Hollywood What If Chapter 565
The Dark Knight was nominated in 8 categories.
Best Supporting Actor
Best Sound Editing
Best Cinematography
Best Film Editing
Best Art Direction
Best Makeup
Best Sound Mixing
Best Visual Effects
Two of these eight categories were major categories, while the remaining were minor categories. The two major categories were Best Supporting Actor and Best Cinematography.
The 81st Academy Awards was held on February 22, 2009, at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles. It was one of the most anticipated events of the year.
Hosted by the charismatic Hugh Jackman, the ceremony promised a night of celebration and cinematic excellence.
As Hollywood's biggest stars walked the red carpet, anticipation buzzed around the nominees and fans. Especially The Dark Knight, which had made history with its commercial success.
Kazir Grey and his girlfriend Scarlett Johansson stepped on the red carpet. The actress's baby bump was prominent, and the interviewers were interested in talking about their relationship and their upcoming baby.
Kazir had been famous, so it was obvious why people were interested in his life. Furthermore, being the director of The Dark Knight, he had to attend the Academy Awards this year.
The movie had been nominated for Best Cinematography, and Kazir had to accept the award if they won… Too bad, Kazir knew that The Dark Knight wouldn't win, so he felt that his attendance was useless.
But since he signed a contract that required him to attend an award ceremony in case the movie got nominated, he had to stay true to the contract.
Thankfully, he was not the main character tonight.
The most anticipated person at the 81st Academy Awards was none other than Heath Ledger. The actor was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Award after his amazing performance as The Joker in The Dark Knight.
It was an understatement to say that Heath Ledger's presence was the reason why so many people were watching the award show tonight.
Heath Ledger captivated the hearts of the audience after his amazing performance. He was praised by movie critics, who acknowledged that his acting capability was vast. Imagine, he was acting as a gay man in 2005, then a psychotic serial killer in 2008. His range of acting was indeed wide.
The cameras pointed at him every few minutes to capture his expressions. The director of the 81st Academy Awards knew that the star of the show was Heath Ledger and that people watched the show to see the actor.
Heath Ledger's current appearance was far better than his thin body back when he was comatose. He was far healthier, and he had also stopped depending on prescribed medications. Overall, he was a better man now.
Some actors and actresses already congratulated Heath because they were sure the actor would probably earn the Best Supporting Actor Award.
Even his competitors in the same category admitted that Heath deserved the golden statue, but of course, it was still a hard pill to swallow. After all, every actor poured their soul into their performance just to get a nomination, only for the winner to be decided without a fight, which would be painful to acknowledge.
Kazir Grey, sitting beside Scarlett, quietly watched the show. He knew that Heath would win the award… unless Kazir messed up the timeline and caused another change.
Regardless of the outcome, Heath Ledger had already left an unforgettable mark in the history of cinema. Furthermore, he received quite a lot of job offers. In fact, James Cameron offered Heath a role in his untitled project about blue alien people...
As the night progressed, the Academy awarded the people who won in their respective categories.
Kate Winslet won Best Actress for The Reader, finally earning her long-awaited Oscar after multiple nominations. She had been nominated six times before winning one award.
She was overwhelmed with emotion. She held back tears as she thanked her family and dedicated the award to her parents.
Danny Boyle took the stage for the Best Director Award, celebrating Slumdog Millionaire's sweeping success. The movie dominated the 81st Academy Awards by winning eight awards.
Then, the biggest moment of the night approached, the Best Supporting Actor. The audience fell silent as the envelope was opened.
The presenter took a deep breath, smiling as she opened the envelope.
"And the Best Supporting Actor Award goes to… Heath Ledger, as The Joker, in the movie The Dark Knight!"
The room erupted in applause, a standing ovation sweeping across the Kodak Theatre. Heath Ledger was visibly emotional. He rose from his seat as the cameras focused on him.
He shook hands with the nominees seated nearby. Some gave him genuine smiles despite their own disappointment.
As he made his way to the stage, the audience continued to cheer. They knew how much he had suffered last year.
Kazir Grey watched with a small smile, nodding in approval. It was a well-deserved win.
Heath Ledger had poured his heart and soul into his portrayal of The Joker, and the world recognized it. As the actor reached the podium, he took a moment to collect himself, gripping the golden statue tightly.
"Wow… this is, this is incredible," Heath said, his voice slightly shaky. He had gone through a lot last year. He thought he wouldn't survive.
"I never thought that playing such a chaotic, unpredictable character would lead me here. But The Dark Knight was more than just a movie. It is a masterpiece, and I am lucky to be a part of it."
He took a deep breath, then continued.
"I want to thank Kazir Grey for trusting me with the role, my fellow cast members for their amazing performances, and of course, my family… I owe them a lot. Also, Kazir, Scarlett, and Christian, if not for you guys, I wouldn't be standing here."
The crowd applauded again, and Kazir gave a respectful nod. He was proud of Heath.
But as the ceremony continued, his mood slightly soured when Best Cinematography was announced.
The Dark Knight lost to Slumdog Millionaire.
Kazir sighed. He had expected it, but it was still quite sad. He accepted that Hollywood wasn't ready to reward a superhero movie the Best Cinematography.
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[Author's Note: I want to promote this novel one last time, I got bills to pay in the first week of the month so I apologize if this promotion offended you.]
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