2 Hot Tips

Guys, I bought a 2012 planner yesterday.  And I've already started to fill it out. This year is almost over.  Exactly four weeks left of 2011...I'm not sure why that feels so crazy to me.  But it does.  Would love to book another job by the end of the year.  Sometimes there is a little surge of commercial activity in these last few weeks so hopefully I'll get in on the action.

On Friday I got to go to two screenings.  The first was a SAG Foundation "Conversations" event with part of the cast of "Raising Hope."  I love going to hear casts from shows I love at the Conversations series.  We got to screen their Christmas episode, which is a must-see.  It's an episode that really shows who these characters are and what is so endearing about them, so you can get up-to-speed on the series - even if you've never watched Raising Hope before.  After enjoying the screening there was an intimate Q&A.  I say intimate because there wasn't as large of a turnout to this Conversations but I think it's because it was at one in the afternoon, on a Friday.  I've only ever been to evening events before.  Gregg Binkley, who plays Barney on the show, told about his journey to this role.  Basically, 18 years ago, he went in to audition for a role that he wasn't right for.  When he got to the audition, the role was changed from a "college golf teacher" to a "delivery boy."  Suddenly he was right for the role.  When he was at the table read, one of the writers didn't realize the role had been cast and read his one line before he got the chance to.  When he got to set to shoot, the main actor on the show suggested that the role of "delivery boy" wasn't necessary.  So just like that, Gregg's one line and appearance was gone.  But one of the producers on set remembered him when they were working on another show, which led to another small role.  That same relationship led to another recurring role on another show.  Which led to doing a few lines on the pilot of Raising Hope. Which led to a series regular role.  All because he went in to audition for a part he wasn't right for.  I love stories like that.

Then, that night, I got to go to the first LA screening of Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.  Avid readers here may remember my slight obsession with the book so you know that this movie was going to be a tough sell for me.  When you love a book as much as I did this one, it is really hard to imagine that the movie will live up to it.  Well.....

I loved it.

I cried throughout the movie.  If I wasn't in a crowded theatre, I probably would have been audibly sobbing.  Ok, fine.  Maybe I whimpered audibly at times. There are major changes to the book in order accomodate the medium of film but I really think that the changes work.  The heart of the story is still there and it really moved me.  Even now, just watching the trailer, I'm crying again.  The movie takes you on Oscar's journey and I'm ready to see it again.  And ready to read the book again.

My suggestion?  READ THE BOOK FIRST.  My husband came to the screening with me and he wasn't as emotionally effected as I was.  I think because I had such an attachment to these characters and to the story, there were moments that were more poignant to me and carried more weight.  The book is so beautifully written, you don't want to miss out on the experience of getting to know these characters and their story first in your mind and heart.  Then see the movie to see that come to life.



So yeah.  There you have it.  Your two hot tips:  Watch the Christmas episode of Raising Hope and go see Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.

And, when you do, bring tissues.