Saturday, November 3, 2007 1:11 AM CDT
Former local resident helps make John Cusack's latest film
By NATHANIEL WEST, Staff Writer
nwest@jg-tc.com
LOS ANGELES — From a movie producer’s perspective, the atmosphere during the filming process makes a real difference, according to Hollywood studio executive Luke Ryan.
“There are two kinds of film sets — those where you get the sense that everyone there is collecting a paycheck, and those where everyone there is genuinely inspired by the material and there because they believe in the film they’re making,” said Ryan.
His latest effort, “Martian Child,” which stars John Cusack and opened this weekend, falls into the latter category and consequently has already proven to be a “special project,” said Ryan, formerly of Mattoon.
“This was one where everyone in the crew was there because they thought this was an amazing project that needed to be on the screen,” he said.
Ryan, who previously worked as a producer for the films “Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle” and “King’s Ransom,” served as associate producer for “Martian Child.”
The film was shot in Vancouver, Canada, in 2005. It was directed by Menno Meyjes, who also directed Cusack in “Max.”
“My job consisted of developing the material with the writers and filmmakers and then overseeing (the) shooting of the film and (the) editing of the film on behalf of the studio,” said Ryan, son of Steve and Sally Ryan of Mattoon.
“Martian Child,” based on the semi-autobiographical book by David Gerrold, tells the story of recently widowed science fiction writer David, played by Cusack, who bonds with and adopts a fatherless young boy, portrayed by Bobby Coleman, who claims to be from Mars.
But this isn’t necessarily a sci-fi film.
“There’s a scene where (Coleman) tells (Cusack) that he’s been sent to Earth on a mission to discover what it means to be human and part of a family, and this is the basic idea that the film’s exploring,” said Ryan.
From the outset, when producers David Kirschner and Corey Sienega first pitched the idea for “Martian Child” and had executives in tears, “this was a special project,” Ryan said.
He said there was little question Cusack was meant to play the lead role.
“I don’t know of anyone who can effortlessly connect to an audience the way John can, and there was just no way to read the script and think of anyone besides him pulling it off,” said Ryan.
In addition to his acting prowess, Cusack also demonstrated qualities as a mentor, taking the young Coleman — with whom Cusack worked previously on the film “Must Love Dogs” — under his wing again, according to Ryan.
“What was really special was to see the way he worked with Bobby Coleman,” Ryan said. “John treated Bobby like a serious actor and Bobby really responded.”
He recalled watching one particularly inspiring moment on-set between Cusack and Coleman.
“In between takes, John said to Bobby, ‘You know what’s special about actors like you and me? We can convey what we’re feeling with our eyes; we don’t need to say it out loud or do too much,’” Ryan said. “And you could see Bobby processing that and then using it over the course of the film.
“Bobby is as talented and sweet a kid as you could hope to meet. His performance in this movie is really phenomenal — he makes you ache throughout this movie, and as you get deeper into the film, there are places where he holds his own in dramatic sequences with Cusack better than most adult actors could.”
“Martian Child” also stars Joan Cusack, Amanda Peet and Oliver Platt. Although Ryan was not present when their scenes were shot, he said each of these actors “give a great performance” in the film.
This is especially true for Joan Cusack, who clearly works well with her brother. “Obviously, there’s an inherent authenticity when she and John are playing siblings, and Joan’s performance and interaction with John’s character bring an enormous amount to the film,” Ryan said.
“Martian Child” marked the end of his tenure at New Line Cinema, and he now is involved in the same capacity with MTV Films, “building a slate of films for teens and 20-somethings, a few of which will hopefully be going into production in the next year,” said Ryan.
The 2000 Eastern Illinois University graduate began his filmmaking career as a screenwriter, authoring his first script while working in the bindery at R.R. Donnelley in Mattoon. Mattoon native Craig Titley, who is also firmly entrenched in Hollywood, helped Ryan get his first job with the producer of “American Pie.”
“Harold and Kumar” was Ryan’s first project as executive producer for New Line Cinema.
“I love what I’m doing and think I pretty much have the same goals as other people who are lucky enough to have my job — I just want to have a part in making great movies that mean something to people,” Ryan said. “It’s not an easy business on any level, but on your worst day, you’re still making movies — talking about stories and finding ways to entertain people — and I can’t think of anything I’d rather do.”
As for his most recent effort, Ryan said, “I’m enormously proud of ‘Martian Child.’ It’s a movie that has a good, worthwhile message at its core and manages to explore human relationships on a level that can be equally meaningful to adults and children.”
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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