It stretches across an extraordinary and unexpected lifetime. As a member of the Motion Picture Academy, I am always invited to attend the Academy Awards Ceremony. Historically it is held on Monday night. I only attend when there seems to be a compelling reason to do so. It wasn't his turn, but I couldn't resist the chance to take a USC film student as my guest.
Some dads take their boys fishing.
I don't fish. We parked at the LDS Institute of Religion at USC and walked. That simple decision became, in a curious way, a symbol of the inevitable dichotomy between my life as a Mormon and my world of making movies. Going to the Academy Awards is a walk in the world I must embrace if I am ever to make a contribution to the vision of Spencer W. Kimball of which I have spoken. We can not expect to see our story told on screens in the great movie centers around the globe and reject or ignore the industry that may make it possible.