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"Every year you read articles about Sundance that proclaim how terrible and commercial it is, that no one seems to care and it's not about the movies anymore. Sundance 2012 wasn't like that!\\n\\nMaybe because so many of the best films this year are indie - or at least feel like it - (The Artist, The Descendents, Beginners) or maybe all the talk about PIPA and SOPA make you think about content and creation or maybe it's the contrast with the nasty political storms swirling, but this year, Sundance really, again, felt to me like it was all about the exchange of art and ideas in a snowy paradise. Here are my highlights:\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nA movie I can't stop thinking about:\\n\\n*The End of Love*, by Mark Webber\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d99cf71ce8751f6b69b4]||||||\\n\\n\\n\\nMark Webber plays an actor trying raise his toddler son by himself. As you watch, you wonder how he got such an engaging performance from a 2 year old. It's his real son playing his movie son, Isaac! It's kind of mind-blowing. And it has cameos from Michael Cera (playing the douchiest version of himself possible), Jason Ritter (his scene was shot on the set of the now departed *The Event*. I was the only one that watched that show I think), and Amanda Seyfriend, being dryly hilarious. See it. It's sad and sweet and makes you think about what it is to be a parent in a whole new way.\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nPRETTY STUFF:\\n\\n\\n\\nI actually don't have any problem with products at Sundance, when they are awesome. Gorgeous sunglasses chosen for you by someone trained in facial aesthetics? Beautiful water-proof boots? Sundance, to me, should be a celebration of creativity on all fronts and if some of them are things you can wear or use rather than watch, all good for me.\\n\\nSO, the nice people at the Solstice Sunglass Boutique let me have a session with their expert, who chose these awesome Juicy Couture shades from an incredible array that includeed Marc by Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, and Hugo Boss. These are awesome because they have the boxy nerd-cool look of the moment but still chicly tortoise. I never would have tried this shape but their pro really knew what she was doing!\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d99d50778cef321a66b2]||||||\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nBOOTS!\\n\\n\\n\\nLast year I walked around Sundance envying everyone's Sorel boots. This year, I got a pair! They let me choose one from their new lightweight line. Actually, I tweeted out this picture and asked my fashion gurus, @evyanmetzner, @lidamooremusso and @jackierisser to help me decide. Love Twitter. They wrote back their picks and I chose the black ones within in 5 minutes.\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d99df71ce8751f6b69b5]||||||\\n\\n\\n\\n\\n\\nPARTY AND PREP!\\n\\n\\n\\nSELF threw a party for our covergirl, Kristen Bell and her new Showtime show, *House of Lies*. We did it at the Bing Bar (bing.com has the coolest venue at Sundance. In addition to our party, I got hear Aziz Ansari do a talk with Maria Menounos and hear my boys in [Cobra Starship](/beauty/2011/07/cobra-starship-party-outfits-video) [play](/magazine/blogs/selfystars/2009/07/self-live-katy-perry-and-cobra). Anyway, Kristen came with her man, *Parenthood*'s Dax Shepard, was lovely and stayed till the end of the party, which seems obvious but a lot of stars cut and run from their own event pretty quickly. Lucy and I had a lot of fun with her!\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d99e50778cef321a66b3]||||||\\n\\n\\n\\nBefore the party, my friends at Lumene Finland hooked me up with a facial treatment (their products, made from super anti-oxidant rich ingredients, smell heavenly) and expert make-up application.\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d99f46d0cb351c8c6d74]||||||\\n\\n\\n\\nWhich was great, because I got to meet Senator Chris Dodd, of whom I was a fan during his years on Capitol Hill and is even more fascinating now that he's the head of the MPAA.\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d99f4b76f0f832a0fbb6]||||||\\n\\n(that's me, all bundled up. With SELF's Lauren Theodore and Marc Adelman)\\n\\n\\n\\nAND I also got to meet the fabulous Carrie Preston, who in addition to acting in two of my favorite shows (*True Blood* and *The Good Wife*) is a director and had a film called *That's What She Said* debut at the festival.\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d9a04b76f0f832a0fbb7]||||||\\n\\n\\n\\nOn the last day, I went to panel Senator Dodd was speaking on, with the head of the National Assocation of Theater Owners and Christine Vachon, an independent film producer. The New York Times' David Carr moderated and Marc Adelman (SELF\\\"s Washington Editor) and I listened and learned. Nice!\\n\\n\\n\\n[#image: /photos/57d8d9a024fe9dae328335e1]||||||\\n\\n\\n\\nNext week, I'm to going to share recipes from Lucy Danziger's birthday dinner at The Alpine House at the Canons in Park City...it was incredible.\\n\\n\\n\\nSo go see an indie movie and enjoy the winter weather this weekend- two things Sundance reminds me every year.\\n\\n\\n\\n**\\n\\n*--Laura Brounstein*\\n\\n**\\n\\n**\\n\\n*More from SELF:\\n\\n\\n\\n[Lose 2 Pounds in 1 Week With the Jump Start Diet!](/jumpstart)\\n\\n\\n\\n[Prep Once, Eat Healthy All Week!](/fooddiet/2012/02/cook-once-eat-healthy-all-week)\\n\\n\\n\\n[6 Secrets to Firing Up Your Metabolism](/fitness/2012/02/secrets-to-firing-up-your-metabolism-slideshow)\\n\\n\\n\\n--\\n\\nFor daily health tips follow SELF on [Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/selfmagazine) and [Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/selfmagazine).\\n\\n\\n\\nGet SELF on your [iPad](http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id421088847) and [Kindle Fire](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0063M1C6U)!*"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.self.com/story/sundance-back-to-basics>