“Childish Things,” a Maine indie movie, premieres this Wednesday at Black Bear Cinemas. The filmmakers are in town and ready to share their passion project with students.
Produced by Cassidy Pictures, the mockumentary-style movie showcases a teal bus that travels from South Portland, Maine to Los Angeles, California. In it, a 30-year old musician (Nick) unexpectedly connects with a free-spirited woman (Julie). He embarked on this road trip to get rid of youthful tendencies, the first being the retirement of his beloved tour bus. Despite an original plan to marry his longtime girlfriend, who wishes he would grow up, Nick grapples with a change of heart.
“This movie, thematically, is about growing up, but what does it mean to grow up? It’s about not necessarily conforming to someone else’s idea of what that means, for you to sort of find that for yourself,” said Cash Cassidy, “Childish Things” writer and cameraman.
Lead actors Nick Cassidy and Guinevere Berthelot, who plays Julie, improvised dialogue, even with characters who the audience meets along the way. Berthelot is the only cast member who the Cassidy Brothers didn’t know beforehand as a friend or family member, which played well into the dynamic of the two leads meeting for the first time, making it feel natural when watching them get acquainted.
Cash Cassidy, who filmed the entire movie with his camera, took inspiration from his older brother, who showed an early interest in acting and Youtube. The two went on to collaborate on smaller projects as adults before developing the idea for “Childish Things.”
The team filmed over the course of one week using an $8,400 budget. With small-scale production came lessons that made the experience particularly fruitful for Cash Cassidy. He noted that using a brand new camera made the project a learning experience. In the midst of filming, for instance, he discovered it was possible to adjust exposure mid shot, and goes on to do so the rest of the movie.
“You don’t have to know everything about everything to be able to go out and do this. You’re going to learn so much just by doing it, and you’re going to figure it all out along the way,” said Cassidy.
He added that the company worked within its means to tell the story, eliciting help from friends. The characters they come across in New York and Denver are old friends of Nick Cassidy. The family they visit in Vermont is his actual family. The real-life connection helped establish convincing relationships.
Tyler Brown served as the only crew for the movie. Just ten feet away from any given scene, he focused primarily on the audio and recording. Brown’s other notable contribution was building the bus that served as the consistent setting.
Of the many rewarding aspects of working on this film, Brown felt that being able to share his nomadic living style with viewers is special. He encourages people to live as they choose and embark on spirited journeys.
According to Cash Cassidy, they packed out a theater at the Nickelodeon Cinemas in Portland, welcoming over 100 people. He hopes for a similar turnout at Black Bear Cinemas on Sept. 16. With it being Free Movie Wednesday, provided by UMaine Student Government, students can get in for free.
The teal bus used in the movie will be parked outside for those interested in touring the space. Cash Cassidy hopes that the community will come out to see the first “true indie film showing” at Black Bear Cinemas.
