Seattle Fans McPark & Billy
Billy,
I went to the Seattle Film Festival with my sister Denise, who is part of your fan club. She is the one who got the autograph for Max. I was surprised by the excitement I felt when we realized you were sitting in the front of the auditorium. I found myself staring curious to see how you acted and whom you were talking to. The thought of sharing the room with a real movie star seemed a little weird.
I thought MacArthur Park was a really good movie, better than I expected, I thought it was going to be really depressing since it was about drug addicts. The movie portrayed many different cultures and how anyone can get caught up in drugs. The best thing about the movie was that there were some happy endings, like the girl getting on the bus back home at the end of the movie.
I think that Blue was my favorite character, because she realized that the drugs had control of her life, but she was not going to let anyone else take advantage of her. She knew she needed help, but just wasn't ready to get it yet.
The best part about the whole thing was that Tyrone got help and pulled himself out of Macarthur Park. I thought it was so awesome to find out that this was really true and that you helped him do it. Especially after finding out that this was over a 5 year period. You had Tyrone's screen play and you could have just run with it, but you really knew the importance of his input and wanted to help him as a person as well. When many others would have long since given up on him.
I guess it is like you were saying about homeless people you were interviewing, they are people too. Well, I think that sometimes we forget that about celebrities also, we put them on a pedestal or think that they are arrogant and selfish, just because they have more than we do, or have the confidence to do what you do. I think everyone needs to know that they are appreciated and that they deserve recognition for their good works.
I thought about telling you that I thought it was great the way that you not only included Tyrone in the making of the movie, but that you never gave up on him. You understood how important his input would be and that the life of a perfect stranger was important to you. I was too shy to tell you this in person so I am writing this letter and having Denise forward it on to you, in hopes that you will get it someday.
I was never a "Billy fan" before but that was for lack of knowing who you were. I would have to say I am a "Billy fan"now.I hope that myself and others can learn from your compassion for others. I would have to say my trip to the Seattle Film Festival and seeing "MacArthur Park" reminded me not to judge others, whether they be homeless or a celebrity.
I guess I just wanted to tell you well done and keep up the good works with Wirthwhile Productions, a fitting name.
Sincerely,
Paula
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"As a police officer, it was nice to see a movie where the cops aren't abusive idiots. When I spoke with him (Tyrone) about it (and thanked him for it), Tyrone said that the nice cop in the film (Davis) was written about an actual officer he knew from the park. It would have been so easy for Tyrone to make a sweeping generalization and show "bad cops", but he didn't.
It was refreshing for me to see a film, especially set in LA, where the cops are regular people, doing their job and even caring about the people they deal with (wow, what a concept!) It was a wonderful, moving film, clearly from the heart, full of real people dealing with real problems....wonderfully written, directed and acted! Both Billy and Tyrone were gracious and beautiful......"
"As a non-member of the fan club and minor fan of Billy Wirth, I can honestly say he is quite possibly the most perfect specimen of a human being (YUM!!!!!!!)" .....
Cyndie Caterson SIFF 2001
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My husband, John and I went to Seattle to see the movieMacArthur Park at the Seattle Film Fest' and visit family that lives there. We didn't go alone to the movie. We brought my Mom, two sisters-Monica and Paula and Monica's husband-Patrick.
We got great seats--third row from the front, right in the middle. I didn't expect to see Billy until the Q & A after the movie, but he came in before the movie and stood down in front talking to a few people. My heart skipped a beat when I saw him. I couldn't believe that I was seeing him in person. His beautiful, jet-black hair really stood out. He looked tanned and relaxed. Every time he smiled at someone my heart skipped another beat.
When the movie first started, I kept wanting to look over and see if I could see him even though it was too dark. Just a little way into the movie, though I was just so involved in the characters that I forgot to look for Billy. The main characters were very real and likable. There were a few members of the audience who were angry that the movie portrayed African-Americans as addicts--that it would feed the stereotypes. While I don't pretend to know what it is like to be African-American, I do think I understand their concerns and agree that African-Americans are too often seen in TV and movies as addicts or criminals. This movie was very different though, I think.
It is a story based on the real life of a man who happens to be African-American. To me, it was about addiction not race--I saw the characters as people just like me. This movie did such a good job of showing not only how easy it can be to end up somewhere like MacArthur Park, but how hard it is to get your life back. It showed the danger of that life so well. So much is out of their control. The drugs are in control the majority of the time, but they were still people--they felt pain, compassion and love. They were friends who fought sometimes, laughed together and helped each other. It's a story that needed to be told.
During the Q & As, Tyrone talked about getting a letter from Billy about his script while he was in jail. Tyrone said he had left the script under a mattress to go get drugs when he was arrested and had thought the script was lost for good. He had no idea that his girlfriend had met Billy and given him the script until he read Billy's letter. He told how Billy was there for him, even though Tyrone was not ready to stop using drugs at first. He said Billy was always there for him whenever he called or needed anything. Billy would gently suggest rehab, but was not pushy about it. Tyrone said he told Billy he would call when he was ready for rehab. When he did call and said it was time Billy was right there, and took Tyrone to the rehab facility himself.
My family didn't know much about Billy Wirth before that day except that I was a big fan. After hearing Tyrone talk about him they were all so impressed (so was I) that he went SO FAR above and beyond what most of us would do in helping someone he hadn't known until then. My Mom told me I picked a great guy to support. She was surprised that he was so soft-spoken and seemed quite shy and that his smile is so overwhelming.
My hubby took all the photos. I was a little embarrassed that he was just about the only one taking pictures during the Q & A, but I am glad he did!
D.
Seattle 2001
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I have to admit, I was having mixed feelings about going to see McArthur Park. With out going into detail, crack has had an effect in my life. Not because of me doing it, but from other people doing it. So, the thought of going to see a movie about it was not too exciting. I was having such an inner turmoil going on: I was going to finally meet Billy, a dream come true, but I was going to have to see a movie that had at one time been my nightmare.
My friend and I sat down and a young man came out and introduced the movie and Billy. Billy said a couple things and went and sat back down in the theater. I sat there thinking, "God, I wonder how many times he has seen this movie." Then I thought, this is his baby. He probably never gets tired of it and probably sees it different every time. I know that I never get tired of looking at my daughter so he must feel something akin to that. Then I wondered how in the heck I was going to concentrate on this movie with Billy sitting 20 feet from me.
Let me say, right off the bat the movie grabbed my attention and held it the whole way through. One of those movies that there is no way you are getting up to go to the bathroom!!! People, this movie was so good!! I really hope that it gets distributed so that the rest of you get the opportunity to see it. There were a couple parts that hit a little to close to home for me and made me cry but for the most part, I did ok. I laughed, held my breath and at one point was clutching my head going, "No!"
The acting was incredible. I felt like I knew them and I felt for them. Which helped me a little with how I feel about the whole subject itself.
After the movie, Billy, Tyrone, Maricel and Film Editor Terri Breed came down for the Q & A. The Q & A was introduced by Kathleen Murphy the Director of Education/Special Projects for Cinema Seattle, as well as a programmer for SIFF. The first thing she asked Billy was why did he turn to directing when he has been a successful actor. He said that he had wrote/picked the ending for War Party and that he really thought that was cool so it started him thinking in a different direction than just acting.
The first 3 questions or so were positive. Billy answered some as well as passing the microphone to Tyrone. Tyrone was very open about his past and told quite a bit about his relationship with Billy. How they met and their continued relationship. He commended Billy on sticking with him and Billy said something to the effect of "sticking by people and not giving up on them".
He answered a few more questions and then a woman asked the dreaded " Don't you think your film portrays and sterotypes black people?"
Billy tried his best to answer her, but she would not stop. She mentioned she and others in her party had attend the Black Experience Forum earlier that day, ran by the festival for discussion with the film makers who were listed in the Black Experience Category. Discussion at this forum included the black community and blacks in general as to how they are portrayed in today's films, Billy and Tryone had been part of the panel.
I felt she was way off base as did the audience on the whole as to what she only seemed to see in the movie. She said that the movie only portrayed black people and that there was only one white person in the movie. Which there wasn't. There was more than that, as Billy tried to tell her the original script had about 50 characters and that he had to bring it down to the ones who were the most pertinent. She said the movie made it seem like only black people are homeless or addicted. At this point somewhat of a cat fight ensued within the audience, another woman in her party than backed the film and disagreed with her everyone clapped, the first woman was still confused about this got mad and said, "Why is everyone clapping for you?"
At this point, Kathleen Murphy asked Billy if she could have the mic and answer this question. She told the woman that she heard what she was saying, but that she picked out McArthur Park because it was a good film. Not because of the color of the characters. She said she turned down 2 other drug related movies and the characters in those movies were white.
The point is that it is a nondiscriminatory drug and can get you no matter what. Obviously what this woman failed to see was that this story had already happened. It wasn't cast, these had been real people in Tyrone's life. Tyrone is black, most of his friends were black, Billy didn't' make all that up. Thank goodness, she finally realized that she wasn't the majority and stopped.
Time ran out so everyone had to leave the theater. Tyrone came over by where we were sitting and was talking to some people he knew that he had invited.
When he was done talking to them, I flat out told him that I needed to hug him. He complied and gave me a great hug. I whispered something in his ear and he seemed to appreciate it. I felt a bond with Tyrone because of my ownexperiences and it gave me some insight into how the addict thinks instead of what I think that they think. I just really wanted to talk to him.
We went outside and Tyrone, poor guy, got cornered by the woman from the theater! He was very nice to her and still listened to what she had to say.
Billy was busy talking to people outside but it was nice as there was no one mobbing him. I met Stacy Shaak, production/director and he filmed me saying Hi to Max!!! Stacy also taped the conversation between my friend Cyndie and Tyrone regarding the whole portrayal of police officers. Stacy is very nice and easy to talk to he has been working with Billy on MacArthur Park and other projects for 9 years.
Finally, someone was trying to let them know that they needed to get on their way so that is when we got our photos taken with Tyrone and Billy. They ended up walking the same way to get our cars so we walked with them for a couple blocks, wished them luck and said good-bye.
** As far as Billy goes... He was as handsome as I imagined and more so. He almost always had an intense look on his face, but Max was right, as soon as he smiles, his whole face lights up! My stomach did a few flip flops. I wasn't as fortunate as Max to receive any hugs, just the one photo. But a day "wirth" it none the less... me and my friend then went for beer and burgers afterwards so we could sky down and recap everything. Just had to sit back and revel in the afternoon!!!
Sandy------ Seattle Film Festival 2001
thanks to Cyndie, Sandy, Paula,Denise
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