PROVO -- Hollywood. Bollywood. Mollywood.
A crew prepares to tape a scene of "Pride and Prejudice." In the movie, Jane Austen's classic is set in Utah's frenzied dating scene instead of the English countryside.
The first needs no explanation, the second is the name of India's film industry, and the third . . . well, the third has just been born.
Mollywood is the term Jason Faller, a film producer who recently studied at Brigham Young University, uses to describe a new genre in LDS filmmaking -- the Mormon chick flick.
"Charly" was probably the first of the kind, but Fuller thinks his updated version of the Jane Austen classic "Pride and Prejudice" will be an even bigger smash.
"It's not an inside Mormon joke. It has a market," Fuller said. " 'Pride and Prejudice' has a huge following. It's kind of like 'Star Wars' for women."
And that's why Fuller thinks his film will not only please "Molly Mormons" across the Wasatch Front but fans of the book everywhere.
In Fuller's version of the beloved classic, the setting is Utah's frenzied dating scene instead of the English countryside, and the girls are five BYU roommates rather than sisters. The story follows Elizabeth, whose resolve to remain single until she graduates is tested by two courtiers: Wickham, a smooth-talking playboy, and Darcy, a sensible businessman.
The film will feature cameo appearances by Carmen Rasmusen of "American Idol," the entire entourage of the Miss Utah pageant and the two LDS girls who appeared on ABC's "The Bachelor."
One night this week, Fuller's cast and crew gathered at the old Utah County correctional facility in south Provo to film a scene in which Wickham tricks a naive BYU co-ed named Lydia into eloping with him. The actors were dressed in retro wedding clothing, and the room had been painted in bright red and pink hues to give the film a stylized look similar to "Down With Love" or "Legally Blonde."
The lead actor, Orlando Seale, who has dark curly hair and speaks with an English accent, said he knew nothing of Mollywood before this film. In fact, he knew nothing of the LDS Church.
Seale says the LDS culture -- which encourages marrying young and discourages premarital sex -- lends itself well to the story. But he says the film is not overtly religious and should appeal to a broad audience.
Seale also found an ironic parallel between the book's account of Darcy's trip from London to a small isolated English village and his own experience coming to Provo from London.
"I came from a place very different than here. It was very Bohemian, very permissive, very artistic," Seale said. "When you arrive here you feel like you are coming into a whole new world, and as an outsider it's a very surreal experience. It really hits you."
Most of the actors in the film are not LDS, and Seale said making a film with LDS undertones has been an eye-opening experience.
"It would be a great thing if this film helped people see this is just a normal community, that there's nothing mysterious about it," he said. "Because there is that (mysterious) perception."
PHOTO CAPTIONS:
A crew prepares to tape a scene of "Pride and Prejudice." In the movie, Jane Austen's classic is set in Utah's frenzied dating scene instead of the English countryside.
Carmen Rasmusen
It's 10 in the morning, and, having been on set for five hours already, director Andrew Black is surprisingly relaxed. In between takes he talks rapidly to the camera crew and the actors, giving quick feedback and direction. They listen with intent faces, and jump back into their scene.
Welcome to a day in the filming of the newest movie to join the Mormon culture genre. "Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-day Comedy" is the brainchild of former BYU student Jason Faller. In the year since he graduated in 2002, Faller has been immersed in work on his project: 8 months of development and 4 months of pre-production work.
Faller said he intends to raise the bar on the Mormon culture genre with "Pride and Prejudice."
"I looked high and low for a good story from local writers and found [them] wanting, so I decided that I'd go to a story that was tried and tested," he said. "'Pride and Prejudice' is a great story."
With a cast that is only one-fifth LDS, "Pride and Prejudice: a Latter-day Comedy" faces two major challenges. The first is wooing their key audience: the LDS community.
Mormon culture films are notoriously controversial amongst LDS viewers.
"We're [trying] to make a film that appealed to both insiders and outsiders," said Black. "It's almost like 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' where the culture is just a backdrop."
The second challenge is placating the droves of devoted fans of "Pride and Prejudice," both the novel, and its highly popular BBC incarnation. Black admits to some concern over fans of the novel feeling that too many liberties have been taken with the story, but says he is not too worried.
"We also know the novel very well, and even though we're playing around with it, we are treating it with respect," he said.
Filming is expected to continue through the next few weeks, and post-production should wrap up in early fall. Black said the release will be sometime in the fall.
Are they nervous? Black sums up the feelings of everyone on the set: "I want people to like it; [I want to] do something that's polished and that hopefully other films that follow will say we can do as well, or we can do better."
PHOTO CAPTION:
Producer Jason Faller hangs out off-camera with "American Idol" star Carmen Rasmusen, who plays the role of Charlotte Lucas in the movie.
After gleaning numerous previously unknown details about this movie, the listing on this website's upcoming films list was updated to the following:
Pride and Prejudice: A Utah Comedy: adaptation of non-LDS author Jane Austen's classic romantic comedy novel about the courting lives of 18th Century sisters living in the English countryside; film directed by Andrew Black (The Snell Show; Avernus); screenplay by Anne K. Black, Jason Faller and Katherine Swigert; produced by Jason Faller (The Ivy Exchange; No Other Solution; Quietus); director of photography: Travis Cline (The Promethean; The Snell Show); edited by Alexander Vance (The Snell Show; Amazing Grace); production design by Anne K. Black (Out of Step; Freedom on the Water); set decoration by Kohl Glass (The Promethean); costume designer: Emily Kawasaki (The Snell Show); production manager: Kynan Griffin; starring a mostly non-LDS cast; cameo by Carmen Rasmusen; LDS cast members include Ben Gourley and Hubbel Palmer; filming in June/July 2003; $350,000 budget; in theaters Fall 2003
Full Cast and Crew for Pride and Prejudice (2003) Directed by Andrew Black (III) Writing credits (in alphabetical order) Jane Austen - novel Anne K. Black Jason Faller Katherine Swigert Cast (in credits order) Kam Heskin ... Elizabeth Orlando Seale ... Darcy Carmen Rasmusen ... Charlotte Henry Maguire ... Wickham Kelly Stables ... Lydia rest of cast listed alphabetically Honor Bliss ... Anna Darcy Angela Goethals ... Mary Ben Gourley .... Charles Bingley Amber Hamilton .... Kitty Kara Holden ... Caroline Bingley Hubbel Palmer ... Collins Lucila Sola ... Jane Produced by Jason Faller ... producer Cinematography by Travis Cline Film Editing by Alexander Vance Casting by Kate Kennedy (I) Production Design by Anne K. Black Set Decoration by Kohl Glass Costume Design by Emily Kawasaki Makeup Department Katherine Swigert ... key makeup artist Production Management Kynan Griffin ... unit production manager Jennifer Kirkham ... production supervisor Second Unit Director or Assistant Director Jason Conforto ... first assistant director C. Logan Deans ... second assistant director Art Department Corbin Frost ... property master Anna Robinson .... assistant property master Sound Department Mark Noakes ... supervising sound editor Rob Nylund .... sound mixer Aaron Orullian .... boom operator http://us.imdb.com/Companies?0366920 Company credits for Pride and Prejudice (2003) Production Companies * Bestboy Pictures [us] * Camera 40 Productions [us] [Camera 40 has only 2 credits listed: "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Snell Show"] [Bestboy has no other credits] http://us.imdb.com/Business?0366920 Business Data for Pride and Prejudice (2003) Budget $350,000 http://us.imdb.com/Title?0366920 Pride and Prejudice (2003) Genre: Comedy / Romance Production Notes/Status: Status: Filming Comments: Filming on location in Utah, June/July 2003 Status Updated: 24 May 2003
This is well-designed, full-blown motion picture website.
On the home page, the following pithy, funny quotes from Pride and Prejudice flash continuously on the screen:
A slogan is also included among these quotes:
Jane Austen's classic romantic comedy gets a makeover.
These quotes and slogan are interspersed with a movie log, done in a casual, handwritten style: The words Pride and Prejudice and a red heart with an arrow through it drop onto the screen, followed by smaller words, "A Utah Comedy." Then a hand-drawn picture of a Volkswagen bug drives across the screen. Painted flowers adorn the side of the car. The exhaust coming from the vehicle forms smoke balloons which contain the words "Coming This Fall."
The title bar of the website sports the text:
"Pride and Prejudice - A Utah Comedy - Coming Fall 2003"
The index page's keywords metatag includes the following text:
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jane austen's persuasion, jane austin's persuasion, jane austin's persausion, jane austen's persausion, jane austen persuasion, jane austin persuasion, jane austin persausion, jane austen persausion, mr. darcy, mr darcy, p and p, p n p, p&p, p & p, pride, prejudice, Andrew Davies, darcymania, Bingley, Bennet, Lizzy, Lizzie, Wickham, Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Bennett, Benett, Hurst, romantic comedy, drama, Lyme Park, Sudbury Hall, Derbyshire, Meryton, Hertfordshire, Longbourne, classic literature, utah comedy, utah film, prideandprejudice, kynan griffin, andrew black
The description metatag reads:
A modern adaptation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The official website of Pride and Prejudice: A Utah Comedy. Coming to Theaters Fall 2003.
The website's menu bar, which runs along the bottom of the screen, features the following options:
Both UNION and non-UNION actors will be considered.
Lead Roles:
Elizabeth - FEMALE, 22, sassy and clever, vows not to marry before graduation.
Darcy - MALE, 27, rich and proud on surface, but kind and generous at heart. British accents only.
Jane - FEMALE, 20, Latin/Hispanic, kind, sweet, Elizabeth's best friend.
Wickham - MALE, 25, charming and handsome womanizer, a scoundrel.
Bingley - MALE, 24, easy-going and cheerful, a little obtuse, Darcy's friend.
Lydia - FEMALE, 20, the wildest, richest, spoiled-est girl on campus
Kitty - FEMALE, 19, Lydia's airhead side-kick.
Supporting Roles:
Collins - MALE, 23, self-absorbed, self-righteous, anxiously seeking wife.
Mary - FEMALE, 20, self-absorbed, self-righteous, anxiously seeking Collins.
Carolyn - FEMALE, 20, beautiful, snotty, charming when she wants to be.
CALL BACKS
TUES 22 April, 6pm - 9pm
455 N Univ Ave Suite 209, Provo
CALL Jennifer 801.687.2065 to schedule.
4 weeks shooting, in June
Will Darcy - CAUCASIAN MALE, 24 - 31. A wealthy and successful young publisher. British (English, Scottish, Welsh or Irish), moved to America with his sister after college. His honest nature can come across as arrogance, but he's kind and generous at heart. Composed when doing business but awkward when asking Elizabeth for a date. Very protective of his sister, Anna. Good friends with Charles Bingley. Tolerates the unwanted attentions of Bingley's sister, Caroline. Intrigued by Elizabeth, but disapproving of her friends.
Actor type - Colin Farrell, Gerard Butler, Hugh Dancy, Rufus Sewell. Dark and handsome. IF THE ACCENT ISN'T REAL IT HAS TO BE GOOD ENOUGH TO FOOL A SCOTTISH DIRECTOR.
2-3 weeks shooting, in June
Supporting Roles:
George Wickham - CAUCASIAN MALE, 24 - 26. A charming and handsome predator -- irresistably likeable. Seduced Darcy's younger sister into marrying him, before his previous divorce was final. Gambling addiction. Genuinely likes Elizabeth. Manipulative. Playful. Cowardly. Decides to chase Lydia after Elizabeth spurns him.
Actor type - Jude Law, George Clooney. Very goodlooking, easy going manner.
2-3 weeks shooting, in June
Jane Baraquio - HISPANIC FEMALE, 19 - 25. Elizabeth's best friend. South American - an accent but fluent in English. Always thinks the best of everybody and everything. Kind and sweet, but sometimes mischievous. Very supportive of Elizabeth. Roommates with Elizabeth. Lydia, Kitty and Mary. Smitten at first sight with Charles Bingley and heartbroken when he leaves. Innocent and playful.
Actress type - a Latin runway model or an extra in a Ricki Martin video. Curvy. Perfect skin without make-up. Gorgeous.
2-3 weeks shooting, in June
Charles Bingley - CAUCASIAN MALE, 22-26. Easy-going and cheerful, but a little obtuse. Darcy's good friend. Thinks well of everybody and everything. Innocent and guileless - a man with the spirit of a child. Instantly smitten with Jane.
Actor type - Owen Wilson. Good looking, sweet natured, vacuous.
1-2 weeks shooting, in June
Lydia Meryton - CAUCASIAN FEMALE, 19 - 22. A dating-obsessed, spoiled college girl. Studies "How to Catch a Man" books--and catches lots of men. Determined to marry very well. Shallow, flirty and vain. Often cruel to her younger sister, Kitty. Roommates with Elizabeth, Jane, Kitty and Mary. Self-centered.
Actress type - Alicia Silverstone, Mila Kunis. Pretty.
2 weeks shooting, in June
Kitty Meryton - CAUCASIAN FEMALE, 18 - 21. Lydia's airheaded younger sister and side-kick. Put-upon and weak-willed. Follows Lydia in everything, only acts of rebellion are her excessive eating and excessive drill team practice. Sweet but clueless. Roommates with Elizabeth, Jane, Lydia and Mary. Her part demands a sense of physical comedy.
Actress type - Allyson Hannigan. Cute, SKINNY.
2 weeks shooting, in June
William Collins - CAUCASIAN MALE, 21 - 28. Self-absorbed and self-righteous. Anxiously seeking a wife. Pursues Elizabeth despite her protests. Bitter when shunned. Quickly moves on to other targets. Geeky/nerdy, must have a sense of physical comedy.
Actor types - Jason Biggs. Chubby or skinny, but not fat.
1 week shooting, in June
Mary Haywood - CAUCASIAN FEMALE, 18 - 23. Plain, religiously devoted girl, who desperately seeks attention. Humiliates herself to attract Collins.
Actress type - Plain.
1 week shooting, in June
Caroline Bingley - CAUCASIAN FEMALE, 22 - 28. Charles' sister. A beautiful, snobbish socialite. Charming when she wants to be, but habitually cruel, malicious and calculating. Desperate for Darcy's attentions. Jealous and resentful of Elizabeth.
Actress type - Grace Kelly, Cameron Diaz, Charlize Theron, Gwyneth Paltrow. Elegantly beautiful.
1 week shooting, in June
Anna Darcy - CAUCASIAN FEMALE, 18 - 22. Darcy's younger sister. British. A lovely, cheerful person. Cruelly used by WIckham. Close to Darcy. Helps Darcy and Elizabeth grow closer.
Actress type - Kelly Macdonald, Helena Bonham Carter. Sweet, sincere, pretty. ONCE AGAIN: IF THE ACCENT ISN'T REAL IT HAS TO BE GOOD ENOUGH TO FOOL A SCOTTISH DIRECTOR.
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Where in the world is Carmen Rasmusen?
We can't say at this exact moment, but with her Fox TV American Idol Concert Tour kicking off Tuesday, Rasmusen should find herself in Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio and Indiana before the week is up. (She'll be at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Aug. 23.)
But a small sample of the 18-year-old "American Idol" finalist remains in Utah, secure in a film canister.
Rasmusen, a Bountiful resident, has filmed a role for "Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-day Comedy," an independent film scheduled for release in September.
The film is based -- loosely -- on Jane Austen's 1813 novel "Pride and Prejudice." The original novel was about a matron going to extreme lengths to marry off her five daughters and ensure a financially secure future for herself.
In this incarnation, the story is about a group of five modern female friends dealing with the ups and downs of the local dating scene. Rasmusen plays the lead singer with a band performing at a party, and her character also is an acquaintance of one of the leads.
"Her scene at the party will be an ambient thing," said Jason Faller, the film's producer and writer. "We decided it would be fun to get someone who actually could sing on stage, and it would be fun to get Carmen because of the LDS cultural backdrop of the film. When we met Carmen, she talked and talked about how interested she is in acting, so we gave her a bit role."
Two other members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who earned reality-television fame will have cameos in the film. Audree Shelton and Kyla Dickerson, who were contestants on ABC's "The Bachelor," will have a brief scene together.
"It's in the same party scene," Faller said. "It hasn't been shot yet, but Audree and Kyla will play two girls after the same guy. We thought it would be funny to cast them that way."
Other than those three, Faller said there are no cameos of famous LDS Church members. Some LDS niche-market films, such as "The Singles Ward," have reveled in cameos.
"We wanted the film to stand on its own without celebrities," Faller said. "We are not looking to stock it with LDS faces. We hope the film will have a broader distribution than some of the other LDS films have had. We want church members to enjoy it and to enjoy a few inside jokes, but we don't want to exclude others."
This will be the first film for Faller and many members of his Utah-based production crew, he said. Making a film geared for an LDS audience is a good way to start a career, he said. The audience is enthusiastic. The LDS community may not be large enough to make a big-budget film profitable, but it is big enough to make back production costs for an independent film with a modest budget.
"Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-day Comedy" will have more light moments than did the Austen novel, Faller said.
"The film 'Clueless' is actually based on the novel 'Emma,' " he said. "And there was social satire in the original ('Pride and Prejudice'). We'll just be making it even more light-hearted and fun."
"Pride and Prejudice" director Andrew Black gave Rasmusen a much kinder review than have some (think "American Idol" judge Simon Cowell).
"She's a wonderful, lovely person," Black said. "She is very natural, very relaxed in front of the camera, which is not that common. It's hard to be relaxed with people standing all around and a big camera stuck in your face."
Rasmusen will sing only briefly in the film but will have a full song on the film's soundtrack, Black said. It's an original piece about puppy love, he said.
Films and television programs shot entirely or partially in Utah during the past year and their current video status:
RECENTLY COMPLETED FILMING
[3 other lists in article: RECENT/CURRENT RELEASE; AWAITING RELEASE/AIRING; CURRENTLY/OR SOON TO BE FILMING]
[EXCERPT]
LDS-themed films
SCHEDULED FOR FALL RELEASE
- "Suddenly Unexpected" (special screenings in Houston theaters)
- "The Work and the Story," Aug. 29 (limited digital-video screenings)
- "The Book of Mormon Movie, Vol. 1: The Journey," Sept. 12
- "Day of Defense," Oct. 10
- "Best Two Years," Oct. 10
- "Pride and Prejudice," fall 2003
SCHEDULED FOR WINTER 2004:
- "The Home Teachers," Jan. 9
- "Saints and Soldiers," early 2004
ALSO
- "The Legend of Johnny Lingo," Aug. 29
The URL is new as well: http://www.prideprejudice.com
The website displays a FLASH animation which successively reveals:
- "View the Trailer" (a link to a full-length theatrical trailer)
- "News Articles": a heading followed by links to a review in the Deseret News and a link in The Daily Universe.
- The movie's logo: "Pride & Prejudice: a latter-day comedy". The phrase "a latter-day comedy" is not capitalized in the logo, but it is capitalized in the title bar of the web page. When the browser points to the ampersand (&) in the title, it flips over in a fun, humorous way.
- The logo for Exce Entertainment, the company that will be distributing the movie.
- A large photo of Kam Haskin, as "Elizabeth Bennett," the central character of the movie. This is the only non-text graphic on the page.
- The movie's key credits, the credits that will presumably appear on the official movie poster.
There are no subpages or subsections on the site yet. The links to the newspaper articles actually take the reader to the original source of the articles on the newspapers' websites.
Here are key credits as they appear on the website:
|
A CAMERA 40 PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH BESTBOY PICTURES KAM HASKIN ORLANDO SEALE Pride & Prejudice: a latter-day comedy LUCILA SOLÁ BEN GOURLEY KELLY STABLES HENRY MACGUIRE HUBBEL PALMER KARA HOLDEN AMBER HAMILTON RAINY KERWIN HONOR BLISS and CARMEN RASMUSEN Music By BEN CARSON Edited by ALEXANDER VANCE Production Design By ANNE BLACK Photographed by TRAVIS CLINE Executive Producer DANIEL SHANTHAKUMAR Co-Producer KYNAN GRIFFIN Based on the Novel By JANE AUSTEN Produced By JASON FALLER Directed By ANDREW BLACK |
[EXCERPTS]
The soon to be released "Saints and Soldiers" is just one of several new movies in what has become a burgeoning industry in the Intermountain West.
In less than four years, films produced by, directed by, written by and starring Latter-day Saints have exploded onto the scene.
The phenomenon goes on, starting with a film that, even before its release, has achieved a remarkable popularity, reaching beyond Utah and the Mormon culture.
Carole Mikita has this special report...
...Movie Clip/ "Pride & Prejudice": "Okay, I'm looking for a volume of writing by Kierkegard. I K-I-E- ... right. The father of existentialism. You're in the landscape gardening."
Four stars from Box Office Magazine, calling "Pride & Prejudice" "spectacularly entertaining." The title may be Jane Austen but the setting is modern-day Latter-day Saint dormitory...
..."The Home Teachers", "Pride and Prejudice" and "Best Two Years" and "Saints and Soldiers" all open in either January or February followed by others later in the year.
What do department-store Santas, gingerbread eaters and movie watchers have in common?
They all cope with extra weight during the holidays.
For the movie crowd -- critics, Oscar voters and the public at large -- the weight comes from the number of movies, and from the heavy drama contained in many of them. Hollywood traditionally loads the Christmas season with award-bait, and often it pays off; all five of last year's Best Picture nominees opened in December...
...Kids and family fare: Mike Myers plays Dr. Seuss' housewrecking feline, "The Cat in the Hat" (opens today)... and "The Young Black Stallion" (Christmas Day), a prequel to the 1979 adventure, gallops across large-format screens.
Action fare: Scientists go back to the 14th century in Michael Crichton's "Timeline" (Nov. 26); Ben Affleck tries to get his memory back in the futuristic "Paycheck" (Christmas Day)...
Comedy: Billy Bob Thornton plays a safecracking St. Nicholas in the scathingly profane "Bad Santa" (Nov. 26); Mormon Cinema tries its hand at Jane Austen in an adaptation of "Pride & Prejudice" (Dec. 5)...