Writers Bloc: Journalist Robert MacNeil with Filmmaker Amy Heckerling February 18, 2005

Friday, February 18, 2005 at the Skirball Cultural Center, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, at 7:30 p.m.

WRITERS BLOC PRESENTS Robert MacNeil with Amy Heckerling

Robert MacNeil, who set the standards of television journalism excellence with Jim Lehrer in their nightly "MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour," on PBS, takes his special projects to the road since he took leave of the Newshour. "Do You Speak American" is a companion to his record-breaking PBS documentary of the same name, a program which shows that even though television, pop culture and chain stores might be homogenizing our tastes and preferences in many areas of our lives, regional speech still thrives. From Maryland to the San Fernando Valley, MacNeil looks at American slang, accents, and usage, and it's often very, very funny. This book is, again, funny, very engaging, and completely interesting? just like Robert MacNeil himself.

Amy Heckerling's sublime transformation of Jane Austen's novel,"Emma", into a parody of Beverly Hills teenagers, their language, lifestyle and culture, is nothing short of brilliant. Heckerling's radar for teenage slang, usage and culture is also evident in her similarly praised film, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Scenes we'd like to see: "Fast Times at the MacNeil/Lehrer Newshour," perhaps?

Tickets are $20.

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