"This dress is a bit tight, Gilbert. Help me zip it up in the back." Naomi Watts struggled to reach behind her.
Gilbert stepped forward to assist, pulling the zipper up while his hand brushed against the smooth skin of Naomi's back, grazing her nape.
Naomi let out a soft hum, leaning into Gilbert's embrace as she took his hand and placed it around her waist.
"We still have to walk the red carpet later. If you mess up my dress, I'll have to fix everything again," Naomi murmured. But despite her words, she didn't stop Gilbert's further exploration.
Inhaling the delicate fragrance of the petite woman's hair, Gilbert wrapped an arm around her waist and said, "Darling, should we have a child?"
A wave of warmth spread through Naomi's chest, though she quipped, "Haven't we already been trying?"
Fortunately, it was just the two of them in the room, with no one else around. Not that it would have mattered—even if someone overheard, they were long past the point of embarrassment.
Time was running short. After finishing their preparations, the cast and crew of Chicago headed to the Oscars.
The 71st Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion and broadcast live on ABC, with actress Whoopi Goldberg as the host.
The biggest favorite for the night was undoubtedly Chicago, followed closely by Shakespeare in Love, which had secured seven nominations.
As one of the most high-profile films of the year, Chicago's cast was saved for a grand entrance, appearing toward the end of the red carpet lineup. The moment they stepped onto the red carpet, the atmosphere reached its peak.
Back at the Melon Manor, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Connelly, who had opted not to attend the ceremony in person, were watching the live broadcast on television. ABC's commentator narrated enthusiastically:
"The cast of Chicago has arrived on the red carpet. Directed by Gilbert Landrani, the film stars Tom Cruise, Naomi Watts, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It has already grossed over $150 million in North America.
This film is a major contender tonight, and almost everyone believes Gilbert will take home his first Oscar statuette…"
Jennifer Connelly gazed at Naomi Watts, who looked absolutely radiant on screen, and couldn't help but feel a tinge of envy.
"Naomi looks stunning. When will I get a chance to walk that red carpet?" she sighed.
Cameron Diaz reassured her, "Didn't Gilbert recommend you for Girl, Interrupted? He said it's a great film and that you have a shot at a nomination."
Jennifer felt reassured at the mention of Gilbert's support. This must be what it felt like to have a strong backing. She loved it.
"Let's hope so. Maybe next year I'll be the one walking that red carpet," she said with a smile.
Girl, Interrupted was a project under Sony Columbia Pictures, directed by James Mangold and starring Winona Ryder.
Even though last summer, two of Sony Columbia's films—especially Godzilla—had been crushed by Gilbert's strong competition and failed to cross the $100 million mark at the North American box office, the studio didn't hold grudges when it came to casting decisions. Gilbert's recommendation was accepted without issue.
Of course, Winona Ryder played a big role in making it happen.
She wasn't too fond of the originally cast Angelina Jolie. Plus, since Gilbert was about to crush Gwyneth Paltrow's Oscar dreams, Winona felt compelled to strongly advocate for Jennifer.
Thus, Jennifer smoothly replaced Angelina Jolie as the film's second female lead.
This left Jolie fuming. In her usual intoxicated state, she went around claiming that Jennifer only got the role because she was "giving Gilbert that."
She even boasted that she herself wouldn't mind "giving Gilbert that" if he wanted it.
However, certain individuals quickly warned her to stop running her mouth. Soon after, Jolie backtracked and never mentioned the matter again.
Cameron Diaz's career was also progressing well. Last year, she starred in the romantic comedy There's Something About Mary alongside Ben Stiller, which became the third highest-grossing film in North America.
The movie earned $173 million domestically, trailing only The Matrix and Armageddon, with a worldwide box office of $321 million.
Unlike Naomi Watts, Cameron wasn't obsessed with winning an Oscar. Many times, acting was more of a fun endeavor for her rather than a serious ambition.
She had even told Gilbert that she planned to retire by the time she turned forty and take a white-collar job at Melon Studios instead.
Gilbert didn't mind and agreed to her request.
But for now, Cameron's retirement was still a long way off. Recently, she had taken on another project—co-starring with Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu in a film called Charlie's Angels.
This film was quite rare. In an era where commercial films were dominated by male stars, this was one of the few movies where female characters took the lead.
The awards ceremony continued. On the red carpet, after signing autographs and taking photos, the Chicago team accepted a brief interview, answering some routine questions.
Shortly after the red carpet event, the Oscars officially began.
As per the usual process, the host, Whoopi Goldberg, first made humorous remarks about the nominated films and some of the prominent guests.
As the leading contender for awards, the Chicago team was naturally the most teased.
Most guests were cooperative with these jokes, clapping and smiling in good spirits.
Scenes like the later incident where Will Smith walked on stage and slapped the host were rare. Of course, hosts also had to be mindful not to cross the line with their jokes.
The Chicago team was seated near the front. To Gilbert's left sat Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Nicole, despite being heavily pregnant, had attended the ceremony to support Tom Cruise.
To his right were Naomi Watts and Catherine Zeta-Jones, sitting close together like sisters.
In fact, in public relations campaigns, they were marketed as best friends, a strategy designed to jointly compete for awards.
Since their nominations didn't clash, they had the opportunity to collaborate in this way.
Besides, both had shared intimate moments with Gilbert, so there were no major conflicts between them.
The first award was soon presented. To attract attention, the first category was usually Best Supporting Actor, in which Chicago had no nominations.
Although Shakespeare in Love was nominated, the award ultimately went to James Coburn for Affliction.
From afar, Gilbert spotted the Shakespeare in Love team. As if by telepathy, Harvey Weinstein also looked over. Their eyes met in what felt like a silent battle.
Next came several technical awards, including Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup, and Best Sound, all of which were claimed by Chicago.
Meanwhile, Shakespeare in Love only won Best Original Song, a relatively minor award.
"Catherine, your category is coming up soon. Are you nervous?" Naomi Watts asked.
Catherine appeared calm, but in reality, she was very anxious. Holding Naomi Watts' hand, she said, "I'm really nervous. I've worked so hard—what if I don't win?"
Gilbert reassured her, "You gave an outstanding performance. The judges won't overlook that. Don't worry."
Indeed, Catherine's portrayal of Velma deserved an Oscar, even setting aside external factors. This category was a key battleground between Shakespeare in Love and Chicago.
The suspense was soon lifted. The presenter announced, "The Oscar for Best Supporting Actress goes to… Chicago! Catherine Zeta-Jones! Congratulations to her."
Hearing her name, Catherine covered her mouth in shock before jumping up, hugging Naomi Watts, and then giving Gilbert a kiss.
The cameras captured the moment, and the audience responded with warm smiles.
After multiple failed attempts to break into Hollywood, Catherine had finally secured her place with Chicago, along with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
The Chicago team erupted in celebration, while the Shakespeare in Love side fell into gloom.
Harvey Weinstein turned to his brother Bob and remarked, "Looks like this isn't a night for sharing awards—it's a total sweep."
Harvey's instincts were correct. Despite all the efforts Shakespeare in Love had made, Chicago had arrived with unstoppable momentum.
Harvey was sure that in any other year or with any other competitors, Shakespeare in Love would have had a great chance at winning. But now, their hopes were slim.
As the ceremony continued, Shakespeare in Love won Best Original Screenplay—another minor award.
Meanwhile, Chicago won Best Adapted Screenplay. However, Gilbert didn't go up to accept the award, allowing the credited screenwriters to take the stage instead.
It was a kind of superstition—if he only had one chance to go up, he wanted it to be for the most important award.
After a few lesser awards, it was time for the Oscar for Best Actress.
From the Shakespeare in Love camp, Gwyneth Paltrow looked over and happened to see Naomi Watts whispering something to Gilbert.
Gwyneth felt a pang of regret. Ever since that conversation the other day, she knew her chances of winning were slim.
Now, that feeling was growing stronger. As she stared at Naomi Watts, jealousy burned within her.
Earlier, it was Catherine who was nervous—now it was Naomi Watts' turn.
Naomi Watts was too anxious to even listen to the presenter's speech. She buried her face in Gilbert's shoulder, like an ostrich avoiding reality.
Gilbert gently comforted her: "Don't be nervous, Naomi. You were incredible. We did so much work for this moment."
With Gilbert's reassurance, Naomi Watts finally lifted her head, managing a nervous smile.
The presenter on stage joked, "Looks like Naomi is nervous—she was just seeking comfort from Gilbert. Let's not keep her waiting. Here are the nominees for Best Actress."
There were five nominees, but three of them were just fillers. All attention was on Naomi Watts and Gwyneth Paltrow.
The other three nominees, knowing they had little chance, were relatively relaxed.
Gwyneth, however, was not. When the camera panned to her, she looked extremely displeased.
She already suspected she wouldn't win, so she simply wore a sour expression.
What she didn't realize was that this attitude made it even less likely that the judges would vote for her.
The presenter didn't drag things out. Last year's Best Actress winner, Helen Hunt, announced the winner of the 71st Academy Award for Best Actress.
"And the Oscar for Best Actress goes to… Chicago! Naomi Watts!"
The moment Helen Hunt called her name, Naomi Watts was overwhelmed with surprise and disbelief. She covered her mouth, then threw herself into Gilbert's arms, giving him an excited kiss.
Gilbert patted her back and whispered in her ear, "Go on, claim your glory, my Best Actress."
Naomi Watts nodded, lifting her gown as she made her way to the stage, accepting congratulations along the way.
Meanwhile, over at the Shakespeare in Love table, Gwyneth felt like she had just lost something dear, her expression turning even darker.
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