Cook: Starstruck In Santa Monica

Last week, I attended the 19th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards in Santa Monica and it was one of the most exciting nights of my life. For a movie buff and a film critic, being able to see and meet many of your favorite actors is an unforgettable experience.

The Critics Choice Movie Awards are bestowed annually by members of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA), which I’m a member of due to my serving as a film critic for KLRT-FOX16.

I thought I’d share my experience at this event, along with some pictures.

The event started at 5pm local time for its national broadcast on the CW network, but I got there about 3pm as I had red carpet credentials. Press outlets from across the country and the world were there for the event. Fortunately, since I was with a television station, I was able to get a decent spot right on the rope line. A buddy of mine who lives in California came with me and served as a cameraman on the red carpet.

I learned that on a Hollywood red carpet, the major stars such as Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Oprah, etc., give interviews to just a few press outlets on the red carpet and then hurry into the event. So I was not able to grab interviews there with these caliber of actors.

However, a good number of the character actors and directors met the press along the rope line and I met and interviewed some of them.

On the red carpet, I interviewed Paul Feig, director of “The Heat” and “Bridesmaids,” along with Shea Whigham, Matthew Russell, June Squibb, Alessandro Nivola. Bruce Dern, an Oscar nominee this year for “Nebraska,” walked by and I told him the Little Rock Film Festival has recently screened one of his first movies “Bloody Mama.” He replied in a very friendly way, “Cool.”

We eventually went inside the Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica airport, site of the awards show. It’s literally an airport hanger, but transformed into a full-fledged Hollywood awards show for the night.

As you would expect, the movie stars were seated near the front of the stage and critics toward the back. But once again we got lucky and had pretty decent seats – we were two tables behind Pharrell if that’s any indicator of our location.

Being around so many movie stars at one time was a surreal experience. You feel like you know these people after seeing their work over the years, but then realize quickly you don’t know them and they don’t know you. You can’t help but stare at these folks, something I’m sure they’re all used to by now.

I’m not ashamed to admit to being starstruck in the midst of some of the world’s most recognizable people. Some of the attendees that I got to see and/or meet were: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Matthew McConaughey, Amy Adams, Meryl Streep, Oprah, Leonardo DiCaprio, Forrest Whittaker, Jonah Hill, Bradley Cooper, and Jessica Chastian. I could go on, but it seemed as if just about every actor you could think of was there that night.

To the credit of the BFCA, everything ran like clockwork, the show started promptly at 5pm and ended exactly two hours later. During commercial breaks, folks would get up from their seats to head to the front to meet the various movie stars, who were all very accommodating. I wandered around during the breaks, snapping photos of the movie stars. Again, I’m not ashamed.

On the awards themselves, “Gravity” took home the most with seven wins, setting a record for the most Critics Choice Awards in one year. “12 Years a Slave” won for best picture. “American Hustle” took home four awards this year.

Click here for the complete list of the winners at the Critics Choice Awards.

For me, it was one of the most exciting nights of my life. I got to attend an actual Hollywood movie awards show, and see and meet actors whom I admire. It was a night I’ll never forget.