The awards dinner was about to kick off, and Dunn was seated with the Girl, Interrupted crew.
Noticing Natalie's beaming smile and cheerful vibe, Dunn asked curiously, "What's up? Did you get some inside scoop that you won?"
"No way, this is the Golden Globes!" Natalie shot him a playful glare.
This was the second-biggest film award after the Oscars—insider leaks were pretty much impossible. Well, not entirely. The Golden Globes had its share of shady internal scandals over the years.
That's part of why the Oscar committee and the Academy looked down on it.
"Then why are you so happy?"
"I…" Natalie teased him with a pause, smirking and lowering her voice. "So, have a bunch of women told you they want to have your kid or something?"
Dunn blinked, then chuckled. "Out of nowhere—why bring that up?"
"Hmph, just answer!"
"Alright, no point hiding it. Penny mentioned wanting to have an illegitimate kid with me—I shot that down. Nicole… she's hinted at it too."
Natalie's lips pursed into a little pout, barely hiding her amusement.
"What's so funny?"
"I'm just happy!"
Dunn grinned, teasing her back. "What, you want to have a kid now? No big deal—you're almost 20. You're not Juno. We could have a little one."
"Dream on! I've still got school!" Natalie rolled her eyes playfully, then scrunched her nose. "Besides, you know my dad. If I dared get pregnant before marriage…"
"Easy fix—we'll get married right now!"
Natalie bit her lip, glaring at him with mock frustration. "Is that your idea of a proposal? Hmph! I'm focused on school. No marriage or kids until I graduate!"
Dunn threw up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. You know me—I'm a feminist. I totally respect women's choices."
"Oh, please! Feminist? Who are you kidding? I know you too well!" Natalie pinched his arm, half-laughing, half-exasperated. "You're a total chauvinist—and you've got a serious… virgin complex, don't you?"
"Huh?" Dunn's eyes widened as he stared at her.
Natalie huffed. "Don't play dumb! All those women—so gorgeous—and you're still not satisfied because they don't meet your little 'standards,' right?"
Dunn laughed, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "You got me. Only a pure, good girl like you—who gave herself to me clean—can be the mother of my kids. Those others? They don't cut it!"
"Ugh, you're so gross!"
Natalie shoved him away, her cheeks flushing red with a mix of embarrassment, nerves, and a touch of pride.
"Know why I respect your dad so much, even though he's so strict with me?" Dunn winked at her mischievously.
Natalie turned away, blushing harder, muttering, "Who knows what creepy thoughts you've got! And anyway, even if Dad wasn't strict, I wouldn't be out messing around with random guys."
Dunn couldn't hold back a laugh. "Looks like you really get me, huh?"
"What? Ugh, you're the worst! Get up—I'm not sitting with you anymore. Jerk!"
Natalie pushed at his arm, her rosy cheeks practically glowing.
…
The Golden Globes were held as a dinner event, with guests seated around round tables, enjoying food while awaiting the awards.
The Best Actress in a Drama category was a tight race. Julia Roberts for Erin Brockovich, Nicole Kidman for Girl, Interrupted, and Laura Linney for You Can Count on Me were all top contenders. Plus, veteran Ellen Burstyn from Requiem for a Dream had strong industry buzz.
The presenter, comedy star Jim Carrey, loudly announced Julia Roberts' name!
From the same table, Dunn caught Nicole Kidman's face twitch for a split second before she plastered on a bright smile and started clapping.
The Golden Globes were the biggest predictor for the Oscars!
Over the past few months, Nicole Kidman and Julia Roberts had both been frontrunners, but award voters seemed to lean toward Julia for her acting breakthrough.
Nicole's odds of snagging the Best Actress Oscar this year just took a nosedive.
Dunn could feel the vibe at the Girl, Interrupted table shift. Everyone else clearly picked up on it too. Especially since, in a bit, the Best Supporting Actress award was coming up—and barring a shock, Natalie Portman was a lock to win.
Same movie, different fates. It left Dunn feeling off. He slouched down, got up, and slipped over to the Gladiator crew's table nearby.
It wasn't exactly proper, but Dunn had enough clout that no one dared call him out.
"Mind if I sit here?"
"Dunn? Of course, take a seat!" Director Ridley Scott's eyes lit up. He quickly made room, plopping Dunn right next to him and waving over Gladiator's leading lady, Connie Nielsen. "Connie, come here—have a drink with Dunn."
Connie Nielsen was 36—kind of a big age gap.
But this was Hollywood. Status trumped age. For actresses, as long as you stayed gorgeous and charming, that's what mattered.
And this was the unstoppable Dunn Walker!
Even Ridley Scott, a big-name director, didn't rank on Dunn's level.
Dunn shook Connie's hand, tossing out a few polite but half-hearted remarks. He wasn't that interested.
He'd rather chat with Ridley Scott. "Ridley, I've got a hunch—Gladiator's taking Best Picture!"
Ridley shook his head modestly. "Nah, I think Girl, Interrupted has a better shot."
"Oh, hey—got any new projects lined up?" Dunn smiled, steering the conversation elsewhere.
Ridley hesitated, looking unsure.
"Too hush-hush to spill?" Dunn raised an eyebrow.
Ridley paused, then lowered his voice. "Trade secret. Ever heard of a book called Black Hawk Down? It's based on a real event."
"Black Hawk Down?" Dunn's eyes narrowed.
Ridley looked surprised. "You know it?"
Dunn gave a faint smile.
Oh, he knew it alright!
A textbook war movie!
Too bad it hit theaters right after 9/11 and the Afghanistan War, smack in the middle of national trauma. The box office tanked, and Columbia Pictures took a bath.
But that wasn't what Dunn cared about. He was more focused on the film's producer!
"I heard Pearl Harbor's post-production is wrapped. Jerry Bruckheimer's free now?" Dunn squinted, his expression darkening.
Ridley frowned, not loving Dunn's interrogating tone, but he kept his cool. He knew his place. "The rights are in Jerry's hands. Columbia's already greenlit the investment."
Dunn's face turned icy. "Scott, you're not seriously planning to work with him, are you?"
Ridley Scott was a big deal in Hollywood, but he knew his limits. He was a foreigner, and this was Hollywood!
That's why, despite classics like Alien, Thelma & Louise, and Gladiator, he stayed low-key, steady, and humble.
In Hollywood, you keep your head down, stay polite, and play nice. That's how he'd earned the clout to call the shots back in the UK later.
Look at it another way: after Dunn snatched Titanic out from under him, Ridley's industry standing was arguably higher than James Cameron's right now.
But in all his films, Ridley had never once secured final cut privileges! It wasn't about his resume—it's that he didn't fight for it.
That's why masterpieces like Blade Runner and Kingdom of Heaven flopped at the box office due to botched edits.
On the flip side, it kept him clean. When Black Hawk Down and Kingdom of Heaven bombed, Ridley didn't take the fall. He kept rolling in Hollywood, landing big projects.
Compare that to John Woo, an Asian director who stormed into Hollywood, aced the game early, and nabbed final cut rights—only to pay for his confidence. After two flops, he slunk back to Asia.
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