It’s time for me the share another film with you all: The Help. The movie was produced by Participant Media in conjunction with DreamWorks and Disney, and it’s a release I’ve been anticipating all summer. I’m already anxious to see how the film fares come awards season — the cast is phenomenal, especially Viola Davis. She received her first Oscar nomination for her role in Doubt, and I have little doubt myself that she’ll be recognized at the Kodak theater this year for her role in this film. Go see this movie. I don’t say that just because of my ties to Participant, but also because it’s a heart-felt, touching and at times hilarious story that will leave you feeling good. 

(Image of Viola Davis at the 2009 Academy Awards)

Speaking of Participant, my summer interning there and MGM ended well and I’ve settled back in Athens as I prepare for my last semester at school. Wow, my last semester. I can’t believe it. As I’ve been telling everyone, I’m moving back to LA in January—with or without a job, mind you—to make this crazy dream of mine come to fruition. It seems insane even to me to say it out loud, but I can’t help but just be really excited. I’ve worked the past two years for this; now it’s time to make it happen. 

Fun story: fellow Participant interns Elana and Katherine and I met Larry King at the Beverly Hills block party. We went looking for the mac ‘n’ cheese truck after work and ran into the king of talk himself. 

(Elana, Katherine, Larry and me at the Beverly Hills block party)

I wish I had more exciting things to report, but the remainder of the details from my life in LA amount to sitting to traffic, reading scripts and discussing films, answering phones and listening into phone calls with my bosses discussing information about projects I’m not allowed to disclose, making coffee, meeting with executives and chatting with assistants and interns, reading Deadline, making (and drinking) more coffee, and exploring the city. I did see Salma Hayek and John Legend in the office one day — that was pretty great! I also discovered this wonderful bar in Hollywood called Next Door Lounge. All I can say is the waitresses were in flapper outfits and there was Turner Classic Movies playing in the background. My kind of joint. 

Back home, I’m getting so excited for awards season to amp up and for a lot of great movies to hit theaters as they trickle through Toronto, Venice, and Telluride. Expect more blog posts to come!

Living my dream — and anxiously anticipating the next step!

Blake