In all honesty, Nora Ephron was one of the very first female screenwriter's names that stuck with me in my youth. Now, I know what you're thinking. You may operate under the assumption that the reason I know her name was a result of her association with romantic comedies. Well, that's not correct. As a child, I remember watching Silkwood in a theater and being haunted by it for many years after. At the time, 6-year old me had not been exposed to anything so heavy before. My life then consisted of Star Wars and breakfast cereal. So when one sees something that powerful at a tender age, naturally they try and find out who was behind such a film. Decades later, it's still remarkably high caliber and features some of the best work of all actors involved (and remains the best performance Cher has ever done). Mike Nichols' direction is solid, but I was astonished that someone could craft such an emotional story out of an unsolved mystery and some news articles. That writer was Nora Ephron. And for someone my age, she really defined dramatization.
Of course, Ephron's proved time and again that writing and creating is effortless for her. You could say it's in her blood. Nora has two sisters that are also screenwriters and yet another sister that is a journalist and published author. I can't say if it all comes easily to Nora, but she sure can make it look that way. Since Silkwood, she's been literally putting words in people's mouths. From When Harry Met Sally, to Sleepless in Seattle, to Julie & Julia, she's crafted memorable stories with characters that are fluent in speaking emotional truths.
Ephron's branched out as a director also. Mixed Nuts, Michael (partially filmed in here in Central Texas), and You've Got Mail are a few of these movies under her belt. And for an example of her non-cinematic cred, consider this: she was also one of the few people (at the time) that knew the identity of "Deep Throat," the infamous Watergate informant. No kidding.
Bear all that in mind and imagine what the evening will bring with a lady of such merit. Nora Ephron's life has been a fascinating journey, and on February 10th she shares it with us at The Paramount. She's a lady who seems to have it all figured out: success and a full life. You can't just fake that, but if so... "I'll have what she's having. "
Make it and don't fake it, because you don't want to miss a single moment from "An Evening with Nora Ephron." The show is Thursday, February 10th at 8:00 p.m.
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