From Amazon.com:
Hauntingly Beautiful, March 9, 2006

I loved this movie!! It was unique, thought-provoking, and beautifully directed. Jennifer Nichole Porter stars as Lila, a beautiful housewife and poet who is agoraphobic and haunted by her past. Her husband, Samuel, played very nicely by Eric Schweig, is supportive of Lila, but determined to discover the secrets of her past. Lila is visited, during her times alone, by a strange man (Brian McCardie) who arrives on an old fashioned bicycle complete with bowler hat and Scottish accent. McCardie as Barrington is wonderfully disturbing and eerily elegant when we first meet him, but he decompensates quickly into a dangerous presence as the plot unfolds. Barrington gives us insight to Lila's past as does Samuel as he experiences flashbacks and decides to investigate on his own at the orphanage where Lila was raised by nuns.

The direction by Dana Packard is superb as the dialogue is effectively sparing(with the exception of Barrington). This increases the suspense. I found myself holding my breath more than once!

The musical score (Jennifer Porter) that accompanies Barrington is a brilliant device that made me grip my seat more tightly each time I heard it. This film is full of symbolism and foreshadowing - I believe all are intended! It provided for a fun discussion afterwards, which is what I believe to be the mark of a great movie!!

Amazon Review - Mr. Barrington

Combining the psychological torments of Lila, a young agoraphobic woman, with symbols suggesting the fall of man, director Dana Packard presents a beautifully paced and photographed thriller in which Lila's world, already limited to the confines of her house, is threatened still further by the arrival of a stranger, Mr. Barrington. At first, the mysterious Mr. Barrington, who wears a bowler hat, formal dark clothing, and spats as he rides his velocipede, appears to be a kooky but friendly neighbor, but his increasingly personal questions soon become intrusive, and in succeeding visits, he becomes much more threatening. Lila's saintly husband Samuel tries to keep Lila on an even keel, emotionally, until in a grand climax the battle for Lila's heart and mind reaches its peak.

Lila, beautifully portrayed by talented Jennifer Nichole Porter, who also wrote the screenplay and the hauntingly romantic piano score, is a stunningly sympathetic, wounded soul. Eric Schweig, as Samuel, grounds the film. He is big, caring, and devoted to helping Lila, and he fills the screen with his solid presence. Brian McCardie, a Scottish actor, is brilliant as the brittle Mr. Barrington, a man who exerts control over Lila as he metamorphoses from cheerful eccentric to devil incarnate, and by the end of the film, even his ears look pointed as he flits in and out of the house.

Gorgeous cinematography (Eric J. Goldstein), with many "foggy" scenes emphasizing Lila's separation from reality, enhances the film and creates symbolism from the opening scene. Throughout the film, the front gate and doors open and close, often mysteriously, as Lila's self-isolation is threatened. Mr. Barrington first arrives at a closed gate at the entrance to Lila's antique house, but there is, significantly, no fence around Lila's yard. Samuel is frequently shown in doorways at the end of long hallways, and as he determines to discover the horrors in Lila's background, the film flashes back to scenes of her life in an orphanage and to the events from her early childhood in which the open and closed doors are also symbolic. The apple, the fruit of knowledge, is Lila's favorite snack, and it is impossible not to associate her traumas and the climax with the struggle for the soul of man.
Though this is a low-budget, independent film, the acting, the photography, and the direction are top quality. Occasionally, however, the sound has background static, and telephone conversations and whispering are sometimes difficult to understand. A suspenseful psychological thriller which rewards the viewer's careful attention to detail (including the reference to the William Butler Yeats poem "Her Anxiety"), this is a fine film by a highly talented young crew. (4.5 stars) -- Mary Whipple

MR. BARRINGTON

Sam Pfeifle, Portland Phoenix
In this thoughtfully-paced Maine-based film, director Dana Packard has seen to it that the camera lingers on his beautiful star (and the film’s writer and composer), Jennifer Nichole Porter, and that Porter doesn’t do anything in a hurry. Dialogue is at a premium, as Porter’s Lila is a poet suffering at turns from agoraphobia and writer’s block, and husband Samuel (played by Eric Schweig, Last of the Mohicans) doesn’t know whether to intrude or let her be.

Things take a turn for the surreal, however, with the introduction of the title character, a foppish English gent straight out of A Clockwork Orange, in a high bowler and saddle shoes. He rides up on an antique bicycle, comes in through the front gate (a recurring metaphor you’ll have to interpret for yourself), and quickly offers himself up as friend to the shy and reserved Lila.

Sometimes, with Barrington (Brian McCardie, 200 Cigarettes), it’s hard to tell just what kind of a friend he is. Barrington is irritating from the onset, but it’s not clear whether he’s playing the impish irritator or the devil himself, or whether he might be the Muse that the blocked Lila can’t seem to corral.
Things go downhill quickly after his arrival. Lila never sleeps, and is haunted by the sound of a gunshot. Director of photography Eric Goldstein expertly handles the dusk of her bedroom and sunshine that streams through their airy kitchen in the morning, but it is the sound that really lends the film its atmosphere. A simple phone ringing is enough to startle. You can hear every one of Lila’s steps across the house. Sheets rustle, rain patters on the roof, the alarm clock will keep you awake for days.

And the end comes quicker than you’d think. For a slow movie, the minutes seem to fly by. However, if you can appreciate what it’s trying to say, it will stay with you for quite some time.

Mr. Barrington

Lila (Jennifer Nichole Porter) lives with her husband in a picturesque house hidden in the countryside, unable to leave the premises without suffering severe panic attacks. The only person Lila speaks with is her husband Samuel (Eric Schweig), a barrel-chested lumber worker, unable to penetrate her self-constructed wall of idle pleasantries and hollow smiles.

Enter Mr. Barrington (Brian McCardie). One ordinary afternoon, he rides up to Lila's door on an antique bicycle, taking a comedic pratfall off it in order to illicit laughter from the sullen woman. Before long, however, with increasingly frequent visits, Mr. Barrington transforms from a playful entity to a controlling force from her past, sending Lila into a state of physical and psychological turmoil.

Dana Packard's directorial debut is a visually appealing, well-told New England ghost story. Shot in Maine at the house he shares with Jennifer Nichole Porter (who starred in, scored, and co-produced the film, and also wrote the movie's screenplay), Mr. Barrington had its New England premiere at the first annual Independent Film Festival of Boston. The festival was held May 1 - 4 this year at the Somerville, Coolidge Corner, and Brattle Theatres, and showcased over forty short and feature-length movies.

Packard and Porter's film is the tale of an unusual haunting. Although the plot involves conventions of a traditional ghost story (a stately Victorian house, a malicious specter), the difference is that a person is being haunted instead of a house. The ghost presents Lila with a choice: either undergo a catharsis to exorcise the demon, or remain a prisoner to it.

Playing the lead part in her own script, Porter knows Lila's character inside and out, making her nervous patterns of behavior reflect how she is imprisoned by her past. Mr. Barrington himself is a deceptively friendly clown whose harmless gags grow increasingly menacing. He has a daisy on his lapel, a playful striped ascot, a Scottish accent, and a fedora. Brian McCardie effectively uses this characterization to make it all the more terrifying when Barrington's actions become threatening.

Packard and director of photography Eric J. Goldstein shot the film beautifully, using liberal amounts of fog to create a dreamlike atmosphere. While the house holds Lila prisoner, aesthetically it's still a cozy, old-fashioned sort of home that one can imagine growing up in, as if Norman Bates' house on the hill in Psycho merged with the backdrops of Anne of Green Gables.

The most troubling and intriguing aspects of Mr. Barrington are the loose ends that are not tied up at the conclusion of the movie. Flashbacks of Lila's bringing-up in a convent are never clarified, including scenes depicting a dead nun at the bottom of a staircase, a young Lila firing a gun, and Samuel being asked not to return to the premises by the head nun. Despite this perplexity, Mr. Barrington is an overall success in its ability to weave mystery with reality and romance with terror.

— Dan MillerCopyright © 1999-2006 ArtsEditor
all rights reserved

From Imdb:
Outstanding and scary!, 6 June 2003

Author: "/user/ur1335074/comments" from Portland, Maine

went into this film with no knowledge of the plot and only a quick glance at the movie poster. From Mr. Barrington's mode of dress I assumed it would be a period piece; perhaps a romantic comedy or Merchant and Ivory sort of film. Oh boy was I in for a surprise...

This film features one of the most beautiful relationships I have ever seen on film. The love between Lila and Samuel felt very real and very complex. Jennifer Nichole Porter wrote and delivered Lila's dialogue with wonderful restraint. Eric Schweig's handling of Samuel's emotions showed just how much he cared about the project. I would recommend the film simply for how well these two actors perform together under Dana Packard's direction, but that would ignore the film's other two great strengths: Brian McCardie's acting and Eric Goldstein's cinematography.

Brian McCardie has done some great work in the past, but he is a knockout in this role. The impish intensity he brings to his performance moves effortlessly between endearing and threatening with a simple cock of the head or a flash of his teeth.

And then there is the cinematography. Eric Goldstein creates wonderful atmospheres of light and shadow for the characters to inhabit. There is a quality to the film that makes it hard to place geographically, and I have a feeling this was intentional. The way Eric Goldstein lights the exteriors at night makes it feel like a Southern locale.

That this is Dana Packard's first feature came as a surprise to me. Both his direction and Jennifer Nichole Porter's writing seemed far more assured than that. So, I highly recommend this film!

Good movie - very suspenseful, 28 September 2003

Author: "/user/ur2472874/comments" from Las Vegas

Just saw this film at the Blue Sky Film Festival here in Las Vegas. I have to say that of all the films screened, I think I enjoyed this one the most. In mood, pacing and style, it kind of reminded me of The Others with Nicole Kidman.

It's a film that makes you think as it slowly unfolds, showing bits and pieces that let you discover for yourself the relationship between Lila and the inscrutable Mr. Barrington. I think that different people will walk away with varying interpretations of what has happened by the end of the film. Ultimately, I think that can be one of the best kinds of films - one that leaves people talking in their seats at the end.

We had the benefit of having Jennifer (Lila, and the film's writer) and her husband, Dana (the director) at our screening, so we were able to discuss our views and some of the movie's finer points & ultimately clarify some of the things we'd seen.

The movie was beautifully shot & has sort of a filmy, misty look to it that heightens the tension. Jennifer gives an amazingly frail quality to Lila that makes the scenes with Samuel even more touching. Add to that Brian McCardie as Mr. Barrington, both playful and menacing, and the film is filled with brilliantly understated performances.

Unfortunately, Dana told us that the film has not yet been picked up for wide release, but will be making the rounds of several of the smaller film festivals. I would strongly recommend that you take the opportunity to see it, if it shows anywhere in your area. It's well worth it, especially after a summer filled with sequels and "let's blow everything up" action flicks. I only hope that word-of-mouth will spread on this little gem so that more people can enjoy it.

Great Pic, 6 March 2003

Author: "/user/ur9576187/comments" from United States

I saw this film while I was screening for the Newport Beach Film Festival. It was one of the best films I that I screened but did not get picked. This is one of those rare finds that flows and brings the audience into the characters. The film score plus the direction enabled the movie to seem like a horror movie when it was more of a family flick. Great direction and acting by everyone. I loved the way the film was scored to accompany the direction. The DP did a great job shooting the film and was very impressive in all angles and shots. The director did a great job and I hope he will continue to direct films, he has that very special touch you rarely find.

DVD Corner – Bangor Daily News

Christopher Smith

"Mr. Barrington": A handsome-looking first effort by Maine director Dana Packard and his partner Jennifer Nichole Porter, a Maine native with Belfast roots who wrote the script, produced the movie, composed the soundtrack, performed the closing song and also stars in the lead. Obviously, talent and ambition aren't in short supply. The film was shot in Maine, primarily at locations in Buxton and Parsonsfield, with most scenes occurring within the grand Victorian house Packard shares with Porter in Buxton. Re-edited to great benefit for this leaner release on DVD, the movie stars Porter as Lila, an agoraphobic poet of few words suffering from writer's block. Her husband, Samuel (Eric Scweig), becomes alarmed when Lila starts having nightmares, and especially when bruises and abrasions mysteriously start appearing on her arm and bottom lip. What Lila is too afraid to tell him is that while she's alone during the day, she's being visited by a certain Mr. Barrington (Brian McCardie), a 19th-century apparition - complete with bowler - whose menacing presence ushers in horrific memories of Lila's troubled past at St. Agatha's, the orphanage in which she grew up after her father committed suicide. The psychological drama that ensues is leisurely paced yet compelling, a movie whose production values and strong principal performances bolster the weaker supporting turns. Porter's score, in particular, is beautiful, and her script, in spite of its holes, offers its share of memorable moments. The film's ending is especially well done, building to a climax that carries real emotional weight. Grade: B

MR. BARRINGTON: A Most Unexpected Film

By Jesse Lynch; TIR Film Critic

Every child pretends, or plays “make-believe”; every child daydreams and “everything beautiful is fragile.” A person’s inner child takes on different forms as we grow older, as we outgrow our habits or misconceptions. Writer Jennifer Nichole Porter opens a door to a world where a woman’s tragic past has re-introduced itself to her consciousness, both uninvited and undesired.
In addition to writing the film, Jennifer Nichole Porter is our lead role, Lila. Lila is sweet and innocent woman whose mysterious childhood has come back to haunt her. The childlike preoccupations come to the screen in the form of flashbacks; they also come to Lila via a man that first makes his impression as a friendly unnamed stranger, who we eventually come to know as (Mr.) Barrington. Barrington is full of charm and wit, but also carries a wickedly unstable demeanor that feels uneasy and forces us to put our guard up in anticipation. We, as the audience, are left in the dark discovering the characters’ bizarre motives as they so keenly unfold in front of Lila and her husband Samuel.

Samuel, Played by Eric Shweig, is a lovable and friendly man who is one of the film’s main protagonists; we find ourselves constantly rooting for him and feeling unlucky for ourselves to witness his misfortune. Faithful and agreeable is Samuel, providing for, and wanting only the best for, his Lila. He shows the utmost patience when his wife is obviously avoiding the truth, and holds his composure while we’re certain his thoughts are filled with panic and questions.

The stage is set, mostly, in a beautifully tranquil home that is pure in essence, but is layered with a mystical and smoky air around it that raises the tension from scene to scene. The piano driven musical score, composed by the film’s very own Jennifer Nichole Porter, is calming but at the same time eerie and extra mundane, which perfectly accompanies the breathtaking scenery. The Cinematography, by Eric J. Goldstein, is well thought out, enchanting and emotional, supplementing the activity on screen without missing a beat.

The basic idea for the story is encompassing and attention grabbing. However, it feels the secrecy to the man in question is given away rather quickly. Despite what felt like an early resolution, the remainder of the film continued to provide questions and understanding to the events that plague the viewer with curiosity earlier in the movie.

Couple creates movie magic

news@TimesRecord.Com 06/05/2003 By David Treadwell, Times Record Contributor

PORTLAND - Haunting ... eerie ... suspenseful ... gripping ... musical ... mystical. These describe "Mr. Barrington," a dramatic thriller scheduled to premiere June 4 at The Movies on Exchange Street in Portland.
The film, shot in Maine by Maine filmmakers, runs through June 8.
Picture a housebound, frail, poetic young woman married to a hulking, well-meaning, blue-collar husband. Add to the scene a sprightly, all-knowing, yet menacing stranger, continually popping up from nowhere and returning to nowhere.

Add in a musty old orphanage in which who knows what went on. Imagine foggy mornings and thunderous nights. Feel the tensions rising from the wounds and fears of an unresolved past. This is a keep-you-guessing thriller, and be prepared, when the closing credits are rolling, to ponder and postulate.

The story behind the story is perhaps as compelling as the movie itself. "Mr. Barrington" was conceived by Maine natives, funded primarily by Maine investors and shot in Maine. The low-budget, high-impact independent film is the brainchild of two life partners: Dana Packard and Jennifer Nichole Porter.
Packard and Porter met at a high school theater festival in 1984. They later attended the University of Maine at Orono. He majored in theater and she majored in opera performance, but they left school early, eager to pursue mutual dreams.

Soon they launched their own theater company, The Originals, which houses performances in the Saco River Grange Hall in Bar Mills, about 15 miles southwest of Portland. A few years later, they found a Victorian house in Portland, which they bought for $10, had disassembled and moved to Bar Mills.

"Mr. Barrington," the duo's first full-length feature film, follows an earlier short film, "The Ballad of Ida and Doob," which earned several awards at various film festivals and has aired twice on Maine Public Television.
Porter wrote "Mr. Barrington" in 1999, and in August 2001, she and Packard began the grueling process of moving from script to film — raising money.
"It's like raising money in any other business," Porter said. "You have to create business plans with best-, medium- and worst-case scenarios."

Casting talent

Even as they were raising funds, Packard and Porter tried to nail down the commitments of actors willing to play the main parts, along with Jennifer, herself, who plays the lead role of Lila. (Porter also wrote and performed the hauntingly beautiful music for "Mr. Barrington.")

Getting "name" or "almost-name" actors to commit to a film project requires a strong script and steely determination. Armed with both, Packard and Porter managed to get three fine actors, all with superb credentials, to join the cast.

Eric Schweig (Samuel, the husband) first gained worldwide recognition for his powerful portrayal of Uncas in "The Last of the Mohicans." Scottish actor Brian McCardie (Barrington), landed on the international film scene when he starred as the younger brother of "Rob Roy," with Liam Neeson, Jessica Lang and Tim Roth. And Jonelle Allen (Mother Anne) has appeared in several notable films ("Hotel New Hampshire" and "Cotton Comes to Harlem"), as well gaining popular recognition for her portrayal of Grace on the TV series "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."

A final boost for the film's prospects was the signing of Eric Goldstein as director of photography. Goldstein's credits behind the camera include "American Pie 2," "Road Trip" and "The Usual Suspects," among many other successful films.

The lead private investor for the project gave a "Go" to the project in March 2002. Pre-production began in May. Actual shooting began on June 10. Because of the low budget, speed was essential and speed was accomplished: the shooting took 18 days.

All filming was in Maine, beginning with Packard and Porter's house, which served as the house of Lila and Samuel. The Parsonsfield Seminary, the runner-up to be for the site for the filming of "Cider House Rules," provided the setting for the convent. And Chicopee Lumber in Standish served as the site of the lumberyard in the film.

Talented area actors, most of them friends of Packard and Porter, took on the roles of the small speaking parts and extras.

The next step involved composing the music for and editing "Mr. Barrington" in the editing studio in the pair's home. The arduous process took six months, filled with long working days.

This January, they went to Toronto to take care of sound editing and mixing. At the same time, the film negative was cut in New York City.

In early May, Packard and Porter presented the first actual showing of their brainchild at the Independent Film Festival of Boston at two independent theaters. The buzz about the film was positive and, according to Packard, "People jumped when they were supposed to jump."

Packard also said that "Mr. Barrington, with its deliberately measured pace, is somewhat risky to present to an MTV-era audience."

This reviewer found that the measured pace added immeasurably to "Mr. Barrington's" powerful impact.

Future plans

The final challenge is to secure a distributor for "Mr. Barrington" and to land more slots on the rosters of film festivals around the nation. The movie has been accepted by the Maine International Film Festival, which will begin in Waterville on July 12.

Packard and Porter intend to keep running The Originals, as theater remains their primary passion. They said they will embark on more films, fueled by the highs of creating "Mr. Barrington."

And they will definitely stay in Maine. "Maine is a beautiful state," Porter said. "It offers everything you need right here, beginning with talented actors and crew. Plus everybody benefits when a film is made in the state — food vendors, hotels, transportation, everybody."

Added Packard, "Filmmaking is exciting and the process of making the film showcases the beautiful environment without hurting it."

_David Treadwell is a freelance writer who lives in Brunswick. He can be reached by e-mail at dtreadw575@aol.com.

The Maine Thing

From theatre-in-the-country to the big screen, Maine filmmakers Dana Packard and Jennifer Nichole Porter create a hit with "Mr. Barrington," screening at this month’s Maine International Film Festival.

By James Mentink

Images of "Mr Barrington," featuring the title character in a bowler hat and riding an old fashioned bicycle, may strike the viewer as being the sort of fare that is filmed in pastoral England. In reality, it’s filmed in rural Maine. Recently, I spoke with Maine-based Dana Packard (producer/director) and Jennifer Nichole Porter (writer/co-producer/composer/star) about their film which will be featured at this month’s Maine International Film Festival.

JM: You both have lengthy histories in theatre. What brought about the transition from stage to film?

Packard: In 1998, Jennifer suggested to me that we start our own film company. I thought it was a great idea because it seemed like the perfect way to be centrally involved in movies without having to live in New York or LA, which neither of us wanted to do, given our good theatre-in-the-country life here. As an actor, you have to be where the movies (auditions) are. As a filmmaker, the movie world can come to you. For a few years we tried to get representation in New York, and every signatory agent refused to consider signing us unless we moved. Five hours away was too far. Now, as a producer, instead of hearing "Maine? Why? Do you have running water...?" I hear, "Maine!!! My family used to summer up there. Isn't it gorgeous? You are so lucky to be living your life in the woods, away from this rat race!" And they're right.

JM: Jennifer, out of all the hats you wear for this film, is there one you prefer over another?

Porter: I prefer acting over the others, because it's the most fun. Acting is never boring. Composing is sometimes boring, writing is half the time boring, and producing is ALWAYS boring! I like losing myself in someone else. I can live many lifetimes in just this one, which makes it addictive. I like acting so much that it's worth the frustration. Composing is similar in that when I get it right, it's worth having struggled. With writing, I might have to struggle for three months or a year or more, and I don't like to work that hard! And producing...Well, enough said.

JM: Where did the idea for "Mr. Barrington" come from? And how long after you began the process of writing it was it put on film?

Porter: One summer day in 1999, my niece was playing a simple little tune on our piano, and the image of a man riding a bicycle, wearing spats and a bowler came to mind. I really didn't have a point. I just started writing around this and other images. I didn't know what the characters were going to do until they started doing them. It's almost like they told me what they wanted to be.

I wrote "Mr. Barrington" as a short in 1999, then decided it’d actually work as a feature-length, so rewrote it three months later. At the time, it was on the backburner, as we were trying to raise funding for another screenplay of mine called "Cassandra Speaks." In August 2001, we started raising money for "Mr. Barrington," and began filming in June 2002, so I guess the whole process took almost four years, but it felt like less because of being involved with the other project.

JM: Where was the movie filmed, and what led you to choose the location?

Packard: The movie was filmed primarily in and around our house in Buxton. We picked the location because the house fit the bill in terms of the solitude the screenplay calls for, and there was no location fee! The beating the house and lawn took was the downside we knew would occur, but we figured they had been through worse (we bought the house for $10 in Portland in 1995, had it moved here in eight pieces, and have been renovating it since, between plays). The lumberyard is Chicopee Lumber in Buxton. Dick Pinkham, the owner, allowed us to shoot our day there for free. The convent / orphanage is Parsonsfield Seminary in Parsonsfield. The building is cared for by a group called The Friends of Par Sem, who kindly allowed us to film there for four days. Par Sem was the runner up for the primary location of The Cider House Rules. The building is extremely well maintained by The Friends, but they are always in need of support. People interested in the preservation of historic buildings who would like to help should contact The Friends of Par Sem, or Grace Gilpatrick, in Parsonsfield, Maine.

JM: Dana, are there any directors that you feel have raised the bar especially high or that have inspired you in some way?

Packard: For modern directors, I think Lasse Hallstrom has a beautiful touch, as do Ang Lee, Scott Hicks, and Jane Campion. I’m impressed with all of the above in their sensitivity to actors' performances, overall rhythmic nuance, and visual composition. I think the Cohn Brothers are true visionaries, and I think Oliver Stone and Spike Lee are impressive in their use of film as social commentary. Spielberg, it seems to me, is a true master of the medium, as are Coppola, Scorcese, and De Palma. I think Baz Luhrmann is amazing for his cynicism-to-the-wind theatricality and staging genius, and I love Christopher Guest and Monty Python. Terrence Malick... John Singleton... Those are names that pop to mind, but I'm sure I'm missing some who have also inspired me.

JM: Is "Mr. Barrington" merely entertainment, or do you hope viewers take something from the film, even if that something is the desire to see it again?

Packard: ‘Entertainment’ can mean so many things! For me, entertainment means being fully transported somewhere else for a period of time. This can be a light-hearted experience, as in a musical review, or intense and exciting, as in a thriller, or sorrowful, as in a heavy drama or beautiful piece of music, or all of the above in one evening.

I certainly hope "Mr. Barrington" is entertaining for people in the sense that they are involved on an emotional level throughout. So far, the movie seems to affect people in very personal ways, such as friends or couples who see it together wind up in lengthy discussions (sometimes heated arguments) about what this scene meant, or what was going on in that scene, or how they felt when this happened -- and "How could you have felt THAT?" -- and that is exactly as we would like it. And, yes, lots of people have gone right back in to see it again, which is of course the best situation of all!

JM: You've both been in Maine since at least 1988 when you founded The Originals theatre troupe. What unique characteristics does New England offer to filmmaking?

Packard: Aside from the obvious beauty and variety of locations, we have everything we need to make good movies here. Our crew base is strong, we have no shortage of excellent actors, we have major literary figures in our midst at all times, first-class training on the various aspects of film production (in Rockport and Boston) and plenty of capable producers, directors, cinematographers, and musicians.

And there's plenty of money -- it's just a matter of helping people to realize that film is a viable industry for our area. I have witnessed while developing our projects a prevailing assumption that it's impossible to make a movie locally and have it go anywhere or be seen by anyone. There is a general attitude that the cards are stacked against us, and that the whole enterprise is basically futile.

I think a well-kept secret is that movie-making is extremely difficult and demanding no matter where it is done. The difference between Hollywood and New England (though this is changing) is that people here will tend to believe that the difficulty has something to do with an inherent limitation based on geography, because that's what Hollywood wants everyone to think. If people around the country realized that movies can be made right where they are, tinsel town's mystique would dim considerably. I have no desire to bring down the house, but we who want to make movies need to remind ourselves and each other that it's just a hard, crazy thing to do, and that famous stars in Hollywood are beating themselves up and being beaten up just like we are to get their projects to the screen.

JM: Without giving movie spoilers, of course, are there favorite moments that each of you have in the film?

Porter: Scene 55 - the first night porch scene with Lila and Barrington. I love everything about it -- dialogue, acting, music. I think it's a very creepy scene.

Packard: I like that scene, too. The birthday scene is particularly disquieting for me. I like the final porch scene with Lila and Samuel, and I'm fond of the final few minutes of the movie.

Jim Mentink is a writer living in Maine. He maintains a website for his writing at http://home.earthlink.net/~jmentink/main