As night began to fall, Steven Spielberg escorted a middle-aged man to his door. The man turned back and said, "Steven, could you consider my suggestion?"
Seeing Spielberg remain silent, the man added, "Remember the 71st Oscars? Why did 'Saving Private Ryan' lose Best Picture? Why did 'Shakespeare in Love' win? Have you forgotten how they attacked you and your film? Can you forget that?"
How could he forget? Steven Spielberg slowly said, "Eiman, I will seriously consider it."
"Murphy..." The man emphasized the name, "And Miss Gal Gadot have always wanted to invite you over."
Spielberg replied politely, "I also look forward to talking with Murphy. He is the future of Hollywood."
Although Murphy Stanton wasn't Jewish, he had a Jewish girlfriend, and they had been together for many years, reportedly engaged.
After seeing his guest off and returning to his house, Steven Spielberg sat in a chair and couldn't help but recall the events from years ago. DreamWorks was in high spirits back then, and "Saving Private Ryan" was a blockbuster with both critical and commercial success. The whole world expected it to win Best Director and Best Picture. But during the crucial voting period, a group of British veterans questioned the film, and the media was flooded with negative news. In the end, "Shakespeare in Love" unexpectedly snatched the Best Picture Oscar from his hands.
Although it is now regarded as one of the biggest jokes in the Oscars' last thirty years, the fact remains that the Weinstein brothers had indeed set him up.
These events had long been set aside, but after being reminded, they came flooding back.
Last year had been difficult for him. His film "War Horse" was delayed due to protests from animal rights organizations and still hadn't completed post-production, causing him to miss out on an Oscar bid.
Spielberg quickly decided who he wouldn't be voting for: the Weinstein brothers.
Meanwhile, in Martin Scorsese's Manhattan home in New York, the veteran director was also hosting a guest from CAA.
Although he had switched to another agency, Scorsese had spent many years under CAA and knew many of its executives well.
After chatting for a while, Martin Scorsese adjusted his glasses and said, "I make gangster films full of scheming, but I dislike being schemed against. The Weinstein brothers kept accusing me of making films just to win Oscars. I remember that very clearly."
He waved his hand, "Go back. I know how to cast my vote!"
Why should the Weinstein brothers get away with dirty tactics while he couldn't use them against them? Scorsese sent his guest off and immediately took out his phonebook, making calls.
Friends and allies in the industry received his calls, almost all of them.
As the long night faded and the sun rose, just past 8 AM, Ang Lee arrived at the post-production studio at 20th Century Fox to begin another day of work. He had been busy with the post-production of "Life of Pi" recently and came to the Fox Building almost daily.
Since he had some time before work began and others hadn't arrived yet, Ang Lee made himself a cup of coffee. While adding sugar and milk, someone suddenly entered.
"Hi, Ang."
It was his American agent, also from CAA.
Ang Lee looked at his agent curiously and asked, "What brings you here?"
"Need to talk to you about something." The agent didn't stand on ceremony, pulling up a chair opposite Ang Lee, and asked, "Have you sent in your Oscar ballot yet?"
"I've been busy with post-production," Ang Lee shook his head, "Not yet."
The agent continued, "Who are you thinking of voting for in the major categories?"
Ang Lee smiled casually, "I haven't really thought about it."
He had been too busy to watch most of the nominated films this season, planning to pick a few at random before sending in his ballot.
"The biggest contenders now are Murphy Stanton's 'Diego Ross' and the Weinstein brothers' new film 'The Artist.'"
"The Weinstein brothers?" Ang Lee's eyes flashed sharply.
"Yes," the agent emphasized, "The same ones who attacked you with vile comments and cost 'Brokeback Mountain' the Best Picture Oscar."
Ang Lee, usually mild-mannered, sighed but said nothing.
The agent added, "You've poured years of effort into 'Life of Pi.' The company plans to heavily promote it for next year's Oscars. Kara Faith from 20th Century Fox assured me they'll dedicate sufficient resources to its awards campaign next season."
Having been in the industry for many years, Ang Lee knew there were no free lunches. He asked, "What do I need to do?"
"You have significant influence among Asian and Asian-American members in the industry," the agent said bluntly, "Try to sway the Academy members among them."
The agent didn't explicitly say which film to vote for, but given the hints from 20th Century Fox and CAA, Ang Lee understood it had to be Murphy Stanton's "Diego Ross."
As a director who had won the Best Director Oscar, Ang Lee had his pride. Under normal circumstances, he might refuse. But remembering the lost Best Picture Oscar and the Weinstein brothers' behind-the-scenes maneuvers, he felt a surge of resentment.
The Weinstein brothers had gone too far too many times.
Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, let alone Ang Lee, who wasn't a rabbit.
Without a word, Ang Lee took a sip of his coffee. When he put the cup down, he nodded slightly.
In Malibu, the morning sun was gentle, perfect for outdoor activities. At a golf club, Kara Faith adjusted her cap, swung her putter, and sent the white ball rolling into the hole ten feet away.
"Nice shot!"
A middle-aged man behind her applauded, "Didn't know you were such a good golfer, Kara."
Kara Faith took off her cap, handed the club to a caddy, and walked back, saying, "I've been taking some crash courses recently. Haven't forgotten everything yet."
"Bob..." She called to the middle-aged man, "Let's take a break."
"Sure."
The man, Robert Iger, CEO of Walt Disney, walked with Kara Faith under a large parasol nearby.
Kara Faith waved off the caddies, who stopped at a distance.
"Disney is on top of the world right now," Kara Faith said, pulling up a chair and sitting down. "Bob, everyone envies your position as CEO."
"Heh..." Robert Iger chuckled, pulling up another chair across the table. Half-jokingly, he said, "How about jumping ship from Fox to Disney and helping me out?"
Kara Faith shook her head, "You'd need to pay a hefty penalty fee for my contract. I can't afford it myself."
She then shifted the conversation, "Bob, is Miramax just an empty shell now?"
"Yes..."
Robert Iger sighed, "When the Weinstein brothers left, they took everything they could. Now I'm stuck figuring out what to do with the company."
If 20th Century Fox could take over, that would be ideal.
"The Weinstein brothers set up Disney back then," Kara Faith said bluntly, "Don't you want payback?"
Robert Iger looked at Kara Faith but didn't respond.
Kara Faith didn't waste words, "Last night, I met with people from Universal Pictures. They said something I agree with. The Weinstein brothers have been stirring up trouble at the Oscars for too long, stealing too many Oscars from the big six studios. These Oscars represent revenue!"
Both understood the market effect of winning an Oscar.
"Oscar competition is supposed to be fair," Robert Iger said noncommittally.
"Don't you want to change that?" Kara Faith said seriously, "We can't let the Weinstein brothers monopolize the Oscars and steal our profits forever."
She added, "Good things are hard to maintain, but bad things always become habits. Do we want this to become an Oscar habit?"
Robert Iger remained silent, deep in thought.
The Weinstein brothers might not have realized it, but Murphy knew well. Throughout Oscar history, the Weinsteins had used many unsavory tactics. "The Artist" was their last Oscar triumph, and many, including Academy members, were fed up with their antics, leading to their subsequent films failing at the Oscars.
Whether or not there had been behind-the-scenes coordination was beyond Murphy's knowledge, but with CAA and 20th Century Fox's efforts, they could sway some voters.
Besides this, Murphy also had a few media tricks up his sleeve, ready to highlight the Weinstein brothers' "achievements" at the Oscars.
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