On the Town with Buddy B: Life Inside Out at The Quad Cinema

What a great event tonight! Attended the 7 pm screening of Life Inside Out with my friends Nick Lion and Kathy Towson. It was followed by a Q&A conducted by Richard Skipper with producer Tessa Bell and the film's star, Maggie Baird, and her real-life husband, Patrick O'Connor, who plays the music-store owner in the film. Ms Bell quoted part of my review in which I described Mr O'Connor's character as the film's "fairy godfather." I may not be getting young again but I was feeling mighty Jungian when I made that comment.
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I spoke with the Juilliard schooled actor after the event, in the lobby of the movie house, and he proudly took on the archetypal mantle I bestowed. During Richard's Q&A, I learned that this independent feature took three years to put together although, amazingly, it was filmed over only 16 days. Not surprisingly, sadly, despite its film festival awards, distributors were not interested in this feature, claiming it non-commercial. In fact, the full house at tonight's screening were wowed by LIO and applauded it enthusiastically. I assume anything wthout sex and/or violence is "non-commercial" these days.

This is a movie that's about something real we can all of us relate to and that touches the heart. During tonight's screening, I was moved by the realistic mother-son relationship. The depiction of a working mother's self-sacrifice was very Mildred Pierce! And, of course, I couldn't help but think of my own mother and how she sacrificed a lifetime for my brother and I.

This project was a labor of love, said Tessa Bell, and many of the talent involved worked for free because they believed so strongly in its story. A dvd distribution deal has been done. Ms Baird also mentioned that her co-starring son couldn't be at the event because he's cast in a new tv series, currently shooting its second episode. (She could divulge no more at the current time.)

Who was there? Who wasn't! The NYC theatrical glitterati attended! Sybil Bruncheon was in the house, giving a heartfelt reaction, from a gay man's perspective, identifying with the movie's themes. Everyone was verklempt

Carly Ozard and Kim Grogg -- two of my favorite live performers of 2014 -- were there and posed together! http://djbuddybeaverhausen.blogspot.com/2014/12/goodbye-2014-buddy-bs-favorites-n-years.html

Nick & I posed with Maggie Baird, despite being severely overly lit. (I posted a candid shot of us instead.) I asked Ms Beard if anyone besides myself ever told her she resembles Leslie Ann Warren. "Oh my God," Ms Baird replied. "I hear that A LOT! The other day, a delivery man said, when I opened the door, "You're Leslie Ann Warren!" And I had to tell him that no, I'm not."

And Ms Baird generously shared her cinnamon roll recipe on the back of flyers for the film.

Cine Beaverhausen: Life Inside Out

Art imitates life in the indy feature, Life Inside Out, a film about how art elevates life. Maggie Baird, who stars and also co-wrote the screenplay, based the film on her relationship with her son Finneas O'Connell, who plays her son, Shawn, in the film festival award-winning Life Inside Out, and lucky New Yorkers can catch it at the Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th St., between 5th and 6th Aves., NYC the week of January 16-22.

This film is like a wave of fresh air. Beautifully shot and edited from its first images of decoupage, it's the story of a working-class woman who abandons her mundane, domestic routine and lifts up her life, and that of her sensitive and alienated teenaged son, through her musical talents. It is also about the mother/son bonding through the artistic process. And about how real life emotions feed into the creative process. Simply brilliant.

Life Inside Out is a somewhat modern fable with a magic golden coat and a fairy godfather in the form of the local music-store owner. The supporting cast, overall, comes up aces.

Under direction by Jill D'Agnenica, Baird delivers a well-crafted, sweetly naturalistic performance as Laura.

I'm not sure if I've ever seen a motion picture that so poignantly conveyed the universal, human need to create and the struggle against societal "norms" and demands, as well as detailing the creative process itself; how art elevates everyone it touches at many levels.

Richard Skipper will be hosting a Q&A with Ms. Baird and Mr. O'Connell on January 16th, 17th and 18th. Check out Richard Skipper Celebrates http://www.richardskipper.com