Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 307: Golden Globes Nomination

Amidst all the hustle and bustle, the awards season noise always draws the most attention, easily taking top headlines and stealing the spotlight.

This year's awards season is especially lively, with "The Social Network" and "The King's Speech" leading the way in popularity. "The King's Speech" took the lead early, returning with accolades from Venice and Toronto, earning high praise from critics. Then, "The Social Network" surged ahead, praised as fresh, unique, sharp, young, vibrant, and intelligent, winning nearly every North American critic's enthusiasm. It is now the frontrunner of the awards season.

What happens next is highly anticipated.

Just as the media was fixated on Leonardo and Blake's romance, a wave of controversy erupted in North America surrounding Natalie Portman.

Famed professional ballet dancer Sarah Lane publicly condemned Natalie.

During the Toronto Film Festival, Natalie had told Entertainment Weekly that although she used a double while filming 'Black Swan', she performed 85% of the scenes herself. She even went on about how she captured the beauty of dance in the movie and the difficulty of completing the dance moves.

That statement sparked widespread discussion at the time.

Now, Sarah has come forward, calling Natalie's claims hypocritical. She revealed that she was the professional dancer in 'Black Swan', and that only 5% of the dancing was done by Natalie. The rest was created by digitally grafting Natalie's face onto Sarah's body.

Sarah was furious that her contribution had been completely erased.

Originally, 'Black Swan' was the frontrunner for Best Actress this awards season, with Natalie's campaign for the Oscar building since Venice. If she wins, she would be the first actress from Generation Y to win an Oscar, which has fueled media interest in the "Generation Y" rise, as it would mark their true ascent, showing that Hollywood's legacy can be passed on.

However, this negative news has cast a shadow over Natalie's awards season prospects.

In response, the film's ballet choreographer Benjamin Millepied quickly came to Natalie's defense, dismissing the accusations as slander. "They were only responsible for technical scenes, which in no way detracts from Natalie's brilliance. It's credible and fantastic," he insisted. He stood by the claim that Natalie performed 85% of the scenes, saying that it's impossible to fool the audience's eyes.

After the Toronto Film Festival, however, Entertainment Weekly revealed that Benjamin and Natalie were dating. Now, in light of this negative news, Benjamin's credibility is being questioned.

Worse still, rumors have been circulating within the industry that Natalie deliberately concealed her relationship with Benjamin at Toronto, even fabricating a scandal with a newcomer actor to divert attention. This behavior seems to lend credibility to Sarah's claims. People are starting to wonder: could Sarah be telling the truth?

The gossip firestorm is intensifying. The Toronto "scandal" barely attracted attention at first, but after further investigation, it turned out that the actor involved debunked the rumors, revealing it was all just a misunderstanding created by the press.

Things are getting more interesting.

None of these claims have been verified, though. So far, only the tabloid 'World News Weekly' has reported on it, but everyone knows that supermarket tabloids can't be trusted—they've also published "scientific evidence" of aliens and the Loch Ness monster.

Compared to TMZ, these tabloids are known for bizarre and outlandish stories. Most of their news is unverified, the stranger the better to attract attention. These papers aren't taken seriously, often used by housewives to wrap groceries or line their baskets.

Reporters and paparazzi are scrambling, but they haven't found enough evidence to back up Sarah's claims. Meanwhile, members of the 'Black Swan' cast and the distributor, Fox Searchlight, have voiced their support for Natalie, dismissing Sarah's accusations as absurd attempts to gain publicity.

This support has pushed the spectacle to a new climax, with many eagerly awaiting the next developments.

So far, however, Natalie has not directly responded, leaving the future uncertain and the awards race more complicated than ever.

Right in the midst of this turmoil, the Golden Globe nominations were announced.

Hosted by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, the Golden Globes are considered Hollywood's most talked-about, most entertaining awards ceremony, covering both television and film. In terms of prestige, the Emmys carry more weight for television, and the Oscars for film. But in terms of attention, the Golden Globes always hold their own, even generating more buzz than the Grammys or Emmys.

The reason is simple: although the Golden Globes are considered one of the four major Oscar indicators, and the HFPA's close connections with Academy voters often lead to accurate Oscar predictions, at the end of the day, the Golden Globes are not about artistic purity or professional depth. Entertainment is their number one priority.

Every year, the Golden Globes are Hollywood's grandest social event. The guest list is often more star-studded than the Oscars, with leading actors from blockbuster films, stars from popular TV shows, and tabloid-worthy personalities all attending. In terms of sheer spectacle, the Golden Globes rival the Oscars.

In entertainment-obsessed Hollywood, the Golden Globes are an essential event.

Now in its 68th year, the Golden Globes have once again lived up to their reputation for entertainment with this year's nominations.

'The Social Network', 'The King's Speech', 'Black Swan', 'The Fighter', and 'Inception' are all competing for Best Drama.

In addition to the much-anticipated inclusions of 'The Social Network' and 'The King's Speech', 'Black Swan' overcame the negative press to make the cut, a welcome boost for Fox Searchlight. And 'Inception', which wowed audiences and scored big at the box office this summer, secured its place in the top five, earning applause.

On the musical or comedy side, the nominees for Best Picture are 'The Kids Are All Right', 'Red', 'Burlesque', 'Alice in Wonderland', and 'The Tourist', a somewhat curious selection.

Among them, 'The Kids Are All Right' has been a frontrunner throughout awards season, with strong Oscar buzz, but the other four nominees are a mixed bag. 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'Red' are box office hits with poor reviews, while the latter two films neither impressed at the box office nor garnered critical acclaim, yet earned nominations thanks to their star-studded casts.

This is the Golden Globes: independent films struggle to break through, while films with commercial appeal can make the cut based on star power alone.

Many criticize this, but no one can deny the attention these choices bring to the Golden Globes.

Beyond Best Picture, the acting categories are always a focal point.

For example, in the Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy category, Johnny Depp received two nominations for 'Alice in Wonderland' and 'The Tourist'. Some wonder if Depp will repeat his unexpected Oscar nomination for 'Pirates of the Caribbean'.

In the Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy category, 'The Kids Are All Right' co-leads Annette Bening and Julianne Moore are both nominated, adding to the film's growing accolades. It seems its path to the Oscars is no idle talk.

But the biggest story in the acting categories is undoubtedly the rise of Generation Y! This year truly marks the emergence of this generation of actors.

Natalie Portman has weathered the storm of negative press to be nominated for Best Actress in a Drama, alongside Michelle Williams. Also in the mix is promising newcomer Jennifer Lawrence, whose breakthrough role in 'Winter's Bone' has taken her from Sundance to the awards race, turning heads along the way.

Anne Hathaway and Emma Stone both earned nominations for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy, joining the above three to represent their generation in a major way, dominating half of the Best Actress nominations.

On the men's side, Jake Gyllenhaal earned a Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy nomination for 'Love and Other Drugs', returning to the spotlight five years after 'Brokeback Mountain'.

In the Best Actor in a Drama category, Generation Y truly shines. Of the five nominees, four are younger actors, leaving 'The King's Speech' star Colin Firth as the lone veteran. This is an unprecedented achievement!

The four young actors are: Jesse Eisenberg for 'The Social Network', Ryan Gosling for 'Blue Valentine', James Franco for '127 Hours', and Renly Hall for 'Buried'.