Page 39 - Peter Farrelly Issue

“For Daruma, they took a chance and actually made me more able bodied than I am in real life, which is pretty remarkable,” Forrest said.
And so that was a big takeaway for people who saw the film,” John said. “I mean, the number one thing is that it’s a good story. We go to the movies to feel something. And this is a movie that makes you feel. It’s not a moral lesson movie at all. So, I think it will attract a wide range of people who will enjoy it.”
Elaborating, Forrest explained that Patrick does a num- ber of things in the film that he is not physically able to do in real life. McNeil and Yellen also chose not to focus on other aspects of Patrick’s disability, preferring instead to keep the focus on the central plot line and characters.
“This film starts, like any good film, with good writing. And good writing comes from personal emotional investment and a commitment to the authenticity of the characters in the story. John and I were blessed with all of that for Daruma,” Forrest said.
For example, in the film Patrick picks up a bottle and throws it through a window, something Forest cannot do. And, conversely, they elected not to focus on the process of Patrick getting in and out of cars or getting out of bed into the wheelchair. In Daruma, the decision to exclude some of the physical aspects that go along with disability helps shift focus onto Patrick, not his dis- ability.
The film comes alive with a talented production crew. Yellen and the “Daruma” production crew used their ingenuity to create a beautiful film, despite a short shooting schedule and limited budget. A New Film Makers Grant from Panavision provided an extensive camera package for Yellen to use at no cost. He and the crew built creative camera set-ups to get the shots Yellen envisioned.
McNeil and Yellen said that they were not interested in what this character can and can’t do. They were interest- ed in what this character can and can’t feel. They didn’t need to film (someone) getting in and out of the car.
“We shot this, believe it or not, the whole film in 15 days. When people see the finished product, they will not believe it,” Lawson said.
“And after watching the movie, they were right. Those details were not important to the story being told,” Toby said. “It’s because the story is so well-written and the characters are just so connected. So, you’re able to for- get about the disability part–and the mechanics of it– and really focus on the emotional life of these people. I think it’s so important that the disability not be focused on, to have roles that are separate, really from any dis- ability.”
With no budget for a process trailer, an expensive piece of equipment that tows a car while cameras film the actors as they simulate driving scenes, the crew used the Panavision cameras to capture the glorious golden hour moments, beautiful sunsets, in the middle of rural Cali- fornia. They then projected that footage onto an enor- mous LED screen in the studio. It allowed the crew to replay that sunset over and over. That helped take the pressure off Forrest and Lawson as they sat in the sta- tionary car, playing out the scenes.
The idea is that “Daruma” is really a father daughter drama about forgiveness. The “Daruma” production team knows that viewers will go into the movie thinking it’s going to be a movie about two guys with disabilities because it’s the first movie to star two guys with disabil- ities, authentically. But with skillful story-telling and beautiful imagery, the cast and crew have worked hard to create a different narrative than expected.
“You could get as many takes as you wanted. Rewind the golden hour background and start over. So that real- ly, I think, helped the performances. It was a turning point in the film, so it was important that it be the best performance we could give,” Lawson said. “It just came out phenomenal. If you didn’t know that we were sitting still in a studio. Nobody would ever believe it.”
Forrest said, “I hope everyone realizes this film is not about disability. Patrick is not broken because of his dis- ability or depressed because of that or any of those things. You find out that he’s just not a great guy. And he finds out that he’s got a daughter and he thinks there might be an advantage to taking custody of her, but real- izes he’s a terrible father in the process.”
Because the film is not about disability, the filmmakers chose not to focus much on the main character’s wheelchair to tell the story, but they did want to cap- ture the character’s viewpoint. Yellen wanted some really close shots to highlight a few emotional moments. Yellen and crew built an elaborate rigging onto Patrick’s wheelchair, using one of Panavision’s state-of-the-art cameras.
During the recent screening, the audience appreciated and understood that message. John Lawson heard many such observations afterwards.
Forrest had concerns when the camera rig idea was first explained to him. “They were essentially planning to put me in an exoskeleton, in a sense. And it would be on my chair, and it needs to fit and needs to work, and there wasn’t a lot of time to figure it out.” Forrest said,
“As people came out of the theater, everyone was com- menting that disability was never mentioned. The clos- est thing was my joke about, ‘Can I give you a hand?’
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