What I Really Wanted to Ask John Grisham

There was a movie premiere Monday night in Washington. No, not Jen's. But John's......

John Grisham.  Or, as Patrick and I code-named him as we stalked him throughout a cocktail party...Jake Brigance.

 You're one of 'em, Jake...

Jake, er...John Grisham was among panelists discussing Mississippi Innoncence, an indy doc that showcases two wrongly convicted men from the same town in Mississippi, and their fight to eventual freedom.

The movie made its national debut last night at The Newseum, and the work hubs was kind enough to take me as his plus one.

I was excited to go because...well, there would be lobster corn dogs amd other savories served on sticks, thank you WolfGang. And though I am a tad more discerning before giving an RSVP, Yes to a school night event now that I domesticate from the 'burbs, I'm willing to trade a late arrival home for movie premieres with best-selling authors after-hours inside my favorite Washington museum.

I'm ashamed to admit, now having watched the film which was serious and moving, that I went into this night thinking only about things I wanted to beg of Grisham:

Why are you so smug when Matt Lauer interviews you?

What do you think of Justin Timberlake reprising the role of Jake from A Time to Kill on Broadway?

How did you get Matthew McConaughey so perfectly sweaty for your movie?

The thing is, Carl Lee Bailey was right when he called Jake out for only pretending to be a comman man. You knew that didn't you. You've seen A Time To Kill 2,342,423 times on TBS, too. So you aren't surprised that Mr. Grisham quickly took his by-line good-bye. He was no where to be found at the reception with the rest of us passed-app chasers.

It was still a great night, though. As any pap will tell you, be it actor or author, the thrill is in the hunt. What we lost in some face time with Grisham, we surely gained in prosciutto wrapped mascarpone.