STARRY NIGHT ENTERTAINMENT Presents starring JAMES LE GROS (“The Last Winter” “Drugstore Cowboy”) ENRICO COLANTONI (“Just Shoot Me” “Galaxy Quest”) MICHAEL SHULMAN (“Can of Worms” “Little Man Tate”) BROOKE NEVIN (“The Comebacks” “Infestation”) with DONNA MURPHY THOMAS IAN NICHOLAS and LACEY CHABERT (“The Nanny Diaries”) (“American Pie Trilogy”) (“Mean Girls”) edited by CHRISTOPHER GAY cinematography by JOAQUIN SEDILLO written by TOM NANCE directed by CRAIG SAAVEDRA Copyright Sherman’s Way, LLC All Rights Reserved SHERMAN’S WAY Sherman’s Way starts with two strangers forced into a road trip of con - venience only to veer off the path into a quirky exploration of friendship, fatherhood and the annoying task of finding one’s place in the world – a world in which one wrong turn can change your destination. The discord begins when Sherman, (Michael Shulman) a young, uptight Ivy- Leaguer, finds himself stranded on the West Coast with an eccentric stranger and washed-up, middle-aged former athlete Palmer (James Le Gros) in an attempt to make it down to Beverly Hills in time for a career-making internship at a prestigious law firm. The two couldn't be more incompatible. Palmer is a reckless charmer with a zest for life; Sherman is an arrogant snob with a sense of entitlement. Palmer is con - tent reliving his past; Sherman is focused solely on his future. Neither is really living in the present. The only thing this odd couple seems to share is the refusal to accept responsibility for their lives. Director Craig Saavedra brings his witty sensibility into this poignant look at fatherhood and friendship that features indie stalwart James Le Gros in an unapologetic performance that manages to bring undeniable charm to an otherwise abrasive character. SHERMAN’S WAY is a Starry Night Entertainment production directed by Craig Saavedra (RHAPSODY IN BLOOM) and written by Tom Nance (NED – 2– ABOUT THE PRODUCTION AND STACY). The film is produced by Saavedra, Shulman and Nance. Shot by cinematographer Joaquin Sedillo (TV’s VERONICA MARS) and edited by Christopher Gay (SADIE AND THE SLOT MACHINES) with score by David Michael Frank (BABYSITTERS CLUB, A LIFE IN THE THEATRE and HARD TO KILL), production design by Laurent Turlure (SOMETHING’S WRONG IN KANSAS) and music supervision by Dondi Bastone (SIDEWAYS, POLLOCK and ELECTION) . GETTING STARTED... When Craig Saavedra and Michael Shulman decided to form a production company together in 2005, the duo agreed to seek out and develop material that explored the process of artistic cre - ation, a natural given that Michael had studied Art History at Yale University, and Craig had grown up in a family of artists. After scouring hundreds of existing plays, scripts and other source materials, the two producers felt that perhaps the best story to inaugurate their company was right beneath their noses. Having entered the entertainment industry at roughly the same time – Craig as a story reader in Hollywood in his twenties, and Michael as a child actor on Broadway at the age of eight – both were seasoned veterans with disparate backgrounds. But it Michael Shulman (left) and Craig was not their industry experience, but rather their life experience that most Saavedra at the Sherman’s Way interested them. Mike’s east coast, cosmopolitan, Ivy League upbringing wrap party. contrasted with Craig’s decidedly west coast, small town outlook steeped in – 3– SHERMAN’S WAY meritocracy seemed to offer up a dynamic ripe for adapting into a com - pelling story. Armed with a brief plot outline that centered around an uptight recent Yale graduate bent on planning for the future forced into a road trip with an eccentric middle-aged former success who insists on enjoying life “in the moment,” they sought out a writer that would effectively capture both worlds and both ages with equal aplomb. Enlisted to write the script was Craig’s longtime friend, and sometime collaborator Tom Nance, a writer best known for his work on the highly popular PERFECT STRANGERS and NED AND STACY sitcoms. “Tom understood the dynamic we were looking for imme - diately,” recalled Craig, “He took the basic idea and made it his own, infusing humor and pathos – and skinny-dip - ping. What more can you ask for in a movie?” “What emerged was a terrific story with both heart and comedy about fatherhood and friendship,” added Michael. Michael and Craig met in 1999 on a film in which Craig directed and Michael co-starred. “Even as a teenager, I Writer Tom Nance knew that Michael’s interest in the filmmaking process, not just acting, with Director Craig Saavedra would lead to his involvement behind the camera some day. Although I never on location in imagined years later forming a company with him. He wasn’t even old New York. enough to drive a car back then.” “We would constantly be making little movies, shorts and stuff,” said Tom of his high school days with Craig, who lived just blocks away. “Although we took turns directing, it was usually Craig on screen because he was the only one in our circle of friends that could grow stubble back then so he played all the adult and tough guy roles.” – 4– ABOUT THE PRODUCTION When it came time to cast SHERMAN’S WAY, the producers turned first to their friends. “I had worked with both Donna (Murphy) and Lacey (Chabert) before, and really wanted them in this film,” said Michael recently, “Donna played my mom in SOMEONE HAD TO BE BENNY and Lacey and I had played boyfriend/girlfriend on PARTY OF FIVE. We also worked together on Broadway in LES MISERABLES. So it’s nice to be reunited with them both.” “I met Enrico (Colantoni) years ago, and have long wanted to work with him. He’s brilliant at comedy, drama, you name it. A truly great actor – probably the most under-rated actor working today” added Craig. “As DJ, he is the heart and soul of the film. I can’t wait to work with him again.” Indie legend James Le Gros was enlisted to headline the cast. “I actually met with James for another role,” reminisced Craig, “But within moments it was obvious to me that he was the per - fect Palmer – despite the fact that the character was written for someone a good ten years older than James. At the time, we had an offer out to another actor for the role, but thankfully, that didn’t work out. These things seem to happen for a reason and the funny thing is, I can’t picture any - one other than James as Palmer. He lights up the screen in an unapologetic perform - ance that manages to bring undeniable charm to an otherwise abrasive character.” Brooke Nevin was cast as the local girl with Director of whom Sherman falls in love. “She is a kind of quirky girl with an eclectic Photography interest in the world around her, who loves sunflower crops, paints motor - Joaquin Sedillo on location in cycle tanks and thinks pocket change is cool because when you enter a Lake County. – 5– SHERMAN’S WAY room, that jingle of coins will bring on memories of sleigh bells and jack - pots,” stated Brooke, “I had such a great time filming this movie.” It was decided that in order to capture the small town feel of the script, and to visually contrast Manhattan, shooting the picture outside of Los Angeles was essential. Craig, Michael and Tom scouted every small town from Santa Barbara to Lake Tahoe and ultimately Enrico Colantoni (DJ) decided upon Lake County, a wine and recreation center about an hour and and James Le Gros (Palmer) on set in a half north of San Fransisco. Lake County, California’s Wine Country, where 90% “It was gorgeous, and the people were absolutely great,” explained Mike, of the film was shot. “The towns of Kelseyville and Lakeport opened up their arms to us. This film would not have been possible without them.” “The place was like our very own backlot,” added Tom, “We adjusted the script to reflect the area’s unique locals and even enlisted the townsfolk for bit parts and as extras.” Early on in the project, cinematographer Joaquin Sedillo was brought on board to oversee the visual style of the film. “Having lived together for so long, I’m pretty good at interpreting Craig’s thought-process,” Joaquin said of his domestic partner of 18 years, “He thinks visually and it’s great when a DP and director can effortlessly communicate. There wasn’t that awk - – 6– ABOUT THE PRODUCTION ward period of trying to figure out what the other person is really trying to say.” “Joaquin is really a painter. A painter of light,” adds Craig, “He knows my taste better than anybody and brought a real polish to what is actually a very small, intimate film. Besides, it was nice having my best friend in the world at my side on those long days that weren’t going exactly as planned.” On hiatus from his TV series VERONICA MARS, Joaquin was able to bring with him to northern California a bulk of his reg - ular crew, making the shoot feel even that much more like a family project. “We shot 14 locations in eight days, then spent the next ten days at a secluded lake,” recalls Craig, “It was pretty grueling, The “Date Scene” in Sherman’s Way. especially in the 100+ degree heat. Well, for those of us who weren’t lounging in the lake...” “Lounging?” interrupts Mike, “I was THROWN in! With my clothes on!” “Oh, yeah. Well, anything for art, right?” In addition to the 18 days in Northern California, the production shot a day in New York, a day at Yale, a day in San Diego and another day on a studio backlot in Los Angeles.