Chapter 295: Surprises

[Chapter 295: Surprises]

"Can I sit next to you next time?" With journalists gone, Virginia relaxed a bit and threw Eric a flirtatious look.

Eric smiled as he took the woman's hand and squeezed it gently, saying, "Of course, as long as you're willing."

Virginia looked around; the awards ceremony was still a few minutes away from starting, and since most of the people around were familiar faces, she didn't pull away but let Eric hold her hand.

...

At 4:30 PM Pacific Time, the 62nd Academy Awards kicked off.

Learning from the previous ceremony, this time they had a host: Billy Crystal. Eric remembered that Billy Crystal hosted the Oscars for nine consecutive years. Many wondered how this guy, not exactly a household name in Hollywood, kept landing the Oscar gig. However, the host of the Oscars didn't have to be a Hollywood actor; often, they were hosts of television talk shows. Indeed, Billy was among the most famous hosts alongside another Oscar icon, Whoopi Goldberg. In addition to being an actor, Billy was also a noted host for popular shows like Saturday Night Live.

As always, the opening consisted of a musical number celebrating the nominated films. Billy sang praises for the nominated films this year: My Left Foot, Steel Magnolias, The Others, and Driving Miss Daisy, with his witty banter toward the guests keeping the audience entertained.

...

After the Best Supporting Actor award closing the ceremony, it was followed by a series of minor awards. About twenty minutes later, the famous actor dubbed the "White Haired Old Man of Hollywood," Steve Martin, took the stage. This brought Eric back to attention, as the next award was for Best Original Song. The piece Eric had copied from the film Running Out of Time was nominated for its song.

"Good songs can elevate a film," Steve Martin said, gesturing toward the big screen, where segments of the nominated songs began to play.

"The nominees for Best Original Song are Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid, I Love To See You Smile from Parenthood, The Girl Who Used to Be Me from Shirley Valentine, and Unspoken Love from Running Out of Time."

After introducing the nominees, Steve opened the envelope and glanced inside, appearing slightly surprised. He looked out over the audience and his gaze landed on Eric for half a second before quickly diverting. Then, he read, "And the winner of the Oscar for Best Original Song is Unspoken Love from Running Out of Time."

Wow--

Before the melody of Unspoken Love even started, a synchronized gasp swept through the auditorium, and numerous eyes turned toward Eric.

Eric felt a mix of disbelief as he stood up. He quickly embraced those nearby and smiled as he made his way to the stage.

After receiving the little gold man from the presenter, Eric stepped up to the microphone. He gathered his thoughts and scanned the audience before smiling and saying, "This is truly unexpected. I never thought my first Oscar would be for Best Original Song. But I have to say, this little gold statue feels heavier than I imagined."

A light chuckle arose from the audience.

As the laughter settled, Eric continued, "Just over a year ago, I was an obscure young man barely into adulthood. After the sudden loss of my father, I had to drop out of school and work at an Italian restaurant. Then one day, I realized I couldn't keep living like this. I felt a strong urge to do something important, so I started trying to write my first novel and screenplay.

Fortunately, with help from some, I found success and made it to today. I've always loved music, and after receiving my payment for 17 Again, I bought my first piano. I would occasionally tink with some tunes and clumsily notate them on staff paper. Unspoken Love was born from that creative spark.

I'm not a professional composer, so winning this award is quite a surprise. I want to thank everyone who helped me along the way: Mr. Michael Krauss, who helped me publish my first book; James Brooks and Penny Marshall for giving me my Hollywood break; and Jeffrey Hansen for assisting me with my first film and supporting me throughout the following year. Lastly, I would like to thank the beautiful women in my film -- oh, come on! Don't laugh. I'm serious! Thank you all so much."

Although he hadn't prepared a speech, Eric finished his acceptance remarks at a rapid pace before heading backstage with the two presenters.

...

When Eric returned to his seat, the award for Best Makeup had already been announced, and the presenter was now discussing this year's nominees for Best Foreign Language Film.

As two names he didn't recognize announced the winner for Best Foreign Language Film, The Lover, Eric's gaze shifted to the big screen featuring a rather neurotic woman, causing a slight stir of emotion within him.

"What's up? Got some inspiration again?" Virginia teased lightly.

Eric shook his head. "Nothing much, just suddenly remembered a few people."

"Why not just say a few women?" Virginia quipped softly.

Eric chuckled. He indeed recalled a few women from the screen: Isabelle Adjani and two others, Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci.

He had a knack for feeling that these three women, although Isabelle Adjani was the best actress, were similar in many ways. In a previous life, he had seen someone describe Isabelle Adjani as a blend of the two women, Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci.

*****

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