Updated 9:25 p.m.
President Obama got some Hollywood love -- and Hollywood money -- Monday night.
Jeffrey Katzenberg, Jack Black, Danny DeVito and Rhea Pearlman, Jon Landau, Judd Apatow, Quincy Jones and others gave the president a standing ovation at a dinner and discussion at the Fig & Olive restaurant in West Hollywood.
And the president invoked the language of movies to explain the rough patch the country is now experiencing.
"We're in Hollywood now, so think about movies," he said. "The arc of the story. If things are just smooth the whole way through, not only is it a pretty dull movie, but it doesn’t reflect our experience, it doesn’t reflect life. Character’s tested when things are hard. This country is being tested but I have complete faith in its character. That’s what this election’s about. It’s about value, character, who we are."
Katzenberg introduced the president, saying, "I have a dependency on President Obama. He inherited a crashing economy and two wars and opponents who questioned if he was even board. Yet he kept us moving forward. ... He was dealt adversity on all fronts, but he maintained his stature. ... We must keep fighting for him so he can keep fighting for us."
The Fig & Olive event was the second West Hollywood fundraiser of the night for the president -- and the fancier of the two. Earlier in the evening, he was at the House of Blues, with about 1,000 supporters.
Obama's Fig & Olive appearance was more exclusive.
About 120 people paid $17,900 each to attend the event.
Obama told the wealthy donors that the country is "going through an unprecedented time in our history. We've not seen anything like this in our lifetimes. This financial crisis is as bad as any since the Great Depression."
And he said he was out "to make sure we did not tip into depression ... to save a financial system teetering on the brink of meltdown. What got me involved in this president business ... was not just to solve a crisis, but a recognition that after decades, the American people felt as if rules had somehow changed on them."
The president talked about his accomplishments -- about ending the military's ban on openly gay servicemembers, for instance, and about the health care law.
Obama's message resonated, at least with Landau.
"Hollywood is very positive," the "Titanic" and "Avatar" producer told a pool reporter with the White House Press Corps. "I think they’re very excited about what’s going to happen next year. I know not everybody around the country is, but I think everybody here believes over the next 14 months you will see who the true leader of this country is.”
Updated 9 p.m.
It turns out the first family likes "Modern Family."
Jesse Tyler Ferguson (below, with the president), one of the stars of the ABC comedy, introduced the president at a campaign event at the House of Blues in West Hollywood Monday and praised the president for leading the effort to repeal the military's ban on gay servicemembers.
