Steven Schacter and William H. Macy pose for me just outside the Starlight Theater on Nantucket Island, where a full house greeted their movie The Deal with continuous laughter.

This year’s screenwriting award was given to comedy’s man of the moment, Judd Apatow, who was appropriately irreverent—and grateful. He was accompanied by his adorable young daughter Maude, who was exposed to dialogue from his movies he’d managed to keep from her until
that very evening!

Longtime Nantucket residents Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller are welcome participants in the island’s annual film festival...
and they’re just as funny as ever.
Their son Ben Stiller sent a hilarious video greeting to his old friend and colleague Judd Apatow.

TWO DISNEY LEGENDS

Songwriter Richard Sherman just turned 80, but none of his friends believe it. He not only doesn’t look his age—he doesn’t act it, either. He is still brimming with creativity and his trademark enthusiasm. Here he celebrates his supercalifragilisticexpialidocious birthday with Karen Dotrice, who sang his songs in Mary Poppins and The Gnome-Mobile.

In May, members of the animation community in Los Angeles gathered on what would have been Joe Grant’s one hundredth birthday to celebrate his vast influence and his great spirit. Joe was a mainstay at the Walt Disney studio in its glory years and made memorable contributions to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, and Dumbo (which he wrote with his longtime partner Dick Huemer). He left the fold in the 1950s to pursue other artistic endeavors but returned in the 1980s, and served as an inspiration to everyone who crossed his path. Pixar’s Pete Docter and Disney’s Mike Gabriel helped gather friends and family to remember Joe.

Ted Thomas, son of the legendary animator Frank Thomas, with Roy E. Disney, another of Joe’s many admirers.

Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter chats with master animator Andreas Deja.

Ron Clements (co-director and co-writer of The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules and the upcoming The Princess and the Frog) with Bill and Sue Kroyer (whose credits include FernGully and the Oscar-nominated short Technological Threat).

Carol Grubb shares some of her father’s precious artwork with such fans as Bill Kroyer.

Another charming painting by Joe Grant. There was life and expression in every drawing he made.

A happy trio: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly director Julian Schnabel, wearing his trademark pajamas, Best Supporting Actor nominee Javier Bardem, and producer-director Gil Cates, who is in charge of this year’s Academy Awards show.

Actress-turned-writer-director Sarah Polley poses with her Muse, Best Actress nominee Julie Christie, the star of Polley’s debut feature, Away from Her.

A small section of the nominees applauding one of their fellows during the group photo session. Seated up front are Hal Holbrook, Ellen Page, Julie Christie, Sarah Polley,
and Marion Cotillard; immediately above her are George Clooney and a bearded
Viggo Mortensen.

Academy President Sid Ganis presents an official certificate to Best Actress nominee Ellen Page, who’s all of 20 years old. She’s about to be directed by Drew Barrymore in a new feature project.

A radiant Laura Linney poses with her fiancé Mark Schauer, who’s holding her Oscar luncheon swag.

Two talented writer-directors were in attendance as members of the Academy Board of Governors: Alexander Payne and Curtis Hanson.

Hal Holbrook, the oldest actor to be nominated for an Oscar, presents an award at the Publicists Guild Luncheon.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse goes off on a tear about how writer-director-producer has changed his life by casting him in Superbad.

Harrison Ford was classy and funny accepting his honorary award from the Publicists’ Guild. He told me he had a lot of fun making the new Indiana Jones movie, and I hope that translates to the screen.

The contemporary king of movie comedy, writer-director-producer Judd Apatow celebrates Knocked Up making the AFI List with his wife—and the film’s delightful costar—Leslie Mann

Writer-director Lawrence Kasdan, a member of this year’s jury, chats with Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner.

LOS ANGELES FILM CRITICS ASSOCIATION AWARDS

January, 2008

Current LAFCA president
Lael Loewenstein shares a happy moment with presenter
Christine Lahti.

Jack Fisk, winner for
the Production Design of
There Will Be Blood, with
his wife, Sissy Spacek.

A beaming Paul Thomas Anderson,
writer-director of There Will Be Blood.

Master cinematographer
Janusz Kaminski playfully poses
behind his award for shooting
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

For the second year in a row, LAFCA honored a great film from Roumania; last year it was The Death of Mr. Lazrescu. This year it was 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, written and directed by Christian Mungiu (at left) and costarring Vlad Ivanov, who won our Best Supporting Actor award for his chilling portrayal of an abortionist.