novelraw Chapter 275: Oscar
Chapter 275: Oscar
"Hello, you're watching ABC. The long-awaited 76th Academy Awards ceremony is about to begin with the red carpet, where all the stars will traditionally make their entrance."
It was just after 5:00 PM Pacific Time when Brian Lister settled in front of the television, switching it to ABC, where the broadcast of the Academy Awards ceremony had already begun.
He'd turned on the TV at just the right moment. After a two-minute wait, some star he didn't recognize walked the red carpet with a professional smile. Even though his favorite celebrities hadn't appeared yet, he was still thrilled to see the handsome men and beautiful women making their way down the red carpet.
His father, Lister Sr., had just returned home from work when he saw British actress Naomi Watts walking the Oscar red carpet, arm in arm with her boyfriend, Heath Ledger.
"Has it started already?" Lister asked.
Brian nodded.
Then, in a strange tone, he remarked while looking at the television, "Another couple with an age gap of more than ten years."
Lister Sr. hung up his coat, poured himself a glass of water, and sat down on the armchair. "I think you mentioned Matthew would be at this awards ceremony," he asked. "Has he walked the carpet yet?"
Brian shook his head. "Not yet."
Lister Sr. nodded and muttered under his breath, "I underestimated him. I never thought he'd make it to the Oscars so quickly.""Of course he did," Brian said proudly, overhearing his father. "In case you haven't noticed, Matthew is incredibly popular right now. He's on TV all the time."
After all, Matthew was his former employee and now a client. Lister Sr. couldn't help but ask with curiosity, "On TV?"
"Haven't you seen the news lately?"
When his father shook his head, Brian said with some annoyance, "About a week ago, TMZ and Entertainment Weekly reported that Matthew landed the lead role in 'National Treasure', beating out Jude Law, James Franco, Colin Farrell, and even Nicolas Cage for the part!"
He looked a little worked up. "Those other young actors, they're B-listers, just like Matthew, but he beat Nicolas Cage! Cage is an Oscar winner, a genuine A-list star!"
As he spoke, Brian seemed to swell with pride, as if he himself had beaten Cage in the audition, not Matthew. "Dad, you have to admit Matthew is amazing, right?"
Lister Sr. chuckled, finding his son's obsession with Matthew amusing, and said nothing.
It was normal for teenagers to admire celebrities, and he saw nothing wrong with Brian looking up to Matthew Horner, especially compared to all the other troubled stars out there. The success of his former employee could serve as a good role model for young people.
Not everyone could go from being a simple driver to a Hollywood star.
In that respect, even he felt a certain admiration for Matthew Horner.
Meanwhile, on the television screen, Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon walked the red carpet, and following them was...
"Dad, look!" Brian suddenly exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the television. "It's Matthew! There's Matthew!"
Lister Sr. focused on the television and, sure enough, saw Matthew stepping out of a black luxury car and walking onto the red carpet for the Academy Awards.
Brian stared at Matthew in awe.
He was dressed in a black tuxedo that fit him perfectly, giving him a powerful and commanding presence.
The voice of the ABC host came from the television.
"And here comes Matthew Horner—one of the country's most famous male movie stars last year. His portrayal of one half of the classic on-screen duo of Will Turner and Jack Sparrow, alongside Johnny Depp in 'Pirates of the Caribbean', won him the affection of millions of viewers worldwide. And, in case you didn't know, he's already begun collaborating with the team behind 'National Treasure', a film with ambitions to become the next 'Pirates of the Caribbean'."
Hearing this, Lister Sr. could only reflect that it was just like a channel owned by The Walt Disney Company to broadcast the Oscars while simultaneously promoting its own major film projects.
"Did you hear that, Dad?" Brian said excitedly. "Did you hear the host's introduction? Matthew's going to be a superstar!"
Lister Sr. just grunted. "I heard, Brian. Don't shout."
When Matthew was halfway down the red carpet, the camera cut away to an up-and-coming starlet.
"Why'd they change the camera angle?" Brian complained, slightly annoyed.
With that, he stretched, got up from the sofa, and headed toward the kitchen. "I'm going to get some dinner. You want anything?"
Lister Sr. waved him off and continued to watch the Oscar red carpet intently.
For him, the Oscar red carpet was also a trendsetter, and the new faces who made it there were potential clients for his company.
Matthew, for example, always ordered party services and cleaning, which had brought in about $10,000 last year.
In that case, he, as the direct owner of the business, would certainly receive a hefty commission.
He'd heard from Brian that Matthew was paid over $5 million for "National Treasure" and "Dawn of the Dead", as well as for the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel, making him a multi-millionaire.
A client like that was much wealthier than someone like Jonny Lee Miller!
The problem was that Matthew's current house was too small and inconvenient for parties or other large-scale events. The thing about small houses was that they didn't require much upkeep and had lower maintenance costs.
How could such a house be worthy of his status? Perhaps he could find an opportunity to nudge Matthew toward buying a new one.
How many models could fit in his house now? If he had an estate in Beverly Hills or Malibu, a dozen models would be no problem at all.
For the sake of Matthew Horner's future happiness, he definitely had to find a way to push him to move!
...
Darkness was already falling on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and the lights were blazing in front of the Kodak Theatre.
Security at the Oscars was on high alert today, because some crazy terrorist group had claimed they were planning to attack the ceremony.
Helicopters hovered over Hollywood, the Walk of Fame was cordoned off, and the Kodak Theatre, where the Oscars were being held, was guarded with every technical and human resource available. Surveillance cameras, metal detectors, and police officers on every corner were in place to maintain order. Even the 500 fans sitting in the stands watching the stars arrive on the red carpet were under close scrutiny.
Matthew made his way to the interview area, striking various practiced poses, flashing a charming smile, and letting the press take their pictures.
Since the broadcasting company was associated with Disney's ABC channel, they interviewed him after the photo session.
Naturally, the questions focused on the "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequel and the filming of "National Treasure", before ending with the usual prediction session.
"Personally, I think 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' has the best chance of winning Best Picture, and its director, Peter Jackson, for Best Director."
Standing before the live ABC camera, Matthew answered the reporter's questions with aplomb. "I really hope Depp wins Best Actor; he earned it for his performance in 'Pirates of the Caribbean'. Charlize Theron is the favorite for Best Actress. She's a good friend of mine, and I think she'll take home the award."
In fact, with the exception of Depp, Matthew's predictions were in line with what everyone else was saying.
Every year after the Oscar nominations are announced, there's no more captivating topic than who the final winners will be.
The press predictions for this year's Oscars were strikingly similar for the major categories: Best Picture and Best Director were expected to go to "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" and its director, New Zealander Peter Jackson; Best Actor and Best Actress to Sean Penn and Charlize Theron, who had been dominating the awards season; and Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress to Tim Robbins and Renée Zellweger.
Some media outlets even declared that it would be the least suspenseful Oscar ceremony ever, and that the race would be somewhat tedious due to the lack of tension.
Nearly six thousand people vote for the Oscars, but at this moment, only two people knew the results of the judging: Greg Garrison, a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Rick Rosas.
They had departed from the Los Angeles branch of PwC and were driving to the Kodak Theatre via different routes, each carrying a copy of the final results to ensure that traffic jams or other mishaps wouldn't prevent the list of winners from being delivered on time.
After his interview, Matthew entered the Kodak Theatre alone, following a path specially designated by the organizers. As part of a nominated cast, he was seated near the front, in the middle of the fifth row of the guest section—definitely a prime spot for the camera lens.
Depp hadn't arrived yet, so Matthew greeted a few actors who were already there and took his seat. He looked around curiously, naturally paying attention to the young and beautiful actresses, especially those who might strike up a conversation with him.
He always remembered that he had a "special" mission.
Matthew's gaze landed on the section where the cast of "Whale Rider" was seated. Keisha Castle-Hughes, who at thirteen years old was nominated for Best Actress, was definitely one of the most radiant actresses there.