The Best Director

Chapter 106: Chapter 106: The Christmas Battle

Translator: 549690339

On the evening of the 23rd, one event deeply captivated the media, movie fans, and film professionals — the announcement of the nominations for the 58th Golden Globe Awards. The Golden Globe Awards are the third most significant awards in the American film and television industry, following the Oscars and the Emmy Awards. As the first film and television awards to be presented each year, they are often seen as a barometer for the Oscars.

This year’s contest for the Golden Globe film awards, as well as the 73rd Oscars to be held next year, could already be described as enveloped in smoke of battle. Since there was no clear frontrunner sweeping all the awards this year, media predictions had many hot contenders and films. This included major favorites like “Gladiator,” alongside “Cast Away,” “Almost Famous,” Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and Steven Soderbergh’s two films “Erin Brockovich” and “Traffic,” among others.

In the category of Best Director, Wang Yang was also a hot pick in media predictions, nominated for his work on “The Pursuit of Happyness.” Yesterday, with the release of “Juno,” the teen pregnancy film suddenly became a frontrunner, and FOX News’s latest nomination forecast even stated, “It’s hard to imagine any scenario where ‘Magic Yang’ doesn’t make the cut for Best Director.”

In the spacious and cozy living room, Wang Yang and Jessica sat on the fabric sofa, watching advertisements on the TV screen in front of them. Jessica suddenly took a nervous breath, grabbed a cushion beside her to hold, and asked, “Yang, if you get nominated… no, you will definitely get nominated, how should we celebrate afterward?” Wang Yang, seeing her so nervous, couldn’t help but laugh, moved closer, and wrapped his arm around her waist, saying, “A kiss from you is enough for me.” He then kissed her cheek and said, “Don’t be nervous, if there’s a nomination, be happy; if not, still be happy.”

His lack of nervousness didn’t mean he didn’t care at all. In his mind, the highest affirmation and praise came from the audience. They loved the film, laughed for it, cried for it, went crazy for it — that was his ultimate pursuit and enjoyment. This was reflected on one hand in the evaluations by fans and on the other hand in the box office; second to that was the Oscars, an honor all filmmakers pursue. As for the Golden Globe Awards, although they are the third largest in America, he did not have that same “craving.” The awards were lower on his list of priorities.

The reason lay in the fact that there were only around 90 foreign journalists as jurors for the Golden Globes. Compared to the over 6,000 members voting for the Oscars, it was far too few, which meant personal preferences could have an exaggerated impact, and the possibility of behind-the-scenes manipulation was higher.

It wasn’t about directly buying awards or nominations, but rather “campaigning.” Film companies would grant jurors small favors, such as invitations to dinner parties or gifts of champagne and flowers. This was something even Flame Films’ PR department did, providing some film-related merchandise — not to curry special favors, but to secure relatively fair treatment. The favors stopped there, with the strictest oversight not from the law but from journalists and paparazzi. Everyone could clearly see who gave what benefits to whom, and so much so that in 1981, Pia Zadora’s husband famously paid to entertain the jurors in Las Vegas, an incident that remains a primary criticism of the Golden Globes.

As America’s third-largest film and television award, the organization and jurors naturally would not go too far against the media and public opinion; otherwise, the Golden Globes wouldn’t retain any authority or significance, nor would it be highly regarded and known as a precursor to the Oscars. To maintain this level of recognition, the Golden Globes too need to acknowledge quality films. If the Oscars are seen as a lavish, delicious feast, then the Golden Globes at least have to be a decent hamburger — or perhaps even more.

So Wang Yang felt that not getting a nomination wouldn’t be too disappointing; but if he were nominated, that would be cause for joy, and it would indicate a greater chance for an Oscar nomination.

“I’m not nervous,” Jessica said, tossing the cushion aside and leaning on his shoulder. After a few seconds, she suddenly sat up straight again, frowning and saying, “I can’t do it! Both ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’ and ‘Juno’ were filmed so well, how can there be no nomination? The internet, the papers, they all say it will happen, it must!” Wang Yang laughed and hugged her tightly, and when he heard “Hello everyone, I’m Conan O’Brien” from the TV, she immediately looked toward the LCD screen, her eyes lighting up as she exclaimed, “Yang, it’s starting!”

Onscreen, Conan O’Brien, host of this year’s Oscars, wore a big smile. He walked to the glass podium, placed the list of names on it, and spread his hands, laughing, “The moment to unveil the Golden Globe nominations has arrived! This year we have many, many excellent films, but… oh! I can’t list them here, as that would spoil the surprise.” He gave a wink in the style of his Late Night Talk Show and said with a laugh, “Okay then, who will get the 58th Golden Globe nominations? Let’s find out!”

He opened the list of nominations on stage, made a surprised face, and gasped “wow” before saying, “First thing I’m going to tell you about is the film awards, the nominees for ‘Best Song’ are…”

There are a total of 15 film award categories at the Golden Globe Awards, which include Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy, Best Director, Best Actor and Actress in a Drama, Best Actor and Actress in a Musical/Comedy, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Animated Feature, and the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement.

After announcing the five nominees for Best Original Song, Conan O’Brien continued to reveal, “The five nominees for Best Original Score are, Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerrard for ‘Gladiator’; Tan Dun for ‘CrouchingTiger, Hidden Dragon’; Jan Kaczmarek for ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’; Rachel Portman for ‘Chocolat’; the three composers for ‘Horses’, Kristin Wilkinson, Mates Turt, Larry Paxton.”

“YES!” Upon hearing Jan’s name, Jessica immediately cheered in excitement, punching the air with a clenched fist, “We got a nomination!” She smiled broadly at Wang Yang, teeth gleaming, “That’s amazing!” Wang Yang smiled and nodded, feeling happy for Jan as well. It was Jan’s masterful score that elevated everything in ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. Not to mention Golden Globe recognition, an Oscar nomination was what Jan truly deserved.

“The nominees for Best Screenplay are, Cameron Crowe for ‘Almost Famous’; Kenneth Lonergan for ‘You Can Count On Me’; Stephen Gaghan for ‘Traffic’…” Jessica held her breath, eyes slightly widening as she watched the TV screen. She remembered the media and newspaper predictions, praising ‘Juno’s’ script as “once in a lifetime,” “brilliant dialogues,” “warm and profound,” and such —it was a hot favorite! On the screen, Conan O’Brien continued to read the remaining two nominations: “Stephen Clove for ‘Wonder Boys’, Doug Wright for ’Quills’.” There was no mention of ‘Juno’ or ‘The Pursuit of Happyness’. “What?!” She yelled in surprise, covering her forehead in confusion, disappointedly saying, “Oh my God! How could this happen, ‘Juno’ was clearly the favorite… Oh, hell, are they blind!” Wang Yang gently tapped her head, consolingly saying, “Sweetheart, don’t be like that. The dialogues from ‘Juno’ are popular online, that’s enough. And though the Golden Globes might not have appreciated it, who knows, it might get an Oscar nomination.”

“Hmm,” Jessica nodded but still frowned slightly, clearly unhappy. Wang Yang toyed with her ponytail, teasing, “Please, my little Mary!” Jessica glanced at him and began to smile, saying, “Okay! But if there is no you in Best Director, I am going to kick Conan O’Brien to death at the Hilton Hotel!” Wang Yang laughed heartily, pulling her in close, “Wonder Woman, do I need to remind you that he didn’t pick the nominations, he’s just the host.”

As they joked and laughed, Conan O’Brien announced the nominations for Best Animated Feature, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Supporting Actress. Soon, he got to the Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy category. ‘Juno’ was in the Musical/Comedy category, so the “genius-level performance” of Natalie Portman made her the top contender for the award. Almost uniformly, the media’s predictions had said “Juno’s 100% nomination.”

 

The five nominees are, Renee Zellweger for ‘Nurse Betty’; Juliette Binoche for ‘Chocolat’; Sandra Bullock for ‘Miss Congeniality’…” Conan O’Brien checked the list on the glass table one more time and looked up with a smile to announce, “Natalie Portman for ‘Juno’.”

 

Wow. Wow…! Two nominations,” Jessica whispered with a soft laugh, straightening her posture. She looked at Wang Yang’s profile and smiled, “Natalie was really great, everyone says she could get an Oscar nomination.

Wang Yang didn’t say anything but kissed her on the lips hard. Jessica felt his intention, her heart suddenly filled with warmth, and her heartbeat quickened as she smiled, “Yang, I know.”

 

Seeing her sweet smile, Wang Yang also smiled. Just then, the phone on the coffee table in front of them chirped. He picked it up and saw it was a text from Natalie, “Buddy, although this was expected, I’m still on fire! Thank you!” He turned to Jessica and said, “It’s a text from Natalie, she says she’s very happy, feels like she’s on fire.” While pressing the keys on his phone, he replied to Natalie, “Buddy, you better dial 911!”

 

You don’t have to tell me.” Jessica leaned against him. Wang Yang put down his phone, wrapped his arms around her again, and laughed, “But I can still tell you.” Jessica smiled and nodded, “OK!”

Meanwhile, Conan O’Brien had finished announcing the nominees for Best Actor (Musical/Drama) and Best Actress (Drama). Next was the category for Best Actor (Drama). Will Smith was naturally the front-runner for the award thanks to his impeccable and touching interpretation in “The Pursuit of Happyness.” His experience of having just won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor last year made his breakthrough even more legendary, with the media even hailing it as “great.”

 

The nominees for Best Actor in a Drama are…” Watching Conan O’Brien on the screen, ready to announce the nominees, Wang Yang felt a twinge of nervousness; he really hoped that Will Smith would win this honor. Conan read out, “Russell Crowe, ‘Gladiator’; Tom Hanks, ‘Cast Away’; Jeffrey Rush, ‘Quills’; Michael Douglas, ‘Wonder Boys’; and Will Smith, ‘The Pursuit of Happyness.’”

 

YES!!” Wang Yang and Jessica both exclaimed with excitement, slapping each other’s hands in a high-five. Jessica laughed, “That’s awesome! We’ve got three nominations!” Wang Yang picked up his phone, sent a congratulatory message to Will Smith, and laughed, “Back when Will and I were on the ‘Late Night Talk Show,’ I said to Conan O’Brien, ‘Will can win an Oscar.’ I could see he thought I was crazy, but now, haha, he’s the one who has read out the list.”

After Best Actor in a Drama, came the three most anticipated awards: Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Motion Picture – Musical/Comedy, and Best Director. When “Juno” was named among the nominees for Best Musical/Comedy, Jessica shouted with joy, “Four nominations!” and high- fived an equally thrilled Wang Yang. However, her excitement turned to disappointment as she cursed the Hollywood Foreign Press Association because “The Pursuit of Happyness” failed to secure a nod for Best Motion Picture – Drama.

 

Now for the last film award, the nominees for Best Director.” Conan O’Brien, smiling, picked up the list from the table. He glanced at it, put on a mysterious face, and prepared to announce, joking, “Who could it be? What’s that you say? Steven Soderbergh, oh yes, he’s on there! Who else? Let’s see! The nominees for the 58th Golden Globe for Best Director are…”

 

Oh my god…” Jessica’s breathing became rapid; she snuggled close to Wang Yang, clutched his hand tightly, and without blinking an eye, she muttered, “Oh my god…” Wang Yang smiled, inhaling the scent of her hair, and gently patted her back, as if now she was the one in the running for Best Director. On the screen, Conan O’Brien read, “Steven Soderbergh, ‘Traffic’; Ridley Scott, ‘Gladiator’; Ang Lee, ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’…”

After three nominees were announced, only two remained, and Jessica’s heartbeat nearly stopped, her face flushed with anxiety, rapidly whispering: “Yang, Yang, Yang, Yang…”

Wang Yang himself became somewhat nervous, holding his breath as he watched the screen. Being nominated was always exciting, and he didn’t want to disappoint Jessica, or his parents, or his friends. His mother’s encouraging voice echoed in his ears: “These past few days lots of our neighbors and friends have been asking me if Xiaoyang could get a Golden Globe nomination for Best Director. I tell them, ‘My son is still young. If not this time, then the next.’ Sweetheart, you understand? I will always be proud of you.”

 

It’s Steven Soderbergh again, ‘Erin Brockovich’! For the first time, a director has two nominations!” Conan O’Brien exclaimed, closing the list and said with a laugh, “And the final nominee, Wang Yang, ‘Juno’!”

 

Wow!” Jessica abruptly sat up, jumped off the couch with an ecstatic leap, her face beaming with joy she shouted tremulously, “Yang, you’ve been nominated! You did it! You’re Golden Globe nominee for Best Director!” Wang Yang stood up, spreading his arms wide and hugged her tightly, took a deep breath, and said with a smile, “Yes, Jessica, we did it! Thank you for believing in me.”

The two looked into each other’s eyes as their heartbeats quickened. Wang Yang cradled her face in his hands, and her eyes brimmed with love and anticipation. He laughed and said, “I’m about to be rewarded!” Jessica smiled and replied, “Hmm, come on!” As she spoke, he leaned in to kiss her lips.

As they passionately kissed each other, the phone at home and the mobile on the coffee table both started to ring. They kissed for a while longer before reluctantly parting. Wang Yang picked up his phone, glanced at it, and then answered, “Good evening, Will.” The excited voice of Will Smith laughed from the other end, “MAN, this is crazy! I got a Golden Globe nomination, it’s like a dream, thank you so much! And congrats to you, MAN, the youngest Golden Globe nominee for Best Director…”

With a blush on her face, Jessica quickly walked toward the wall with the landline, picked up the phone, and cheerfully said “Hello.” Turning back, she looked sweetly at Wang Yang and said into the receiver with a smile, “Hmm, thank you, it’s really great, he’s on the cellphone, hmm…”

 

Buddy, there must be a lot more people congratulating you, so I’ll say goodbye now.” After Will Smith said this, Wang Yang laughed and replied, “You too, goodbye!” He ended the call, opened his cellphone to the new messages, overwhelmed by the amount; they were from the company, the crew, and friends. He had just finished reading Rachel’s “Yang, congratulations, no need to reply!” when he was about to check the next message from Michael Pitt, his phone rang again.

Seeing “Natalie Portman” on the caller ID, Wang Yang smiled and answered, “What’s up? Are you at the hospital now? How bad is the burn?” Natalie burst into laughter and said, “I’m dying, dying of happiness! Hey, when that guy announced it earlier, I was chanting ‘No Yang, no Yang, no Yang…’ and then you got nominated, which is really cool!”

Wang Yang looked over at Jessica, who was still on the phone, and said doubtfully, “You didn’t get it wrong, did you? No Yang?” Natalie casually replied, “Of course not, that was my way of giving myself a psychological suggestion. If you weren’t nominated in the end, I wouldn’t be disappointed; but if you were, it would be a pleasant surprise.” Wang Yang couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “Okay, is that what you learned at Harvard?” Natalie said, “That, and drugs, promiscuity…” Wang Yang, still laughing, said, “OK, OK, I need to hangup, bye!”

The announcement of the 58th Golden Globe nominees naturally stirred immediate debate among media and movie fans alike, with everyone having their satisfaction and dissatisfaction.

FOX News expressed confusion about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon not being selected as a Best Drama, running a lengthy report titled “Golden Globes Snub Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” questioning the fairness of the jury’s decision, calling it “a serious mistake.” The media also contested the point of Steven Soderbergh getting two nominations for Best Director and Best Drama for two different films, although both were classics—wasn’t Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and Cast Away? They pointed directly, “The Golden Globes need to seriously reflect!”

One of the most criticized aspects of the nominees list was Juno not receiving a Best Screenplay nomination. Just look at the online discussions—many lines from Juno have become trendy sayings, and “Juno says” spread rapidly online, a testament to the charm of its dialogue. And its story? Critics universally praised it with high ratings, uncovering the contained ideas bit by bit, an unquestionable classic.

But now, it’s been left out! Yahoo Entertainment commented, “What joke is this? Are all 90 members of the Golden Globe jury from the Stone Age?” Movie fans also voiced their frustration, even suspecting the Golden Globe jurors of accepting bribes for this despicable decision. Juno should have been nominated and should have won that award! At the same time, fans of suspense films were quite unsatisfied as well; the script for Memento was unparalleled, undoubtedly a pioneer of suspense logic cinema, but it, too, was omitted.

Were the Golden Globe jurors snubbing the amazing Yang and snubbing Flame Films? But it seemed not, as Will Smith got a nomination; Natalie Portman got one too; and Wang Yang was nominated for Best Director, thereby breaking the record as the youngest nominee. Of course, all three nominations were hot predictions before, and if they had been left out, that would have stirred controversy.

This year’s Golden Globes drew attention and media coverage to three directors: Steven Soderbergh with his two nominations; Aug Lee as the first Chinese director to be nominated; and Wang Yang, the Chinese-American director at 20 years and 10 months old, making his mark. The public and the media naturally favor legends and miraculous figures—a “youngest director nominee” was enough, and coverage about the amazing Yang swiftly increased: “He has now entered the ranks of first-class directors,” ” Oscar record is within reach!” …

the wonder boy’s

In the latest IMDB poll “Are you satisfied with the Best Director nominations at this year’s Golden Globe Awards?” 56% of people chose satisfied, 42% chose not satisfied, and 2% had no opinion; while in the survey “Do you think Wang Yang’s inclusion is correct?” 74% of people chose correct, 22% chose incorrect, and 4% chose I don’t care. In the ancillary survey “Do you think Wang Yang will receive a nomination for Best Director at the 73rd Academy Awards?” 68% of people chose yes, 27% no, and 5% I don’t care.

In the midst of media and film enthusiasts fervently discussing the Golden Globe nominations, the box office results of December 23 came in. “Cast Away,” at 92 “years” old, raked in 12.145 million US Dollars, continuing its chart-topping position for the week with a total box office of 23.9 million. In second place was the “39-year-old” ”

office of 11.526 million, bringing its total to 23.079 million.

Juno,” which took in a single-day box

Though it led comfortably ahead of “What Women Want,” which was in third place with a weekly total of 13.017 million, on December 23 specifically, both in total box office and average box office per theater, “Juno” lost the second round to “Cast Away.” Had the outcome of the Christmas battle between the old and new been decided? Would “Cast Away” be the definite weekly champion?

In the hearts of the online media, the game was far from over. Following the announcement of the Golden Globe nominations, “Juno,” with its three major nominations, secured its reputation for having a “genius director” and “genius actress,” which would inevitably create a new buzz in the market, draw in a more mature audience, and boost ticket sales. Perhaps the real question now should be whether “Cast Away” could withstand “Juno’s” counteroffensive?

On the 24th, Christmas Eve. Last year, Wang Yang spent Christmas Eve and the Christmas feast at Jessica’s house, and this year would be the same. After attending the premiere and events for “Juno,” Wang Yang’s parents returned to San Francisco and did not stay in Los Angeles to celebrate Christmas. The reason was they were busy with the “Chinatown Restaurant Association” holiday activities. Wang Yang did not accompany them back to San Francisco; he felt that since his family were not followers of God, it made more sense to spend Christmas Eve with Jessica, and he would return to the bustling Chinatown during the Spring Festival.

By evening, in the Alba family’s dining room, near the floor-to-ceiling windows stood a Christmas tree adorned with ribbons, and a large long wooden table was laden with fragrant food—roast pig, ham, salmon, pumpkin pies… and of course, an irresistible roasted turkey; also, a Chinese dish prepared by Wang Yang himself, braised pork ribs.

People filled the seats around the dining table, with Mark Alba taking the head seat at the center, Kathy Alba, Joshua, and the grandparents on the left; Jessica, Wang Yang, and the grandmother on the right, the family gathered together. Although Joshua had a girlfriend, who greatly resembled Britney Spears, their relationship had not yet progressed to dining together at the Christmas feast.

Before commencing the meal, a prayer was naturally in order. Everyone held hands, their heads bowed and eyes closed in serene piety. Wang Yang, who was not a Catholic, also prayed quietly, listening to Mark Alba recite the prayer: “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven…”

After a long prayer, the Alba family and grandparents harmoniously sang a few hymns. Wang Yang continued to wait with his eyes closed, until he heard everyone say “Amen,” then he opened his eyes. The prayer concluded, and a joyful chatter immediately erupted at the table. Jessica, picking up braised pork ribs with chopsticks, laughed and said, “Yang, I’ve got to try your cooking; it smells amazing.” Joshua, unable to wait, speared a piece with his fork and called out, “Save some for me, you get to eat every day, and I only get it once a year!”

Wang Yang smiled slightly. Every day was an exaggeration; he wasn’t someone who loved to cook. When he had a craving for Chinese food, he would support local places like Fook Kee, Chen Kee, although their flavors couldn’t rival Wang Kee’s.

Young man, your movie ‘Juno’ has one major mistake!” said the usually stern grandfather suddenly. He had always known that his dearest granddaughter Jessica’s boyfriend was a director and had heard that the lad made a movie about teenage pregnancy, “Juno.” So, he watched it as soon as it was released in Canada and had come to America to spend Christmas with a mind to talk to the young director.

Uh…” Wang Yang was taken aback, looking at the old man with his white brows deeply furrowed. He humbly asked, “Could you tell me what the mistake is?” Jessica had already told him that her Danish grandfather was very traditional and serious, a devout Catholic, and she heard from her grandmother that he was very dissatisfied with the news in the newspaper about his granddaughter’s premarital cohabitation, repeatedly mentioning the word “shame.”

A hush fell over the table as the grandfather spoke in a grave tone: “Young man, it’s your attitude towards abortion! The laws that permit abortion are themselves an unforgivable mistake. Fetuses are people, they’re beautiful lives bestowed upon us by the Lord, and abortion is murder! Legalized abortion is the shame of this country! Shame on America, shame on Canada!” He got angrier and more agitated as he spoke, “Imagine what it would be like if the Virgin Mary had aborted the Lord! Oh! Lord, forgive my rash words…”

Jessica, biting into a braised pork rib, was somewhat stunned. After a moment, she quickly put on a sweet smile and tried to smooth things over, “Grandfather, Juno didn’t go through with the abortion, she was only…”

It has nothing to do with Juno!” The grandfather glared at her and said, “And the fact that she even considered it, Yang, why don’t you just directly oppose abortion? Tell everyone ‘abortion is wrong’!” Jessica looked at Wang Yang with an apologetic gaze.

Wang Yang smiled at her and seriously said to the grandfather across the table, “First of all, I am personally very much against abortion. ‘Juno’ is actually making that point, but if a movie wants to express a viewpoint, it must do so subtly. If Juno had outright said ‘I am against abortion,’ it would have made those who support abortion dismiss the movie. To change their views through cinema, you have to get them into the theater first. The movie isn’t saying ‘you can’t have an abortion,’ it’s saying ‘you shouldn’t have an abortion.’” He paused, then continued, “As long as we make them feel that pregnancy is wonderful and children are precious, even if the law allows it, they will think ‘I can’t do that.’”

Jessica nodded non-stop and laughed in agreement, “Yeah, grandfather, that’s how it is!” Joshua quietly gave Wang Yang a thumbs up and exclaimed, “Yang, you truly deserve your Golden Globe Best Director nomination!” He had been lectured by his grandfather quite a bit that day and was now quite happy to see Yang rendering the old man speechless.

Hmph…” The grandfather indeed had nothing to retort, but was unwilling to concede, “Anyway, abortion is just wrong!”

 

Alright, alright.” Kathy and Mark exchanged a smile. She looked at her father and then at Wang Yang, cautioning, “It’s Christmas dinner now, guys, no abortion, no politics, no controversy, OK?” The grandfather shrugged; Wang Yang nodded with a smile and said, “OK!” Jessica also smiled and continued to savor the braised pork ribs, then picked up a piece of roasted pork for Wang Yang, saying with a laugh, “Yang, try this.”

After the warm and joyous Christmas Eve came the 25th of December, Christmas Day, and the box office figures for December 24th were also released. Christmas Eve was a moment of joyful family meals, which naturally led to a significant drop in the number of moviegoers. That day, ‘Cast Away’ grossed only 5.82 million US dollars at the box office, reaching a total of 29.72 million, continuing to top the weekly box office; ‘Juno’ took in 5.9664 million, with a total of 29.0454 million.

On the daily box office chart, ‘Juno’ defeated ‘Cast Away’ for the first time and stood in the champion’s position! Seeing this, the interest of movie fans in this Christmas battle suddenly surged. It had initially seemed that ‘Juno’ was certain to lose, but in the third round, ‘Juno’ made a comeback! With just three days into the week, the total box office gap between the two films was only 674,600 dollars, making it impossible to predict who would ultimately prevail.

On Christmas Day, the 25th, as the number of viewers surged back, this battle reached a critical round! In a normal movie-going market, could ‘Juno’ unleash the power of its three Golden Globe nominations? Although ‘Cast Away’ had only one nomination, it was unanimously praised by fans and critics alike, and with the star power of Tom Hanks, it was not to be underestimated. It was almost certain that whoever took the championship on Christmas Day would signify the market’s choice and also the victor of the Christmas week’s box office.

There was another event on Christmas Day that drew the attention of basketball fans – the NBA Christmas Battle. On the afternoon of the 25th, at the Staples Center, the defending champion Lakers faced off against the Trail Blazers.

“Wow, I’m about to know what it feels like to watch the game courtside! I’m so looking forward to it, what a joyful Christmas!” Joshua, dressed in a Lakers’ home jersey, walked ahead, constantly looking around at the fans in the stands dressed in their Christmas attire and then at the retired jerseys and championship banners hanging above the arena, as if it were his first time at the Staples Center.

Wang Yang, in a jacket and jeans, and Jessica, wearing big earrings, with her hair in a ponytail, and dressed in a denim jacket, followed behind, listening to Joshua’s nonstop remarks, “Wow, the Christmas Day game, courtside seats, cool, so cool! Yang, thanks for the ticket!” Wang Yang responded with a smile, “Brother, it’s nothing, consider it payment for helping us move the Christmas tree.”

“Hey, then you guys have to call me to move it again next year! I’ll be there on call!” Joshua said with a delighted smile, “Watching games is truly one of life’s great pleasures—Yang, you know what I’m thinking right now? That damn woman…” He suddenly stopped in his tracks, staring blankly at the nearby courtside seats, took a deep breath, and said, “Oh my God! Oh my God, Brit, Britney…!”

Wang Yang and Jessica also spotted her, Britney Spears with her blonde hair and Justin Timberlake indeed sitting courtside, right next to their three seats. The stupefied Joshua turned back around, his eyes shining as he looked at Wang Yang and Jessica, whispered, “The seat next to Britney is mine! Wait, wait, I can’t just walk over like this.” He adjusted his breathing, then turned back and walked towards the entrance of the arena. Wang Yang turned and laughed, “Josh, are you going home to change into a suit?” Jessica joined in the teasing, laughing, “Don’t forget a bow tie!”

Joshua raised his fist in a gesture, then quickened his step into the passage. Wang Yang and Jessica exchanged smiles and continued walking to the courtside seats, taking their places with one seat left empty for Joshua. Britney and Justin, who were intimately chatting, noticed them and Britney warmly greeted them, “Hi, Yang, Jessica!” Wang Yang and Jessica also smiled and greeted them back.

Although the four of them didn’t know each other before, they all knew who the others were, so they quickly got acquainted. Britney looked at Wang Yang and laughingly said, “Congratulations on your Golden Globe nomination, your movie is awesome, Justin and I are planning to see ‘Juno’ tomorrow.” Wang Yang thanked her with a smile and Justin, excited, said to his right, “Yang, I’m actually really interested in acting. I acted in ‘Model Behavior’ this year, but it wasn’t that great. Do you think we could work together?”

“Oh.” Wang Yang nodded, he knew Justin Timberlake was a great singer, but didn’t know about his acting, after thinking for a moment, he replied with a smile, “I don’t have any film projects right now, but maybe if there’s a suitable role for you in the future, you could audition?” Justin replied happily, “Sure!” The four of them watched the players warming up on the court, chatting and laughing about their views on the game when Joshua came over with a very serious face and heavy footsteps, greeting them, “Hi, everyone!” Then, he took his seat in the empty middle position, staring straight ahead at the Lakers’ players on the court. Jessica introduced him to Britney and Justin, “This is my brother, Joshua.” Wang Yang struggled to suppress his laughter, what was Joshua doing, channeling his great-grandfather?

“Joshua Alba.” Joshua continued in a serious tone, barely glancing at Britney next to him, he said in a deep voice, “You’re Britney Jean Spears? Your songs are pretty good.” Britney responded with a bit of astonishment, “Oh, thank you.” Joshua looked back at the court, suddenly stood up again, looked at Jessica, and said gruffly, “You want a drink? I’ll get one for you.” Without waiting for Jessica to respond, he walked towards the audience corridor, and as soon as he turned his back to Britney, he couldn’t help but gleefully widen his eyes, excitedly shouting internally, “I talked to her!” He took a deep secret breath, doing his best to maintain a steady gait.

Click! A photographer in the distance pressed the shutter of his long-lens camera, unaware of who the excited young man making faces was, but that guy, sitting between the magical Yang and little sweetheart, surely made the photo of his ridiculous expression worth more than too US dollars.

Britney glanced at the departing Joshua and said to Jessica with a smile, “Your brother’s really cool.” Justin seemed a bit puzzled and asked, “Or is he in a bad mood?” Wang Yang almost burst into laughter, and Jessica couldn’t help but giggle, covering her forehead, “He’s not usually like this.”

Soon, Joshua returned holding three drinks, handing them over to Jessica and Wang Yang, “Here’s yours, don’t spill it; Yang, take this.” After that, he took his seat with a stoic expression, slowly sipping his drink while continuing to look straight at the field, muttering to himself, “I need to be cool, I need to be cool…”

Throughout the subsequent game, Joshua maintained a “cool” front, whether it was Shaquille O’Neal’s dominating dunks or Kobe Bryant’s graceful breakthrough layups, he kept a poker face, at most giving a light clap. Occasionally, after Kobe took a shot, he would comment like a real basketball savant, “That one’s not going in.” When the ball swished in, Kobe having scored, he’d quickly add, “Just kidding.”

After saying this, he glanced carefully from the corner of his eye to his right and saw Britney and Justin intimately whispering and laughing together; he breathed a sigh of relief, then looked to his left, only to see Wang Yang and Jessica also chatting sweetly, completely oblivious to his “expert opinion”. Joshua rolled his eyes helplessly, barely able to maintain his cool, and prayed in his heart, “Britney, please leave… My courtside seat, my Christmas game…”

However, to Joshua’s disappointment, the game was incredibly tense and closely matched, with Britney and Justin watching intently until the end. What disappointed him further, as well as all the home fans, was that the Lakers, despite being the favorites before the game, lost to the Trail Blazers with a score of 104:109.

“Lord! Why do you do this to me! It’s such a bad Christmas, it’s infuriating, damn Lakers…” Sitting in the back seat of the car, Joshua cursed and then punched the back of the seat, swearing, “Damn that Justin Timberlake…”

At the front, Wang Yang was driving with a grin on his face, heading to Zachary’s for a dance party. Jessica, sitting in the passenger seat, looked back at her brother and said with a laugh, “Joshua, let me tell you something, Britney did say earlier ‘your brother is really cool’.” Joshua’s eyes lit up at her words, revitalized, and he eagerly asked, “She said that? She said that? Wow! Haha, looks like my strategy worked, ‘Your brother Joshua is really cool’? Britney said that?” He pumped his fist excitedly, saying, “Cool! I’m a cool dude!”

Jessica continued with a smile, “She also said you gave her a new inspiration. She’s planning to write a new song called ‘Cool Boy’, based on you.” Joshua’s eyes widened with delight, and he leaned back, incredulous, exclaiming, “Really!? Oh—my—God!” Wang Yang, looking in the rearview mirror, said with a laugh, “Your sister’s just teasing you.”

Joshua instantly froze, and after a few seconds, he shouted, “I knew it! Crap, I knew it!” Grinding his teeth, he glared at Jessica, who was collapsing with laughter on Wang Yang’s shoulder, and said with a hollow laugh, “Haha, hmm, okay! Tonight I’ll tell our grandfather, ‘Grandfather, did you know? Jessica almost got pregnant last year, and then came Juno…’”

“You dare!?” Jessica shouted back, her brows furrowing angrily. She didn’t want to be lectured by her grandfather. The very idea of premarital cohabitation was already pushing his limits, let alone an almost premarital pregnancy—her grandmother wouldn’t let her off the hook. Wang Yang whispered something in her ear, and after Jessica nodded, she looked at Joshua, who was still smug, and said, “OK, if you do that, I’ll tell your girlfriend ‘Joshua is only with you because you look like Britney, he’s a jerk.’” Joshua gasped, replying, “No! I’m not, I really like her! Who knows any Britney?”

Amidst laughter and jokes, the three arrived at Zachary’s house, where they spent a joyous dance party and a merry Christmas.

On the afternoon of the 26th, the box office data from Christmas Day were all in. ‘Cast Away’ brought in $10,968,600 for the day, making its total box office $40,688,600; ‘Juno’ took in $11,321,500, making its total box office $40,366,900! ‘Juno’ took the Christmas Day crown and narrowed the overall box office gap to $321,700. In the fourth round, ‘Juno’ won again!

But even with this critical victory, neither the media nor the fans could declare ‘Juno’ the definite winner of the Christmas week crown, as its power from the Golden Globe nominations was not crushing enough to decisively beat ‘Cast Away’. With three days still to go, anything could happen. The weekly box office champion for this Christmas week was still up in the air—would the 92-year- old veteran take it with ease, or would the 39-year-old newcomer pull an upset? No one could say for sure. (To be continued)

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