Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
Carole Mikita reporting Filming is underway in Utah County for a made-for-TV movie. The stars are young Utah actors and the force behind the project is their moms!
Nickelodeon star, Jeanette McCurdy of "I, Carly" heads the cast, and all of the other young actors have film, television and commercial credits, as does the crew. But the driving force behind this project is a group of newcomers, their moms. The women came together when a movie starring their kids fell through.
Producer of "Minor Details," Annie Edwards, said, "So we thought about it, and we contacted other moms that we knew, and we said, 'Let's not let this die.'"
The mothers are extremely supportive of their children's acting aspirations but say they got fed up with scripts that had vulgar language and overtly suggestive scenes.
Sally Meyer, who wrote Minor Details, said, "The roles are so edgy. I mean she has turned down auditions flat out. And I wanted an avenue for her that she could express herself in a way that she wouldn't compromise her values."
All of the women say they are very happy to be wearing the title 'Mom', but movie-making was never something they had anticipated. Another producer, Leah Faber, said, "This is completely outside of my comfort zone. And I was given the job of trying to work on raising funds."
One thing they do understand is their children's talents. Casting them in this project at home was no sacrifice and good business. Business manager Natalie Cottrill, said, "We end up flying to New York or flying to L.A., and sometimes we were flying two or three times a month."
Their children call it role reversal, actually often saying, "Good job, Mom."
Caitlin Meyer plays Paige, in the movie. She says, "I think they're doing great! I really do. They're awesome and way supportive. They know exactly what they're doing. I think they're having a good time, as well as us."
Getting out of their comfort zones and spending summer vacation with their kids is what it's all about for these parents. The moms plan to have what they call their ultra-low budget film "Minor Details" ready to show to network executives this fall.
E-mail: cmikita@ksl.com
