Press On

"Keep pressing on. When one person makes it, others see that maybe they can do it, too." Line that was never used from a screen play I wrote called The Extras.

Journal note. Dec 19, 1993

1993 was an interesting year. A big Hollywood production came to town and filmed Iron Will, a Disney flick with a number of mid-range stars along with the up-and-coming Kevin Spacey. Like hundreds of others, I got involved with the film as an extra and became mesmerized by the experience. While in the holding area during the shooting of the ballroom scene, I introduced myself to Robert Schwartz, one of the producers, seeking an opportunity to pitch a movie idea.

Mr. Schwartz listened and said that if I wrote up a ten to twelve page proposal he would read it. In point of fact, when the film was a wrap, and everyone had returned to Hollywood, he called me to say that if I wrote the screen play, he would read that, too. Thus began the distracting traipse along the garden path that led to three screen plays and a lot of diverted energies.

Such is the power of Hollywood, to fire up our dreams and then to let us down. Mr. Schwartz did read my work and said "it was good"... but that to make it in Hollywood you really have to BE in Hollywood. With a young family and a secure job, it seemed just a little too much risk to trade my little piece of paradise in Northern Minnesota for a small stash of fools gold.

Albeit, the dream was motivational. I became a dues paying member of the screen writers' guild, I produced a lot of work and my second screen play was actually quite powerful. (Uprooted: The Ralph Kand Story) The Disney producer said so himself. But my agent had difficulty finding it a home and like the early mists on a Minnesota highway, those dreams quickly evaporated in the light of day.