Sundance Film Festival 2012: part 1 of 2

Oh wow, this year at the Sundance Film Festival was Cuh-razy!  Was it the films we saw, the parties we snuck into...or were we just crazy?  Probably a decent combo of all three.  This was for sure the greatest festival I have attended! 

The first night we (Amanda, Jen, Mary Beth and I) met a guy who had one extra ticket for the festival opening night party.  We decided that one ticket meant all four of us girls would go (my husband and Amanda's husband, who traveled with us, wanted nothing to do with our shenanigans and slept up as the only thing they had on their agenda was getting in as much skiing as possible!).  So, we arrive at the venue of the opening night party and realize that security is pretty tight (had we met our match???).  We brainstormed in the adjoining bar and decided that Amanda and Mary Beth would go and ask a few random questions, giving me enough time to quickly write out names on the guest list.  How brillz are we???  We laughed so very hard, and thought it was a done deal...we were getting in! 

Well, we thought too soon, as I for sure wrote our names on THE WRONG GUEST LIST!  Welp...on to plan B.  We sent Jen in with the guy that had the extra ticket, while the three of us got to thinking of how on earth we were going to pull off the sneak in.  Like I said, security was tight.  I am talking get through the check in, receive an armband, then pass additional people of importance that were probably jonesing for a reason to have us escorted off the premises.  We were pretty discouraged, and about to walk back to the bar (we figured we would give Jen a solid hour to enjoy herself at the party, since she was in!) when something came over me and I walked with great importance past the check in and security and up the flight of stairs to the party (certain that someone was going to grab me by the faux fur hood and throw my ass in a snowbank)!  Holy Toledo...I was in!  Jen and I were laughing so hard, as this felt like a prank certain to rival any we pulled off in our teenage years.  We were still laughing when my phone rang and the other two did the exact same thing and were currently darting it up the stairs!  Like I said, we knew that one extra ticket meant all four of us would attend the party!!!

We danced late into the night.  We had a blast as the DJ pumped out some of our favorite tunes.  I pause and wonder what that dance floor would have looked like if the four of us weren't ripping it up?  We finally decided to walk back to our condo when we remembered we had to be up bright and early  the next morning for a film premiere.  Boy oh boy...did we make memories that night!  The balls to the walls mentality we called on that night definitely didn't waiver the entire trip, just keep reading!

The next morning we headed to the theater to see Wish You Were Here.  This Australian film was directed and co-written by Kieran Darcy-Smith (he wrote the film with his wife, Felicity Price, who also starred in the film).  The plot of the film is about two sisters and their partners (new boyfriend for one and husband for the other) carefree journey to Cambodia, but only three of the four return home to Australia.  The crazy cinematography brilliantly played out the classic themes of love, deception and corruption, leaving me to wonder who of the three who returned to Australia knows more than they are saying about what really happened in Cambodia.  It was a thriller in every sense of the word (I may or may not have grabbed the stranger sitting next to me at one point in the movie).  The cast was Australian, but the acting in this films leads me to hope and think we will be seeing much more of them! 

The pinnacle of screenings at Sundance is the Q&A

with the director & the cast of the film.

The producers and cast (the producers are flanking the cast). 

 I think Joel Edgerton is going to blow up. 

He was incredible in this film and when we saw him

 about town he was definitely one of the 'it' guys of the festival. 

It is such fun to see a film, and then see the director

and the cast around town. 

If you have a quick second, here is the film trailer.  So good, I already await its release so I can see it again!!

The heaviness of the morning film didn't stop us from getting our pseudo-paparazzi on...so, off to the streets of Park City we went, in search of who knows who...but we were sure to find them!  The four of us split up into 2s for a bit and at this point I befriended a security guard at the Bing Bar (who came in handy on other days too) who let Amanda and I in through the side door to go watch the Jason Mraz concert.  Sadly, we took a wrong turn and gunned it up a flight of stairs and ended up backstage.  Can you say, AWKWARD!  We were so confused and attempted to get back into the building but ended up exactly where we started...on the street talking to the security guard (who certainly thought we were idiots for missing the mark on where he told us to enter)...haaaaa!  Discouraged we were not, and off we went to find some celebs! 

Blythe Danner

I am probably 1 of 7 people in

Park City who even have a cluezy

who Cisco Adler is...yet, he seems

to be there every year!

Rashida Jones, in town to promote Celeste and Jesse Forever,

which she co-wrote and stars in.

Ari Graynor: Celeste and Jesse Forever

Andy Samberg: Celeste and Jesse Forever

Emma Roberts: Celeste and Jesse Forever

Laura Prepon, from That 70s Show...she doesn't

appear to age like a fine wine, if you catch my drift.

Duncan & Jonnie from The Buried Life

James Mardsen, in town to promote The Bachelorette 

(movie, not shitty spin-off television show...who am I

kidding, I totally watch that show!)

'Backstreets back alright!'...opps, I stand corrected, Nick Lachey was

not a Backstreet Boy...who knew? 

La Bamba!

Anne Heche in town to promote That's What She Said 

A day full of good film watching and celeb stalking, we were off to bed as early as could be Friday night, as we planned to get in the wait list line for tickets Celeste and Jesse Forever which was at the top of our list of films we hoped to catch during the festival.  Would you believe we got to the theater and in line at 5:10am?  Believe it as truth!  The reason we were gung-ho on getting there so early (the movie showed at 9:00am) is because we got hosed in the wait list line last year (after waiting several hours)...so we decided to leave nothing to chance and planned on being #1-4 in line.  Yay, we were!!!  By 6:00am the line was getting long and by the time we were escorted into the theater, the only thing we knew was that wait list #s 1-20 had seats.  Yay us! 

What to say about this film...the cast was spot on (who doesn't heart them some Andy Samberg?) and the push and pull between the lead characters of this romantic comedy was very reminiscent of one of my favorite movies, When Harry Met Sally.  Enough said! 

Director Lee Toland Krieger introducing the film,

Celeste and Jesse Forever.

Written by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack

Elijah Wood, Andy Samberg & Rashida Jones



Elijah Wood

Andy Samberg greeting the audience after the show

When we left the theater it was snowing so hard!  We were so excited for the guys out skiing, but decided we had to try to find something to do inside.  Mary Beth headed to the condo for a little snooze and the rest of us decided to walk Main Street a bit...but dang that snow was blowing every which direction!!!

Can you see that snow blowing?  Brrrrrrr. 

 I spied Eric Christian Olsen on Main Street.

After braving the blowing snow we headed to the Bing Bar and were excited that Aziz Ansari was doing an interview.  He is ridiculously funny! 

Maria Menounos interviewing Aziz Ansari

We watched him do his thing for awhile then thought, 'when in Rome...' let's go get lunch (upstairs...where the press is eating...haaaa).  Don't mind if we do...free lunch in hand, we cozied up on couches and made ourselves at home (I mean, look the part...who's gonna dare ask!).  We listened to some live music, watched Ross Mathews interview some people and went to the bar and grabbed some free drinks (again, when in Rome...). 

Ross Mathews interviewing Aziz Ansari

About this time Mary Beth called to see what we were up to.  We didn't know how to sneak her in, but once again, we had a plan...she would sneak in the same way the security guard had directed Amanda and I in when we accidentally went backstage.  I headed downstairs to go stand at the side entrance, and was excited to see that the security guard was the same one who kindly let Amanda and I sneak by the day before.  We were in!  All four of us were once again in!  You can't make this stuff up...we are just that sneaky!!!  We headed upstairs to the press floor and watched E! news do some interviews...so crazy (yes, we are!) and fun! 

Britt Robertson (who I loved in Dan in Real Life) and

Victoria Justice (from some show I am sure my nieces watch?)

E! News correspondent David Burtka

Amanda and I with David Burtka of E! News

 (many thanks to Amanda for letting me use her scarf to

cover up my crazy snow/hat hair) Could David be any cuter? 

I think not!  Neil Patrick Harris is one lucky dude!

Rumors started to float around the Bing Bar that The Roots would be playing that night.  We were excited, and certain we had to see the show.  We decided to find a place to hide in the building, and just wait it out.  The best idea we came up with was the ladies bathroom.  Too bad the cleaning staff of this establishment was crazy about cleaning, as they popped into the bathroom no less than 25 times while we were trying to decide if we could all fit under the bar length sink (curtain front sink, people...I still think we could have made it work!).  During this time, Jen crawled under the toilet stall that was out of order, and the door was locked.  That was going to be her hiding spot for the next (oh...how many hours did we plan on hiding out in the bathroom???  Definitely didn't think this one through) hour.  With Jen tucked away, I was on the floor making my way under the sink when a member of the cleaning staff walked in to refresh the paper towels for the 13th time.  How awkward.  Me, on the floor attempting to slide under the sink.  I had to think quickly, and the only thing I came up with was a bout of the altitude sickies had brought me to the floor!  Worked like a charm.  Mary Beth instantly knelt down to make sure I was okay. So, we had our story, but realized how old it was getting after probably the 15th person walked in and said they had experienced the same and encouraged me to eat an orange, drink more water, drink coconut water (ummm, have you tried that stuff?  Do not recommend!) or lie down.  We decided we need to get the heck out of there, and probably picked a great time to vacate, as Microsoft was hosting a private dinner.  But, where were The Roots playing?  We searched town.  Talked to loads of people in search of this elusive band.  Still, I liken our search to the episode of the original Beverly Hills, 90210 where they exchange an egg at the convenient store for a map that will lead them to a rave.  We had the 'egg' in hand...just never found the convenient store, if you will.  Major bummer, but we did find Dr. Dre playing in a venue, so that definitely wasn't too shabby!

Signing off for now, before I get a bad case of the writer's block and am forced to drink coconut water (that crap cures all, so they say!)...but will report back with part 2 of our adventures, so be on the look out!