The Table (2011)

Directed by: Ana Barredo | 71 minutes | documentary

Of the tens of thousands of ambitious and hopeful talents who flock to Hollywood every year to make it there, only a handful succeed in this. How long they will remain successful remains to be seen, because fame is fleeting. Especially in Hollywood, where you can be made but also broken in no time. Entertainment is a tough world, where you can’t trust anyone because everyone goes for their own success: one person’s death is another’s bread. Is this too bleak a sketch of the reality of Hollywood? Documentary maker Ana Barredo shows with her film ‘The Table’ (2011) that there is indeed another Hollywood. A Hollywood where talents help each other to progress and where people do not treat each other’s success with envy but with admiration. ‘The Table’ offers hope to all those people with ambitions in the film and television world. The positivity and solidarity of those involved is more than contagious.

Barredo initially focuses on Marc Scott Zicree, the founder of The Table and the man who hasn’t missed a meeting since its inception in the early 1990s. Zicree rose to fame as a screenwriter on science fiction series such as “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Babylon 5” and animated series such as “The Smurfs” and “The Littles”. Despite his successes, he knows better than anyone how hard work is and how quickly fame can be over. Often it is a matter of being lucky and knowing the right people. To help others on their way and to share his knowledge and network, he founded The Table. Every Thursday night, talents hoping to make it in Hollywood gather at Paty’s restaurant in Toluca Lake to share what they’re up to. No one is required to attend every week – even if you only come once every five years, doesn’t matter – and everyone is welcome. Actors, directors, producers, writers; basically everyone who has anything to do with film or television making shows up. Through a kind of barter trade, the attendees offer each other their talents in order to progress.

This is certainly not only about people who have achieved little or nothing and are close to despair. In addition to Zicree and his wife Elaine, celebrated craftsmen such as actor George Takei (‘Star Trek’), theater maker and photographer James Metropole and even director, writer and producer Guillermo del Toro regularly join the party to share their knowledge and network with others. , give advice and help others on their way. The Table looks like a warm nest, a safety net that you can fall back on. Loyal guests do not only come when things are not going well, but also when successes present themselves. The story of Jim Troesh, an actor who became paralyzed in his teens, is touching, but still pursues his dream. He eventually landed a role in the TV series “Highway to Heaven” alongside Michael Landon. When the series ended, his popularity suddenly declined rapidly and he barely got a job, probably mainly because of his disability. Troesh did not give up and embarked on a second career as a writer. Thanks in part to his involvement with The Table, his career was on the rise again. Tragically, Troesh survived the day of the documentary’s premiere at just 49 years old. Barredo dedicated her film to him.

‘The Table’ was put together with a modest budget and that is reflected in the quality of the film. However, those minor flaws are brushed away by the warm blanket of passion and drive with which this documentary was made. Both Barredo herself and the people she interviews radiate with enthusiasm and love for their profession and that is contagious. Especially the late Jim Troesh and the inspiring Marc Scott Zicree are very nice and very engaging conversation partners!