Es, Ashland, The Movie Set

Who needs a Hollywood back lot, sound stage or exotic location when you can shoot a major movie scene on the football field at Ashland’s Middle School? Produced by Ridley Scott (Alien) and directed by Jake Scott (Welcome to the Rileys), it stars Sienna Miller, Christina Hendricks, Aaron Paul, Amy Madigan, and Will Sasso. The movie, covering a time span of 11 years, takes place in the fictional town of Ashland, Pennsylvania and concerns a woman, whose daughter is missing, and who is left to raise her infant grandson.
I spoke with David DiGirolamo, principal of the Middle School, who said he was there when trucks and trailers started filling the school’s parking lot. The prep work involved real “extra” actors and preliminary shots of the computer lab, front entrance and football field. “It was a busy afternoon and a unique look at movie production” DiGirolamo said.
Barbara Durand, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, filled in some blanks. She said a production scout had been in the area looking for locations to film, and after a tour of the high school computer lab and football field wanted to see the same at the middle school which more resembled the time period of the film. That brought the director of the film and staffers back where they made their choice. Also taking part were members of the Ashland and Hopkinton football teams who suited up and were filmed running mock plays with athletic director Mike Grimes playing a referee.
When she received the email notice looking for volunteer extras from Ashland Superintendent of Schools, Jim Adams, Denise Montoya, mother of middle school daughter, Ruby, and AHS freshman, Sofia, jumped at the chance to be extras in the stadium stands during a night football game scene. The formality, however, involved the signing of a photo release form.
“They told us to fit in the stands real tightly for one scene and then spread out for the wide shot and then for some of us go to the other side for background shots,” Montoya said. She added, “It was a lot of sitting around and waiting and we had to be quiet while Sienna Miller did her lines.” Montoya laughs when she describes one scene where there is an incomplete pass, and “we were told to yell and cheer and when the pass was dropped “to go ‘awww.’”
I asked Montoya if there was any compensation for their bit parts. “No,” she said again with mirth, “but they did throw T-shirts at us.”
In William Shakespeare’s play, “As You Like It,” Jacques states “All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances,” and that certainly applied to Ashland Middle School last May 19.