Chapter 135: Oscar Nomination

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Oscar Nomination

At a private party in Beverly Hills, Harvey Weinstein leaned against a sofa, holding a wine glass, his tone filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"A young girl who makes teen comedies, how old is she even? And she wants to challenge for an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay based on two blockbusters and two precursor awards? It’s simply a fantasy."

Several veteran directors around him chimed in, one of whom shook his head and said, "Mean Girls does have good box office numbers and the dialogue is somewhat amusing, but as for how much artistic value it has, that’s really not worth mentioning. The Oscars are for honoring works with true depth and substance, not for handing out consolation prizes to commercial films."

Harvey sneered and continued, "What’s even more ridiculous is the Coppola Family running around everywhere. Isn’t it just to use the family’s reputation to get a nomination? Don’t forget, the Oscar judges aren’t that easy to fool.

Back then, when Francis won, it was thanks to an epic work like The Godfather. Now, his daughter wants to get a nomination based on a high school farce. It’s simply overdrawing the reputation of the Coppola Family."

These words drew low laughter from those around him, and many showed expressions of agreement. In their view, Irene was too young, the subject matter too light, and her so-called "talent" seemed more like clever tricks to cater to the market, unworthy of the weight of an Oscar.

This also aligned with the views of typical old-school filmmakers. If Irene were 10 years older, things would be much easier.

But age cannot just be changed out of thin air, which was the main reason Francis wasn’t very optimistic about Irene’s successful nomination.

But there were those who looked down on Irene, and naturally, there were those who looked up to her, such as her godfather George Lucas, who had been rooting for her.

"I don’t think there’s anything outrageous about this. Irene is not even twenty, yet she can write such vivid and natural scripts and portray interpersonal relationships in schools with such incisive insight. That in itself is a talent. Since when did Hollywood mandate that teen comedies couldn’t get screenplay nominations?"

Such sentiments had some supporters. After all, the Oscars had been in the hands of old white men for too long, and there would always be someone wanting to challenge authority from time to time.

Lucas had never won an Oscar, but he never compromised for one either. This time, when he knew Irene had the idea of challenging for an Oscar, that stubborn streak in his bones emerged.

Deep down, he felt that since the Oscars didn’t appreciate him and wouldn’t let him win, he would push Irene up there. If a young girl could defeat a group of old-school filmmakers and get a nomination, that would be a sight to see.

A film critic familiar with Oscar rules also privately revealed some information:

"The competition for Best Original Screenplay this year is indeed not fierce. There are no works that are leading by a landslide. Irene has the backing of precursor awards and the endorsement of the Coppola Family’s connections, plus the national popularity of Mean Girls, so giving her a nomination is not really excessive.

Moreover, the Oscars also need fresh blood. The topic of the youngest Best Screenplay nominee is itself a form of promotion for the award."

Even many mid-generation producers privately expressed,

"Irene’s commercial sense and screenwriting ability are top-notch, and now that she has won a Golden Globe Awards, her future potential is limitless.

Even if this nomination is controversial, giving the Coppola Family some face can be considered leaving a path for future cooperation. After all, who wouldn’t want to work with a producer who can both win awards and make money at the box office?"

These discussions spread like the tide in Hollywood. Some openly criticized her in public, some silently took sides in private, and others held a wait-and-see attitude, waiting for the final announcement of the Oscar nomination list.

On the morning the Oscar nominations were announced, just as the sun in Malibu crossed the horizon, Irene’s phone exploded.

She had just returned from a walk with Lucky and hadn’t even had a chance to drink any water when Shelly’s call came in, filled with crackling excitement: "Nominated! Irene, you’re actually nominated! Best Original Screenplay! The youngest nominee in history!"

Irene held the phone and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the waves wash over the beach time and time again, the corners of her mouth curling up involuntarily.

She didn’t speak, but she could clearly hear the cheers of Shelly and the team on the other end of the line, with Vera’s excited screams mixed in the background.

Francis also walked over, patted her head, his tone full of pride. "That old guy Mario Puzo just called me, his tone was very complicated, both congratulating me and sounding sour. I guess he didn’t expect you to actually make it, hahahaha."

Irene smiled. "Dad, thank you for helping me navigate this. How is Uncle Mario’s health?"

"He’s fine, he won’t be dying anytime soon. He previously laughed at me for being old and making a fool of myself for my daughter, and even bet with me that you wouldn’t get a nomination. Hmph, this time I have to think carefully about what trophy to take." Her father was huffy. Having been questioned by a good friend had kept him somewhat annoyed.

Subsequently, her father went to take a few more calls and then turned back to say to Irene, "Now that you’ve got the nomination, the controversy is definitely unavoidable. You need to be mentally prepared."

Francis’s words were soon confirmed.

At two in the afternoon, Irene and Shelly headed to the Fox headquarters for a meeting.

It was originally just a wrap-up communication regarding the promotion of The Italian Job, but due to the Oscar nomination, there were some new changes.

Just as they walked into the parking lot, they ran into veteran director Joel Schumacher.

When he saw her, there was no expression on his face. He just nodded symbolically. As they brushed past each other, Irene clearly heard him snort to his assistant: "The Oscars really have less and less bottom line. A high school farce is worthy of a nomination? The Coppola face is more important than art."

Shelly wanted to turn back and argue on the spot, but was held back by Irene.

She shook her head and whispered, "No need, people will say what they want."

She had known for a long time that the combination of young + teen comedy was destined to attract questioning from old-school practitioners.

In the meeting room, as soon as Baird Fergus saw her, he stood up and hugged her. "Congratulations, Irene! This is a historic nomination. It was a wise move for Fox to cooperate with you on The Italian Job."

He handed over a supplementary promotional plan. "The company’s top management has decided to increase the follow-up promotional budget for The Italian Job by another 20%, taking advantage of the heat of the Oscar nomination to maximize the opening." ℴ

Irene smiled sincerely. "Thank you, Baird."

"It’s the right thing to do. Our internal test screening has ended, and The Italian Job has unsurprisingly received an A+. I believe this will definitely be a blockbuster movie this year." Baird Fergus said as he invited her and Shelly to sit down.

Irene picked up the new promotional plan and started reading it.

Promotional efforts and box office are proportional to some extent. Even the best products need promotion, so it is a good thing that Fox can expand publicity.