MovieMantz Rantz: Where No Beatle Has Gone Before!

If there’s anything I love as much as “Star Trek,” it’s The Beatles – and, of course, my awesome wife of two months, Andrea. In one amazing night, they all came together, and I actually had something to do with it.

The night was Friday, January 15, 2010, and the place was the Hollywood Palladium. That’s where the 15th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards took place, and as member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association – the voting organization behind the ceremony – I got to go.

I knew it was going to be a great night earlier that week. That’s when my friend and publicity colleague at Paramount called to tell me the great news: that I was sitting with Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and other cast members and producers at the “Star Trek” table.

Now, it’s no secret that I loved the movie on two levels – as a fan of “Star Trek” and as a fan of movies – but the prospect of sitting with these guys at a black-tie awards gala was too good to be true. But when it occurred to me that my favorite Beatle, Paul McCartney, might also be there – since he was nominated for Best Original Song, called “(I Want to) Come Home,” from “Everybody’s Fine” – I thought I was going to spontaneously combust.

By the time I got to my table, the ceremony – which aired live on VH1 – was just starting. The “Trek” crew, including Pine (Kirk), Quinto (Spock), John Cho (Sulu) and Anton Yelchin (Chekov), all remembered my enthusiastic junket interviews last spring, where it was, to put it mildly, really obvious that I loved the movie.

It didn’t take long to see where Paul was sitting – right next to the stage with his girlfriend, Nancy Shevell. He didn’t have a lot of people swarming around him, so at the next commercial break, I went for it – I grabbed Andrea’s hand and made a beeline for Paul.

As we walked over to Paul’s table, he saw us coming and got up to say hello.

Scott: Hi, Paul, I’m Scott.
Paul: Hello, Scott!
Scott: This is my wife, Andrea. We got married last November, and our song – our first dance – was to “My Love.”
Paul (obviously touched): Oh, congratulations (gives Scott and Andrea a group hug!).
Andrea: But wait, Scott, tell him what we walked down the aisle to!
Scott: “And I Love Her.”
Andrea: And after the ceremony, we walked out to?
Scott: “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

After Paul introduced us to Nancy, I showed him that I was wearing a Beatles watch. That’s when it hit him that I was a Beatlemaniac.

Paul (to Andrea, but pointing at me): So, how are you holding up with this?
Andrea (laughing): He’s just really passionate.
Scott: Hey, so, when are you playing in LA again?
Paul: We’re still planning it, but hopefully sometime this year.
Scott: Yessss!
Paul: Well, just be good. Be good to each other, and love each other.
Scott: Thanks, Paul, have a good night!

With that, we walked back to our table, having just received a blessing from The Cute One. We sat back down, and still blown away after that surreal encounter, I told the “Star Trek” guys about it. They got really excited and asked where he was sitting. I tried pointing him out to them, but when they couldn’t see him, I walked them over to him.

Paul got up to meet them, and that’s when I realized that I just brought my two biggest worlds together: “Star Trek” and The Beatles. Then they came back to the table and were just ask excited as I was.

But here’s the beauty of it. I wasn’t at the Critics Choice Movie Awards because I was working. I was there because I belonged there, and for four unforgettable minutes, I had Paul all to myself. No one else was waiting to talk to him, he was engaged in our conversation, and he was obviously moved that one of his songs played such an important part at our wedding. He was totally gracious and couldn’t have been any nicer.

Not to mention that the “Star Trek” guys were totally cool, friendly and down-to-earth too. Not sure if I will ever top that night, but who’s thinking that far ahead? I’m still reeling from the advice I got from Paul, which, of course, comes down to the Beatles mantra: All You Need is Love.