Hey, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab.
"... leavin'... on a jet plane..."
It's just about four hours now before I head to LAX to catch a flight to Florida, where I plan to spend a day with John Sayles, one of the giants of American independent film, on the set of his new movie SUNSHINE STATE.
To tell you the truth, I'm more excited than I would be if I was going to Skywalker Ranch. John Sayles isn't just any filmmaker in my book. He's the consummate filmmaker. He's demonstrated not just longevity in the business, but he's also managed to have a long and productive career without ever once compromising his ideals. His films are individual, personal, nothing but voice. They feature strong ensembles of actors instead of movie stars, and they tackle subjects that Hollywood not only wouldn't make films about, but couldn't.
EIGHT MEN OUT. MATEWAN. LIANNA. BROTHER FROM ANOTHER PLANET. CITY OF HOPE (a personal fave). PASSION FISH. SECRET OF ROAN INISH. MEN WITH GUNS. LIMBO. LONE STAR. What a list of films. What a history of characters and stories to have poured out of one person. And that doesn't take into account his exceptional novel LOS GUSANOS or his uncredited rewrites on films like APOLLO 13 or his delicious exploitation fare like THE HOWLING and ALLIGATOR and PIRANHA and BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS.
This guy can do it all.
So what's he up to right now? That's the same question I asked when Sony Pictures Classics approached me about going to the set. Turns out, I may be the ideal person from AICN for this trip, since the film is all about Florida, the state where I spent most of my formative years.
I know that Florida has become a popular punchline since the elections last year, and deservedly so. It was a situation that seems perfect to have happened in that state. There's a reason Carl Hiaasen has been able to mine the foibles of the citizens of Florida for such potent comic gold over the past decade, and there's a reason Sayles has set his new film on Plantation Island, a stand-in for the real-life Amelia Island, the place I'll be heading tomorrow night.
Florida is one of those places where the gold rush never stopped, where developers continue to work tirelessly to transform nature into commerce, where the rush to pave things over and build things up continually tramples any sense of history that might occur.
Sayles was inspired to write this film after seeing a documentary based on AMERICAN BEACH, an exceptional piece of journalism by Russ Rymer, that details the race struggle on Amelia Island. American Beach was known along the entire east coast as one of the few black beaches, and for many African-Americans, it is an integral part of their memories of childhood. It was part of a rich culture defined by separation, and now it's almost gone, sold off in parcels and absorbed into local development projects.
Sayles has set his sprawling ensemble drama against the backdrop of the week-long Buccaneer Days Festival, a new tradition dreamed up by the local Chamber of Commerce, and it's the perfect way to play out the various personal relationships that define not only this particular place, but the very attitude that is Florida.
There's two main characters at the center of things. Marly Temple (Edie Falco from THE SOPRANOS, JUDY BERLIN, and OZ) is trapped in a life she hates, tending to her father's business, refusing all offers to sell, gradually watching the world pass her by. A former mermaid at Wikki Wachee, trained to be a marine biologist, she's reduced to running a seedy motel and diner, and it's killing her one day at a time.
Desiree Perry (the tremendous Angela Bassett) escaped Plantation Island and Lincoln Beach, but she's returned with her husband Reggie to try and make piece with her past and her mother. In doing so, she and her husband become entangled in the life of a troubled boy who her mother has taken in, and Desiree ends up coming face to face with the man who forced her to leave home in the first place.
In typical Sayles fashion, though, there's dozens of speaking roles here, and the way he weaves his various story threads together is a lesson in screenwriting. I found myself going over certain scenes not just once, but again and again, savoring the dialogue, the delicate interplay between these people, amazed by the way he makes it all look so very easy.
The day I'm there, Wednesday, they'll be shooting a barbecue scene involving Desiree and many of the Lincoln Beach locals. I can't wait to watch Sayles at work. This is a guy who doesn't have to compromise his vision for anyone at this point, and that's a rare thing in this business of diminished expectations and artistic atrophy. I plan to learn as much as I can in the limited time I have, and I look forward to sharing more details with you as the week progresses.
I'll also have some articles for you this weekend including my review of TOMB RAIDER and peeks at the scripts for at least three major upcoming releases. Gotta have something to do on those plane trips back and forth, eh?
Okay... off to finish packing. Talk to you all soon.
"Moriarty" out.
