Saw City Island tonight with a brief talk by Andy Garcia afterwords. It was funny, charming and intelligent without resorting to emotional cheap tricks in order to affect poignancy.

Mr. Garcia talked candidly about his experience in “The Business” whihc was neat for me to hear as an outsider. He shared a quote his dad used to say “Never take a step back, even to gain momentum” – perseverance is the only thing that gets you through. Someone down in front asked advice about how to handle auditions and he pointed out since it isn’t likely you are going to get the job, be about the work, the piece you’re performing, and someday a casting director whose seen you a few times will remember you. I won’t go on about it, but it struck me. He also gave generous and sincere praise liberally to people he’s worked with in a way that is always nice to hear!

So go see the movie and if you have a chance to see him talk, it’s worth checking out!