Bobbing up again like a cork

As the center of the world's film industry, Hollywood easily attracts entertainment journalists from around the world. Professional film magazines outside of North America set up offices in Los Angeles and dispatch reporters to cover the American film industry. Over time, these foreign journalists formed an organization to help and support each other, which laid the foundation for the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA).

The HFPA established the Golden Globe Awards in 1944, originally as a dedicated film award. However, in 1956, they expanded to include television awards, making it a comprehensive awards ceremony covering both film and television. The Golden Globe Awards ceremony is usually held in mid-January and is widely regarded as an indicator of the Oscars. It is also considered one of the most well-managed film and television awards in the United States, with significant global influence.

However, the HFPA has always maintained a membership of around ninety people, making it a relatively small organization. Due to the limited number of members, individual preferences can easily sway the direction of the Golden Globe Awards. In other words, bribery and corruption can be easily manipulated and executed.

This flaw led to numerous criticisms of the Golden Globe Awards in the second half of the first decade of the 21st century, causing a decline in its authority. It was unable to surpass the Oscars in the film industry and lagged behind the Emmy Awards in television. Consequently, the entertainment value of the Golden Globe Awards became increasingly prominent compared to its authority. Nevertheless, the Golden Globe Awards remain one of the most influential film awards ceremonies globally, second only to the Oscars.

Especially in the early 1990s, many awards ceremonies were not yet fully developed. The Sundance Film Festival, which would later become a symbol of independent cinema, was just starting out and had only held eight editions. The National Society of Film Critics Awards, New York Film Critics Circle Awards, and Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards did not host award ceremonies. The influential North American Film Critics Association Awards had not even been established yet. In such circumstances, the impact of the Golden Globe Awards ceremony was significant and could not be underestimated.

Before the 21st century, the Golden Globe Awards were the second most anticipated film awards ceremony in North America, trailing only behind the Oscars. Its influence and authority were widely recognized, and winning a Golden Globe Award was considered a crucial affirmation for filmmakers and television professionals.

This year marked the 50th Golden Globe Awards, which, as usual, sparked countless discussions. The announcement of the nominations signified the gradual intensification of the atmosphere surrounding the ceremony.

Until now, Hugo didn't have much of a concept of it because the awards ceremony seemed distant to him. Even though both of his films had achieved good results and he remembered their decent performance at previous awards ceremonies, being part of it now didn't give him a strong sense of reality. Hugo still regarded the awards ceremony from a perspective of "that's someone else's business", so he didn't pay much attention to it. That is until today.

"The Golden Globe nominations are out? So what?" Hugo looked at the newspaper in his hand, and the front page headline read, "The 50th Golden Globe Awards Nominations Announced," with the subtitle stating, ""A Few Good Men" receives five nominations, becoming the biggest winner."

"You received a nomination?" Joseph seemed to misunderstand Hugo's question and replied with a counter-question, as if saying, "You already received a nomination, so what more do you want?"

Hugo was momentarily stunned, first realizing that "A Few Good Men" received five nominations, and then realizing that he himself also received a nomination. A smile immediately bloomed on his face. Although critics had already praised Hugo's performance before, making him believe that his performance hadn't ruined the memory of the original work, the nomination at the awards ceremony affirmed it further, causing a surge of joy in Hugo's heart.

Hugo eagerly opened the Los Angeles Times in his hand and with trembling fingers, found the page with the list of nominations, and started reading it carefully.

The film awards at the Golden Globe Awards are divided into two categories: drama and musical/comedy. "A Few Good Men" and "Scent of a Woman" were both in the drama category, so they had overlapping nominations in several categories, creating competition between them.

"A Few Good Men" received nominations for Best Drama Film, Best Director, Best Actor in a Drama, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Screenplay. "Scent of a Woman" received four nominations, overlapping with "A Few Good Men" in all categories except for Best Director, with slight differences in the nominees. The exclusion of "Scent of a Woman" for Best Director opened the way for Robert Redford, the director of "A River Runs Through It", who, despite not receiving nominations in other categories, achieved great success with just the Best Director nomination.

In the musical/comedy category, the animated film "Aladdin" dominated with three nominations for Best Original Song and nominations for Best Musical/Comedy Film and Best Film Score, totaling five nominations. It stood side by side with "A Few Good Men", although with slightly less prestige. "The Player", directed by Robert Altman, was the standout in live-action films, receiving nominations for Best Musical/Comedy Film, Best Director, Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy, and Best Screenplay.

Additionally, films such as "Sister Act", "Basic Instinct", "Unforgiven", "Chaplin", and "Howards End" also received numerous nominations, securing their place at this year's awards ceremony.

Hugo's two films, "Scent of a Woman" and "A Few Good Men", received four and five nominations respectively, placing them at the forefront of the nomination list. This continued the positive momentum they had garnered with critical acclaim and impressive box office performance, extending Hugo's strong presence at the end of the year.

In the individual categories, Hugo, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, and Miranda Richardson became the center of attention.

Al Pacino, with his outstanding performances in "Scent of a Woman" and "Glengarry Glen Ross", received nominations for Best Actor in a Drama and Best Supporting Actor. Jack Nicholson delivered exceptional performances in both "Hoffa" and "A Few Good Men", securing nominations for Best Actor in a Drama and Best Supporting Actor. Miranda Richardson's two films, "Enchanted April" and "Damage", earned her nominations for Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. And finally, there was Hugo.

This young man, only twenty-five years old, after being nominated three times for the Golden Raspberry Awards and even winning the Worst Actor award, achieved a tremendous breakthrough in less than a year. With his outstanding performances in "A Few Good Men" and "Scent of a Woman", he received nominations for Best Actor in a Drama and Best Supporting Actor!

This also made Hugo, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, and Miranda Richardson the actors who received dual nominations at this year's Golden Globe Awards! Furthermore, the three male actors were competing in the same category! What was even more interesting was that Hugo had worked with both Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson, creating a competitive dynamic that fascinated everyone.

In such a situation, the awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor in the Drama category became the two most anticipated awards. In the Best Actor category, Robert Downey Jr. from "Chaplin" joined the competition alongside Denzel Washington from "Malcolm X". In the Supporting Actor category, which encompasses both the Drama and Music/Comedy genres, the other two nominees were Gene Hackman from "Unforgiven" and David Paymer from "Mr. Saturday Night".

In fact, while receiving dual nominations is a great honor, it can lead to vote splitting during the selection process. Some people may choose one of the actor's works as their first choice, while others may choose the other work. Or some may support the Supporting Actor category and vote for someone else in the Best Actor category, but then switch their vote for the other actor. This ultimately results in both nominations not receiving any awards. Therefore, dual nominations actually reduce the chances of winning.

The Los Angeles Times continued as followed, "However, it cannot be denied that receiving dual nominations is a tremendous affirmation of an actor's talent. Whether they win or not is another matter. This was especially true for Hugo. It was even more incredible when we consider Hugo's journey. Just eleven months ago, we were mocking Lancaster as the first actor in film history to receive a Golden Raspberry Award and laughing at his tearful and embarrassing performance on stage. But now, we cheer for Lancaster's dual nominations for the Golden Globe Awards. Just look at the names of the actors who share the dual nominations with Lancaster: Pacino, Nicholson, Richardson. Even just this achievement alone is enough to make us stand up and applaud for him.

Looking back at Lancaster's performance at the Golden Raspberry Awards ceremony, we cannot help but admire his magnanimity, composure, and humor. Perhaps only a truly outstanding actor would dare to openly admit his mistakes and have the courage to mock himself. Not everyone has the courage to do that. Lancaster's breakthrough began with the Golden Raspberry Award. After that, he learned from his mistakes and went on to make "Scent of a Woman" and then "A Few Good Men".

Unbelievable."

After reading all of this, Hugo still felt somewhat surreal. He not only achieved self-breakthrough and accomplished a remarkable feat of turning the tables but also won dual nominations with two works. This was the first time he has received dual nominations in his career as a leading actor. Even if it was just the recognition of the Golden Globe Awards, it was enough to make Hugo deeply grateful.

"I succeeded?" Hugo asked, his mouth slightly agape, in a dazed manner.

Joseph had originally wanted to tease Hugo a bit, but seeing the expression on Hugo's face, he ultimately didn't say much. Instead, he nodded firmly and said, "I believe so."

A smile gradually spread across Hugo's lips, blossoming bit by bit, until finally, it burst forth like sunshine, erupting completely.