I can never thank this crew, and cast, enough.

Day 30

My heart is full of so many emotions. So much gratitude, and of course the inevitable..."but what will I do now when my film family goes away?" It happens every time. One answer? Sleep a lot to begin with...and work on the sore body to be less sore. Look at how beautiful these people are! We didn't of course get everyone in the shots, but we got many glorious folk. The second shot is our "Look at how many women crew we have" for the Women in Film site. Pictures by Annabel Clark (http://www.annabelclark.com) We have many woman Keys, and many women workers of every kind, many more than most films are graced with, and for that I am utterly grateful. Here is what I sent to my crew today: My beloved friends, Thank you, from my grateful soul, for taking this journey with me into the beauty and sadness of “Language Arts.” I have never worked with a finer, more heart-full, talented and dedicated, crew. You are all the best of the best, and it is an honor to know you, and to have the privilege of sharing the work, and its joys and struggles, with you. I have asked you to work very hard, and you have, uncomplainingly, and with grace. We deliberately chose you for your excellence, skill and experience, but also for your warm spirits and open hearts. Everyone on this crew was chosen in the hope that they would instinctively be supportive and respectful and nurturing toward the young actors that we would work with. We picked fine artisans, but we also picked kind and honorable folk. You are people that I hope to know for the rest of my life. Thanks for gently making space for me, when I got emotional in the telling of this tale that is so very close to my own story. Thanks for rejoicing with me when we nailed it (like every day!) and I felt like celebrating. Thanks for quietly going about your work with excellence and dedication and perseverance, even when the working conditions were challenging, especially in all the smoke of the last week. Thanks for believing with Larry and me that this project was worth spending most of your summer doing. And thanks for staying and giving it your all, despite what it may have possibly cost your personal life. Thanks for forgiving the less-than ideal aspects of the show, and granting your warm energy toward the making of the ideal ones. Thanks. A thousand times, thanks. You, and your hard work and generosity, made my dream come true. I love you all. Blessings upon your every cell, Corrie

Day 29...Tired...Happy... a Perfect Penultimate Day...

The delightful Erin Cummings and Basil Harris, Ladies and Gentlemen, to join Elliott Smith in making our 1962 family complete :) Happy Birthday to our Production Designer Rachel!

Day 28, 1962 Family...and Smoke...

Day 27, Goodbye to Ashley and Sarah, Hello to Elliott and SMOKE!

After we said a tearful (on my part) goodbye today to our two lead actors, following their last scene in the film (I miss them already!!!), we filmed in my favorite sanctuary, Saint Stephens' Church. And the grace of God felt very present. The stillness of the sanctuary highlit the contrasting work-flow of filming. For much of the day, there is always a loud bustle; crew working: to cable, set-dress, light and set up camera for a shot. Just when the cacophany seems unbearable, the first A.D. calls “Quiet on set!”, and a sudden miraculous silence falls. The actors enter, to interpret and embody the script's characters and words. The camera rolls, and in that hush - made more noticeable by the chorus of sound that precedes it - our story unfolds. (Until a plane flies overhead, or a garbage truck rolls by, or any number of normal daily sounds make us call "hold the roll". It’s amazing how those normal background sounds disappear from our consciousness, until the very moment we need it to be absolutely quiet. Then we do notice them!) We had the honor of filming one of my very best friends, Scott Nolte (godfather to my kids!) today, playing Father Edward West. He is named for a real-life person that is the basis for a work of fiction (or three). Kudos if you get the quite-obscure reference ... Carol has remarked on my "patience" during challenging film days. I don’t always feel patient, so of course, it's a blessing to hear that. And sometimes, like everyone, I am a dork, without meaning to be one. But, under all the noise we can make, behind all the cacophany of our minds and hearts and film sets, there is the radiant stillness of Grace. I know that it is always there for me, and resting in the Spirit, I can sometimes find my way through noisy distractions. In the silence of the sanctuary today, it was easy to remember that our whole production is upheld and undergirded by the prayers of many, and by Grace. We filmed today in the nasty smoke, which was daunting, with most of us who are prone to airborne-particulate sensitivity wisely wearing filter masks. The hero of the afternoon was our "Charlie"; the incredible Elliott Smith, who persevered through the challenges of several running scenes, aided by the powerful and gleeful camera work of Sam, on the MoVi rig. Bless Elliott...and bless all of our incredible crew who stuck it out in the not-fun outdoors, this tough day. So very, very humbled and grateful to know these people.