Kane County Chronicle Stroke of Genius Interview 4/28/04

Lights, camera and action!
By Dan Chanzit Kane County Chronicle 4/28/04

    St. Charles - Jim and Linda Priddy love to go to the movies, but they usually do not like what they see. "I can't relate to X-Men or Spider-Man," Jim Priddy said. "Those movies are escapes. They are nice to look at, but they are eye candy."
    There is one movie, though, that the Priddys are eager to see. It's called "Stroke of Genius." The movie, about golf legend Bobby Jones, is set to open Friday. Why the excitement?
    The Priddys and a handful of their friends and business associates will appear as extras. The Priddys, who have an apartment in Batavia and a house in Dixon, got involved because they are business associates with other investors and investment firms.
    None of the participants knew that they would be asked to be in the film. Instead, they came to the table as investors. Jim Priddy's investment firm, St. Charles-based The Private Consulting Group, gathered local investors to raise $2.3 million of the $7 million in private funds. The remainder of the estimated $17.5 million budget came from loans.
    Investors own a part of the film and expect to make money after it is released. Assuming a successful movie, investors "will continue to make money after they get their investment back," Priddy said. "Stroke of Genius" chronicles the life of Jones, who won 13 major golf championships between 1923 and 1930. After retiring at age 28, Jones remains the only player to win the four major tournaments of the day - the "Grand Slam" - in the same year.
    The film was made contrary to Hollywood formula, Priddy said. Much of that, he said, was at the insistence of Bobby Jones' family. The Jones' wanted control of the story, and they did not want Hollywood to ruin it with sex, drugs and violence.
    "Everything that happened in the script had to be approved by the Jones heirs," Priddy said. There are several stars in the film, but none command the mega salaries that eat away at a film's profitability, he said.
    The film's stars include Malcolm McDowell, Claire Forlani and Aidan Quinn. James Caviezel ("The Passion of Christ" in 2004 and "The Count of Monte Cristo" in 2002) plays Bobby Jones.
The end result is a generally wholesome film that cost about a third of what it could have in Hollywood, Priddy said. Costs to make a movie vary. "Titanic" reportedly cost more than $250 million, while "Legally Blonde" cost about $18 million.
    "(Our project's) entire structure keeps the costs down. Some actors have ownership in the film in lieu of up-front cash," Priddy said. "Now, your likelihood of profitability goes way up, and your financial risk goes way down." That does not mean that corners were cut. Producer Kim Dawson said the film is one that no serious golfer will want to miss.
    "('Stroke of Genius') will be crafted with careful attention to the nuances, emotions and triumph of the game during an extraordinary period of world history," said Dawson, who also produced "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" and two sequels in the early 1990s. "It will inspire anyone with a fire for winning and a passion for life," she said.
    Screen time for investors who wanted to be in the film was the ultimate payoff. "It's not just an investment," Priddy said. "We got to be a part of the whole experience. We are getting letters back from investors thanking us for the experience. One said, 'If I don't get my money back, it's OK."
Filming was done in Georgia and Scotland. Linda Priddy dressed for one day of shooting. Jim dressed for a day and a half.
    "We went into a large changing tent. It was very interesting. Modesty went out the window," Jim said. "They had our sizes and all, and they had our costumes laid out. You go through makeup. They make sure you are period-appropriate." Much of the film is set in the 1930s. That meant a new hairstyle for some of the extras. Linda's hair was put up in a bun.
    "They popped this little hat on me," she said. "I just said I wanted them to put me in the loosest outfit."
    "She looked like Mary Poppins," Jim said, laughing. "A friend of ours was dressed in knickers, a shirt, a vest, a sweater and a cap. He looked just like a 1920s paperboy."
    George and Bonnie Lucas of Grayslake said they made a six-figure investment. They were delighted to find out later that they would appear in the film. "You know you aren't a movie star, but they treated you like one," George said. "It was really a blast to be on the set."
    The Lucases and their 23-year-old son, Alex, traveled to Atlanta to be extras. "It was quite an experience," Bonnie said. "We went to dinner with all the stars. They were very, very nice people, and they were very professional. It makes you appreciate what they go through to make a movie."
    In the end, the Priddys said they got to be part of film they believe in. Their firm plans to invest in other films using the same investment formula. "There are new films being signed," Jim Priddy said. "These will be films that bring value to society. We hope that those who go see it will be better people for having seen the film."

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