Michael Noens: 0:02

Hello there and welcome to a special episode of Imbibe Cinema. I'm Michael Nowens and I'm thrilled to share that Season 3 is in production and will debut next month on November 27th. We've got several special guests lined up and some other fun surprises, so keep an ear out for more of our shenanigans before you head into the Thanksgiving weekend. All right, real quick, before we begin, I'd like you to consider supporting the show by becoming an Imbibe Cinema member. When you become a member, you get access to a variety of exclusive content, including monthly limited release independent films and upcoming member-only podcast content. Another great benefit of becoming a member is that you get access to the 2025 Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival virtual experience next spring. That means you get to watch all participating official selections from wherever you are in the United States. That's right, it's just included in the membership. The United States that's right, it's just included in the membership. So it should come as no surprise to you that the Imbibe Cinema Podcast is brought to you by the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, otherwise known as BWIF. The festival celebrates independent, character-driven films of all lengths, styles and genres. To learn more, visit bwifcom. That's B-W-I-F-F dot com.

Michael Noens: 1:27

So, as I mentioned earlier, we have a special episode for you today, an episode that I'm particularly excited about because the film we're discussing is one that I produced and directed 15 years ago, and that film is coasting. That's a taste of composer Jeff Schell's original score. While my producing partner, dave Grelk, and I were cutting the film, we had tracks from Simon and Garfunkel from beginning to end. The film was very segmented with them, but it captured the feel that we were going for. We got so used to watching the film with songs like April Come she Will, america Bookends theme and so many others that it became near impossible to imagine it without them. Enter Jeff Schell. A great composer, ties the whole film together with music that tells a story on its own, and that's exactly what Jeff did with this beautifully unique score. As I mentioned, my producing partner on the film was screenwriter Dave Grohlke. We developed the story and characters together, and then Dave brought it all to life on the page with his brilliant and witful dialogue and, of course, his signature references and Easter eggs.

Stephanie Wyatt: 3:24

You choose a topic, anything goes anything goes, yeah I'm full of secrets where you're from. The birds sing a pretty song yeah, and there's always music in the air, and it's that late hour in the evening where you invariably tell someone you don't know something fairly embarrassing about yourself in a hotel bar.

Michael Noens: 3:45

Those are the film's stars, jonathan C Leggett and Stephanie Wyatt, two wonderfully talented actors and delightful human beings that led this great cast of characters. A while back, during the COVID-19 pandemic actually, I got on a call with John and Stephanie to catch up and talk about this gem of a picture that we made oh so many years ago. Let's go ahead and jump into that conversation with Stephanie and John as they reflect on their time on set.

Stephanie Wyatt: 4:17

John, I want to ask you the first question.

Jonathan C. Legat: 4:21

All right.

Stephanie Wyatt: 4:22

Which is what is? What is your best memory on set? Because I definitely had some. I have so many from that set.

Jonathan C. Legat: 4:32

Yes, yeah, that's. That's more than fair, I would say my my best memories on that set are are are of the, the people that we were working with. I think that, like the outtakes specifically help with that. I think the one that immediately comes to my mind is the time that I tried to concuss myself on the ball. We're, you and I are at the bar having a conversation and I decide to uh play, blow my own brains out and and, and you know, do the whole thing, and then, like you know any limp person, I slam my head on the bar and immediately looked at everyone. I went, uh, what? Yeah, I think that might be my absolute favorite moment is I heard that from across the bar oh, yeah, it was loud, it's in the outtake, you hear it, it's, it's an act of thud.

Jonathan C. Legat: 5:35

Yeah, what about you? Your favorite moment on set oh god, there really are.

Stephanie Wyatt: 5:41

I mean, I agree with you. When I think back to coasting, I think of it felt like and I mean this with in the sense of so much fun and camaraderie. It felt like filmmaking, like summer camp, because we also kind of made it during the summer, you know, but it just in the sense of like I just, you know, I felt like I was making this movie with my friends, and I don't think that I quite understood how good it was going to be. I knew it was going to be good, like I love the script and I love you guys, but then you know, when you have that much fun, you're like, oh, you know, I don't know, and then it was so good. I don't know, and then it was so good.

Stephanie Wyatt: 6:23

I think my favorite acting moment, though, was probably with you, john, because I don't know if you remember this moment, and it was, I think.

Stephanie Wyatt: 6:33

As far as an actor, it was. One of the moments that I probably felt the most was do you remember when we're at the door of the hotel room you already know where we going and and you're deciding like I can't do this and I'm begging you, and we remember that moment. I don't know how we got there so easily, except for, obviously, great direction and great trust between us. But I, that moment to me was probably one of the most honest moments in for me as an actor. Like I just remember, like knowing, like I didn't have to be anything other than in that moment with you and and you know it only could have happened with you know the trifecta, you know that was there at the time because it's so much trust and vulnerability. But but that moment, man, and like it was so funny, because like it wasn't even like after it finished, you were like, whew, you're so in it. Oh yeah, you know that it was like, oh, my God, we just lived that.

Jonathan C. Legat: 7:34

Oh, no, I know, you know it was heartbreaking because that scene was, as you know, as honest as you get and yeah, no, you absolutely crushed that scene too.

Stephanie Wyatt: 7:49

So, yeah, that's well, it's because I had I mean I really and other movies that we ended up doing and I mean I'm sure you can speak on this. I know Mike has directed so many movies at this point but as just being a romantic lead or even just romantic with anyone in a movie, or being vulnerable man, you learn. And I, you know, did a few other things after coasting, where it was so much harder, and again I was like so I was gifted this gift of this director that I was friends with and trusted, and then this co-star that I was friends with and trusted, and I don't think that you quite realize how absolutely much of a gift that is. Until you're with people you know, and I'm not saying it's bad, but you just don't have that.

Stephanie Wyatt: 8:34

With over the tavern, um, a theatrical play the first time that we met, um, you played my daughter over the tavern was one of my favorite plays I've ever done in my whole life. And just I and I know I'm told, I feel like I've told you it's a story, but just for the general public to know, I had no intention of you know, I was in Chicago and in Logan Square and I was like, oh, I'm just trying to, like you know, do anything get out there. And I remember driving out and I was driving and driving and I was like the hell am I going.

Stephanie Wyatt: 9:25

You know I'm totally lost, no sense of direction. And then I arrive at this beautiful theater and you guys are there and I honestly remember auditioning and being like that fucking sucked man, that sucked. And I left and like I felt like Mike. You Mike was just in his world, being Mike and he was just like you know, for me, I was still in my head of like convinced, I sucked that.

Stephanie Wyatt: 9:53

I felt like he was like, oh yeah, bye. And I was like man, what were you doing, you know? And so I, I left, and then I got a call back, but I didn't get there and it's like all you guys know each other. And now I'm like man, this is, this is bad.

Stephanie Wyatt: 10:11

They must be really needing people. You know Cause I know I did that audition, mike, mike and I connected, I, I, I knew I was like I know I get him, I, I dig that, I dig this guy Like I were here creatively, you you know. And then you and I read together at some point, john, and it just was like so easy and like the rest was just kind of history and it was a freaking blast.

Stephanie Wyatt: 10:35

Yeah, it's a blast no, I loved that show so the fact that we all kind of got that warm up and then went into coasting- yes just made it so much more fun. Would you perform any of the scenes or subject matter differently Now, if we did it right now?

Jonathan C. Legat: 10:58

um, the. There's only one scene that I would really like to to redo, um, and it's it's for the most selfish reason of of all. It's great. Actually, I guess there's two. They have the same relation to what was happening. Um, I was very congested, uh, at at one point during the filming, and I know specifically there's two scenes where it is it's really apparent how stuffed up I was. There's the scene in the gazebo with Emily Skyle, and then the one that my loving brother-in-law and my wife never let me live down, which which is In the Washroom with Chris Weiss. When I simply say two words and they will say that to me anytime I get congested they're like Harris, don't, yeah, watch the movie again.

Stephanie Wyatt: 12:02

And when you hear me say that like just, I'm like full woody allen right now, I'm like harry, don't, like horrible you know, I did notice in that scene that you were like I mean because I know you you sounded like this much different.

Jonathan C. Legat: 12:17

But I always thought it was like oh, he's very emotional he's having a bad allergy attack and he is congested af and it's only because of that. It's like I'm trying to like subject matter wise. I honestly think that that we, we did such, we did such a good job, um, but like we were so honest with each other and with the characters and with the subject matter, that like to me trying to redo any of those scenes, um, or or trying to tackle it in a different way, just it. It would not feel as as honest, I think, in in the way of the film and so to to me it's pure narcissistic, you know, selfishness. I'd want a performance back just to make it cleaner.

Stephanie Wyatt: 13:12

There's no shame in that, john, yeah.

Jonathan C. Legat: 13:13

What about you.

Stephanie Wyatt: 13:16

I think there was one scene where we were filming outside and I was talking to my, my boy, my was he my boyfriend or fiance, I can't remember but Adam on the phone and he was watching a football game and, um, I do what the cicadas no, forget this.

Stephanie Wyatt: 13:38

I was so into what I was doing I didn't even realize there were cicadas. There could have been a dying cat and I would have wouldn't have noticed. I was performing, okay, but I think I wasn't, um, the way you know, like I don't know, for some reason. I mean, this is like the tiniest thing. It was just like I just wasn wasn't like invested in him as much as I would be like knowing, like you know, when a relationship, the worst part of a relationship is not even the end, it is when you know it's ending. That's the worst part. Okay, the end is like ripping the bandaid off, it's the slow death that just stops. And that's where, that's where we were and I think you know, once again, I didn't give it that like tired gravity and you know, and it's like it's such a small thing, but you know nitpicky, nitpicky things like that.

Jonathan C. Legat: 14:37

See, I actually love the performance specifically of the hope that you get, as if you know the relationship is not about to end when he's like, hey, can you, you know? And you're like, oh well, you're like there's a renewed thing, and he's like, can you, can you pick me up some Taco Bell? And it's like, good, like, I think you absolutely crushed that gut, like I, I think you absolutely crushed that.

Stephanie Wyatt: 15:06

Well, thank you, yeah, I just I, you know it's. It's those nitpicky things that when you look back you're like you know well those are.

Jonathan C. Legat: 15:09

Those are especially also hard to do when one you don't know the other person's performance.

Michael Noens: 15:14

So you're you're playing in a vacuum.

Jonathan C. Legat: 15:17

uh, you know, but I, I, but I love that scene, other than the cicadas.

Stephanie Wyatt: 15:23

Yeah, they are there, though I remember hearing them on the other side of things.

Jonathan C. Legat: 15:36

Do you like watching yourself in films? No, okay, no, I do. I don't think it's bad.

Stephanie Wyatt: 15:46

No, let me, let me say this. So, like when, when coasting, uh, first came out, I was like you know, I'd like peek and I actually okay, when I watched coasting with my family, I, um, I had them watch it and I just had a pillow right here, um, but here's the thing I don't think it's, I think you have to. I, I mean, I don't know, um, maybe we should call Meryl she, maybe she has better advice, but, um, I know that there are things that like when, whether it was mike or just whoever is directing you, that, whether you didn't nail, or like, um, something's going on, you're not connecting, whether you're watching playback or whether you're watching the actual finished product. I, I think you can learn oh yeah and I think that's why it's actually good.

Stephanie Wyatt: 16:37

That's like you know taking a test but not looking at. Good, that's like you know taking a test but not looking at. You know, like the final graded thing, like so I I do feel I know a lot of people don't and I get that, but for me I had to be like no, I can learn, I can learn from this because I want to be better. You know, like why the football players watch the game in the locker room yeah, interview, interview the tapes.

Stephanie Wyatt: 17:00

Yeah, football stuff, but yeah, you know, they watch, they watch that.

Michael Noens: 17:34

You know, most of the guys here don't care if they win or not. You know what I mean Just to be able to build a car for this event bring it out here.

Stephanie Wyatt: 17:47

Race your buddies, run on the beach all day is just fantastic.

Michael Noens: 17:50

You better clear that out. I've never raced on the beach before in my life. No, I just hope I can keep it out of the water. That's about it. The Race of Gentlemen is a documentary that was filmed over the course of three years about men who build hot rods and then race them at an annual event with the same name. Members can watch the Race of Gentlemen on Imbibe Cinema Streaming, along with a narrative short film from Turkey called Mirrity, now through October 31st 2024. Now back to the show.

Jonathan C. Legat: 18:28

When it comes to the subject matter. Obviously two cousins who don't know their cousins but they fall in love and in the end they obviously search each other out. What was your initial thought when you read the script to the subject matter?

Stephanie Wyatt: 18:49

Man, it's so funny because my thoughts then and my thoughts now are so different. But I think at the time, you know, I felt like I don't. I think at the time I didn't see how it could really happen. I'll say it like that like I felt like, um, you would find out, and you would kind of be able to say, oh, I had these feelings, but I found these things out. I can cut that off.

Stephanie Wyatt: 19:18

As a human that's now lived a little more and fallen in love with people that you're not supposed to fall in love with, or all you know, or you don't want to be in love with, you kind of realize that's like just not how it goes, buddy, you know, and you're just kind of. You know, it's that thing where it's like if we only could choose who we love sometimes. You know it's that thing where it's like if we only could choose who we love sometimes, you know. So at the time I thought it was really interesting because I was like man, we're taking a little bit of a you know, creative leap. I can dig that. Royals do it. I am from Kentucky. It's not that far fetched. You know, I'm just kidding. What about you? What do you think?

Jonathan C. Legat: 19:59

I will state I was a little spoiled because I knew of the script before, but at the same time it was one of the major things that drew me to the script and to Wesley in general. I mean, you know it's independent films, so there's your opportunity to really kind of try to stretch it, but at the same time I don't feel like it's that much of a stretch. As you said, you know once, once you've lived a little, you know who you fall in love with, is, is, is who you fall in love with, and, and, and I feel that the script does such a great job of of making the honest discussion of like we, you know, we know that we should not be doing this, and yet maybe there's something to this and do we go down this road or no, we shouldn't. We've been, uh, waxing and waning and, and I think that it's it's how it dealt with the subject matter and just came to the point of like love is love.

Stephanie Wyatt: 21:02

Yeah, I, I, I like what you just said. It's funny because so many I think love stories, whether it's you know the affair or you know some other kind of forbidden thing, it's all kind of like very similar in that sense. And yeah, I just I felt like it was a really uh, it was an interesting twist because I had not, had not really seen that. You know, I know this is one of the questions that I'm kind of jumping, but I'm like dying to just tell you this. And, mike, I was thinking of you because I remember us having a conversation of the moment, um, where we met at the bar again the second time and we had that moment where we come together which was so love it. Still to this day I can see it.

Stephanie Wyatt: 21:49

It's just so great you only come so far down the bar yes, and even the way the shot was like framed and you know the push I mean just was all great. But it is interesting because I think I remember Mike talking to me about this moment, because I remember the first few times the gravity was not there and I'm not even sure I still got the gravity in the actual take that was used. But I will say, when Mike and I were talking about that, at that time I was like, yeah, I get it, I get it, I get it. Yeah, I got it, I got it.

Stephanie Wyatt: 22:20

But I don't now living life more. I was like I didn't get it. You know what I mean, like I didn't. I didn't feel like the door scene that we were talking about. I felt that I knew that I lived that, I lived that with you in that moment, you know. But that scene, for whatever reason, I think I was going through so much stuff personally, just so much going on. I don't know I, whatever Mike was seeing, he was seeing what I. Now I now see what he was seeing, if that makes sense. You know what I mean yeah, so that's a scene.

Stephanie Wyatt: 22:53

You feel that, uh, that you would try to do differently you know, as an actor you want to feel that edification of knowing. You felt it, yes, and it's like I kind of did, but I don't think I felt it to the extent that I could have, but the whole movie really was. It was, you know, kind of like this romantic comedy dramedy that had so much more depth that like I don't know again, as you live life, you're just like god, dude, that was saying so much, you know.

Jonathan C. Legat: 23:29

Yeah, I think the side characters are some of the best to that film, you know. I mean, you've got Adam Rosowitz as your partner in crime, and then Emily Skyle as mine, chris Chris Wright, chris Weiss, kyle as mine, chris Chris right, chris Weiss, and of course, tricia, and then, god, my parents. Madeline Franklin is.

Stephanie Wyatt: 24:00

Oh my God. Yeah, dude and Madeline. You know, when we did those scenes I was she's so freaking brilliant yes, she just is On with that character. And it was intimidating. It was intimidating acting with her, you know, because I knew that she just was a freaking ninja. I mean, she just is, you know, and she just was there. There was no question if she was there with you, she was there, you know. No, she just was there. There was no question if she was there with you, she was there, you know.

Jonathan C. Legat: 24:35

No, she is incredibly professional, yeah, but I will state, no matter what ends up happening, the scene where we're in the car and all of a sudden she just shows up in the window I jump every time, like every time it's, she's just stepping into frame and you're like, oh God, you're so every time it's stepping into frame and you're like, oh God, there's some dead.

Stephanie Wyatt: 24:57

Yeah, you know what scene I wish I was there with you guys was that dinner scene you all filmed?

Jonathan C. Legat: 25:05

Oh, that was fun.

Stephanie Wyatt: 25:06

Man, you could see the fun. I want you to know it was someone who was not there. Yeah, I had FOMO, seriously bad.

Jonathan C. Legat: 25:13

There was a absolute mess. You could see the joy, the true, sincere joy in your all spaces of that scene were there uh specific moments with, uh I mean you, you mentioned emily skyle, um, but uh where other? There are other moments uh that you remember, uh with different cast mates oh yeah, oh yeah.

Stephanie Wyatt: 25:47

Um, I mean chris weiss just cracked me up. You and Chris together are just. You are ridiculous. I mean you all cannot be better brothers.

Jonathan C. Legat: 25:58

What I said we are a lot together.

Stephanie Wyatt: 26:02

You guys are cracking me up. Was it BJ? That was the janitor?

Jonathan C. Legat: 26:08

Yes, bj Foley steals the scenes.

Stephanie Wyatt: 26:13

I mean steals, the freaking scenes, steals. I'm so glad I'm like you get that. I can still just see him like turning off the vacuum and being like eking out of the scene. Yep.

Jonathan C. Legat: 26:31

Sing the line of dialogue and you're like I get everything that's going on with him yeah, you really do you.

Stephanie Wyatt: 26:38

I mean, he crushed it. You know, and I think you know, I loved your breakup scene with emily, not the gazebo one in the hotel room when she came and then, um, she's like, you know, I can't you know she, I mean as much as that.

Stephanie Wyatt: 26:56

She was so opposite of you and you guys were not a match. She had so many valid points. Like you were kind of wanting her to be different, she was wanting you to be different. I don't know. That scene was so such a really interesting breakup scene in the sense it was balanced.

Jonathan C. Legat: 27:13

There wasn't a real villain yeah, no cool you know, yeah, so yeah nailed that performance too yeah I, I, I did. I did feel like the villain and a piece of shit while filming.

Stephanie Wyatt: 27:28

So that's triple check yeah uh, also someone that, um, I just thought you know we mentioned madeline and uh, but bill redding, um, having that conversation with you at the bar, yeah man, I watched that the other day and was just like, oh, oh, he, oh, he's so good, yep.

Jonathan C. Legat: 27:55

Like I said, every performance in this is just honest. It really is oh what about the?

Stephanie Wyatt: 28:01

read-through. I wanted to ask you about that. What were your all's thoughts on the read-through? And I ask you this because Emily Skyle was telling me some stuff about the read-through this is like what two years ago or whatever and she said awful things about all of you. No, I'm just kidding, no, no, no. I think I was so intimidated and excited and overwhelmed by this opportunity that at the read-through for me, I was just like whew, whew, whew, okay, we got this, you got this. And Emily mentioned how, like I guess, when she was like either coming in or leaving or something, I just was like hi, you know, and like ran away, scurried, oh okay, and she took it as you know, like at the time, I was like look, I'm the star, you know.

Michael Noens: 28:53

like at the time I was like look, I'm the star which I mean.

Stephanie Wyatt: 28:59

I wish that were more of it. It was more of just like a painful insecurity that I was like. These people are really good, I don't know if I can do this.

Michael Noens: 29:09

I'm having a mental breakdown.

Jonathan C. Legat: 29:13

I mean I remember the read through was at Essence Photography and I mean we round tabled that thing. I don't recall anything other than just absolute amazing fun the entire time.

Stephanie Wyatt: 29:34

I agree, I yeah no, I agree, because our, when we read, when we read this script, like I had walked in with like a knot in my stomach and I was like you got this, you got this good thoughts in, bad thoughts out, good bad, good, bad, good bad and and like um, but the it flowed, it was just, it really just was like it. It was like the easiest game of tennis, you know. Like it just flowed and I was like, okay, I feel better.

Jonathan C. Legat: 30:00

I will state it does help that most of the crew and some of the cast knew each other and, uh, I think even those people who this was their first, either CNGM or you know, I mean, you and I worked together in two plays now we've at least established before we got to film, you know, I mean like I don't. I feel like CNGM and a lot of the people in, like the Palatine area and even Chicago in general are just kind of welcoming um and uh. You know, if you end up walking into a group that is already kind of established, uh, especially with CNGM, I don't feel that they're ever standoffish and like look, this is the group, felt warm and fuzzy.

Stephanie Wyatt: 31:01

Well, I consider myself new to it, and I definitely did so. I got us off track.

Jonathan C. Legat: 31:14

No, that's all right. Comedy, is this? At first I was going to say the scene I would have loved to have been there for.

Stephanie Wyatt: 31:19

Thank you.

Jonathan C. Legat: 31:20

Thank you, was the sex scene between you and Adam. And then I went oh no, I was there. I was helping with lighting and cameras. So I'm like oh no, I was there, okay, man.

Stephanie Wyatt: 31:34

I just Adam.

Jonathan C. Legat: 31:36

He had. Just the stupid things he would say after finishing were just so outlandishly funny.

Stephanie Wyatt: 31:47

Yeah, try being under him, Try not to laugh.

Jonathan C. Legat: 31:49

I can literally only imagine.

Stephanie Wyatt: 31:58

Yeah, he was. I just he was such a good sport about it, though oh yeah because I mean that's so, and with our sex scene yes god it was you, because it's like those are, so I don't care. I mean I, you know, for like the actors that get straight up butt naked like monster's ball situation. That's so much trust yes, you know.

Jonathan C. Legat: 32:23

I mean thanks, thanks to us having worked together. Uh, I can only imagine being on a set where you don't know, uh, you don't have any sort of rapport with that individual. Yet by the end of the night you're going to yeah. But, you know like there is a lot of trust to that and so that was much easier to go through those scenes. You know knowing the person, being able to trust that person.

Stephanie Wyatt: 32:55

Yeah, well, also trust the crew that's seeing you in a super vulnerable position, you know.

Jonathan C. Legat: 33:02

Staring at you.

Stephanie Wyatt: 33:04

Yeah, staring watching and you know, I mean I think our chemistry in that movie was so it was because you and I had become such good friends and there was such again back to the trust thing, you know, and we just had like this amazing rapport and I think that's why that chemistry works so well and I think it showed.

Jonathan C. Legat: 33:27

Yeah, I think that I believe us, whatever that's worth.

Stephanie Wyatt: 33:44

The next time we are all together, perhaps we can think, maybe we'll just do coasting too. I don't know, somebody's revenge, I don't know.

Jonathan C. Legat: 33:55

Somebody's revenge, I don't know who's revenge when our children do what? Maybe we meet our other cousins, we start questioning the family tree, yeah.

Stephanie Wyatt: 34:12

Family tree that could be fun.

Jonathan C. Legat: 34:16

I like it. Film it for the 20 year.

Michael Noens: 34:19

Yeah, sure, yeah, let's do it Well, kids Well thank you guys, absolutely.

Stephanie Wyatt: 34:24

Love you guys, love you guys too. Yes, love you guys. Tell everyone.

Jonathan C. Legat: 34:29

I said hi Will do All right.

Stephanie Wyatt: 34:32

Bye guys, bye guys. Tell everyone I said hi will do alright, bye guys, bye guys thanks for taking this trip down memory lane with me.

Michael Noens: 34:41

Coasting is now available to watch for free on Imbibe Cinema streaming. Visit imbibecinemacom and create an account with our free Flight of Cinema bundle. Opportunities to see the film on the big screen begin next week, october 15, 2024, at the Music Box Theater in Chicago, and there will likely be some other pop-up screenings throughout next year as it is the film's 15th anniversary. Just a quick reminder a great way to support this show and the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival is to become an Imbibe Cinema member. It's only $59.99 per year and the benefits are pretty great, so please consider joining. You can find a link on how to become a member in our show notes. New episodes of the Imbibe Cinema podcast will begin Wednesday, november 27th. Until then, cheers.