::: George Christy ::: From the Beverly Hills Courier

We missed Rita Wilson and Tom Hanks at the annual Easter Sunday afternoon reunion in the garden of FoxÕs Ann and Jim GianopulosÕ hacienda, where Greeks and friends gather to feast on the traditional roast lamb, and this year two chefs additionally prepared your-choice-of pastas al dente at a cooking station. Rita was at her matinee, starring at the Mark Taper Forum in a virtuoso performance in Distracted, about a mother whose son may or not be suffering from Attention Deficit Disorder. Every Easter, we count on Rita and Tom and RitaÕs schoolteacher sister Lily Reeves to lead the Greek dancing to the music of bouzouki player Nondas Evangelatos and his band, strumming folk songs that, as Greek kids, we grew up with. And we count on Tom Hanks to croon his improvised Christos Anesti Blues, which puts the troops away. Lily arrived with her beautiful blond daughters, Carly, now performing in Wounded at the Powerhouse Theatre in Venice, and Kristin, an entertainment reporter on Orange County TV. Lily and RitaÕs parents, Dorothy and Al Wilson, are among the guests, with Lily explaining to Nancy and Sidney Ganis how they got the un-Greek name of Wilson, when their dadÕs birth name is Ibrahimoff. (SidneyÕs relatives hail from the same northern Greece area of Yanina.) ÒWhen Dad received his citizenship, they asked if he wanted to change his name, and since he lived on Woodrow Wilson Drive in Hollywood, he shrugged, ÔWilson,Õ and so Wilson it was.Ó Sidney, we should remind, is President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, co-produced Doug AtchisonÕs Akeela and the Bee, headed Columbia Pictures Ð his resume is illustrious, and we lauded the AcademyÕs Randy Haberkamp, who organizes the Great to Be Nominated series of films twice yearly. Seventeen films nominated for Oscars, but not winners, will be screened at the Academy on Monday nights, beginning April 23, with stars and production personnel in lively discussions after the film. Thirty bucks buys a seasonÕs pass, and for movie buffs this is a best buy, viewing major films on the big screen and listening to the fascinating commentary afterward. As we did last year with classics such as To Kill a Mockingbird, with novelist Harper Lee arriving by train from Alabama for the discussion (she refuses to fly), and Barry Lyndon, with its star Ryan OÕNeal, and Network, the biting and brilliant look at television by Paddy Chayefsky. This seasonÕs series begins with 1977Õs Star Wars, already sold out, and features films from subsequent years -- Julia, Heaven Can Wait, All That Jazz, Raging Bull, Reds, Tootsie and others, with panelists on hand for dialogues. Nancy Ganis asked our tablemates if they knew the oldest film festival in North America is San FranciscoÕs, celebrating its 50th year on April 26 with 120 programs and films from 50 countries and more than 100 filmmakers in attendance, under the direction of Film SocietyÕs Graham Legatt and Miguel Pendas. With the opening night film being Emanuele CrialesaÕs Golden Door (Nuovomundo), an epic tale about the Sicilian immigration in America, and festival honorees during the week being George Lucas, Peter Morgan (The Queen) and Spike Lee (more details at www.sffs.org). Rupert Murdoch and Wendi Deng with daughters Grace and Chloe were with the Gianopuloses last year, but this Easter sailed to St. BartÕs on their 183-foot yacht, Rosehearty, their harbor neighbors being Ron Perelman and his 188-foot Ultima III, Paul Allen with his 426-feet Octopus, and Tom Perkins, who was wed to Danielle Steel, with his 286-foot Maltese Falcon. But Bebe McRae, the sales champion with Grubb Realty in the Bay Area whoÕs Ann GianopulosÕ best-dressed mom (this year in Valentino) and husband Colin McRae flew in for the weekend and joined in the folk dancing, with Bebe twirling with Ann and JimÕs sweetheart daughters Alexa, 2, and Nicoletta, 4. A huge surprise was Ian Gomez, wed to My Big Fat Greek WeddingÕs Nia Vardalos Ð of Puerto Rican descent, IanÕs one hot Greek dancer. It was Rita Wilson, by the way, who, after seeing Nia perform her show on stage, brokered the deal with Tom to make the Wedding film with Gold Circle, raking in more than $200 million for a low-budget independent. NiaÕs now written I Hate ValentineÕs Day, which sheÕll star in. JimÕs daughter Mimi and mom Maria caught up JimÕs brother Peter, who flew in from New York with fiancŽe Christina, and JimÕs sister Despina arrived with husband, Sony BMGÕs Jay Landers, and their baby daughter Sophia. Shipping heir and film executive George Kulukundis, the godfather to Alexa, jetted in from Athens, and David Thompson, the brother of Ann Gianopulos, flew south from the Bay area, where he supervises the culinary division of the Kimpton Hotel empire of 40 hotels, with 25 more on the way. Screen International Security Services President Avi Korein informed guests that, in his native Israel, anyone with joint problems takes Jello for relief Ð Òit works!Ó We were introduced to the good-looking and buffed Petros Benekos, who owns the popular Petros restaurant in Manhattan Beach (400 to 500 dinners nightly!) that Jim Gianopulos encouraged all to check out. Great Greek food, says Jim, with Petros explaining these are his motherÕs recipes, whoÕs trained his chefs. Like Sid GanisÕ folks, heÕs also from the Yanina area, and claims serving the best tomatoes out West Ð Òa farmer in Oxnard raises my juicy tomatoes that are full of flavor, the kind we love in Greece.Ó Alexander Payne (yes, heÕs of Greek heritage, born in Omaha, and of Sideways and Election film fame) says heÕs writing Downsizing, a comedy heÕll direct for Paul Giamatti, who starred in Sideways. And Keven Undergaro, whose fiancŽe is Access HollywoodÕs Maria Menounos, noted that itÕs taken him and Maria ten years from her Emerson College days in Boston and his MTV directing-writing chores to complete In the Land of Merry Misfits, which world-premieres next month at the Tribeca Film Festival. Joe Gear, who came with Maria and Kevin, stars. We met attorney Theane Evangelis, a newcomer from Boston now affiliated with Ziffren & Brittenham, her husband Teddy Kapour, a barrister with OÕMelveny & Myers, also her actor-comedian brother Michael with girlfriend Jennifer. Jim GianopulosÕ first assistant Dawn Knepley sat with G&M FilmsÕ Paris Latsis (whose parents ended his 10 minutes of fame with Paris Hilton) and Terry Dougas, JimÕs second assistant Marina Shaw came with Andrew Kaklamanos. We visited with the legendary Dino Conte, Alex Berliner and Rev. Father John Bakas, dean of the Saint Sophia Cathedral at Normandie and Pico Boulevards. Californians travel to Europe to tour historic churches, and we have one in our backyard, more or less, built by the Skouras families who headed 20th Century Fox, and is on the preservation list of the Los Angeles Landmarks Commission. Sensing the love-in-the-air spirit from the holiday crowd dancing and dining, Father John quoted a black minister friend who told him, ÒIÕm glad I woke up today above the ground, rather than under.Ó And it was Father John who commissioned a huge mural of angels on a building across from the St. Sophia Cathedral with the words, ÒWe are each of us angels born with one wing, we can only fly embracing each other.Ó