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Carole Mikita ReportingProduction companies filming in Salt Lake City are not unusual sights, but the latest project is actually two movies in one.
Some of the same folks who brought you "The Best Two Years", a successful Latter-day Saint missionary film, are involved in the making of "The Dance". The creative process is a little different on this one.
Today was the final day of shooting here on the latest film in the LDS genre, this one titled 'The Dance', based on a play by award-winning Utah poet, Carol Lynn Pearson.
"There isn't a better poster couple about what a happy marriage should be than you and Laura. What are you going on 24 years now?"
The film's producer and one of its stars, Michael Flynn, acted in the play, then bought the rights 25 years ago. Finally envisioning the storyline in a film, here he is once again as 'Charles'.
Michael Flynn: "It's the same character I played many, many years ago. We just made him older (we laugh)."
The film is set at Harvard University where Charles is an English professor. The story focuses on three couples all going to the same dance.
The crew has an added challenge in that the creative team has decided to shoot two versions of this film.
Michael Flynn: "Every time we come across a clearly lDS term, then we shoot an optional version that's not LDS at all. And so, we'll see."
McKay Daines, Writer, Director 'The Dance': "We're just shooting the versions, like you make an airline version or anything else, there may be a European version in markets today, but the distributor will make that decision. What we thought because of the story and the structure of the script, it's universal, it doesn't have to be just LDS themes."
What's important in this film, they insist, is not religion, but relationships and what makes them work.
The company leaves for Cambridge, Massachusetts tomorrow to finish filming. "The Dance" will premiere in late September and be out in DVD for Christmas.
