Sundance isn't just a — it's about adding a patina of cool to your career. John Travolta managed to mush into town to applaud his wife, Kelly Preston, who plays a pro-choice lesbian in Precious, an abortion comedy (yup, comedy). Brad Pitt applauded his girlfriend, Gwyneth Paltrow, at her drama Sydney. Kevin Bacon went one better by directing his wife, Kyra Sedgwick, in the Showtime-funded Losing Chase, in which she plays a mother's helper who revitalizes an unhappy Helen Mirren. Hong Kong action hero Jackie Chan drew mobs at a midnight screening of his attempt at American stardom, Rumble in the Bronx; and Elle Macpherson, whose Sirens premiered at Sundance in 1994, brought her newest movie, If Lucy Fell, declaring ''Sundance has been a good-luck omen for me'' — just before a waiter spilled red wine on her sheepskin jacket.

The festival also gave several filmmakers a chance to show that they had regained their focus: After an abortive Hollywood career and a long hiatus teaching English as a second language, Solondz dusted off his Dollhouse script to begin his comeback. And it took Alan Taylor, 31, who debuted at Sundance in 1991 with a popular short, five years to return with his assured first feature, the heist comedy Palookaville. Quipped Taylor, ''Now I'm getting calls again.''

Certainly, the phone hasn't stopped ringing for Lili Taylor, who had three films on display and walked away with the festival's only acting prize, for her commanding performance as Factory hanger-on Valerie Solanas in I Shot Andy Warhol. Her flourishing, if underpaid, indie career is leading to mainstream jobs — she's currently shooting Ron Howard's Ransom with Mel Gibson. But before taking it, she had one demand: Says Taylor, ''I wouldn't have done it if they didn't let me off to go to Sundance.''

Originally posted Feb 09, 1996 Published in issue #313 Feb 09, 1996 Order article reprints
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