Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1485934
T H E G R E A T E S T B E E R R U N E V E R | P E R S P E C T I V E 8 1 Friendship Is Stronger Than War I was thrilled, and more than curious, to join Peter Farrelly on his latest film project, The Greatest Beer Run Ever, a true tale of valiant friendship set in the streets of New York and the battlefields of Vietnam, circa 1967. It's a juicy story of epic proportions that was irresistible; it was also shooting in Thailand during the global pandemic —a challenge as unlikely as the plot? Peter's script, which he also directed, is a coming-of-age dramedy, with echoes of Catch-22 and MASH, that includes the home front. The film relates how an everyday New Yorker's attitudes about loyalty, patriotism and the war were transformed, while taking the audience on an improbable quest through the front lines of Vietnam. "Chickie" Donohue (Zac Efron), a merchant seaman, is goaded by a Veteran barkeeper (Bill Murray) into leaving his aimless life in Inwood, an insular Upper Manhattan community, to smuggle beer to neighborhood pals serving in the war zone. When Chickie's freighter docks in Saigon's harbor, he is indeed a stranger in a strange land. Chickie's journey takes him deep into the South Vietnamese capital where he finds a group of cynical journalists and a war-weary photographer, Arthur Coates (Russell Crowe). Their tips launch a dangerous trek through sprawling US military bases, where, amazingly, Chickie finds his buddies. But the reunion exacts a heavy price when his ship sails and he's stranded. Stuck in Saigon, Chickie and Coates are caught in the infamous Tet Offensive, witnessing battle at the U.S. Embassy, chaotic destruction, and the smoldering ruins of Long Binh. The film needed to create it all. Preparation and Research The Beer Run's worlds are complete opposites, and it's a period war story—a daunting task. Peter and his co-producers, Andrew Muscato and Jake Meyers, planned to shoot the Inwood, NYC scenes in northern New Jersey. For the Vietnam portion, Thailand was the logical choice, so this is how our adventure of inter-continental shooting began. Just one small worry—COVID-19 lurked in Bangkok. The production started a tight schedule with a 12-week prep in Thailand. I quickly recruited Supervising Art Director Jeremy Woolsey, set decorator Chuck Potter, and propmaster Peter Dancy to join me in Bangkok while J.B. Rogers, the 1st AD, winnowed the shooting to forty days; thirty-two in Thailand and eight in New Jersey. We did a quick pre-scout in Jersey City, then were off to Bangkok where our production company, Sundance Media, had engaged a Thai service company, Living Films, to work with us. We would return to New Jersey later with a separate crew. Thailand has a robust film industry and often stands in for Vietnam. The rural, coastal and mountain landscapes are eerily equivalent while the cities are architecturally similar, but culturally quite different. Also, 1967 is a longtime ago now and things have changed. Fortunately, Living Films had engaged an excellent Thai crew: Art Director "Boom" Suanyai, set decorator "Perb" Tanatsuttiroj, propmaster "Pong" Sripradoo joined the project shortly after I arrived and began a mandated quarantine. A. INTERIOR DOC FIDDLER'S WITH CHICKIE AND THE COLONEL. DRESSED LOCATION. PATTERSON, NJ. PRODUCTION STILL. B. CHICKIE ON SAIGON MARKET STREET. BANGKOK, THAILAND. PRODUCTION STILL. C. REFERENCE SOURCES COMPOSITE. PHOTO COLLAGE BY TIM GALVIN. C