Pretty Ugly People

This film was recommended to me by Del Shores. What a production! The theme centers on the reactions of each of a group of college friends who attend an "end of life" celebration. The cinematography is excellent because of the remote location, in the mountains, two or more hours from civilization. The characters' arcs are fully described and allowed to develop on the screen. Each of the characters work their way through decision-making crises that many of us might face in our own lives. Tate's use of humor, drama, sadness, and fear create moment-by-moment emotions as we witness solutions to the problems they face. I had the good fortune to spend some time with the director/writer/producer, Tate, during happy hour at the theater restaurant -- he was waiting for a Q&A session following the evening showing. What a tremendously talented guy. $700K to get it in the can and on some screens. I hope he breaks the nut. He also revealed that he acquired the rights to Kathryn Stockett's bestselling novel "The Help" and will soon begin shooting the film, hoping to release it in December 2010. At times, "Pretty Ugly People" gave him daunting challenges, because of the remote location and the fact that some of the cast were working in TV projects while the film was being shot. For example, a cast member was scheduled to shoot but was called back to "town" for work. Tate spent all night rewriting tomorrow's shoot. It all worked out, but I know what a chore that must have been. I was surprised by a question from him regarding a pivotal moment near the end. He was pleased that I agreed with his decision to keep the scene, rather than to give in to less violent action. He deserves all the kudos that were delivered by the audience during his Q&A. What a gracious gentleman.