BY KELLY GRAML
UCLA Today
So if you were a film star, what movie would you have in your home video-DVD collection because it changed your life or touched your creative soul?
For the last two years, fans have been getting the inside scoop on the personal picks of such stars as Drew Barrymore and Sean Penn straight from the source at a UCLA Film and Television Archive series aptly named "The Movie That Inspired Me."
The brainchild of director-screenwriter Curtis Hanson, who is also chairman of the UCLA Film and Television Archive, the series pairs film artists with their pick of a movie that significantly influenced their creative lives. Each evening begins with a screening of the selected film followed by an informal conversation with the artist moderated by Hanson.
"The idea grew out of loving movies and talking about them with other people who love movies," said Hanson. "And the films that are the most fun to talk about are not necessarily the classics, but those that had a personal impact on people when they saw them."
For example, actor-producer Drew Barrymore participated in the series last year and selected Woody Allen's "Annie Hall." Why? "Because I feel it defies all the rules. ... This film is in flashbacks, narrations, it moves from the middle of their relationship back to the beginning. This film rings true with how we deal with relationships today."
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| This month, Diane Keaton will speak on John Ford's "Stagecoach." |
Among those who have shared their favorites with audiences in the past have been film editor Dede Allen ("The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner"); actor Robert Downey Jr. ("The Pawnshop"); cinematographer Janusz Kaminski ("Ballad of a Soldier"); and actor-director Sean Penn ("Minnie and Moskowitz").Coming up this month on May 9 will be the star of "Annie Hall," actor-director Diane Keaton, who has chosen for her inspirational pick John Ford's "Stagecoach." Recently restored by the Film and Television Archive, "Stagecoach" ushered in the modern Western and made John Wayne a star. In the film, an assortment of misfits -- including a drunk, a prostitute, a cavalry wife, a banker and an outlaw -- ride together in a cramped stagecoach through Apache territory.
Then on May 16, screenwriter-director-producer Michael Mann, who directed such films as "Ali" and "The Insider," will introduce his pick: "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb."
On May 23, a third film artist, to be announced, will present his or her most inspirational film. All screenings will be held at 7:30 p.m. in the James Bridges Theatre in Melnitz Hall.
Hanson, who directed "L.A. Confidential" and an upcoming film called "8 Mile" starring rapper Eminem, said his own curiosity is piqued by the picks.
"In some cases the more personal the choice, the more surprising it might appear," he said. "I can't wait to ask Diane Keaton, 'Why "Stagecoach"? And what is the relationship of 'Dr. Strangelove' and Peter Sellers to the work and life of Michael Mann? I -- and the audience -- will find out right after the movie ends."
Admission to each program is $7, or $5 for students, seniors and UCLA Alumni Association members with ID. Tickets go on sale at the theater one hour before showtime and those wanting a good seat should arrive before 7 p.m. For further details, visit www.cinema.ucla.edu or call (310) 206-8013.
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