Oliver Sherman

New Oliver Sherman article

Almaguin News talked to Garret, writer/director Ryan Redford and producer Paul Stephens about their experience filming Oliver Sherman in the area last week. Here is a snippet:

This is Stephens’ first time filming in the Almaguin region and he is enjoying it. The crew is filming in Powassan, Trout Creek and North Bay.

“It’s great. The colours have been fantastic,” he said.

Actor Garret Dillahunt (No Country for Old Men) says he has been in the area for a week and a half and, although he has been on set for the majority of his stay, he has admired the fall colours.

“It’s fantastic. I’ve taken some beautiful pictures,” said the Washington State actor, adding he managed some time during the weekend for photography.

“I enjoy working in Canada,” he said.

Dillahunt has worked in Toronto, Vancouver and in Alberta during the filming of The Assassination of Jessie James but this is his first time in Northern Ontario.

The versatile actor says playing a variety of roles makes the job more interesting.

Dillahunt plays the lead, Oliver Sherman.

Stephens says the film could be classified as a psychological thriller about two men who served in the war together seven years before. Once they return Franklin Page, played by Donal Logue (Ghost Rider) moves on with his life – settling down in a small town with his family. Sherman, however, who suffered a head injury, is still living with the war and can’t let it go. Nor can he let go of Page, the man who saved his life in the war.

“He gets on a bus one day and knocks on the door and kind of moves in,” said Stephens. “Something is slightly askew with this guy.” [Almaguin News]

Oliver Sherman – Hollywood Reporter article

The Hollywood Reporter has an article about Oliver Sherman.

Molly Parker and Garret Dillahunt are reuniting on the indie drama “Oliver Sherman” from Canadian producer the Film Works.

Parker (“Swingtown”) and Dillahunt earlier worked together on HBO’s “Deadwood” and next on the upcoming adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road,” set for theatrical release on Nov. 25.

In “Oliver Sherman,” Dillahunt plays a disconnected war veteran who goes in search of a soldier, played by Donal Logue, who saved his life during the war and is now quietly living in a rural town with a wife (Parker) and two children.

The project, to shoot in northern Ontario, marks the first feature from writer-director Ryan Redford. Antonio Calvache is DOP, while Paul Stephens and Eric Jordan of the Films Works share producer credits.

Mongrel Media will release the indie picture in Canada. [THR]

Oliver Sherman – new article

Nugget.ca has a new article about Oliver Sherman, which starts filming tomorrow (or later today, depending on where you are).

mihaichuk

(^ That’s the set decorator on Twitter.)

From the article:

Oliver Sherman, produced by The Film Works, is a psychological thriller staring Garret Dillahunt as the title character, who goes in search of the man who saved him during a war. The film is set in modern times but doesn’t specify which war or where it happened. Sherman eventually finds the man, who has moved on with his life, starting a family in a small town.

The family takes Sherman as a harmless, disconnected man, but soon realize he is angry and unstable.

“We looked all over Northern Ontario for locations that worked,” said producer Paul Stephens.

“A lot of the action takes place in and around the farm house so we wanted a small town look.”

(…)

Stephens said they have been in town for the past six weeks preparing for the production and training local people who are anxious to learn the specialized skills of the film industry. (…)

“The most challenging part is getting the trust of the community and working with local people to train them in very specialized jobs,” he said. [Nugget.ca]

Filming dates & locations for Oliver Sherman

Just a quick note to say that Oliver Sherman starts filming on Tuesday.

Here is some info about the locations:

Filming will start Oct. 13 and run through to Nov. 14.

“The director and producer looked all over and decided on the North Bay area, and the Powassan area is going to give the look we need,” she said.

The production company has chosen the home belonging to Norville Rose on Kells Road as the exterior of the home of one of the central characters. A home on Pioneer Road has been chosen as the interior setting for the character.

“They’ll be filming for two weeks,” said mayor Barb Groves, whose son Terry’s home was selected for the interior shots. “It’s going to be exciting.”

According to Malik, the company is in the process of looking for an interior home location for another character.

Filming will take the crew of Oliver Sherman to Trout Creek, Englehart, Sturgeon Falls and North Bay. [Almaguin News]

Donal Logue cast in Oliver Sherman

Garret Dillahunt,Donal Logue,LifeDonal Logue will be joining Molly Parker and Garret on the set of Oliver Sherman when the film goes into production in October. He has been cast as Franklin Page, Sherman’s old war buddy and Irene’s husband. Now, they’re just looking for a baby to play the Pages’ younger kid.

Below is a snippet from the casting sides for Franklin, just for some backstory. It’s from pages 9 and 10 so it doesn’t spoil any plot points that aren’t mentioned in the synopsis, but if you don’t want to know anything about the characters either, you probably shouldn’t keep reading.

________________________
EXT. FRONT PORCH

Franklin and Sherman are seated on the porch steps with beers in hand – they’ve had a few now and Sherman seems to be loosening up, if only a touch.

SHERMAN
So how’d you end up around these parts?

FRANKLIN
Had a hard go of it, that first year out.
(holding up his beer)
Too much of this stuff. Always fleeing from one
town to the next. Guess I thought if I kept moving,
the past couldn’t take aim.

He sips.

FRANKLIN
Eventually, I wound up in a mill job around here.
I walk into the office that first day, and man oh man,
there she is. Irene. The first time I saw her I knew
she was the one I wanted to spend everything on — all
the money I’d saved, the experience I’d gained, the love
I’d never been able to give away. So I did.

SHERMAN
A wife and kids. Just like we used to talk about.
Dream about.

Franklin glances back into the house to make sure his wife isn’t listening in.

FRANKLIN
(hushed)
I don’t remember many dreams of domesticity, Sherman.
I remember us sitting around playing poker with girls
on our laps.

Sherman cracks a smile as he remembers fondly.

SHERMAN
You’re right, Frank. That’s right. You see any of them
boys anymore?

FRANKLIN
No, I’ve kind of lost touch, actually. You?

SHERMAN
Not much. Would see some at the hospital now and then.

The mood turns a bit solemn at the mention of the hospital.

FRANKLIN
How long were you in there?

Sherman says nothing for a second, then answers in a murmur:

SHERMAN
Oh, eleven, twelve months.

FRANKLIN
Has it really been five years already?

Sherman nods.

FRANKLIN
Man.

They sit in quiet.

FRANKLIN
Well, you know, I remember hearing once that everything
takes about five years. A serious illness, a broken heart,
you name it. Anything bad takes about five years to come
to terms with. I don’t know: maybe now, right now,
is your time.

Sherman mulls the notion over, then takes a swig of his beer.

SHERMAN
Maybe it is, Frank.