Community Movies - About the Movie

What is "Act Your Age"?

Act Your Age is a 50-minute movie that stars children and seniors from the Brookline community. Produced and directed by Peter Rhodes of Brook Street Productions, the film tells the story of a family that gets mixed up in some very weird magic. Grandma Rose's Annual Magic Festival is interrupted when a 2,000 year-old witch named Marcelan and her ex-husband, Frederique the Evil Freak, turn the festivities upside down in search of a magic book that transforms seniors into kids and kids into seniors. Grandpa turns into a 10 year-old boy while his granddaughter becomes a 76 year-old woman! And if the Book of Bagasius falls into Frederique's diabolical hands, he will have the power to dominate the universe. The parents are too busy doing errands to notice anything unusual going on so old and young must work together to find the magic book before it's too late.

In making a humorous movie for families to enjoy, producer and director Rhodes and his team wanted to provide a creative environment where children and seniors could interact and learn from each other. The process began in the winter of 2002 when Rhodes and his crew, lead by acting coach Jeremy Solomons, held workshops for folks from The Brookline Senior Center and kids from town of Brookline. For the next several months, the group played improvisation games and encouraged the participants to explore different characters and situations. Out of these sessions, co-director and scriptwriter Marcy Goldberg developed a script that reflected the strengths and the interests of the diverse acting ensemble.

"I hope that the fun we had working together comes across on the big screen." -Producer/Director Peter Rhodes

Why make a movie with kids and seniors?

I was inspired to make this movie by what I noticed on my street corner. At the end of our block there is a playground filled with lively children. An apartment building for senior citizens is located directly opposite the park; yet there is no interaction between the residents and their younger neighbors.

Sadly, this situation is not unusual; it is one example of what is happening all over our modern world. Unlike in cultures where the extended family is still important, there is very little communication between the elderly and the young.

I believe that as America's population ages, there is a growing need for intergenerational programs that prevent the elderly from becoming isolated while at the same time reminding the young that there is a great deal society can learn from its elders.

The History

A few years ago, Brook Street Productions made a short children's film called An Alien Sneezed on Brook Street (1999) which starred families on my block in Brookline, MA. It brought the neighborhood together in a very exciting way and made people on the street much closer- plus they all got to see themselves on the big screen!

Act Your Age was a similar idea only BIGGER. Involving people from the whole town, both seniors and children, we would bridge the gap between these two disconnected communities. I began with the idea of a special magic spell that could turn seniors into kids and kids into seniors. I called my friend Marcy Goldberg and asked her to help me write a story.

Then I turned to acting coach Jeremy Solomons who lead casting sessions and workshops for elders and kids. Starting in November 2001 and continuing for five months, Jeremy worked with our unique cast. Marcy took the information she learned from these meetings and wrote a script that reflected the strengths of our actors. And so our plot was born!

A Volunteer Effort

A crew of over 80 people worked for free, giving generously of their time and expertise, most notably veteran Director of Photography Boyd Estus, Production Designer Katha Seidman and Production Manager Nancy Fliesler. Throughout the lengthy shooting schedule I kept asking myself "Why do they keep doing this, working so hard for no money? I hope that they were drawn to the project for the same reason I was: to follow our passion for making films while at the same time trying to make a small difference in the world.

In the end Act Your Age built two temporary communities - one community of local kids and seniors, and one of hard working folks who love making movies.

It Takes a Village

This project was made possible through the generous contributions of the Brookline Community Fund, the Brookline Commission on the Arts, the Arthur Golden Family Foundation, the Klarman Family Foundation and the William Haney Foundation. We received donations from Ben Loeterman Productions, Chobee Hoy Associates, the Brookline Rotary Club, and many wonderful individuals. During the course of production several local businesses gave gracious in-kind donations, including Starbucks Coffee, Peets Coffee, Bruegger's Bagels, Kupels, Presto Pizza, Dunkin' Donuts, Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe's and the Brookline Holiday Inn. I would especially like to acknowledge High Output and Screen Light and Grip, who gave us incredible deals on very expensive rental equipment. And I would like to mention the support of the Brookline Booksmith, The Brookline Senior Center, the Brookline Housing Authority and the Brookline Town Hall.

Thanks to all the family members, friends, and volunteers who helped out. Without your assistance, this production would not have been possible!

Act Your Age was fiscally sponsored by the Filmmakers Collaborative

www.filmmakerscollab.org.

Check out these websites to find out more about some of the people helped on Act Your Age:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/grant/broadband/bts_seidman.html
www.gomarmar.com
www.brooklinefund.org
www.coolidge.org/
http://www.filmmakerscollab.org/
http://home.sprintmail.com/~boydestus/
www.artbarn.org

Have more questions about the movie?
E-mail us at communitymovies@hotmail.com