Chapter 299: Interesting Things
Chapter 299: Interesting Things
Al Pacino gave Eric a big hug and said, “Eric, thank you.”
Held so tightly that he sharply sucked in a breath, Eric still smiled and replied, “Al, this is something you deserved. Even without me, with your talent, I’m sure you would’ve won the Oscar for Best Actor sooner or later.”
After patting Eric on the back, Al Pacino said nothing more. He gave Eric a grateful look before walking toward the stage.
Eric returned to his seat and watched Al Pacino head toward the stage. When climbing the stairs, his steps visibly staggered for a moment, and he nearly fell. Yet not a single person in the hall laughed because of it. Instead, the applause became even more enthusiastic.
After receiving the Oscar statuette from Jodie Foster, Al Pacino walked to the microphone. Although there was still a trace of moisture in his eyes, his gaze once again became incomparably sharp. Looking at the audience below the stage, Al Pacino paused for a moment before saying emotionally, “I’ve waited seventeen years for this day…”
Although he was extremely emotional, Al Pacino did not say much. One minute later, he followed Jodie Foster backstage.
Afterward, Michelle Pfeiffer, one of this year’s Best Actress nominees, stepped onto the stage. Following a short speech, she introduced a live performance of the nominated song “Over the Rainbow.” A few minutes later, Al Pacino returned to the audience seats, and the final and most important award of this year’s Oscars arrived.
Warren Beatty and Jack Nicholson walked onto the stage together. After a brief exchange of jokes, they began introducing the nominees for Best Picture.
Because all the Best Picture nominees had already been thoroughly introduced during the several-hour awards ceremony, this introduction was very brief.
The five nominated films appeared one after another on the big screen. Warren Beatty then opened the envelope and quickly read out the name Driving Miss Daisy.
After failing to receive a Best Director nomination, Eric had already stopped holding much hope for Best Picture. Hearing the name Driving Miss Daisy now, he actually felt more balanced than the others. After all, in his previous life, this film had originally won Best Picture. Now that it had won again, Eric did not feel too disappointed.
This result was actually not bad.
Although many films that did not originally exist had appeared at this year’s Oscars because of Eric’s influence, looking deeper into it, this was still a weak Oscar year.
Scent of a Woman was undoubtedly excellent, but that excellence was mainly reflected in Al Pacino’s acting. As a film itself, it was still far from achieving the sensation caused by Oscar history’s classics like Schindler’s List, Forrest Gump, or Titanic.
Therefore, no single film at this year’s Oscars managed to sweep the major awards. The Academy had distributed the four major awards among several different films as if dividing pork. For Firefly to secure a Best Actor award was already extremely fortunate.
With the presentation of the final award, the 62nd Academy Awards officially came to an end.
Where there was joy, there was also disappointment.
As he walked outside, Eric saw the group that was probably the most disappointed at this year’s Oscars: the Weinstein brothers of Miramax and the My Left Foot crew.
Although My Left Foot had received five nominations, it failed to win a single award. Moreover, it seemed to have been suppressed by Firefly’s presence.
For example, Daniel Day-Lewis, who originally should have won Best Actor, had lost the award to Al Pacino. The Best Supporting Actress award had also been taken by Julia. As for Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture, although those had nothing to do with Firefly, My Left Foot still failed to win any of them.
Eric had met the Weinstein brothers once back when he attempted to acquire Miramax. Their asking price had not satisfied Eric, and the deal ultimately failed. Only then had Eric shifted his primary attention to New Line.
Now, more than half a year later, when they saw Eric again, Harvey Weinstein and Bob Weinstein only hesitated briefly before enthusiastically walking over to greet him among the crowd surrounding the Firefly group.
Eric smiled as he shook hands with them. At the same time, he noticed the unconvinced look in Daniel Day-Lewis’s eyes when he looked toward the Oscar statuette in Al Pacino’s hand. Eric merely smiled at that.
“Mr. Williams, congratulations,” Harvey Weinstein said without the slightest trace of disappointment on his face. Subtly squeezing Jonathan Demme away from Eric’s side, he wore a flattering smile and said, “Mr. Williams, looking back now, the fact that our cooperation failed back then really can’t help but feel regrettable. I think perhaps we should find time to talk again sometime. What do you think?”
Eric slightly raised an eyebrow.
Now that Firefly and New Line had already completed their integration, and with Firefly still unable to compare with the Seven Major Studios in overall strength despite no longer being underestimated, Eric honestly did not know where to place the Weinstein brothers if he acquired Miramax now.
Moreover, Robert Shaye’s Oscar campaign operation this time had already proven that Firefly’s award campaign abilities were no weaker than the Weinstein brothers’, perhaps even stronger.
Combined with Eric himself, Firefly’s judgment in selecting Oscar-caliber films would not be inferior to the Weinsteins either. Therefore, Eric was no longer as eager to acquire Miramax as he had once imagined.
However, the abilities of the two brothers were undeniable. Although Eric was no longer enthusiastic about acquiring Miramax, he also had no intention of pushing them toward other studios.
“In that case, we can find time to arrange a meeting and talk,” Eric nodded toward Harvey Weinstein.
Just as he was about to say something more, Eric noticed another film crew passing nearby.
Although he did not recognize many of the others, there was one woman he knew extremely well.
It was Isabelle Adjani.
The woman also seemed to notice Eric’s gaze. Her eyes met his briefly before she looked away, showing no intention of greeting him.
Eric did not mind. Instead, he turned his head and searched for Daniel Day-Lewis among the My Left Foot crew behind the Weinstein brothers.
When Isabelle Adjani passed by, Daniel Day-Lewis showed absolutely no reaction whatsoever. Clearly, the two were not acquainted, much less passionately in love.
What an interesting thing, Eric thought as he stretched his fingers.