On Wednesday night, August 14, I had the opportunity to see a screening of director Rocky Costanzo's feature film Return to Innocence. The film was based on Gary M. Frazier's novel of the same name, who also wrote the screenplay. The screening was held at Anthology Film Archives, in a small room in an old brick building on the lower east side of Manhattan with a small audience.

      For those of you who don't know about the film, it is about a man named Glen Erskine who is the director of a boys home for sexually abused children - only to have one of the boy's under his care accuse him of sexual molestation. The movie deals with the stigma attached to an alleged child molester and resulting legal battle. I was able to have a few moments before and after the film to talk to Rocky and some of the cast members. Not being able to record our conversation, I hope they will forgive me for paraphrasing some of their responses to my questions and not using their exact words.

Throughout the night, I was able to speak with Director Rocky Costanzo, actor Andrew Martin (who plays Tommy Jackson, the boy in question who falsely accuses the director of the boys home of sexual abuse), and actor Steve DeForest (who plays Jim Aiken, the attorney who defends Glen Erskine in court).

      My biggest compliment to Rocky and his cast was a great respect for taking on such risky, taboo subject matter. This is a film that takes a very direct approach to sexual abuse of minors and does not try to soften the blow. Rocky told me that some people had a hard time with the story. At one screening, according to Rocky, a woman just got up and walked out halfway through the film.

      One of the first things we talked about was how this film came about. Rocky took the time to explain it got started. He said one day he received the novel "Return to Innocence" by Gary M. Frazier, with a picture of boy's underwear on the cover. Not quite knowing what he was getting himself into, he started reading it and said he had a hard time putting it down until it was done. Upon finishing the book, he felt that this story had to be made into a film and contacted Mr. Frazier about it. Gary M. Frazier was more than happy to write the screenplay and both Gary and Rocky took great pains to make the story as close to the book as possible. In fact, the hardest part, explained Rocky, was trying to fit the whole book into a single feature film. It was difficult for him and Gary to figure out which parts to eliminate from the book and also how to carry the story over smoothly from the written word.

      Because of the film's strong subject matter, I was curious about distribution. Rocky admitted it was not easy to find a distributor. Rocky said this movie was a big risk, because no one was sure if people would be able to connect with the story or not. He said when he first finished the film, he didn't think anyone would want to pick it up, but, in fact, the audience feedback has been pretty good.

      One of the audience members after the screening asked Rocky about the film's soundtrack, particularly the ending song. Rocky informed us, "The song that plays through the closing credits is called "Beauty Inside". Orren Merton (composer) did a fantastic job with coming up with haunting music for the soundtrack."

      As for the editing itself, it was done at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego (home of the Padres). Rocky has a friend that works there and let him use the facilities while the Padres were away from home. In Rocky's words,"The film was in fact edited in one of the press boxes at Qualcomm Stadium in like 5 weekends. The friend that works for the Padres was actually our editor, Sandy Gonzalez. She and I worked from Friday at 5:00pm until Sunday each weekend (with very little sleep). You gotta' love indie filmmaking!"

      When asked about financing, Rocky jokingly responded "credit cards." In all seriousness though, it was indeed a shoestring budget, but I felt they did an excellent job with the limited resources on hand. Many of the shooting locations they had to beg (or as Rocky euphemistically puts it "..lie, steal, and also cheat..") to use. They were able to use one of the largest courtrooms in the Santa Ana courthouse, and also were permitted to film within a local hospital for a pivotal scene.

      Andrew Martin, who plays the young troubled boy Tommy Jackson who accuses the main character of molestation, was also at the screening, obviously a bit older than when they filmed. The film was done in the LA area, but Andrew Martin lives in Scottsdale, AZ. According to Rocky, they did a lot of weekend filming for Return, and Andrew's parents had him fly in every weekend, ensuring that he was back on Monday morning for school. Andrew said his parents were very supportive which helped him tackle such a difficult role. "This always seems to draw interest.", explained Rocky. "Andrew's mom, Cheryl, was hesitant to tell me they lived in Scottsdale, AZ but she had to speak up when Andrew won the role of Tommy. She is the perfect "studio mom."

      Actor Steve DeForest was cordial and gracious in speaking with me and members of the audience. Rocky told us that the instant he saw Steve he knew Steve was perfect for the role of Jim Aiken, the defense attorney. Remembering the book upon which the film was based, Rocky said Steve fit the description well. I told Steve that he made a pretty convincing attorney. Steve joked about possibly being typecast as a lawyer in the future.

      Soon we were just about the only people in the theater and it was time to be heading home. Being a smaller venue for screening movies, it gave us all the chance to discuss the movie in a friendly setting. I want to personally thank Rocky, Andrew, and Steve for their time and for sharing a few words with us about the film. Return to Innocence was a strong and serious movie with a good story and strong main characters. Check out www.LifeLineEntertainment.com for updated information about screenings for Return to Innocence. If it comes to your town, check it out and tell us what you think.

Aaron Hoag