John Travolta and Christopher Walken Grace Exclusive Screenings
By Alexandra Ruhmann

Over the past several months the San Francisco Film Society has had the privilege of inviting its supporters to two events featuring a reception, preview screening and the chance to mingle and hear stories from two of Hollywood’s greatest leading men. In September the Film Society screened Around the Bend, a film written and directed by Jordon Roberts, that stars Michael Caine, Josh Lucas and Christopher Walken. And on December 16, supporters of the Film Society were invited to preview A Love Song for Bobby Long, a film featuring John Travolta and Scarlett Johansson, based on the novel Off Magazine Street, written for the screen and directed by Shainee Gabel.

At the screening for Around the Bend Film Society donors were able to mingle with Christopher Walken while sharing fine drink and food. One supporter made a stop at the concession stand prior to the reception and was thrilled to share his nachos with Christopher Walken. When it came time to preview the film, the Film Society’s executive director, Roxanne Messina Captor, introduced Walken who thanked the cast and crew for a wonderful experience and the audience for coming out to see the film.

Around the Bend is a semi-autobiographical film inspired by the relationship between writer/director Jordon Roberts and the absentee father he barely knew. It tells the story of four generations of men and the moments they share as they to uncover the truth about their family’s past. Roberts has said that the film, “Was always a contemplation of grief and estrangement. It was always about the hole that we carry for those members of our family, people close to us that have gone.” In the film, Christopher Walken plays Turner, father of Jason Lair, who pays the family an unexpected visit.

Of the film Walken said, “It’s an interesting story about four generations, and there is the journey involved. We get into a van and we travel around and get to know each other. It really is about a family of men.” Walken recalls being attracted to the project by the words on the page. “They sent me the script, and it was a good part,” he recalled. “I like Michael Caine very much, and I was thrilled that he was going to do this. Josh Lucas is very good, and the casting is good—we could sort of be related.”

After the screening Walken was personable, modest and funny, as he was interviewed and answered questions from the audience. Having spoken about his experiences bringing Jordan Robert’s semi-autobiographical film to life and the admiration he felt for his castmates, Walken entertained the audience with stories about his career, receiving applause when mentioning the Academy Award–nominated Pennies from Heaven.

Walken is an veteran actor whose films include Deer Hunter—for which he won an Academy Award for best supporting actor—True Romance and Suicide Kings. In addition to a career in film, Walken has had a career on stage performing in plays such as The Lion in the Winter and The Seagull. Of Walken’s acting style, writer/director Roberts has said, “Chris Walken is an actor who is both enigmatic and mysterious. He is slightly withholding; he’s constantly asking an audience to come towards him. Since he’s occupying a character who is an object of longing for Jason he was perfect for the role.”

On December 16 supporters were again treated to a preview screening and reception with a leading man. This time around, the film featured was A Love Song For Bobby Long. Travolta mingled with guests of the Film Society at a reception before being introduced prior to the film. Always charismatic, the star charmed the audience with a few words about the film.

The film is the directorial debut of Shainee Gabel, who adapted the screenplay from the soon-to-be published novel, Off Magazine Street. “I wanted to set the story among people one wouldn’t necessarily see, those on the fringe,” Gabel explained. The film explores the relationship between three characters who, through a series of circumstances, come to live together in a dilapidated house in New Orleans. Travolta loved the script and spoke of its literary quality, saying, “If you are familiar with William Inge or Tennessee Williams, you instantly identify with this piece as something that is, in my opinion, a contemporary answer to those writings. You see it on every single page of the script, so it was easy to fall in love with.”

Travolta has entertained audiences with a diverse film career including Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Pulp Fiction and Primary Colors. In the role of Bobby Long, Travolta plays an alcoholic professor who has given up on his former life, who encounters Pursy, a teenager with no parents or education played by Scarlett Johanssen. This role marks Travolta’s return to smaller, more dramatic fare not seen since his riveting portrayals of a philosophical hit man in Pulp Fiction and the smooth-talking politician in Primary Colors. Of the role Travolta has said, “It’s more appealing for me to play someone completely different that I can identify with and absorb from an outside perspective. I enjoy that more because it gives me something to do. Something to create.”

Directly following the film Travolta entertained the audience during an interview with Captor and answered questions from the audience. The actor was gracious and funny as he spoke with the guests of the Film Society about his experiences working with the cast and crew of A Love Song for Bobby Long and his past career.