Sundance Day 2

Another typically jam-packed Sundance day, with a bit too much of it spent having nightmarish experiences with public transportation (like the bus that broke down, and then spewed exhaust into the open door of the replacement bus just after we boarded, causing us all to get a mild case of carbon monoxide poisoning – no joke. Just headaches mainly, but highly unpleasant).

But there were plenty of high spots too: I saw a documentary by a German filmmaker that explored the subject of why everyone loves film – something I can identify with. My favorite part was hearing people from India and Burkina Faso give their take on “Titanic” (Indians just can’t identify with a giant ship breaking up and sinking, apparently, but an African man said he learned a lot about how horrible it is to not reach one’s destination).

I spent some time at a celeb spot called Village at the Lift and got some material for my daily Observer filing (click here and here to see it).

Then came “Year of the Dog,” starring Molly Shannon and directed by Mike White, who was also behind “Chuck and Buck” and “The Good Girl.” I’m still processing what to say about this one. I think maybe it was sort of brilliant, but it was also repellent in certain ways (I guess that sums up Mike White). It’s going to be in theaters this April, and the trailer will most likely make it seem like a cute romantic comedy about a woman who’s a little dog-crazy. Well, there’s a lot of comedy, but not a lot of romance or cuteness. And there’s definitely craziness. And it’s almost preachy about animal-rights issues. Dog lovers will probably enjoy it, but be warned, there are some upsetting scenes of canines in jeopardy. Oh, and Shannon is really, really good in it.

Shannon, Regina King, John C. Reilly, Peter Sarsgaard and several other actors were on hand, and I got a few minutes to talk to White and Shannon (she was especially gracious).

I stayed in the same theater for “Resurrecting the Champ,” starring Josh Hartnett and Samuel L. Jackson. I was surprised by how much I liked this one – it’s based on the true story of a sports journalist who discovers that a once-champion boxer is now a homeless man in his town, and gains fame by writing a big story about it. I can say this is one of the rare movies that gets newsroom scenes almost exactly right. Has some cautionary words about journalism and truth. The crowd went gaga over Hartnett, Alan Alda and Teri Hatcher being in the theater.

Finally, I made my way to a celeb party back at Village at the Lift (those familiar with Sundance will appreciate how many bus rides this day entailed, and I was carrying my laptop the whole time). It was at capacity, so I had to huddle in a chilly line waiting for them to let us in one by one as people left. And it turns out I had the B-list wristband and couldn’t get up to where the A-listers were. When I learned Milo Ventimiglia of “Heroes,” which is becoming one of my all-time favorite shows, was upstairs, I got bummed about missing him, but a woman I’d met earlier took pity on me and brought me up to the A-list area (showing it pays to be nice to the flacks). So I got to chat with Milo and get some mildly spoilerish stuff about the direction of the show – and discover that he’s really short and very personable. (Milo’s stuff will be in my next Observer piece).

Right after that I could have wandered some more, but I discovered my camera, which had been slung over my shoulder, was missing. Unbelievably, I found it amid the crush of over 500 people, but once that crisis was over I didn’t have the energy to hunt out any more celebs so I actually skipped the bus and walked home (it’s close to zero and snowing, but it was still better than smelling any more exhaust).

To those who asked about my suspiciously cheap hotel: It’s really old, but it’s clean. No signs of rats, roaches or missing patches of roof. Everything’s a bit run down but it’s spacious and a great location. I’m definitely staying here for future fests.