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Movie Minutiae - Has the Sun Set on Sundance?By Laslo Hollyfeld, Guest Correspondent"Here," in this case, is Salt Lake City, where I live. It's a beautiful little city we’ve got here, what with all the mountains and clean living and whatnot. To the Hollywood elite, however, it’s merely an airport destination, a blur outside of their limos on the way to Park City, where most of the festival takes place. To those who have never been to Park City, think Aspen, Colorado, only smaller. Think Jackson Hole, Wyoming, only less isolated. Think Sun Valley, Idaho, but without Bruce and Demi. It’s the kind of place where the rich and famous flock to go skiing, sip cappuccinos, and generally talk about how great it is to be rich and famous while having a “wilderness” experience. (I’m not sure that staying in a five million dollar cabin next door to Eddie Van Halen and Bill Clinton constitutes a wilderness experience, but what do I know?) This setting is taken to the nth degree during the ten days of Sundance. Just getting to the festival is no small feat, since you can’t park within five miles of town. If you actually make it to Main Street, you will be surrounded by every Hollywood stereotype imaginable, which are mostly people talking overly loud into their cell phones about their undiscovered screenplay while simultaneously berating a poor waitress for not recognizing them. People who wear black turtlenecks, berets, and sunglasses indoors. People who smoke clove cigarettes and only drink imported water. The phrase “Do you have any idea who I am?” gets heard an awful lot. It didn’t use to be this way. Twenty-five years ago, Robert Redford began with a unique vision: host a film festival that showcased small-budget, no-name, independent films. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood these days owe their very existence to Sundance. Quentin Tarantino, Michael Moore, and Kevin Smith come to mind. So do films like Napoleon Dynamite, March of the Penguins, The Blair Witch Project, Reservoir Dogs, Sex, Lies and Videotape, and Smoke Signals. Some of the best documentaries, particularly those of Errol Morris, wouldn’t be known were it not for Sundance. The stories behind most of these films vary slightly, but most involve a director mortgaging his home and living off Spaghetti-O’s for three years while trying to get his film made. If he were lucky, a studio executive would see the film and decide to buy it and distribute it. If he was REALLY lucky, a well-known actor might even star in it. These days, however, it’s a much different story. While there are still filmmakers who fall into the Spaghetti-O category, they are increasingly being squashed by big-name actors who do an “indie” film to prove that they’ve still got some credibility. Thus, instead of getting films that actually tell a good story, all we are told is that Robin Williams is in this film or Wynona Ryder is in that film. And, call me cynical, but whenever you have Britney Spears show up you’ve lost your edge as a festival. Likewise, it’s getting harder and harder to even get a small film into Sundance. A few years ago, Orange County premiered at Sundance. While it became a big hit at the box office, nobody seemed to notice that the “poor, starving” director of the film was Jake Kasdan, son of Hollywood mogul and financier Lawrence Kasdan. When your rich and powerful father is getting your film into Sundance, there’s a problem. Maybe it’s prophetic that the opening film of the festival was called Friends With Money and starred Jennifer Aniston. Apparently Redford himself has noticed the problem and has promised that this year the festival will “return to its roots.” Yeah. I’ll believe that when I see it. Except since I’m not a big shot from L.A. or New York, the likelihood of my getting tickets to see it is about the same as Drew Barrymore’s NOT showing up for an awards show in a bad dress. I know what you’re thinking. I’m just jealous because I can’t spot celebrities in my own town and fawn all over them and their “indie” films, right? Wrong. The truth is that most people around here (outside of the news media) don’t care about celebrities. I am simply longing for the days when filmmaking actually meant sacrifice and hard work to tell a good story. Unfortunately, I fear, those days are long gone. |
HOME PAGE  Journey to the Center of the Earth Hancock Get Smart The Incredible Hulk The Strangers Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Young at Heart Iron Man Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed  Weekend Results: 1. The Dark Knight($158,411,483) 2. Mamma Mia!($27,751,240) 3. Hancock($14,040,178) 4. Journey to the Center of the Earth($12,340,435) 5. Hellboy 2($10,117,815) |
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