"LIFE IN ONE DAY" 22 YEARS LATER

The recognition of Geoffrey Fletcher made me think back to the time when I, your faithful film enthusiast, made my first film. This event occurred during my Senior Year of high school and it was and remains my happiest high school memory. Here is the original "memoir" which was originally written and published in two parts between February 24, 2009-February 25, 2009.

"LIFE IN ONE DAY" 22 YEARS LATER:
THE MEMORIES & EXPERIENCES BEHIND THE WRITING, SHOOTING AND PRESENTATION OF MY VERY FIRST MOVIE

Very recently, a dear friend from childhood informed me that she had unearthed a copy of a high school artifact that despite my role in its creation, I had never owned a copy of it myself. The artifact in question is a film entitled "Life In One Day," and it was written and directed by myself, produced by my friend and classmate Micah Jackson and starring friends and classmates Kathy Markham (formerly Shymanski), Ben Abella and Keith Thomas in the main roles. It made its premiere during the University Of Chicago Lab School's Arts Week in the Spring of 1987. On the morning of February 24, 2009, an excerpt premiered on You Tube and while the prospect of seeing this again was absolutely terrifying--no joke--I watched the nearly ten minute section and surprisingly found myself enjoying it and at points laughing out loud. Trust me folks, this is not some deep arrogance at work. Some unending pride at my comedic prowess. Oh no. Not at all. It was just honest enjoyment plus the basking in the high school memories that led to what has remained my happiest moment in high school.

O R I G I N
The origin of "Life In One Day," came from a few sources. The title, obviously from the Howard Jones song. But, the reason for its existence is something else. First of all, as many of you have known, movies are a passion and filmmaker John Hughes was my hero during my teen years. I have no idea if his movies meant nearly as much to anyone else in school, if my obsession was unbearably irritating (it did drive my Dad crazy) or even misguided. All I know was that after I saw "Sixteen Candles" for the first time, my life had been forever changed and after seeing "The Breakfast Club," it was profoundly altered.

I think I had always wanted to write but just didn't really know how or what to write about. The seed was planted after seeing "The Big Chill," (written and directed by Lawrence Kasdan) a film I obsessively watched for quite some time back then. Of course, I had NOTHING in common with those particular characters but there was something about the presentation that gripped me. I knew that if I wrote anything or made any movies, I could never be Lucas or Spielberg--I just didn't have that kind of an imagination and I think it takes a certain talent to be able to pull those kinds of stories off well...and that wasn't my talent whatsoever. But, the idea of people sitting around and just talking...I thought I could do that but I didn't really know how to do it for my age group. I loved "Risky Business" and "Fast Times At Ridgemont High" and even "Valley Girl," but when John Hughes came along and it pointed me in the right direction. I looked to the everyday and tried to see how people related to each other. I tried to observe situations and see how could things be appreciated and exaggerated to find the humor in them. I wanted to BE Hughes. I wanted to write like him--lightning fast, great dialogue, screenplay after screenplay (legend has it that "The Breakfast Club" was written in one weekend and most of his scripts were written that quickly--unfortunately his later films really showed that) and I found out quickly, that wasn't going to happen. It took me quite bit to get going and I tended to write in bursts. But, once I was committed to an idea, I stuck with it for as long as I could.

Before "L.I.O.D.," I wrote two scripts and neither of them were any good. The first was called "Bizarre Love Triangle," after the name of the New Order song and trust me, there was nothing bizarre about it. It was a conventional teen-romance love triangle and there was nothing special about it at all...but, there was a scene or two that maybe showed me that I didn't need to give up on myself. The second was called "Better Days Ahead," which was never finished and it was just a mish-mash of ideas from summer camp hijinks, teenage loneliness, surreal touches, the obligatory teen romance and so on. It was so much of a mess, I tossed it away. Then, I began to worry. I didn't know what to do next and my confidence, not the strongest on any regular day, had taken a hit and I was unsure of so many things. Then, one day at school, Micah approached me, told me about Arts Week and how we should make a film and then he announced," YOU are going to write and direct it." I honestly have no idea why Micah had this idea or why he thought that I should do it (I mean-why didn't he want to write and direct something himself?) but I have to say that moment led to the second and maybe most important reason this film exists.

School, especially high school, was not easy for me. Granted it was not a tortured existence or anything like that but it wasn't a happy time by any means as I was dealing with the standard teenage woes and I just wasn't comfortable in my own skin. I never thought myself to be particularly very good at much. I did have the drums but at that time, my band Ground Zero was long in the past and there was nothing new musically on the horizons for me. I was an average student and had some trouble academically (especially in Science and sometimes Math depending on who the teacher was) and that created an unending stress in me that was compounded by my parents' RELENTLESS pressure to succeed and complete intolerance for failure of any sort. One painful memory in particular was a time when my parents were ready to pull me from Lab School because I had failed a Science test. The only thing that saved me was the fact that the school they were going to put me into was on the semester system and not Lab's quarter system and there wouldn't have been any realistic way for me to catch up. So, they relented. I didn't tell many people about it then because I was humiliated and embarrassed but somehow, in that Lab School way, news traveled.

By the time Senior Year approached, I was looking through a yearbook and I became morbidly frightened at the idea that I would graduate and there would be nothing next to my Senior picture. There would be nothing to announce that while I attended Lab School, I had made some sort of a mark--no matter how small-in some area. I had simply ATTENDED and that would 've been it. As anyone who had Mr. Fowler knows only too well, fear can be a great motivator and the fear of leaving Lab School with apparently nothing to show for it pushed me to challenge myself a bit. I joined the Film Club. I played drums for the 1987 Rites Of May production, the rock opera version of "As You Like It" (along with Adam Moore on guitar). I decided to take Journalism with Mr. Brasler and that was a challenge I truly loved as it showed me that I could actually be good at something as Brasler made me a page editor after writing only two stories (whether it was due to talent or because I was soon to graduate I will never know but it was a confidence booster). I did over-extend myself at points but I was determined. And then...Micah showed up that day and then it all changed and I was REALLY challenged.


T H E S C R I P T
"Take a position for or against the truth and prove the validity of your position."
-Mr. Bell's make-up project to Chris Woods
"Life In One Day" screenplay

I secretly hoped that Micah would forget about the whole thing. That perhaps it was just one of those "lightning in a bottle" ideas that would wisp away into the ether, never to be thought of again. But was I wrong. Micah was cheerfully aggressive with his cinematic desires and my place in them and he wasn't about to give it up. So, I relented, geared myself up and began to write.

"Life In One Day" was written in longhand during three bursts of creative energy between October and December 1986 inside of a Chemistry notebook, I think. When the words came, I wrote whenever and wherever I was able, and that included a few stints in Mr. Gardner's English class (and that was even between some note passing between myself and Natalie Pejovic)! I do not remember if the title was Micah's idea or mine but it did come from the Howard Jones song and once I began thinking about the story, it did sound very "Hughes-ish" and that fulfilled a certain fantasy. The concept of a story taking place over the course of one day definitely was not a John Hughes invention by any means, but the idea of a story occurring over such a short period of time was a convention of several of his stories. I thought it would help me keep the story contained and it really did help me to keep a focus and use our school as a character.

"Chris Woods" was designed to be a sort of "everyteen," an almost non-descript student that an audience member could easily identify with and place themselves into his shoes. I do not remember how Ben Abella was cast or why he agreed to do it but when we were shooting it and even as I watch it now, I really think he is just perfect! There is something so affable about him that you root for him even when you laugh at his tribulations. He is really someone worth following and that is a testament to his own personality. He really brought Chris to life.

"Maryann" is not a name I would typically give to a female character. It's a bit too "Pollyana" for my sensibilities but I will admit that the reasons that Ben was perfect for "Chris Woods" are the same reasons why Kathy Shymanski worked so well for this character. She brought what is essentially the prize at the end of Chris' awful day to life. Ever since we were kids, I always felt that Kathy possessed a certain sunny quality. She had a great smile and warm enthusiasm that fleshed "Maryann" out a bit. And even during the filming, I just remember her always being in good spirits and laughing a lot. It was always great to be around her and I think for an audience, they could easily see why Chris was in love with her. I readily admit that "Maryann" is a really underwritten character but it is Chris' story and I tried to give her some humanity in her struggles with her boyfriend Eric. I do remember that this character's name was Micah's idea and it--I think--was based on the Marshall Crenshaw song of the same name (I have this vague memory of Micah singing that song to me when he informed me of this idea) and he may have even wanted it in the final movie but that may have been just forgotten. (By the way, it's a gorgeous and just perfect power-pop song and it would've fit her beautifully!)

There really isn't much to say about "Eric." He is the bad boyfriend and Chris' nemesis and that's really it. Once again, I do not remember how Keith Thomas became involved but he is absolutely BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT, BRILLIANT in this role. His delivery of the classic line in the climactic party sequence may have been an ad-lib and I think even with all of my "Hughes-desires," it is probably the best line in the whole film and I remember it got the BIGGEST LAUGH of all. Keith was unstoppable!!

Well, during the two month writing period, Micah, as I said, was cheerfully aggressive. During any stalls in writing, and times when I quietly wished that he wouldn't remember, I would get a phone call from him asking me how it was coming along. I tended to arrive to school really early every morning due to my parent's commitments and Micah was also an early arrival, so there was no getting away from his gentle and persistent inquisitions.

When I finally finished it, I handed it over to him and felt as if the world would cave in. I seriously thought he wouldn't like it at all and I would have to endure the wave of failure. Quite the contrary, he told me how much he liked it and he was ready to get going with production. Now, Lab School being Lab School and Micah being such a producer and master of self-promotion, he used the "Lab School Communication System" to (what I now think) create a "buzz." People were coming up to me left and right for quite some time, exclaiming that they had read the script and they LOVED it! I was just mortified because I just didn't want anyone to really know what we were up to and even if we did actually get this thing made, I wanted it to be a surprise. Micah, however, had other ideas and used our system to its advantage flawlessly. And even now as I think of it, I cannot help but to wonder if Micah even had the foresight to orchestrate the public positive approval of the script just to help keep me going. (You see? I tend to over-think and cannot accept when good things are happening. I've got to rationalize it somehow but you know, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.)

T H E F I L M I N G
"Life In One Day" was filmed between January and February 1987. We shot in and all around Lab School, Ben Abella's house, Regenstein Library and bits of glorious Hyde Park. For this section, I know I will definitely want and emphatically request the input of all parties involved because my actual memories of this part of the process are a bit hazy. I actually do not even remember how parts were cast or why anyone would ever agree to be involved with this pursuit. Whitney Potter was very crucial to the filming process as he was our Director Of Photography, Editor (with Ben) and he even designed the opening and closing credits for us. The Production Company name of "Raven Cinema" may have been a Potter idea or it was a joint idea between him and Micah (and perhaps Ben as well).

What I remember most is the relative ease with which things came together--from casting roles, shooting between classes and everyone's schedules, to obtaining support from the teaching and administrative staff and even getting permission to have that Lower School class plow over Ben! I remember all of us laughing a lot. I remember all of us were really committed to seeing this thing through. And yes, I do remember and have to mention a bit of a real life romance that occurred between our film's stars either during or immediately after the shooting!

I remember that no one ever seemed to NOT believe in it--and while throughout this whole procedure, I kept hoping it would fall through so I wouldn't potentially embarrass myself forever, I had a GREAT time. I loved the idea that we were all making something and we were taking it seriously. No, we weren't making "Apocalypse Now" and we knew that but we weren't just screwing around with a camera and telling dirty jokes either. Everybody contributed something of value and I have to take the time to publicly give Kathy another "shout-out" as she was the one who came up with the tag-line for the poster: "Ferris never had a day like this." She came up with that line between shots and it was so perfect and brilliant that it HAD to stay.

My memory tells me that the filming went very smoothly. There were a few points where I wasn't able to be "on-set," as I didn't live in Hyde Park and as I was keeping the filming somewhat on the "down-low" from my parents. I strongly felt they would object to driving me across town to do something that would appear to be extremely frivolous so it was through trust and commitment that Micah, Whitney and Ben all saw this through and I am forever in their debt. Once bits without me were completed, they always happily informed me that certain scenes had been shot and they were ready to get going onto the next one. Ultimately, I wanted to make something entertaining and it seemed that everyone else wanted it to be good too. Maybe the ease in which things happened was an entire series of well-wishes and good omens. Maybe it was meant to be...but I wasn't about to subscribe to that theory just yet.

T H E P R E M I E R E
Arts Week was upon us and we were getting ready. Micah, Whitney and Ben were all involved with the editing...and I think it was a task performed between two VCRs, so please chime in Micah! Posters were designed and displayed throughout the school. There was even a story about us in The Midway. And then, the day arrived where Micah approached me to tell me that the movie was finished and would I like to see it. We obtained a VCR from Mr. Poole and we watched it in the AV Supply Room.

Once the movie was finished, my spirit took a severe nose-dive. I'm not joking. It really did. You see, while shooting, we had no monitors, no pre-visualization or anything to show us as we were zooming along how the film looked. I guess what I saw didn't match the movie in my mind and my spirit went directly to failure mode. Micah asked me what I thought and I think I feebly said, "Keith is really GREAT!!" Micah proudly agreed and then I think, he proceeded to tell me what was going to happen next. I have a feeling he sensed my trepidation and he just kept on smiling that confidant smile, assuring me it would be just fine. I, on the other hand, thought my life, or my life at Lab, would soon be over and I felt that I needed to find a travel agent and book a flight to a far away planet.

I remained on pins and needles for the entire period leading up to Arts Week but I have to admit to a silly bit of superstition...John Hughes' final ode to the teen years, "Some Kind Of Wonderful" was due to be released (I think) the week "Life In One Day" was to have its premiere. I tried to take it as a good omen and decided to let the chips fall.

We arrived in Room 203 for the WORLD PREMIERE and in a state of combined shock and terror, the room began to fill, fill, fill and fill some more. I didn't think it was possible to fit that many people into such a small space to watch a small TV with VCR. I was stunned that anyone would have even wanted to come. That anyone would be interested in anything we were up to but they were all there ready to be entertained. (I looked for an escape route and there was no way for me to leave without making a scene...)

And then...the movie began and there was laughter. Laughter in the right places. Laughter that only grew and then, my spirit began to rise and ultimately soar. I could not believe what I was hearing and when it was all over, there was applause. Micah made me stand up to bow to folks and I was just on a high. That successful showing led to an encore showing later that week, I think and there was maybe even one more encore showing after that. People kept saying nice things to me afterwards. People that I had never spoken to took the time to say something kind about the movie. People that I was no longer friends with also took the time to give congratulations. Teachers even expressed their pleasure--I remember Mr. Hoffenkamp and Mr. Gardner especially taking the time to really talk about what they saw and how it made them feel. I was an remain eternally thankful for every single kind word anybody said to me about that movie. Every single compliment was fuel for me to keep going forwards. I am not one to treasure my successes. I tend to see the future pressure after something goes well. ("Now I have to do it again and it has to be even BETTER!") But, as I said, this was my happiest high school moment because I basked in my success for a little bit, it gave me an inner confidence that helped me finish high school and move onwards to college. (I even found out later that my Mom found an extra copy of the poster at home and then took it to her office--that was a shocker!) It helped me to keep writing, which is something I still do in my extremely rare spare time. It was a time when I did something that I loved and it all panned out in the most positive way. It was atime where I proved to myself that I could be good at something...and it was during a time when I needed to see, hear and feel that in a serious way.

Now that it has resurfaced and people are watching it again on-line, I realize even more how much everyone who ever found something to like in that movie made that experience what it was. Thank you to all of you who are watching it now and still finding something to laugh about. If you get some pleasure watching this silly, little movie, then that is the very best thing I could hope for. The fact that we are even talking about it at all is a great thing. It didn't change the world by any means, but it and all of you changed my world in the most postive way. Thank you--all of you!!

If there was an "unsung hero" for this whole process, that person is Micah Jackson--without whom this entire experience would have NEVER HAPPENED. His excitement, humor, tenacity, endlessly good spirits and showmanship made me do things I didn't think I could do and made a movie that would otherwise not exist. THANK YOU!!!!

THE CONTROVERSIAL ALTERNATE ENDING...
Yes, we did have a different ending and I do believe it was Micah's idea. It was to end things on a darkly comic tone that was reminiscient of Marin Scorcese's "After Hours." We never even shot it but the original ending had Chris and Maryann, after their very lovely kiss at the party, walking into the clear and crisp Hyde Park evening only to be run down by a car...cue the Howard Jones song and roll the credits! It was really funny on the page but I have to say now that I am so happy that we didn't shoot that. That kiss which ends the movie, set to "Run, Run, Run" by The Psychedelic Furs was my most "Hughesian"moment for certain but it was also the most pure. It couldn't have ended any other way and Chris needed a happy ending.

F I N A L T H O U G H T S
As I watch it now, I am so amused at what a totalitarian environment I made this fun-house version of Lab School to be. Trust me, I never felt that way about Lab School. I am so thankful, more than ever, to have attended that school at that time with those people--despite any unhappiness I felt during some of those years. It was the environment I needed and I realize how lucky I was to go to that school and have that experience. The fact that we were in an environment that would support an endeavor like this movie, with the full additional support of the staff is amazing. I am not certain of how many high school in our country would do that or not. But, I am thankful for this one.