Chapter 154: Startled Horse

"The School Faction awards?"

Tossing a grimy black towel to an assistant, Duke looked at Sofia with interest. "Let me guess. Tom returned to Los Angeles the day before yesterday. Given the timing, the Oscar nominees luncheon should have already taken place. So Independence Day got an Oscar nomination? Best Director? Best Picture? Or Best Screenplay?"

"Do you think that's possible?"

Her flat scoff was full of mockery. "Independence Day didn't hold any screening events, threw no canvassing parties, and launched zero award campaigns. Its professional rating is barely three points. Do you think it could possibly win Oscar favor?"

"Impossible." Duke could only shake his head.

"But there's still good news." Sofia laughed. "Independence Day got a Best Visual Effects nomination."

Duke curled his lip dismissively. "Might as well be nothing."

The chances of Independence Day winning were infinitely high. Speaking purely in terms of visual effects, it left every other film from last year in the dust. But this award would only go to the visual effects company, Industrial Light & Magic.

"If you want to win a Golden Statuette," Sofia said, tilting her head to look at him, "Duke, you have to switch to realistic themes."

"Turn myself into someone I'm not, just for an Oscar Golden Statuette?" Duke immediately shook his head. "I won't do that. Even if I want to win a Golden Statuette in the future, I would never specifically make films tailored to the tastes of those old men. I still prefer non-realistic themes."

"Then you'll be a regular at another award ceremony." Sofia flashed a teasing smile. "Congratulations, Duke. Not only did you receive the most nominations for this other award, but you're also the clear favorite to win."

"What award?" Duke had a bad feeling about this.

"The Golden Raspberry... They released their nomination list right before the Oscar nominees luncheon."

Probably because there were so many, Sofia had to open her work log to check the specific nominations she had noted down. "Independence Day secured seven nominations out of the Golden Raspberry's ten categories. The film is the frontrunner for Worst Picture. You received a Worst Director nomination, Bill Pullman got Worst Actor, Will Smith got Worst Supporting Actor, Halle Berry got Worst Supporting Actress, the script got Worst Screenplay, and Skywalker Sound received Worst Original Score..."

After reading the list, Sofia looked earnestly at Duke, seemingly wanting to witness a sorrowful, pained, or angry reaction. But Duke kept the exact same look as before, acting as if he didn't care in the slightest. And based on Sofia's understanding of him, when Duke looked like this, he truly didn't care at all.

"You really don't care?" she asked anyway.

"Why should I?" Duke spread his hands. "I like the movies I make, and most audiences like them too. Why should I care about the voices of a few people?"

"This is the Golden Raspberry!"

Hearing this, Duke walked over and gently patted her shoulder. He knew the Golden Raspberry was Sofia's greatest pain. Years ago, those film critics had used a Worst Supporting Actress nomination to humiliate her.

"Awards driven by film critics are nothing but thuggery."

Dropping that casual remark, Duke headed toward the set, instructing his assistant to notify all departments to prepare for shooting.

Meanwhile, in a large conference room at a Manhattan hotel, many prominent film critics from the New York State area gathered. This was a meeting of the New York Film Critics Association, convened to tally votes and discuss the final recipients of their awards.

The New York Film Critics Association was the oldest and largest regional film critics association in the world. The awards it had presented since 1935 were one of the three major critics association prizes in the United States and a crucial bellwether for the Oscars.

These critics association awards were also one of the tools professional film critics used to influence the major School Faction awards during awards season.

The meeting gradually drew to a close. Just as the vote tallying finished, The New Yorker's film critic, David Denby, suddenly stood up.

"Everyone, there is one more thing," he said, his voice booming. "It has nothing to do with our awards, but something else entirely. I wonder if you have all seen the nomination list announced by the Golden Raspberry Awards?"

Many people nodded.

"Last year, a certain film and a certain director severely offended our entire industry." David Denby's eyes glinted sharply. "I have to admit, we lost the market battle against Duke Rosenberg. But now! During awards season! In the season that belongs to us! We must fight back!"

"David is absolutely right!"

The chief film critic for The New York Times, A. O. Scott, spoke slowly. "Even if Independence Day achieved nearly 360 million dollars at the North America box office, even if over 90 million people watched it in North America, even if its global box office is approaching 900 million dollars, and even if it has an eighty-four percent audience approval rating, that still cannot change the fact that it is a terrible film, and that Duke Rosenberg is the worst director of the past year!"

"We must nail Duke Rosenberg and Independence Day to the pillar of shame!"

The speaker was Lou Lumenick from the New York Post. "The Golden Raspberry Awards are exactly what he deserves!"

"Over the past few years..."

David Denby picked the thread back up. "The actors and directors who have won the Golden Raspberry have all become objects of disdain among North America's audiences. Almost no one has been able to bounce back. I have already contacted the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. They will fully push for Duke Rosenberg to win."

"Also, word has it that he is shooting a new movie..." someone reminded them.

"Everyone knows what to do when the time comes, right?"

At those words, many of the critics laughed.

Time slowly marched into late January. After a long, seven-month theatrical run, Independence Day completely withdrew from North America's theaters. Its final North America box office stopped at 362.55 million dollars. Although two Star Wars films, Spielberg's Jaws, and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial still stood ahead of it, if re-release figures were excluded, Independence Day could claim the number one box office record in North American cinematic history.

Of course, this, much like adjusting box office charts for inflation, was merely a form of self-comfort. Re-releases proved that a film had lasting commercial value. Take The Shawshank Redemption, which had just received nine Oscar nominations—if it hit theaters again, it would inevitably continue to bomb.

On the global box office front, Independence Day had raked in 895.21 million dollars, putting it on the verge of becoming the second film in history to break the 900 million dollar mark.

However, in stark contrast to its outstanding commercial success, Independence Day and Duke continued to be attacked by countless film critics. Many renowned critics used the film's seven Golden Raspberry nominations to relentlessly mock it in their columns. The prominent film critic Roger Ebert even directly branded Independence Day as the most overrated film in history, and Duke as the most disappointing director of the past year.

The film's professional reputation was utterly beyond saving. Perhaps spurred by its astronomically high box office, the professional rating for Independence Day slipped below three points. With a dismal score of 2.95 juxtaposed against an eighty-four percent audience approval rating and a sky-high box office haul, it created a major spectacle in cinematic history.

"No matter how commercially successful a director is, if they do not receive the recognition of professional awards, they are at best a mere craftsman and will never become a master. If what they receive are awards like the Golden Raspberry, it means their directing career has already begun a severe decline or is even approaching its end!"

— Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

By convention, the Golden Raspberry Awards would not be handed out until the day before the Oscar Awards Ceremony. The date was still a ways off, but the film critics could not wait to slap that shoddily made award onto Duke's head.

Duke, however, couldn't be bothered with them. Independence Day had already ended its North America run, and his new film was nowhere near the point for genuine promotional pushes. Trading insults with critics brought no substantial benefits. Coupled with a busy shooting schedule, he simply didn't have the time or energy to bicker with those guys.

Furthermore, even he had to admit that film critics wielded immense influence during awards season.

Following the conclusion of the Oscar nominees luncheon, Tom Hanks returned to the set. Taking another week, Duke finished shooting the film's climactic battle sequence. According to the news he heard, it wasn't until he completed this portion of filming that the neighboring Braveheart production finally ended its break—Mel Gibson had reluctantly given the crew time off—and resumed shooting its few remaining scenes.

As for Sean Connery, whose leg had suffered severe trauma, he was reportedly transferred to a hospital in London. It was confirmed as a comminuted fracture of his right tibia. At his age, if he wanted to regain the ability to walk normally, he had quite a wait ahead of him.

Amidst the intense filming schedule, Duke also had to handle post-production processing for some of the completed shots. The Super Bowl was fast approaching, and he needed to cut a sufficiently compelling commercial short for the producers and distributors to air during halftime.

He also summoned the editor, Mike Dawson, from Los Angeles to Dublin. Every day after filming ended, the two of them would dive into a rented post-production studio and continue working overtime.

"Mike, the Super Bowl is frenzied by nature, and our commercial needs to match that energy."

A thirty-second commercial wasn't short, but it wasn't exactly long either. Duke had to consider how best to grab the audience's attention. "Don't think about narrative, don't think about the film's themes, and don't think about humanistic depth. All I want are the most intense, most explosive, and most brutal war shots!"

This was their fourth film working together, so Mike Dawson naturally understood Duke's intentions. Leading his assistants, he got to work following Duke's instructions.

Meanwhile, Charles Roven walked over and asked in a low voice, "The executives from the three companies asked me to inquire about when the film will be completed, as well as your suggested release date."

"May! By early May at the latest, I will definitely finish all production!"

Filming had already entered its late stages, and the overall work was progressing smoothly. Duke spoke with confidence. "I suggest the movie hold its Premiere the weekend before Memorial Day!"

"I'll relay your suggestion back to them." Charles Roven walked out of the studio.

After a few days of overtime, the commercial was completed on schedule. Duke would not be returning to North America to attend Super Bowl Sunday. Instead, before the Super Bowl arrived, he took the main cast and crew to London, preparing to participate in Victoria's Secret's first annual fashion show!