My account of the KTF Baltimore Premiere

I'm still not sure how I ever managed to get to the Keeping the Faith Baltimore premiere. I had completed my M.S. in Hawaii and had been looking for a job when I ended up interviewing with Johns Hopkins in March. About a week and a half before the premiere, I was accepting the job, signing a lease on an apartment, shipping all of my stuff, and sending $75 for a ticket to the premiere. I arrived in Baltimore on Thursday night, the day before the premiere, with my KTF ticket waiting for me in the mailbox.

I arrived early. The marquee of the Senator Theatre was all set up for the occasion with the title in big letters. The red carpet and velvet ropes were out as well as a huge spotlight located across the street. I had dinner in a Chinese restaurant right across from the theater. I ate at the window counter and was able to watch everything going on across the street.

Doors were to open at 7:30 and the event was to start at 8:30, so I was very surprised to see two limos pull up to the theater before 7. Sure enough, everyone got out and went into the theaters: Edward Norton, a tall redhead followed right behind him that I thought was either a good friend or a rep, a blond with a ponytail that I assumed was Jenna Elfman, EN's sister in a red dress, and several others (it was hard to tell just from their backs). The limos went around to park on the side of the theater down a side street. The press and the guests started arriving at the theater and just mulled around until the doors opened. People started going inside and soon after there was some activity going on at the side of the theater and I saw EN and his crew getting into the limos. The limos turned away from the theater and went around the block. The Senator Theatre has cement blocks from premieres that were held at the theater (kind of like the Mann's Chinese only larger and the lettering of the movie is professionally done). "Liberty Heights", something having to do with the TV series "Homicide", and of course EN's movies: "Rounders," "Everyone Says I Love You" and "Primal Fear".

The press was on one side of the red carpet aisle and I was on the other along with a few other fans. The manager (I guess) told us we were unable to take pictures since it would interfere with the pictures and TV cameras of the press. He also said that we could go over to where they were going to to the cement ceremony if we wanted to take pictures, but I just decided to stay and not take any pictures at the red carpet. The limos pulled up and they came out: Edward followed by Salma Hayek in a beige dress; the tall redhead turned out to be Jenna Elfman, her hair had been cut short and dyed. EN and Jenna gave interviews to the reporters while Salma was virtually enveloped by a crowd of pre-teens that swelled up to the back of the limo. I was about a foot away from Edward most of the time but I mainly saw his back as he gave interviews (I couldn't really hear what he was saying). After a while, they moved away from the red carpet to the ceremony in the cement. I didn't go over because he was surrounded by the press and a group of guests that went out of the door of the theater. I later saw the cement block. It was signed by EN, JE, KTF screenwriter Stuart Blumberg, and Baltimore mayor Martin O'Malley.

I went inside the theater lobby, which was packed. Displays for the programs like the Living Classroom that were receiving the proceeds of the benefit were setup in the lobby. I believe that some people were drinking champagne and I saw a person holding what looked like a program for Keeping the Faith. I looked around to see if this program was being given out in the lobby, but I believe that it was actually an invitation to the premiere that had been sent out to EN's family and friends and various VIPs. There was a table with some rolled up posters, and I learned that these were double sided "Keeping the Faith" that had been autographed by EN. They were selling them for $25 with the benefits going to the Robin Norton Scholarship Fund and I bought one.

Again, I somehow ended up about a foot in front of EN but he was being greeted by people he knew and asked for autographs by pre-teens and teens, so I felt very awkward about saying anything to him. And I basically walked/backed down the aisle until he reached his reserved seat. The blonde that I first mistaken for Jenna was sitting next to her so I guess it was her sister. The premiere was about to start in a few minutes, most of the places have already been taken, and I don't have a seat. I figured I would be in the very back corner. But as I walked up looking for a seat in the front and ended up in the second row on the right aisle.

He gave a very warm speech, thanking everyone who helped pull this event off and especially Jenna for deciding to come to the event. He talked about the Senator theater and that he had seen many movies there, including Star Wars. He talked about the charities and how they were ones that meant a lot to his mother. And he talked about his mother. You could feel this warmth in he room because a great number of people in the room knew him and his family personally. Just standing outside and walking into the theater, people talked to each other about their connections to EN. As he talked about his mother, the loss was deep and it was felt throughout the room.

I took several pictures. I realized that I had pushed the button a lot of times only halfway so instead of getting a lot of great pictures I probably just got a few and blinded him with the flash throughout his speech. I also tape recorded the speech.

After waiting in a horrendous line at the restroom, I again end up in front of EN as he was leaving. And again I said nothing to him since he was talking to people he knew and seemed ready to leave.

Overall,it was a great evening and I really enjoyed the movie.