|
by Hans ten Cate
Wednesday, 20 August 1997
Here is an excerpt from Maggie Weston's (Terry Gilliam's wife) diary
on the day of the Empire Awards. Both Maggie and Terry have come close
to winning Oscars. Let's hope we see a similar diary entry from Maggie
the next time one of the Gilliams goes up to accept a coveted Oscar
statue!
- Lunch at the Park Lane Hotel to celebrate the Empire Awards in association
with Miller Genuine Draft - hope it's not all beer!
- 8:30 am Drop Harry at school and wake Michael on the way home, a
very bleary-eyed hair dresser and no hot water.
- What to wear? Gray suit, if it's good enough for Saga's funeral...
Seems like a bit of a funeral when our favorite alternative, archaic
heroes start accepting respectable awards - I guess it goes with having
an accountant.
- Naturally the car is waiting and Terry doesn't want to go but I'm
dressed and it's Wednesday morning and he did say he would so we depart
looking suitably middle-aged. Frankly, it's a bunch of kids who run
Empire Magazine.
- Nice place Park Lane Hotel, but please note it is NOT located on
Park Lane so it could be difficult to find if you're a foreigner or
a mini-cab driver. We are greeted at the door by heaps of photographers
and loads of champagne. So where's the beer?
- Terry disappears into the crowd, says he must find Terry Jones who
is already there. I spot Lucy Darwin who worked on 12 Monkeys together
with Keith Fulton and Louis Pepe, here to promote "The Hamster
Factor". They have just stepped off a plane and are "asleep
star-struck zombies".
- Get to table 7 (as directed) so just who am I having lunch with
- Palin, Jones, Gilliam (well, I came with him), Keith, Polly, Ann,
Anne, David Furnish and Elton John - he is there to present the Inspiration
Award to the gang. Lots to talk about, great table.
- Awards presentation - I think we were pretending it was night. The
lights were dimmed and the candles lit.
- Best Director - Terry Gilliam for 12 Monkeys - That took him by
surprise. Ian Dury makes the presentation and recites a lovely
poem.
- Elton is on stage last to introduce the Pythons and present their
award. Eric is on film from L.A. with his "Alzheimers" we
are all crying with laughter. John also on film from L.A. follows
with an equally funny speech. How will Michael P. follow this on stage?
Well he does and it is clear that even great age and the fact that
Graham Chapman is already dead (and probably some of the rest of them)
is an excuse to try to be straight and staid and boring - NO CHANCE!
- Standing Ovation - Lunch, lovely buffet, lousy wine - Cotes Du Ventoux
1995.
- Home 5:00 to children with homework yuck! Glad I went. Lots of fun.
Well done Python and especially T.G. THE BEST DIRECTOR.
|
