Past Filmmakers

Terry Linehan
The Goody Goody 11:42

1. How did you come up with the idea for the film?

Early in 2004, I was looking for a place to set a short film and I stumbled into the Goody Goody on Market Street in Wilmington.  You can't help but be overwhelmed by the atmosphere and spirit of the place; cooks in a dance of food prep, chatty customers talking of the day's news, experienced waitstaff joking and flirting with patrons, and those amazing stuffed omelets.  It was a setting begging for a story.  I was interested in making a narrative/documentary style hybrid film and asked Ernie Mayhew if I could shoot at his diner.  While talking to him and his mother Jean about the history of the diner, I was taken by their story and decided to shoot a two-fer: the narrative film “Love and Omelets” and a straight documentary short, “The Goody Goody.”

2. How long did the production process take?

The script was completed by May 2004.  We spent a morning shooting test shots in early June.  The documentary filmed for three days in late June.  Editing began in August on nights and weekends and the completed film was ready by mid-November 2004.

3. What challenges did you experience in the creation of the film?

The biggest challenge was the physicality of the diner.  It is a tiny place.  The presence of a small film crew takes an enormous strain on a small place.  It was difficult to get the kind of shots we needed of all the action without getting in the way.  It was impossible to shoot during the busy lunch hour so we left during that time.  The sounds of fans, compressors, talking, and laughter created incredible sound challenges for our team.  We did not intend to wear out our welcome and realized that we were shooting in a place of business.  We were the intruders, so we had to work hard to stay out of the way.  In the end, the space challenge contributed to the tight feel of the cooking shots and the often-frenetic pace of the diner.

4. What is your favorite memory from creating the film?

Without a doubt, the best thing about making the film was working with my then 14-year old daughter, Dylan.  She is a filmmaker herself, having directed two short films in the months leading up to our production.  She is enthusiastic about the process, willing to do anything when asked, and a powerfully creative force.  There are too few opportunities in life to spend in creative concert with someone you love so dearly.  I enjoyed watching her interact with cast, crew and Goody Goody staff as much as I enjoyed making the film.

5. When someone has finished watching the film, what do you hope they take away from the experience?

I hope viewers are touched by the poetry of the American Dream and the beautiful tapestry of the Mayhew family work ethic.  I hope they feel the sense of loss Jean Mayhew feels when she talks about her late husband and his legacy at the diner.  I hope an audience feels like they've been to the diner, or at least, they want to go there.  It's the sense of community, loyalty, family, and the idea that time marches on but omelets never change.  Finally, I hope a viewer gets hungry watching all that great food!

6. What type of reaction has your film received from viewers?

People come up to me and recount their favorite diner experience.  They tell me they've eaten at the Goody Goody, they love those omelets, or it is their cousin's favorite diner in Wilmington.  One woman sobbed at the end as Jean Mayhew describes her late husband.  People tell me they need to take the time to go to a real diner and avoid the fast food; to savor a breakfast and good company.  People miss the family-run diner.

7. What advice would you give to aspiring young filmmakers?

In these days of digital filmmaking, anyone can make a film.  But it's not enough to simply point a camera at something, string the pictures together and expect to get a story.  Study storytelling - for years.  And make films, make films, make films.  If you're a filmmaker, you're making films.

8. Please tell us about the next film you plan to work on.

Late in 2004, I formed a production company, A Bunch Of Us Productions, LLC, to raise financing for a $2M feature film based on my contemporary love story, “Kate Loves Spiffy.”  The screenplay was a semifinalist in the 2003 Nicholl Fellowships of Screenwriting sponsored by the Academy Awards Foundation.  Director of Photography is Tom Priestley, Jr. (The Exorcist, Saturday Night Fever, Amadeus, Kramer vs. Kramer, Barbershop I and II).  Academy and Emmy Award winning Fincannon's & Associates are casting.  We hope to shoot this fall at the earliest, depending on financing and actor availability.  We will use many UNCW Film Studies students as interns as well as a crew from Wilmington.

9. What are your thoughts on the film industry in NC?

I believe the incentive package, if it passes the Legislature, will bring back film productions to NC in a big way.  But it's never enough to depend on out-of-state productions to carry the day.  We've got to find investors in North Carolina who want to build the indigenous film scene and create projects that are written, produced, and released here for the world marketplace.  For that to happen we need a success story or two from NC indie filmmakers who can make films that make money for their investors.