First Film:
by Roger Rose
Touching Home is the debut film of identical 28 year-old twins, Logan and Noah Miller of Marin County. Deeply rooted in their lives as a personal narrative about the forgotten working class, the film is ultimately a reflection on one man’s life – and creates a timeless sort of Americana. Though they lived with their mother, the twins still spent time with their father, who was an alcoholic. The topsy-turvy quality of his life presented interesting challenges for the pair growing up, and the battle with his addictions represents a universal struggle. Touching Home captures the Millers’ struggle taking place in Northern California, but it could be ‘Anywhere USA.’
CineSource sat down with the self-taught twins, who are the writers, producers, directors and stars of this strong debut film, at the San Francisco Film Society. Since the Miller Brothers cannot be told apart, and in their passionate enthusiasm they often finish (or start) each others sentences, here are their collective answers.
What were the unique challenges you faced growing up with an alcoholic father?
Uncertainty. You have to deal with a lot of uncertainty. And fear, fear about whether he’d be drinking or not, and if he was, then what was he going to be like and what was going to happen. You develop a bizarre sense of diplomacy and learn how to deal with extremely irrational behavior. It’s hard on a kid… That’s probably why we’re so disciplined. We need routine and consistency. We can be spontaneous, for sure, but we prefer structure over long periods. It’s the only way to get things done.
We study and work on our craft every day. It’s our addiction.
Your drive to work hard brought your story to the screen.
Yes, but it started out of great tragedy. Our father was homeless for a while, even while working at the quarry every day. But he never had any money. As kids, it was frustrating and painful to live with our Dad’s drinking. This film was born out of our father passing away and a life that was lived with very much difficulty over years. We began writing this story as a screenplay while our dad was still alive.
Was film a part of your early life?
Yeah, our dad had a real love of movies. Weekends, he’d take us to the old Fairfax Theater that was pretty run-down at that time. Movies were our escape just like baseball was our escape. When the possibility of a baseball career ended for us, we wanted to do something with our lives that we loved. We’re both dreamers. We had lofty goals. We knew we wanted to make a film.
Many places in the film seem familiar to me.
I’m not surprised. We shot all over West Marin, in Fairfax, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Nicasio, Lagunitas, Forest Knolls, and Petaluma. Our dad slept in the back of his truck at Samuel P. Taylor camp grounds.
I thought I knew Marin, but I felt like I was viewing the beauty of Wyoming. There’s so much unspoiled splendor just over the bridge.
We wanted to capture the pastoral landscape we grew up with. Most of the scenes were shot at the actual locations of our past. The undercurrent of our story is reminiscent of a bygone era. There are no cell phones, no computers, and nothing to tie the characters to any specific time. We were lucky to shoot the Monte Rio Bridge in the Russian River, and used the working quarry in Nicasio extensively. Our dad never went east of San Rafael for the last 20 years of his life.
How did the award of a Panavision New Filmmaker Grant launch your project?
It was phenomenal. We were stumbling over our pitch when Ric Halpern, their program director, stopped us midway to tell us our story needed to be told. It was one of those rare moments when you realize your life is changed. We had already written the script, and we knew people would question our lack of experience, unless we could pull a trailer together. The grant allowed use of a Panavision camera with primo anamorphic lenses for one year. We put together a two-minute trailer in an Arizona shoot; that became our calling card.
As two unknowns, how did you get Ed Harris interested in your project?
We ambushed him. We learned Ed was giving an interview (for the 2006 SFIFF) at the Castro Theatre, so we drove to the City with our laptop loaded with the trailer. We had no financing and no offer on the table but, we were determined. Working our way backstage, we met up with Ed, and talked him into viewing our trailer. We ended up in the side alley with our laptop perched on a dumpster.
How did you select Ed to play your dad?
He was always our number-one guy. As kids, we would see him in films, and he would always remind us of our dad. He has an intensity and a certain range. We wrote a very demanding role, and he played it beautifully. We could not ask for a better human being. Ed told us, “I am here to help you guys realize your dream. Whatever you guys need from me, just ask. I know what you guys are up against and I am here for you.” When we heard that, so much of our pressure just blew away.
How did you lure Gordon Radley (former LucasFilm president) onboard as executive producer?
We met Gordon through a close friend. We got into a little legal trouble when we signed a bad contract. Gordon gave us some good legal advice, and, once he came into our lives, we wouldn’t let him go.
It seems you had help come in unusual ways from remarkable people.
Yeah, we were lucky. Our line producer, Jeromy Zajonc, brought in his dad, the famous helicopter pilot ‘Bobby Z’ (Robert Zajonc) to work his aerial wonders, and he did. It was a grand project where a lot of great people jumped on board, and added a lot of production value. South Bay Helicopter and SpaceCam each donated a day.
The sound mix is tremendous.
Who was working with you?
We had an excellent team. We had Richard Hymns (winner of three Academy Awards) as Supervising Sound Editor, and we had the talents of both Chris Boyes and Mark Berger as re-recording Mixers. They had a good understanding of what we wanted. The sounds of quarry machines, the crack of the bat, or cleats on metal – these sounds create the environment. We really owe a lot to the work of Sound Ranger (Randy Lawson). They all brought years of expertise to polish the post-production. The sound was the serenity of the outdoors juxtaposed with the cacophony at the quarry. We could only afford a half-day of
ADR. All the rest was recorded live with great technique.
Your DP seems to really get baseball.
Actually, Ricardo (Gale) knew nothing about baseball. It was a blessing because it made him fearless. He would put the camera in positions that could have been dangerous. The speed of some of those baseballs was enough to really hurt someone. The pitch was sometimes in the high 80s, and the batted hits went over a 100 miles per hour.
I heard you set up a little Skywalker editing circle, how did that happen?
We hadn’t run our mix yet; it was just picture and we had another two weeks of editing work ahead. Robert Dalva, our Editor, brought his USC buddy, Walter Murch, to a screening we had at Skywalker Ranch. Murch thought the movie was terrific and he gave us great notes to use on our mix. We were so fortunate to have Walter Murch sit with us, and that was one of the highlights of the entire filmmaking process.We learned so much from the sages we were lucky to work with. One of our early precepts was: “Surround yourself with gray hair, and listen to them.”
You’ve used the word ‘catharsis’ to describe the film.
We never had a chance to say goodbye to our father, to reconcile our pain and love for him. Over the years we tried to help him, but in the end, he couldn’t free himself from the grip of alcohol. It killed him. And we witnessed his slow death. Making Touching Home gave us a better sense of closure. He was on our mind, in our thoughts for a year straight. It caused us to reflect deeply on his life, on our lives with him. It gave us a better understanding, forced us to explore some of the thoughts and battles he struggled with. We miss him very much.
Roger Rose is a longtime SF writer with an interest in fine art, dance, theatre, and film. He serves as a Trustee on several non-profit boards, and is an active and effective fundraiser.
Posted on May 02, 2008 - 01:51 PM
by Roger Rose
Touching Home is the debut film of identical 28 year-old twins, Logan and Noah Miller of Marin County. Deeply rooted in their lives as a personal narrative about the forgotten working class, the film is ultimately a reflection on one man’s life – and creates a timeless sort of Americana. Though they lived with their mother, the twins still spent time with their father, who was an alcoholic. The topsy-turvy quality of his life presented interesting challenges for the pair growing up, and the battle with his addictions represents a universal struggle. Touching Home captures the Millers’ struggle taking place in Northern California, but it could be ‘Anywhere USA.’CineSource sat down with the self-taught twins, who are the writers, producers, directors and stars of this strong debut film, at the San Francisco Film Society. Since the Miller Brothers cannot be told apart, and in their passionate enthusiasm they often finish (or start) each others sentences, here are their collective answers.
What were the unique challenges you faced growing up with an alcoholic father?
Uncertainty. You have to deal with a lot of uncertainty. And fear, fear about whether he’d be drinking or not, and if he was, then what was he going to be like and what was going to happen. You develop a bizarre sense of diplomacy and learn how to deal with extremely irrational behavior. It’s hard on a kid… That’s probably why we’re so disciplined. We need routine and consistency. We can be spontaneous, for sure, but we prefer structure over long periods. It’s the only way to get things done.
We study and work on our craft every day. It’s our addiction.
Your drive to work hard brought your story to the screen.
Yes, but it started out of great tragedy. Our father was homeless for a while, even while working at the quarry every day. But he never had any money. As kids, it was frustrating and painful to live with our Dad’s drinking. This film was born out of our father passing away and a life that was lived with very much difficulty over years. We began writing this story as a screenplay while our dad was still alive.
Was film a part of your early life?
Yeah, our dad had a real love of movies. Weekends, he’d take us to the old Fairfax Theater that was pretty run-down at that time. Movies were our escape just like baseball was our escape. When the possibility of a baseball career ended for us, we wanted to do something with our lives that we loved. We’re both dreamers. We had lofty goals. We knew we wanted to make a film.
Many places in the film seem familiar to me.
I’m not surprised. We shot all over West Marin, in Fairfax, Samuel P. Taylor State Park, Nicasio, Lagunitas, Forest Knolls, and Petaluma. Our dad slept in the back of his truck at Samuel P. Taylor camp grounds.
I thought I knew Marin, but I felt like I was viewing the beauty of Wyoming. There’s so much unspoiled splendor just over the bridge.
We wanted to capture the pastoral landscape we grew up with. Most of the scenes were shot at the actual locations of our past. The undercurrent of our story is reminiscent of a bygone era. There are no cell phones, no computers, and nothing to tie the characters to any specific time. We were lucky to shoot the Monte Rio Bridge in the Russian River, and used the working quarry in Nicasio extensively. Our dad never went east of San Rafael for the last 20 years of his life.
How did the award of a Panavision New Filmmaker Grant launch your project?
It was phenomenal. We were stumbling over our pitch when Ric Halpern, their program director, stopped us midway to tell us our story needed to be told. It was one of those rare moments when you realize your life is changed. We had already written the script, and we knew people would question our lack of experience, unless we could pull a trailer together. The grant allowed use of a Panavision camera with primo anamorphic lenses for one year. We put together a two-minute trailer in an Arizona shoot; that became our calling card.
As two unknowns, how did you get Ed Harris interested in your project?
We ambushed him. We learned Ed was giving an interview (for the 2006 SFIFF) at the Castro Theatre, so we drove to the City with our laptop loaded with the trailer. We had no financing and no offer on the table but, we were determined. Working our way backstage, we met up with Ed, and talked him into viewing our trailer. We ended up in the side alley with our laptop perched on a dumpster. How did you select Ed to play your dad?
He was always our number-one guy. As kids, we would see him in films, and he would always remind us of our dad. He has an intensity and a certain range. We wrote a very demanding role, and he played it beautifully. We could not ask for a better human being. Ed told us, “I am here to help you guys realize your dream. Whatever you guys need from me, just ask. I know what you guys are up against and I am here for you.” When we heard that, so much of our pressure just blew away.
How did you lure Gordon Radley (former LucasFilm president) onboard as executive producer?
We met Gordon through a close friend. We got into a little legal trouble when we signed a bad contract. Gordon gave us some good legal advice, and, once he came into our lives, we wouldn’t let him go.
It seems you had help come in unusual ways from remarkable people.
Yeah, we were lucky. Our line producer, Jeromy Zajonc, brought in his dad, the famous helicopter pilot ‘Bobby Z’ (Robert Zajonc) to work his aerial wonders, and he did. It was a grand project where a lot of great people jumped on board, and added a lot of production value. South Bay Helicopter and SpaceCam each donated a day.
The sound mix is tremendous.
Who was working with you?
We had an excellent team. We had Richard Hymns (winner of three Academy Awards) as Supervising Sound Editor, and we had the talents of both Chris Boyes and Mark Berger as re-recording Mixers. They had a good understanding of what we wanted. The sounds of quarry machines, the crack of the bat, or cleats on metal – these sounds create the environment. We really owe a lot to the work of Sound Ranger (Randy Lawson). They all brought years of expertise to polish the post-production. The sound was the serenity of the outdoors juxtaposed with the cacophony at the quarry. We could only afford a half-day of
ADR. All the rest was recorded live with great technique.
Your DP seems to really get baseball.
Actually, Ricardo (Gale) knew nothing about baseball. It was a blessing because it made him fearless. He would put the camera in positions that could have been dangerous. The speed of some of those baseballs was enough to really hurt someone. The pitch was sometimes in the high 80s, and the batted hits went over a 100 miles per hour.
I heard you set up a little Skywalker editing circle, how did that happen?
We hadn’t run our mix yet; it was just picture and we had another two weeks of editing work ahead. Robert Dalva, our Editor, brought his USC buddy, Walter Murch, to a screening we had at Skywalker Ranch. Murch thought the movie was terrific and he gave us great notes to use on our mix. We were so fortunate to have Walter Murch sit with us, and that was one of the highlights of the entire filmmaking process.We learned so much from the sages we were lucky to work with. One of our early precepts was: “Surround yourself with gray hair, and listen to them.”
You’ve used the word ‘catharsis’ to describe the film.
We never had a chance to say goodbye to our father, to reconcile our pain and love for him. Over the years we tried to help him, but in the end, he couldn’t free himself from the grip of alcohol. It killed him. And we witnessed his slow death. Making Touching Home gave us a better sense of closure. He was on our mind, in our thoughts for a year straight. It caused us to reflect deeply on his life, on our lives with him. It gave us a better understanding, forced us to explore some of the thoughts and battles he struggled with. We miss him very much.
Roger Rose is a longtime SF writer with an interest in fine art, dance, theatre, and film. He serves as a Trustee on several non-profit boards, and is an active and effective fundraiser.
Posted on May 02, 2008 - 01:51 PM
