Lisa Guerrero fell in love with the story of “A Plumm Summer,” in which she had a role; when funding fell through, she and her husband, Scott Erickson, became film producers.
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
Joining the local community of filmmakers next week will be Malibu’s husband/wife producing team of Scott Erickson and Lisa Guerrero, with their Home Team Productions’ debut release of the family-friendly comedy/drama, “A Plumm Summer,” directed by Caroline Zelder.
Based on true events in the summer of 1968, “A Plumm Summer” tells the story of a 13-year-old boy and his fractured family living in pastoral Peaks View, Montana. The film features the talents of Henry Winkler, William Baldwin, Jeff Daniels and, doing double-duty, Guerrero herself.
“Everyone told us, don’t invest in your own film, don’t work with children or animals and don’t work with your spouse,” Guerrero said of working on the film. “We broke all the rules, and Scott and I only grew closer.”
They didn’t start out looking to make movies together. Erickson was a Major League Baseball star who pitched for 17 years, winning the 1991 World Series with the Minnesota Twins and throwing a no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers in 1994.
Guerrero has a 13-year, network broadcasting career, hosting coverage on everything from the Academy Awards to the Super Bowl and was the update anchor for “The Best Damn Sports Show Period” on Fox TV. She added hundreds of commercials and television shows to her resumé before she decided to take on serious drama and was cast in a San Francisco production of “Extremities,” William Mastrosimone’s play about violence and victimhood.
The film was not on the couple’s list of things to do; Guerrero had auditioned for “A Plumm Summer” and got a part, but then the film’s funding was pulled.
“I just fell in love with the script and the message,” Guerrero said. “When the funding fell through, we talked about forming our own production company. They were able to cut the budget to about $5 million and we came on board. It was meant to be.”
The family film genre not only attracted the actors starring in it, but was also received well by film festival audiences.
“What really engaged my imagination is that it was akin to movies I grew up with,” Brenda Strong, a Los Angeles based actress who stars in the film, said. “It’s a morality, coming-of-age tale with beautiful, magical characters. There’s a nostalgia and innocence that isn’t syrupy. The characters’ problems are real and recognizable, and you feel for them.”
Guerrero said the film has won Audience Pick awards at film festivals, including the Family Film Event Award for the Heartland Film Festival. “We’re the first independent film to do that,” Guerrero said.
Of the film, she added “nowadays, kids’ films are all animated and edgy. This is something you can truly go see with your 10-year-old and your grandparents, and you won’t be compromising.”
The film was shot on location in Bozeman, Mont. two summers ago, during a “very intense 35-day shooting schedule,” Guerrero said. The spectacular mountain views are well served and the project even managed to snare a cameo by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer.
“The music was an integral part of the concept in capturing the era,” Guerrero said. “We had to petition Bob Dylan directly to get rights for ‘Like a Rolling Stone,’ and he gave them to us.”
But will youngsters want to see a period piece?
“We didn’t want to see a reaction of ‘I can’t relate’ to something 40 years ago,” Guerrero explained. “So we made sure the kids’ costumes weren’t extreme. And our young actors are so believable.”
That would include Chris J. Kelly, now 16, who is currently shooting a thriller in New Orleans. His role of Elliott in “A Plumm Summer” is the grounding character and vulnerable protagonist of the film.
“This was one of the [most fun] sets I’ve ever worked on,” Kelly said by phone. “I learned so much from Henry Winkler. He said every time the camera was ready, I had to be ready mentally. And I was.”
Of Kelly, Strong said, “He reminded me very much of a young actor I worked with years ago, Heath Ledger. There’s that same sense of stardom.”
Stardom, however, is not at the top of the producers’ list at the moment.
“We just want to get through the opening, and if it goes well, we’ll expand into more markets,” Guerrero said. “Maybe our next family film will be like the ones Disney used to make, but without the $150 million budgets.”
Asked what the greatest challenge was in working with her husband on the project, Guerrero said, “Well, there’s this kissing scene with Billy Baldwin and it came right at the beginning of shooting. It’s all very chaste, but I was very aware of my six-foot, five-inch husband right behind the camera.”
“A Plumm Summer” will be released Friday at theaters throughout Southern California.