America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 368, Section 366: The Grand Finale

With its opening weekend box office results in, "Juno" grossed $5020 million in more than 3400 theaters.

The champion is indeed the champion, but the results are not particularly outstanding, considering the number of screens they have.

To be frank, it suffers from the subject matter, lacks big-name stars, and is a light comedy without special effects.

The fact that it was able to break $5000 million is thanks to MGM's reputation. In recent years, it has consistently produced high-quality products and has cultivated a large number of supporters in the market.

Anything produced by MGM is guaranteed to be of high quality.

It's not a masterpiece, but it's a good product.

Moreover, Eric doesn't really care about box office revenue. Just kidding, I'm worth hundreds of billions, why would I care about a few tens of millions?

The purpose of this movie is to promote Elizabeth.

Although the box office performance was disappointing, the film received excellent reviews, with an initial IMDb score of 8.3 and a Rotten Tomatoes score of 88%.

There have been similar themes in the market before, but they all followed a tragic route.

However, "Juno" takes the opposite approach, opting for a cheerful and bright style, which has indeed surprised many film critics and fans.

The Chicago Sun-Times: "Juno is a very unique film that shows a complicated side of American society, but with a unique and refreshing perspective."

Salt Lake City Daily News: "Juno is a typical light comedy. Besides its theme, the most important thing is to remind parents to value communication and interact more with their children."

ABC Entertainment Online: "Juno's cast isn't huge, but everyone delivers a fantastic performance."

"Elizabeth Olsen proved herself; this little girl possesses a groundbreaking magic."

"Andrew Garfield was also great; he portrayed a kind of naive confusion, a kind of awkwardness mixed with tenderness, very well."

"He is a convincing student, and we have reason to believe that he is also suitable for the role of Spider-Man."

The Independent: "Juno is absolutely terrible, and not only terrible, but also has a negative impact."

"It's a very serious subject, but the director handled it with a touch of warmth."

"There is no bad person around Juno. Her parents, teachers, classmates, and lover all love her very much."

"It sounds wonderful, but it's impossible in reality. You'll face more criticism from society and family."

"This movie chose a realistic subject, but it's not realistic at all. I hope everyone will avoid watching Juno to avoid having a negative impact on children."

While other newspapers and media outlets were praising MGM, The Independent continued to bash MGM and everything related to Eric.

They have remained true to their original aspirations over the years, and not only the public has gotten used to it, but even Eric himself has gotten used to it.

The Independent has clearly turned this behavior into a way to generate traffic; every time MGM releases a new film, many people wait to see how The Independent will criticize it.

Audiences are just watching for fun, because nobody believes the Independent's film reviews anymore.

Even the writers themselves admitted that sometimes it wasn't easy for them to smear Eric Cooper.

You have to keep finding tricky angles and make your flawed logic work; that's not easy.

With such a good reputation, Eric immediately approved $1000 million to fund a major public relations campaign.

This money

Andrea, Elizabeth, and Liu also frequently gave interviews, sometimes three or four a day, all of them creating hype.

Besides promoting "Juno," MGM's other award-contending film is "Bohemian Rhapsody."

Queen's songs were playing all over the United States again after a few months.

Uncle Phoenix is ​​also ready to go, forcing himself to participate in various shows to make his presence known, while also taking more punches from Cate Blanchett.

Time moved quickly through this process, and various award ceremonies were held one after another.

Screen Actors Guild Award, Golden Globe Award, Academy Award, National Board of Review Award, Los Angeles Film Critics Circle Award, Boston Society of Film Critics Award, New York Film Critics Circle Award, National Society of Film Critics Award.

In short, if you really want to compete, there are a lot of awards in the US.

The individuals mentioned above are all quite influential; although they may not be well-known among the general public, they are recognized figures within the entertainment industry.

The judges are all professionals in the industry, mainly film critics and veterans.

In addition to professional awards, there are also entertainment awards that are mainly for the general public, such as the Saturn Awards and Popcorn Awards. Strictly speaking, the Saturn Awards fall somewhere between entertainment and professional awards.

Many of these judges also serve as judges for the Oscars; after all, there are now more than 6000 Oscar judges.

If you can win all these awards, your chances of winning an Oscar will increase significantly.

Click! Click!

Outside the Kodak Theatre, a long red carpet stretched to the edge of the road, and reporters were snapping photos from both sides of it.

Countless fans crowded around, eager to catch a glimpse of their favorite male and female idols.

As a black classic Bentley pulled up to the side of the road, sharp-eyed reporters spotted the license plate and immediately turned their cameras around.

The reason is simple: the owner of this car is more dazzling than any celebrity.

Even award-winning actors and actresses, and company CEOs bow their heads before him. Even today's Oscars ceremony considers it an honor to have him invited.

Eric got out of the car, then gentlemanly opened the door, and Elizabeth took his hand and stepped out.

The two older sisters got off the bus from the other side; all three sisters were wearing evening gowns today.

Eric held Elizabeth's hand with his left hand and Ashley's hand with his right, while Mary stood beside them as the four of them walked down the red carpet together.

"Look this way, Eric, look this way."

"Eric, you look really handsome today. Let's stop and take a picture."

"Wait, slow down, Elizabeth, you sisters stand a little closer."

There is a time limit for walking the red carpet at large award ceremonies; generally, you are required to walk the entire red carpet in about two minutes.

If you keep lingering and don't leave, what will happen to the celebrities behind you?

In a few years, China will see a large number of "carpet stars" who rely on their lack of actual work to gain fame.

For example, celebrities like Fan Bingbing, Zhang Xinyu, and various internet celebrities often linger and are driven away by security guards.

Some people are criticized for walking too slowly, while others walk too fast, and the organizers have to find ways to slow them down and make them linger on the red carpet a little longer.

As soon as Eric appeared, he and the three girls had only walked a few steps when they were surrounded by two on-location hosts, and the three sisters were pushed out of the way.

The two hosts chatted idly, asking about each other's careers and relationships.

Feeling like they've run out of work, they just grab any passing celebrity and have them say a few words.

Paris Hilton's popularity has soared in the past year or so due to her variety show appearances, and she has also received an invitation to the Oscars.

Seeing Eric standing there, she couldn't help but sneer inwardly. He's rejected her time and time again. I've even given him the room number, and he still won't get in the car. What a damn guy!

While he was lost in thought, someone suddenly grabbed him and dragged him in front of Eric.

After rambling on for a few moments, she suddenly felt a rush of heat to her head; this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Boo!

Sneaking in!

Eric was attacked in the face in front of countless cameras.

The reporter was stunned, the host was stunned, and even Paris Hilton herself was taken aback.

Eric, on the other hand, sighed helplessly: "That's what happens when you're too popular, too charismatic, too charismatic! Sigh!"

Leaving behind a pretentious silhouette, he slowly walked into the theater.

"Welcome to the 78th Academy Awards. I'm your host, Jon Stewart."

On stage, veteran stand-up comedian Jon Stewart gave his opening remarks, while Eric whispered among himself, Elizabeth, and Xiao Liu.

The Academy knew how to handle things, putting the productions of "Juno" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" together.

Eric has Elizabeth II on his left and the Great Demon King on his right.

The camera would occasionally pan over, and ABC (American Broadcasting Company) and the director knew very well that giving the world's richest man more screen time would definitely boost the ratings.

"The best sound quality was achieved with 'Bohemian Rhapsody'."

On stage, Jessica Alba and Eric Bana made the announcement together.

Queen's music immediately filled the hall as John Linke went on stage to accept the trophy, expressing his excitement.

He had served MGM for decades, and this was his first time standing on the Oscar stage.

After thanking her family and colleagues, and especially thanking Eric once more, she walked down, wiping away her tears.

After several awards, Ben Affleck's girlfriend, Jennifer Garner, took to the stage.

"The Best Sound Editing award goes to *Bohemian Rhapsody*, congratulations!"

Another MGM veteran walked onto the stage to accept the trophy; both awards were undisputed.

Even if Satan himself were to judge, he wouldn't dare give it to other films.

Following that, the "Big Demon King" received a Best Supporting Actress nomination, but she had already won the award last year, and this time it went to Rachel Weisz for "The Constant Gardener".

The "Big Boss" was somewhat disappointed, but Xiao Liu was even more disappointed, as she didn't even receive a nomination.

Unfortunately, her role in "Juno" was rather small, even less than Cate Blanchett's.

Elizabeth squeezed her hand: "There will be other opportunities, Crystal."

"It's nothing, we came here for you."

"Six Shots a Pistol" won Best Live Action Short Film, and George Clooney won Best Supporting Actor for "Syriana".

The Best Animated Feature Film award went to "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Rabbit," while "Howl's Moving Castle" lost.

The Best Foreign Language Film award went to the South African film "Gangsters," and there were no Chinese films this year.

With the various awards being presented one after another, the remaining ones are the more important grand prizes.

Dustin Hoffman, the Rain Man, pointed to the big screen: "The nominees for Best Adapted Screenplay are: Brokeback Mountain, Juno, Capote, The Constant Gardener, and Munich."

The camera focuses on the five directors and screenwriters, with particular attention on "Brokeback Mountain" and "Juno," the two films with the greatest social impact.

The worst one is "Munich". Its inclusion was purely due to political advantages. Everyone can see that it was a work that Spielberg rushed to finish.

The nomination is a way of giving face to the senior members; otherwise, it wouldn't look good if they didn't get a single nomination.

"I hereby announce that the winner is 'Brokeback Mountain'."

The film crew nearby immediately cheered. Eric glanced over, and Ang Lee also stood up happily and hugged the screenwriter.

Instead, he laughed and said, "This is good news. The more awards you lose, the greater your chances of winning Best Actress."

Elizabeth is smiling too. Come on, let's reveal the answer!

Uma Thurman, dressed in a dress, walked up with an envelope, said a few words to lighten the mood, and then announced the winner.

The nominees for Best Original Screenplay are: Bohemian Rhapsody, Good Night and Good Luck, Crash, Match Point, and Syriana.

"Let me see who I can bring good luck to."

Tearing open the envelope, Uma Thurman chuckled, "It's him again, that guy again. He's practically taking all the screenwriting awards home."

"You've probably already guessed his name; the winner is Eric Cooper, author of 'Bohemian Rhapsody'."

Whoosh!

call!

Instantly, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue as the music played.

Eric hugged the crew and then walked calmly onto the stage.

Uma Thurman stepped forward to give Eric a cheek kiss, then asked curiously, "Eric, you don't seem excited at all."

"Hehe. If you don't tell me I've won all the screenwriting awards in the past few years, what's there to be excited about?"

Hahahaha

Eric offered his thanks as usual, but he was truly unfazed; it had become a habit.

Then, last year's Best Actor winner, Jamie Foxx, took the stage to present the Best Actress award.

The nominees for Best Actress are: Keira Knightley for Pride and Prejudice, Reese Witherspoon for Walk with the Song, and Judi Dench for Mrs. Henderson.

"Felicity Hoffman's 'Trans-America' and Elizabeth Olsen's 'Juno'."

The big screen showed five people, and Eric could clearly feel that Elizabeth's body was tense, and her little hands were trembling with nervousness.

"The winner is Reese Witherspoon for 'Walking with Song'."

As soon as the results were announced, Elizabeth deflated like a punctured balloon, quickly adjusting her expression to clap for the camera.

Eric leaned close to her ear: "There's nothing special about it. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future. I'll definitely make sure you win Best Actress before you turn 18."

Her lover's encouragement brought a smile back to her face; in fact, getting a nomination was already a great achievement for her.

Purely comparing acting skills, she is the weakest among the five.

"I'm just a little disappointed, darling."

"When we get home, I'll help you relax, okay?"

Ao Mei blushed slightly and gave a soft "Mmm".

Next up are the three major awards: Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture.

Uncle Phoenix has already swept the vast majority of awards, and he deserves the Best Actor award.

Even if Eric is a big fan of Heath Ledger, and his performance in Brokeback Mountain was already great, it's impossible to honestly say that he was better than Ledger.

Anyway, The Dark Knight is in pre-production, so let's see if we can win him an Oscar for the Joker.

Commercial films don't deserve it?

That also depends on who the investor is.

In another year or two, Eric's business empire will be even larger, and his influence will be relatively greater.

If you don't give me the prize, don't blame me for messing with Sun Wo Luen Shing.

As expected, Ang Lee won Best Director, while Bohemian Rhapsody naturally took home the Best Picture award.

On the way back from Beverly Hills, everyone was comforting Elizabeth.

Upon entering the house, Ivy and Theron, who were at home with Nicole, quickly hugged her.

After several rounds, Elizabeth herself stopped feeling anything.

"Your ways of comforting people are so outdated, let me do it."

Eric pushed the women aside, picked up the girl, and placed her on the table.

They started off gently, but after a few minutes they started tearing at each other's clothes. To hell with gentleness!

Soon, the villa was filled with a riot of women.

The darkness dissipated and the light returned. We partied for half the night, but it didn't matter since it was the weekend.

Eric wanted to sleep a little longer, but he opened his eyes groggily. Before he was fully awake, he was pulled up by a hand.

"We're one short for the game, get up quickly."

"what?"

"What the hell?! Come and play cards!" Avril snapped.

"You guys fight, I'm going to sleep for a while."

"Then give me a million dollars, I've gambled it all away."

"How did you lose all your money? Who were you playing cards with?"

"Ashley, Mary, and Elizabeth each won more than $30 from me, and I suspect they cheated."

"They're three sisters, can't you find someone else to fight them?"

"No way! I want to win back my losses, give me a million."

Eric's eyelids drooped: "Go ahead, go ahead, whatever you lose, I'll put it on your tab."

Avril left satisfied, but Eric had only been lying down for half a minute when he was pulled up by a hand again.

"Honey, try my pineapple pie, it's fresh out of the oven."

"And my apple pie, it was just baked too."

Eric instinctively opened his mouth, and Nico cut off a small piece and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Ugh! What's that smell? Is the pineapple expired?"

"Really? I didn't notice the time."

"Honey, try my apple pie, I guarantee it's not expired."

"Ptooey! What did you put in there? It's so disgusting!"

"Is it too sweet? I only put in a bottle of condensed milk; it seems I need to improve it."

"Okay, go to sleep."

The two wouldn't even give him a sip of water, and Eric sighed and closed his eyes again.

Before I could even fall asleep, loud music was already playing in my ears.

It was Judy, Gadot, and Crystal dancing. The three of them love to exercise and dance all the time.

Eric, unable to bear the noise any longer, could only cover his head with a pillow.

After a while, I got used to it, and even loud music couldn't stop me from getting sleepy.

I drifted off to sleep, but before a good dream could even begin, I suddenly felt a pair of small hands touching my chest.

Daddario licked his ear: "Darling, I wasn't satisfied last night, you have to make it up to me."

Eric rolled his eyes: "How about next time?"

"I want it now!"

"hehe."

P.S.: My new book has been released. It is titled "The Rise of Farming in the Chinese Entertainment Industry". It will be related to this book. Readers who are interested can take a look.

(End of this chapter)