A Petition to the State of California in Support of Roger Avary

State of California,

I am writing this on behalf of the entire filmmaking and artistic community worldwide.

We have just learned the astonishing news of the sentencing of Roger Avary, Oscar-winning co-writer of Pulp Fiction and director of Killing Zoe, to one full year in prison resulting from his conviction on the charge of gross vehicular manslaughter.

Filmmakers, intellectuals, Gen Xers, movie geeks, and meth addicts from across the country and around the world are dismayed by this turn of events and you must know that it cannot stand.

True, Mr. Avary pleaded guilty last August to a crash that killed a passenger in his Mercedes-Benz and, true, he was driving over a hundred miles an hour and was legally intoxicated at the time. But all of this is of little consequence when balanced against one irrefutable fact: He helped write Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Surely, the enduring legacy of these masterpieces -- not to mention the fact that he also directed a film in which a character played by Ron Jeremy was shot in the chest with a shotgun -- absolves him of this or any other crime he may have committed or will commit in the future. Besides, the victim in the case is dead, which means that he cannot demand that Mr. Avary be forced to serve this sentence. Trust us when we tell you that Andreas Zini would've wanted this whole ugly mess to be over and for Mr. Avary to be allowed to put it behind him. That is, if, you know, he were alive.

Mr. Avary is currently writing the script for Silent Hill 2, which we hear will do huge money on DVD. We think you'll agree that it is simply unconscionable that anyone stands in the way of this caliber of work and what it will mean for the artistic community and the world.

If only in the name of friendship between California and the rest of the civilized world -- which, let's admit it, is pretty strained right now -- we demand the immediate release of Roger Avary.

Thank You,

The Royal We (Chez)

Follow Chez Pazienza on Twitter: www.twitter.com/chezpazienza

Comments

[rubabyzu]

"Astonishing News"???? That a man who pleaded guilty to driving drunk and to causing the crash that killed a man is being sentenced to...a whole year in jail??? Wow, for some it must be astonishing that "art" does not always give one that coveted "get-out-o­f-jail-fre­e" card.
It really is more than time for people to be held responsible for their actions. Consequences for actions, whether international, national or even local, in modest Ventura County, are essential. Without such consequences, the "creative" and well-connected enjoy impunity (cf. Roman Polanski) while the rest of us "little people" pay the price.

[slaxx]

you forgot to blame the victim for getting in a car with someone who had been dinking and not demanding him to stop the car and let them out.

[filmex]

Any chance you could reconstruct or cut-n-paste my three posts below as one continuous letter as intended, which comment character limitations would not allow, so that it is coherent? Thanks, Lance.

[filmex]

(cont)

Personally, I'm crushed that Roger will now spend a year in jail. With his talents, and particularly his ability to relate to young people (he was the first computer whiz I ever knew-he wrote our rental software making us (then Video Out-takes) the first computerized video store in the country, I would think the next year would be better spent making presentations before high schoolers and college students regarding the dangers of drinking and driving. Particularly at a time when the Feds are trying to get California to release 40,000 prisoners early due to overcrowding.

Roger has always been kind, generous and empathetic. He was tremendously excited by the media possibilities as exemplified by Will I. Am's "Yes, We Can" video. Whenever I sent him a friend request to contribute to the Obama campaign, he always came through.

Roger is a good person who made a tragic mistake, one he will bear long after his imprisonment ends. Two very good families have been virtually destroyed by one evening's sad misadventure.

By all means, let the joking begin.

[poomplet]

ALL of the satire here, to me, is very clearly aimed at Polanski & his apologist-­supporters­. The fact that Roger Avary's tragic circumstances is being used as a 'vehicle' for that satire is, unfortunately for him, just bad timing.

I DID read the news about Roger yesterday/the day before...whenever it came out, and I was truly stunned how truly remorseful he was...how serious he took all this, including a comment how this has changed him to "the core of his soul", or something like that. And he seems OK with the sentence (which seems perfect to me..not to much/not too little)...no vows to appeal, delays, etc.

What sucks, though, is the fact that I am stunned, that I'm SURPRISED a wealthy celeb (or quasi-celeb) is would man-up instead of hiding behind lawyers & publicists.

Would Roger get a kick out of reading this thread? Certainly not...my dig alone on the victim not being "DEAD-dead" sounds mean, but again, EVERYONE here knows it's a dig at...ONLY at...Whoopi Goldberg and her "it's not rape-rape" comment on Polanski....same with Chez' blog & all the other comments.

[filmex]

(cont)

The fact that you think this is appropriate material for "satire" is mind-boggling. It is misguided on so many levels as to beg belief.

To reduce Roger's career to "Silent Hill 2" is absurd. Avary has always done well as one of the best known script doctors in the business. He has polished the scripts of some of the biggest films ever. To pretend he is a no talent hack defies reality to such a degree as to be laughable, if you are that intent in finding laughs here.

Roger plead guilty to the charges. He immediately arranged restitution to his friend's family in excess of $4 million so that his friend's family would not have economic concerns above and beyond the emotional carnage. While some insurance money was involved, the majority was every last cent Roger could raise. He was emotionally devastated by the injury he had caused, and now his family is financially devastated.

Anyone who knows Roger and his wife Gretchen knows they will never be the same. The haunted look in his eyes tells you as much.

[poomplet]

After reading more of your opus, I gotta say, that while I still TRULY respect the way Roger handled all this, I really think you're over-reacting to this.

Yeah...some people think a year is too mild, but knowing how justice works for first offenders with clean criminal/drunk driving records who show remorse...they're wrong, the punishment is just, yet not too severe.

Other than that, can't you see that this piece is backhandedly SALUTING the way Roger handed things? That his 'manning-up' is being used as a mirror to reflect all the hypocrisy spewing out of the Polanski-a­pologists?

It it's a little salt in the wound to those close to Roger, well...tough, I guess. He DID kill someone in a DWI offense, we're not going to throw him a parade because he's acting like a decent human being about it.

[filmex]

Yes, I am probably too close to the situation, but what I found insulting was the author's ridicule of:

"Mr. Avary is currently writing the script for Silent Hill 2, which we hear will do huge money on DVD. We think you'll agree that it is simply unconscionable that anyone stands in the way of this caliber of work and what it will mean for the artistic community and the world. "

Anyone that will sleep better knowing Roger will be spending a year in prison rather than communicating with the public the dangers of casual drinking and driving is certainly entitled to their opinion. But, my response also comes on the heels of countless blogs where a minion of posters seem to take insane glee at the prospect of a "Hollywood type" being taken down a notch when Roger has never been anything approximating a "Hollywood type"

[filmex]

I have known Roger Avary since he was 13 years old. Both he and Tarantino worked in my Manhattan Beach video store for a decade. Roger has always been one of the kindest and most diligent people I have ever known.

The irony is that while virtually all of us at Video Archives remained in a state of arrested adolescence, even to this day, it was Roger who was the responsible one who gave up childish things, married and raised a family.

I have seen a lot in my lifetime, but nothing compares to this gut wrenching tragedy. Roger and his wife, ever generous, threw a going away dinner at a local restaurant for his best friend who was about to return to Italy. The dinner lasted much longer than planned, and wine was consumed.
The two-mile drive back to Roger's home, along winding roads, was certainly ill-advised and resulted in a tragedy which can never be undone.

All of us who know the Avary family have shuddered at the "there-but­-for-the-g­race-of-Go­d" aspect of the event. Who amongst us has not ever driven when we probably shouldn't, especially when it involved a short distance on thoroughfares we have driven a thousand times before?

This event has gutted two families that are close. Roger's heartbreak at having his actions result in his good friend's death is a heartbreak without measure and a burden that he shall carry the rest of his life.

[jmundstuk]

Excellent. Was he drunk-drunk?

[Eris23]

Hahahaha! :) Nice one. Thanks for the laugh here.

[poomplet]

C'mon...the victim isn't "dead-dead". And since he was a passenger in his car, rather than a pedestrian or another driver...he clearly was asking for it.

It was consensual manslaughter!!

[RedDogBear]

Great article and I like that you gave your audience enough credit to not have to post SARCASM ALERT at the top or bottom. I'm actually surprised no one missed the joke and left outraged comments.

[PerryWhite]

Because they agreed.

[Halsey]

I'm guessing he got off easy with even ONE year. He killed someone. period...gun, car, shovel, doesn't matter. Maybe when he gets out in ONE year, he can get Mel Gibsons atty to have the murder expunged...

[robotfog]

good article.

There was a 'Silent Hill 1'?

[RosaBee]

It's celebrity drunk--the same as rich drunk. Either way, it's okay to drive.

(Thank you. And thank *you* Tina Fey.)

[gawd]

Love your sarcasm!!!

[teddybears]

awesome ~ i needed to find a laugh in this. thanks.