Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 206 Struggle and Competition
Wu Yuchen's two films, "The Sixth Sense" and "Love," are both his own creations, and he'd be happy regardless of which one wins an award. However, both films have inherent flaws.

The film *The Sixth Sense* is very well-known now, given its high box office and positive reviews, breaking records for horror films. However, it seems somewhat insufficient to win Best Picture and Best Director. This is because the Oscars tend to favor realistic themes, while *The Sixth Sense* deals with supernatural phenomena involving ghosts, making it difficult to change the judges' objective impressions.

In contrast, the film *Amour*, with its absolutely realistic subject matter, is exactly what the major awards want, thus frequently winning the Best Foreign Language Film award. However, it falls short in its chances of winning Best Picture and Best Director, namely, it is a Chinese-language film.

Although the issues of aging reflected in the film are universal, the story is set in China and the actors are Chinese. In the current Oscars, where white people firmly hold the power of discourse, it will inevitably be affected to some extent.

Therefore, even though he had been nominated several times before, Wu Yuchen had never had any illusions or expectations about winning Best Director or Best Film.

However, at this year's Los Angeles Film Critics Circle Awards, two of his films were nominated for Best Director, and he won the award for "Amour," which made Wu Yuchen see some possibilities. This might not be a bad path!
His chances of winning Best Director with either of these two films alone are slim, but what about with both of them combined? If both films are nominated, he'll have two of the five nominations, which will definitely leave a deep impression on the voting judges!
Therefore, Wu Yuchen is now full of motivation. If he succeeds this time, he might just become a legend at the Oscars in a few months!

But Boston at the end of December completely surprised Wu Yuchen. He had just said that supernatural films like *The Sixth Sense* weren't very popular, and he was proven wrong. However, he was quite pleased with this setback!

"The 19th Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Foreign Language Film... Amour!"

"Best Director at the 19th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards... The Sixth Sense, Wu Yuchen!"

"Best Picture at the 19th Boston Society of Film Critics Awards... The Sixth Sense!"

I've been in America for two months now, and this is the first time Wu Yuchen has gone on stage to accept the Best Picture award, especially since it was "The Sixth Sense" that won it.

This year's awards for "The Sixth Sense" (Best Picture and Best Director) and "Amour" (Best Foreign Language Film) were a real bonanza, and Wu Yuchen naturally became the most dazzling star at the awards ceremony's after-party!
Sam Mendes, the director of "American Beauty," was a little unhappy. Looking at the smug Wu Yuchen, he asked his public relations manager, "What happened? Why did you lose to 'The Sixth Sense'?"

"Well, the Boston Society of Film Critics' tastes, how should I put it, have always been rather niche. There have even been a few times when their picks for Best Picture didn't even get nominated for any Oscars. Sam, don't be too nervous. We can't win every award. You still have a big advantage."

Sam Mendes felt a little better after hearing this, but at this moment, he also listed "The Sixth Sense" and Wu Yuchen as his number one enemies. They had taken awards from him and "American Beauty" more than once, and he would be a fool not to take them seriously!

After Wu Yuchen got back to the car, he and Richard high-fived in celebration. Not only Wu Yuchen, but Richard was also very excited.
"Hey Wu, that was fantastic! This big win in Boston is a new milestone for us!"
I think you're right, we really have a good chance of helping you win the Oscar for Best Director this year! Maybe even Best Picture, hahaha!

Wu Yuchen waved the trophy in his hand and shouted, "Of course, we're going to launch a full-scale assault on the Oscar statuette!"

The three trophies won in Boston have ignited the confidence and ambition of Wu Yuchen, Richard, and others. After all, every journey is built step by step. Since they achieved good results in Los Angeles and Boston, why can't they look forward to the Oscars?

However, while confidence is a good thing, it still needs to be translated into concrete actions. Richard immediately said:

"Wu, over the next two days we'll visit some influential judges in Boston to solidify your good impression on them! Judging from the current situation, they seem to have a very positive feeling about you, and these are the votes you absolutely must get!"

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "No problem, I've already eaten the plastic-coated chicken breast, so what's a little afternoon tea and coffee?"

On January 4th, the American Film Critics Circle Awards were presented, one of the four major film critic awards.

"Best foreign language film... Amour!"

Wu Yuchen gave a few brief remarks with a bright smile, and then stepped off the stage.

Meanwhile, Sam Mendes kept a close eye on Wu Yuchen. The two had followed each other for more than half of their journeys. Based on his observations, it was highly likely that this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film would go to "Amour". The only film that posed a slight threat was Spain's "All About My Mother", but given the current situation, the chances of an upset were slim.

However, Sam Mendes wasn't concerned about Best Foreign Language Film; he was more interested in Best Director and Best Picture, both of which were direct competitors for Wu Yuchen. When it came time to present the Best Director award, both Sam Mendes and Wu Yuchen held their breath.

"This year's Best Director award goes to... Anthony Minghella for 'The Talented Mr. Ripley'!"

As they watched the bald man walk onto the stage, Wu Yuchen and Sam Mendes both sighed with regret.

Three of the four major film critics' awards have been decided. In the Best Director category, Sam Mendes won in New York, Wu Yuchen won in Los Angeles, and this time both of them went home empty-handed to Anthony Minghella for "The Talented Mr. Ripley." This also made the two realize that there are other strong competitors in this Oscar game.

"Best Picture... American Beauty!"

Sam Mendes stood up and smiled. Although he didn't win Best Director, he took home the most important award, Best Picture. As he passed Wu Yuchen, Sam nodded to him. This time, he had finally won!
Wu Yuchen maintained a smile throughout; having secured Best Foreign Language Film as a minimum guarantee, this wasn't a failure. Moreover, it's ultimately just one stage of the Oscars' public relations campaign; the competition is only halfway through, and the outcome is still uncertain.

January 1.10th, the last of the four major film critics association awards, the National Society of Film Critics Awards.

When Wu Yuchen walked off the stage again with the Best Foreign Language Film trophy for "Love," everyone applauded him without much surprise.

The film "Love" won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in September and premiered in the United States in October. Through continuous publicity and the numerous awards Wu Yuchen has won, its reputation has spread throughout North America, and everyone predicts that it is very likely to be this year's Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

The Best Director award became more unpredictable this year. The competition was fierce. Sam Mendes of "American Beauty" was considered by many to be a strong contender, but with Wu Yuchen's "Love" landing in North America, he has gradually gained momentum in the race for the Best Director award.

After all, besides "Love", Wu Yuchen also has "The Sixth Sense", which was released earlier. When both films are nominated at the same time, it will definitely bring him a lot of positive impression.

There are also some other talented directors with excellent films involved, so it's really hard to say what will happen with this award.

"Best Director... for 'Love,' Wu Yuchen!"

Wu Yuchen clenched his fist tightly, feeling excited. He had won two of the four major film critics' association awards. He dared not say that he had surpassed Sam Mendes of "American Beauty", but it would be an exaggeration to say that he had caught up with him!

On his way to the stage, Wu Yuchen nodded to Sam. Although their eyes met while they were still smiling, the air seemed to freeze for a moment before they looked away.

"Best Picture... American Beauty!"

Seeing "American Beauty" win Best Picture again, Wu Yuchen shook his head inwardly. "American Beauty" had a huge advantage in the Best Picture award, and he figured it would be difficult to compete with it.

His current goal is to secure the Best Foreign Language Film award and compete for Best Director, while he'll leave the Best Picture award to fate.

On January 23, the Golden Globe Awards, an award with relatively high recognition in China, is considered by many Chinese to be the primary indicator of the Oscars. However, to be fair, the award is actually organized by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, making it a media award. The voters are primarily entertainment reporters, so the overlap between its judges and the Academy judges is actually quite small. Therefore, calling it the primary indicator of the Oscars is somewhat of a stretch.

However, because it is a relatively prestigious award in the United States, and the award ceremony happens to be held before the Oscar voting, its results will slightly influence the choices of some judges, so it is somewhat reasonable to say that it is a bellwether.

Compared to previous Critics' Association Awards, this year's Golden Globes were much more exciting, with many big-name stars in attendance, including Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Denzel Washington, Angelina Jolie, and many more.

The fact that these celebrities were willing to attend suggests they've likely already been hinted at winning. The Oscars have the power to manipulate big stars, making them obediently accept nominations, but if the Golden Globes manipulate someone once, like Tom Cruise, they'll definitely never come again and will likely lash out publicly.

As expected, all of them won awards: Tom Cruise for Best Supporting Actor, Jim Carrey for Best Actor in a Musical or Drama, Denzel Washington for Best Actor in a Drama or Drama, and Angelina Jolie for Best Supporting Actress.

As for Wu Yuchen, he naturally also gained something, winning Best Foreign Language Film for "Amour". However, his gains are somewhat less than those of "American Beauty", which swept all three awards: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.

Awards season is called awards season because the awards are scheduled very frequently. The following day, January 24th, the Critics' Choice Awards were held.

"Amour" won Best Foreign Language Film and Best Director, while "The Sixth Sense" won Best Original Screenplay. This time, it's Wu Yuchen's turn to be all smiles!
After Wu Yuchen got back into the car with the trophy, Richard smiled and encouraged him, "Great job, Wu! We're getting closer and closer to our goal!"

Wu Yuchen smiled, then leaned back in the car seat and asked him, "Richard, is it all over?"

It has been three months since Wu Yuchen arrived in America, and he feels exhausted.

"Wu, if you don't want to go to England..."

Wu Yuchen waved his hand: "I won't be going to the British Academy Awards. Let me rest!"

Richard did not object and said to Wu Yuchen, "In that case, the awards ceremony will be over for now. Next, we will wait for the Oscar nomination voting to begin on February 1st."

今年的奥斯卡提名投票是 1号开始，7号结束，15号出提名大名单。然后3月再进行最终投票，3月27号举行颁奖典礼。

Wu Yuchen rubbed his temples and said, "To be honest, I really want to go home right now. The most important festival of the year in China, the Spring Festival, is coming soon, but I still have to work myself to death here. It's really a sad thing!"

“Um, Wu, I understand how you feel, like not being able to go home for Christmas~ But I still have to say, think about the Oscars. Although the awards ceremony is temporarily over, as the awards season comes, many people will gather in Los Angeles. You will need to hold and attend various parties and gatherings to promote yourself…” Richard patiently comforted him.

"Oh, damn it, I really don't want to go through this Oscar PR again! It's such a waste of my life!" Wu Yuchen complained.

If anyone ever tells him again that America doesn't have a clique culture, he'll tear them apart. Damn, the clique culture here in America is just as strong as in China, it just manifests in different forms.

He now remembered DreamWorks' invitation to him. If Spielberg could leverage his network to help him, his public relations efforts would be at least halved. Connections are crucial at this time. Richard patiently advised, "Wu, you must stay calm. We've reached a critical juncture. You have a good chance; you can't give up halfway!"

Richard then added, "Wu, if you really miss your family, you can bring them to America and let them celebrate your most important holiday with you!"

"Ok?"

This suggestion appealed to Wu Yuchen. He felt that since he had some free time ahead, he could indeed bring his parents over and treat them to a vacation. Having his family with him would definitely lift his spirits.

"Richard, great idea!"

Without thinking, Wu Yuchen took out his phone to make a call when it rang. He looked and saw it was Han Sanping calling.

"Congratulations, Brother Wu! 'Amour' won the Golden Globe, and the Oscars are just around the corner!"

"Thanks a lot, Brother Han, I didn't expect it to spread so quickly!"

"We live in the internet age now! You just won the Golden Globe yesterday, and it's already all over the country. Everyone's excited and thinks you're a shoo-in for the Oscar this time!"

"Hey, Brother Han, the Golden Globe and the Oscar are not the same thing at all. At most, I have a slight lead right now, and I still have competitors. Don't let anyone hype me up too much!"

Wu Yuchen quickly explained the relationship between the Golden Globes and the Oscars to Han Sanping, lest he be misled by the ignorant media in China. Although he currently had a considerable advantage in the Best Foreign Language Film category, he didn't want to create a situation where being a favorite meant certain failure, so it was best to keep a low profile until he actually won.

After listening, Han Sanping said, "So that's how it is. But it's great that 'Love' won the Golden Globe. I really hope that this time the trend is accurate and helps you win an Oscar!"

"Haha, then I'll take your good wishes, Brother Han!"

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen called Cai Yinong and Dean Hou Keming, basically telling them not to rush into boasting, to contact people around them to calm things down, and to try to maintain a rational analysis.

……

February 1st marked the start of Oscar nomination voting, with each judge submitting their ballot to the Academy.

Wu Yuchen, along with his entourage, arrived at Los Angeles Airport to pick up the group of five. Upon seeing them emerge with their luggage, Wu Yuchen eagerly went to greet them and immediately gave his parents a big hug.

Sometimes it's like this: you're busy and tired, irritable and anxious, but as soon as you see your parents, just going over and hugging them seems to sweep away all the negative emotions in your heart, and a peaceful and warm power nourishes your soul.

Zhou Shuping was a little surprised, as her son rarely showed such affection before, so she couldn't help but ask with concern:

"Chenchen, what's wrong? Did someone bully you?"

Wu Yuchen then looked up and smiled at his mother, saying, "No way! I just missed you guys~"

Just then, a woman's voice chimed in, "Auntie, he just won the Golden Globe Award. He's doing really well here in America, how could he possibly be bullied?"

A middle-aged woman next to her patted the girl on the shoulder and said, "How can you talk like that? Chenchen must have suffered a lot behind the scenes to win such an important award!"

Although Wu Yuchen instructed his associates to control the buzz in China, the news of "Love" winning the Golden Globe Award was still published in many newspapers. After all, it was Wu Yuchen's Oscar bid, which naturally generated a lot of buzz. Many viewers wanted to see it, so even if the newspapers didn't praise it excessively, they would still publicize the Golden Globe Award.

Wu Yuchen quickly gave the woman a thumbs up: "Auntie, you really understand me!"

Seeing this, Li Xiaoran pouted at him. Her mother always favored Wu Yuchen, so she stuck out her tongue at Wu Yuchen.

That's right, the people who came this time were Wu Yuchen's parents and Li Xiaoran's family of three. The two families already had a good relationship, and this time they simply came together for their trip to the United States during the Spring Festival. Wu Yuchen wasn't very free every day, as he also had to do social and public relations work from time to time, so it was a good opportunity for Li Xiaoran to accompany the elders around.

That evening, after settling everyone in, Wu Yuchen came out of his parents' room and then gently knocked on the door of a room not far away.

A moment later, the door opened a crack, revealing Li Xiaoran's face: "What?"

Wu Yuchen peeked inside cautiously, then whispered, "Is Auntie not here?"

"Yes!" Li Xiaoran said, crossing her arms.

Wu Yuchen glanced at Li Xiaoran's expression, then tiptoed to look inside before squeezing in.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Li Xiaoran gently pressed against Wu Yuchen's chest.

"I missed you so much, give me a little kiss~" Wu Yuchen leaned in.

"What kissing? I know you all too well, humph!" Li Xiaoran snorted.

"I understand, I understand, you understand me best. You know exactly what I am~" With that, Wu Yuchen silenced her with a kiss.

After a long while, their lips parted, and Li Xiaoran patted him and said, "Director, weren't you working hard?"

"No matter how hard it is, it's not hard at all once I see you!" Wu Yuchen chuckled.

"Pshaw, I'm tired even though you're not! I still have jet lag to deal with!"

"I'll help you, it's what I'm best at!"

"Waaah, wait a minute, my parents are still next door!" Li Xiaoran gasped softly.

"It's alright, it's alright, it's five-star, the soundproofing is top-notch!"

Before long, their clothes were scattered, and the two had rolled onto the bed to adjust to the time difference.

……

Li Xiaoran held Wu Yuchen's head in her arms and gently poked his forehead with her finger:

"You call this tiring? You told me on the phone how hard, annoying, and uncomfortable you were, but when we met, you were more aggressive than anyone else!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled and snuggled closer into her soft embrace: "Isn't it because it's you!"

As he spoke, Wu Yuchen licked it again, which made Li Xiaoran say coquettishly, "Go away, I'm exhausted, I want to sleep!"

"Okay, okay, I'll hold you tight. I told you I'd help you adjust to the time difference. Let's talk about it after you fall asleep~"

As Wu Yuchen spoke, he gently pulled her into his arms, kissed her on the cheek, and then made no further moves. The two chatted casually for a while before Li Xiaoran fell asleep.

……

With their arrival, Wu Yuchen didn't feel lonely at all, even though he spent the Spring Festival in America; his mood improved considerably. Aside from a few necessary banquets, he spent the rest of his time showing them around Los Angeles.

On February 7th, the day the Oscar nomination voting ended, he simply took a week off to travel with his parents and Li Xiaoran's family. Since the voting was over, everything would wait until the final Oscar nominations were announced.

Spend time with those around you first, and you can also adjust your own state along the way. It's also important to cheer yourself on during a long race.

On February 15th, Wu Yuchen took the group to the airport. After half a month of playing, it was about time. After all, the elders still had to work and didn't have much free time. Li Xiaoran naturally had to go back with them. Before leaving, she bid a reluctant farewell to Wu Yuchen.

When Wu Yuchen returned from the airport humming a little tune, Richard excitedly waved the documents in his hand and shouted to Wu Yuchen, "Wu, come and see, the list is out!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately ran over and took a list from Richard's hand:
The Sixth Sense: Best Picture, Best Director (Wu Yuchen), Best Original Screenplay (Wu Yuchen), Best Editing (Wu Yuchen), Best Supporting Actor (Haley Joel Osment), Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly).

Love: Best Director (Wu Yuchen), Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay (Wu Yuchen)
(End of this chapter)