Since 2000, Judy Moody and her little bro, Stink — hey, that’s what he’s called — have been entertaining and educating youngsters with their adventures in Megan McDonald’s beloved books.
Friday, the wild-haired heroine and her very funny sibling get their close-ups when “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer” arrives in theaters, thanks in no small measure to the vision and tenacity of homegrown producer Sarah Siegel-Magness and Smokewood Entertainment partner and husband Gary Magness.
Now it may strike some as incongruous that a producer of the harrowing, Academy Award-nominated drama “Precious” would make her next project a zany, zippy adventure about the very loved, super-energetic, tree-lined-lane-ensconced kid featured in a book like “Judy Moody Around the World in 8½ Days.” Not Siegel-Magness, who sees a kinship between Judy and abused Harlemite Claireece “Precious” Jones.
“The parallels between the two are interesting,” she says. “Number one, they have a strong female character. They’re both adventurous and interesting,” she says. “Judy, obviously, doesn’t go through the heartache — you can’t take it to the level of ‘Precious’ — but she has obstacles as a little girl she has to overcome.” And they each daydream.
“While we were making ‘Precious’ and working in that relatively dark place, I remember talking to Lee (Daniels, director of “Precious”) about kids film. My daughter was in third grade at the time, and “Judy Moody” was required reading. I had been reading those books with Camryn (Magness) at the time we were making ‘Precious.’ They were what would help me move out of the darkness and into the light with the humor and the light-heartedness of Judy Moody. But the similarities are there.”
Before the movie was made, you wouldn’t have been able to find a book actually called “Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer.” But Siegel-Magness knew that a Judy Moody film would have to come from a mix of spirit and form, not a straightforward adaptation. (Now there are six offshoots from the movie coming from McDonald’s publisher, Candlewick Press. “One’s called ‘A Poop Picnic,’ ” says Siegel-Magness with a laugh. Go Stink.)
The producer also figured out fairly early that she wanted McDonald to write the screenplay. Not a common instinct. McDonald brought in longtime friend Kathy Waugh to help co-write.
“I love Megan McDonald, and before we could even produce this film, we had to get in tune with Megan McDonald.” Fortunately, says the producer “We hit if off right away. She has an uncanny ability in her writing to appeal to adults and kids.”
For her part, McDonald is pleased with her first foray into a moviemaking. “It was a whole new way of writing,” said McDonald over lunch recently. “To me Judy Moody has a lot of fire and a lot of spunk. But with moods, if you can’t act with a lot of nuance, there could be a lot of stomping and slamming of doors. I was really nervous about that. In the writing of the books, I try really hard to walk that fine line of showing moods and being realistic but not tipping over into obnoxious, if you know what I mean.”
Aussie actress charming
The warmly thoughtful writer was in Denver along with Jordana Beatty, the charmingly bright Australian who plays Judy.
“I definitely don’t have her sense of fashion style, ” the 13-year-old answered quite diplomatically later on when asked about the most obvious difference between herself and her character. As for similarities: “We both have a lot of moods — good, bad, sad, happy, you know? We also collect things. She collects erasers and scabs. I collect business cards, Nancy Drew books, key rings from different cities,” she said.
Producer Siegel-Magness says she learned during the making of “Precious” that “the next film comes to life while we’re making the current film.”
So what did “Judy Moody” engender?
“You’ll be very surprised; it’s completely different. It’s a small indie film written by one of the best writers in Hollywood,” she said somewhat cryptically days before the official announcement came that she’d be directing her first feature.
Last week, industry mag Variety reported that Meg Ryan is in talks to star in “Long Time Gone,” written for screen by Karen McCullah (“Legally Blonde”) and based on April Steven’s 1995 novel “Angel Angel,” about Augusta Iris and her two sons, riven and reunited by a woman named Bette Mack.
“It’s a fantastic story about a family,” the creative side of Siegel-Magness offers.
The producer in her adds, “I’m bummed out that Colorado doesn’t have incentives right now because I would for sure make this next film there, which is very frustrating.”
Although the state revamped its modest incentive program last summer, many filmmakers — local and otherwise — hankering to shoot in Colorado share Siegel-Magness’ chagrin.
Film critic Lisa Kennedy: 303-954-1567 or lkennedy@denverpost.com; also on madmoviegoer
