Ebertfest 2008: So Long, Urbana!

I said goodbye to Urbana Sunday, after a fun-filled time at the 10th annual Ebertfest. Saturday's schedule was packed with a marvelously diverse slate of films, starting off with Ang Lee's Hulk. Now, I am admittedly not a comic geek, and I like smart, artsy films, which is probably why I'm in the minority in enjoying Lee's take on the Hulk story.

I've never understood the hate for this film; there are some great shots in the film and it's artistically beautiful. Plus, I like how Lee explores the father-son and anger issues underlying the origin story in the film. The audience at Ebertfest, at least, was very enthusiastic in their response to Lee's film; it may well have been the most positive audiene reception he's had for Hulk since its inception.

Here are a few pics from the fest, more after the jump ...

Gallery: Ebertfest 2008

Lee was in Urbana Saturday to do a Q&A following the screening of his film, and it was one of the best Q&As I've ever sat in on. Lee was funny, engaging, and remarkably open in discussing Hulk, his artistic choices in directing the film, and the issues in his own life that drove him to want to explore the father-son relationship he examines in it. Lee talked about his relationship with his own father, who was not supportive of his choice to be a filmmaker, and how cathartic it was for him to make this film. He told the crowd that during filming, scenes from the film -- particularly those at the end, when Hulk fights the father-monster, invaded his dreams.

He also talked about filming Sense and Sensibility, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and The Ice Storm, and reminisced about Ingmar Bergman, who had wanted to see Lust, Caution but died before the film was complete. Actor Joey Pantoliano was in the house for the screening, and got into the Q&A action with a question about how Lee got the performance out of Nick Nolte, particularly the scene toward the end of the film when he rages against his son. It's a great scene, and not surprising that an actor of Pantoliano's caliber would be interested in hearing about it; maybe Lee will cast Pantaliano in a future film ... now that could be interesting.

The audience was so into the Hulk Q&A that it ran a bit long, so I had to choose between seeing The Band's Visit or eating lunch before I passed out from hunger. I opted for food, joining David Poland, his fiancee, Heather, and a lovely group of folks we'd been hanging out with during the fest for a yummy lunch at Farrin's, a little restaurant near the theater. After lunch we browsed around the Artists Against AIDS art show -- I wish I'd thought to take pictures of some of the cool art and jewelry they had for sale there.

Because we had such a late lunch, we weren't terribly hungry for dinner a couple hours later, but the food was so good that we gave it our best shot anyhow. Our table for the night included Poland, film critic Lisa Rosman, Farmer John (from the documentary The Real Dirt on Farmer John), and a nice couple from Urbana. Most of the fest guests were on hand in the Green Room for dinner, and Chaz Ebert made a point to introduce everyone to each other, something Roger himself would have done, had he been able to be there himself.

Christine Lahti was there with director Bill Forsyth (the pair were at the fest for their film Housekeeping, which played Saturday night), as was Hadjii (director of indie film Somebodies), who was at the fest doing readings of his very funny book Don't Let My Mama Read This: A Southern Fried Memoir. Joey Pantoliano was flitting about saying hi to everyone, and the folks from The Cell, who we'd had dinner with the other night, were over at the next table. Several members of Roger and Chaz's family were on hand as well.

The evening films were Housekeeping, which I was thrilled to finally have a chance to see as it's not available on DVD, and The Cell, which I'd never seen on a big screen. Lahti and Forsyth did a great Q&A following the Housekeeping screening with Chicago Tribune critic Michael Phillips. I just have to add here that Lahti looked absolutely fantastic; she said in response to an audience question that she's not had plastic surgery and doesn't intend to, and she certainly doesn't need it. She's a great example of an older actress who's not trying to still look 20; she looks like what she is -- a sexy, mature, vibrant woman, and I hope she'll never succumb to the Hollywood pressure to plasticize or Botox herself out of her natural beauty.

We stuck around for The Cell, and while I'll probably have more recurring nightmares about this film as a result, it was worth it to see the gorgeousness of Eiko Ishioka's costume design larger than life on the big screen. Interesting note about the film: director Tarsem Singh said in his intro that he'd originally envisioned the fantasy sequences in Carl Stargher's head as having a lot of slow-motion, suspended-in-midair fight sequences.

Then The Matrix came out, and he refused to do the film that way after that, because he didn't want everyone to think he was copying the Wachowski's style. So he re-envisioned those scenes in the highly stylized, very visual and disturbing form seen in the film. I'm glad he did, because while the film is dark and freaky and sometimes hard to watch, and Jennifer Lopez's curls are a bit too perfect and her lips very glossy and larger than life, it stands as one of the most unique and visionary films of its genre.

Following The Cell, I headed over to the closing night party with Poland, Rosman, and the local folks we'd been hanging with. The party was nice and intimate, held in a private home, with fantastic late-night snacks catered in. They had these huge strawberries with dipping chocolate that were the hit of the table; guests were subtly hovering near the table to be able to snag them. Most of the festival guests were at the party, with a nice mix of local fest supporters and friends of the Eberts, and I ended up staying much later than I'd planned, considering I had an early flight out in the morning.

All in all, the 10th Ebertfest was great fun. I love the cozy, "friends and family" feel of this festival, and how the same people tend to come back year after year to hang out with Roger and Chaz, meet new friends, and enjoy some great films. It was a bittersweet year this year, with Roger's continued health problems keeping him from being there, but folks overall seemed very supportive and understanding of why he wasn't able to come.

I just want to thank Roger, Chaz, Mary Susan Britt, Nate Kohn, and all the hardworking folks who kept the fest rolling this year in Roger's absence. Here's hoping that the 11th Ebertfest will find Roger sitting in his brown recliner in the back of the Virginia Theater in good health, sharing his warmth and charm with his hometown once again. Until then, Roger, we'll see you at the movies.