Two strangers meet on their children’s campus tour at the idyllic Middleton College. Failing comically to connect with their kids, George and Edith play hooky together, ditching the official tour for a carefree adventure reminiscent of their own college years. But what begins as an afternoon of fun soon becomes a revealing and enlightening experience that will change their lives forever.
At Middleton is an American romantic comedy film directed by Adam Rodgers and starring Vera Farmiga, Andy García, Taissa Farmiga, and Spencer Lofranco. Written by Glenn German and Adam Rodgers, the film is about a man and a woman who meet and fall in love while taking their children on a college tour. The film premiered at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 17, 2013. It was released in a limited release and through video on demand providers on January 31, 2014 in the United States.
About The Production
Years ago, when director / co-writer Adam Rodgers was on a tour of colleges with his father, he met a girl whose quirky exuberance absolutely captivated him. So much so, he followed her off the tour and together, they spent a few hours alone wandering the campus and bonding over their shared experience. It always felt like the seed of a movie, but then there was a key “what if” moment. What if it were the two parents who left the tour and shared a magical few hours together? Five years later, Andy Garcia and Vera Farmiga beautifully brought to life “George Hartman” and “Edith Martin,” two wildly different personalities whose paths cross at idyllic Middleton College.
It was crucial to find just the right setting that could serve as a backdrop to this unexpected romance, and the filmmakers found what they were looking for in Eastern Washington. Gonzaga College in Spokane, and Washington State University in Pullman have been seamlessly stitched together to create the fictional Middleton. North by Northwest Productions, a full-service production company located in Spokane, was also instrumental in bringing the film to Washington. “It really is one-stop shopping,” says co-writer and producer Glenn German. “Having produced nearly 40 movies over the last ten or so years, they have or have access to every resource you could possibly need to realize your vision as filmmakers.”
In addition to playing the lead, Andy Garcia also came on board as a producer and was instrumental in attracting several key creatives. Director of Photography Emmanuel Kadosh served as cinematographer on two previous Garcia projects, Modigliani and The Lost City. His commitment to the use of natural light was a perfect fit for the film set on campus. Composing the score for the film is jazz legend Arturo Sandoval. Garcia played Sandoval in the HBO film The Arturo Sandoval Story, and Sandoval won an Emmy for that film’s score.
Producer Sig Libowitz, a former executive at Good Machine, Film Four and Paramount, was well-versed in navigating the world of independent filmmaking. Glenn and Adam’s screenplay was the key. The honesty and humanity of their story and characters attracted Andy, Vera and everyone else to the movie – which was vital since we were indie-financed. Everyone pulled together and created a close and collegial set, which helped allow the romance to come to life.”
Having only twenty days to shoot a behavioral feature film can be daunting, but Rodgers had a very specific vision about what he wanted the movie to be. Within the framework of the story, he allowed the actors freedom to fully realize these multi-dimensional characters. “I still have a 20 year-old piece of scratch paper from NYU, something someone told me about directing – ‘Drive the car, but with a loose grip on the wheel.’ You can’t storyboard chemistry, and having the kind of acting talent we were lucky enough to attract made my job a pleasure.”
At Middleton
Directed by: Adam Rodgers
Starring: Andy Garcia, Vera Farmiga, Taissa Farmiga, Spencer Lofranco, Peter Rieger, Tom Skerritt, Mirjana Jokovic, Daniella Garcia-Lorido
Screenplay by: Glenn German, Adam Rodgers
Production Design by: Vincent DeFelice
Cinematography by: Emmanuel Kadosh
Film Editing by: Suzy Elmiger
Costume Design by: Lisa Caryl-Vukas
Set Decoration by: Debbie Dahlstrom
Music by: Arturo Sandoval
MPAA Rating: R for drug use and brief sexuality.
Studio: Anchor Bay Films
Release Date: January 31, 2014
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