[Chapter 466: Award Plans]
By the end of January, the Oscar public relations campaign had reached its most critical phase.
Even Linton personally attended several events to rally support for the two films, The Sixth Sense and As Good as It Gets, especially on behalf of Cristiana and Monica.
Cristiana and Monica were busier than ever, going out early and returning late every day, barely having time to catch their breath. They typically left around 9:30 AM and didn't get back until after 9 PM.
This intense schedule deeply worried Linton, knowing that both women were well over three months pregnant. To maintain secrecy and their polished images, they insisted on wearing high heels whenever they went out.
Fortunately, it was winter, and while the weather in Los Angeles wasn't freezing, they could at least layer up to stay warm. Otherwise, Linton would have seriously considered putting a stop to it.
He had gently reminded them several times to prioritize their health and cut back on some public appearances, but both firmly refused.
"Dear, this is our best chance. You have to support us. Besides, we're feeling great -- there's nothing to worry about."
At a loss, he resorted to providing them with more of his revitalizing energy every night to help sustain their stamina. He also instructed Harvey to reduce their workload during PR activities as much as possible and, most importantly, to ensure they didn't drink alcohol.
Harvey found his job tough. 'Usually, PR work involves drinks and showing up for after-hours,' he thought. 'But no drinking allowed? That hardly seems like PR.'
Still, orders were orders. He couldn't refuse the boss, no matter how unreasonable the demands. He just needed to be more creative -- if necessary, he'd handle the drinking and late-night engagements himself. Money always smoothed things over.
...
At this point, the competition dynamics began to clarify. Harvey took the time to brief Linton privately to decide on the next moves in their PR strategy.
"Boss, the situation is shaping up. For Best Actress, Cristiana doesn't have any strong rivals. Her win is basically guaranteed."
"Good. But we can't slack off. Make sure she wins."
"Understood. For Best Supporting Actress, the competition is never as fierce. With our PR push, Monica shouldn't have any trouble either."
"Excellent. Same deal -- keep the momentum going, secure the awards."
"Best Picture nominations for The Sixth Sense and As Good as It Gets look solid, but winning is another matter. Their biggest competitor is Braveheart. Should we take action?"
"Let me ask you, if we took down Braveheart, which film would stand the best chance to win?"
"That's hard to say. The Sixth Sense is a horror movie, and As Good as It Gets is a comedy -- these genres rarely win over the Academy. There's no guaranteed victory."
"Then don't bother. It'd be damaging for us and pointless anyway. Braveheart's lead actress is Sophie Marceau, so let's at least assure their Best Picture nomination. Focus on the Golden Globes instead. Conveniently, the Golden Globes have two Best Picture categories: Drama and Musical/Comedy. Let's aim to win both."
"Alright..." Harvey felt the outlook grow dimmer.
"What, you don't think we can pull it off?"
"Don't worry, boss. I'll get it done."
"Then keep going."
"For Best Director, M. Night Shyamalan and Zack Snyder are likely to get nominations, but winning is unlikely. Mel Gibson is the lock."
"Getting nominated is a win in itself. Keep pushing."
"For Best Original Screenplay, The Sixth Sense and As Good as It Gets both have a chance, and no strong contenders. But we have to choose one to avoid splitting votes and letting someone else sneak in. Since you wrote both, you decide."
"Let's go with The Sixth Sense."
"Got it. Best Actor -- Jack Nicholson has the edge, but he faces a strong challenger: Nicolas Cage. Not because Nicolas is necessarily a better actor or more compelling performer, but because he's the nephew of Francis Ford Coppola."
"Coppola's influence in Hollywood is enormous, and the Italian-American community tends to support their own. They make up a significant portion of the Academy voters. Jack will have a tough time."
"Yeah, Coppola is hard to handle. Let's just focus on Jack's own efforts and assist where we can. Whether he wins depends on his luck. We'll also cover him for the Golden Globes."
"Understood. For Best Supporting Actor, Haley Joel Osment's nomination is safe, but winning is unlikely. His main rival, Kevin Spacey, is too strong."
"Alright, that's the Oscar plan. I want to emphasize no mishaps with Cristiana and Monica's awards. Execute the rest as discussed."
"Got it. We'll get it done."
"As for the Golden Globes, let's put extra effort into grabbing more awards."
"Boss, rest assured -- I've arranged everything. Just like last year, the day after tomorrow, all the Golden Globe voters will be on a yacht party. Plenty of fine wine, gourmet food, 100 beautiful women, 50 handsome men, and a three-day non-stop, no-holds-barred celebration."
---
At the same time in Chicago, a small meeting was being held about the Golden Raspberry Awards.
The previous summer, the film Independence Day had mortified film critics everywhere. Critics had been soundly defeated in a public war of words with the film's producers and distributors.
Most upsetting was that since then, almost all major blockbusters ignored critics during their release campaigns. Coming forward to exert influence was now mainly limited to independent, arthouse, and awards-aspiring films -- cutting into critics' influence and earnings.
As the saying goes, cutting off someone's income is akin to striking their family -- an unforgivable offense. With awards season upon them, it was time to settle the score with Independence Day.
The meeting was convened by Roger Ebert, joined by John Wilson, the founder of the Razzies, along with David Denby, Kenneth Turan, Todd McCarthy, Claude Hank, and others.
"John, I propose we give this year's Worst Picture to Independence Day, Worst Director to Michael Bay, and Worst Actor to Linton Anderson," Roger said bluntly.
"Independence Day is tacky and bad, but not necessarily the worst -- just overly commercial."
"John, it's our duty to remind Hollywood not to dive too deep into commercialism. Look at Independence Day -- it's the epitome of all the worst cliches, yet it made huge box office numbers.
If we don't stand up and say no, Hollywood films will sink further into this commercial abyss."
"But there are objectively worse films and performances out there this year. Take Showgirls -- utterly dreadful..."
"John, you have to consider the film's impact. Picking Showgirls as Worst Picture won't send as strong a message to Hollywood as Independence Day would."
"But Linton is not only a director and star but also the head of Universal. Are we really ready to cross him so completely?"
"Old friend, where's the courage you showed in '81 when you named President Ronald Reagan for the Worst Achievement Award? You can't bow to power now."
"John, we're actually trying to save Linton. We can't just watch a talented young man go down the wrong path."
"..."
"Alright, you've convinced me. I'll seriously consider it."
*****
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