Although I can't say I'm remotely surprised, I'm still very proud to announce that Little Birds - written and directed by my big brother Elgin James - has been selected for competition in the U.S. Dramatic Feature category at this year's Sundance Film Festival. I had a chance to see segments of it while I was in Los Angeles this past June and without a hint of exaggeration, I'll freely admit that it's the first film in a very, very long time that's had me on the edge of my seat, laughing out loud and in tears in a single sitting. You will be hearing an awful lot about both Elgin and the film in the coming months. Trust me.
Here's the "for immediate release" synopsis:
Starring Kay Panabaker and Juno Temple in the lead with a supporting cast of Kyle Gallner, Kate Bosworth and Leslie Mann, this is a semi-autobiographical drama set amidst the stark landscape of the Salton Sea, and sees two 15-year-old girls (Temple and Panabaker) test the limits of their friendship when one follows the other in an escape to Los Angeles. There they discover that the boredom of home may be better than learning to survive in the big city. There they hook up with skaters and street kids.
My take? Kate Bosworth is her usual amazing, Juno Temple is going to be the next Big Thing, Leslie Mann's performance made me cry and Kyle Gallner redefines the concept of Fragile Anti-Hero Hero. For me, Kay Panabaker was the most pleasant surprise - her character is the most effective, accurate and moving Christ Metaphor I've ever seen on celluloid.
Simply put, it's an absolutely remarkable film. This all sounds like hyperbole now. Once it hits theaters later this year it'll be a different story.
I'll be at Sundance for a few days working on a few things related to the film that I'm ecstatic over but can't (and don't) really want to talk about just yet. Suffice it to say that if you told me last January that I'd be at the Sundance Film Festival in a professional capacity - especially after the rollercoaster year I've had - I would have been skeptical. At this point, it would be unwise to put a roof on 2011.
Congrats to Elgin and the entire cast and crew of Little Birds. It's refreshing to know that there's still blood pumping in Hollywood's veins.
