deserved, a symbol of his self-affirmation.

Charles closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened them.

So this is what it feels like to win an award as an actor...

The applause continued unabated, clearly indicating that everyone highly praised his performance in "The Shining".

Charles walked to the microphone, paused for a few seconds, and as the audience gradually quieted down, he began to speak: "Thank you for the Young Artist Award, and thank you to all the judges for giving me this award."

"It is a great honor for me to be nominated alongside so many outstanding young actors."

A round of applause immediately erupted from the audience.

"I also want to thank the crew of The Shining, director Stanley Kubrick, and everyone who helped me during filming."

"Filming this movie was not easy, but it was precisely because it was not easy that I learned a lot."

In between, he also shared some funny stories that happened on set, which drew laughter from the audience.

Finally, Charles gave a brief summary: "So, I am very grateful for this award."

"It reminds me that as child actors, we are not just portraying our own children in front of the camera; we are also part of this industry and are seen because of this job."

The applause rang out again, this time even more enthusiastic than before.

Charles glanced down at the trophy and said finally, "Thank you everyone."

He took a half step back and bowed slightly to the audience.

Judy took over his position, stepped forward, and completed the handover.

She still had a smile on her face, but as Charles turned to leave the stage, she winked at him gently.

Charles understood.

That roughly means: Well said.

He walked off the stage with the trophy in his hand, and the applause from the audience continued.

Drew, sitting at the next table, clapped her hands especially hard, still looking very excited, as if she herself had won the award.

When Charles returned to his seat, she immediately leaned over and whispered, "How was it? I was right, wasn't I?"

"As long as the judges aren't blind, they should give you the award."

Charles sat back down, placed the trophy on the table, and said slowly, "Although your way of expressing yourself wasn't very polite, you can be considered to be slightly right this time."

Drew immediately raised his chin smugly.

Charles glanced at her and said, "Didn't you just say you'd laugh at me if I didn't win the award?"

Drew choked for a moment, then immediately said matter-of-factly, "That's another matter. If you lose, of course I'll laugh at you."

"But if you win, of course I can praise you too."

After saying that, she shook her head triumphantly, seemingly pleased with something.

Charles gave a wry smile, turned his head away, and ignored her.

That concludes tonight's Young Artist Award ceremony.

He returned with a wealth of achievements, having successfully completed his mission at the event.

Just then, Xia Er finally received a notification from the system, something he hadn't done in a long time.