Kate Winslet stretched out her trembling hands and took the glittering Oscar statuette from Dunn. Unable to control her emotions, she suddenly threw herself into Dunn's arms.
Frances McDormand, watching the scene, couldn't help but smile. It seemed the rumors were true—there was more to their relationship than met the eye.
Dunn gently patted her back and whispered in her ear, "You still need to give your speech; don't ruin your makeup with tears."
Kate lightly punched his chest, smiling through her tears as she approached the microphone. Taking a deep breath, her mind suddenly went blank, and she forgot the acceptance speech she had prepared.
"I'm sorry, really sorry. I did prepare a speech, but I've forgotten it all now."
Kate Winslet's voice trembled like a young girl who had never been in the spotlight. But this genuine, emotional display endeared her to the American audience.
Why was Anne Hathaway later criticized and despised across America? The fundamental reason was that she came off as too fake, too pretentious!
Kate Winslet's genuine side caused the entire Shrine Auditorium to erupt in thunderous applause, encouraging this 22-year-old girl.
As she listened to the warm applause, Kate couldn't hold back her tears. She quickly wiped them away, choking up as she said, "I really didn't expect this, never thought I would win this award. The other nominees are so talented; I can hardly believe the Academy chose me."
"This is my third film since coming to Hollywood. I don't know why I've been so lucky. I was nominated for my second film, and now with this third one..." Kate choked up again, and the audience applauded once more.
"I'm so grateful to my grandmother. If she hadn't lent me money back then, I wouldn't have been able to attend drama school. I'm so grateful to my agent Hilda; she brought me into Hollywood and made me an actress. I'm also grateful to directors Peter Jackson, Ang Lee, and James Cameron. Their guidance helped me grow time and time again. Thank you all."
"Oh, and my parents, who worked so hard to take care of me. I know they didn't want me to go into acting because they understood how tough this industry is. Parents want their children to have a simple, happy life, but I truly love movies, love acting. Dad, Mom, please understand me, okay?"
"And my good friend Leonardo—it's a shame he couldn't be here today, but I have to say, your performance in *Titanic* was amazing. Without your collaboration, I wouldn't have been able to bring out my best. Leo, I love you. We're still young, and we have to keep working hard!"
"And last but not least, my very, very, very, very best friend, Dunn Walker! Sorry, I almost forgot you!"
Kate Winslet spoke through her tears, then couldn't help but laugh, and the audience, sharing in her light-hearted moment, laughed along with her.
Dunn, standing in the distance, gave her a thumbs-up.
Kate had passed the initial phase of nervousness and began to relax, recalling her prepared speech. Smiling, she said, "Dunn, do you know what I'm most grateful to you for? I'm especially grateful that you let me finish filming *Titanic* alive and didn't let me drown in the icy water."
"Pfft!"
The Shrine Auditorium erupted in laughter.
This genuine, heartfelt, and emotional display by the British girl was undoubtedly the highlight of the entire awards ceremony. And her exaggerated joke was a way of expressing her gratitude for the tremendous effort Dunn put into the making of *Titanic*.
After tonight, she would undoubtedly gain more devoted fans worldwide.
...
After stepping down from the stage, Kate Winslet was as happy as a little girl who had just received a Christmas gift. She nestled close to Dunn, holding the Oscar statuette in her hands, her smile so wide it seemed like she could never get enough of it.
Dunn leaned down and whispered, "How about coming over to my place tonight?"
"For what?"
Kate rolled her eyes at him.
"What do you think?" Dunn grinned mischievously. "I still want to taste what it's like to be with an Oscar-winning actress."
"Get lost!" Kate playfully bumped him with her shoulder and gritted her teeth. "What about your date? I'm not your plaything!"
Dunn shrugged, "No one's around; I'm all alone now."
"Then don't come looking for me. We're friends, and I don't want things to get messy like before." Kate Winslet refused openly and without hesitation.
This British woman could be naive at times, lacking the emotional intelligence of Liv Tyler, the worldly knowledge of Sofia Coppola, the elegance of Nicole Kidman, or even the cunning and shrewdness of Katherine Heigl.
She was always genuine and deeply loyal, speaking her mind openly and directly with her friends.
Dunn admired her cheerful and straightforward nature, lowering his voice, "That's what friends are for, helping each other out."
Kate Winslet gave him a playful yet serious glance, "You call that helping? That's your idea of help, but it's just ruining things for me!"
"Ahem..." Dunn was a bit taken aback by her choice of words.
Kate whispered, "I've heard that Hollywood has all kinds of agencies—models, nurses, teachers, white-collar workers, you name it. You could ask Leo; he probably knows all about them."
Dunn rolled his eyes, "I've been doing that for two months already, and I'm bored of it!"
"You... you... you're unbelievable," Kate said, so frustrated that she didn't even know what to say. "In any case, I'm not going to your place!"
...
Everyone knew that the committee having Dunn present the award to Kate meant he had lost his chance to compete for Best Director.
And indeed, Curtis Hanson took home the Best Director award for *L.A. Confidential*.
Kate Winslet couldn't understand the reasoning behind it and felt wronged on Dunn's behalf. Biting her lip, she whispered, "Dunn, these old guys at the Academy are just too unfair!"
Dunn patted her hand with a slight smile.
Half an hour later, James Cameron, who had remained seated the entire time, finally heard his name called.
*Titanic* was named Best Picture at the 70th Academy Awards!
With nearly $1.9 billion in global box office revenue, Cameron walked up to the stage with confidence and determination.
His acceptance speech was powerful, as if everything was under his control.
He spoke for a full two minutes before turning to leave the stage amidst thunderous applause.
But then, suddenly, he stopped and returned to the microphone.
Dunn couldn't help but smile—was that moment really going to happen?
Cameron's shout of "I am the king of the world!" during the Oscars had indeed become one of the most iconic moments of his career.
But unexpectedly, Cameron mentioned Dunn's name.
"Dunn!"
Cameron's voice made the entire audience sit up, realizing that whatever he was about to say next could be significant and highly memorable.
"Dunn, you're still young, and you have to keep pushing forward. I believe that one day, you too will become the king of the world! Keep it up!"
Cameron's words echoed throughout the theater.
King of the World!
Dunn stood there, dumbfounded.
He never expected that Cameron, in this life, would bestow such a title upon him...