[Chapter 285: A Relaxing Holiday and Chicago's Shine During Awards Season]
Annabelle was surprised, shifting her gaze from the beautiful scenery to Charlie, as if she had just met a stranger, looking him up and down.
Did Charlie take some drugs? Had he just asked her out on a date? This damn playboy actually had his eyes on me? Did he even realize I was completely different from all those other girls he messed around with?
Generally, such an invitation from a man to a woman was not just about a quick fling, but... well, probably a long-term thing?
In short, it was about seeking love, not just playing around.
Annabelle thought she understood Charlie somewhat. He was a purposeful guy. Was his goal simply to find a marriage partner, or did he have other intentions? No one could answer her, and she could not detect anything strange from Charlie's gentle, sunny smile and affectionate eyes.
"Give me an answer, Annabelle. Hesitating isn't like you," Charlie asked with a smile.
Annabelle and Charlie locked eyes for a few seconds by the lakeside at sunset, then she smiled brightly and nodded slightly, "Alright, why not?"
"Hahaha, wonderful. Please, my princess."
"I told you, don't call me princess."
"Oh, right now, you are my princess in my heart."
"What about you?"
"I like being a king, sometimes a charging knight, but now I prefer being a prince."
"Oh my God, did you see the goosebumps on my arm?"
"You must have been moved; no one has ever really called you princess, right?"
"Too many people have called me that."
"But none of them were princes."
They laughed together, walking side by side towards the distant parking lot, their shadows stretching and intertwining on the grass.
They took a Buick wagon heading to a nearby town, arriving at a rustic pub in the early evening. Sitting in a wooden chair in the corner, they savored some unique fruit wines and small desserts.
They talked about culture, film, sports, and cuisines like Italian and British food.
---
The Lord of the Rings crew shot in Tongariro National Park for over ten days. Every day after work, Charlie and Annabelle would take a stroll nearby, look at the volcanoes, the tranquil lakes, watch local Maori fire festivals with singing and dancing, enjoying the peaceful life.
At some point, they began holding hands on the lush country paths. Sometimes arm in arm, sometimes cuddling on the grassy roadside, watching nearby rabbits.
The natural beauty of the volcanoes, forests, lakes, and the relaxed town life was marvelous. They both felt time flew by quickly.
Another evening, under tall pine trees by the lake, they sat side by side.
---
"Boss, Chicago has performed very well in several Oscar precursor awards. The Oscars are coming soon, everyone is confident and looking forward to the results," assistant Pierre said happily as he approached.
"Oh yes, it seems we should head back."
"Yes, to attend the grand Oscar ceremony!"
Charlie and Annabelle exchanged smiles. Then they helped each other up and took a car back to their residence.
After bidding farewell to Peter and the crew, they flew back to Los Angeles.
---
Like Good Will Hunting, Chicago started playing in dozens of art house theaters last December. After a series of awards presentations, it won several critics' awards.
On February 5th, it officially opened in over 2600 theaters across North America. At that time, its box office total had reached sixty-three million dollars.
In the same month, the 71st Academy Awards nominations were announced at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills by Academy President Robert Rehme and actor Kevin Spacey.
Chicago received thirteen nominations, including Best Actress, Best Actor, Adapted Screenplay, and Best Director. It surpassed Saving Private Ryan's eleven nominations, ranking first in nominations. This brought great attention to the film during the awards season.
The first weekend after release saw box office earnings around fifteen million dollars. After two months of screening in hundreds of theaters, such a first weekend performance was truly exciting.
---
On March 21st, Eastern Time 8:30 pm, the 71st Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion at the Los Angeles Music Center.
Hours before the ceremony started, the venue was packed with fans, reporters, and glamorous stars dancing along the red carpet.
Bearded Tom Hanks, a hot favorite for Best Actor, was surrounded by reporters giving interviews.
"Tom Hanks!" fans shouted wildly, eager to see him hold the Oscar statuette.
Though the reporters and Hanks himself knew it was unlikely for him to win Best Actor three years in a row, both sides expressed their excitement for the ceremony.
The real top contender for Best Actor was Italian comedic actor-director Roberto Benigni with his brilliant performance in Life is Beautiful, though he stood aside smiling optimistically like his movie character.
Of course, the most spotlighted and chased by reporters was the Chicago cast.
---
"Yes, it's wonderful to be part of Chicago showcasing the jazz era through song and dance. It's truly intoxicating," Spike Lee said excitedly, no longer waving the race rights banner so much these days.
"This is the best Broadway musical. Playing lead Roxie was a highlight of my career," Vera Farmiga said with a beaming smile, deeply grateful to Charlie.
"Oh, you mean Best Supporting Actress? I never thought about it. I just played my role seriously. The Chicago accent and singing were tough challenges, but yes, I met all the challenges. Thank you!" Rachel Weisz said radiantly.
The entire Chicago team was immersed in joy. After a busy year, besides money, fame and glory seemed like a potent drug, hard to resist.
---
Another popular figure was Will Smith, lead in The Pursuit of Happyness, which had earned eighty million at the box office, making people exclaim, "Another Tom Cruise."
Sadly, Will and everyone knew it was hard for him to win Best Actor with this.
"No one can refuse the Oscars. Whether I win or not, the Best Actor nomination already encourages me greatly," Will said with a smile to Fox Entertainment reporters, waving his hands animatedly.
---
While people chased fame and fortune, Charlie, Annabelle, and Michael Ovitz dressed up in formal wear and arrived late in a Bentley.
Charlie was chased by some media, but he barely paid attention, walking quickly past the red carpet.
"Hi, Steven," he greeted, embracing and chatting with big names like Spielberg.
*****
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