With the Olympic torch passing through nearby San Francisco recently, I thought having supporters of Tibet as guests would be timely, yet timeless. Andrew found a student group at a nearby San Jose State University, and all seemed well.

As we assembled the set in the studio, however, Andrew noted that the guests were late. He was surprised because he confirmed with them that morning. A phone call later brings the bad news. The group decided that now was not the best time to be talking about Tibet.

What?!? Really?!? Bewildering as that decision was, they did not even have the courtesy to tell us before our taping time. The station still charges us for studio time, even if we can’t make a show. If we had known, even a few hours ahead, we could have put together a replacement guest.

I’m appalled by the rudeness of this group of supporters of Tibet. Somewhere, the Dalai Lama is crying.

This was a great taping. Everything fell into place early and well. The guests had varied positions within the organization. They all spoke easily and well. They were knowledgeable, but not pretentious. They brought footage to edit into the show. They readily agreed to make a PSA for us. AND they have a lot of other related groups to be guests on future shows! Bliss.

When I read the description in the Cinequest, it sounded like Strangers on a Train meets Fun with Dick and Jane. In actuality, the premise was more interesting to me.

Two failures at life meet on the Internet. They decide that while each wishes to die, suicide is not the answer. So they pledge to kill each other.

A coffee shop provides the setting for them to get to know how pathetic each other's life has been. This was my least favorite part of the film. I really enjoyed the dialog. However, to make the talking heads more "interesting," the director decided to have the camera roam around the coffee shop. Ugh. The only thing that distracted me from the overwrought cinematography was handheld nature of it. It wasn't shaky enough to make me ill, but I wished they made a bigger effort to steady it.

The final part of the film was set in a motel room. This restricted the movement of the camera, which greatly improved the film. The struggle toward the climax fit well, and the end was satisfying.

It's understood that an overweight woman would join a group about fat acceptance. But when skinny, recovering anorexic Darcy tries to join, hackles rise. Curvaceous Lydia seems to be the only woman to realize the hypocrisy of excluding a woman who feels fat, even though she appears otherwise. The two develop an odd friendship, which tests the boundaries of friendship and size.

This film will never hit it big, which is sad. The leading actress is fat, but it's not a comedy element. Instead, she is bold, graceful, and damn sexy. A lot of Lydia's experiences rang true for me, since I am also fat. I squirmed at some of the awkward events she and I have shared. Like more traditional minorities, I welcome the realistic portrayal of people of size. It's refreshing.