April 28, 2003
By Steven Snyder

It quickly became apparent to me what I love so much about Roger Ebert’s Overlooked Film Festival. Held for the fifth year at the University of Illinois-Champaign Urbana, it is the festival of one man who wants to share with us some of his favorite films. In a sense, he is our friend, who has been given four days to show us the great works we’ve never had a chance to see before.

In our real lives, we do this all time. I am always asked, “What should I see at the theater this weekend?” Or instead, I am asking my friends, “Give me the name of a great new band.” There are times when we all long for something fresh and exciting, and we look to those around us to expand our field of vision.

As Ebert took the stage before each film last week at the beautiful 1,500-seat Virginia Theatre (my second favorite venue), I could sense the pride with which he introduced each screening. These were his special picks, and he was sure that we would enjoy them as much as he did. When, on the last night of the festival, Ebert took the stage and commented that, “I really feel as if the films and the audience have found each other this year,” he was paying himself the highest possible compliment. His beloved films had been equally loved by all of us.

As always, guests joined Ebert on stage following each screening to discuss the works. My favorite moment followed the loveable film “What’s Cooking?” when Ebert’s wife, Chaz, joined him on stage. For me, it was better than most of the festival’s interviews because I had the chance to watch two intelligent and fascinating people simply discuss a film. Just as I love debating movies with my friends, our friends Chaz and Roger debated just how good “What’s Cooking” was.

I find myself in quite a difficult position in regards to discussing the Overlooked Film Festival. I want to talk about every movie I saw. But many of these movies were included in the festival exactly because they can’t be found on video. The brilliant French film “L.627” and the wondrous docudrama “The Stone Reader” will be almost impossible for anyone to find.

Instead, I have examined Blockbuster’s website and have a list of five festival films that you should be able to find at a Blockbuster or Hollywood Video near you.

“What’s Cooking?”
RATING: 3.5 OUT OF 4

For those who loved “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” I cannot recommend “What’s Cooking?” strongly enough. This is a film that manages to succeed at everything “Greek Wedding” did well, but also manages to avoid all the pitfalls that doomed “Greek Wedding” from the beginning.

Like “Greek Wedding,” “What’s Cooking?” is about ethnic stereotypes and the humor, as well as the heart, that is to be found behind even the most dysfunctional family. Rather than a wedding, “Cooking” takes place over Thanksgiving, following four families through the course of a most turbulent day. There is a Vietnamese family, as well as Jewish, Asian-American and African-American families. In each story line, there is a surprise, anger, but also compassion. And, at the end of the day, there is the hopeful message that, despite our differences, we are all far more similar than we imagine.

This movie has heart, and although some may not think it’s brilliant, I cannot imagine a person who would not find it at least mildly touching.

“ Shall We Dance”
3.5 out of 4 stars

In the same vein as “What’s Cooking?” is “Shall We Dance,” another work that proves a film does not need to be elitist to win over the most cynical of critics. Following this simple, good-hearted movie, Ebert spoke with David Bordwell of the University of Wisconsin Madison, perhaps the most renowned film professor in the country, and both seemed completely enamored with this loveable success.

It is based in Japan and, yes, has subtitles. But as the film progressed, I found myself no longer conscious of reading words on the screen. This story had become so real for me, and the characters so rich that I actually looked eagerly at the bottom of the screen every time a line of dialogue was delivered. Much like a great novel, I was giddy about what would be said next.

“Shall We Dance” is about a middle-aged accountant who sees the same woman looking out a window on his nightly trip home. He heads towards that window one night, and finds that she is a dance instructor. Naturally, he takes up dance to get closer to her, and falls in love with both the woman and the dancing. This is not a predictable film, but one that seems rich in sincerity and unpredictability. And leaving the theater, I heard more than one person talk about taking up dance lessons. It was obvious that they loved it too.

“ Charlotte Sometimes”
4 out of 4 stars

Ebert discovered “Charlotte Sometimes” at the Hawaii Film Festival, and loved this small, independent feature so much that he brought it to his festival. It is, as he says, a “subtle film,” about three Asian Americans and the strange emotions they must confront regarding love and sex.

What I loved most about “Charlotte Sometimes” was that it did not feel like a movie. There were no standard plot twists, realizations, or last-second changes of heart. On screen, I saw three real, good-hearted people with real issues and real passions, acting irrationally as we all do when it comes to love. I think everyone who sees this film will have a different response, depending on his or her personal experiences with love. Like all great films, it touches us individually with its humanity.

Prepare to hear a great deal more about this soon-to-be-released film in the near future.

“ Thirteen Conversations About One Thing”
4 out of 4 stars

and

“Singin’ In The Rain”
4 out of 4 stars

I have written about both these films before, but I wanted to use this space to remind everyone of these two brilliant movies that Ebert felt compelled to choose. “Thirteen Conversations,” written and directed by Jill and Karen Sprecher, natives of Madison, Wisconsin, uses thirteen short vignettes to explore the concept of happiness. And, in the process, they say a great deal about what drives us through our lives.

And what more can I say about “Singin’ In The Rain?” It is one of the best films ever made, with the best songs, music, dancing and energy of any movie musical. It is a pure two-hour dosage of joy, and I think every human being owes it to themselves to see this masterpiece at least once on the silver screen.