Gerrish St. hub of activity on movie's first day

BY NADINE ARMSTRONG

The Hants Journal

NovaNewsNow.com



Anyone who has ever doubted the time and energy it takes to produce a movie should’ve been on Gerrish St. in Windsor last Thursday.

The crew of Rockwood Productions worked from dawn ‘til dusk setting the scene for the made-for-TV movie The Memory Keeper's Daughter, based on the bestselling novel by Kim Edwards and starring Gretchen Mol, Emily Watson and Dermot Mulroney.

Dozens of crew members bustled to transform the downtown street into Lexington, Kentucky circa. 1964. The Hants Journal caught up with one member of the busy production team to get the scoop on the town's transformation.

Set decorator Brian Enman said Gerrish St. was the perfect location for the scene.

“Windsor downtown very much looks like a town stuck in time,” he said. “The storefronts and architecture really haven't changed the look of the town” and the Imperial Theatre marquee was an added bonus because, Enman said, “very few places still have an original marquee.”

The sign that day was changed to read: 'Now playing My Fair Lady with Audrey Hepburn.'

The location at 99 Gerrish St. was a top floor apartment rented to resident Tom Thistle. By the time Thursday rolled around, it had been totally transformed to fit the 1960s theme.

Flowered cotton curtains hung in the windows, Chintz throws covered chairs and retro lamps were placed around the room. All the moldings had been painted bright yellow and even the kitchen appliances were replaced to include an ancient round-topped icebox.

It’s all in the details

Enman said when it comes to set decorating it’s all in the details. “Even if you know a certain area probably won't be filmed, you need to transform everything,” he said. “It helps to set the mood for the cast so they really feel they are in that time period.”

The scene shot that day included Mulroney, who played the local doctor visiting a sick poor person as they cooked breakfast.

“If the character is poor, we need to bring in a 1950s model fridge because they certainly wouldn't have a new 1963 model, would they?” Enman said.

Although they filmed at that location for only one day, Enman said it takes a team working for months to create even one set.

“It's a process that starts with the script,” he said. As he reads the script, areas are highlighted and the visuals begin to take shape in the decorator’s mind. There are discussions with the design manager, but ultimately it comes down to the director who, in this case, took a hands-on approach.

Director Mick Jackson had a very clear idea of what he wanted the set to look like, Enman said. “These are the most talented people I've ever worked with,” he said. “It has been a real treat.”

Lots of shopping

Finding the vintage design means lots of shopping. Enman sends out an assistant to hunt down appropriate pieces, photograph the options and lay them out to see how they fit in the big picture.

He said reading the book could help, but for him sticking with the script makes the scenes come to life onscreen and that’s good for business all around.

Enman said Windsor is placed ideally between Halifax and Wolfville and many of the set pieces were purchased locally.

“The economic spin-off is very, very, good.” He said just his team, which consists of eight to 10 members, are eating, gassing up and buying supplies for weeks at a time. “And that’s just one department. Think of all the others who basically stay here for the duration.”

Enman worked in Windsor four years ago during the filming of The Plain Truth and said he’s impressed with the area.

“It was really great, so I'm happy to be back.”

He said Windsor has a lot going for it, from the downtown core to the farming and agricultural backdrop. He has no doubt that Windsor will represent Lexington well in the upcoming film. “Windsor really lends itself to that time period and sort of has the feel of Lexington in the 1960s,” he said.

Admittedly, those who actually live in Lexington may have their doubts, but Enman said, “how many people have ever been to Lexington? If we can fool most of the people, we're doing good.”