Charlie Screenwriter Responds ...

I've just gotten home from working the night shift at the paying job and really need to get some sleep, but I wanted to post this ASAP. When we posted Canfield's open letter to Tim Burton following his getting booted from an advance screening of Charlie and the Choclate Factory because he had the nerve to go with a friend who is a goth some wise soul in the comment section suggested that we visit screen writer John August's blog and let him know what was up. Which I did. I found this letter from John awaiting me in my mailbox this morning:

"Todd --

Thanks for pointing this out to me. I was at the Chicago screening; Tim wasn't -- he was stuck in London with a rotten cold. But your instinct is right. Had he or any of the filmmakers known that people were being excluded for how they dressed, we would have stepped in to fix the situation.

I've emailed this information along to the other people in the loop. I can't promise that anyone else will get involved, but for my part, I want to apologize to Dave, Harmony, Scott and Rachel. It shouldn't have happened. My only hope is that by thoroughly explaining it, you've helped keep it from happening again. And for that, thanks.

-- John August"