Sundance, Day 2: The
Premiere
Oh, Glory. This is the good stuff. Finally, a premiere. This is the reason we are here. Eddie’s client, the supremely talented Shannon Hale, is showing the
film based on her novel Austenland. Shannon co-wrote the script with Jerusha Hess, who made the film
her directorial debut. Instead of
standing in line with the ticket holders, we are ushered into a special holding
pen of sorts, where we relax and chat with Shannon’s family and her book agent,
Barry Goldblatt, until a handler comes and ushers us into the theater. We sit in a special reserved seating area for
cast, crew, and family, so we are soon chatting with Jerusha’s parents and her
husband Jared. Further down our row is a
shy, unassuming woman who seems close with Shannon and Jerusha. We later discover this is Stephenie Meyer,
part of the cadre of “little Mormon moms” who made this movie.
In front us we see Jane Seymour
quickly powdering her face before the photographers start shooting. She is sitting with her sister, Annie Gould,
who has one of my favorite roles in the film.
Keri Russell and Bret McKenzie are further
down the row. James Callis, Ricky Whittle, and JJ Feild sit a row or two
behind. Everyone is disappointed because
Jennifer Coolidge and Georgia King are filming, so they have to miss the
premiere. It seems to be a tight-knit
cast and crew. Everyone is happy to see
each other and seems a little giddy and giggly.
And then there’s the film. When it was over, I turned to Eddie and
gushed, “It’s everything I want in a romantic comedy!” And it is.
I am very picky about my romantic comedies, but I unreservedly love
this. It is so smart, and so funny.
Stellar performances, crackling dialogue, and wonderful chemistry and
heart. The audience absolutely eats it
up, and we turn and see Shannon welling up with the immense joy that comes from
hearing 1,200 people laughing the lines she wrote, the risky ones that she
worried no one would get.
When it’s over there is cheering,
as well as a charming, goofy Q&A.
Jerusha is a gracious and confident speaker, inviting Shannon and Stephenie
up to join her, as well as the cast.
Keri is shy and giggling and so it is Jerusha and Bret who take the
lead. Bret knows how to work a Q&A. He’s funny and engaging and makes sure that
everyone onstage gets a chance to say something. Favorite moments of the Q&A: Ricky Whittle’s audition story. Jerusha’s deep embarrassment when her actors
have to film kissing scenes. And Bret
and Keri are cousins? A link to the
Q&A is here.
We shuffle out of the theater and
are normal people again, if a tiny bit more savvy. We are learning to master the shortcuts. Eying the packed shuttle stop, we walk a few
blocks to a less crowded one. I find
myself chatting with an executive Eddie recognizes. The conversation lags until I bring up real
estate. Angelenos always come alive when
talk turns to housing or commuting. I
chide him when I discover he drives to work a half mile away from his
house. “You should know better,” I gently
scold, then I feel bad. Next to me Eddie
is telling the story of a colleague who got scammed for Sundance housing last
year. After prepaying for his housing,
he arrived to find that the address he had rented didn’t exist. Other people on the bus chime into this
conversation, in the same way people share their own versions of urban
legends.
Initially I was confused and
frustrated by the entire concept of the festival. Why would you host a film festival in the
mountains in the middle of winter? Why
make it so difficult to get tickets? Why
all this unnecessary standing in line?
But I am starting to get it now.
In some ways, Sundance is a great equalizer. Everyone stands in line, slogs through the
snow, huddles under a heater to stay warm.
Even stars are hustling, trying to find financing or distribution for
these films they believe in. There is a
sense of camaraderie that hardship brings, even if that hardship is simply slogging
around with big boots and puffy coats.
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