SBIFF - Sandra Bullock - Riviera Award

What do Forrest Whitaker and Sandra Bullock have in common, other than the obvious fact that they both act for a living? The answer is that they both are now recipients of the Santa Barbara Film Festival's prestigious Riviera Award. Other past winners include Hollywood luminaries such as Phillip Seymore Hoffman, Tommy Lee Jones and most recently in 2009, Mickey Rourke.

Last Friday evening's award presentation and on stage study of Ms. Bullock's magnificent career in Tinsel Town, was an entertaining and in depth look at how one woman with a laser beam like focus on her career path, through talent and hard work, has not only become Hollywood's highest paid leading lady, but also a business woman in her own right, running her own film production company called Fortis Films. In addition and as exemplified by Forest Whitaker's rain fall of accolades, she has earned the respect, if not the affection of her peers and adulation of her fans.

The evening began with a trip by the stars down the red carpet leading up to the entrance of the Arlington Theater. A chorus line of press volleyed questions at Ms. Bullock which she dutifully and patiently answered, while taking time to wave at a throng of adoring fans waiting to get in to the theater. Mr. Whitaker, when asked if he preferred acting, for which he is most well known to directing, he simply responded, "I just want to tell great stories".

After the sold out crowd seated itself, execs from the event's sponsor, Chopin vodka, took the stage to introduce not only Ms. Bullock, but the night's co-host, well known film critic and Sandra Bullock fan, Pete Hammond. For the ensuing two hour portion of the evening, the audience was treated to a review of Ms. Bullock's career complete with film clips and the actress' insights on how she got started in the business, her humorous take on various home runs and flops over the years and her plans for the future.

One of the most amusing and self effacing moments of the evening came when Ms. Bullock talked about the film which could have extinguished her career prematurely, Speed 2, the dismal sequel to the the surprise 1994 hit, Speed which also starred Kenau Reeves. She remembers wondering out loud, "how is the audience going to believe we're in a really fast boat, one that I can't get off, when there are jet skiers plugging along on either side of the water craft?". She also recalled how Mr. Reeves turned down the project and most likely a hefty pay check because he obviously knew something she did not.

It was also interesting to hear Ms. Bullock talk about how she almost did not make either of the two films that have been such huge hits this last year. First, The Proposal was something she initially did not want to do, fearing she would typecast herself as a darling of romantic comedies, an identity she had done much to avoid in recent years. However, when she realized the film would be a comedy first and foremost, with some romance added in for good measure, she said yes and the movie went on to earn a whopping $300 million world wide.

The second film Ms. Bullock turned down repeatedly before agreeing to act in is called The Blind Side, which has been nominated for an Academy Award. Ms. Bullock is also up for Best Actress for her role as Leigh Anne Tuohy, a character who film critic, Brad Member describes as a "tightly-wound interior designer, married to a wealthy business man and former Ole Miss basketball player Sean, who owns a large amount of fast food restaurants."

Between and around the bookends of Speed and the Blind Side, Ms. Bullock has had an extraordinarily successful career, as evidenced by her estimated net worth of $85 million. DVD collections throughout the country and here in Santa Barbara in my neighbor Stefan's home, boast myriad titles including Hangmen, Murder By Numbers, While You Were Sleeping, 28 Days, Hope Floats, Two Weeks Notice and many, many others.

Following Forest Whitaker's glowing presentation of the award in his famous mellifluous voice, Ms. Bullock took the podium and in genuine and heartfelt disposition, thanked those who in her life who have made her career such a success culminating in the Riviera Award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival's 25th incarnation.