The Vault’s reporter Janet attended the screening of Carrie Preston’s Lovely By Surprise On Saturday, September 12, the Macon Film and Video Festival.
The movie was shown on the beautiful Coleman Hill, which overlooks the historic Hay House. After an introduction from festival organizer Terrell Sandefur, Carrie told us a little bit about the movie we were about to see. The weather was perfect, the movie was perfect and a good time was had by all.
If the only movies that appeal to you are the typical Hollywood , blow-’em up, shoot ‘em up, let’s get naked and save the world without getting a hair out of place brainclunks, then you need not waste your time watching Lovely By Surprise. Because this enchanting, quirky and profoundly moving film is for those who like to have something to think about and reflect on long after the movie is over. And Lovely by Surprise is just such a treasure.
Written and directed by Kirt Gunn, with an overflowing basket of wonderfully talented actors, this movie was a pleasure to watch. You will no doubt recognize many of these accomplished actors from other films, along with Macon Georgia’s very own treasure, Carrie Preston.
Carrie, as Marion, is a writer who’s having difficulties resolving the fate of one of the characters in the book she’s currently writing. She is an emotional mess most of the time, and constantly seeks the advice of Jackson, her publisher, who just happens to be her former writing professor and lover. In all honesty, when this movie began, it was so different from anything I’d ever seen that my first thought was “what was the writer smoking, and where can I get some”. But it doesn’t take long until you begin to realize that this sad, lonely and emotionally withdrawn little girl who tugs at your heart is none other than Marion as a child. Through the lives of two quirky and downright oddball characters Marion has created in a world of part dream and part fantasy, you begin to sense the overwhelming consequences of what tragedy and the inability to cope with death can do to a child. Marion’s father, who calls her Mimi, just cannot seem to break through his own cloud of overwhelming loss to ever see how much this child needs him and how his inability to accept reality is taking a devastating toll as Mimi begins to live in her own world of silence.
All it takes to send Marion over the edge of emotional control is the advice of Jackson to kill off the one character she most identifies with. Since I don’t want to spoil the entire thing for you, I won’t divulge much else, except to say that Carrie Preston gave a phenomenal performance as Marion in Lovely By Surprise. Carrie Preston never disappoints and you will not be disappointed in this film. I just might have to see it again!
More information on www.lovelybysurprise.com
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Thank you ABN and Shad for sharing this. I look forward to seeing this film. Carrie is such a nice, down to earth person and, of course, she is a southern girl that hasn’t forgotten where she came from.
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ABN…great that Carrie was in your neck of the woods again so that you could meet with her (again) and preview this movie. The clip has piqued my interest…looks quirky, unique. Who is the actor who plays Carrie’s former professor? He looks familiar. And she said that it will appear on some cable channels. Any idea which channels?
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toohandsomebill Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 17:08
Lism, wasn’t he in MASH?
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Dorothea (LISMlvr) Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 17:29
Not as one of the major characters, but I know I’ve seen him…a lot. Just can’t place him.
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gymvamp Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 17:31
Yes I to am very curious to know when we can see this!! It does look very interesting!! Good job as always ABN!!
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ABNegative Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 17:56
You’re probably remembering him from My Cousin Vinny, or maybe Christmas With the Kranks and A Beautiful Mind. His name is Austin Pendleton and if you look on IMDB you’ll see his body of work is about a mile long.
Carrie mentioned IFC and Sundance as probably the only two channels that will show this. You’ll like it Dorothea. It’s sweet and quirky. Like you.
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Dorothea (LISMlvr) Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 18:12
Austin Pendleton! Yes….Thank you! I have IFC, so I’ll be watching for it. oh…and thank you.
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I love Carrie Preston. She’s such a versatile actor with a kind heart and a lovely smile. It’s nice you got to see her again ABN. That was a lovely review; I’m sure you made her proud.
You are the first one to have a one-on-one with the castmembers and the first one to have anyone from the show hold up a Billsbabe shirt (and didn’t that end up belonging to Anna Paquin?)…isn’t that made of awesome? Let the conversion BEGIN! hehehe…
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fallen4Bill Reply:
September 18th, 2009 at 20:54
Agreed =) Janet you are an incredible talent. We Billsbabes are beaming with pride!
Thank you Shad for keeping us up to date and informed on all things TRUE BLOOD =)
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Great writing kudos to our mild mannered reporter ABN!! I loved your review of the movie and hope you keep up using your brilliant skills to keep us entertained and informed!
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Dorothea (LISMlvr) Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 17:30
She’s a lot of things, funny, smart, excellent writer, but mild mannered?
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BBB Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 17:37
…what ever she was on, I need it! J/K ABNeg. **cue in piano intro of “Just Way You Are” ** Doooon’t goooo changin’ to try to please meeeee; You’ve never let me befooooore. I love you just the waaaaay arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre!…”
Helluva job ABNeg. You rule! \m/
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Dorothea (LISMlvr) Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 18:13
Rule, she does, BBB!
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ABNegative Reply:
September 17th, 2009 at 19:34
Awe….shucks….it ain’t nothin’……
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Thanks ABN and Shad. Fantastic. I just love Carrie and that she does these types of projects. Nothing run of mill for her. I’d like to see this film. I enjoy quirky characters.
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