Preliminary press notes for
The Motel
Written & directed by Michael Kang
starring
Jeffrey Chyau
Sung Kang
Jade Wu
Samantha Futerman
PRESS CONTACT:SALES CONTACT:
JEREMY WALKER + ASSOC.Steven Raphael
Jeremy Walker917-287-1679
917-597-7286
TC.DM & ASSOC.
David Magdael
213-399-1434
THE MOTEL
CAST
ERNEST / JEFFREY CHYAUSAM / SUNG KANG
AHMA / JADE WU
CHRISTINE / SAMANTHA FUTERMAN
GUNG GUNG / STEPHEN CHEN
KATIE / ALEXIS CHANG
ROY / CONOR J. WHITE
JESS / JACKSON BUDINGER
WALTER / CLINT JORDAN
GINA / ELEANOR HUTCHINS
HANK / RON DOMINGO
SHAKIRA / JACKIE NOVA
TOBY / JAKE HOLBROOK
JIMMY / IAN BOYD
CHEAP ASS NAKED MAN / GLEN BRACKENRIDGE
The Motel
Crew
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY / MICHAEL KANGBASED ON THE NOVEL “WAYLAID”
WRITTEN BY / ED LIN
PRODUCED BY / MATTHEW GREENFIELD
MIGUEL ARTETA
GINA KWON
KARIN CHIEN
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS / ESTHER SHAPIRO
RICHARD SHAPIRO
EDIE SHAPIRO
CO-EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / GEORGE HUEY
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY / LISA LEONE
PRODUCTION DESIGNER / ERNESTO SOLO
EDITORS / COLLEEN SHARP
DAVID LEONARD
COSTUME DESIGNER / SARAH BEERS
MUSIC BY / NATHAN LARSON
CASTING DIRECTOR / SUSAN SHOPMAKER
MUSIC SUPERVISOR / MARGARET YEN
KEY HAIR/MAKE-UP / LEO WON
SOUND EDITOR / STEVE BORNE
SOUND MIXER / REILLY STEELE
UNIT PRODUCTION MANAGER / JAMIN O'BRIEN
1ST ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / CECILY KASTON
PRODUCTION LEGAL / SPINAK & GRAY
Short Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Ernest Chin lives and works at a sleazy hourly-rate motel on a strip of desolate suburban bi-way. Misunderstood by his family and blindly careening into puberty, Ernest befriends Sam Kim, a self-destructive yet charismatic Korean American man who has checked in. Sam teaches the fatherless boy all the rites of manhood.
Synopsis
Thirteen-year-old Ernest lives and works at a sleazy hourly-rate motel on a strip of desolate suburban bi-way with his Mother, his Grandfather and his little sister. This is the family business.
Even though he's only thirteen, Ernest has to take on the responsibilities of man of the house since his father has abandoned the family. After school, Ernest cleans all the vacant rooms making sure to sponge off the wet spots on the plastic-sheeted mattresses. He also baby sits his eight-year-old sister Katie whose playground is the parking lot and favorite toy is a dirt-filled headless doll. And at night, Ernest watches the front desk making sure that guests pay for their three-hour check-ins.
Ernest's Mother is a battleaxe of a woman -- running her own business and raising two children makes it hard not to be. When she finds out that her son has lied to her about entering and also winning a short story contest, her punishment to him is to regard the whole matter as a waste of time. In her mind, he wasn’t even good enough to win anyway; he only got Honorable Mention. Underneath her anger lies the fear that Ernest may actually be growing into an individual.
Ernest’s only solace from life at the motel comes in the form of a fifteen-year-old girl named Christine whose family owns the Chinese restaurant down the street. Ernest loves Christine. Christine thinks Ernest is a dork.
And then Sam Kim checks in. Sam, a charismatic Korean American man who has his whole life packed in the trunk of his car, has come to the motel to sleep with as many ethnically diverse prostitutes as possible and hopefully to forget about the crumbling life he left behind. Sam sees himself in Ernest, a boy lost in the worst stages of pre-pubescence with nobody to help guide him. After they bond over a midnight snack of fried chicken, Sam becomes inspired to take Ernest under his wing and teach him the steps to manhood.
Director’s Statement
I made “The Motel” to explore that awkward age when puberty kicks in and suddenly everything has a charged sexual undercurrent. The inspiration for the setting came when I asked myself where would be the worst possible place to put a boy at that age? The answer -- surrounded by the darkest crevices of the world of sex, a sleazy hourly-rate motel. My own awful memories of adolescence were embodied in the character of Ernest, a chubby thirteen-year-old kid with hormones running out of control.
I have always been fascinated with the idea of rites of passage in contemporary America. I created the character of Sam Kim out of the idea of what kind of knowledge I could impart to a boy who was on the road to manhood. I realized that if I had the opportunity to teach a child, I wouldn't do any better than the completely dysfunctional and misguided Sam Kim.
The central struggle between Ernest and his mother Ahma revolving around a story Ernest has written came from wanting to show how not only is it a burgeoning manhood that threatens the relationship between child and parent, but the idea of a child truly expressing oneself. The reality of Ernest becoming a full person separate from his mother is the most threatening aspect of their struggle. Ultimately, both his mother and he just want to be loved but neither is equipped to give it.
My goal in the direction was to maintain a sense of intimacy while giving the story an epic quality. I look to films like “400 Blows” or “My Life As A Dog” as models for this tone. This perspective mirrors the way life feels at thirteen – everything is mythic in its proportions.
Though this is an “Asian American” film, I think what was always most important to me was the idea that the narrative had to be solid in its craft. I have seen too many "ethnic” films that become didactic or forsake story for politics (or worse the story is the politics!). “The Motel” strives for a similar aesthetic and balance as films like “Star Maps” and “Smoke Signals.” Though the film is unapologetically culturally specific, it is only as successful as it is rooted in showing complex characters and telling a complete story.
Most important to me in making this film is to maintain the sense of humor of the story. I have always found humor the most effective way to get a point across. In “The Motel,” the delicate balance in the crafting of the comedy comes from having the humor directly connected to the humanity and vulnerability of the characters. Hopefully, by using comedy, I can gently push the audience to uncomfortable areas they had not anticipated and discover things about themselves.
About the Cast
Jeffrey Chyau (Ernest) – Jeffrey Chyau was born in 1991 in New York City. He grew up in midtown Manhattan where he enjoyed 12 good years of his childhood. He has traveled to many places around the world, including Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. Jeffrey has been involved in show business since a young age. He was offered a role in “Miss Saigon” and a role in the musical “The King and I,” but he was not interested. He has done many commercials, including ones for IBM and the NBA. “The Motel” is Jeffrey’s feature film debut. Jeffrey graduated from P.S.11 elementary school, a school for the gifted and talented and currently attends Middle School 104 while processing his applications to the best New York City high schools.
Sung Kang (Sam) – Originally from Gainesville, GA, Sung Kang began his acting career in Los Angeles with the Friends and Artists Theater Ensemble. His work in experimental theater eventually led to guest starring roles in television and feature films (“Pearl Harbor”, “Antwone Fisher”). Sung makes his second appearance at Sundance this year, his first was in the role of Han in the critically acclaimed film “Better Luck Tomorrow” (2002 dramatic competition).
Jade Wu (Ahma) - In theatre, Jade has worked with veteran directors Blanka Zizka, Alan Schneider, Gerald Gutierrez, Rob Bundy, Liv Cuilei, and Joanne Akalaitis. In film and television, she has worked with Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, Jerry Bruckheimer, Spike Lee, Bronwyn Hughes, Chris Chulack, Uli Edel and Clark Johnson.
Recent television credits include: “The Jury”, “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”, “One Life to Live”, “Homicide: Life on the Streets” and “The Adversaries.” Film credits include: “She Hate Me”, “Enemy of the State”, and “Forces of Nature”.
She was most recently seen Off-Broadway in “Comfort Women” in NY. She has recreated the role of Mother God Damn in the revival of Broadway's “The Shanghai Gesture” and originated the role of Naima in “Barriers”. Last year, Jade was cast in a role written for a Caucasian playing the role of Sharon Bates in “Book of Days” at the Arena Stage in Washington, DC. In the same year she played Sonja Wong Pickford in Chay Yew's “Red” at The Wilma in Philadelphia.
(Originally, Jade's recurring role on ABC's “One Life to Live” was written for a Caucasian named Judith Pinkham. After she auditioned, the role was renamed Judith Chen and she booked the job.)
Jade is also a playwright and theatre director. Her current documentary film “In Search of Golden Phoenix” was an official selection in 2002 IFPMarket's "Spotlight on Docs", finalist in the 2001 Sundance Producers' Conference Workshop, and an official selection as a work-in-progress at the 2001 Asian American International Film Festival. She is a NYSCA Media Arts Awardee and Panelist, Jerome Foundation Fellow and an International Emmy Awards Juror for Acting in a Drama Series. She holds a BS in Biochemistry and an MFA in Theatre for acting, writing and directing.
Samantha Futerman (Christine) – Samantha Futerman has trained for the past five years in Millburn, NJ at the Papermill Playhouse Summer Conservatory. She has also performed on the Papermill stage in “The King and I,” “Miss Saigon,” and “New Voices 2001-2005.” Not only on stage, she has been in various commercials for Nickelodeon and Disney. In the eleventh grade, Samantha transferred from Verona High School in New Jersey to the Professional Performing Arts School in New York City as a musical theater major. She is currently as senior at PPAS, and filming “Memoirs of a Geisha” as the character Satsu.
Alexis Chang (Katie) – Alexis began acting at the age of six when she made her television debut on “Law and Order: Criminal Intent.” Since then she has appeared in numerous commercials and short films. Alexis was delighted to play Katie in her first feature film, “The Motel.”
In addition to acting, Alexis is a competitive gymnast, an avid skier and snowboarder and loves to play soccer with her traveling team, Lightening. She is an 8 year old 3rd grader and likes to read, write stories and draw.
About the Filmmakers
Michael Kang (Writer/Director) - Michael Kang most recently workshopped his screenplay “The Motel” as a Fellow at the Sundance Filmmakers Lab. He also received the Geri Ashur Award in Screenwriting through the New York Foundation for the Arts and won the 24th Annual Asian American International Film Festival Screenplay Competition. His short film “A Waiter Tomorrow” received the FilmCore Post-Production Grant. His film “Japanese Cowboy” was a co-recipient of the Manhattan Community Arts Fund Grant and the Special Jury Prize at Film Fest New Haven. In addition, you may recognize him as the “Delivery Guy” alongside playwright David Henry Hwang in the short film “Asian Pride Porn.”
Miguel Arteta (Producer) - Miguel Arteta’s latest film, “Are You The Favorite Person of Anybody”, a short written by Miranda July and starring John C. Reilly, is an official selection at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival. Arteta’s third feature, “The Good Girl”, premiered at the 2002 SundanceFilm Festival where it was picked up for distribution by Fox Searchlight Pictures. He was recently honored with the 2001 Independent Spirit Award for Best Feature Under $500,000 for his direction of the highly acclaimed “Chuck & Buck”, which teamed Arteta with longstanding producer Matthew Greenfield and “The Good Girl” writer Mike White. Starring White, “Chuck & Buck” was released by Artisan Entertainment and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where Arteta came to prominence in 1997 with his feature debut “Star Maps”. Lauded by critics and audiences alike, “Star Maps” was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures and garnered five Independent Spirit Award nominations, including Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. Arteta made his network television debut directing an episode of "Homicide: Life on the Street" and has also directed episodes of "Freaks and Geeks," "Six Feet Under" and the ABC pilot "Elizabeth Street," produced by Martin Scorsese and Barbara De Fina. After graduating from Wesleyan University, Arteta received an MFA from American Film Institute in 1993. His musical “Every Day Is A Beautiful Day” premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and was nominated for a Student Academy Award in 1990.
Matthew Greenfield (Producer) - Matthew Greenfield is an independent producer whose most recent film, “The Good Girl”, premiered at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival, where it was picked up by Fox Searchlight Pictures. His previous film, “Chuck & Buck”, was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, winning the award for BestFeature Under $500,000. The digitally shot film was produced independentlyand premiered in competition at the Sundance Film Festival where it waspicked up by Artisan. Both “The Good Girl” and “Chuck & Buck” were selected for the Dramatic Competition at the Deauville Film Festival, where “Chuck & Buck” garnered the Best Actor Award. Greenfield's first feature production, “Star Maps”, premiered at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival, where it was picked up for worldwide distribution by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Made independently and based on a story Greenfield wrote with director Miguel Arteta, “Star Maps” was released nationally in July 1997. The film was nominated for five Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Feature and Best First Screenplay. Greenfield was recently named as one of the "Ten Producers to Watch" by Variety.
Gina Kwon(Producer) – Gina Kwon is an independent film producer based in Los Angeles. She recently produced "Me and You and Everyone We Know", a feature film written & directed by Miranda July for IFC Films & Film Four. A 2003 Sundance lab project and winner of the 2004 Sundance/NHK International Filmmaker's Award, "Me and You" will premiere in the dramatic competition at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and will be released theatrically by IFC Films in 2005. Kwon, co-producer of “The Good Girl”, associate producer of "Chuck & Buck", works closely with director Miguel Arteta and producer Matthew Greenfield. In 2003, they produced the independent feature "The Motel" for writer/director Michael Kang (2002 Sundance labs, 2003 Sundance/NHK award winner). “The Motel” will also premiere at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival in the American Spectrum. Kwon is a recipient of the 2004 Mark Silverman/Sundance Fellowship for New Producers, and has recently been nominated for the Bravo/American Express Producers Award at the 2005 IFP Independent Spirit Awards.
Kwon has also produced documentaries for television, working with R.J. Cutler on the series "The Residents" (Co-Producer) and "American High" (Associate Producer), winner of the 2001 Emmy Award for Best Non-Fiction series. Kwon started out in international film distribution, working as Vice President of Myriad Pictures which distributed a library of art house & documentary films.
Karin Chien (Producer) - Karin Chien is an independent film producer based in New York City. Ms. Chien has produced the feature-length films “MVP”, directed by Harry Davis, which premiered at the 2004 Sundance International Film Festival and stars Wood Harris, N’Bushe Wright, and Roger Guenveur Smith, and “Robot Stories”, directed by Greg Pak, winner of 35 film festival awards, which recently wrapped a one-year self-distributed theatrical release. Ms. Chien also serves on the advisory board of the IFP/New York’s Project Involve program, which mentors emerging filmmakers. Prior to producing, Ms. Chien worked in independent film production in New York City as a production coordinator. Before entering film production, Ms. Chien served as operations director of The Bohan Group, the nation’s top due diligence firm in mortgage finance. Ms. Chien earned an M.A. in English from Columbia University and a B.A. in English from the University of California, Berkeley.