Cashel Has A Question

On Saturday, Cashel and Brendan and cousin Mike went to the Santa Barbara Film Festival to see the premiere of Believe in Me – a film starring Jeff Donovan, a good friend – who appears to be on the brink of major stardom. He’s been on the brink for a couple years now, actually (uhm, Blair Witch 2, anyone? – but this might be the role that pushes him over the edge. It sounds like a crowd-pleasing film, with a juicy part for him. Very exciting. Cashel has known Jeff since he was born. I mean, Jeff has always been in Cashel’s life. Believe in Me sounds like it’s sort of A League of Their Own for basketball:

Set in the mid-60’s, Believe in Me is the true story of a young man whose coaching dreams seem dashed when he’s assigned to the girls’ basketball team at a rural high-school, a dead-end at that time, pre “Title IX”. Through the course of the movie, the girls and the coach find ways to earn each other’s trust, and despite the opposition of the conservative town fathers, learn how to play to win.

Jeff plays the coach. Here’s a shot of him in the role. And here’s another still from the film. Looks like it could be pretty major!!

So Cashel, Mike, and Bren went to the premiere.

Cashel wore a white shirt with a collar, and a little sports jacket. The thought of this makes my heart crack. The sense of an EVENT. Cashel getting dressed UP.

They watched the film. It was all very exciting. Cashel had a ball – watching his friend JEFF up on the screen!!! Cashel is such a movie-lover anyway, so to be friends with people who are IN THE MOVIES … is really really cool for him. (I can’t get over the image of Cashel in a sports jacket, attending a premiere at the Santa Barbara Film Festival … but I will move on.)

Afterwards, there was going to be a QA session with the director, producer, and Jeff. Mike and Bren were like, “Bah … we don’t need to go to that … let’s walk around …” But Cashel said, “Can’t we go to the question and answer session?” Mike was like, “Those things are always kinda boring, Cash.” Cashel said seriously, “I have a question I’d like to ask.”

Well. How can you say no to that??

Bren, as they filed into the big hall, made Cashel tell him the question … just so he could give his stamp of approval on it. You know, you didn’t want him to stand up and … oh … make some inflammatory statement about Iraq or something. Or shout, “What’s the frequency, Kenneth” and then run out. No, just kidding. You know … he just wanted to make sure the question was okay, and Cashel was okay with asking it.

They sat in the back of the hall. (Uhm … Cashel was in a sports jacket. Help.) Of course the place is full of press, and actors, and directors, and studio people … it’s a madhouse. Cashel is 8. He was a part of the group.

Finally they opened it up to questions. Questions being asked and answered … about the filming of the movie, the locations, the financing, the marketing, distribution questions … You know. Insider-type questions.

Then the director, up on stage, saw Cashel’s little hand way in the back of the hall and called on Cashel.

My heart is cracking in two.

“Yes – you? Do you have a question?”

Cashel shouted out his question, in his small mouse voice. “Was anybody injured during filming?”

hahahahahahahaha

I just love this boy so much. I wish I had been there. Obviously I wasn’t – but I have now IMAGINED that I was …

The director said, (and I want to hug him for being kind) “That’s a really good question … It’s hard to make sure that actors aren’t injured … you’re right about that … and so that’s why we blah blah blah blah …” And he proceeded to answer Cashel’s question, in detail. Did I mention that I want to HUG this man??

Cashel, wearing a sports jacket, asked a question at a press junket during the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

That’s really all I wanted to say.