Hollywood: The Greatest Showman - Chapter 321: Watching from Sidelines

Chapter 321: Watching from Sidelines

Renly never expected that, as a complete unknown, he would actually be called out.

At an event as star-studded as the Golden Globes, mentioning everyone by name is impossible. But during such precious moments, Ricky took a shot at Renly, which was truly remarkable.

Ricky not only mocked Renly’s lack of talent, implying that he got his nomination purely through connections, but also criticized the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s flattery—

Johnny Depp’s *The Tourist* and *Alice in Wonderland* had questionable quality, and both receiving nominations was difficult to accept. Just as he previously ridiculed *The Tourist*’s nomination, Ricky hinted that the Hollywood Foreign Press Association awarded Renly two nominations merely to curry favor with Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg.

On a deeper level, Ricky claimed he hadn’t even seen *Buried*, as he clearly didn’t believe that 21-year-old Renly could deliver a noteworthy performance. This was the essence of his 14-year-old jibe.

Renly’s rise in the past six months was astonishingly fast—first the Emmys, now the Golden Globes. The endless praise seemed almost like a lie. Rumors of a “well-connected parachute” were rampant in the industry.

Ricky’s jab clearly annoyed Tom and Steven, who were tired of the British comedian’s wild remarks, but Renly found it amusing. In the entertainment-focused Golden Globes, why take things too seriously? The person who gets serious is the one who loses.

Renly wasn’t angry at all. Instead, he politely raised his hands and applauded Ricky. This small gesture made Ryan and Jennifer chuckle. Luckily, the three didn’t make too much noise, avoiding further attention, with only their table noticing the moment.

Tonight’s chaos was, indeed, entertaining.

Seeing the audience’s cold reaction, Ricky smirked in disdain, criticizing Americans for their lack of humor. “Shall we start the awards now? Our first presenter is not only beautiful but also incredibly talented—and Jewish. Mel Gibson told me that, and he’s obsessed with it.”

Back in 2006, Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving and went on an anti-Semitic rant, earning condemnation as a racist. Shortly after, at a private party, he was once again exposed for making extreme remarks about Jews. Combined with the anti-Semitic accusations during *The Passion of the Christ*, his directorial career came to a crashing halt.

Four years had passed, and Mel had almost disappeared, with no film project daring to hire him.

Earlier this year, Mel was involved in another scandal. He reached a deal with the LA District Attorney, agreeing to plead guilty to domestic violence to avoid prison time.

If we trace back further, Mel had previously cheated on his wife of 28 years with Oksana Grigorieva. But less than a year after their relationship began, following the birth of their daughter, Oksana accused him of domestic violence and announced their breakup.

In her fight for custody and child support, Oksana released a recording in which Mel made death threats, displayed extreme misogyny, and showed a disturbing propensity for violence. Trapped by his own actions, Mel reached a plea deal.

Three days before the Golden Globes, Mel’s longtime agency, William Morris Endeavor, ended their partnership with him.

In just one sentence, Ricky skewered Mel’s entire scandal and then dramatically announced, “Let’s welcome Scarlett Johansson.”

The atmosphere at the venue instantly turned icy—was Ricky mocking Mel or Scarlett?

As Scarlett walked onstage, her expression was stiff, and she glanced twice at Ricky. This kind of momentary distraction was highly unusual at an awards show, especially as she was the first presenter. However, Scarlett composed herself and began announcing the winner of Best Supporting Actor.

Was this really the lighthearted Golden Globes?

Jennifer was trying hard not to laugh, sneaking a glance at Renly as if asking, “Is this normal?”

A smile spread across Renly’s face as he quietly shook his head, signaling that he didn’t know either. Then both of them turned to Ryan, who had the most experience here.

Feeling the weight of their stares, Ryan looked innocent, with a curse on the tip of his tongue. But he quickly remembered the setting wasn’t appropriate for swearing, so he swallowed his words and shook his head helplessly, expressing his confusion.

Honestly, even Ryan was baffled. Even Tom Hanks, a 30-year industry veteran, looked stunned. Ricky was definitely making enemies tonight, with every personal attack feeling ill-timed, often involving sexist or homophobic undertones.

This Golden Globes was set to be a spectacle. Unfortunately, Renly was part of the drama; fortunately, he was a bystander.

Once the awards started, everything unfolded without surprises, yet filled with unexpected moments.

There were no surprises because the season’s favorites came out on top, but there were unexpected twists as the Golden Globes abandoned its usual party-like vibe, where awards are spread out generously, in favor of a few strong frontrunners.

In the supporting categories, Christian Bale and Melissa Leo from *The Fighter* dominated, winning without suspense.

Elsewhere, *The Social Network* showcased its dominance, winning Best Original Score, defeating Hans Zimmer’s *Inception*; Best Screenplay, beating *127 Hours*, *The Kids Are All Right*, and *The King’s Speech*; and Best Director, triumphing over *Black Swan*, *The Fighter*, *Inception*, and *The King’s Speech*, taking home three awards!

Unlike the Oscars, the Golden Globes don’t have many technical categories—only Best Original Song, Best Original Score, Best Foreign Language Film, and Best Animated Feature. In other words, *The Social Network* won every category it was eligible for, except Best Original Song (since the film didn’t have one).

The anticipated showdown between *The Social Network* and *The King’s Speech* never happened, as *The Social Network* swept everything. *The Fighter* and *Inception*—one a model of artistic achievement, the other a commercial success—couldn’t pose much of a threat. This was *The Social Network*’s coronation.

Of the five film awards handed out so far, *The Social Network* and *The Fighter* took everything, leading people to wonder: is this really the Golden Globes?

Moreover, the four major acting awards played out with no surprises, killing any suspense and turning the event into something more akin to the Teen Choice Awards.

In the Best Actress categories, Annette Bening and Natalie Portman won in the comedy/musical and drama divisions, respectively. If Annette’s win was well-deserved, with *The Kids Are All Right* almost an internal competition between her and her co-star, then Natalie’s win, despite the swirling controversy surrounding her, over Nicole Kidman’s *Rabbit Hole* and Michelle Williams’ *Blue Valentine*, was a bit of a letdown.

In the Best Actor categories, Paul Giamatti and Colin Firth also claimed predictable victories. In the comedy/musical category, Paul faced little competition, while in drama, despite much hype around the competition, Colin’s win was expected, though still disappointing.

Before the awards, there was much buzz about the “four Generation Y actors ganging up on Colin.” Each actor had their strengths: Jesse from *The Social Network* had the advantage of starring in the biggest awards-season hit; Ryan from *Blue Valentine* was the academy’s favorite young actor, a rising star at 30; and James from *127 Hours* successfully transitioned from heartthrob to serious actor, boasting the highest recognition among the competitors.

Among them, Renly, with the least experience and fame, delivered 2010’s most compelling performance in *Buried*. In terms of raw talent, he was leading the charge among the young actors, posing a real challenge to Colin. However, *Buried* was the lowest-grossing film among the Best Actor nominees, limiting Renly’s chances. Yet, his recent Emmy win had proven his recognition by the academy.

All four young actors had a shot, but the Golden Globes offered no surprises, witnessing only Colin’s smooth coronation.

This year’s Golden Globes were both predictable and surprising, dull yet oddly lacking in entertainment. Was the Hollywood Foreign Press Association skipping the usual party atmosphere this year? Were they trying to imitate the Oscars instead?

The most perplexing moments were still to come in the television awards, with shock and confusion audible in the room, taking the night’s controversy to a peak.