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Day 5 - 12:42am

>> Tuesday, September 15, 2009

I'm home! I had a blast at the film festival today. Turns out I didn't have to go solo - I managed to snag another ticket and my hubby was able to come with me! We weren't able to get downtown earlier today, so we didn't see any daytime screenings, but we did attend the world premiere of "The Invention of Lying" this evening at the Elgin Theatre.

I was really excited the entire trip down, and was even more excited when we noticed the security setting up the barrier gates around the front of the theatre for when the stars showed up. I picked up our tickets and felt very posh as we joined the "premium" line-up - turns out if you have a Visa gold card or higher you get to go to the theatre's "Visa Lounge" for some drinks and free snacks, and are then allowed to enter the actual theatre before anyone else to grab the premium seats! We grabbed a table and spent the next 45 minutes or so enjoying free chips and chocolate, and having a really great conversation with another couple who were enjoying their 10th film of the festival so far! The time flew by talking with them, and soon the time came to enter the theatre and grab our seats. At first we picked some seats a little further back - we didn't want to be craning our necks for two hours to see the movie - but then my excitement got the better of me and we ended up sitting in the fifth row from the front (Chris was rather amused by my excitement this whole time). We grabbed some popcorn and got ourselves settled in.

(Let me just take a moment here to marvel at the beauty of the Elgin theatre - it is absolutely stunning. If you live in the GTA and haven't been before, do yourself a favour and go see a show there - really truly beautiful and awe-inspiring).

Anyhoo - finally at about 9:30pm someone came out to thank everyone for coming and to introduce the makers of the film, Matthew Robinson and Ricky Gervais! They both seemed really nice and Ricky Gervais was hilarious - he seems exactly like he does on TV - funny and very British. They only spoke for a few minutes before they introduced two of the producers of the film, and then two of stars - Rob Lowe and . . . Jennifer Garner! They came out from the side of the stage to join the others (while the crowd went wild cheering and clapping) and waved and posed for pictures (they had let some press in so they were up at the front of the stage). They didn't say anything though (which was a little disappointing), and after another few minutes of Mr.Gervais talking, they left the stage to take their seats and then the lights went out and the movie started.

Jennifer did look amazing in a short green dress, and she actually looks even more beautiful in real life than she does on TV or on the big screen, (Chris took some pictures which I'll try and post tomorrow), but I really didn't end up as excited as I thought I'd be - it even seemed a little anticlimactic.

Here's the thing - they're just people. Like you and me, they (meaning celebrities) are just human beings. They just happen to have a job that puts them in the public eye. If you had mentioned Jennifer Garner to me this morning I probably would have said "oh I love her!" but no, of course I don't. I think she's a great actress and I think she seems like a really nice, positive person with a great attitude, but I don't know her - she's a complete stranger! I've been thinking about it ever since we left the theatre - we are we (myself included) so caught up in "celebrity" - why do we care so much about people we don't even know? Is it because they're rich? Is it because they're good-looking? Is it because of their fame? Why do we put them on a pedestal? I'm not saying I'll no longer be a fan of certain celebrities (Ms.Garner included), but I think it just really hit home tonight that they are no better (or worse for that matter) than me, and instead of spending time hero-worshipping people I don't even know, I should spend that time maybe working on myself to make me a better person and make more of a contribution to the world I live in.

I think it's still important to have role models and people in the world we can look up too, but we should be looking up to people for the right reasons - not materialistic ones.

I did have a good time this evening though - I'm really glad I got to have a great night out with my husband, and I'm glad we went (and the movie was pretty good too - quite funny although the direction they took with the film was a little surprising. If you're a religious person you'll know what I mean if you see the film when it comes out).

It's kinda' funny though - getting ready today I was most excited to go to a movie premiere and see the stars, but it turns out what really made the evening for me was walking around Toronto with my arm in my husband's and us having a really great conversation with that couple before the movie even began.

Funny that . . . the lessons life teaches you . . .

4 comments:

Sheryll Brimley September 15, 2009 at 10:12 AM  

Interesting Suzanne. One is always learning about life...no matter how old you are! Our (your dad's & mine) philosophy "What goes around comes around" is ALWAYS being affirmed(?) these days! No matter who you are...movie/rock stars or us....one always should strive to be the best person that you can,because.."What goes around...comes around"

Sara September 15, 2009 at 1:23 PM  

hey! I am so glad you had a good time, and super glad chris got to come with you. I met some famous people yesterday too, and I was kinda stuck. I met the guys from alexisonfire which is a pretty sweet band and I am so used to seeing them on TV that when I met them .. I was just... at a loss for words. they're normal people like us... I just really agreed with what you were saying about celebs. also-- you and chris are just so incredibly blessed to have each other and you've always been a couple I look up to and think 'THAT is what I would like to look like 10 years down the road' you guys are pretty cool, not gonna lie :)

much love girl!
xoxox

oh ps that picture of you and frankers is RAD!

Unknown September 15, 2009 at 11:24 PM  

Awww -thanks for the compliment Sara!

Unknown September 16, 2009 at 2:25 AM  

That picture IS great!! I absolutely agree on what you wrote about "worshipping" stars. I was out some time last week downtown, tried to catch a late flick at the festival but settled for just a regular movie (the Time Travellers Wife-it was interessting and nice) and afterwards took a stroll in Yorkville. Of course I was hoping to spot George Clooney. Early in the start of our stroll I too realized that it was far more important enjoying the company of my company rather than hoping to spot some stars. On our way back to the car we passed by a restaurant where George Clooney and Matt Damon were dining and I won't lie I hung around a bit and tried to catch a glimpse of them. But the longer I stood there the more stupid I felt. I looked around me and people were behaving so strange and "stalker-ish" and screaming if they saw even a hair strand of Clooney's. It was ridiculous. We quickly left, and it felt right as opposed to staying and wasting time to see a "stranger".
Great blog Suzanne. Wasn't the hustle and bustle of the city just great though? :)

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