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A swingin' set
(6 comments; last comment posted September 26, 2007 05:38 pm)
Hundreds of Santa Fe residents gathered at the Rodeo Grounds to be extras in a movie starring Kevin Costner on Sept. 21, 2007.<br />Natalie Guillen/The New Mexican
By DAVID MILES | Washington Post
September 22, 2007
Kevin Costner's movie shoot and promised performance lures hundreds to rodeo grounds
More than 1,000 people showed up at the Santa Fe Rodeo Grounds on Friday night for a taste of Hollywood as extras in Kevin Costner's political comedy Swing Vote and a chance to listen to Costner's band, Modern West.
The rodeo grounds were transformed into the site of a presidential debate for the film, complete with red, white and blue bunting, fake news vans and a sign saying: ``you.net presents The Final Debate.'' A helicopter periodically buzzed overhead to film scenes for the movie, while crew members used a bullhorn to bark instructions to extras.
``It's a different thing to do on Friday night,'' said Victoria De La Cruz, who munched on sushi from Trader Joe's while waiting for the show to get under way. De La Cruz, a Santa Fe resident who attended Friday's filming with her husband and son, said she also was an extra in the movie Comanche Moon.
Liz Vance of Albuquerque said she has been an extra in several movies shot in New Mexico, including Bordertown, Suspect Zero and Elvis Has Left the Building. She said she met Costner a few weeks ago when she was an extra while Swing Vote was shooting in Belen.
``It's a fun scene to be around, but I don't really have an idea of being famous,'' Vance said.
Caren Padawer's motivation for coming to the filming was simple. ``I love Kevin Costner,'' she said.
Erin Atkins and Quela Robinson said they attended Friday night's shooting for extra credit in their entertainment-law class at The University of New Mexico School of Law. Atkins credited New Mexico's booming film industry with bringing many jobs to the state. ``That's such a good thing for our state,'' she said.
But Robinson seemed less than impressed with the prospect of seeing Costner. ``The day Don Cheadle comes to this state, I will bow down and pray,'' she said.
In Swing Vote, Costner plays Bud Johnson, an apathetic single father who faces the daunting task of casting the deciding vote in a presidential election that pits Kelsey Grammer as the Republican incumbent against a Democrat played by Dennis Hopper. Costner is producing the movie along with Jim Wilson.
Nathan Lane, George Lopez, Willie Nelson, Judge Reinhold and Stanley Tucci also appear in the movie. Joshua Michael Stern, who wrote and directed the 2005 drama Neverwas, is directing Swing Vote.
The presidential candidates in the movie ``invade'' Johnson's hometown of Texico -- a small New Mexico town just west of Texas -- ``waging war for Bud's vote,'' according to a news release.
Most of Swing Vote was shot in Belen, but the Bataan Memorial Building in Santa Fe was the site of shooting July 30. The first floor of the state-government building was made to look like the White House, while the second floor was transformed into the Washington, D.C., campaign headquarters of Grammer's character.
Extras weren't paid Friday night, but they did get a shot at appearing in Swing Vote. Promoters also promised a free concert by Costner's band, Modern West, which was scheduled to perform around 11 p.m.
Participants also received free raffle tickets for door prizes that included a fishing boat and trailer; two trips to the Richard Petty Driving Experience in Las Vegas, Nev.; two other trips to Las Vegas; and two trips to Disneyland.
The State Investment Council in June approved a $15 million state loan for Swing Vote, which has a $20 million budget. Under the terms of the no-interest loan, New Mexico will receive 8.5 percent of any profits the film makes after paying its production costs.
