Making Calvin Marshall — gary lundgren

Part III

Welcome to the final installment of my short series of reflections on Calvin Marshall. If you missed the previous ones, here are Part I and Part II.

Seeing the film last week in a movie theater was really special, as it’d been over 10 years! This time around I was struck by the sheer scope of the collaboration on so many fronts.

INFLUENCES

First, this was a collaboration with the art-form itself. There were so many films I loved at the time which became touchstones of inspiration. Way too many to name here — but films like Harold & Maude and The Graduate immediately jump to mind.

Calvin is a coming of age dramedy with comedic flourishes. It’s less about playing baseball and more about a kid coming to terms with who he is and how he fits into the world.

Audiences generally expect a sports film when they sit down to watch Calvin Marshall, and they kind of still do. It’s a baseball film which has fairly specific conventions, but we turned them all on their ear. Calvin may get the winning hit in the end, but not as a Bison.

Still, the allure of the game is ever present in the film, and I’m forever grateful that Bill Rowe brought in his OSU studs to make the on field baseball feel as real and potent as possible in comparison to Calvin’s struggles.

BASEBALL

This was also a collaboration with my own experience playing college baseball.

College baseball in the 90’s was where I saw this Bobby Knight coaching style first hand. A style that, thankfully, is going away.

I saw so many players come out to California — from all over the country — to try out for our team. At the time, it was mind blowing for me to see the gap between high school and college talent.

Like Calvin, their identities were wrapped up in being ballplayers. To see so many turned away and cut from the team always stayed with me.

This story is a collaboration with the hierarchy of sports. At some point, we all walk away from the game.

*Jeremy Sumpter as Caselli and Steve Zahn as Coach Little*

POST-PRODUCTION

Finding the right pace and tone was such a fun part of the filmmaking process, and I have to thank David Raines, John Askew and Mark Goldblatt for their incredible collaboration.

David brought the sound of this film to such a satisfying place. I knew what he was capable of after working on Wow and Flutter together. Our collaboration on sound design even impacted how the picture edit evolved. Reels were unlocked as we worked, and I learned so much from David — how sound helped tell the story. And how it ultimately shaped some of the dialogue we cut and lines we added during our ADR and looping sessions.

John’s score is unique, playful and dynamic. These music cues are forever connected to Calvin’s dream, and I’m forever grateful for his talents. And the needle drop songs we selected together still feel inspired — from Jandek to The National to The Church to The Sound. A soundtrack that still sounds great and took a long time to license and put together. Here’s a :30 spot I cut for it back in the day.

It’s a soundtrack that is also officially and contractually out of print. We do still have some copies on hand from its first and only print run that are up in our store now.

And Mark’s years of experience as a film editor helped me see things I couldn’t at the time, down to the frame. He gently collaborated with me for three weeks on tightening the film. What an education and mentorship.

*Alex Frost, Gary Lundgren, Annie Lundgren and Steve Zahn on our very last day of filming*

I am forever grateful for our crew and our actors. Thanks to Alex, Michelle, Steve and our entire supporting cast who made a movie with us in Southern Oregon back in November and December of 2007 — filmed over 26 days, fifteen years ago. ❤️