Step by step, as she walked onto the grandest stage, Naomi Watts felt as if she were dreaming.
Just a few years ago, she had been living in a shabby apartment in North Hollywood, struggling to survive while chasing her dream of becoming a star.
And now, she was standing on the Oscars stage, crowned as the Best Actress.
As Naomi Watts walked forward, she turned back to look at Gilbert, who was clapping for her. His gaze was gentle, filled with anticipation and encouragement.
That gaze shone upon Naomi Watts, giving her petite frame boundless strength, pushing her to keep moving forward.
The Oscars stage was illuminated by dazzling golden lights. Tonight, for the winners, these were the lights of victory.
Of course, for the losers, the glow was unbearably harsh.
Gwen had clenched her teeth so hard she might as well have crushed them. If it weren't for Harvey holding her back, this hot-tempered woman might have already stormed off in anger.
But no matter how she felt, no matter how unfair she thought the results were, the honor of Best Actress tonight belonged solely to Naomi Watts.
Taking the golden statuette from Helen Hunt's hands, Naomi Watts felt her mind go blank as she stood on stage, staring dazedly at the audience below.
Helen Hunt, looking at this fortunate woman, could relate. She had felt the same way when she won the Oscar last year.
However, the awards ceremony had to continue, so Helen Hunt reminded Naomi Watts that it was time to deliver her acceptance speech.
Only then did Naomi Watts come to her senses. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and said, "I'm sorry, I thought I was dreaming just now."
The audience let out warm laughter and applause, encouraging Naomi Watts.
Gilbert had once told Naomi Watts that when you achieve success, everyone around you will seem like a good person. Now, she finally understood what he meant.
Naomi Watts continued her speech: "I want to thank everyone—the entire production team, my co-stars Tom and Catherine."
The big screen cut to Tom Cruise and Catherine, with Catherine even raising her Best Supporting Actress statuette proudly.
"I also want to thank my agent, my family, and my assistant. They've always supported me behind the scenes, making it possible for me to stand here today.
"But the person I'm most grateful for is Gilbert. He encouraged me and supported me all the way, allowing me to reach the Oscars stage.
"I can say that without him, I wouldn't be here today.
"Gilbert, I love you…"
As she spoke, Naomi Watts even formed a heart shape with her hands. The camera panned to Gilbert, who responded by making the same heart gesture.
"There's still so much I want to say to you," Naomi Watts playfully blinked. "Let's save our whispers for later, when we're home."
After finishing her speech, Naomi Watts proudly showed off her Best Actress statuette one more time before heading backstage for interviews.
Host Hugo returned to the stage and joked, "What kind of whispers? I'd love to hear them too. Director Gilbert, would you mind if I joined the Melon Manor?"
Gilbert made a disgusted expression in response. Playing along with the humor, the audience erupted into laughter.
Now that Naomi Watts had won Best Actress, Tom Cruise grew anxious. "Will the Academy try to balance things out and not give me Best Actor?"
Gilbert shook his head. "Tom, don't worry. I originally thought tonight would be a split victory, but it turns out we're sweeping the awards.
"I underestimated what those old Academy members like. Chicago is about to win big."
Sure enough, last year's Best Actor winner, Jack Nicholson, took the stage and announced this year's Oscar winner:
"The Oscar for Best Actor goes to… Chicago, Tom Cruise!"
Leading up to the ceremony, many media outlets had predicted that the Academy, in order to reward Chicago and make up for previously snubbing Gilbert, would likely allow the film to sweep the awards.
Therefore, Tom Cruise had been the frontrunner for Best Actor, with an unprecedented chance of winning.
Yet, when Tom Cruise actually won the Oscar, the audience, the media, and viewers at home were still shocked.
Truthfully, Tom Cruise's performance in Chicago wasn't as outstanding as Naomi Watts' or Catherine's. After all, the film's emotional core revolved around the two female leads.
But because he was Tom Cruise—exuding boundless charisma—his presence helped create a peculiar equilibrium among the Chicago trio. They were all essential to the film.
Tom Cruise had indeed improved significantly in Chicago, but his acting wasn't so exceptional that the Academy had to give him the award.
Perhaps it was just as the media had speculated—this was Gilbert's third consecutive year at the Oscars, and the Academy had finally decided to recognize his work.
Moreover, considering his status, if the Academy continued to overlook him this year, they would likely face criticism from insiders. So instead, they decided to go all out, and in doing so, they also fulfilled Tom Cruise's Oscar dream.
Fortunately, the Academy had a reasonable justification. Tom Cruise had previously been nominated for Jerry Maguire, and since he showed progress in this performance, awarding him the Oscar wasn't entirely unjustified.
Gilbert and Tom Cruise embraced. These two, seen as Hollywood's best buddies, were destined to dominate the Oscars stage tonight.
"Congratulate me, Mary, I won an Oscar." Tom Cruise kissed Nicole Kidman.
Nicole Kidman smiled, but deep down, she felt a tinge of jealousy—her husband had won an Oscar before she did. However, at this moment, they were one, and she wasn't about to spoil the occasion with such thoughts.
As Tom Cruise walked onto the stage, Gilbert couldn't help but reflect for a moment.
He had altered Tom Cruise's fate—not only had he avoided a marital crisis with Nicole Kidman, but he had also won an Oscar, something he never achieved in the previous timeline.
Seeing the envious look in Nicole Kidman's eyes, Gilbert reassured her, "Mary, don't worry. I believe you'll achieve your Oscar dream soon enough."
"Really?" Nicole Kidman wasn't concerned about that. Instead, she asked, "What about The Lord of the Rings? When does it begin?"
Gilbert thought for a moment and replied, "If everything goes as planned, after a short break, I'll start casting for The Lord of the Rings this summer.
"We'll be heading to China and staying there for quite some time."
"And what about my role?" Nicole Kidman pressed further.
"You don't need to audition, Mary. You're my first choice for Queen Galadriel," Gilbert said.
Nicole Kidman was satisfied. Even if she hadn't won an Oscar, starring in one of Gilbert's projects wasn't a bad consolation.
With both lead acting awards going to Chicago, even the least observant guests at the ceremony understood—tonight belonged to Chicago.
Perhaps in consideration of Gilbert's background—being of Italian and Jewish descent—the Academy had chosen his mentor, Steven Spielberg, and the Italian-American filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola as presenters for Best Director.
Two of the four greatest directors of the era had come together, showing how much effort the Academy had put into compensating Gilbert.
In the original timeline, this year's Oscar for Best Director had gone to Spielberg for Saving Private Ryan.
But what Spielberg didn't know was that in this altered reality, Gilbert had beaten him to the punch with his own war film.
Without much delay, Spielberg and Coppola announced the winner. Gilbert, for Chicago, had won his first-ever Oscar for Best Director.
The moment Spielberg spoke his name, inside Melon Manor, Cameron Diaz and Jennifer Connelly embraced in excitement.
Across the country, countless fans who had eagerly awaited this moment erupted in celebration.Ruiz and Evans hugged passionately, Doug and Zoe were moved to tears.
Zhao Jack raised his fists in triumph, while Irene laughed and clapped.
Fans all over America—Sarathi Merton, Lewis, Megan, Ye Xiaoyi (who had already obtained a green card), Paul, and many others—were celebrating.
This generation of audiences had practically grown up alongside Gilbert. From college to their professional lives, through every significant phase of their journey, Gilbert's films had accompanied them.
This shared growth created a powerful bond, making Gilbert's fans incredibly loyal.
Now, watching Gilbert ascend the grandest Oscars stage, how could they not be moved?
"Darling, congratulations…" Naomi Watts was the first to give him a passionate kiss and a tight hug, followed closely by Catherine.
Back in his seat, Tom Cruise hugged Gilbert. "I knew you could do it. You've never let anyone down."
Before winning, Gilbert had felt a mix of excitement and anxiety. But the moment he heard his name announced, he suddenly felt incredibly calm.
Looking at the joyful expressions around him and hearing the words of congratulations, Gilbert responded mechanically.
He was unusually composed, as if the award didn't belong to him. He wasn't sure why he felt this way—perhaps it was because he had already known he would win, so the moment lacked suspense.
Or maybe it was because the once-sacred Oscars stage had long lost its magic for him, making the award seem less significant.
But regardless, he was now an Oscar-winning director.
From this moment on, no one could use the lack of an Oscar against him. Nothing could stop him from being recognized among the top directors.
Taking the Best Director statuette from Coppola, Gilbert lifted it high above his head, basking in the moment of glory.
"When I first entered Hollywood, my father told me that all journeys eventually lead here.
"When I directed my very first film,Steven told me that if I wanted to be the best director in Hollywood, I had to win an Oscar.
"And now, here I stand, on this stage." Gilbert gazed at the audience.
The room, which had been buzzing with excitement, fell silent. Everyone waited to hear what this still-young director had to say.
"I suddenly realize… this isn't the end of the journey.
"If entering Hollywood was the beginning of everything, then winning an Oscar… is just the start of a brand-new journey.
"Thank you, everyone."
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