Nantucket-The artsy-fartsy Nantucket Film Festival took on a rowdy Bruins game-like atmosphere the other night when the Donnie Wahlberg flick, "Southie", made its East Coast debut at the Dreamland Theatre. Proud locals of L Street-all of whom were related to the film or to one of the stars-raised their fists and chanted "Here We Go Southie" in front of the theatre while thousands of curious film freaks jostled for position in a line that snaked around the old movie house. In fact, soooo many people turned out to see "Southie", festival founder Jonathan Burkhart had to add another screening that evening!
Wahlberg was mobbed by fans and friends from the old neighborhood in the middle of Water Street but remained cool, unlike his character, Danny Quinn, who lets his fists fly throughout the flick.
"I'm grateful form the opportunity to show the movie here, but I can't be celebrating winning a battle when there's a war to be won," Donnie told the Track, referring to the movie's lack of a distributor. "I don't want to sound like an arrogant SOB, but there's so much more to be done here."
The gritty drama centers on a townie who returns to the old neighborhood and gets caught up in settling old scores, whipping his dysfunctional family into shape and taking a few beatings along the way. Donnie's family--except for his real-life and onscreen brother Bob and sister-in-law Gina--were MIA from the movie's premiere because of a family reunion, he said.
But co-screenwriter and movie bad guy Jimmy Cummings imported dozens of his family members to the island to check out his work. Kathy Cummings, his mom, made the trip along with Aunt Mary McGinn and uncles Peter Dugan and Louie Binda, and a gaggle of godchildren and sisters-in-law.
"My mom and aunt sat me down and told me with tears in their eyes how proud they are of me," said Cummings, who, for his next trick, is penning an action flick. "And to think they just laughed at me when I told them a few years ago Dave MacLaughin and I were writing a movie."
The ex-New Kid-turned-actor didn't sit through the screening, but after the 92-minute movie rolled credits, Wahlberg joined the 25 "Southie" cast and crew members at the front of the theatre to field questions and comments from the audience. "I've lived in Southie all my life," said one fan to Anne Meara, who played Donnie's mom. "You are everybody's mother"
Director John Shea was there, along with cast members Amanda Peet, Amy Stiller, Steve Koslowski (whose claim to fame thus far was beating the tar out of Matt Damon in "Good Will Hunting") and Mary Flavin, who was mourning the editing out of her steamy sex scenes with Wahlberg. And who could blame her?
Party Makes a Splash
Skinny-dipping anyone? The Nantucket Film Festival's annual rite of swimming starkers in sculptor J. Seward Johnson's in-ground pool was enjoyed by many during the bash hosted by Vanity Fair.
"Southie" star Jimmy Cummings stripped down and dove right in (nice tattoo, James) and was joined by two dozen other party-goers who were feeling a bit, ah, hot, after the successful screening. Too bad Sen. John Kerry and his wife Teresa Heinz, left before the VF follies really got going. We can't see enough of the junior senator's thigh-high Calvins.
Anyway, we can reliably report that Donnie didn't get naked. Sob. In fact, he hardly noticed the action at all since he was engrossed in pool-side conversation with his co-star and on-screen galpal--Amanda Peet. In fact the couple were quite huggy-kissy all evening and appeared to have skipped the "Southie" cast party out at the island's VFW Post that John Shea had hosted. Hmmmmmm...
At the VFW, the vets sent the Southie people packing at 1:30am, but a pletha of partiers proceeded to Shea's summer digs in Sconset for more early morning movie madness. And that's a wrap!
Boston Herald-Inside Track 6/22/98