On a quiet, tree-lined street just off the downtown square in Murfreesboro, something happened recently the likes of which this town seldom experiences?a movie shoot.
Filmed over the course of two days at the Carriage Lane Bed and Breakfast on Maney Ave., the short is written and directed by Dr. Bob Pondillo of MTSU. My Name Is Wallace features professional actors from Los Angeles and New York and its production involves students and graduates of MTSU.
This is the story of an autistic man in his late 30s, lonely in an empty house since his mother’s death. Reaching out, he calls a 900 number he finds scanning the classifieds.
Not fully comprehending the call he’s made, Wallace confuses phone sex operator Tiffany by shunning her advances. What follows is a brief and poignant interaction that leaves its mark on each of them.
The script is cleverly written, touching and charming. David Lawrence stars as Wallace, a character he’s toyed with since the mid-’80s. Longtime friend Pondillo has given Wallace a vehicle at last.
This is Pondillo’s second short film, the first of which, Would You Cry If I Died won several awards, including best cinematography at the 2004 Nashville Film Festival.
Bob can thank the brothers of Gemini Productions for that honor. Matt and Scott Pessoni have been making movies together since the age of twelve. They have developed quite an eye for what looks good on the screen, as evidenced in Would You Cry.
The ten-minute film is very fluid and can be found online at Google video, ifilm, and YouTube.
My Name Is Wallace should clock in at just under twenty minutes and its process is an interactive one, with each crew member encouraged to voice suggestions. The presence of professional Lawrence no doubt adds to the collective vibe on the set.
The actor is passionate about the role and is excited to be working onscreen with Pondillo. The two grew up together in Cleveland and despite having worked together in the past, this is their first film endeavor.
“It’s great fun. I’ve used this character to entertain Bob for years and it’s been terrific to bring him to life. He’s got a fantastic team assembled here. The Pessoni brothers are super talented,” Lawrence says.
The role of Tiffany is played by stage veteran Leslie Ellis, who came to Nashville from New York City to focus more on her singing, which has already won her a Grammy Award for her back-up work on Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On.”
She became attached to the project as an old friend of Lawrence’s.
“I’m enjoying the process,” she says. “Working on independent films like this are more gritty and true to life. There’s less focus on money like the big studios so the quality is better. I really like the intimate setting.”
The film should be ready for the public and film festivals by early fall.
Pondillo has no plans of stopping there.
“We have some brilliantly talented students here at MTSU,” he professes. “I would like to do more films, eventually involving the electronic media, recording industry, public relations and journalism programs so we can show the world what MTSU has to offer.”
