Chapter 383

"The story is very cliché, but Sarah Michelle Gellar's charm saves it from the brink of vulgarity." This was a newspaper's review of "Love to Alabama" the next day.

To be honest, this was not a pertinent review. As a romantic comedy, the plot of "Love to Alabama" was indeed very cliché. Basically, if the audience thought about it for a few minutes at the beginning, they would realize that the heroine would sooner or later dump the mayor's son and return to her childhood playmate. However, the movie was very suspenseful.

Everyone knew that the female lead would end up with the male lead sooner or later, even if they had been arguing for the first few minutes. However, even when the movie was about to end and the mayor's son had already stepped onto the red carpet for their wedding, there was still no possibility of them getting back together. Moreover, the male lead had already signed the divorce papers.

This situation continued until the old lawyer in charge of the heroine's divorce appeared at the wedding.

"Oh, Melanie, it's not easy to find you, woman."

"What's wrong, Mr. Hubbert? He already signed the divorce papers!"

"Yes, I know, but he signed them. You didn't!"

Most people who read this would be stunned at first and then burst out laughing. The old lawyer's exasperated tone and Sarah's surprised and innocent expression were especially comedic. Adriaan had said at the premiere that he liked this plot very much. It was such an unexpected twist that made the whole movie more lively. If not for this, Adriaan would not have given the movie to Sarah.

Of course, Sarah's performance was indeed outstanding. Not only did she switch between the northern and southern accents, but she also handled many details very well, making the heroine's psychological change seem very convincing.

Adrian read the comments in Amanda's bedroom. While he was sitting on the edge of the bed, dressed neatly and reading the newspaper, Amanda was sitting on the headboard in her pajamas and eating the breakfast he had bought for her.

"Do you need more hot juice?" Although he was reading the newspaper, part of his attention was on Amanda.

"Thank you." Amanda did not stand on ceremony. She pushed the empty glass to him.

Adriaan picked it up and walked out. Then he walked back quickly. He was not polite, but he was not arrogant either. He had a good attitude, which made people feel like they were bathing in a spring breeze. Moreover, although Amanda's bedroom wasn't big, she kept it very tidy. An indescribable sense of warmth spread through the room.

Amanda was not in a hurry to drink the juice. She held the glass and looked at Adriaan for a long time before saying, "You're indeed a very gentle man, Eide. No wonder so many women throw themselves at you."

After she said that last night, the rest was basically predictable, especially when she said "no man has ever been in there." It was a pun, which directly aroused Adriaan's sexual interest. As for the rules of Valentine's Day, oh, there was no need to worry. It was fine as long as it was after midnight, just like what happened with Miranda Kerr. Plus, there was just enough time to flirt with Amanda.

Amanda's apartment was in a middle-class area. Although it was not as safe as the rich area, it was definitely much better than the slums. The difference between the rich and the poor was one of the biggest characteristics of American cities. Naturally, the bias in the police force was also different. Of course, it was all thanks to the role of Buffy's sister in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Otherwise, she would not have been able to afford an apartment here. However, the fact that she was able to move out at this age showed that she was a very independent girl.

Adriaan did not mind this independence. In fact, the more independent one was, the more they needed to prove themselves. Otherwise, Amanda would not have changed her expression when she heard that she would be acting on TV for a while longer. She had acted in too many TV roles in the past few years. She was already tired of them and wanted to make a name for herself in the movies. The influence of TV was still not as great as that of TV.

In Amanda's neat little nest, Adriaan chatted with her for a long time. Only when they were completely relaxed did they slowly begin the foreplay. His timing was very accurate. He entered her body at 12: 01, so it was not against the rules. Of course, like all the girls who had their first time, Amanda enjoyed perfect sex under his ample preparation. When everything was quiet, she had to hug Adriaan tightly in order to fall asleep. So when he woke up in the morning, he had to wake her up in order to prepare breakfast.

"Thank you." Adriaan smiled and looked at Amanda with admiration. He did not feel that there was anything wrong with the latter part of her sentence.

"I do like to chase beautiful women. It's a man's nature." He continued, "There is no man in this world who is not a playboy. It's just that some people are forced to restrain themselves under various pressures. I'm different from ordinary playboys. I respect women very much. If I like them, I can't let them get hurt. Just like a beautiful flower should be bathed in the morning dew. It should be picked and held in the palm of one's hand to be cherished and appreciated. It should not be thrown away. "

This sentence was very infectious. Amanda could not help but be stunned for a few minutes.

"But you still used some means … to force me and seduce me." She said a little provocatively after a long while.

"Of course, because I want you, not just for a one-night stand." Adriaan stared into her eyes and gently slid his hand across her face. "You are beautiful, Amanda. This kind of beauty makes me want to possess you."

Such straightforward words did not make Amanda feel disgusted at all. Even after Adriaan pinched her chin, she looked away uncomfortably.

"Like … Kirsten?" She bit her lip and asked. "Are there many women like that?"

"You can ignore it." Adriaan sighed. "I'm sorry, but I believe you know that for me, I could have met many simple girls ten years ago. But now, I have to use some means."

He leaned in front of her and gently stroked her lips with his finger. "Maybe you can change my opinion."

This was not a lie. Since Amanda could play tricks to make him less special in her heart, Adriaan could naturally do the same. He did not care about this little trick. Even women like Zeta Jones and Nicole were tamed by him and obediently served him, let alone a girl like Amanda.

Amanda didn't say anything, but her chest heaved slightly. Adrian smiled and kissed her lips. The girl didn't even think before she started to cater to him. First, their lips intertwined, and then they sucked for a long time. Through the intertwining of their tongues, Amanda completely followed Adriaan's rhythm. Only when Adriaan suddenly stopped and left did she wake up a little. Even so, she still wanted to continue and leaned forward.

"You just tried it yesterday. Although I've been very careful, it's better not to do anything too intense." Adriaan said with a smile. "If you want, I can stay here with you for the whole day. If not, then I'll leave now. I'll come back to see you in a few days when you've calmed down."

"No need!" Amanda blurted out. Although she immediately realized that she had lost her composure, she gulped and said, "You can stay."

"Okay, then I'll specially serve you today." Adriaan laughed. Then he thought of something and said, "Right, there's a sixteen or seventeen year old role that hasn't been decided yet. Maybe you can try it. It's a role with a lot of scenes and requires a lot of acting skills. Also, there are two famous actresses as the background. Are you confident that you can show your best side? "

"Of course!" Amanda's eyes suddenly lit up, and she agreed immediately. "I can definitely do it!"

'White Oleander' was the movie that Adriaan mentioned. The story was about the female lead and her mother living happily together until one day, the mother was attracted to someone and fell in love with him. After being abandoned, she poisoned the other party with the oleander peach blossom. The female lead witnessed her mother's arrest, and her life changed from then on. She had to move from one foster home to another, learning to face the difficult world and walking out of the shadows. At the same time, her mother in prison continued to influence her in various ways.

This movie was adapted from Janet Fincher's novel of the same name. It had been recommended by Oprah Winfrey in her book club. In Adriaan's memory, the movie's box office was very ordinary, but its reputation was surprisingly good. He originally planned to let Anne Hathaway star in the movie, and let Julia try to change her character, and let Kate accumulate acting skills. Julia's role was that of the female lead's mother. She could be considered an independent woman, but she was a bit of a villain. Kate would play the supporting role of the second female lead, who was also a good mother. But because Julia's character hated her for taking away her daughter's feelings, she used harsh words to humiliate and humiliate her when she went to visit her daughter in prison, causing her to commit suicide after she returned home. Because of this, the daughter completely fell out with her mother in prison.

He believed that if Julia and Kate performed well, this scene would definitely be very interesting. However, the filming that was originally scheduled to start last month was still in preparation, because …

Although Amanda was a little younger than Annie, her acting skills were not bad. Whether it was in Adriaan's memory, or now in 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer', her performance was very good. Although she might still be a little immature, who hasn't been immature before? If the director paid attention to her, and Julia and Kate took care of her a little, it might even be better than the original. Anyway, she was sensible, and unlike a certain someone who couldn't make decisions, this role was suitable for her.

Since Adriaan accompanied Amanda in her apartment for most of the day and went out with her in the evening, Adriaan stayed at her house again that night, and it was another round of passion. Perhaps it was because she got a positive response from him, and because they got along well, when Adriaan slightly tempted her in the bath, Amanda gave up her first kiss. Adriaan also deliberately touched her face at the end. Although Amanda was a little angry, she didn't say much.

This matter was put aside for the time being. In its first week, 'Love in Alabama' earned 32 million from 3,000 cinemas, undoubtedly topping the North American box office. Although it fell by 30% in the second week, because it was already the off-season, and there were no better romantic comedies at the same time, it remained the top spot with more than 20 million. It was very likely that it would break 100 million in North America, and Sarah's sweet image on the big screen was further recognized.

However, in late February, the most attention was not 'Love in Alabama' and its star, Sarah Michelle Gellar, nor was it the secret affair between the daughter of Kate Beckinsale, the original Laura Krau, and the media mogul Adrian Kewell, which had lasted for more than half a month. Instead, it was the 74th Oscar nomination list announced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences!

This time, many film companies breathed a sigh of relief. Although there were still two nominations for the best film, which belonged to AC Media's film company, Adriaan's "The Lord of the Rings" and "Moulin Rouge", it was still much better than the near-monopoly last year. As for the other three films, "Love No Matter What" and "Gosford Manor" were independent films. Although Universal had invested in "A Beautiful Mind", DreamWorks had a hand in it. Although everyone knew the close relationship between AC Media and DreamWorks, it was a completely independent film company after all.

However, the nomination for best director surprised many people. Before this, many people expected that Adriaan would get two more nominations, but when the list was officially released, they found that he only had one nomination for "The Lord of the Rings". This made many people very confused. Was Adriaan not going to compete for this year's best director? Since the inception of the Oscars, no director had won the best director award with a non-realistic film. Film school had long said in private that they would consider more realistic films and directors. From this point of view, the probability of winning the best director award with "Moulin Rouge" was much higher than that of "The Lord of the Rings". After all, there had not been such a good song and dance film for a long time. Most of the judges in Film school, who could determine the results, liked to be nostalgic.

Later, after inquiring, they found that it was very likely that Adriaan had given up the nomination for best director for "Moulin Rouge". This was even more strange. Did he have confidence in himself, or did he want to give up this year's Oscars? Looking at the list of directors, Ron Howard, Ridley Scott, and Robert Altman were all very strong contenders, especially Robert Altman, who had been nominated for Oscars several times and had won the Palme d 'Or, Golden Lion, and Golden Bear. Now, he was only short of an Oscar. Perhaps Adriaan wanted to avoid him?

No matter how they speculated, people would not know Adriaan's intentions. His real intentions would only be revealed a few years later.

As for the best actor, not too many people were surprised. Russell Crowe, who had a completely different image from in "Gladiator", was nominated without a doubt. Some people speculated that he was likely to become the second person to win the best actor award in a row, like Tom Hanks. After all, he was also supported by the miracle director. However, some people also speculated that this year might be the black man's victory. It had been a long time since a black man was nominated for the best actor award. This year, there were two nominations. In addition to Denzel Washington, who was nominated for "Training Day", Will Smith, who was also nominated for "Ali".

The only puzzling thing was that Denis Knight, who had an excellent performance in "I Am Sam", did not get a nomination. Although the film was average overall and the plot was old-fashioned, so the professional film critics did not give it a high rating, they all agreed that the performances of the three main actors were still very good. Because of this, Naomi Watts, who played the female lawyer, was nominated for the best supporting actress award. It was believed that Denis would be very depressed.

As for the best actress nomination, there was no doubt that it was the miracle girls' world. Nicole Kidman of "Moulin Rouge", Gwyneth Paltrow of "A Beautiful Mind", Sophie Marceau of "Passion Chocolate", and … Richel Vickers of "The Diary of a DJ Single". Although Richel and Adriaan had never worked together before, many people in the industry had seen her intimate appearance with him. Not to mention that her movies were basically produced by a film company under AC Media.

"Adriaan is indeed a director who knows women the best." A newspaper said with a slightly sour taste. It should be known that even Woody Allen, who always revolved around men and women, could not get so many women nominated at one time.

Look at these women. Richel Vickers was originally chosen by him to star in "The English Patient". She also played a role in "The English Patient" and was nominated for the best supporting actress. Sophie Marceau, who showed a completely different side from "Brave Heart", was also chosen by him.

As for Gwyneth Paltrow, Adriaan's shadow was behind every Oscar nomination in the past few years. Because of this, many people guessed that she was the most likely candidate to win the Oscar this year, as long as she could compete with Nicole Kidman. The rumor that Nicole and Cruise divorced because of Adriaan was already an open secret in the industry. Facts proved that her choice was correct. Last year's Best Supporting Actress was the best proof. But at the same time, it would be a little difficult to win the Best Actress this year, even if she acted in a movie directed by Director Miracle.

However, the media did not ignore the fifth nominee for Best Actress. Although compared to the previous four candidates, she did not have dazzling achievements or eye-catching scandals, she created a record. Caesar Custer Hewitt, a 12-year-old girl from Western Australia with Maori descent, although it was her first time acting in a movie, she became the youngest Best Actress nominee in Oscar history with her completely natural acting in "Whale Rider"!

Just a year after Natalie Portman became the youngest Best Actress nominee for the Oscar at the age of 19 with "Winter's Bone", this young Australian actress broke the record and pushed it to the point where it was likely that it would never be broken again. So even though everyone knew that it was impossible for her to win because she was too young, countless cameras were still aimed at her.