"The Right Place at the Right Time"
The day we heard that MacArthur Park had made The Sundance Film Festival was the most exciting thing that had happened to me in months. It isn't often that somebody I'm actually rooting for gets accepted! And since the festival is in my home town, for once I was going to be able to enjoy it, instead of hidding until it passed as I have done in recent years. (I immediately requested the whole week for vacation!)
Unfortunately, my week started out with disappointment.
On Sunday afternoon I walked into Cafe Terigo on Main Street in Park City, which happens to be owned by my cousin Debbie. She was hosting a dinner party for the people associated with MacArthur Park, and I hopped she would be able to introduce me to Billy. Only I was a day late. The soiree had been the night before! Debbie and I were both just sick that I had missed it. She said that they were the sweetest, friendliest group that she had ever met, and it would have been the perfect casual atmosphere for snapping some pictures and getting some insights for the website. They had even promised to come back and bring her some of the the stocking caps with the movie title that she loved so much. She couldn't say enough nice things abut them.
My anxiety of possibly missing Billy all together was mounting. I spent the rest of Sunday walking around town, trying to spot any of the people I knew to be associated with the movie. I saw several famous faces, but no Billy, and not even an MP poster on any of the sign boards that are every few feet along the street. I finally got a seat at an Internet cafe, where I learned from Max that he would be at the Premiere party that night. VIP passes only. My best bet was to get into the screening the next day.
Monday morning I had to park up on the mountain and trek down into town. The shuttles are always running slow, and I knew that I could get there faster on foot, even though it was straight down hill in the snow.
Let me give you an illustration of Park City. It's just like those desert towns in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons. Just two rows of shops facing each other in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by tumbleweeds. Except this one is nailed to the side of a mountain and surrounded by ski runs. It's usually exclusive to serious skiers and snowboarders all winter, and a good place for celebs to take a winter vacation without being harassed much by the public. But for ten days right in the middle of the season, Robert Redford and Hollywood descend like locust. There is always a constant flow of people up and down the narrow sidewalks, but very few actual destinations. You see the same faces over and over as people try to spot famous faces in the crowd. Most are people from small production companies, who are hoping to ingratiate themselves on a Money Project. Only a handful are actual Money Project names.
Amid all the hoopla there is a place where the locals go during the ten days of the festival. You won't find it in the phone book, and there is no sign on the door. Skiers feel like they have had part of their season amputated by the festival. Most relocate to the other side of the mountain to the budget resorts. The rest stay up on the mountain as long past sundown as they dare then descend on their hide-out to hibernate until the crowds vacate their town. I had friends there on the look-out for me, and I intended to check in there first, to see if there was any news of a sighting.
I entered town near the Egyptian Theater and turned up Main Street.
Immediately I walked onto what I assumed at first was a minor publicity stunt. Many of the film makers will gather on the sidewalk in front of their own camera and pretend to be doing an interview so that the curious moviegoers will gather round and hear the title of their film spoken repeatedly. Then my eye caught the Entertainment Tonight logo on the mike, and I looked closer to see who's lips it was aimed at.
As I saw the man facing the camera my heart actually stopped. Billy! I
ripped my camera out of my pocket and aimed to shoot, but I was on my last picture, and the camera began to rewind! Desperation gripped me and I stuffed my camera bag into the nearest flower box and scrambled through it for another roll. I was terrified that he would turn and vanish into the theater before I could get him on film. My hands were shaking so much at it took several tries to load the fresh film. Fortunately, the interview was going along at a casual pace. People were beginning to close in to listen, and I couldn't set up a shot between them. Then one of the crew went back to the truck for something and I had a clear shot. I was snapping and pausing and trying to catch his smile as he expressed his thoughts to the camera. I could only catch an occasional word because my heart was racing, sending the blood screaming through my ears. My hands trembled. I wondered if the pictures would come out in focus, and my knees began to shake too. I just kept thinking, "He's right there! Billy Wirth is RIGHT THERE!"
That's when the effacious little brunette in the flourescent scarf forced herself right between me and my subject. I had to scramble around the other side of the truck and into the street, where I actually had a better angle. After ripping off three more frames the flash drew Billy's attention. He turned his gaze on me, and I stopped shaking. Actually, I froze. He was facing me
straight on, a deliberate gaze meeting mine. I tried to lift the camera to my eye, but I couldn't make my arms move!
I honestly don't remember getting back around the truck and onto the sidewalk. The next thing I knew, the camera lights went out and the interview party and their
equipment cascaded in different directions. Suddenly there were no trailing electric cords or tripod barricades between us. The flourescent scarf was talking to him, and he was leaning down close, giving her his full attention. I have never been one to accost celebrities in public, so I timidly asked a man holding a video camera on a monopod (who appeared to be with Billy) if it was okay to detain him, or if they had to go. He smiled politely and gestured for me to step forward, and then Billy was smiling at me and shaking my hand. I couldn't tell if I was still trembling, but I hoped he wouldn't notice.
"I'm Julie. Maxine sent me."
That easy smile lit up his face.
"Max! That's so great!" Then he hugged me, and told me that he had been trying to contact Max online, and looked to Stacy to confirm it. Stacy was the camera guy, and also the Promotional Director of the movie. We discussed Max's dedication and the amazing spectrum of fans she has brought together. I kicked myself for not bringing her phone number, but told them how to contact her through the site. Then I was bold enough to hand my camera to Stacy to shoot Billy and me together. So I knew at least two frames from this roll would turn out! Billy hooked his arm around me as if we had been friends for years. Miraculously, I had a moment to ask him a couple of questions from the list I had prepared.
"Do you have hopes of being picked-up by a distributor?"
He smiled and said things looked very hopeful.
"So there has been talk?"
"Yeah". His smile got even wider, if that's possible.
"And do you prefer directing to acting?"
"I LO-OVE directing!" His answer was reflected in his eyes.
Although it was evident tht Billy has been working very hard for this whole shebang, his spirit and affability were indefatigable. His faith in this project and its message were also evident. As members of his crew came and went, they discussed their tight schedule and made last minute changes, but all as playfully as if they were between games at a high school basketball championship. One of them handed Billy a cell phone and I decided I was becoming an imposition and turned to leave. As I backed away I just aimed my camera from shoulder-level. He quickly dropped the person on the phone to smile and wave good bye to me. A post-event rush of giddiness began to well-up inside me as I retrieved my camera bag. before I even had a change to wonder what to think of it all, Billy called to me and caught up with me. With the endorphins pumping into my brain, I was a little foggy and wasn't sure what he was saying at first. Then I realized he was inviting me to the Friday Screening. I tried to tell him I was going to see it that afternoon but all my words came out in the wrong order. I finally managed to say I'd be there!
Julie Brown
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