Sundance Film Festival 2012: part 2 of 2

While I do believe part 1 of this crazy adventure we call Sundance will be a hard act to follow, the images taking up space on my camera beg to differ.  We left off with shenanigans galore, and carry that theme right to the boarding gate at SLC airport. 

We slept in our our third full day (what a treat after late nights and early wake ups the days before to get to the theater), and we had absolutely nothing on the agenda (and by 'we' I mean Amanda and me, as the other two decided to get their ski on, and what a day of perfection on the slopes they picked, as snow fell heavy the night before.  I tore my ACL skiing last year, and am still not allowed to ski, so Amanda decided to spend the day with me...more out of fear of missing a celebrity than anything else, it is safe to assume!) We got our sleep deprived bodies to Main Street by about 10:00am and were excited to see some big names and faces, straight away. 

I know, I know...I said "BIG NAMES'...but let's be real,

who doesn't love them some Ice-T?  sure the list is wildly

long of people  who do not care one bit, but I felt I should for

sure snap a picture,  just in case someone reading this is a maj fan?

(ps. pretty sure he would have kicked my ass if I didn't)

Frank Langella, in town to promote

Robot & Frank, which went on

to win an award at the festival

The X Games loving fool in me loves Sal Masekela

(you might also remember him for the E! channel's

flop-of-a-show Daily 10, but I digress) 

I like to call this series, 'Kirsten Dunst kind of blows'

She couldn't be bothered to stop for a photo (well girl, here's to

 hoping you look like a crapsicle in loads of photos out there!)

Thankfully I was working my paparazzi magic, snapping

loads of pics as she walked out

Let's be real, I could only hate on her for a minute .

She was totally adorbs looking, and happens to be in

one of the greatest movies EVER...Drop Dead Gorgeous

(and she is a dead ringer for one of my besties...Stacey Quinn Gohl)

Liv Tyler in town to promote Robot & Frank

Stop it, could she be any cuter?  I covet her entire look.

Yes, James Mardsen, again.  He was also in town to promote Robot & Frank,

but I include the picture on the right so we can all feel good about ourselves

knowing this cutie even sports a dubsy chin from time to time in pics.  Just sayin!

Allison Janney, in town to promote Liberal Arts,

which we had the pleasure of seeing the following day.

Jon Heder and the writer and director of For Ellen.

Katie Aselton & Lake Bell in town to promote Black Rock. 

This film was not up our alley for seeing, but I do love

 me some Lake Bell. She wrote and directed one of the funniest

short  films we were lucky enough to see at Sundance 2011.

Kate Bosworth, also in town to promote

Black Rock. She has acne. Doesn't that make

you feel better about yourself,  in this moment? 

Nia Vardalos in town to promote

 For a Good Time, Call

Elizabeth Olsen in town to 

promote Liberal Arts and Red Lights 

Senior photo...I feel straight JC Penneys photo

studio including this pic, but like I said before,

I heart me some Dan in Real Life,

 and Britt Robertson is totally adorbs!

Jason Ritter.  I love me some Parenthood,

so was excited to spot him on Main Street

Oh Lil Jon...always at Sundance.

Oakley sponsors him, so he just gets to run 

around town with a snowboard under his arm.

  He really is a little guy.

Ariel Winter of Modern Family in

town to promote a film that looks

absolutely horrible! 

William H. Macy is presh, band-aid and all.

The Minnesotan in me fell in love with him in

high school, when Fargo hit theaters

Kevin Pearce at the Bing Bar talking about his miraculous recovery from a traumatic

 brain injury he suffered during a snowboarding accident (incidentally, his accident happened

on the same half pipe at Park City Mountain Resort where skiier Sarah Burke suffered injuries

that ended her life a few weeks ago).  His accident and recovery struck a bit too close to home

 for me, so I didn't watch the entire interview, but he is so very inspirational!

Kate Bosworth IS JUST LIKE US!  After she ate a

sandwich (ugh, she tore off the crust) she checked

her teeth and face in the mirror.  JUST LIKE US, people!!

(I for sure should work undercover for US Weekly)

After a ridiculous day of of celeb spottings on Main Street, and dinner at our favorite thai restaurant in town (our hubbies do meet up with us for dinner, so that is probably a good sign that we aren't totally out of control...right?), we woke early the next morning to get to the theater for back-to-back films (thankfully at the same theater).  Even with tickets, you get in line to get into the theater.  Depending on the film, the line forms early!  We got there a bit earlier than needed because we wanted to get seats front and center because Mary Beth's favzy actress, Allison Janney was in the first film we were seeing, Liberal Arts.  Our hope was that she could snap a cheesy BFF pic with Allison at the end of the screening and director/actors Q&A.

I could have a maj moment over Josh Radnor...he is so dang cute and talented.

He wrote, directed and starred in the film, Liberal Arts, which was so very fantastic! 

A perfectly gooey, lovely and impossible love story.  Sigh. 

 John Magaro (actor in the film) and Josh Radnor

Oh, remember that BFF shot we were planning on with Mary Beth and Allison Janney? Would you believe the only cast members to show up for the screening were the two dudes above!  OMG-athon, we felt so cheated!  I  must say in my 6 years of festival film seeing, I have never been to a screening where the cast didn't show.  C'est la vie, we got a snack and got in line for the next film we were seeing. 

Speaking of the next film, we went into it quite blindly!  We saw that two of our favorite actors were in it and excitedly purchased the tickets for the world premiere screening.  The film was called The Surrogate (update: the name of the movie must have confused the heck out of many...the film is now titled, The Sessions) so duh, we all thought it was going to be about a surrogate pregnancy.  Duh, right?  Well...not so much.  Have you ever in your life heard of SEX SURROGACY?  Me neither!  Let me just be honest in saying that for the first 20 minutes of the film, I tried my hardest to figure out how a pregnancy was going to come into play...which of course it never did.  I always read film synopses for all the films I hope to see, but for some reason I didn't read this one. 

Okay, this was my little 'camera over the shoulder shot',

so I wouldn't look super obnoxious, but could show that

the cast sits in the audience to watch the film.  In this case,

William H. Macy was in the theater to watch his film, The Surrogate.

The blond women in the left foreground turned out to

be the women characterized by Helen Hunt in the film.

The screenplay of The Surrogate was brilliantly adapted by Ben Lewin from an article written by author and poet,  Mark O'Brien (who was beautifully portrayed by, John Hawkes in the film) who was stricken with polio at a young age and spent his time in an Iron Lung (full body respirator that encapsulated his body and kept him alive), other than the few hours a day he was able to lie on a gurney and be wheeled around town by one of his attendants (with a portable respirator on hand).  The article was about sexuality and the disabled, and during O'Brien's research he learned of sexual surrogacy and explored the idea of losing his virginity in his late 30s (which also involved loads Catholic guilt...so there were many interactions with the church priest, portrayed by William H. Macy)...he ends up working with a surrogate, who in the film is characterized by Helen Hunt.   I am horrible about giving away too much about films, so I will just say that this is one of the greatest films I have ever had the pleasure of viewing.  I cried like a baby, and stood in ovation with the audience not once, but twice!  I have never been part of a standing ovation where the clapping did not quiet for several minutes.  It was a beautiful film, that won two awards at the film festival (audience voted Best Dramatic Film and a special jury award for Best Dramatic Acting).  I still get goosebumps when I think of the energy in the theater, and am excited as I feel certain it will do big things come awards season! 

Ben Lewin, who wrote and directed The Surrogate.

John Hawkes (remember this name, come award season...mark my word),

William H. Macy and Helen Hunt

John Hawkes, William H. Macy and Helen Hunt

and after an intense morning and afternoon we were off to Main Street to sneak into a couple more parties!!!  We are totally naughty by nature when left to our own devices!  We had to make a pitstop by the Sorel party, as they gave us some amazing discounts last year on boots and for sure wanted that hook up again.  But...the party moved to a more secure location (no, we take no blame...haaa) and we walked in the front door, behind a group of guys who we assumed were working the party, as they all had on brand new boots.  So, before we got busted, we requested our discounts and got the heck out of dodge!  We are nuts, I can acknowledge that when I am removed from the excitement! 

Ummm, if this photo doesn't show how sleep deprived we are,

 I don't know what would.  This is the little cutie, Nolan Gould,

from Modern Family.  I asked him if he is as sweet as his character,

and he said, 'if you think I am, then yes'...presh. 

Our final stop of the night and trip was the Universal Studios party.  We heard about it from an NYU student, and being the "NYU alumni" that we are, we got in no problem.  WE ARE SO BAD!  It was a fun end the an amazing trip.  A trip filled with crazy antics and many, many laughs! 

This kid, Zach Heckdorf, was up my alley. 

Super folksy and doing Dr. Dre covers. 

But, like I said, the craziness followed us to the boarding gate where we overheard the biggest creepster of a paparazzo talking about how much money he made off the sales of a video he took of Tracey Morgan...Creep McCreeperson had exactly 2 teeth.  So, if he brought in the bucks he said he did, Godspeed and buy a set of teeth.