"Today's my last time
using words to express myself.
They're outdated now,
meaningless,
and totally useless.
So let's lose ourselves together, baby.
Let's just lose it all tonight.
This is the final time…"
Okay, something's off with this song—the lyrics are getting wilder by the second! Dunn quickly stopped little Taylor's performance, clapping with encouragement. "Perfect! Miss Swift, you sang that like a pro—Madonna-level stuff! "
"Really?!" Taylor's eyes lit up like stars. "So, can we keep performing *Harry Potter*?"
Dunn grinned. "Of course! You guys can perform forever if you want!"
"Wow!"
The little actors erupted into excited cheers. Taylor soaked up the praise from her friends, beaming with pride—she couldn't have been happier.
Dunn turned to her mom, Andrea Swift, his expression serious. "Mrs. Swift, I'll be honest—Taylor's not cut out for acting."
"Huh?"
Andrea's face fell, disappointment hitting her hard.
This was a big-shot Hollywood director talking. If *he* didn't see potential in little Taylor, maybe she really didn't have what it takes.
"But don't lose hope!" Dunn added with a smile. "Her voice is amazing, and she's got a beautiful tone. Plus, she writes poetry, which shows she's got a wild imagination and a knack for words. She'd absolutely crush it writing songs."
Andrea blinked, still processing.
Wilson, the troupe leader, stared at Dunn in shock. "Mr. Walker, are you saying… Taylor could make it in music?"
Dunn nodded firmly. "Yup, she's got the talent to create. With the right training, she could be an incredible country singer. Does she play guitar?"
Andrea looked a little sheepish. "Uh, no, she hasn't learned."
"Get her a teacher," Dunn suggested. He thought for a sec, pulled out a business card, and handed it over. "Mrs. Swift, here's my private number. Call me if you need anything—seriously, even if you take her to L.A. to study music, I'm happy to help."
"Director Walker, this is…"
Andrea was floored, almost too stunned to believe it.
Natalie frowned, hesitating before stepping in. "Actually, why not New York? It's closer to Pennsylvania, and there are tons of record labels here. My mom's an agent—she's got some connections."
Andrea was so overwhelmed with gratitude she could barely speak. "Thank you, thank you so much, Director Walker, Miss Natalie—you're both amazing!"
…
Later, as they walked away, Dunn slipped an arm around Natalie's waist and chuckled softly. "Sometimes I forget how mature you can be."
Natalie shook her head. "Taylor's just a kid, you know? Even if you're not worried about rumors, it's different with a little girl compared to some grown-up actress."
Dunn nodded. "I get it."
"It's mostly the Michael Jackson thing," Natalie sighed. "That mess got way too big. Anyone with a brain knows the more famous you are, the more trouble finds you."
"He was framed!"
"I know."
…
*The Wedding Crashers* has a trickier plot than *My Big Fat Greek Wedding*, with way more scene changes. After some back-and-forth, the production team gave Danny Boyle an $18 million budget.
Filming kicked off smoothly, right on schedule.
On November 20th, *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* smashed past $200 million at the North American box office! 🎉
Out of the 316 movies released in 1998 so far, it's the first—and only—one to break that mark.
The media's darling *Armageddon* is sitting at $196 million in North America, while *Saving Private Ryan* is at $180 million. To hit $200 million, it's banking on an Oscar season boost.
The massive success of *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* boosted Dunn Pictures' rep big-time, while piling pressure on Marvel.
On December 1st, the two sides met for their third round of talks.
Marvel's two shareholders caved a bit, agreeing to sell 80% of the shares for $70 million.
Dunn Pictures wasn't having it—they didn't even bother negotiating. Flat-out rejected it.
Dunn's stance was crystal clear: full acquisition or nothing!
Anything less? Total nonsense.
With the media hyping Dunn and *My Big Fat Greek Wedding* nonstop lately, Marvel's shareholders and management were bound to clash even harder.
Dunn wasn't sweating it. He had time on his side.
Ten days later, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (aka the Golden Globes crew) dropped the 56th Golden Globe nominations at the Beverly Hills Hilton.
*Shakespeare in Love*, fresh off its North American debut, stole the show with six nods.
*My Big Fat Greek Wedding* nabbed five: Best Picture (Musical/Comedy), Best Actress (Musical/Comedy), Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Score—tying with *Saving Private Ryan*.
Honestly, Dunn was shocked. He never dreamed he'd snag a Best Director nod.
It's a comedy, after all—besides Woody Allen, who's ever won big with one of those?
So, he's keeping his expectations at zero.
What he's *really* focused on? Whether Nicole Kidman can take home a win.
This year's Best Actress race is a mess—no one's delivered a knockout performance.
Among the vets, Nicole Kidman's acting shines, but it's in a comedy.
Cate Blanchett wowed in *Elizabeth*, and Gwyneth Paltrow nailed *Shakespeare in Love*, but they're both young and green.
Others, like Ally Sheedy in *High Art*, have the experience but lack that extra spark.
Historically, Gwyneth Paltrow won the Oscar this year—often called the weakest Best Actress win ever.
But what can you do?
The actresses this year just didn't bring their A-game. Cate Blanchett, the only real competition, is Aussie and even less seasoned than Gwyneth.
Then Dunn showed up, and Nicole Kidman stormed into the race.
Problem is, her movie's genre is a tough sell.
Sure enough, after the Golden Globe noms dropped, three of the other big five awards—National Board of Review, Critics' Choice, and SAG—rolled out theirs too.
The nominations varied wildly, but one thing stayed consistent: Nicole Kidman, Cate Blanchett, and Gwyneth Paltrow all scored Best Actress nods across the board.
As Oscar predictors, these four awards made it obvious to everyone in the U.S.:
This year's Best Actress Oscar is down to Nicole, Cate, or Gwyneth.
That also means Nicole Kidman's locking in her first-ever Oscar nom!
"Dunn, no matter what, I owe you a huge thank you," Nicole Kidman said, rare for her to call him first.
Dunn laughed. "Nicole, you know I'm not after thanks."
She went quiet for a moment. "I signed the papers."
Dunn froze. "What papers?"
"The divorce papers."
Her voice was calm, almost cold. Dunn, though, was floored, shouting, "Nicole, whatever you do, don't let that news leak!"
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