ST CHARLES, Mo. — One St. Louis family who founded Mercury Films 14 years ago is hoping that sharing their story to pave the way for more Missouri film crews and casts.
5 On Your Side's Annie Krall sat down with the Lawing family behind the scenes of the 1980s coming-of-age story, Greg's Going to Rehab, being filmed in St. Charles on Sunday.
Writer and director Chris Lawing calls The Hill home now after moving from San Francisco about twenty years ago. Chris met his wife Angie Lawing, a Sunset Hills native, in a video production class at the University of Kansas in the 1990s.
"He was my best friend before he was my husband," Angie said. "We share a love of storytelling."
After working on thousands of projects together, they're now using Lindenwood University and St. Charles High School as backdrops for their latest film.
"It’s not going to be the first or last large production that’s happened in St. Louis," Angie said. "We just don’t get as many at bats as cities that do film as a profession."
Mercury Films' synopsis of Greg's Going to Rehab reads:
"In the film, Greg Walker is a sixteen-year-old metalhead on a mission to see the concert of a lifetime - Ozzy/Metallica. But his failing grades, disappointed parents, excessive partying, and an angry senior could derail that plan. The solution? A quick stint in rehab so he can dodge the senior, get his parents off his back and get out in time for the show."
"A lot of people that are talented behind the scenes here don't have enough work to keep them busy," Angie said when asked about the opportunities in the St. Louis movie-making business. "So, they leave. Even our on-camera talent, here there is not enough productions for people to have that many days as a SAG actor or actress. So, we pull from other markets."
Still, the Lawings are bringing the project to life with the help of their three children: Hélène, Emily, and Chris Jr. who all grew up in St. Louis.
Lawings family affair
"It's great to see my oldest Hélène, she's an associate producer and the first AD (assistant director), it's great to see her run the show," Chris said. "Not necessarily when she's mad at dad for being disorganized. It's also great for my youngest who's going to KU{The University of Kansas} to study film to work in the grip and electric department to learn from seasoned professionals before he goes to college."
The project boasts an exciting cast of characters with actors like Dot-Marie Jones from Glee, Saylor Bell Curda from High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and stars Cameron Mann from Mare of Easttown. Also attracting Jack Falahee to the feature film who has gotten applause for his role on How to Get Away with Murder.
"I think one of the things that's really exciting about a production like this is that it's really relying on the community of St. Louis," Falahee said. "There are so many people that are students at the college that we're filming at or locals that it's their first, second, or third film project."
Chris told 5 On Your Side that making an independent film is a "herculean effort" helped by both the cast and crew working quickly and efficiently to get the 17-day shoot done.
"There are a lot of family and friends that are lending hands and I think that bleeds into production," Falahee said. "This at it's core is a coming of age story that follows a group of young people that are overcoming addiction and adversity."
The film's writer adding it also helps to have a daughter you can trust as your second-in-command in an assistant director/associate producer role.
Hélène shared that some of her biggest responsibilities include keeping the crew on schedule.
Hélène said, "I'm Type A so I feel like that kind of stuff is what I like to do and what I'm good at."
Chris Junior is the Lawing's youngest and will be studying film as well as creative writing this fall at the University of Kansas. Walking in the footsteps of his parents who both studied the subjects extensively at KU.
When asked about the movie's messaging from the semi-autobiographical film about his dad, Chris Jr. said, "it's good to learn about someone you care about so much."
"It'll be pretty cool to watch after all the post production," the Saint Louis University High School May 2024 graduate Chris Jr. added.
As the only son in the family, Chris Jr. is also picking up the torch from his sisters. Emily, who acted in a small part on Greg's Going to Rehab is currently studying film at KU. Hélène is planning to continue working for her parent's company ideally as a producer since graduating in 2022 from University of Central Florida.
Looking back on the major themes of the film and the decade of the '80s, used as an additional character to the storyline, "it's funny," Angie said.
"I joke, would Chris and I be friends if we met in the '80s?" Angie said. "I was preppy. I ran 14 clubs. We were in such different worlds. I loved Whitney Houston and the Karate Kid and he was banging around to Metallica."
"Now I look up and I'm in my mid-50s and we're ready to be empty nesters and I'm like 'wow what a ride.' " Chris said.
The St. Charles film will be in production until the end of June.
Chris tells us that their goal is to have a finished product ready to go to film festivals by the end of the year or early 2025.