The year? 1993. The project? The Kenneth Branagh/Emma Thompson/Denzel Washington/Keanu Reeves/Kate Beckinsale/Robert Sean Leonard adaptation of Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, a film that I saw in the art theatre in my home town with my Dad, because he loves to go to the movies and will see anything with me. (The last time I went to the movies, in fact, was with my Dad — we saw Little Women together.) Although I am an avowed lover of a period piece, I must confess that I went to this one because I had (have!) a really REALLY really really big crush on Robert Sean Leonard.
The attendance at this was a hoot. Some of the actors didn’t come — Kate Beckinsale did seemingly no press, although she was still a student at Oxford and I suspect she couldn’t miss too much; Michael Keaton didn’t show, either — but A TON of very very uninvolved famous people did, as you will see. What you won’t see, because I wasn’t going to spend my money on his face, is that Ivana Trump AND Donald and Marla Maples came to the New York premiere. I hope drinks were thrown in various directions.
