Turning 30 can cause even well adjusted people to examine their lives. Particularly if life hasn’t turned out how you imagined it. Sometimes losing everything is really a chance to start over. That’s the idea that the talented writers of 30 took and shaped into a fantastic comedy.
The idea
Christopher Halleron, columnist for the Current, turned 30 last November and mentioned it in his column. A friend of his, Curtis Pollock, had read the column and gave Halleron a proposition. “It’s funny you should mention turning 30,” said Pollock, “because I have a job for you.”
Together they came up with the outline and the character for the movie. Halleron wrote the first draft of the screenplay. After the bones of the project were done, Halleron and Pollock worked together for five weeks of rewriting to smooth out the edges. The screenplay took six months to complete. Pollock directed it.
The plot thickens
The movie opens with the star of the movie, “Hal” (played by Christopher Halleron), who just turned 30, getting dumped by his girlfriend, who decides to lecture him on everything that is wrong with him. One of her complaints is that Hal is just a bartender. Not the best start to your thirties!
Hal ends up going to Atlantic City to cool off after a terrible day. He initially loses money, but with his last bit of cash, he wins enough to buy a car. He purchases a 1965 canary yellow Chevy Corvair. As he leaves Atlantic City, he spots a sign for Route 30 and decides to take it to see where it goes. Little does he know that it runs clear across the country.
In addition to Halleron, who wrote and stars in the movie, and Pollock, who directed and co-wrote the film, they used actors from Hudson County.
Local actors, local venues
Before the cast and crew went across the country, they filmed in local bars in Hoboken including: Duffy’s, The Shannon, and Nag’s Head. Local actors and crew members include: Aileen Quinn, Jim Dodge, Sean Hagarty, Dana MacZuga, Josh Iacovelli, Rory Cannon, Gwen Frey, and Ryan Bailey.
Several of the scenes take place in bars, so several of the actors play bartenders or patrons. Darren Maynard was the assistant director and played a character named The Stranger. Aja Shevelen plays Lily, one of the main characters, and also was one of the producers of the film along with Pollock.
Lou Mustillo plays Hal’s boss in the movie. Mustillo, a NYC resident, has performed on The Sopranos and wrote the off-Broadway play Bartenders, in which he also starred. The talented cast and crew worked together for a month and a half. This joint effort made it possible for them to stick to a hectic film schedule, which was often 12-hour days. They traveled together and filmed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Iowa, Illinois, Wyoming, Idaho, Indiana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Nebraska.
The director
Curtis Pollock has worked for many years in the television and film industry. He has worked his way up from prop master on the film Never Again, to the production department of The Colin Quinn Show, and Survivor. He worked on the film crew for Saturday Night Live for the 2002-2003 season. Pollock worked for two seasons with Michael Moore on his series The Awful Truth.
“My experience working for Michael [Moore] demonstrated the level of dedication and perseverance needed to make a movie,” said Pollock. “Working with the comedians on the Colin Quinn Show and Saturday Night Live inspired me to make a movie of my own.” 30 is Pollock’s debut as a director.
The writer
Christopher Halleron, said the script was loosely based on some of his experiences, but only in a small way. According to Halleron, it had more to do with the idea of turning 30 and the expectations people have. “You look at a milestone like 30 and you think your life is set,” said Halleron. “But you can pick up and start over. It’s never too late to go out and try something new.”
Acting in the film was a first for Halleron and is not something he aspires to. Instead he hopes to continue writing. When Halleron went to Norwich University in Vermont and studied history, he wasn’t thinking of writing as a career. In his last year, he had an elective course left and he decided to try creative writing. The first piece he wrote, the teacher hated, but the class loved. It was during the class he realized the knack he had for penning pieces that got reactions.
Halleron has also written his column about Hoboken life since 2000. With each year, his readership has grown. According to Halleron, the external pressure of writing a script for someone else was helpful. Having to meet the deadline for 30 helped with his process.
“Instead of writing a screenplay and watching it die,” said Halleron, “we actually went out and filmed the movie.”
“I’m very grateful that we were able to find so many talented individuals in the city of Hoboken,” added Halleron. “They were professional, patient and diligent. And for that I am extremely grateful.” When Halleron is done with post-production work on the film, he will continue to work on a novel of his own. He also tends bar at Duffy’s in Hoboken.
Future plans
According to Pollock, by January, the film should be edited and ready for screenings. Michael DeBeer, a NYC resident, is the film editor. After that is done, Pollock hopes to show the film at private screenings in New York. After the initial screenings, the plan is to get a producer’s rep to bring it around to distributors. Then it is onto some film festivals. “I hope the film enables me to make another movie,” said Pollock.
For more information on the film or updates please visit: www.30themovie.com or e-mail nebaliproductions@yahoo.com or call (201) 239-0441.