I saw this magnificent movie over New Year's Eve at the film symposium that Judith Crist and Peter Travers do every year in Tarrytown, NY. I have been going off and on for over 30 years and was stunned by this movie. Even Peter Travers said in his closing statements that it would have won Audience Favorite without a question over Robert Altman's "The Company" and Nicole Kidman's "Cold Mountain" - not to mention "Bon Voyage," "The Japanese Story" and other fine films.
I am still stunned. In this wonderful film Ben Gazarra was talking about Laurette Taylor and said something like (and I am paraphrasing big time), "I had never seen anyone laugh and cry at the same time on stage - only people do that, not actors." Well, that sums up how I felt about this movie. I got chills up my spine at the stories and the performances, but found myself with tears running down my face at one moment and then laughing out loud moments later while the tears were still on my cheeks.
Judith Crist, who is one of the great critics as far as I am concerned, said that she had seen "Broadway: The Golden Age" twice and was moved by the editing even more the second time and how the director Rick McKay was able to make it feel that every single person in the film, over five years of filming, seemed to be talking to her personally - in one afternoon. She knows more than I ever will, but I now realize I have never seen anything like that in any film before.
I feel very lucky to have spent New Years Eve there watching that movie. Afterwards there was a q&a with the director Rick McKay, Ms. Crist and Mr. Travers (great critic from Rolling Stone)and the audience. It was very exciting. The critics were gushing, but also asking great questions of their own, clearly as involved as the audience with the film. The audience got up one after another with questions and raves. It must have lasted an hour. At the end of the weekend and ten movies from all over the world, it was "Broadway: The Golden Age" that everyone was talking about. I can't wait to take my kids to see it when it opens this year. I want them to see what Broadway was once like - and what movies CAN be like when they are great, like this one!
I am still stunned. In this wonderful film Ben Gazarra was talking about Laurette Taylor and said something like (and I am paraphrasing big time), "I had never seen anyone laugh and cry at the same time on stage - only people do that, not actors." Well, that sums up how I felt about this movie. I got chills up my spine at the stories and the performances, but found myself with tears running down my face at one moment and then laughing out loud moments later while the tears were still on my cheeks.
Judith Crist, who is one of the great critics as far as I am concerned, said that she had seen "Broadway: The Golden Age" twice and was moved by the editing even more the second time and how the director Rick McKay was able to make it feel that every single person in the film, over five years of filming, seemed to be talking to her personally - in one afternoon. She knows more than I ever will, but I now realize I have never seen anything like that in any film before.
I feel very lucky to have spent New Years Eve there watching that movie. Afterwards there was a q&a with the director Rick McKay, Ms. Crist and Mr. Travers (great critic from Rolling Stone)and the audience. It was very exciting. The critics were gushing, but also asking great questions of their own, clearly as involved as the audience with the film. The audience got up one after another with questions and raves. It must have lasted an hour. At the end of the weekend and ten movies from all over the world, it was "Broadway: The Golden Age" that everyone was talking about. I can't wait to take my kids to see it when it opens this year. I want them to see what Broadway was once like - and what movies CAN be like when they are great, like this one!