PARK CITY, Jan. 17 - At the sight of lightning around mid-afternoon, the
Park City ski lifts shut down and the crowds descended onto historic Main
Street. So did the celebrities.
Even with increased crowds (including an 8 percent rise this year) and a
greater media presence, Sundance still affords an opportunity for a casual
chat or friendly contact between the paying customers and the motion picture
talent. Or at least some good people watching.
There's "Good Will Hunting" maven Ben Affleck confirming all the
tabloid rumors as he nuzzles his new squeeze, Gwyneth Paltrow.
And over there, white-mopped talk show pioneer Phil Donahue, in town to
support wife Marlo Thomas, appearing in "The Real Blonde."
Hey, it's "Misadventures of Margaret" co-star Brooke Shields -
sans Andre - checking out a noontime screening.
Matthew Modine, a former high school pitcher, demonstrating his snowball-throwing
prowess and then blaming his inaccuracy on a shoulder injury suffered on
the set of "Cutthroat Island."
Trey Parker and Matt Stone, the prodigies behind "South Park"
and "Orgazmo," hitting the town in style.
Even Robert Redford, the elusive Bob himself, catching a quick bite with
some friends at his restaurant Zoom.
Pardon the gossip column mongering, but they're all here. All of them, that
is, except the Hollywood execs, most of whom don't hit town until the latter
half of the festivals when the distribution derby commences. This feeding
frenzy has been dubbed "The Attack of the Killer 'B's" for all
the studio bosses who purchase second-weekend "B" festival passes.
For now, however, the only moguls that can be found in Park City are covered
in thick powder on the slopes.
Let's just pray they reopen the lifts tomorrow morning.
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