March 24.
The Oscars of March 1997, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, were set to begin at 8:00 p.m., as nearly a thousand guests arrived on the red carpet for an event honoring the best films across 24 categories released in 1996. The cameras opened with an introduction fitting the era: weathered faces, men in suits, and women in elegant gowns. Juliette appeared in a striking red dress, Cuba Gooding Jr. made expressive gestures, Mel Gibson sported his natural hair color, and there were familiar faces like Tarantino and Mira Sorvino, Jim Carrey, Jodie Foster, Woody Harrelson—nominees, guests, and producers alike.
All were surrounded by paparazzi. Monica, wearing a yellow dress and holding Billy's hand, made their grand entrance as Billy received a nomination. There was something magnificent about these ceremonies; the '90s were perhaps a special time when people could blend in without being overwhelmed by attention, though occasionally, that was unavoidable.
Unlike Tom Cruise, this time it was the young Billy Carson who stole the spotlight. The commanding voice of Louis J. Horvitz introduced Billy Crystal.
-Well, I hope you know that just like Star Wars, some others have arrived too, - Billy Crystal joked, scanning the audience. They were nominated for roles, while he whispered to Monica, covering his mouth. She was animated, looking at the camera with bright eyes. The mature beauty was genuinely happy to be on such a stage.
-This year is the year of independent films. Honestly, who are you people? I don't even know you. Great scripts, great directors, shots, and perspectives that seem to amaze the film industry folks. But here we go again—cinema always manages to take us there. Take the Coen brothers with Fargo—a good movie… a quick look wouldn't hurt, - Billy Crystal remarked.
-Look at the categories and the actors' performances. This year, we have the mentally challenged, the mentally abused, the paralyzed guy, the crazy one, and the agent—memorable characters. - He made an imitation expression, the full challenge at hand. - We have interesting concepts like characters, like a tornado, the protagonist speeding at 200 kilometers an hour, - Billy continued, his humor and expressions making the crowd laugh.
-Well, well, well… some of you might not know, but how great can it be when so many people are part of this cast? -
…
Billy looked at the nominees; it was a good way to present, singing along to a popular tune. The humor of the '90s was wordplay, irony, and sarcasm crafted around classics with their twist. Watching the screen, he thought of his character from The English Patient, for which he was nominated. For simple reasons, the academy gave him some happiness. Some faces were lost, not so lost—for example, his role paved the way for Ralph Fiennes in a very different performance in The Passion of the Christ with Sandra Bullock, stealing the role of Robin in Batman. The power of a good actor was more appealing than anything else.
-That's true—even if I lose, you can take me home, - Billy said, squeezing Monica's thigh, a gesture she took naturally.
The first award of the night was a battle for Best Supporting Actor. The heavyweights this year were perhaps among the strongest in many years: William H. Macy for Jerry Lundegaard in Fargo, Armin Mueller-Stahl for Shine, Edward Norton as Primal Fear, James Woods for Ghosts of Mississippi, and, of course, Cuba Gooding Jr. for Rod Tidwell in Jerry Maguire—the latter winning as a sort of reward, as all attention focused on him and Best Director.
-What a surprise, - some whispered. It was sheer madness for such a rookie to sweep the Oscars. It caused discomfort, yet the crowd cheered and applauded. Cuba was stunned, but how could this happen again? It was simple—Cameron Crowe probably wouldn't make a cent from this rivalry.
Winona, beside him in a black dress revealing a deep neckline, was pure seduction. The Hollywood angel at 26 looked like a queen of baccarat, made to tempt men. She seemed to have reached an inevitable level of beauty.
-The Oscar for Best Screenplay goes to… Fargo. -
Joel and Ethan Coen were named, another loss for Cameron Crowe. Michelle Monaghan wasn't nominated in that category, while the Best Adapted Screenplay went to Billy Bob Thornton for Sling Blade.
He lost the role to Geoffrey Rush for Shine, undeniably a fine actor. Frances McDormand won over Winona, and once again, Juliette Binoche was the beneficiary.
She looked stunning in a long Dracula-style gown, with earrings and a necklace that settled perfectly. It was obvious that English was not her first language—or was it? A difficult decision, winning over Lauren Bacall for The Mirror Has Two Faces, Barbara Hershey for The Portrait of a Lady, Joan Allen for The Crucible, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste for Secrets and Lies.
She couldn't believe it; she was nervous, her hands trembling as the music from The English Patient played for her. Though it didn't seem fair to the others, her role had been excellent.
-I'm very surprised; I didn't prepare anything. I thought Lauren was going to win, and I think she deserved it. We all tried to win, but this is incredible, and I thank Anthony, -Juliette said, laughing, but what could you do when things hit like that?
Exiting amidst applause, marking another memorable moment.
-How amazing that she won, - Monica said.
-She was lucky, that's all… but what she doesn't know is that maybe in the next few years her career will stagnate. Because of this win, it'll be hard to win another Oscar. Many will think she already has one she didn't deserve, - Billy whispered.
He saw the sadness in Winona's eyes, completely shattered. She hadn't anticipated a loss like this, especially since she had tried so many times to win… deserved it or not. Images of her undressing and sharing a bed were intense and filled with desire.
-I remember you were intense with Winona, - Monica commented.
…
Anna Szymanska and Guillermo Lorentz were on schedule, watching the award for Best Picture being announced. The sensual animator wore a cropped top and a long skirt that fell gracefully, revealing her ankles. Her hairstyle was like a princess's, adorned with a gray-silver plastic tiara.
Guillermo took the microphone. This win was a huge achievement for the company, and negotiating for an Oscar in the animated category was no longer a daring feat. That's why he was fighting to make it a reality.
-Well, it's simply irrelevant when you don't know how things will turn out…but you can see that in the coming years, we'll make another film to reach this same podium. We want to thank the team, the producers, editors, and, of course, my father, who mortgaged the house so I could study animation, - Guillermo said.
-We all have a beautiful story, and we'll do what we can, - added Anna Szymanska, who had won an Emmy for Train Souls and now an Oscar for the musician. She was a key person in the entire process, but without Billy's help, she would never have succeeded. He was clear that he didn't want to be the center of attention—his gaze was steely, and he didn't care about any of that. He told her he preferred to stay silent.
The party that followed was designed to give a nod to the animated category in Best Picture. -
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