Chapter 340: 340 The Object of Everyone's Envy

“The 62nd Golden Globe nominations are announced, with ‘Crash’ and ‘Million Dollar Baby’ leading the pack with five nominations each.”

As the Hollywood Foreign Press Association revealed the nomination list, numerous entertainment media outlets rushed to report on it. Besides the front-runners, ‘Finding Neverland’ and ‘The Aviator 2’ both received four nominations, with Flame Film Company, having a total of nine nominations, clearly emerging as the big winner and the flagbearer of independent films.

The list was both expected and surprising, with the main difference from the predicitons of various organizations and film critics being the dark horse ‘Crash.’ Paul Haggis became an overnight sensation, sought after by the spotlight, not only receiving Best Director and Best Screenplay nominations for ‘Crash’; his screenplay for ‘Million Dollar Baby’ was also mightily successful, effectively “monopolizing” the Golden Globes.

“Golden Globes announced the nominations, and actors cheer excitedly in the early morning.” Media outlets around America and the world scrambled to interview the nominees, and many of the elated actors shared their feelings with the media, as well as on their blogs and personal websites. Christopher Nolan, in an interview with The Guardian from the United Kingdom, said, “I’m extremely honoured that ‘The Aviator: Power, Money, and Madness’ has been recognized by the organizers, and I am sincerely happy and grateful for everyone involved in this film.”

Paul Haggis told the Los Angeles Times, “It all happened so fast, I haven’t fully reacted yet. It’s an unbelievable honor, and I thank everyone who worked hard for this.” Kevin Spacey, nominated for Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy, said, “I was woken up early in the morning by this good news…” Alexander Payne, nominated for Best Director a second time with ‘Sideways,’ said, “My family and I were overjoyed…”

“I’m so happy! Thank you to the Hollywood Foreign Press Association for their support…” Scarlett Johansson was thrilled to be nominated for Best Actress in a Drama for ‘A Love Song for Bobby Long,’ following last year’s nominations for Best Actress in a Drama for ‘Lost in Translation’ and Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy for ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring,’ making it her third entry into the Golden Globe pantheon at the age of 20. Another idol with the moniker of a genius, Natalie Portman, made it into the fight for Best Supporting Actress at 23, receiving her 4th personal nomination.

By comparison, at 32 Meryl Streep had just completed her third Golden Globe nomination, and at 33, her fourth, indeed the youth are to be feared; but in talking about the Oscars, Natalie Portman, with 1 Best Actress nomination, and Scarlett Johansson, with no nominations, still have a way to go to catch up with Streep, who at 33 already had 4 nominations and had snagged 1 Oscar for Best Actress, 1 for Best Supporting Actress.

Natalie Portman, also extremely delighted in an interview with The New York Times, said, “Thank you to the organizers and everyone on the ‘Closer’ team, especially to Director Mike Nichols for his amazing leadership. He brought out astonishing energy in all of us on set. The days filming this movie were the most special in my career, and Mr. Nichols is one of the best directors I’ve worked with.”

Were it not for Mike Nichols’s age of 73, Natalie Portman’s reverence could almost be mistaken for admiration. Her lavish praise of the film director reminds one of “Best Partner” Wang Yang, and one wonders what feelings he would have seeing this piece in The New York Times.

This year, with no film directed or written by Wang Yang released and his produced film ‘Furious Cars’ being dubbed “the summer popcorn blockbuster textbook” and “a movie you’ll enjoy if you don’t bring a brain,” and his shows ‘Prison Break’ and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ not up for any awards, Flame Film Company might have made a splash, but Wang Yang himself received no media attention. The Chinese-language media struggled to find any relevant focus, suggesting he may stay out of the spotlight for a while; after all, it’s not possible for a director to be a superstar every year.

Jeffrey Westhoff, the renowned critic of Wang Yang from The Northwest Herald, did not miss an opportunity to take a jab while commenting on the TV award nominations, “I’m pleased to see that this year doesn’t have obvious traces of bribery, as last year’s win for ‘Prison Break’ was one of the biggest disgraces in Golden Globe history.”

In his blog, discussing Flame Film Company’s dominant rise during awards season, he said, “I don’t doubt Wang Yang’s commercial savvy. Whether it’s a pure commercial film or an award-winning one like this, it’s all an investment for the film company, with profit being the ultimate goal; while filmmakers create films. Wang Yang knows how to make money, but as he becomes more eroded by commerce, good movies drift further from him. Looking at ‘The Devil Wears Prada,’ ‘Furious Cars,’ and ‘Paranormal Activity 3,’ I even doubt if he still knows how to make an independent film. Sadly, he is only 24 years old.”

Now that the “Yang Blacks” had begun to ridicule and downgrade, they had already changed their tune. With the precedence of “The Devil Wears Prada,” mocking Best Director Yang’s box office and commercial vision was a dangerous affair; bombarding him with accusations of lacking independence, art, and depth was a safer zone, and his actions seemed to be proving them right, step by step.

When the weekend box office rankings for December 10th to the 12th came out, many sighed. “Mr. Hughes 2” wasn’t well-received nor did it attract viewers. It was difficult not to make this transition. Jeffrey Westhoff and others weren’t fools—Best Director Yang and Flame Investment had an incredibly keen eye! No matter what the film critics said, Flame Films was one of the most successful independent film companies. What film company doesn’t want to make money? Without earnings, how could they continue making films?

The star-studded blockbuster “Ocean’s Twelve” took the crown with an opening box office of $39.15 million across 3,290 theaters; “Mr. Hughes 2” came in second with $24.17 million across 2,730 theaters; “Blade: Trinity” ranked third with $16.06 million.

“Mr. Hughes 2,” being a sequel or, say, the next part, had a certain accumulation of popularity. It was also a film whose plot and characters could stand independently from the previous work, so those who hadn’t seen the first film wouldn’t face any barrier to watching. Previous promotions and the film’s title all gave this impression to the audience. The Nolan brothers, skilled in storytelling, also brought a fascinating and engaging story while exploring human nature, and it was no surprise that the authoritative box office website Boxofficemojo reported its box office triumph.

“There’s one thing you must know—she’s a very dangerous character, she holds some secrets that you shouldn’t know…”

In recent days, user YOUNGNG has been uploading the “High School Musical” version of the “Firefly” trailer to YouTube, with the dangerous woman continuing to be Jessica Alba; then came “The Pursuit of Happyness” version, with the dangerous woman once again being Annie Darren, who played the hippie girl stealing equipment; following that was the “Juno” version, with the dangerous woman naturally being a pregnant Natalie Portman. Along with the “Paranormal Activity” version, the four spoof trailers were very funny, and the serious footage editing looked absolutely consistent. Those who hadn’t seen the film and didn’t know about “Firefly” might even believe they were real. How come “Firefly” had so many trailers?!

“Looking forward to the upcoming movie version!” Movie fans and enthusiasts welcomed these novel and funny spoof trailers. The four videos had over half a million total views, and it was guessable that Best Director Yang would make a “District 9” version, “The Hangover” version, etc. The question lay in what exactly was he playing at? Just for fun and to promote “Firefly”? The media didn’t believe it was that simple—grabbing attention? Reminiscing his wonderful past?…

“Dude, what are those trailers for?” If it were about grabbing attention, Wang Yang had already successfully attracted the curiosity of the involved parties. Rachel had asked, Natalie had asked, Annie Darren had asked, Tom Willing, Zachary Levi, Will Smith, and others had all asked. They instinctively felt there might be more to it, and now it was Robert Downey Jr.’s turn. As Wang Yang was taking advantage of the weekend to rest and decorate the living room with Christmas ornaments, he found the chance to be lazy, sat down on the sofa, and said to his phone with a smile, “What else? It’s promotion! You’ll know the real plan very soon; right now, it’s a commercial secret.”

Robert Downey Jr.’s exaggerated voice came through the phone, “Oh! So I shouldn’t be asking, right? Okay, but I’ve decided to tell you a secret.” He spoke quietly, almost in a whisper, “I’m planning to propose to Susan Levin this Christmas! Haha!” He laughed heartily, full of spirit and confidence. Surprised, Wang Yang furrowed his brows and couldn’t help but shift in his seat, asking, “Wow, really?” Downey loudly replied, “Of course, for real! I’ve already bought the engagement ring.”

“I don’t know what Susan thinks, but you won’t turn around and talk divorce right away, will you?” Wang Yang shrugged his shoulders. Hearing the word “divorce”, Jessica, who was looking for the best place to hang a red stocking, turned her head and glanced at him. A long sigh came from Downey over the phone, and he said plaintively, “How can you say that? Wasn’t it you who made me turn over a new leaf? Moreover, it was Sarah Jessica Parker, Deborah Falconer who left me, not the other way around.”

Wang Yang laughed mockingly, “I don’t think so. Who do you think you’re talking to? Someone who doesn’t know Robert Downey Jr.? You’re a jerk of the century.” Downey sounded a bit provoked and said seriously, “I’ve reformed!” Wang Yang laughed out loud and then sobered up, “OK, I’m sorry! Robert, it’s easy for someone to do something wrong; but to be fully accepted by others, you have to do many good things. Of course, I support you, but let me say upfront, I despise those who treat marriage as a joke, and I believe Susan does too.”

“Thanks, don’t worry!” Downey dropped all banter, his voice filled with earnestness and sincerity, “I won’t allow myself or anyone else to destroy my life again; my proposal is serious, Susan is the love of my life.” Thinking of Robert Downey Jr., the “trash that nobody wanted” in prison, Wang Yang felt a sense of satisfaction and nodded, “I wish you a successful proposal.” Pleased with the support of his best buddy, Downey cheerfully chirped, “Remember, keep it a secret! I still want to surprise Susan. I’m going to get her sorted out this year! That hot chick!…”

After chatting a bit more, they hung up. Wang Yang stood up and walked over to Jessica, saying with a smile, “Downey’s going to propose.” Jessica made an ‘Oh’ sound, rounding her mouth in surprise. She knew Robert Downey Jr. was dating Susan Levin. Wang Yang then shushed, “Keep it quiet.”

Every year, some people marry and some divorce, with the marriage of Pitt and Aniston becoming increasingly tumultuous, and unlike the drama with Paris Hilton, Wang Yang’s close friends in the circle seem to have stable love lives. Tom Willing, Will Smith, Michael Pitt, Zachary Levi, and others are all devoted to their wives or girlfriends; and now Robert Downey Jr. has proposed marriage, another “bromance” stepping into or reentering the sanctuary of matrimony — and if he were one of those homosexuals the gossip media claims he is, perhaps it would be heartbreaking.

However, what shocked Wang Yang was that there was another! Not long after chatting with Downey, Heath Ledger phoned him to talk about proposing to Michelle Williams on Christmas — what’s with this? Have all the bastards and playboys turned into family men?

“WELL, I’m glad you brought up such a topic to discuss,” Wang Yang looked over at Jessica bustling about and reflected on his own marriage. A touch of tenderness flickered in his eyes as he smiled into the phone, “Happy, happy, and happy again. The difference between husband and wife and boyfriends and girlfriends is that you get the idea ‘I’ve finally settled down.’ It’s hard to describe the feeling; after going through that sacred ceremony of marriage, you just know ‘this is the one, the person who will walk with you through life.’ All the effort you make is for her, for each other, for the family, for the kids… Wow, cool!”

Jessica seemed not to hear, moving to and fro, her lips curling up. Wang Yang continued to speak about his feelings after getting married: “You have clearer goals, life becomes more lucid, work becomes more motivating… in short, no matter what, success or failure, at least you have that person.”

“It sounds exciting,” Heath Ledger’s voice lacked excitement and was tinged with anxiety. Not all marriages last until death do them part — his parents split up out of the blue. Thinking about this, he couldn’t help but sigh, “I always have a bit of doubt, is this the right thing to do? I mean… marriage, taking those solemn vows, honestly, I don’t have 100% confidence. I’m afraid that after getting married, I might end up doing something outrageous… Sometimes I have some terrifying thoughts and I don’t know if I’m cut out for marriage, but I also want to be with Michelle and start a family.”

Wang Yang scratched his forehead, not quite sure how to comfort a broken heart that had harbored skepticism or even aversion to marriage since childhood, but he said earnestly, “Heath, some things aren’t clear through imagination or what others tell you, you have to experience them yourself, especially marriage. You don’t need 100% confidence, you just need to make sure that right now, as you’re about to propose and say ‘I do,’ you truly mean it, ‘I want to start a family with Michelle Williams!'”

“It’s not you… it’s Heath Ledger who wants to,” Jessica muttered as she passed by. Wang Yang raised his voice, “That’s the truth, it’s not a game, that should be enough! We’ll deal with any issues that come up later.”

“Hmm, Yang, you make a good point!” Heath Ledger, who respected “Magical Yang” as one of the few, felt a wave of relief as if sunlight had pierced through the clouds. He suddenly felt much more lighthearted and continued, “I think I’ll propose first and then get engaged. When we marry, we’ll see how it goes, what do you think?” Wang Yang had no objections: “Ask yourself, I couldn’t wait to see her in her wedding dress, couldn’t wait to go on our honeymoon.” Heath Ledger pondered, “I need a little time…”

After further conversation and an agreement to grab a drink sometime, they ended the call. Wang Yang exhaled heavily, feeling the pressure of being a marriage counselor, but also buoyed by his friend’s trust. He greeted Jessica’s smile with a shrug, “I’ve become a marriage doctor now.” He laughed, “Did you hear? Heath is going to propose. Keep it a secret.”

With Heath Ledger’s permission, Wang Yang explained some of the backstory, and Jessica, who always got excited at the mention of marriage, started talking non-stop, “I bet Michelle pressured him into it. She gave some hints, and that’s why Heath Ledger took the initiative to propose. Otherwise, he wouldn’t hesitate like this — that’s not good! He’s clearly fallen for Michelle and wants a warm family, maybe even a baby, but he’s also scared… No woman can tolerate that, I definitely couldn’t, it’s just too insecure. Heath Ledger has to give up his playboy ways; who knows if he’ll meet with other women secretly after getting engaged? Hollywood has so many beauties! 99% of the time, men think about how to get their hands on a beauty. Oh my God! Save them!”

“What about me?” Wang Yang interjected, as if many beauties were eyeing him as well. Jessica halted her spit-flying rant to look at him, waving dismissively, “You wouldn’t, I trust you!” She couldn’t help smiling with curiosity, “Do other couples argue like we do?”

Wang Yang, while adorning the Christmas tree with sparkling ornaments, said with a chuckle, “If everyone was like us, America’s divorce rate wouldn’t be 50%.” Jessica muttered, “Terrifying.” Wang Yang recollected, “And you, me, and others could mess up just as well, uh… like me and my high school girlfriend.” Jessica reminded him with a tinge of jealousy of the girl’s name, “Helen.” Wang Yang looked at her and laughed, “The last phase with her was nearly all fights…”

Perhaps it was because they were too young, or maybe just incompatible — he skipped over this part and continued, “And then it was over. Jessie, women are an enigmatic existence, as mysterious and ever-changing as the universe; you never know what they’re thinking.” He wooed her affectionately with flattering words, “Only in front of you do I become Einstein.”

“Corny…” Jessica rolled her eyes on the surface, but her heart was filled with sweetness—she was hopelessly fond of his sweet nothings! As she hung decorations on the Christmas tree, she returned to the earlier topic and said, “Just imagine if Michelle and “Heath” argued time and again over marriage, and he still couldn’t muster the courage to tie the knot, what would happen? Do you want to know what women think? An engagement ring and a wedding ring are different!”

She showed off the silver ring on her left ring finger and said, “Only this is the best way to express love for a woman! Without it, Michelle will doubt, does ‘Heath’ really love her? Then the arguments will get even worse! Even if they once had love, like you and that Helen, it would turn into no love at all!” At the end, she emphasized her words with gritted teeth, and Wang Yang quickly stuck out his tongue, “You’re right.” Jessica concluded decisively, “So it’s better to get married!”

Wang Yang silently nodded and then smiled helplessly, “We can’t control others, we can only do our best as friends to help them. I hope ‘Heath’s’ issues can be resolved soon!” He looked at her, “Just now, ‘Heath’ really did say he wants to have a child.”

“I knew it! I’m starting to dislike him, I’m starting to dislike him,” Jessica repeated several times in an instant, shaking her head and saying, “Such a family is too unstable. Does he want his child to experience the same kind of childhood he did? What are these people thinking!” Wang Yang raised his eyebrows, boasting, “You said it yourself earlier, not every man is as good as me. Some men are driven by desire, some are indecisive, and some are just too childish…” Often, when that evil thought, that desire, was vented out, they would think “Oh no! I’m screwed! What’s wrong with me?” He definitely didn’t want to end up like that.

And then there are some men who have a lot of “good sisters”! Jessica gave him another eye roll, but his triumphant appearance made her laugh; they were just good sisters though!

The North American box office for the week of December 10th to 16th continued the momentum of the weekend. “Ocean’s Twelve” dominated with a revenue of $50.4 million. Although it only had a 55% freshness rating and 67% audience approval, Warner Brothers, who splurged $110 million on production and distribution, seemed to have avoided a triple flop; “Mr. Hughes 2” ranked second with $41.1 million. The four Golden Globe nominations and high critical acclaim boosted its box office performance, earning an average of $15,050 per theater, just $300 less than the blockbuster “Ocean’s Twelve”—enough to make its distributor, Flame Film, proud, and enough to make Flame Film, which reaped both nominations and box office rewards, the envy of everyone in Hollywood.

“Blade: Trinity” made $20.38 million across 2,912 theaters; “The Polar Express” only saw a 0.7% drop in its weekly earnings, collecting another $14.78 million, bringing its total revenue to $115 million; the fifth spot was “National Treasure” with $12.48 million…

As the new weekend approached and Christmas bells sounded nearer, the surprise hit of the awards season, “Crash,” was released across 1,855 North American theaters. It opened to mixed critical acclaim, with an IMDB score of 8.4 (23,368 users), a Rotten Tomatoes freshness rating of 76%/77%, and an audience approval of 89%.

“The New York Times” critic A.O. Scott, who panned it, said, “Americans from completely different backgrounds all converge in Paul Haggis’s frustrating directorial debut.” “Salon” critic Stephanie Zacharek, who also slammed it, clarified the viewpoint of her camp, “If racism is so pervasive in our society, why do we need such a carefully concocted story to express it, as if you’re going to encounter several racists every time you drive home. In other words, how much of this is real?” “The Boston Globe”‘s Ty Burr agreed: “These are characters off an assembly line script, and often their behavior is not that of real human beings.”…

However, there were many more voices of praise. “Crash” is not a documentary but a drama film, and film and television have always been about bringing together all the stereotypes of a genre, amplifying and listing them, like “Desperate Housewives,” etc., to create strong viewpoints. This is one of the artistic characteristics of film and television.

“Chicago Sun-Times” critic Roger Ebert gave it a full score: “The dialogues Haggis wrote for the characters are almost all everyday language and some fairly credible speeches, which make the characterization truly powerful and enable the actors to avoid clichéd performances, making their roles unique.” “Houston Chronicle” critic Eric Harrison said, “An ambitious and astonishing film, the story of this anxious and noisy city life is filled with witty and insightful writing.” “The Globe and Mail” critic Rick Groen said: “Paul Haggis spent an entire day unraveling the events that led to the making of ‘Crash,’ and in turn, that confusing product proved it is a diversified and multilingual existence.”…

Meanwhile, Flame Film’s die-hard fans were also very concerned about how this closing battle of 2004 would perform at the box office? Could such an artsy, low-budget indie film like “Crash” maintain Flame Film’s reputation of guaranteed profits for widespread releases? $20 million upfront rights fee! (