"Either You're In, Or You're In The Way"

Hi, I am Mike's little sister, Margaret, and I just thought I'd stop into 2dobeforeidie today with a cool story that seems to fit the very essence of this blog.  

I went to a book signing the other evening to learn more about a recently published book called Either You're In or You're in The Way. I got so much more out of the event than I expected. The book is by two brothers about their experience writing and making their first film. The guys were charismatic, off-the-cuff, and unassuming; stories tumbled out of both of them and captivated everyone in the audience. They showed scenes from the completed film and signed books.  I haven't read a book so fast in years and I laughed out loud the whole time. Below is the story behind their film and subsequent book as well as a few excerpts from their book. The excerpts are not examples of the funnier moments, mind you, but they should give you an idea about what this is all about. They're showing the film at San Francisco's Bookstock on June 6th at AT&T Park, if you're interested in seeing it for yourself. 

"When identical twin brothers, Logan and Noah Miller’s homeless father died alone in a jail cell, they vowed, come hell or high water that their film, Touching Home, would be made as a dedication to their love for him. Either You’re In Or You’re In the Way is the amazing story of how--without a dime to their names nor a single meaningful contact in Hollywood--they managed to write, produce, act, and direct a feature film in under a year starring four-time Academy Award-nominated actor Ed Harris and a cast and crew with 11 Academy Awards and 26 nominations." (more at the 'continue reading' link below...)

1st excerpt: 

Seven thoughts on our first hell-ride through filmmaking. . . 

1. Every day is the Cuban Missile Crisis: Your world could blow up.

2. Surround yourself with gray hair and listen.  

3. Never wait for a phone call. 

4. Stay relentless. Rely on no one.

5. There are only solutions. 

6. Spend the financier’s money as if it were your own.  Don’t be a scumbag. 

7. Either you’re in or you’re in the way. 

What follows was written from the IGNORANCE of having  only  produced  and  directed  ONE  film,  and  the  ARROGANCE of having only produced and directed ONE film. 

2nd excerpt:

"We’d been on the road playing baseball for the better part of  five years, lived in Iowa, Texas, Arkansas, Florida, Arizona, and  hung out in every state in between. But baseball didn’t work out.  It had been our dream since we had dreams. We had no backup  plan, limited education, no résumé for any job above manual  labor. We’d never thought of the future in terms other than baseball. Now we were forced to think about it. 

We didn’t want to go back home to Northern California and  pound nails. We’d done plenty of that growing up. We wanted to  make a living at something we loved. We needed a new dream. But  what could we do? 

Not much in the professional world. 

So we decided to write a movie. 

But we’d never written a movie before. Hell, we’d never even  seen a written movie before. We walked down to Larry Edmunds  Bookshop on Hollywood Boulevard and were informed that a  written movie is called a “screenplay.” We pulled the screenplay  for Casino off the dusty shelf. It looked like some form of alien  communication. 

Discouraged, we put the screenplay back on the shelf, cursed  our ignorance, and walked out. 

A week later, our buddy Nicky Hart introduced us to a guy  named Erik, who recommended the tool that could decipher the  code: “Lew Hunter’s Screenwriting 434 is the book you need.” 

So we walked back down to Larry Edmunds and bought 434.  The book was plainly written and easy to understand. It demystified the process, cracked the screenwriting enigma. 

If we ever make any money in this business, Lew Hunter should  receive a percentage of our tax receipts. We finished 434 and started writing Touching Home, a story  about us and our father. We had a lot of pain. And writing helped  get it out. Touching Home was written on college-ruled notepads  on a park bench in the Valley. We didn’t own a computer at the time, and the park had grass and flowers and other living things  that didn’t try and steal our food. 

Half this book was handwritten. Noah still doesn’t type, says  it “doesn’t work right with his mind,” which is probably all right,  ’cause last time we checked, Shakespeare couldn’t type either. 

It took us twenty-five days to complete the first draft of Touching Home. It was the most difficult thing either of us had ever  done. We swore we’d never write another one. . . Then we saw the road ahead. We tried to deny it, swore it was  a hallucination. But it wouldn’t go away. It was there. It was our future. 

3rd Excerpt:

Our dad knew how hard we were working to break into the  business. He wished he could help us and felt worthless that he  could not. Years earlier, his heart was broken when we failed to  realize our baseball dreams, not because he had wanted it for  himself, but because he knew how much it meant to us. His heart  was broken because our hearts were broken. And now ours were  broken again. 

We always thought we could save him. And now we had to  accept that we could not. 

As we continued holding his cold hand and caressing his cold  head, telling him that we loved him and that we were sorry, our  sadness and guilt grew into frustration and defiance. 

We wanted to prove that his life was important, that he was  loved, that his final chapter was not the shameful end on a jail cell  floor—that his life had been worth living. 

We squeezed his hand for the last time and made a vow. “When  are we making our movie, Pops? . . . This year . . . this year . . .”

In death, our father gave us what he was unable to give us in  life. From now on we’d be riding with the full force of his spirit.  Nothing could stop us, not fear, not money, nothing. Only God  could decide otherwise, and we hoped he was on our side. 

From then on, either you were in, or you were in the way. 

*

Upcoming Event:

And if you happen to live in the Bay Area in California, try and make it to At&T Park (where the Giants baseball team play for those unfamiliar with the location) and come to a screening of their film Touching Home at this year's Bookstock Festival.

BOOKSTOCK 2009!

MUSIC, ART, & MOVIE FESTIVAL

JUNE 6TH @ 7-11PM

At AT&T STADIUM

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

BOOKSTOCK 2009 is a summer celebration of art for the whole family, with partial proceeds benefiting the Giants Community Fund. Join us for an exceptional evening of art, entertainment, great food and plenty of children's activities all on the field at AT&T Park. Attendees will enjoy a night of live music provided by top Bay Area bands including Stroke 9, Eoin Harrington, the Monophonics, a live art show featuring 25 renowned artists, and an advanced screening of Logan and Noah Miller’s film "Touching Home," starring 4-time Academy Award nominee Ed Harris; the movie that inspired it all! Plus, the book release and signing of the Miller brother's exhilarating memoir Either You're In or You're in The Way, published by HarperCollins April 28.

Comments

[Mike]

hey marg, thanks for a great guest-post today on the blog. I look forward to checking out their book - and if you see the brothers at Bookstock - give them our best and wish them luck. - m