Legendary documentary filmmaker D. A. Pennebaker was feted at a paella feast for his 85th birthday on Saturday by wife and partner Chris Hegedus and the expansive Pennebaker clan including one ex-wife, eight children, a flock of grandkids with one on the way. Longtime associates Nick Doob, Jane Balfour and others were on hand in a sprawling house near the beach in East Hampton, the party hosted by his daughter, Zoe, a painter. What sort of gift do you give on this grand occasion? A basket of garden vegetables, and a copy of the newly published correspondence between Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg (Viking). (Penny, as he is called, was once tapped to do the long awaited film of On the Road, now half a century later to be shot in early fall in Montreal with Walter Salles at the helm.) And Roger Friedman, co-producer on his documentary Only the Strong Survive, brought Penny a surprise guest: Aretha Franklin. The cake was a homemade hazelnut confection, a hint of what's to come in the new PennebakerHegedus documentary opening in September at Film Forum: Kings of Pastry.

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Also in East Hampton: a panel at Guild Hall last week featured funny ladies Joy Behar, Angela LaGreca, the always charming Meredith Viera, and a lavish buffet catered by Citarella. The conversation revolved around wisdom learned while doing The View-i.e. Barbara Walters always asking of topics: does it play in Wyoming, to the subject of ageing: Joy Behar at 67 says it's a pain in the ass, but offers, “A smile is a natural facelift.”
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And, as announced, Jackson Browne performed at the newly minted annual Hamptons Oceana fundraiser in Watermill, hosted by Lois Robbins and Sue Cohn Rockefeller. Sam Waterston and Caroline Hirsch were among the rapt audience for his ocean-themed classics: “After the Deluge,” “Rock Me on the Water,” and other hits “Runnin' on Empty,” “Wonderland,” “The Pretender,” and “Taken it Easy.“ Oceana Chairman of the Board Keith Addis plans to take an expedition down to the Gulf.
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The evolution of Montauk from a fishing town to a Hampton proper has been gradual and steady. The Montauk Yacht Club had a major renovation in the past few years. The Memory Motel has made a comeback. The Surf Lodge took a beat up bar on the water and transformed it into a luxury getaway with trendy nightspot. This summer's stellar makeover is the Panoramic View Resort & Residences on the Old Highway. Hear the ocean, smell the sea brine, you'd swear you were in the villa of your wildest dreams.