Joy

Whenever I feel blue, I can count on this clip of Joseph Gordon-Levitt from Marc Webb's (500) Days of Summer to lift my spirits. Go ahead: I dare you not to smile while you watch it.

Live from Nashville Film Festival: Clare Bowen, director Jared Moshé, Dead Man's Burden... and me

If it's April, I must be at the Nashville Film Festival. But don't misunderstand: Festival honcho Brian Owens doesn't invite me here just to much popcorn and watch movies. No, he expects me to sing for my supper. Well, OK, not literally sing -- this may be Music City, but, trust me, no one ever wants to hear me sing. But, by golly, he puts me to work. Last year, I had to serve as master of ceremonies for an event featuring Nicole Kidman and Famke Janssen. In previous years, they've made me lead on-stage Q&A's with the likes of Hal Holbrook, director Marc Webb and the late, great Patricia Neal.

This year? Well, they've corralled me into leading another Q&A thing, this time after the Nashville Festival  premiere of Dead Man's Burden, a well-received western that will screen at 8 pm Saturday, April 20. Clare Bowen (a.k.a. Scarlett O'Connor of TV's Nashville) and director Jared Moshé will be on hand to take questions, and I'll be there to give them a few before encouraging the audience to give them a few more.

Hey, it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it.