Chicago Sun-Times: Finding decent reality TV can be a 'Project'

Four columns for the price of one:

The best reality TV series of the last year wasn't "Survivor: Africa" or "Fear Factor" or "Big Brother 2" or "Temptation Island" or "Love Cruise" or even "Eliminadate."

It was "Project Greenlight" on HBO.

When I first heard that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon and Samuel Adams and Miramax and HBO were holding a contest for aspiring writer/ directors, with the grand prize being the chance to actually direct a $1 million film based on the winning script, I thought it was a cute gimmick that would probably result in a crummy movie and a mildly intriguing series on premium cable.

I was wrong on both counts. "Stolen Summer," the feature film that was the end result of the process, is a heartfelt and good-looking piece of work that benefits greatly from terrific performances by Aidan Quinn, Kevin Pollak and Bonnie Hunt. (It'll be released in a few cities next month.) And the "Project Greenlight" series, which completed its initial run last Sunday night, turned out to be a fascinating and sometimes painfully entertaining look at the business of making movies, with each half-hour episode edited in the fashion of MTV's "The Real World," complete with quick cuts, heightened conflicts and direct-to-the-camera interviews revealing the deepest, meanest, back-stabbing-est thoughts of various players.

Director Pete Jones, an amiable guy from Deerfield with the perpetual red face of a chunky cousin who's always getting into basement wrestling matches just before Thanksgiving dinner, alternately came across as a gee-whiz genuine talent and a stubborn rube who couldn't direct traffic.

Foul-mouthed, trash-talking executive producer Chris Moore was the most captivating Machiavellian character on reality TV since Richard Hatch of the first "Survivor." His diatribes have become the stuff of minor legend, inspiring a great imitation by Ben Affleck and a "Chris Moore Challenge" on the "Project Greenlight" Website, with viewers sending in videos of their best Moore impersonations.

Lower-level producers and assistant directors are depicted as hard- working and passionate, but occasionally incompetent and prone to constant bickering over creative turf.

Affleck and Matt Damon came across as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon-- charming, smart, talented and lucky boys who were sincerely trying to give someone else a major break. (And they both smoke too much-- though the alcoholic drinks disappeared from Affleck's grasp by the end of the series, when he was in post-rehab mode.) Damon in particular shows a strong talent for script vivisection in pre- and post-production meetings. If there was any lingering doubt that these guys are a couple of "himbos" who lucked out with the "Good Will Hunting" script, it should be erased by this series.

And the stars of "Stolen Summer" offered a rare glimpse into the narcissistic, fragile and occasionally magical world of film acting. Quinn seemed to be a richly talented control freak who analyzed every aspect of his firefighter character, from picking out his wardrobe ("A father of eight isn't shopping at Sears, he's going to the Salvation Army") to whether he would use an umbrella at his son's Little League game ("I'm going to get wet"). Quinn is reportedly so upset about the way he was depicted on "Project Greenlight" that he has penned a two-page letter of protest to HBO. Pollak was more pragmatic, occasionally rolling his eyes at Quinn's Method madness and shaking his head at Jones' inexperience. And even the level- headed Hunt showed a surprisingly vulnerable side, as she fretted over the lack of a filter for a close-up scene. (Of course, she was funny about it afterward.)

The series concluded last Sunday with Jones and Moore having one last dust-up, as Moore tried to apologize for problems on the set and Jones interpreted it as Moore trying to duck responsibility. But it was hugs and smiles all around as the documentary crew followed the "Stolen Summer" gang to Sundance for the premiere of the film (which I attended) before a packed audience of fans, many of whom were "Project Greenlight" addicts.

As Jones himself puts it, there was a certain "Making of the Band" element to this whole project--but he proves to be a legitimate talent who undoubtedly will get the chance to make other movies. And even though the final budget neared $2 million, "Stolen Summer" almost certainly will make money for Miramax.

Speaking of boy bands, OK, so it's not as much fun as entering the same show-biz orbit as, say, O-Town, but in recent months I've had a couple of brushes with 'N Sync members.

First I ran into the Jim Belushi-esque Joey Fatone near the blackjack tables at the Atlantis in Paradise Island. I'd seen him and his bandmates taping a TV special on the beach earlier that evening, and when we were introduced to each other many hours later, I said the first polite thing that came to mind: "Hey, you guys sounded great tonight!"

Fatone, his eyebrow pierced, eyed me suspiciously, but said thanks as we shook hands. Only later did it occur to me that he was probably contemplating whether I'd been mocking him or not. After all, how many times do grown men say to members of 'N Sync, "You guys sounded great tonight!" I'm sure that when men my age meet these fellas, they usually say things like, "My 6-year-old niece loves you!" or, "Is that shirt teal, or aqua blue?"

A few weeks after that encounter, 'N Syncsters Lance Bass and Christ Kirkpatrick were backstage at the People's Choice Awards. The Website Zap2it.com reported that Bass and Kirkpatrick were "confronted" with the news that "On the Line" (starring Bass and Fatone) had been selected as one of the "Worst Films of 2001" by the "Ebert & Roeper" program. (For the record, it was Roger's selection. Personally, I was devastated when "On the Line" was shut out when the Academy Award nominations were announced Tuesday.)

"We usually go from what they say to opposite of what they say," retorted Bass.

Yeah! Whatever that means.

Kirkpatrick chimed in: "That can only help DVD sales, now can't it?"

Sure. I can't tell you the last time I saw a home DVD collection that didn't include "On the Line." The three-hour director's cut on Disc Six is particularly fascinating.

Just having fun, of course. I love 'N Sync, and I hope to brush up against the lives of all the band members before their hair falls out and their fans graduate junior high school.

They say these things come in threes--so I'm waiting for my Justin Timberlake moment.

My favorite element of the Winona Ryder saga isn't the popularity of those "Free Winona!" T-shirts, or the fact that Ryder once filmed a training film for Gap employees that no doubt included tips on how to deal with shoplifters. It's the press release that was issued by the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office when they charged Ryder with four felony counts. Most of it is pretty straightforward, but then comes this paragraph:

"The actress, star of films such as 'Girl, Interrupted' and 'Little Women,' had been scheduled to be arraigned in January, but additional time was needed by the District Attorney's office to review the case and the Feb. 8 date was scheduled."

Only in L.A. would they issue a partial resume along with the details of the charges.

Reports indicate Rosie O'Donnell is set to officially announce that she's a lesbian, first in her magazine and then in a book--and then, no doubt, on a Barbara Walters special and on her own show and on packages of Tasty Cakes.

Guess that means her crush on Tom Cruise is over. Unless, of course, she never had a crush on Tom Cruise in the first place and was just pandering to the stay-at-home gals who make up her core audience.

E-mail: rroeper@suntimes.com