America: Starting with the acquisition of MGM...

Chapter 87. Heroes and Smoked Meat

As Nicole Kidman was about to fall, gasps of alarm rang out from the crowd. Many quick-thinking people tried to rush over to help her up, but it was clearly too late.

Just when Nicole Kidman thought she was about to fall hard to the ground, a large hand suddenly appeared and wrapped around her abdomen.

Immediately afterwards, she felt a gentle force coming from her lower abdomen. The force was not strong, but it was enough to push her up.

Because Nicole Kidman was so thin at that time, she lost more than ten kilograms in order to play the role in "The Hours". She was not fat to begin with, and now she looks very thin.

Under the force, Nicole Kidman went from falling forward to leaning backward, and a strong arm was already waiting behind her to meet her.

Looking at the young and handsome face in front of her with some surprise, Nicole Kidman felt her heart pounding wildly, and she couldn't tell whether it was from shock or something else.

Eric gently helped her to her feet: "Are you alright, Nicole?"

After a moment of stunned silence, Nicole Kidman finally realized what was happening.

"Yes, I'm fine. This was an unexpected scene for me, but thank you for showing up, Eric."

Eric smiled. "It's a perfect time to be here, and I should thank the college for arranging this seat for me."

"Go claim your award! Everyone's looking forward to your brilliant speech."

"Thanks!"

Leaving Eric's embrace, Nicole Kidman waved to the side to indicate that she was alright, and then continued walking onto the stage.

The cameraman captured the entire process, and it will be broadcast as a highlight tonight.

The combination of handsome men and beautiful women, and the hero rescuing the damsel in distress, is a theme that the whole world loves, and it will definitely boost the Oscars broadcast ratings by a few percentage points.

After walking onto the stage and hugging Denzel Washington, Nicole Kidman went to the microphone to give her acceptance speech.

"I'm so excited right now. I never expected to win an award. Let me think about it. I'm extremely grateful to the 'The Hours' crew. Although they told me not to cry, I honestly couldn't help but cry a little."

Applause immediately erupted from the audience. Last year, this woman received a Best Actress nomination for her role in "Moulin Rouge!", but unfortunately lost to Halle Berry's "Monster's Ball". This time, she truly deserved the award.

"Thank you David Hale and Michael Cunningham for writing such a great story. Thank you Stephen Daldry for boldly casting me. Thank you Julianne Moore and Meryl Streep for inspiring my performance."

"I also want to thank the college. Thank you for being willing to give me this award. I am very grateful."

"And I must say that these are difficult times. War is painful for everyone; many have lost loved ones and friends. Let us pray together that the war will end soon and that peace will come as soon as possible!"

Expressing gratitude while delivering an anti-war statement was the mainstream approach at this year's Oscars, and Nicole Kidman's speech naturally resonated with the audience and drew applause.

But just when everyone thought she had finished speaking, Nicole Kidman did not leave the stage.

"I know the time is up, but please don't rush me, because I have someone to thank especially."

"You all saw me almost fall and embarrass myself. At that moment, I was thinking, 'Oh my god, I'm going to fall in this kind of situation and then receive an award in such a shameful state. This is absolutely the most terrifying thing.'"

"But then that young man appeared, so I also want to thank him. I hope everyone will give Eric Cooper a round of applause!"

The camera focused on Eric again, and as he listened to the applause from the audience, he couldn't help but grin, and this time the smile was genuine.

Nicole Kidman walked off the stage with her Oscar statuette, and when she reached Eric, she suddenly stopped, bent down, and gave him a hug.

"I forgot earlier, let me add it now."

He heard a woman's murmur in his ear, and Eric could clearly see her underwear and unspeakable secrets.

Unfortunately, the sensual scene only lasted a few seconds before the beautiful new Best Actress returned to her seat, leaving Eric somewhat disappointed.

At this point, only two awards remained at the awards ceremony: Best Director and Best Film.

As the background music of "Indiana Jones" played, Harrison Ford walked gracefully to the center of the stage.

"Throughout Hollywood's history, countless films have brought us rich emotional experiences and made a profound impact on society. These films are made by directors who are the people I admire most."

"The nominees for Best Director at this year's Oscars are: Martin Scorsese for Gangs of New York, Rob Marshall for Chicago, Stephen Daldry for The Hours, Roman Polanski for The Pianist, and Pedro Almodóvar for Talk to Her."

In the video, Martin Scorsese, Rob Marshall, Stephen Daldry, and Pedro Almodóvar each have a different expression.

Martin Scorsese was the most nonchalant. After all, he had already won Cannes and the Silver Lion, so he was considered a veteran. Even if he desperately wanted an Oscar, he would still act very reserved.

The other three had their eyes glued to the stage, while others clutched their chests; they were genuinely nervous.

As for Roman Polanski, well, there's only one picture of him.

"The winner is Roman Polanski's 'The Pianist'."

Before Harrison Ford had even finished speaking, the crowd erupted in applause. Martin Scorsese first visibly pouted, showing his disappointment, before clapping his hands in congratulations.

It was clear that he was really disappointed, and the other three were probably the same.

Harrison Ford continued, "The conference congratulates Roman Polanski on the award; since he was not present, the Academy accepted it on his behalf."

Indiana Jones had just stepped off the stage when veteran actor Kirk Douglas and his son Michael Douglas took to the stage.

This father and son are veritable evergreens in the film industry, and they will be presenting the final grand prize.

The camera also conveniently focused on Catherine Zeta-Jones, who had just won Best Supporting Actress. She married Michael Douglas in 2000 and was pregnant with his son.

However, it would be better if this son were not born, because he would grow up to be a drug dealer and addict, ruining the family's reputation.

Seeing Kirk Douglas speaking slowly, Eric felt like he was watching a "dummy," the difference being that he was doing it on purpose, while the other wasn't confused.

The father and son exchanged a few witty remarks before getting down to business.

"The films nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars are: Gangs of New York, The Hours, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Chicago, and The Pianist."

The camera panned to the crews of the five films, all of whom wore expressions of tension and anticipation.

If Best Director is an award for an individual, then Best Picture is an award for everyone; it is an honor for all.

Eric leaned back in his seat; he was too lazy to even look anymore. He already knew the award would go to Chicago anyway.

However, the thought of Harvey Weinstein, that ugly fat man, celebrating and cheering after Chicago won the award made him feel nauseous, so he just wanted to end it quickly.

On stage, the Douglas father and son opened the envelope, tore the papers in half, then put them back together and loudly proclaimed, "The winner is 'The Pianist'!"

"What?!"

Eric jumped up from his seat, then realized he wasn't the winner and quickly sat back down.

This time, Nicolas Cage looked at him with surprise: "Eric, it seems you really like 'The Pianist,' even more so than the actor himself."

"Oh yes, that's right, *The Pianist* is indeed a very good anti-war film, it's fantastic!"

Eric answered absentmindedly, but he was incredibly puzzled and had been thinking about it countless times.

That's right, my memory can't be wrong, it should be "Chicago" that won the award.

But the reality before him was that "The Pianist" had won Best Picture, and Adrien Brody was already celebrating with the screenwriter and producers, their excited laughter reaching him.

He looked back at the "Chicago" crew, who were also applauding, but their disappointment was palpable.

Especially Harvey Weinstein's half-orc face; even though he tried hard to put on a dashing and magnanimous expression, the twitching corners of his mouth still betrayed his true feelings.

He probably spent a lot of money to win Best Picture, but unfortunately it didn't work out.

Without this most important honor, the revenue from the copyright and DVD sales of "Chicago" would be at least halved; awards are money.

Eric felt happy to see the fat man unhappy, regardless of the reason for the change in outcome, as long as it was a positive change.

Robert Ben Musa, producer of "The Pianist," took to the stage to deliver his acceptance speech, and the 75th Academy Awards ceremony concluded with Steve Martin's closing remarks.

However, the awards ceremony is over, but that doesn't mean it's all over. Afterwards, there's a Vanity Fair party where the winners can show off their Oscars.

At parties, there's no need to worry about so much; female celebrities can change into their favorite clothes and put on their most glamorous makeup.

Male celebrities can also eat and drink to their heart's content. Apart from those who have eaten before arriving, they sit for more than three hours, plus the time before and after entering and preparation time, which lasts for nearly five hours. Everyone is already starving.

As Eric walked out of the Kodak Theatre, he looked at the female stars getting into their cars, many of whom would change clothes inside.

When he arrived at the party, it had already become a dazzling stage.

The Oscars should advocate frugality and anti-war sentiment; they should forgo the glitz and glamour of the event, but still lay out the red carpet and create a lively atmosphere.

A large number of media outlets gathered here, and their flashbulbs almost turned the roof white.

Adrien Brody, the youngest newly crowned Oscar winner, is posing for a photo with actress Nicole Kidman.

Upon seeing Eric, this handsome young man, walk in, the group of reporters immediately started making noise.

"Eric, let's take a picture together."

"Director Cooper, we've been waiting for you for ages."

"Cooper, let's take a picture, you'll look great in photos."

Eric waved his hand and walked straight ahead, indicating that he didn't mean it that way. "I'm not a big star, and I haven't won any awards. Why would you take pictures of me?"

At this moment, Adrien Brody wisely stepped down, and Nicole Kidman's voice came: "Come here, Eric, you don't want me to be all alone, do you?"

Snapped!

Suddenly, someone nudged him from behind. Peter Jackson grinned and said, "It's not good to refuse an invitation from a beautiful woman, especially a newly crowned Best Actress. Show some gentlemanly manners."

"OK!"

Shrugging, Eric walked to the front of the large group of reporters and stood with Nicole Kidman.

The sound of shutter clicking filled the air, and each pose was quickly captured.

Nicole Kidman then turned her head and whispered, "Eric, you can put your arm around my waist."

The two were already very close, and when she turned her head, it was as if she wanted to kiss Eric on the face.

As the saying goes, entertainment reporters are faster than dogs, and they immediately began frantically snapping photos.

"Nicole, Eric saved you at the party, are you going to kiss your hero?" Some of the bolder ones had already started teasing and joking.

Kissing was definitely out of the question, at least not in public, so Eric took the opportunity to put his arm around Nicole Kidman's slender waist.

Although it's still winter, female celebrities are really going all out. Everyone seems to be unafraid of the cold. The beautiful woman next to me is wearing a backless dress.

It feels great on my hands, smooth and soft. Although she is over 30, her skin is just as well-maintained as that of a young girl like Gadot, and even better.

After taking the photo, Eric's fingers gently brushed against Nicole Kidman's lower back, and the two smiled at each other.

Without giving the reporters a chance to press him on sensitive issues, Eric gave up his seat to others and went straight into the venue.

A large number of celebrities gathered here, some I knew and some I didn't, and everyone was chatting and laughing in small groups.

Eric picked up a glass of champagne, looked at the food prepared on the table, and was considering what to eat first when Spielberg's voice rang out behind him.

Are you hungry?

"Hmm? Yes, at least that's what my stomach thinks; it desperately needs carbohydrates and calories right now."

Spielberg smiled and sighed, "Youth is wonderful. When I was your age, I could wake up in the middle of the night and drink two more bottles of beer and eat a huge piece of smoked meat, as big as a human face."

"Unfortunately, I can't do that now. I'm 57 years old. I can only have a slice of bread and a few cherries at most. Any more and my stomach will protest."

Eric downed half a glass of champagne, ate the snack in his mouth, and said in a meaningful tone, "Steven, I've never thought you're old. Nobody in Hollywood thinks so. Judging from your filming speed, your energy and ambition have never faded."

As he spoke, he picked up a knife and cut a piece of smoked meat into eight pieces: "Let me see if you're still young. Would you like a piece?"

Spielberg paused for a moment, looking at the young man in front of him who was chatting and laughing. He knew what the other person meant.

Eight pieces of smoked meat, but there are only seven major film studios in Hollywood at present, so what this eighth piece represents is self-evident.

Without any hesitation, Spielberg picked up a plate with his left hand and stabbed it down hard with a fork in his right.

Why not?

(End of this chapter)