The Saline Reporter
A Heritage Newspaper
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More Barrymore buzz around town
Film production company sets up offices in Saline
By Sue G. Collins, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: June 19, 2008
Actress Drew Barrymore is making her directorial debut on a film that will be shot, in part, in and around Saline this summer. Barrymore's West Hollywood-based production company, Flower Films, set up production offices yesterday in a vacant commercial building in Saline after local leaders campaigned to get Verizon to install phone and cable lines to beat tight deadlines.
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According to Mayor pro tem Alicia Ping, she and Mayor Gretchen Driskell worked for the last two weeks to cut through red tape to keep Saline in the running as a production location by quickly securing Verizon connections, beating out another small town nearby.
"We didn't want this (cable and phone) to hold up our being selected," said Ping. "We cited the new legislation passed in Lansing supporting the film industry here and asked our contacts in Washington to help with Verizon to give our local economy a much-needed boost with this opportunity."
Chris Miller is vice president at Flower Films and came to Saline yesterday
"We're thrilled to be coming there," he told The Saline Reporter. "Our production offices are set up in Saline, we'll be shooting throughout Michigan for most of the summer."
The film, "Whip It" is a screenplay from the young adult novel, "Derby Girl" by Shauna Cross.
Copies were sold out this week at local Borders.
The story follows an indie-rock loving teen from a tiny town in Texas whose mother is pushing her to compete in a beauty pageant. Instead, the young girl finds her soul in a nearby roller derby league, stumbling over reality along the way.
"Juno" star, Ellen Page is starring as the sarcastic misfit in the film.
There may be opportunities for residents to work on the set as extras, according to Miller.
Barrymore, 33, is co-founder of Flower Films, producing ten films since its inception in 1995 including "Music and Lyrics," "Fever Pitch," 50 First Dates" and "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle."
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