No matter how good the other films were, they simply couldn't withstand the crushing momentum of Avatar. The explosive word-of-mouth surrounding The Hurt Locker — combined with the fact that its director was Cameron's ex-wife — only fueled the gossip-hungry public's excitement. As for Laila, she stood as the third pillar alongside them. In the first half of the awards season, nearly every major ceremony revolved around these three films.
At this year's Golden Globes, Blood Diamond was nominated for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best Picture, in addition to being nominated for Best Screenplay.
Laila was quite pleased when she found out. Leaving aside the top three categories, she felt the screenplay was the most well-deserved nomination. She and the other screenwriter had spent countless days perfecting that script — she couldn't even remember exactly how long it took. What she did know was that it had been an extremely long and grueling process.
Just think about it — doing the same thing over and over. One sentence was rewritten dozens of times. Not many people could endure that kind of torture.
And editing was just one part of it. Sometimes, when they thought of a brilliant new idea, they had to figure out where to insert it. Where should it go? How should it be integrated? To what extent? Different approaches would produce different results.
However, the result was disappointing — the Best Screenplay award went to Up in the Air.
Up in the Air was certainly good, but Laila still felt her Blood Diamond was more profound.
Many viewers watching from home felt the same.
"Was Up in the Air that great?"
"Blood Diamond, 500 Days of Summer, even District 9 were better than that."
"Even District 9? If it had a bigger budget, District 9 would be a masterpiece!"
"I support Blood Diamond! I was on the edge of my seat the whole time — that's what a real movie is!"
Audiences buzzed with discussion, but unfortunately, none of their voices reached the venue.
Roy knew how much Laila cared about the screenplay award, and he could see how disappointed she was.
"You know, the Golden Globes aren't exactly professional. They like to spread the love. Giving Up in the Air this one probably means they'll give you the bigger awards later."
Laila silently nodded. She didn't bother forcing a smile whenever the cameras swept over her. She was a director, not an actor—she didn't need to pretend to be magnanimous. She was upset, and it showed plainly on her face whenever the camera cut to her.
Typically, when winners are announced, the cameras would immediately focus on the other nominees to capture their reactions. If you took it badly, you'd become an easy target for criticism. Smiling was best; if you couldn't smile, showing genuine disappointment could still win some sympathy.
But Laila's complete lack of expression made her stand out among the other nominees.
The sharpest reporters were the first to catch on: clearly, Laila was unhappy with the result! Discontent meant she was questioning the Golden Globes' judgment!
Laila was one of the top-tier directors in Hollywood, backed by the mighty Moran Group. What would happen if she clashed with the Golden Globes? If she publicly voiced her doubts, it would explode into a major news story.
Some reporters even remembered that Laila had previous tensions with the Golden Globes. They began exchanging information, trying to connect the dots.
Roy believed they didn't give Best Screenplay to Laila because they were saving the bigger prizes for her. But he was wrong. As the awards continued, Blood Diamond kept getting passed over.
Leonardo's much-anticipated Best Actor award went to Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart. The Best Director went to Cameron. Even Best Picture was scooped up by Avatar.
Once all the movie awards were handed out, reporters, guests, and viewers at home practically exploded.
No one expected this outcome.
Avatar was indeed amazing, and its box office was record-breaking. But was it deserving of both Best Picture and Best Director? Making tons of money didn't automatically mean it was worthy of these top honors. Not only Blood Diamond but even The Hurt Locker had been highly favored to win.
How was it that all these highly acclaimed films ended up going home empty-handed?
Audiences were outraged. Fans were livid. And entertainment reporters were ecstatic.
Laila and Kathryn Bigelow represented something bigger—they were icons of female filmmakers in Hollywood. Were their films inferior to Cameron's? Why had Cameron swept all the major awards while they got nothing? This could only mean one thing: gender discrimination by the Golden Globes!
Whether or not there was any actual discrimination involved, the reporters were determined to turn it into a massive story. After all, gender issues attracted attention. And with Laila involved—who was a topic magnet all on her own—even a minor news item could be blown up into international headlines.
In a way, the Golden Globes were simply unlucky. No one knew their real motives. Maybe some members did harbor gender bias, but they likely weren't foolish enough to be so obvious about it. Even if they did have such thoughts, they wouldn't dare execute them so blatantly.
But regardless of their true intentions, the facts were there for everyone to see. The winner's list spoke for itself, leaving no room for defense.
Reporters were beyond excited, while the Golden Globes—now moving on to the TV categories—were completely unaware of the storm brewing outside. But audiences watching live had already exploded with rage.
Laila was considered one of Hollywood's most powerful figures—arguably the most powerful. If even she could become a victim of gender discrimination, what hope was there for ordinary women?
"If they start giving Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress awards to men too, women won't have anything left at the Golden Globes!"
This comment appeared on Facebook—where users were rapidly discussing the ceremony—and quickly went viral, receiving countless likes, most of them from women.
People had been shouting about gender equality for years, but who could truly say it had been achieved? In Hollywood, even at the same level of stardom, male actors typically earned double what female actors made. If that wasn't discrimination, what was it?