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Although the sun didn't shine its usual light on the Luncheon Under the Banyans, the rain stopped just in the nick of time and spirits refusedd to be dampened. The rainforest-like setting of Selby Gardens remains the perfect backdrop for this favorite luncheon of the year which honored Bill Paxton with the 2009 Regal Cinemas Career Achievement Award.

The Children's Rainforest Project at Selby was introduced by committee chair, Susan McLeod with a short film. When the vision comes to fruition, the grounds of Selby Botanical Gardens will be home to a rainforest where children can play, explore, and learn.

Honoree Bill Paxton was celebrated with a montage of his films which includes Aliens, Weird Science, Tombstone, True Lies, Titanic, Apollo 13 and the current hit HBO series Big Love. When sound failed to accompany the first seconds of the montage, Paxton quipped "That was when I was working in silent films." There was big love all the way around for Bill Paxton who was saluted by Jon Voight as being "the real deal" and a "great leading man." Paxton said it was "auspicious to be getting the award here" at the homeplace of the Ringling Brothers Circus. His nanny told him growing up "If you're going to be a first class clown, be a first class clown and be paid for it."

Voight who was in attendance with Burt Young talked about the night's world premiere of the director's cut of Hal Ashby's Lookin' To Get Out. Voight compared the discovery of this film which was bequeathed to UCLA by Ashby to finding "a message in a bottle."

Voight said, "When you need love, you come to Sarasota." As crowds flocked around Paxton, it seemed to be true.

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