Love and life in Kailua grist for independent film

By Wayne Harada
Advertiser Entertainment Editor

"I wanted to show the 'other' Hawai'i ... It's kind of a special place, if you lived there, with many untold stories," filmmaker Scott Coffey says. Kailua Films 'Ellie Parker' Scott Coffey's film, produced by his Kailua Films company Screenings at: 8:30 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Honolulu Academy of Arts theater, 2:45 p.m. Nov. 9 at the Hawai'i Convention Center Tickets: $7 ($6 for HIFF 'Ohana members), at the box office at The Shops at Dole Cannery Information: 528-4433

The 32-year-old Coffey, whose independent feature, "Ellie Parker," will be shown in the Hawai'i International Film Festival next month, said he wants to show a slice of life in the Islands not commonly brought to the big screen.

"It's a coming-of-age kind of a love story, with punk and alt-rock music, and it mostly takes place in Kailua," Coffey said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where he now lives.

"Having grown up and living in Kailua, I wanted to show the 'other' Hawai'i that you don't see in those big-budget action films like 'Jurassic Park' and 'Planet of the Apes' or TV shows like 'Baywatch (Hawai'i).' It's kind of a special place, if you lived there, with many untold stories."

Auditions for actors and musicians will be held after he arrives here next week.

He plans to begin filming in February and complete shooting in a month. His Kailua Films company will produce the film, as it did "Ellie Parker."

He declined to reveal his modest budget, but low-budget indie films typically come in under $1 million.

The film focuses on a character named Clay, who works at a skateboard place in Kailua. "He's a surfer type, too, but intelligent and artistic, and very rebellious in a playful way. He's actually kind of a neat guy," said Coffey, who said he turned to his youth for artistic inspiration.

He feels he should be able to cast most roles here and also tap local musicians for the soundtrack.

Coffey affectionately described Clay as "a Kailua haole, the only way to describe him." The description is not meant to be politically incorrect but a succinct description, he said. Coffey remembers the "type" from his time at Kalaheo High School in Kailua. He also attended Hawai'i Baptist Academy but finished high school in Rome, running away from home because of his obsession with Bernardo Bertolucci's "Luna" movie and a desire to be near the celebrated Italian filmmaker.

He still has family (his dad and an aunt) in the Islands. When he comes home, he usually stays at his grandmother's house in Maunawili "where I grew up."

Coffey, named recently as one of 25 new faces in indie films by Filmmaker magazine, developed his craft as a teen actor in numerous community stage productions at Hawai'i community theaters . He had a recurring role in Fox TV's "The Outsider" and a string of early films including "Shag," "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Space Camp," "Ferris Beuller's Day Off," "Ladyhawke," "Tank Girl," "Satisfaction," "Casualties of War" and "Once Upon a Time in America."

For "Clay's Way," Coffey is writing the script, based on a book of the same name by Blair Mastbaum, which will be published this spring. He will direct, but not appear in the production.

The sunny, lazy flavor of Kailua town, he said, would be the essence of Hawai'i's suburban community, juxtaposed against the sprawling Ko'olau Mountains.

The film's other lead character, Sam, is the best friend of Clay and narrator of the movie and the novel. "He is a sensitive, intelligent kind of a loner, but definitely not a nerd," said Coffey. "He's got a cool, introspective flair, and he's into punk rock."

Sam's still in high school, Clay is recently out, denoting the ages of the actors needed. Other youth roles are available, along with local bands in the punk-rock scene.

"The trade-off may be in the role of Clay's mom," said Coffey. "The backers are cutting me some slack here. I would like to get Edie Falco, of 'The Sopranos,' or someone like her."

He plans to aim his camera in and out of Kailua town, in Maunawili, in Kane'ohe, one scene in Portlock and a little of Lanikai and the Pali.

"I really want to put Kailua on the map," he said. "Visually, it's a strange small town, with suburban tract houses that are now over-grown with a waterlogged look. ... The mountains are a nice metaphor for the Clay character, a society-vs.-nature thing."

Scott Coffey

Birthplace: O'ahu

Schools: Kalaheo High, Hawai'i Baptist Academy; high school in Rome

Occupation: Actor, writer, director, cinematographer, producer

Acting credits: "Once Upon a Time in America," "Shag," "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Dream Lover," "Amazing Stories," "Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Lost Highway," "Cigarettes," "Space Camp," "Ladyhawke," "Wayne's World II," "The Temp," "The Big Picture," "Mulholland Drive"

Hawai'i acting ties: Honolulu Community Theatre (now Diamond Head Theatre), Hawaii Performing Arts Company (now Manoa Valley Theatre)

First short film: "Gray Matter," featuring David Lynch ("Mulholland Drive")

First feature film: "Ellie Parker"

Early laurel: Nominated for an IFP (Independent Film Project) Spirit Award for "Shag" (the Oscars for the indies)

Latest honor: Named one of 25 new faces to watch in indie films in 2001 by Filmmakers magazine

Family ties: Brother Sean Coffey formerly was a drummer with Poi Dog Pondering

Notable quote: "I didn't finish high school, but I don't recommend this to everyone. I spent so much time on movie sets, worked with many directors, and read so much that I felt that school was in the way of my dreams to act. But really, I was a rare case."

Auditions for "Clay's Way," his next project: To be announced when Coffey is in the Islands; his Kailua Films phone is (323) 662-3354, e-mail cofbaum@earthlink.net.