10 Feb TIO AZ: Sedona Film Festival, “Crossing Delancey” Revisited!
Helmed by Executive Director Patrick Schweiss for 22 years of its 32 years, the Sedona Film Festival, (SFF), 2/21 – 3/1, has become world-renowned for bringing award-winning films and meaningful conversations to its growing community through filmmaker Q & As, workshops and seminars.
Among the stars on deck for this year’s event is Peter Riegert, in town with his co-star Amy Irving for a flashback screening of “Crossing Delancey.” The event takes place Saturday, 2/22, 4 p.m. at the Mary D. Fisher Theatre.
Go here to check out the full festival schedule.
Scroll down to listen to a podcast featuring Peter Riegert and to learn more about long-time festival director Patrick Schweiss.
A graceful, city-scaled romance that trades surface gloss for emotional depth, “Crossing Delancey” follows a literary Upper West Side single woman forced to look past her status-driven ideals to see the steady, decent man standing right in front of her.
With natural, unforced performances and lived-in New York detail, the graceful, city-scaled rom-com elevates ordinary courtship into something quietly profound. Its charm lies in how mature and insightful (without pedantry) the story feels: love in this context is not about conquest or chemistry, but insight. A romantic comedy for grown-ups, gentle and observant, a chestnut well worth watching again and again.
In fact, “Crossing Delancey” is often cited in critics’ retrospectives as one of the most emotionally authentic New York romances of the late 1980s.
What’s more, both Irving and Riegert embody their side of the Great Duality so easily and naturally the theme of learning to recognize real love versus romantic fantasy never smells counterfeit. It feels fully and wholly lived, while arguing that lasting love is built on kindness, presence, and reliability, not status, mystique, or artistic aura.
As Sam the Pickle Man, Peter Riegert is perfect in the role, a masterstroke in casting for his warmth without treacle; stillness without dullness; decency without preaching; romantic credibility without razzle-dazzle; bone dry humor without cynicism; and emotional maturity without apologies. The actor’s signature naturalism makes “reliability” attractive — which is exactly what the story stands for.
Riegert as Sam the Pickle Man (with his Izzy, Amy Irvine). Courtesy SFF.
Peter Riegert today, courtesy SFF.
Riegert belongs to a select group of American film actors whose power comes from behavioral truth rather than theatrical flourish. His alchemy is making scenes feel overheard by his audience, instead of carefully crafted and staged, as his internal life becomes quietly visible.
Summing up, Peter Riegert occupies a respected, durable niche in the Hollywood pantheon as a high-credibility character lead. No he is not a marquee movie star, not a chameleon transformer, rather Riegert is a performer directors have historically trusted to deliver intelligence, humanity, and tonal truth across comedy, drama, and romance.
His work ages well because it has never depended on trends or flash.
It all began for Riegert with the landmark comedy “Animal House” in which he played a smug, rule-bound antagonist and tightly wound authority figure, which makes the anarchic comedy funnier in contrast.
In “Local Hero,” a much-loved, much-acclaimed dramedy set in Scotland, he played a corporate exec whose worldview slowly but surely shifts. The role established Riegert as a “director’s actor” perfectly suited to smart, character-driven films.
Riegert appeared in “The Sopranos” and “Law & Order” and more recently directed and co-wrote the indie film “King of the Corner.”
But “Crossing Delancey” is considered his signature role.
For more about Peter Riegert’s life and work, check out his podcast.
Patrick Schweiss, more:
Patrick Schweiss, courtesy SFF.
Patrick Schweiss is executive director of the Sedona International Film Festival and theaters.
He took the helm at the festival 22 years ago and has overseen its growth from a 3-day festival to a 9-day celebration of independent film.
In 2012, Schweiss initiated and oversaw the festival organization as it built its own arthouse theatre venue – The Mary D. Fisher Theatre – where it presents year-round independent films, theatrical and ballet productions on screen from around the world, live simulcasts and live theatrical events, as well as other arts and cultural events.
In June 2022, the festival opened its newest addition: the Alice Gill-Sheldon Theatre. Now the event has two theatre venues that operate daily all year long!
Through the theatres, Schweiss has been able to bring cultural events to Sedona that may not otherwise have been seen by residents and tourists, including the Met Live Opera, Bolshoi and Royal Ballet productions, National Theatre of London, Broadway on Screen productions, Exhibition on Screen and Great Art on Screen exhibits, The Globe and Royal Shakespeare Company productions, live simulcasts and events as well as live theatrical and musical concerts.
Not to mention the main offerings at the theatre: the best independent films from around the word.
In addition, Schweiss has spearheaded collaborations with several other non-profit organizations in Sedona to co-produce and present events at the theatre.
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