[AMC-List] AMCs in the movies

["Jeff Barfield" <jrbarfield@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have known about this for a long time, but have waited to be sure of
everything before posting here.  They are currently filming a movie in
Atlanta called "We Are Marshall".  It is the story of the 1970 plane crash
that killed most of the Marshall University football team and coaching
staff.  The movie mostly focuses on the rebuilding of the football team
after the crash.  Marshall University hired a new coach named Jack Lengyel,
who is portrayed in the movie by Matthew McConaughey.  The important thing
to know for this forum is that in the movie, Jack Lengyel drives a 1969
Javelin.  More specifically a bittersweet orange 1969 Javelin with white
vinyl roof, white side stripes and a 343 auto.  Even more specifically, he
drives my car!

Back in March, I received a call that they were looking for 4 door grocery
getters from the period and asking if I could help find some.  He stated
that they had all of the Camaros and Mustangs that they could use, that they
couldn't have a parking lot filled with nothing but muscle cars.  I then
said "Well if you have all the muscle cars that you need, then you probably
aren't interested in my Javelin" (which had been used as a background car in
a movie before).  He stated that they might be, because at least it was
different from the others.  Then a few weeks later, my cell phone rings at
6:30 in the morning on my way to work, with the Transportation Captain of
the movie telling me that he wants to use my car and that he will be using
it as the "hero car" (meaning that the main character will be driving it).
I thought about it for a nanosecond or so and said "sure".  I had little
success, finding them any other cars coming up with only one non AMC car,
that car was thanks to Jeff Reeves.

The next day they picked up my car and took it to Huntington WV where
Marshall University is located.  They filmed there for 3 weeks and then came
back to Atlanta to finish filming.  I called when they got back here,
knowing how fickle movie people can be, and verified that my car was in fact
being used as the "hero car".  I was assured that it was, and that I could
count on it showing up in the movie.  Of course, you have to understand that
this movie has nothing to do with the car, if just happens to be what the
new head coach drives, so while it won't be like the Trans AM in Smokey and
the Bandit, it should show up a good bit.

I decided to post this now, because yesterday I was invited to the set to
watch them film.  I watched some football practice scenes and then they
broke for lunch.  Around 4:00pm they pulled my car and 5 others including a
Rambler Classic 660, around to another street and parked them along the
street waiting on them to get ready for the shoot.  After about an hour of
having the side street partially blocked they moved the cars to a parking
lot.  One of the guys asked me if I would move my car, I of course jumped on
the opportunity.  When I got in the car, the keys weren't in it, but I just
reached in my pocket and pulled out my own set and pulled the car in.  The
Transportation Captain asked how we had moved the car, since he had the keys
in his pocket.  I informed him that he didn't have the only set of keys.
Around 6:00pm, fickle movie makers   said that they weren't going to use the
cars.  Then they changed their minds and said that they would use 2 cars,
but not mine.  Then they changed their minds again and about 6:30, they
pulled my car and a Plymouth into the area.  At this point they had 2
rehearsals and shot the scene 4 times.  The scene involved Matthew
McConaughey sitting in my car as if he had just pulled up, taking out the
keys and then getting out of the car at the football stadium.  As he walks
up to the stadium, he is met by another coach and told that he had found
them a kicker and is then introduced to the new kicker.  While waiting
around Matthew McConaughey sat in my car, leaned on my car, and even played
a little drum solo on the roof.  My wife and I were about 30 feet from the
car during the filming.  We didn't get to meet Matthew, but we were at times
as close a 5 feet away.  It was pretty darn exciting and I haven't gotten
the grin off my face yet.

The movie is entitled We Are Marshall and it is due out tentatively on
October 27.  The movie is being made by Warner Brothers and also stars
Matthew Fox of Lost, David Strathairn, Anthony Mackie, Arlen Escarpeda, and
Kate Mara.  Also just for fun Matthew Fox plays the assistant coach, Red
Dawson, and he drives a Jeep in the movie.

Jeff Barfield
jrbarfield@xxxxxxxxxxx
<http://www.threejeffsamc.com/>
69 Javelin SST 343
82 Spirit DL 258
73 Hornet 258 (1/3 owner)
AMO #2550
Peach State AMO
394 Creek Crossing Ct.
Grayson, GA 30017
770 466-8463


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