Cherry’s on top

by Katelyn Patterson
photos by Karen Sas

A cherry is a fruit grown in Michigan soil. It is sweet, yet tart and nibblers should beware of the hard pit at its core.

Jeffrey Fine’s feature film, Cherry, was shot in Kalamazoo in 2008, and represents all which the fruit evokes.

Aaron Milton (Kyle Gallner) is a 17-year-old freshman at an Ivy League school, maneuvering newfound freedom from his overbearing parents. His mother has decided that he will study engineering, without his input. Aaron has the intelligence and capacity to excel at his major, yet harbors exceptional artistic promise.

He is roped into his new life with the help of his more socially and sexually experienced roommate, Wild Bill. University hijinks ensue: class skipping, parties, awkward hookups, hot moms. Wait...you’ve heard this one right?

Wrong. Cherry is no American Pie.

Aaron becomes entangled in an unorthodox relationship with both mother and daughter. He frequently crashes on their couch, and his eyes are opened to other ways his life could be. He must choose between this offbeat new family and the life his parents believe he is destined for.

Much of the film was shot at Kalamazoo College and Western Michigan University (WMU). Fine was drawn to the locations partly because of the aggressive film tax incentive in the state, but also because the landscape at K College reminded him of his alma mater, Brown.

The film is loosely based on Fine’s own college experience. For the story to come to life, the filmmakers had to go back to college. Literally.

The entire crew bunked in the dorms at WMU for the duration of the shoot, and several student interns were enlisted to work and consult throughout the process. The genuineness with which late adolescence is portrayed could not have been possible without the input of the university students, who helped to ensure the story represents an authentic perspective.

The making of Cherry was truly an exercise in method filmmaking. “Nobody knows the college experience like the people living it now,” said Jeffrey Fine, who wrote and directed the film. Fine said the whole crew were immersed in the college experience, so much so, he felt eerily reminiscent of days past.

Even after spending so much time immersed in a real life university setting, there are certain aspects of the present day experience not represented in this film. Fine chose to leave hallmarks like Facebook, text messaging, and other social media out of the story.

“What is interesting to me are people in a room together and the chemistry between them,” Fine said. “I didn’t want to dilute that by having them interact with technology.”

The film is honest and current, while giving a nod to Fine’s own experiences and memories.
Despite omitting social media in his film, Fine’s using the medium to help Cherry connect with its audience. “It’s a very grassroots campaign,” he said, “The same way the film was made.”

Cherry’s fall theater release schedule, begins this weekend October 8th in Kalamazoo, at Celebration Cinemas Crossroads, then October 15th in Grand Rapids, Lansing and Boston, with more to come.  Follow the release schedule at http://cherryconfessionals.com/ and  watch the "cherry confessionals" - video interviews about  people's"first times." And feel free to add your own experiences! haha!

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