The San Diego International Film Festival has the “Film Insider Series” each year, where you can see a movie each month, with a great reception, and often the star or director of the film is there to talk about the project. Previously I’ve seen films with actors like J.K. Simmons, Jason Segal, and Adam Scott in attendance.

It was a thrill to see the second movie Heather Graham has written, produced, directed, and starred in (I never saw her first film “Half Magic”).

While having wine and appetizers before her movie “Chosen Family,” Graham showed up and was gracious with the people approaching to take pictures or talk with her.

I asked her who was funnier on set, Zach Galifianakis (who she starred with in “The Hangover”) or Tom Lennon (who is in her new film). She said, “Oh, they’re both so funny. I don’t know, I’d have to say Thomas.”

I said, “Do you know what the most underrated movie ever was?”

She smiled and said, “What?”

I pulled out a hat I had folded in my back pocket from her film “Diggstown” (I got the promotional item when the film was released in 1992). She excitedly said, “You still have this? I wish I would’ve saved some memorabilia.”

Since the movie starred Lou Gossett, Jr. (along with Bruce Dern, James Woods, and Oliver Platt), I asked her about his recent passing, and we talked a bit about his career. I didn’t want to talk her ear off, as I saw another couple waiting to talk to her (and with P.F. Chang grub and a variety of wines…there was food to consume).

Before the movie started, Graham talked a bit about it. For all you budding filmmakers, keep this in mind: It took her over eight years to develop and get financing for the film, and she’s a big star (some of her films include Austin Powers, Bowfinger, and Anger Management).

Graham plays Ann, a yoga teacher who isn’t having much luck on the dating scene. She has worse luck with her family. Her sister Clio (Julia Stiles) is a drug addict. There’s a terrific, heartbreaking scene where we find out why Clio has a bit of a grudge against her big sister. And there’s a hysterical scene where Ann has to leave a date early, and with this new suitor, pick up her sister under a bridge where she’s with druggies. Hearing Clio say, “He’s my sponsor” was great. Graham shows she has the talent to navigate pathos and humor.

Her parents (Michael Gross, Julie Halston) can be manipulative. They also want her to help Clio out, and they get preachy about their religion. When she dates different guys, she’s told she’s “living in sin.”

Luckily, she has a great group of friends. Again, credit goes to Graham for creating a friend group that we like, and feels realistic. For example, Max (Thomas Lennon) is a chef trying to make a go of a new waterfront restaurant. He can be funny, but he’s not some complete idiot. Another filmmaker would have tried to get comedy out of a character that has no clue, or having something explode in the kitchen.

There’s also Roz (Andrea Savage), and Frances (Odessa Rae), and they’re great about trying to vet this new guy in her life. Again, a less talented filmmaker would have made them grill this guy in a goofy, snotty, or unrealistic way. Instead, they all get along well at a dinner party and are having fun, even when the awkward questions arise about his daughter and recent divorce.

The guy, Steve (John Brotherton), is perfectly cast. He’s good looking, charming, and even when he feels like he’s dropping the ball on their first few dates, it works for him. They have nice chemistry together.

When we get to meet his daughter Lilly (Ella Grace Helton), it’s cute how she’s snotty, and when given a doll from Ann, she gets excited. She even says, “I’m awarding you 10 points!”

It won’t be long before she takes away two points for one thing, and four points for something else.

We’re rooting so much for this couple, we really get worried when we see the daughter might possibly sabotage this budding relationship.

The daughter is one of the weaker elements of the film. Very early on, it just doesn’t make sense how her father wouldn’t curb her rude behavior towards the new love interest in his life. Later when we find out her mom is in a relationship, it also doesn’t make sense as to why he was so concerned with keeping Ann hidden from her.

The scene with Ann being asked to sleep in his daughter’s room, so the kid can sleep with him, was funny. I never heard a theater laugh so hard, as when he’s leaving the room and tells Ann, “The night-light is over there.”

Despite what kind of people pleaser the Ann character is supposed to be, it’s a bit unbelievable to think she’d put up with that (or a few of the things her mom requests of her involving a singing career).

Yet we laugh so much in the movie, and enjoy her friend group – or, her “chosen family” so much, that we can let some of those things slide.

I didn’t care so much for the score, but I loved the cinematography. I believe it was shot around Rhode Island.

We already knew Graham could act. She’s also beautiful, with stunning eyes. And there’s nothing better than when somebody says or does something crazy, and she gets this subtle look on her face and her eyes gaze down. The perfect reactions.

To rate this movie, I’ll take a page out of Lilly’s playbook. I’m giving it 10 points.

Tonya Mantooth interviewed Heather Graham after the movie, and that was rather interesting. As they were walking out, I thought about how we had earlier talked about Lou Gossett, Jr. passing away a few months ago. And since Graham was in one of the best movies ever made – Boogie Nights – I asked about the song “Brand New Key” which was used in one of her scenes as Rollergirl. I said, “Since Melanie passed away earlier this year, I wondered if you ever got to meet her or talk to her after the movie came out to see what she thought of it.”

She smiled and said she didn’t. At that moment, I realized I had nothing else to say. I simply said I liked her movie, and walked to the reception area for coffee and dessert.

My wife kept ribbing me for bombing on my question, and asking about two people from her movies that have died. But, as luck would have it, we got some Handel’s Ice Cream and we’re on the escalator going to the parking lot. Heather was right behind us. I turned around and said, “That movie was a bit like ‘Two Girls and a Guy” [a film where Robert Downey Jr. is in love with two women he’s dating at the same time].

She looked a bit confused as to where I was going with that, as I was implying the love interest in “Chosen Family” loving her, and his daughter. I immediately said, “And by the way, you totally won that ‘dance off’ against her!”

With that, she threw her head back and laughed uproariously, saying “That’s funny.”

I was able to drive home vindicated, knowing my last words to Heather Graham weren’t a bomb.

The next movie to see in the Film Insider Series, at the AMC in UTC, is “Sing Sing” on June 16th. Who knows, maybe Colman Domingo will show up, and I can bomb asking him a question.

See ya next month.

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