Sixth Street into movie magic
Just another night in the Capital City's famed entertainment district?
Ah, yes, but look closer.
A cameraman dangled from a crane high above the street. Matt Williams, director of "Where the Heart Is," signaled the actors to stop, return to their first positions and do it all over again, and again and again.
The latest potential blockbuster to interrupt daily life in Austin was in its first days of filming. Gawkers hoped for a glimpse of big name stars Natalie Portman, Sally Field or Ashley Judd. Tonight they had to settle for Dylan Bruno. Rumors circulated that he had been in some war film. "A Thin Red Line?" Close. It was "Saving Private Ryan."
But the crowd also was witnessing something even more amazing: the full-blown Oprah Effect. Oprah Winfrey chose Oklahoma writer Billie Letts' novel, "Where the Heart Is," as the January selection for the Oprah Book Club and it leapfrogged to the top of the sales charts. That in turn assured the pages would be translated to celluloid and hot actresses would vie for parts.
"Where the Heart Is" is the story of 17-year-old Novalee Nation, to be portrayed by Portman, who is pregnant when she is abandoned by her boyfriend at an Oklahoma Wal-mart. She is befriended by, among others, the late Wal-mart founder Sam Walton.
Filming in Austin-area Wal-marts is slated for later this summer. But this night, 6th Street was filling in for Nashville, circa 1995, and more than 60 paid extras in upscale cowboy attire were mixing with regular folk.
Roadblocks kept cars out of the area, but restaurants and bars remained open during filming. A steady stream of their customers did double-takes as they unwittingly walked into the limelight, and were quickly shooed inside before the cameras rolled.
"It's a public street," one woman grumbled.
Even Leslie, Austin's most famous bearded transvestite stopped to star gaze.
"You know, he's got great legs," one extra said of the man in the halter top and high heels who has become an Austin tourist attraction in his own right.
Extra Mingo Chavez, a professional comedian in his other life, was taking his role as a pseudo-doorman in front of BW3 nightclub seriously. Between takes he checked I.D.s and ushered patrons in.
Everything stopped momentarily as a tanker truck rumbled down the block, spraying the pavement for that just-rained look and giving onlookers brief relief from the summer heat.
John Harbour, a teacher at Southwest Texas State University, looked every bit the Nashville businessman in the western suit and cowboy hat that signaled he was here to work. Harbour took advantage of the break in filming and ducked into the air-conditioned nightclub, Jazz. The Kevin Fowler band jammed on stage.
Harbour pulled out a harmonica and joined in, swaying lightly to the beat.
Crew members signaled extras back to their places. With a tip of his hat, Harbour exited Austin at play and re-emerged in the land of make-believe.