The Pinewood Lake Association raises the curtain on its artistic roots this summer when the DreamWorks movie, Revolutionary Road, will film scenes here.

The movie, which reunites Titanic stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, will use settings in and near the lake clubhouse next month, according to Harvey Mamrus, president of the recreational community’s Board of Governors.

Mamrus said production officials finished arrangements Monday for the filming, expected to take place over three days the second week in July.

With its exposed beams, the clubhouse fills the bill for a period setting the producers are seeking, Mamrus said. “It’s supposed to be a log cabin”, he said.

The filming will mean the beach will be off limits for several days to the 220 lake property owners and 100 associate members, but Mamrus said weed treatment, which traditionally bars access for a day, will take place during that time.

The owners’ boats may also have to be moved if they don’t mesh with the mid-20th Century backdrop for the movie.

But Mamrus said that’s a small price to pay for the Pinewood Lake community’s interest in showcasing its history.

“We started as an actors’ colony”, said Mamrus.

In the 1930s, the area became home to the Group Theatre, founded by Harold Clurman, Cheryl Crawford and Lee Strasberg. It produced plays dealing with serious issues rather than the light entertainment that dominated the era, according to the association’s Web Advertisement site.

“Almost everybody is 100 percent enthusiastic”, Mamrus said of the membership’s reaction.

He said the association also has been looking into the possibility of staging productions at the clubhouse again, although the structure doesn’t conform with the fire code now.

Revolutionary Road, directed by Academy Award-winner Sam Mendes and Winslet’s husband in real life, the story is based on Robert Yates’ acclaimed 1961 novel about a couple trying to find themselves in the post-World War II years.

Though production publicist Robert Harris wouldn’t confirm precise locations, owing partially to security concerns, he confirmed the majority of the shooting schedule is based in Connecticut.

“The book is set there”, he observed. “It’s probably eight of the 11 weeks” of shooting.

In setting up shop in Connecticut, Revolutionary Road joins a number of films with high-profile stars such as Sean Penn, Robert DeNiro and Steven Seagal who have been featured in movies filmed in the region earlier this year.

Revolutionary Road also will likely be filming scenes in Bridgeport, according to city officials.

Mayor John M. Fabrizi, who was in Los Angeles to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors this week, said he expects to meet with location scouts for the movie when he returns.

He said sites under consideration include Seaside Park, the Burroughs and Saden Library, and the former Mechanics and Farmers Bank downtown.

Fabrizi said he has also been promoting efforts that could lead to opening a movie studio in the city.

“They’ve already shown a lot of interest so I believe it’s going to happen”, Fabrizi said.

Connecticut has proved to be an attractive location for filming since the state’s 2006 adoption of a 30 percent tax credit for expenses related to productions spending more than $50,000 here.

Harris would not discuss the role the state’s tax credits may have played in the decision to film in Connecticut, but other productions have attributed their decision to tax benefits in a location that can draw on the New York area’s population of film artists and technical experts.

Since things firmed up for filming at Pinewood Lake, Mamrus said he’s heard that “almost everybody wants to be an extra and a few people want to give advice to the technicians”.

He added, however, extras would be drawn from the Screen Actors Guild roster, and the professional technicians aren’t likely to need local help.

More information on the association and its history is available at www.pinewoodlake.org.

Source: Connecticut Post