Mariah? Warm. Professional. Focused. Funny. And tall.
Interview with Tennessee Screenwriter Russell Schaumburg
Mariah Daily Journal is pleased to bring you an exclusive interview with
Russell Schaumburg, the screenwriter for Mariah's upcoming film
Tennessee which premieres at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday. A project several years in the making, Schaumburg tells MariahDaily.com about how
Tennessee came to life, his work with Mariah Carey on the film, and some of the ins and outs of being a screenwriter.
Born in St. Louis, MO but raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, it's no surprise that Russell Schaumburg decided to set the film in the quiet simplicity of his home state.
Schaumburg majored in anthropology/ pre-med at Northwestern University, but nurtured a passion for theater and entertainment and headed to Los Angeles after graduation. While attending law school in LA, he spent many classes sketching out ideas for screenplays, including what he says was "a large chunk" of
Tennessee. Knowing his passions lied elsewhere and after being voted "Least Likely to Practice Law", Schaumburg skipped the bar exam to become a full time writer.
He has worked on a variety of projects for both the big and small screen, picking up several writing accolades along the way like being placed in the Top 50 Finalists in the Chesterfield Writer's Film Project for his screenplay
The Man In the Woods and being a Semi-Finalist in the AMPAS Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting for
Noah's Light.
Tennessee is Schaumburg's first produced screenplay. What may have been luck at first - Producer Lee Daniels (
Monster's Ball,
The Woodsman) received the screenplay from their mutual manager, Brad Kaplan - has turned into a full feature film with a promising young director, Aaron Woodley (Winner of the 2003 Discovery Award at the Toronto Film Festival for
Rhinoceros Eyes), and a prestigious premiere at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival.
What is it about your home state that inspired you to write a movie script about it?
The people. The landscape. The spirit and pride of the place. To me, the south has this beautiful mystery surrounding it, which makes it an interesting character unto itself.
Was there a specific incident or experience that led to you writing this script?
Nothing too specific. In a general sense, I was heavily influenced by my many road trips between Knoxville and Los Angeles along Interstate 40. I was also interested in writing about a relationship between brothers--and not just any relationship--but something more real and tender and vulnerable. My dad was an amazing man and surgeon, so a lot of my stuff has shades of medicine in it. There are some specific scenes in the movie drawn from my life experiences but the overall story and character and situations are complete fiction. |
Like many independent film projects,
Tennessee took time to get the right mix of cast, crew, and funding (not to mention trying to fit a schedule around Mariah's North American tour) before it even got off the ground. Announced in early 2006 and scheduled to begin shooting that spring, the project didn't begin filming until mid-2007 after several delays, a few rumored actors (James D'Arcy, Bernie Mac), and a promised September '07 premiere. September came and went, but Schaumburg tells us he never doubted the film would be released.
Did you ever worry that it wouldn't see the light of day?
Never. The first time Lee called and told me he wanted to option the script and make the movie, I don't think there was ever any backwards momentum. He put his money where his mouth is every time. Lee is a straight shooter, and every step of the way I just had a gut feeling he was going to make this happen come hell or high water.
Were any of the filming delays script related?
No. But I'm not sure the film was ever "officially delayed." There were various "start dates" thrown out. But I think, as with any film (especially an independent film), those dates are always a moving target. It seems like you are always waiting for a perfect storm of casting, money, locations, etc. And you never know exactly when that will brew.
During the production, were you required to make any changes to the script?
As with every film ever made, whether on a big budget or miniscule one, we lost some scenes during production due to time constraints, etc. But there weren't any big changes, per se, to the script otherwise. Lee is a very instinctual, creative person (and producer) and he didn't really have me change much in pre-production or afterwards.
How involved were you in the making of the film?
I was on-set almost every day but I wouldn't say I had much to do with the actual making of the film. I tried to stay in the wings and observe more than anything. If my input was requested, I gave it. Otherwise, I tried to keep my mouth shut. Aaron (the director) and Lee were pretty great about including me in the process at every turn. |
The decision to cast
Mariah in the film was made by the casting directors, Lee Daniels and Aaron Woodley. Mariah's involvement with the film became public in February 27, 2006 when Variety reported Daniels got the idea to cast her after being impressed with her work in 2002's
WiseGirls.
How did you feel about Mariah Carey getting cast in the film?
I felt great about it. I knew she would kick ass.
Was Mariah's character Krystal originally written as a singer?
Yes. From the very first draft.
How important was it for you to have an actual singer play the role?
I always imagined a singer playing the role. Apparently Aaron and Lee did too.
Did Mariah bring any new facets to the character?
Every facet she brought was new to me. She (like the other actors) had a very strong sense of character before they arrived in New Mexico, and I think her identification with "Krystal" (her character) only deepened as we got into the shoot. When I write a script, I purposely leave lots of room for interpretation. In my opinion, that allows the actors to bring a totally unique perspective to the role and have the confidence to explore the character to see what rings true.
What was your impression of Mariah as a person?
Warm. Professional. Focused. Funny. And tall.
Tell us about Mariah on the movie set. Any funny stories or interesting experiences?
She was, like all the actors (and crew), ready, willing and able to get down and dirty to shoot a low-budget indie film in 23 days during one of the harshest winters in New Mexico history. Given the circumstances, she (and everyone else) was a rock star. |
In a July 2006 interview, Schaumburg described his Mariah-related dream: "Well, I'd like for her to do a private concert at the Tennessee Theatre for me and 1,000 of my closest friends," he says with a laugh. Less than a year later, the dream became a reality and Russell found himself on stage with Mariah.
You are credited with a cameo appearance in the film. What can you tell us about it?
A few days before principal photography was slated to begin, Lee called me up and told me he wanted me to play a role in the movie. I was totally flattered. He mentioned several parts he thought I would be right for and then he made me audition! Literally, I stayed up late that night learning lines for five different roles--even though I wrote those lines. It was pretty surreal. Our New Mexico casting director put me on tape for each role and Lee cast me as he saw fit. I play the host of the open mic night in which Mariah plays and sings the song she co-wrote with Willie Nelson. Needless to say, it was pretty cool to share the stage (quite literally) with MC. That probably won't ever happen again.
What is it like seeing a scene you wrote come to life through the actors? Did any of them change significantly?
Completely addictive. The whole shoot was an out-of-body experience for me. Just a freakin' blast from beginning to end.
Incredibly, there weren't that many significant changes. Like I said before, we didn't shoot every scene; but if we did, the scenes stayed fairly true. The biggest exception would be when Aaron had to make an adjustment here or there due to normal movie-making constraints or due to his own creative interpretation, of course.
What was your reaction when you found out the film's world premiere would take place in the Tribeca Film Festival?
I was completely honored. Even though the film is a rural road movie about two brothers from Tennessee and a waitress from Texas, I feel like Tribeca is a homecoming of sorts. Lee, Mariah, Adam Rothenberg ("Carter") and Ethan Peck ("Ellis") all have strong connections to Lower Manhattan. And the first time Lee called me regarding the script, he was sitting in his office in Harlem. In a way, the whole process has come full circle, and I can't think of a better spot to premiere the film than where it all began. |
What's next for Russell? "In general, I lean toward dramas. But I have dabbled in romantic comedy." He says there are plenty of other actors and directors he'd like to work with in the future: Billy Bob Thornton, Sean Penn, Tim Robbins, Walter Salles, Catherine Hardwicke, Niki Caro, Clint Eastwood, Peter Hedges, Gus Van Sant, Thandie Newton and Jodie Foster, just to name a few. "Of course," he adds, "the
Tennessee gang: Mariah, Adam Rothenberg, Ethan Peck, and Lance Reddick."
With
Tennessee, Russell Schaumburg promises to bring the subtle mystery of the south to life alongside an emotional journey. Early reviews have already praised his "touching story" (Liz Smith, The NY Post) and we wish him and the film the best of luck at the Tribeca Film Festival.
Thank you again to Russell for the interview and his manager Chris Ridenhour for the arrangements.
