Early last week, I was invited to the premiere of Garden Party, a film coined as “a movie about living in Los Angeles; see also pornography, marijuana, Rock ‘n’ Roll”– how could I not attend? The premiere was held at the beautifully restored 1920s art deco Vista theatre in Los Feliz, also known as East Hollywood.
I was eagerly anticipating the film, since I felt like I could identify with the theme of the movie– moving to Hollywood, the “Come with a dream. Leave with a story.” tagline. It was also neat to sit a few seats away from actress Willa Holland, who convincingly plays a 15 year old drifter whose life is suddenly entwined with the other compelling characters– the aspiring musician, the sexually confused guy from Nebraska, the ruthless realtor with a past.
At times gritty, a bit too gritty some may say, the film captures the essence of being in Hollywood when you’re young, don’t know better, and not quite sure who you really are. The film doesn’t linger on the choices made or lecture the audience…Garden Party merely shows the audience a true slice of Tinseltown life.
So…what’s your garden party story? You know you have one. Everyone does. You can share it at www.gardenpartymovie.com.
