Chris O’Neil is 12, he lives in Coal Creek Canyon and goes to Dennison Elementary School. And he’s a movie star.
In his first-ever project, Chris stars in “The Last Mimzy,” a family film opening nationwide this morning. The flick is getting some solid reviews. Crazy Gene Shalit on “Today” called it “a bracing honey of a movie.” Denver Post critic Lisa Kennedy gives it three stars (see review on Page 3F), saying, “‘Mimzy’s’ a smart film starring smart kids. Enchanting and spirit-provoking.”
And Chris says it was a blast making it.
“I worked really hard, but it was also very awesome,” he tells me on the phone from L.A. He worked hard because when the grown-up actors took breaks, he had to study. For three hours every day!
Timothy Hutton plays his dad. “I really like him,” says Chris. “He’s amazing. He’s a very big actor and very famous, but he stays really humble, and I like that.”
He went to the Hollywood premiere of “Mimzy” on Tuesday, walking the red carpet with Mom and Dad and his agent and his manager and financial adviser and three school pals. Sounds like “Entourage.”
“It was cool,” he says.
Chris will be back in Colorado and school next month – making the usual local TV rounds. Keep your eye on this kid.
The sound of music
Jazz Aspen’s June 21-24 lineup includes Herbie Hancock; Terence Blanchard; Larry Coryell; Madeleine Peyroux; Earth, Wind & Fire; Steve Winwood; Angelique; the Black Crowes; and Marcus Miller. Then on June 26, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis performs “Congo Square” in town.
The early lineup for the Labor Day fest includes Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Joss Stone, Nickel Creek, Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi.
Wow.
Info and tix, jazzaspen.org.
Worldly
The 59th annual Conference on World Affairs comes to CU-Boulder April 9-13. Bold names coming in to think it over: Harry Belafonte, Sen. Joe Biden, New Orleans piano man Henry Butler, Mother Jones editor Clara Jeffery, Chicago Tribune editorial page editor Bruce Dold, Dave and Don Grusin, radio host Terry McNally, Apollo 9 astronaut Rusty Schweickart, Tim Wirth, NYT columnist Paul Krugman and Lou Dubose (co-author of Molly Ivins’ recent books).
Sadly, ailing film critic Roger Ebert won’t be there – after attending this conference for 37 consecutive years.
City spirit
Here’s the correct information about Holly Kylberg’s opening party for Nordstrom at Cherry Creek. It’s Oct. 17. The store opens Oct. 19. It’s a benefit for Annabel Bowlen’s Beacon Center and Steve Farber’s American Transplant Foundation – with 1,800 people at $125 each, one of the parties of the year … NY Times is singing the praises of Rancho Liborio, the new 49,000-square-foot Hispanic supermarket in Aurora … Sez who: “I’m not a fatalist. But even if I were, what could I do about it?” Emo Philips
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or bhusted@denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at denverpost bloghouse.com/husted.
