Big Miracle Opening!

Last Friday it snowed about a foot, but that couldn't keep Brent and I away from the opening day of the movie, Big Miracle, in Anchorage! We, along with about 1,000 other Alaskans, served as background extras in this major motion picture. Brent's brother, Quay, who was visiting from PA at the time, was also in the movie. In addition, Cherie Taylor, our friend from church was in the wedding scene.

Pictured above, we are donning clothes that we wore in the film. I was especially excited that I got to wear the 686 jacket my sister, Julie, designed (I'm holding it in the above picture). Because 686 wasn't around in 1988, the 686 logo was covered by black gaffer's tape in the movie.

Had it not been for Judy Kline, a star volunteer at Birchwood Camp, we wouldn't have heard about this movie or auditioned. One day I was working in the office and Judy (who lives in Texas but volunteers at the camp every summer with her husband, Al), called me up to tell me about the film. She encouraged Brent and I to audition as extras. We went the next day to audition and were delighted when the casting director called us!

All of the extras and crew had the opportunity to sign the movie poster at the theater. See our signatures below.

The film was shot in Alaska and was inspired by true events. In 1988 three California gray whales found themselves trapped in the ice in Barrow, Alaska. Once trapped, the goal then became to save the whales. The situation in Barrow drew international attention. Several unlikely alliances came together with the goal of rescuing the whales. The U.S. government, Greenpeace, Oil Workers, Native Alaskans, scientists, the town of Barrow and even the Soviet's (during the Cold War!) partnered in the rescue efforts. To read more about the actual events surrounding this movie visit: http://www.adn.com/2012/02/02/2297759/1988-barrow-whale-rescue-the-real.html

We enjoyed playing a few different roles in this film: wealthy tourists in the Captain Cook Hotel, scientists out on the ice and in Amigo's restaurant.

In the off chance that you want to know where we are in the movie, Brent started a stopwatch just after the Universal logo appeared on the screen.

Here are some approximate times where we appear in the movie:

11 min. Quay (Brent's brother) walking left to right, then Brent and Liz walking right to left just behind Drew Barrymore.

32 & 33 min. Brent on left.

51 min. Liz on right (on ice wearing black puffy jacket, kneeling down with a notepad. Look for a fair-skinned face under her hood).

58 min. Liz and Brent together in Amigo's restaurant at booth along wall.

1:07 Brent.

1:09 Liz (back of head, hair braided, looks black on film) on left as Ted Danson taps person across from Liz.

1:26 Brent and Liz on the ice (Brent wearing black coat with horizontal stripe on back. Kneeling with black boots).

It was a blast watching it with other cast and crew. We cheered when we recognized someone on screen and/or in the credits. These ranged from people in our church to our amazing Denali tour guide, Jeff Forsythe, who was a driver for the film.

The movie is a feel-good family flick. Brent was impressed at how accurately they depicted Barrow (he was there for about 2 weeks in 2010, and walked on the frozen ocean in June!). See a previous post: http://hoffmanexplorers.blogspot.com/2010/07/barrow-alaska-way-up-north.html

After the movie, cameras were flashing, we felt like celebrities.

Then we went to celebrate with other extras and crew at Firetap Restaurant. There were about 40 of us. Brent and I are on the left side of the table towards the middle.

We missed seeing our fellow scientists: Todd, Darrell, Steve and Matt at the opening. But we did get to spend some time with our beautiful friend and fellow extra, Dolly. If you watch the movie you will see her on many occasions. On one of the days of filming, Brent engaged in a rousing game of Scrabble with Dolly and some other extras between takes.

All in all, we had a great experience. We are currently exploring film crew opportunities for upcoming movies in Alaska.