Chapter 461: 461: Sweeping Away

“The following is the list of nominees for Best Cinematography: ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ Rodrigo Prieto; ‘Firefly,’ Wally Pfister; ‘Good Night, and Good Luck,’ Robert Elswit; ‘Memoirs of a Geisha,’ Dion Beebe; ‘The New World,’ Emmanuel Lubezki… and the Oscar goes to…”

The beautiful night sky shone brilliantly with stars, and the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles was equally dazzling. Today is Sunday, March 5th, with the entire global media focused and billions of viewers watching—the 78th Academy Awards ceremony is underway!

Previously, on February 18th at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Rachel McAdams introduced this year’s technical achievement awards. After several months of awards season reaching its climax, ‘Firefly,’ leading with four nominations, was poised to take home how many trophies? Who would win Best Picture and Best Director? How would films like ‘Brokeback Mountain,’ ‘Good Night, and Good Luck,’ and ‘Capote’ perform? All questions would be answered tonight in the span of three and a half hours!

There were no incidents on the boisterous and glamorous red carpet this afternoon like the one at the Golden Globe Awards two months prior; perhaps no one wanted to deal with the “flower guardians'” fists. Nominees and presenters, stars and celebrities alike, left their handsome and beautiful images in the chase of flashing cameras. Wang Yang and his wife were undoubtedly the most popular, with the dazzling flashes never ceasing from the moment they stepped out of the car onto the red carpet. They both smiled and waved with ease, adding much to the spectacle of the event.

Since Wang Yang was not serving as a presenter, and even though he may have multiple opportunities to take the stage to accept awards tonight, it was uncertain whether the crowd would see his delightfully charming presence. Therefore, the media photographers tacitly agreed to make full use of the red carpet stage for photos—these were all newsworthy shots!

“Magical Yang greets the camera,” “Wang Yang and Jessica smile at the camera,” “Magical Yang blows a kiss,” “Wang Yang’s radiant smile,” “Wang Yang’s serious expression”…

A single news story about “Wang Yang on the red carpet” could be turned into countless live photo reports, each with impressive click rates. No wonder photographers were so infatuated with him. Of course, there were others, and the moments when Wang Yang chatted with Jack Nicholco, Charlize Theron, Meryl Streep, Will Smith, Heath Ledger, Natalie Portman, and others also became timeless images.

This is exactly why the Oscars never lack an audience—too many stars, too many heavyweights! Old, middle-aged, and young, nothing was lacking. With “Magical Yang” in attendance and the skyrocketing popularity of ‘Firefly,’ broadcaster ABC had no concerns about viewership numbers but instead unapologetically anticipated them! It was a given that viewership numbers would soar to 40 million across America, and they might approach or even surpass the recent success of the 76th edition’s 43.5 million viewers, considering ‘Firefly”s impact was no less than ‘The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King’ at that time.

However, it was truly a pity they couldn’t get Magical Yang to present an award! The organizers were even slightly discontented; if he were willing to present, the viewership could have spiked to 45 million!

Wang Yang declined, citing his busy schedule. In truth, he wasn’t that swamped, but he didn’t want to be overly immersed in awards season to the point of exhaustion. He even reluctantly attended the nominees’ luncheon, though of course, he would participate in the awards ceremony. It was a night for celebration and possibly for reaping awards.

The awards ceremony had already started, with host Jon Stewart continuing ‘The Daily Show’s’ teasing and humorous style. His opening remarks provoked waves of laughter from both the audience at the venue and viewers watching on TV. Naturally, he didn’t miss out on the evening’s focal points, endlessly jesting about Wang Yang and ‘Firefly.’ Starting with a raspy joke, “Tonight we can enjoy Magical Yang’s dance,” he easily provoked roars of laughter from the entire audience. Seeing as it was difficult to joke about sensitive subjects like ‘Brokeback Mountain’ and ‘Munich,’ Stewart simply latched onto Wang Yang.

This caused the live broadcast cameras to willingly focus on Wang Yang in the audience from time to time, frequently bringing the nearby Robert Downey Jr., Joss Whedon and their spouses into the frame. Dressed in a sharp black suit, Wang Yang looked as handsome and youthful as ever, living up to his reputation as an “idol director.” Despite often goofing off, he wasn’t entirely serious; beside him, Jessica was as stunningly beautiful as always, with her white off-the-shoulder evening gown and updo perfectly accentuating her sweet and sexy allure.

“And the Oscar goes to…”

At that moment, there was a brief silence in the Kodak Theatre, as everyone’s eyes were fixed on the presenter, John Travolta, on stage. Having won the guild award, it was almost certain that Valery Fiest would take home the little golden man. The use of IMAX technology, the control of both dramatic and action scenes were nothing less than masterful. Just the cinematography of the “Battle of New Shanxi” alone was enough to convince Prieto, Beebe, and others. Of course, they would gladly welcome an upset, preferably one falling into their own hands.

Which nominee would be content being a runner-up? Yet there would be those who rejoiced and those who felt despondent. Travolta’s slightly overweight face was smiling as he opened the envelope, looked up at the packed audience in front and announced, “‘Firefly,’ Valery Fiest.”

“Ahhh—” This was the expected outcome, yet the cheers of the audience were anything but muted. Applause and shouts filled the air of the Kodak Theatre in an instant. The live camera swept around, capturing Valery Fiest hugging his wife, Anna Julian, jubilantly in celebration.

“YEAH!!” “Awesome!!” “Oscar—haha!” The Fiest children in front of the TV were over the moon as well, thirteen-year-old Nick Fiest, eleven-year-old Claire Fiest, and one-year-old Mia Fiest all beamed with joy. Young Mia didn’t understand much, laughing along seeing her parents on the TV screen and her siblings laughing. Nick was jumping up and down; and although not as crazy as the other Claire, little Claire was a hardcore fan of Uncle Yang, adoring “Firefly,” and couldn’t stop laughing with pride and joy, “Hahaha—”

Other fans of Yang were equally thrilled; this was not the first Academy Award for “Firefly” that night. It had previously snatched Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Makeup, with three instances of “Thank you, Yang!” and now a fourth was on its way! Such sweeping momentum!

It’s well known that Wang Yang and Valery Fiest had a great rapport, having worked together for years. Fiest had photographed seven films for him; the two were like an old married couple who had passed the seven-year itch. But this occasion marked Fiest’s first Oscar nomination and his first win.

“Whew—” Amidst the surrounding cheers, watching her husband stride towards the dazzling stage and embrace the standing Wang Yang in the front row, Anna Julian’s face was filled with smiles. She knew Valery would be even happier than she; from TV production assistant, news cameraman to film cinematographer…

Grasping the golden trophy handed over by Travolta, Valery Fiest was so excited he felt a little dazed. At 44, he finally understood why those winners were often too overwhelmed to speak. He had never imagined there would be such a day, such a moment! Starting with 8mm family shorts as a kid, then securing a TV station job after high school, becoming a news cameraman, and later attending the American Film Institute to further his education. Initially, he only had work on horror and erotic films, mostly just getting by, occasionally going abroad to film low-budget movies. Then one day, Yang pulled him out of a small shop…

Dear God! He ended up shooting a 200 million US Dollar sci-fi movie! Memories flooded his mind, vividly as if right before him, and Fiest couldn’t help but sigh. Looking into the crowd of countless guests, he felt a twinge in his nose, standing on the stage representing the zenith of cinematographic artistry. It was truly amazing!

“Thank you, thank you everyone,” said Fiest, quieting the entire hall. Looking at the trophy, he struggled with emotion and managed a slow smile, “I don’t know what to say… Someone once told me I couldn’t make films, but he was wrong.”

“Hehehe!” A ripple of laughter emanated from the TV, as Harry George held back tears with pursed lips, feeling as if he himself had won, whispering softly, “Yes, they were all wrong! One day, I’ll stand there too, yes! Absolutely, absolutely! And then I’ll thank my wife, my kids! Thank you, Yang!” A gentle voice, yet it conveyed a resolute belief; the big man had that confidence!

Fiest did just that, after sincerely thanking the “Firefly” team, the Academy, Flame Movies, good friends, and others, he continued, “Thanks to my family, my wife Anna, my three kids Nick, Clair, Mia, thank you for your support, I love you.”

“Thank you, Wang Yang. Heaven knows how I got convinced by a young man nearly 20 years my junior, at the age of 18, I don’t remember, but it was the best decision of my life, aside from proposing to my wife.”

“Haha!” A burst of laughter erupted in the Kodak Theatre, along with several teasing whistles. True to being the Best Partner, Fiest’s style of expressing gratitude had the magic touch of Yang, humorous while showing love to his wife, it was unclear who was influencing whom. The live broadcast camera panned to Wang Yang flashing his trademark sunny smile, while Dion Beebe and Rodrigo Prieto, who had been defeated, also smiled. The camera then cut to Anna Julian, who was truly very happy, still as sweet as in their first year of marriage after 14 years.

But now her husband belonged to someone else. Onstage, Fiest chuckled a few times, naturally lifting the trophy halfway as he earnestly said, “Yang, I can’t express how thankful I am for you… It’s your talent that gave me room to perform, I’m capturing your brilliance, anyway… thank you, and I hope you keep hiring me for films.”

“Hoo hoo—” A thunderous applause filled the venue, escorting Fiest toward backstage, with Wang Yang’s helpers, especially the guests from the “Firefly” camp, clapping particularly loudly in tribute to the friendship between the magical Yang and Fiest! In fact, Fiest was the cinematographer for “I Am Legend,” and those who knew Wang Yang and Fiest were aware, given their rapport and temperaments, there was no chance of a “divorce” between the two, and their peak was just beginning. Best Director, Best Cinematographer—perhaps their collaboration would continue for 10, 20, or even more years.

Thank you, Valery! Wang Yang clapped vigorously, how could he not be moved; Valery might not remember, but he did, if it weren’t for this old guy teaching him, helping him, trusting him, how could he have grown so fast and so smoothly. He should be the one giving thanks!

“Four awards! So far, all nominations are hits!” It seemed like a festival for the space cowboys, at least up to this point the answer was YES, 4/4! How could they not be overjoyed! After enduring so many rejections in the pre-award season battles, tonight they were all coming back! “Magical Yang! Magical Yang!” Evelyn screamed at the TV, her face flushed with excitement, somehow the rap by Natalie she had seen days ago flashed through her mind, and she couldn’t help but swear, “Damn brilliant! FUCK!” Her mother glanced at her daughter, wondering what was wrong with the child?@@novelbin@@

The Best Cinematography Oscar goes to “Firefly”! The news quickly spread across the internet in English, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, French, German, Japanese… billions of “Firefly” fans around the world rejoiced, and if this energy could be concentrated on one person, who knows how many times they would die of happiness.

“Space cowboys, don’t get too excited too early!” This wasn’t said by the man with the blue gloves, but by Captain Mal, because the night was still long, there were plenty of moments to smile about ahead, tonight was destined for “Firefly,” for the right-hand men of the magical Yang!

“And the Oscar goes to ‘Firefly’, Shauna Milcovich Hays!” Jennifer Aniston announced the Best Costume Design result loudly; “And the Oscar goes to ‘Firefly’, Art Direction: Kevin Cavanaugh, Set Decoration: Gordon Chin.” Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves jointly presented the Best Art Direction; “And the Oscar goes to ‘Firefly’, Jan Kaczmarek, Hans Jimo.” Salma Hayek presented an entirely expected little golden man.

The Kodak Theatre was constantly drowned out by applause, cheers, and laughter, the triumphant music of “Firefly” had already played 7 times, “Thanks, Yang” as well, 7 times! 7/7! In these technical categories, this phenomenal sci-fi movie had no rivals! “King Kong,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “War of the Worlds,” and others might have the upper hand at some film critics association awards, but they stood no chance in front of 40 million American viewers that evening, they faded, while “Firefly” shone brightly.

During this time, Best Live Action Short Film (“Six Shooter,” Martin McDonagh), Best Animated Short Film (“The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation,” John Canemaker, Peggy Stern), Best Documentary Feature (“March of the Penguins,” Luc Jacquet, Yves Darondeau), Best Documentary Short Subject (“The Golden Age of Norman Corwin,” Corinne Marrinan, Eric Simonson), Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz, “The Constant Gardener”), Best Animated Feature (“Super Invincible Leader Dog: The Curse of the Rabbithumans”) had already been presented, and the ceremony was gradually nearing its climax.

After the Best Original Score, the Best Original Song was announced. “Firefly” finally missed out on an award for the first time on this lively evening (7/8), with the theme song “Its-Hard-Out-Here-for-a-Pimp” from “The Constant Gardener” taking the trophy.

“And the Oscar goes to, ‘Firefly,’ Margaret Goodspeed, Lee Smith, Wang Yang,” announced Zhang Ziyi in steady English, listing the winners for Best Editing. Before she could even crack a smile, the audience below erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. Wang Yang was going up on stage!!

The presenters and audience alike felt a jolt of excitement. Natalie, Rachel, and others were shouting and cheering. So cool! Who would have thought he could actually win the Best Editing Award? Is he the youngest Oscar-winning editor? How interesting, how cool!

This is precisely why the organizers scheduled the usually less-noticed Editing Award later in the ceremony: Where there’s Wang Yang, there’s attention! But it was indeed a close victory, with neither “Munich” nor “The Constant Gardener” falling far behind in popularity. Of course, “Firefly” deservedly triumphed now, its editing as impeccable as its score, with every dramatic and action scene, the pacing of the shots, the overall rhythm of the film, and the use of empty shots and various montages, all seamlessly woven together.

“Hehe.” Everyone watched with grinning faces as the trio, Wang Yang and associates, walked towards the stage, Yang’s fans readying themselves for a belly laugh, wondering whether there might be some amusing off-the-cuff speech from MY.

But Wang Yang somewhat disappointed them. He didn’t launch into a verbose speech, instead opening with a remark, “If possible, I would like to edit in a flashback sequence right now, and then you all could see what we looked like editing those flashbacks—quite boring, yet quite happy.” After the audience chuckled, he spoke softly with a smile, “Thank you to everyone who worked hard for ‘Firefly,’ my friends, my family, Jessica and Keke, I love you.” Of course, he had to say it while he had the chance—would he get to come up again tonight? The possibility was there.

Amidst the applause, he passed the microphone to Margaret and Lee. As the main editors, and stepping onto the Oscar stage for the first time, they were much more excited than he was, their overwhelming joy resembling that of a younger person.

Clair Fiest never thought she would taste such joy tonight, and when had Margaret Goodspeed ever considered it (1/2)? Last time, “MIT-21-TEAM” didn’t win, and she couldn’t express her thanks. This time, a heartfelt “Thank you, Yang” naturally came to the fore, unstoppable.

After thanking her family, husband, and children, Margaret turned to Wang Yang and spoke her most sincere words, “Thank you, Yang, for being an incredible young man! When editing ‘MIT-21-TEAM,’ I asked him, ‘Why aren’t you content with a safe success? Why insist on making it so risky?’ He said, ‘I don’t want to see it become another unremarkable, steady commercial soap opera. It is what it is, and if it wasn’t like this, then it wouldn’t be itself!'” She paused before continuing, “Every time, with every movie, he maintains this attitude—his courage and confidence prop us up to stand here. Thank you!”

“Wow—,” “Hoo hoo—,” the Kodak Theatre burst into thunderous applause, and so did the television viewers, applause for Goodspeed, Smith, and, even more for the amazing Yang!

“And the Oscar goes to… ‘Firefly,’ Richard Kidd, Steve Nicholas, Sean Walsh.”

As the ceremony proceeded, Best Visual Effects were presented by Ben Stiller, and “Firefly” scooped up another award (9/10)! (