The streets of Los Angeles were glittering on the night of March 1998 as the 70th Academy Awards were set to take place at the grand Shrine Auditorium. Outside, four towering replicas of the Oscar statuette stood proudly, while the 280-foot red carpet stretched out like a majestic crimson dragon along the Walk of Fame.
The *Titanic* crew, having swept the Golden Globes, was once again the center of attention.
Just as Dunn was about to enter the theater, a staff member discreetly pulled him aside. "Director Walker, the committee has a small request."
Dunn smiled, "Sure, how can I help?"
The staff member lowered his voice, "After the Best Sound Editing award is presented, please step out to the restroom."
"Uh?" Dunn was taken aback. This was his first Oscars, and he had no idea what this was about.
"This isn't a request from the production team; it's a suggestion from the Academy," the staff member quickly clarified, seeing Dunn's hesitation.
This eased Dunn's concerns—at least he wasn't being used as a ratings gimmick by ABC. But as he settled into his seat inside the theater, his mind was still buzzing with questions. What could the Academy be planning?
Kate Winslet, who was sitting beside him as always, smiled brightly. Noticing Dunn's worried expression, she reassured him, "Dunn, you have to understand that the Oscars are quite different from the Golden Globes."
Dunn knew his chances of winning Best Director at the Oscars were slim to none.
"What about you? Are you content with this?" Dunn teased her. "Your performance was universally praised, and you even won the New York Film Critics Circle Award."
Kate pursed her lips and whispered, "I'm not a deaf-mute!"
At only 22 years old, Kate Winslet knew that the only actress younger than her to win Best Actress at the Oscars was Marlee Matlin, who was hearing-impaired.
Dunn sighed deeply. Age was the biggest obstacle standing between him and Kate Winslet.
"Anyway, it's better than poor Leo," Kate couldn't help but chuckle softly.
Leonardo DiCaprio didn't even receive a nomination this year, and out of frustration, he chose not to attend the ceremony.
The awards ceremony soon began. With host Billy Crystal's witty banter, the first award of the night—Best Supporting Actress—was presented.
*Titanic*'s chances in this category were slim. The elderly actress who played "Old Rose" was the oldest nominee in Oscar history, but her screen time was limited, and her performance, while solid, wasn't groundbreaking.
Sure enough, Kim Basinger from *L.A. Confidential* won the award.
However, *Titanic* dominated the technical and artistic awards that followed. Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On" was the clear standout of the night, overshadowing even the Oscar's official theme, "Oscar Prelude."
When *Titanic* won Best Sound Editing, Dunn quietly stood up and left his seat.
Just as expected, two observant staff members were waiting for him in the hallway. They quickly approached him, their eyes gleaming. "Director Walker, please come this way!"
Dunn followed them, asking, "Can you tell me what this is all about?"
"They didn't give us all the details. But based on previous years, it's likely you'll be presenting an award."
"Presenting an award?" Dunn was even more surprised. "Aren't those decided in advance?"
"There are always exceptions."
Soon, Dunn met a middle-aged woman—an outstanding actress—Frances McDormand.
She also happened to be last year's Best Actress Oscar winner!
Could it be…
Dunn suddenly realized what was happening.
Sure enough, when Frances McDormand saw Dunn, she smiled and greeted him warmly, "It's a pleasure to work with you, Mr. Walker."
Dunn hesitated and asked, "Are we presenting the Best Actress award?"
Frances McDormand paused, "The committee didn't inform you earlier?"
Dunn forced a bitter smile.
Frances McDormand quickly understood what was going on and looked at Dunn with a hint of sympathy. "Mr. Walker, you're still young and very talented. Missing out on an Oscar this time isn't the end; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
Despite her comforting words, Dunn couldn't hide his disappointment.
He finally understood the Academy's strategy.
Having Dunn Walker present the Best Actress Oscar was a form of compensation. The Academy couldn't award a twenty-year-old the Best Director Oscar, but they also didn't want to leave such a talented young director too discouraged.
It was all about balance.
Frances McDormand sighed, holding the envelope with the winner's name, and gave Dunn a knowing smile. "It seems you already know who's inside this envelope."
Dunn shrugged and replied, "Anything can happen until the envelope is opened!"
In his heart, though, Dunn was almost certain of what was inside that envelope. The Oscars committee was playing a balancing act, and the only name that could be inside was Kate Winslet's. Otherwise, having him present the award at this moment would be more of an insult than a compensation.
Soon, the staff signaled to them, and Frances McDormand, smiling, took Dunn's arm as they walked toward the grand, gilded stage.
As Dunn appeared on stage, the entire *Titanic* crew was stunned. What was going on? How come they had no idea about this?
Kate Winslet was fuming internally, thinking, "That Dunn, he kept this from even me! How outrageous!"
Meanwhile, some of the older attendees exchanged knowing glances, a faint smile playing on their lips—they had already anticipated what was about to happen.
Presenters typically start with a bit of banter, but given Dunn's age, it wouldn't be appropriate to joke too much with Frances. So, she took the lead, teasing, "Dunn, I've heard that you've been quite busy dating over the past couple of years. Do you still have the energy to make good movies?"
The audience erupted in laughter.
Dunn's romantic escapades were a common topic of gossip in Hollywood. But no one took it too seriously—a 20-year-old playboy would be more normal than one who was somber and monogamous.
After all, this was Hollywood, not some small-town village.
Dunn laughed and said, "Since my new movie is a romance, I needed to get some firsthand experience."
The audience, filled with industry elites, chuckled appreciatively at his quick wit.
Frances McDormand then adopted a more serious tone, "Young man, you should focus on your work."
"Work?" Dunn suddenly put on a solemn face and sighed deeply. "With such sage advice from Ms. McDormand, I'd be ungrateful not to heed it. I just hope the network and the Academy will forgive my impudence."
The 5,000-plus guests in the theater were all puzzled by Dunn's words.
What did his hard work have to do with the network and the Academy?
But what Dunn said next left everyone either amused or bewildered, with the older members shaking their heads in exasperated laughter.
"My new movie, *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*, will be released on August 20th during the summer. I hope everyone here and the viewers at home will come to witness a romantic, heartwarming, tender love story and a fun wedding."
Dunn's serious talk about his work caught the network by surprise!
This was the Oscars!
The second most-watched event in the U.S., right after the Super Bowl, and Dunn had just given himself a free commercial. What a steal!
Frances McDormand quickly received a warning through her earpiece from the producers and smoothly shifted the conversation. "Alright, let's take a look at the incredible actresses who delivered outstanding performances last year and are now nominated for Best Actress."
The Best Actress nominees were Helen Hunt for *As Good as It Gets*, Helena Bonham Carter for *The Wings of the Dove*, Julie Christie for *Afterglow*, Judi Dench for *Mrs. Brown*, and Kate Winslet for *Titanic*.
As the camera panned across the faces of the five nominees, it was clear that the relatively younger actresses—Kate Winslet, Helen Hunt, and Helena Bonham Carter—could barely contain their hopeful smiles.
Meanwhile, veterans like Judi Dench and Julie Christie wore more restrained and unnatural expressions.
The committee had even brought out Dunn Walker to present the award. Was there any doubt about who the Best Actress would be?
She was only 22 years old!
After the short video showcasing the nominees, Frances McDormand slowly opened the envelope, exchanged a knowing smile with Dunn, and then announced, "The Best Actress is…"
Frances McDormand understood that this award presentation was the Academy's way of compensating Dunn, so she graciously handed the spotlight to him.
Dunn glanced at the name in the envelope, his face reddening slightly, and his voice filled with warmth as he exclaimed, "Congratulations, my dear friend, Kate Winslet!"
"Ah!"
Kate Winslet, in a daze, sat frozen in her seat, her beautiful eyes welling up with tears of disbelief.
The theater erupted in applause.
The giant screen displayed scenes from *Titanic* featuring Kate Winslet's remarkable performance, adding even more emotion to the already electric atmosphere.
The *Titanic* crew stood up, grinning ear to ear, as if they had won the award themselves.
Kate Winslet, her mind a blank, stood up in a daze, mechanically hugging her friends from the crew. Even at that moment, she could hardly believe it was real.
"Old Rose" Gloria Stuart gave her a loving hug, saying, "Silly girl, stop daydreaming. Dunn is waiting for you up there."
"Right, Dunn!"
Finally snapping out of her trance, Kate Winslet turned to look at the stage, her teary eyes locking onto Dunn's handsome, smiling face.
She smiled through her tears, a radiance like blooming cherry blossoms.