IFP Dispatch: John Sayles still indie
It was only vaguely a joke when acclaimed filmmaker John Sayles and his producer/wife Maggie Renzi were introduced at the New York premiere of Sayles' new movie [Honeydripper] (watch a decent clip [here]) last night as America's first couple of independent film. The screening kicked off this week's [IFP Market](http://market.ifp.org/newyork/market/market29b/index02.html), a collection of panels and meetings for producers and filmmakers looking to hone their craft and network with the people on the business side of things. The married filmmakers, of course, represent that ultimate connection between members of the creative class-but the significance of Sayles' appearance last night goes deeper, and has a more specific resonance, than that particular symbolism. Sayles' first film, 1980's Return to Secaucus 7, screened at the inaugural IFP Market gathering twenty seven years ago, and, as an artist working outside of the beastly commerciality of Hollywood, he has remained remarkably consistent in his methods.
In another context, bringing back a longtime friend of IFP now that he's become a veteran of the film industry seems more like inside baseball than a sincere showcasing of creativity (he is, after all, [attached to write Jurassic Park IV]). But Honeydripper is a lovely, engaging, and utterly unpretentious period piece that perfectly demonstrates the sort of magic that can be put on the big screen without the assistance of a bloated budget. Sayles told the audience that the film shows about how much you can get away with in five months of shooting and survive." The delicacy comes through in every frame.
Starring Danny Glover as a blues joint owner living in 1950s Alabama, the movie is filled with toe-tappin' tunes and close to a dozen memorable small town personalities. Gorgeously shot with near-perfect performances, Honeydripper feels old-fashioned in the best kind of way. This is a movie that, had it been subjected to the Hollywood system, would've wound up with Jamie Foxx in Glover's role for no good reason, and contained a ton of million-dollar crane shots just for the hell of it, and the resulting production would've killed the endearing accessibility of the material. Sayles' low budget aesthetic keeps the movie grounded in emotional integrity. My understanding from the distribution team is that it'll be released in New York and Los Angeles at the end of this year for awards consideration before getting a national rollout in 2008. It's not an obvious Oscar contender (as it would be if it had Jamie Foxx in it), but that's sort of the point. Honeydripper is a reminder of why people bother struggling for art in the first place.