>> Are you familiar with the unknown angel?
>> Yes.
>> No.
>> This is where we can be of help to each other. What could we offer you?
>> When you leave, just take me with you.
>> Ebert: One of the best performances I saw at sundance this year was by philip seymour hoffman, who stars in "owning mahowny," based on the true story of a toronto bank officer who stole millions of dollars to finance gambling trips to atlantic city and las vegas. Hoffman captures the misery and tunnel vision of the compulsive gambler.
>> Do you take these and hold on to them for me?
>> Yeah.
>> Don't give them back, no matter what I say. Understand?
>> Ebert: The winner of the audience award for the most popular film at sundance was "the station agent," starring peter dinklage as a dwarf who is fascinated by trains and inherits an abandoned train station. He treasures his privacy, but can't help meeting a divorcee, played by patricia clarkson, and a talkative hot dog vendor, played by bobby cannavale.
>> If you guys do something later, can i join you?
>> We're not going to do something.
>> I know. But if you do, can i join you?
>> We're not going to do something later.
>> Okay. But if you do?
>> Ebert: The winner of the sundance competition this year was "american splendor," a brilliant combination of fiction and documentary. It tells the story of the cleveland file clerk and underground comic author harvey pekar, who was a popular but troublesome guest on the letterman show in the 1980s.
>> These glasses are six for 2 dollar.
>> Wake up! Your whole life is getting eaten away with this kind of crap. What kind of existence is this?
>> Ebert: All those are great films. And what film did I just plain enjoy the most at sundance? That would be "bend it like beckham," a film set in london and telling the story of a high-spirited indian teenage girl whose parents want her to marry a nice indian boy and are horrified that she wants to play professional soccer.
Move on up drive your destination
though you may find from time to time
complication
>> Ebert: The movie is in the joyous tradition of "my big fat greek wedding" and "real women have curves," so to oregano and salsa we now add masala.
>> Roeper: Sounds like a meal. Okay, the best work I saw at sundance was "pieces of april," a darkly funny but life-affirming thanksgiving movie from writer/director peter hedges. Patricia clarkson, who was in four films showing at the festival, is magnificent as one of the least angelic terminal cancer patients in cinema history. Katie holmes, who continues to build an impressive film career, stars as clarkson's troubled daughter, who's determined to cook thanksgiving dinner for her semi-estranged family.
>> I don't know how to ask this --
>> Be my guest.
>> Really?
>> We'd be delighted. Shh. It's all right. She doesn't bite.
>> Roeper: Actress salma hayek makes her directorial debut with "the maldonado miracle," and she displays a fine touch for character, pacing and beautifully lit scenes. Amid all the bleak and cynical works at sundance, this was a refreshingly warm-hearted story about a dusty, dying small town that springs to life when blood appears on the crucifix in the town church. Peter fonda gives a quiet and measured performance as the town priest, and there's a touching romance between ruben blades and mare winningham.
>> Do you still have that horrible, uncomfortable feeling inside of you when I'm near you?
>> I'm not sure. I think it's getting better.
>> Roeper: Kids with names such as trump, newhouse, bloomberg and whitney are the focus of "born rich," a fascinating documentary about teenagers and 20-somethings, who were born with platinum spoons in their mouths. Some are spoiled brats. Others, including ivanka trump, come across as amazingly well-adjusted and decent. In "laurel canyon," the great frances mcdormand plays a hippie record producer who's well into her 40s but is still lighting candles, partying hard and hooking up with self-obsessed rock stars. Christian bale is her uptight and perpetually embarrassed son, kate beckinsale plays his fiancee, who blooms in more ways than one under mcdormand's tutelage.
>> Go and get a drink and come back out.
>> Are you sure.
>> She's sure, I'm positive.
>> Roeper: William H. Macy has one of the best parts of his stellar career as "the cooler," a guy who's so unlucky he's been hired by a casino to brush up against gamblers to kill their winning streaks. Alec baldwin should get oscar consideration for his performance as an old-fashioned casino boss who yearns for the glory days.
>> If you don't mind, I'd like to settle this up in my office. I don't like to lay that kind of cash on the floor.
>> Roeper: There are more big-name actors than ever in sundance movies, but most of the projects they're appearing in are more daring and creative than standard studio fare.
>> Ebert: You know, some people were complaining this year that sundance has become too commercial and everybody's trying to buy and sell films. I was there at the beginning. And i can remember when nobody would buy a film or sell a film or think about distributing these films. And they opened and closed at sundance. I think it's better that over the last 20 years, a certain amount of distribution hasz opened up. You have a good chance of seeing the films in your home down towns and that's good.
>> Roeper: It's mainly about the movies. You have it more of a scene. You have britney spears and J.Lo showing up. They hear there are great parties. But if you want to see excellent movies you can do it all day.
>> Ebert: Britney spears walked out halfway through one of the movies s n't understand it. And i wanted to do that during her movie.
>> Roeper: She doesn't understand a lot of things. <