Stonington Borough Approves Great Hope Springs Movie Application
Excitement And Concerns Meet Application To Film A Major Motion Picture In The Borough
Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell have approval from the Stonington Borough Board of Warden and Burgesses to film a movie in the borough.
Representatives from Great Hope Springs, the movie Streep, Jones and Carell are set to star in, presented an application to film in the borough and answered questions from the board and the public on Monday evening. The board approved the application with stipulations amid applause and also concerns.
“There are various locations we like here and we think would look fantastic,” said GHS Productions Location Manager Ronnie Kupferwasser.
Those locations include Water Street, a house on Church Street, Noah’s Restaurant, Skipper's Dock, the Inn at Mystic and the Econo Lodge. Stonington would serve as the town of Great Hope Springs in the movie, which in the movie is a small town in Maine.
Great Hope Springs, according to a press release from Mandate Pictures, follows a woman named Maeve (Streep) seeking to spice up her marriage. Maeve and her husband (Jones) go to the town of Great Hope Springs to meet a relationship guru (Carell) for “an intense week of marriage and sex therapy.”
Kupferwasser said if a decision is made to film in the borough the production company would work closely with town and borough officials and the Stonington Police Department to have an advance schedule in place and a map of the streets where filming would take place and where streets would need to be closed.
“We prefer to know what problems you have so we can solve them in advance,” Assistant Location Manager Daniel Tresca said.
The board and residents raised concerns about parking, street closures, the hours of filming and also the number of people in the village.
Burgess Edward McCreary pointed out that 68 percent of borough residents are thrilled with the possibility of the filming, but others worry about making Stonington Borough too well-known.
“It’s a great idea but you have to be careful...,” McCreary said.
“We’re guests in your town,” Kupferwasser responded, explaining that between cast and crew the borough could expect 80 to 100 people involved in the filming. According to Kupferwasser, filming could begin by Sept. 26 and would end no later than Oct. 11. The production company expects filming to last between eight and 10 days, beginning between 6 and 7 a.m. and ending between 9 and 10 p.m.
“You’re a pain in the ass, but we’re glad you’re here,” McCreary said, adding that he just wanted to clear the waters.
The board and residents acknowledged the potential for the filming to help out local business during the slower season of the year as well as the educational value.
“A lot of the kids are very into movies and they got to see the process of making a movie,” said Borough resident and businessman Michael Blair of the fliming of Mystic Pizza. Blair was Borough Warden when the filming of Mystic Pizza took place and said his experience then was very positive.
Many residents had the chance to be extras in Mystic Pizza something Kupferwasser said that could be a possibility in Great Hope Springs. Once the production company finalizes filming locations they will release information about casting for extras if needed.
“There are a lot more details to work out,” Warden Paul Burgess said. The board approved the application with the stipulations that the production company continues to work with Burgess and the police department.
GHS Productions is considering several other towns for filming, but Tresca said that one of the incentives to film in Connecticut is the tax credit. Tresca and Kupferwasser will be back in a few weeks at which time a final decision on filming is expected.
Millie Donovan
7:07 am on Tuesday, July 19, 2011
So excited about this! As a movie buff and creative media fan I am thrilled that our beautiful Stonington Borough will act as the backdrop for this project. What fantastic bragging rights we will all have to say that the businesses we patronize and streets we travel on everyday are getting this opportunity to be captured on film. Bravo Stonington!
Local
8:47 am on Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I think all of us who live in the direct vicinity of these locations looks forward to a statement from the Warden and studio regarding how this will affect our comings and goings-
Sara Lynott
10:29 am on Tuesday, July 19, 2011
I am very excited to hear this. I love seeing local places in movies. It would help out the local economy for this movie to be filmed here, it sure did when Mystic Pizza was filmed here. Steve Carell filmed a movie a few years ago that had scenes in it from Westelry Ri and Misquamicut, it was great to see my town featured in this movie. These places aren't unfamiliar to Streep, her father lives on Block Island, I look forward to hearing more about this and more about the extras parts, it sounds like a whole lot of fun.
Wendy Bury
10:15 am on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
@Gathering Moss...I find your comments incredibly distasteful, but they say far more about you than they do about the Boro! Maybe you should read your first sentence aloud and to yourself.
Bree Shirvell
11:04 am on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
We love having conversations and debates on Patch, just please remember to keep it civil.
Noggle Lois Clark
2:44 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
How would one find out about being apart of this project as an extra? Thankyou!
Bree Shirvell
5:38 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Hi,
The studio is still finalizing filming locations but once those decisions are made they will start deciding if they will be using local extras. Patch will post all of that information as it becomes available.
Patsy Crothers
10:10 pm on Wednesday, July 20, 2011
I agree with 'Gathering Moss',it's great to have a movie filmed in your town...get with the program. Everyone know about the Borough especially New Yorkers.Was it terrible having Mystic Pizza filmed in the local towns?People always say to me,when I say I'm from Mystic,"oh you're from the town where they filmed Mystic Pizza".It's kind of neat...
Lynn
1:09 am on Thursday, July 21, 2011
I was very young when Mystic Pizza was filmed here and I can remember being at most of the sites while filming was going on. Just watching in awe. It gave a little sense of pride for where I was from as well as getting to learn a bit about the "outside" world that doesn't come into the Boro very often. I think having another film take place here will help add a little excitement to this little town and it will definitely be something the children/teens will remember with excitement when they're older.
Dorry Clay
9:18 am on Thursday, July 21, 2011
I live in the boro, I'm from here. I love it here. I want the economy to improve here so I can stay doing business here. I live in vacation land. Here! Here!
janis albamonti
7:27 am on Monday, July 25, 2011
Wow, I think it's such a plus for the Boro.
Let's make it FUN experience
Stop your bitching Gathering Moss,
What's your real beef?
Bree Shirvell
3:18 pm on Monday, August 8, 2011
Open call auditions will be held Wednesday August 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Stonington High School to cast extras. Visit http://www.ct.gov/ecd/cwp/view.asp?a=3880&q=454846 for more information.
Peg Abramson
4:28 pm on Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Thank goodness my 80 year old brain is not gathering moss! Lighten up - it will be fun and great for our children and grandchildren to see. PS - I may be old, but I'm neither rich (except in wonderful Stonington friends) nor a New Yorker! Peg Abramson
John
5:31 pm on Friday, September 30, 2011
How great is that! The Hollywood “Left” chose Connecticut because of a “tax credit”. What happened to the bilge water we have been served by the Left that we must ALL pay more taxes to fix this struggling economy? It is OK for us, common tourists, to pay the 25% increase in occupancy tax from our hard earned wages but Hollywood needs the tax break incentive. John
Mike Mc
10:28 am on Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Very well said John. I hope they don't Occupy Stonington when the filming is all done.