The Dream of the Romans #2 - The Dream begins!
 

The Dream of the Romans made the 2007 Black List (a prestige list among screenwriters) coming in with 5 votes.

IMDB Page
Genre: Comedy/Romance

Release Date: 2009

Cast:

• Jeff Daniels - Arlen Faber (reclusive writer)
• Joe Anderson - Kris Lucas (recovering alcoholic)
• Lauren Graham - Elizabeth Danson (chiropractor)
• Unknown - Alex, son of Elizabeth
• Unknown - Mrs Gold, Alex's school teacher
• Unknown - Fedex Guy, who tells Kris where Arlen lives
• Unknown - Anne, Alex's babysitter, Elizabeth's work colleague
• Unknwon - Dharlia, works in bookstore with Kris
• Unknwon - Terry Fraser, Arlen's publicist
• Olivia Thirlby
• Kat Dennings

Crew:

• John Hindman - Writer/Director
• Oliver Bokelberg - Cinematographer

Casting Sides

Combined Sides.

Premise:

“A reclusive writer and a chiropractor fall in love, healing themselves and a recovering alcoholic in the process.”

Official Description

A reclusive author of spiritual books, is pursued for advice by a single mother and a man fresh out of rehab.

Short Description:

Basically Jeff's character, Arlen is a a writer, who lives a very reclusive life, doesn't want to be found, etc. Kris tracks him down at his apartment and they come to an arrangement where Arlen gives Kris a book each week to help with the healing process of both of them.

Elizabeth is a chiropractor who falls in love with Arlen but comes across Kris in her practice on the day his father dies. He goes to Arlen's apartment that night when Elizabeth is there. She consoles him to Arlen's amusement.

Later after a falling out with Arlen and on the day of his father's funeral, Kris looks like he's about to fall off the wagon, before heading to an AA meeting.

What does the title mean?

There can be two ways to look at the title.

1) To dream of the Romans, in terms of succeeding like the Romans did - to be like the Romans
2) New Testament according to the Romans. Credit Divine Plan for the link.

Production Information:

Starts filming in Philadelphia in March 2008. The shoot will be for approximately 25 days. March 17 to April 18 (Production Weekly)

Crew/Production Details

WRITER/DIRECTOR: John Hindman
AGENT: Creative Artists Agency - Jessica Matthews, Maha Dakhil
MANAGER: Thruline Entertainment - Adam Williamson
AVAILABLE FOR DISTRIBUTION. Kevin Messick Producing.

Additional Links

The Black List
Production Charts
iOWest (where John teaches classes).
Private-equity exec's interest in movies earns him credits (Chicago Tribune) (20 December 2007)
Seeking interns (Greater Philadelphia Film Office) (8 February 2008)
Casting notice for Alex, Elizabeth's son (Heery Casting)
Inqlings: Alycia Lane's sad task | Philadelphia Inquirer | 02/14/2008
Olivia Thirbly attached to tDotR (Collider.com) (29 February 2008)
Jeff Daniels 'Dumb' and strummer (Daily Herald) (29 February 2008)

Some information courtesy of juliekaye asking Lauren about the movie:

I hurriedly asked what the situation was with The Dream of the Romans and was it still going to get made? Her eyes got big and she said "We haven't filmed it yet...how did you know about that???" I laughed a little and said something like "Oh, the things we fans know!" And she laughed and said "Oh...the internet..." kind of dramatically and sort of rolled her eyes a bit in a good natured way.

Then she said "No, we haven't started filming yet. We start next month, in March, in Philadelphia." She mentioned a bit about Jeff Daniels and Paul Dano being in it and that she was very excited for it and couldn't wait to start on it. I told her that she just made some of her fans very happy to hear that it was getting made and she smiled and I think said "Oh good!"

Additional information from Philadelphia Inquirer

Casting call

Know a little boy who'd work well on screen with Lauren Graham and Jeff Daniels?

Graham (Gilmore Girls) and Daniels (The Squid and the Whale, Dumb & Dumber) will be here next month to shoot the romantic comedy The Dream of the Romans, and Heery Casting has been drafted to find a "worldly, precocious" white boy, age 7 or 8, to play the son of Graham's character, Elizabeth.

E-mail a recent snapshot (no more than two weeks old) to Heery at dreamoftheromans@gmail.com; include name, age, birth date and a parent's phone number.

In the film by writer/director John Hindman, Daniels' character is Arlen Faber, reclusive author of Me and God, a popular book about spirituality. Arlen's life collides with those of Elizabeth (a single mom) and Kris (Joe Anderson of Across the Universe), a young man fresh out of rehab. Both Elizabeth and Kris hope Arlen has the answers, but he hasn't got a clue. Also cast are Philly's Kat Dennings (ER, The 40-Year-Old Virgin) and Olivia Thirlby (Leah in Juno). The shoot is booked for 25 days around town.

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Don't shoot me if the post isn't updated that much. I'm extremely busy lately.

Thanks Denise, for the new thread!:)

So on heery it says March 31 so it's been pushed back.

Kind of mad they're only looking for SAG background workers right now. I submitted to be an extra but obviously being my first time I'd be a non-union worker. Who knows maybe they'll ask for them later on.

And looks like they're still searching for a little boy too!!

So no title yet?

Thanks for the new thread :)

yeah, I noticed the new date too

They haven´t even started to shoot the movie yet and wehave a second thread of it already .lol

We're good ;)

No, no title yet. If you know something, let me know :)

Thanks for the next thread.

thanks for the new thread

and what about simple "and the filming begins" as a title :shrug:

I like that :)
Great idea, Katka :D

Thanks for the new thread Denise.

Regarding filming, there's a discrepancy over the starting date. Basically three different sources are stating three different things. One way you could look at it is this... filming starts prior to March 31 but it is only from that date that background actors are needed..

Thanks for the new thread Denise.

Katka, I like your title.

Thanks Denise, I just hope we start getting info on Lauren's filming and so on soon :D

So do you think they will start filming as soon as they have casted Alex or just before then?

Do we know if Lauren has left to do the film yet?

Well the casting notice for Alex expired today so no idea if they have cast him yet. There are a lot of scenes though in the film that don't need background extras, hence why that March 31 start date could be for background actors. Especially since the location managers are for a March 24 starting date.

Personally I think it's pre-production March 17, filming March 24, scenes with background actors March 31 (such as the bookstore, streets, school, park, etc). I'm probably wrong but it leaves the door open for the possibility of filming before March 31.

The only sure thing is filming is to wrap May 1. And Jeff won't be required that day because he's to be in Rock Island that night for his concert.