Film Finds Perfect Setting At Fairfield Hills

By Kendra Bobowick

The questions accumulating since early October regarding a movie production at Fairfield Hills have answers at last.

Location Manager Michael Hartel spoke this week about progress on the primary set of The Madman’s Tale, based on the book The Madman’s Tale: A Novel by John Katzenbach. The author also wrote the screenplay adaptation.

“So far so good, but it’s still early,” he said.

Mention of movie making does not prompt questions of plot, dialogue, or even scenery, but stars. Who will be the lead role drawing viewers’ imaginations into the story and wrapping around the character?

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is cast as Francis Petrel, a former state hospital patient invited to visit the now-closed fictional Western State Hospital where he had been a ward as a younger man.

Portions of the plot step directly into the footprints of Fairfield Hills.

According to a review located at Bookreporter.com, the Western State Hospital in Mr Katzenbach’s novel is also a former state hospital standing empty. The review states, “There is a proposal to raze the buildings on the grounds of the former mental hospital and to give the property some high-end residential gentrification.”

How long will cast and crew be in town? A letter from co-producer Jon Furay states, “We’re scheduled for a 43-day shoot, starting on or about November 26, and finishing the end of January, 2008…” Production is on hold however, due to Mr Meyers’s family issues. Mr Hartel said, “We’re taking a couple days due to an unforeseen situation.”

There is keen interest locally about residents’ potential involvement on site. Of interest is one portion of Mr Furay’s early October letter to the Fairfield Hills Authority, which states, “We’ll be building sets, creating wardrobes, supporting hair and make-up stylists, etc, which all requires a great deal of local spending.”

The professionals may not necessarily be hired, as many had hoped. Mr Hartel clarified, “It’s union.” The chance that production and set needs will not be filled is slim he said, “considering the amount of film people in Connecticut already.” Residents have a better chance at becoming an extra, but Mr Hartel did not indicate when a call would go out. With background actors in mind, he said, “We’re gearing up, we’re definitely interested in hiring locals…”

Mr Furay’s letter also noted that students would be welcome to the film site. Before ending his page-and-a-half note to the authority, Mr Furay wrote, “We’d like to bring in students (art, drama, etc) to expose them to the filmmaking process and give them a first-hand look at how all the different departments work together to make a film.”

“It’s a great opportunity for [students] to be exposed to the film process,” Mr Hartel said. Wanting to introduce younger residents to the industry, he said, “It’s a great career.” Again, he had no specific date or time for visits, but said he would contact schools, for example, when the crew was ready to welcome guests.

“I haven’t addressed it officially,” he said. Comparing the film site to an office environment, Mr Hartel said that bringing guests into the workplace can be difficult. “It is tough and we do have to organize the groups coming in.” Looking forward to the opportunity, however, he said, “I think we’ll reach out to schools. I know [Western Connecticut State University] is interested because of my connection there.” A Connecticut native, Mr Hartel is a university graduate.

Will the film closely reflect the book?

Mr Hartel believes it will, considering Mr Katzenbach worked to move the story from chapters and pages to movie scenes. The movie-to-book relationship will be close, he said. He also noted that Mr Kazenbach’s work was difficult. “Screen writing is a different narrative,” Mr Hartel explained. “To write this as a screen play has been a challenge, but he did it well.”

Offering his own professional observation, he gives future viewers something to anticipate. “The screen play makes it a better story — it’s very cinematic and lends itself well to the screen.” The Fairfield Hills setting also enhances the story’s setting of a former ward’s reminiscences of his days at a state mental institution. Most of the film will be shot inside the hospital buildings, Mr Hartel said, location scouts had sought a place meeting that description. “[Fairfield Hills] met our needs,” he said.

The crew also has the need for privacy. “We need autonomy and [the campus] really lends itself to that.” Aside from the need for room to work undisturbed, Mr Hartel also is confident that the film process — he anticipates more than 100 people will be involved — will not bother residents or nearby businesses.

“We’re not trying to make everyone stay away, but with 100-plus people, trucks, trailers, generators, it would be nice to keep that contained.”

Less than the glamour film sets inspire, preproduction comes first. Mr Hartel explained, “We’re doing a lot of abatement.”

The cleanup is a priority for the former state hospital buildings dormant since the state vacated them in the late 1990s. In past weeks outgoing First Selectman Herb Rosenthal had said that as part of the agreement to use the campus buildings and grounds the film company, Cinema Connecticut LLC, would have responsibilities beyond the legal, financial, and insurance agreements settled with the town.

He had said, “They will also be cleaning portions of the buildings they want to use…” The effort works well with ongoing plans to prepare certain buildings for reuse as the town moves ahead with Fairfield Hills redevelopment plans.

Providing one last detail to the film production he said that Mr Meyers will be looking to stay in Newtown. Per Mr Furay’s letter, the crew will “literally call Newtown and the immediate surrounding area home for two to three months…”

Local professionals interested in contacting Mr Hartel can reach him by e-mail at madlocations@gmail.com. Learn more about The Madman’s Tale: A Novel at Mostlyfiction.com/mystery/katzenbach.htm.