Being a Los Angeleno from birth, visiting Texas had never really appealed (okay, occurred) to me until I had the opportunity to attend the SXSW Film Festival 2002 in Austin. Prior to my trip, I had admired many things Texas—like singer-songwriter Lyle Lovett, autobiographer Mary Karr, and former Governor (pronounced Guv-ner) Ann Richards. I had just never put Texas on my "Places I Want To Go" list.

With Park City and Sundance fading into the distance (see Postcards from Park City), my friends and I once again packed our weekend bags. Jessie included her bright red "Jessie-the-Cowgirl" boots and Tammy Tonic (aka Leigh) exchanged her fun fur cap o' Park City for a straw cowboy hat o' Austin.

Together, we headed for the unknown land of Texas.

Staying in downtown Austin at the Radisson, also known as "The Rad," we were just a few blocks from the convention center and most screening venues. Arriving early to register, we had just enough time for lunch at the Broken Spoke, a true Honky Tonk venue, some twenty minutes from downtown.

There we were, all four of us, standing outside the convention center. It was hot and threatening to rain. We were hungry. And we were failing miserably at hailing a taxi. Just then, we saw a young cowboy get out of his car and yell: "Y'all need a cab?" (Ladies and gentleman, in Texas, "Y'all"—the conjunction of You and All is a real word, said often, and with a special southern lilt). Yes, I nodded, and then watched him walk half a block to the main street, smoothly and successfully flag down a cab, and then direct the driver to our feet.

From that moment on: I loved Texas.


Katy Monahan Huntley, Jessie Nagel, and Leigh A. Godfrey with a new friend at the SXSW 2002 Opening Night Party in Austin, Texas.

Here's the scoop on some of the movies we took in during our Austin weekend:

Journeys With George

On Friday, March 8, we attended Opening Night of the SXSW Film Festival 2002, which featured the world premiere of Journeys With George. Alexandra Pelosi's documentary, which she calls a "home movie," is about George W. (pronounced Dubya) and his run for the presidency in 2000. Touted as one of the biggest highlights of SXSW '02, the film provided an insider's view to the campaign trail and the current holder of our country's highest office. My favorite moment was when Dubya suggested a name for the film (which Pelosi did indeed use), but our fearless leader wanted to spell "Journeys" with a "G." Thank goodness for keen editing.

One thing is for certain: in a Post-Pelosi world, politicians will ban handheld cameras. We will never again get to see Dubya (or any other leader) sipping on a bottle of O'Douls in the back of a plane, train, or bus—shamelessly flirting with a TV news producer in purple-framed eyeglasses. Hidden cameras just won't be the same.


Colleen O'Mara Diamond (left) and Jessie Nagel (right) with two stars of Journey's With George: Wayne Slater—Bureau Chief of the Dallas Morning News (2nd from left) and RG Ratcliffe, Political Reporter for the Houston Chronicle.

The Scoundrel's Wife

These days, there are very few guilty pleasures I still allow myself. On my trip to Austin, there was one: The Scoundrel's Wife, starring none other than Tatum O'Neal. I consider Tatum (Paper Moon, Little Darlings) a guilty pleasure. I also consider her co-star Julian Sands (Room With a View) one too. Shot along the Louisiana Gulf Coast, the film follows widow Camille as she struggles to raise her two teenage children, and live down her infamous reputation, in a small town during World War II. O'Neal and Sands' performances are distracting, as they vacillate from stilted to melodramatic. The focal point is the beautiful Cajun bayou where Nazi POWs are forced to work the cotton fields, and local shrimp boaters are routinely searched and accused of treason. I definitely learned about an interesting moment in our country's history.

I also learned that it is time to give up all guilty pleasures.

Colleen O'Mara Diamond with Director/Screenwriter Glen Pitre after the SXSW 2002 screening of The Scoundrel's Wife.

Me Without You

Watching Me Without You was an oh-so-familiar trip back in time. Directed by Sandra Goldbacher (The Governess), the film follows childhood friends Holly and Marina (secret name: Harina), as they come of age in experimental, suburban, Punk Rock England, attend college in seaside Brighton where they fall for the same professor, and then to career-minded London when a threatened separation forces the pair to look at the dysfunction of their relationship. Starring Anna Friel and Michelle Williams, Me Without You also features Kyle MacLachlan, Oliver Milburn, and Trudie Styler. I saw it with my best friend, and so should you.

Chelsea Walls

Ethan Hawke's directorial debut was something everyone wanted to see at this year's SXSW. Chelsea Walls is set in New York's historic Chelsea Hotel where such talents as Mark Twain, Thomas Wolfe, and Bob Dylan were inspired; where Sid killed Nancy; and where modern artists flock. The film features Kris Kristofferson, Natasha Richardson, and Uma Thurman, just to name a few. The film's description notes: "Hawke shows great skill for mixing characters and dialogue to create a hypnotic and meditative mood. You never know what's going to happen next." That's true. Worst still is when you leave the theater. You don't really know what happened last.

Blue Vinyl

Blue Vinyl proves that attempting to answer one small question can have a powerful impact. Director/producer Judith Helfand begins Blue Vinyl by asking her parents about the safety of the vinyl siding they are about to put on their Long Island home. Carrying a piece of the blue vinyl siding with her, Helfand travels to Lake Charles, Louisiana, to research how vinyl is made. She finds the locals suffering from ailments and being forced from their homes due to groundwater contamination. Helfand finally succeeds when she convinces her parents to choose an alternate material. In addition, she successfully shows viewers what one person can accomplish. Helfand is also the director of A Healthy Baby Girl. In Austin, she was seen working the film's line passing out Blue Vinyl souvenirs—pieces of the siding (with a heavy red warning on the back not to burn) hung on colorful New Orleans Mardi Gras beads.

That March weekend in Austin, I took in a total of fourteen films. Okay, only eight were SXSW fare. The rest I watched in my cozy "Rad" room. You know, those films you want to see but are not quite motivated enough to leave your house: The Others, Riding in Cars With Boys, and Rock Star (a true highlight!). When I wasn't watching films, I was eating authentic BBQ. What more could you want from a weekend away?

In fact, back in L.A., I spent April and May pining for the easy going ways of Texas. There, I had enjoyed being greeted wherever I went with a genuine: "How y'all doing?" I liked how the bartender remembered me, and my drink. I even got used to asking how long something would take, only to be told calmly and confidently: "Not long." If I could just get away with that at home! Then, my wish came true. In June, while trying to fly to LA after two weeks in New York, my husband and I got stuck in Dallas. His grumpy (NY/LA-centric) question: "What the hell are we going to do in Dallas?" My answer: "Y'all wanna find the grassy knoll?"

Texas has a way of growing on you.