#1 18 Aug 06 :: 14:41

domesticelefant
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Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

I am opening a new thread for this movie because I found this little snippet on indiewire.com. Unfortunately Chis is not mentioned, but I thought I'd share it anyway.

"Choose Connor"

This coming of age drama by 20-year-old writer-director Lucas Elliott follows a young boy who becomes the poster child for a Congressman's run for Senate and learns what really goes on behind closed doors in the political world. (Sounds interesting, doesn't it?)

Having always been interested in politics, Elliott penned the script three years ago and says the research he put into the project is what makes it stand out. "I found some incredible stuff and I was like 'wow,' this is what the story needs to be about," referring to the two years he spent doing what he calls "undercover investigative research" in the political arena. But that's the most he'll say. "I shouldn't talk about it or I'll get some people pretty angry."

The film follows 15-year-old Owen (Alex D. Linz) who meets Congressman Lawrence Connor (Steven Weber) at a school event and after dazzling the Congressman with his political knowledge is asked to come aboard his campaign as his youth spokesman. As Owen is put on TV commercials, radio ads and posters, his innocence is tested by the cut-throat political machine he's now a part of.

Elliott admits his age and those of producers Karuna Eberl, Andrew McFarlane and Aaron Himelstein (all in their early 20s), did have drawbacks, but their vision for the film was impressive. There was also another advantage. "When trying to get stuff together a lot of your work is done over the phone and over email so people didn't know how old I was," Elliott says. Along with Linz ("Max Keeble's Big Move") and Weber, they also attached character actors like Diane Delano, Erick Avari and Don McManus.

Shot on Super 16mm by Jim Timperman around Los Angles in June, Elliott is currently editing back home in Boulder, Colorado. The film is produced through Blue Cactus Pictures. Executive Producer is Chris Lux.

And here is what TeeJay posted on the other forum:

Okay, I guess this one deserves its own thread. Thanks for finding it, Anne. Here's the IMDb link you provided:

Choose Connor at IMDb

Also found this:
Feature Film "Choose Connor" is seeking a casting director for background/extras casting. "Choose Connor" is a SAG ultra-low budget feature film set to start principal photography on June 20th.

Meals and Credit provided.

This is a great opportunity to work closely with some ambitious young filmmakers.

source

More to follow when (if) we get to know more.

-TeeJay


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#2 26 Jan 07 :: 23:58

peek-a-boo
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

so do you know anything about chris's character in the movie or anything like that because it actually looks like a cool movie


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#3 27 Jan 07 :: 00:20

TeeJay
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

No, unfortunately we know close to nothing about either the movie or Chris's role in it. I mean, we'll be lucky if it even gets released, right? This must be one of the movies that's really staying under the radar since I've never heard anyone talking about it save for us.

-TeeJay


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#4 27 Jan 07 :: 00:27

peek-a-boo
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

yeah but it might come out and be huge due to alex linz's following from Max Keeble's big move which is played constanly on the disney channel


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#5 27 Jan 07 :: 00:32

TeeJay
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

True, you never know. Maybe I was also projecting. This would not be a movie that you'd see running big on German screens. I doubt it would even show in theaters over here. So it's another DVD wait for Anne and me. If that ever comes out, but let's not be negative up front. It'll come out whenever it'll come out. And I'll be there, buying the DVD.

-TeeJay


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#6 02 Feb 07 :: 19:36

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

I posted a question yesterday on the CC board asking if anyone knew anything more about what's going on with the movie and saying I doubt it'll ever see the light of day.  Someone posted this article in response.  Now I'm really curious about why people are freaking out over the storyline:

24/Seven  Lucas at 20
He's 20 years-old, has started 22 scripts and appeared in Clint Eastwood's Letters from Iwo Jima, but what he really wants to do is direct. 

By SEVEN MCDONALD
Wednesday, January 17, 2007 - 6:00 pm

(Illustration by Alie Ward) Faded Buddhist peace flags swing in the late-afternoon breeze as Lucas Elliott sits barefoot on the sofa in his one-bedroom apartment at the Oakwood Toluca Hills complex, the one near Universal Studios. Like many young actors, Elliott, a Colorado native who appears this month in Clint Eastwood's Letters From Iwo Jima, moved to Los Angeles and the Oakwood seven years ago, for pilot season, when he was just 13. Unlike most who pass through the Oakwood, he's stayed on like some kind of Eloise — or Lindsay Lohan at the Chateau Marmont — long enough to book numerous acting jobs, started 22 unfinished scripts, attended several Hollywood premieres and received his California driver's license. He's also just directed, produced and is nearly done editing his first feature film, based on one script he did finish, Choose Connor.

Have you heard of other 20-year-olds who direct films?

"J. Paul Zimmerman [former child actor Joey Zimmerman, from Halloweentown] directed a film last year. I think it was a lot more low-budget than this, but he did an adaptation of Dogg's Hamlet, Cahoot's Macbeth by Tom Stoppard, which is really ambitious. I haven't seen it, but I hear it's good."

Elliott, who knows Zimmerman, appears to be part of a network of young actors turned filmmakers. His producing partners on Choose Connor include Aaron Himelstein, who played a young Austin Powers in Austin Powers in Goldmember, and Andrew McFarlane, who has appeared in numerous episodic TV shows, including The West Wing.

Unlike most of young Hollywood, Elliott, who changed his name professionally a year ago from Luke Eberl, seems unimpressed by the trappings of the club scene. He prefers spending his nights at the New Beverly Theater, where he can watch classic films on the big screen by some of his favorite directors, including François Truffaut, John Cassavetes and Woody Allen. He also meditates, reads (Ram Das, Castaneda) and enjoys "urban treks," a term he uses for long walks through the local geography. Last week, he took a 22-hour journey that left his feet cut up after he walked from the Hollywood-and-Highland subway station to Long Beach, then Santa Monica, and eventually back to his starting point. His companion on that trek was Escher Holloway, one of the young leads in Choose Connor. The other stars are Steven Weber (Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip) and Alex D. Linz, the former child star from Home Alone 3 and Max Keeble's Big Move.

Initially written in longhand by Elliott, who carries a Moleskin pad wherever he goes, Choose Connor is set during a political campaign. It follows an idealistic, politically minded 15-year-old (Linz) who is asked to come aboard a senator's (Weber) campaign as a youth spokesperson. He soon develops a friendship with the senator's artistic nephew (Holloway), an odd, physically beautiful outcast who doesn't attend school, makes elaborate puppets and has a difficult relationship with his uncle. Linz soon learns about the politician's dangerous tendencies and finds himself engaged in the darker side of politics as the film explores some moral and social taboos.

"The film has gotten really strong reactions, positively and negatively," says Elliott, who made a short a few years back called Incest and a documentary at age 11 about burning books. "It's so intense how much people dislike it. I've talked to some people who hate it passionately and think it's amoral and will do damage if I put it out there. My goal is to elicit an emotional or intellectual reaction. If I can put something into the world that causes people to think about their own lives, or the lives of people they know, or present ideas, that is when I've done my job."

The son of two Zen Buddhists, Elliott says his film poses questions he does not have answers to. He attributes the reactions the film is getting less to the themes of the film and more to the fact that he doesn't give people the pat answers that they desire.

"I don't think it's right to say a film's protagonist has to do the right thing," says Elliott, who has a hyperverbal cadence, not unlike Woody Allen's. "I think it's more effective to not totally satisfy in certain cases, especially in the case of a political film when there is so much that is wrong with our government and the way it operates. Because of that, I don't want to tell people how to live."

Though he is reluctant to say how much it cost, Elliott says most of the financing for Choose Connor came through friends and friends of friends. Elliott soon expects to have a version he's happy with; after that, he will hire a professional editor for polishing, and a composer. Then he'll take the movie on to festivals and more rounds of financing.

Elliott made a decision to not act this time around, but some of his friends do appear in his cast. In the case of Steven Weber, the script was passed along through the proper channels, i.e., Weber's agent.

Did Steven Weber know how old you were when he accepted the role?

"I think he didn't know how old I was. He came to the rehearsal and it was just me, Alex and him. He said later he was a little bit taken aback, like, 'Oh my God, what I have gotten myself into here?' He had no idea. But [our] age was never an issue, which is really a credit to him. He was just trying to do the best work he could. He never, ever treated me in any way that was condescending or insensitive, just a total professional. He just blew me away." Elliott shakes his head, recalling the experience.

"He brought so many levels and minutiae to this character. Sometimes you will work with an actor and it's like pushing a boulder up a hill to get it to where it needs to be. In the case of Steven, we just played."

Do you feel different now that you have directed a feature film?

"I guess I thought I would feel so accomplished, so much more confident, and that is not the case at all. You know, the whole thing has been very hard. Most of the time, it's administrative work. [It is] way, way, way harder to raise money than it is to actually write or direct. I want to do it 'cause it feels like an inner calling and it really fulfills me. I feel very lucky to be in this position. It has been a great learning experience. I still have a lot to learn."

http://www.laweekly.com/general/24-seve … -20/15426/


Deb,
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#7 02 Feb 07 :: 19:55

domesticelefant
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Interesting.


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#8 02 Feb 07 :: 20:28

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Got a PM from Chris Lux, exec producer of the movie.  It will indeed be released, but maybe not till '08.  But it will go on the festival circuit this summer.  I asked him to keep us posted about which fests and told him we'd be happy to help get the word out about the movie.

Deb


Deb,
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REPORT BROKEN LINKS info@chris-marquette.com  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=ho … ef=profile 
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#9 02 Feb 07 :: 21:22

TeeJay
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Oh wow, Luke sure seems like a straaaaange boy. But still interesting. Yeah, I wanna know why people have such strong reactions. Next thing we need to ask Chris about. And I don't think this is a movie I'd feel awful about if I was spoiled about major plot twists. I don't expect to see this movie before it comes to DVD anyway, and that's at least a year away. It's also not a movie I think I would watch if Chris wasn't in it. It's all about that for me and the spoilers.

I'm not saying I'm not interested in the movie, I would buy the DVD in a heartbeat. I'm just not in passionate anticipation of it, the way I am with Alpha Dog and The Invisible.

-TeeJay


"Sometimes I think the human species is programmed to look at the bright side of every disaster."
-- David Sandström, ReGenesis

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#10 02 Feb 07 :: 21:45

domesticelefant
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Yeah, same here.


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#11 02 Feb 07 :: 22:05

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

We don't know enough yet to be making any real judgments.  Anything that's challenging is interesting to me.

Deb


Deb,
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#12 03 Feb 07 :: 09:40

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Got another PM from Chris Lux, exec producer:

by  - luxofthedraw  on Fri Feb 2 2007 17:42:21          
Reply

I'd love to tell you which festival for the premiere right now but we can't release it to the public yet unfortunately.

I'll be organizing a street team very soon and would love for you to get involved (possibly run it if you're interested). I imagine you've already met Chris M but I'm also very close with Paul Dano and they'll both definitely take the time to meet with you and whoever else helps on the street team. Both of them are very good friends with Luke Elliot and will certainly be coming to the premieres. It will be pretty informal also, most likely a small party at my house so you can really get a chance to get to know them, they're both amazing guys.

Where do you live Deb? I'm out of NY. Thanks for the offer to help, this is an incredibly ambitious film and it's looking like Luke might have pulled it off.

Chris

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cool, huh?

Deb


Deb,
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#13 03 Feb 07 :: 09:46

TeeJay
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Oh, that's VERY cool. I hope you can arrange something, although NY won't really work for you, huh? What exactly is a "street team"? Imagine we could set up something with Chris *and* Paul!

Did this guy just invite you to the premiere???

-TeeJay


"Sometimes I think the human species is programmed to look at the bright side of every disaster."
-- David Sandström, ReGenesis

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#14 03 Feb 07 :: 09:55

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Oh, I don't know.  Seems like he might be putting out a bit of a feeler.  But I doubt he'd invite me until he got to know me and everything.  But if he spoke to Chris about us, it might happen.  I'm sure he'd put in a good word for us.  I've never heard the term street team before.  Don't know.

New York might be a little tough.  But hey, if I got invited to this thing, you might be persuaded to sponsor a trip, no?  I mean, can you imagine me in a small place with all these guys?

Deb


Deb,
Your Fairy Chrismother.  Keeper of Keith's leather wristband.  Keeper of Pocket Anomalies.  WWAJD?
REPORT BROKEN LINKS info@chris-marquette.com  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=ho … ef=profile 
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#15 03 Feb 07 :: 10:02

TeeJay
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Dude, I would not only sponsor a trip, I'd probably fly out myself. We can both see NY in a weekend or something. smile

-TeeJay


"Sometimes I think the human species is programmed to look at the bright side of every disaster."
-- David Sandström, ReGenesis

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#16 03 Feb 07 :: 10:42

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

That would be fantastic!

Deb


Deb,
Your Fairy Chrismother.  Keeper of Keith's leather wristband.  Keeper of Pocket Anomalies.  WWAJD?
REPORT BROKEN LINKS info@chris-marquette.com  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=ho … ef=profile 
Wanna talk to President Obama?  http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/  Close Gitmo/Open Cuba.
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#17 03 Feb 07 :: 12:17

domesticelefant
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Awwww! I'd sooo fly out there too! Meeting Chris AND Paul sounds FAAAN-tastic!


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#18 04 Feb 07 :: 22:21

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

I apologized to Chris Lux for my cynicism about Connor ever getting released and told him we love the indies but we get frustrated about having to wait forever for things.  And that we've known about Chris M. and Lucas and Aaron and Andrew for a while and that we'd been dying to see Sugar Mountain for years.

Here's what he said:

connor    
by - luxofthedraw on Sat Feb 3 2007 14:21:20          
Reply
Trust me, if you help us get the word out about Choose Connor, I'll definitely arrange a screening of Sugar Mountain for you.

I'll be in touch Deb, thanks again

Chris
~~~~~~~~~~~~

How cool is that?

Deb


Deb,
Your Fairy Chrismother.  Keeper of Keith's leather wristband.  Keeper of Pocket Anomalies.  WWAJD?
REPORT BROKEN LINKS info@chris-marquette.com  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=ho … ef=profile 
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#19 04 Feb 07 :: 22:27

domesticelefant
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

That is very cool. But well ... I don't think that I'll ever get to see that, being stuck in Germany ... sad


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#20 04 Feb 07 :: 22:41

TheCentralScrutinizer
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Don't give up so easy.  Geez, you guys really have to work on that negativity.  Do you really think he means he's going to show it to me in a threatre or invite me to his house?  Maybe we can get a DVD copy of it sometime down the road if we promise we'll never release it to anyone.

Deb


Deb,
Your Fairy Chrismother.  Keeper of Keith's leather wristband.  Keeper of Pocket Anomalies.  WWAJD?
REPORT BROKEN LINKS info@chris-marquette.com  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=ho … ef=profile 
Wanna talk to President Obama?  http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/  Close Gitmo/Open Cuba.
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#21 05 Feb 07 :: 15:08

TeeJay
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

You know, if Chris Lux can indeed score us a screening of the film somewhere, I'm sure that, once he's talked a little more with us and maybe talked to Chris (M.) about us, we might just not be too far from securing a copy on DVD. If things work out, who knows what Chris L. can get us. All that he's been offering was completely voluntary. Deb never even asked for a screening or a DVD or anything like it. And I am ready to do whatever I can on the website to get the word about Choose Connor out to the public.

-TeeJay


"Sometimes I think the human species is programmed to look at the bright side of every disaster."
-- David Sandström, ReGenesis

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#22 05 Feb 07 :: 15:28

domesticelefant
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Yeah, but maybe we should not get too exited about that.


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#23 05 Feb 07 :: 17:15

TheCentralScrutinizer
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From: Atlanta, GA
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

How 'bout instead of being all negative, we put on the magic Fanboys t-shirts and make it happen?

Deb


Deb,
Your Fairy Chrismother.  Keeper of Keith's leather wristband.  Keeper of Pocket Anomalies.  WWAJD?
REPORT BROKEN LINKS info@chris-marquette.com  http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=ho … ef=profile 
Wanna talk to President Obama?  http://www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/  Close Gitmo/Open Cuba.
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#24 05 Feb 07 :: 20:03

domesticelefant
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

Yeah, well, I'll try that, once it's out of the laundry.


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#25 05 Feb 07 :: 22:00

TeeJay
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From: Germany
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Re: Choose Connor (a.k.a. The Politician)

That's funny, I'm washing my Fanboys shirt as we speak too! smile

-TeeJay


"Sometimes I think the human species is programmed to look at the bright side of every disaster."
-- David Sandström, ReGenesis

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