Sandra Bullock movie deal in peril. Virginia has 2 days to land '28 Days'
Thursday, February 11, 1999. The Roanoke Times.
Story by Story by S.D. Harrington and Todd Jackson

The Roanoke region would take in $7 million or more in economic benefits, but the National Park Service is blocking the deal.

Columbia TriStar Pictures wants to film a $30 million movie starring Sandra Bullock and Garth Brooks at the Peaks of Otter next month, but the National Park Service says an environmental impact study would have to be done first, according to documents obtained by The Roanoke Times.

If a compromise can't be reached by Friday, Columbia TriStar says it will film "28 Days" in another state, according to a memo from the Virginia Film Office. The Roanoke region would lose out on $7 million or more in economic benefits from the movie production, according to film office estimates.

Congressmen Bob Goodlatte, R-Roanoke, and Virgil Goode, D-Rocky Mount, are scrambling to broker an 11th-hour deal between the movie company and the Park Service.

"Time is of the essence here," Goodlatte said. "I think it would be great for our area."

Goodlatte and Goode are trying to set up a meeting of Park Service officials -- including department director Robert Stanton -- and Virginia Film Office and Columbia TriStar representatives sometime in the next 48 hours, Goodlatte said.

Goodlatte, who was contacted by local officials when problems arose, first called Blue Ridge Parkway Superintendent Gary Everhardt, who is based in Asheville, N.C. Goodlatte said Everhardt "had some concerns."

So Goode sent a letter to Stanton in the hope that some compromise can be reached.

Goode said he has no idea why the Park Service is so concerned about the movie shoot.

According to a memo from Virginia Film Office director Rita McClenny, Everhardt denied Columbia TriStar's request to build a temporary facade on the federal property until an economic impact study could be completed. Everhardt also had problems with other proposed changes, including the widening of a gravel walkway and the painting of two lodge buildings, according to other memos from the film office.

"Permission to build the facade is essential to closing the deal with Columbia TriStar," one memo said.

Everhardt did not return phone calls to his Asheville office Wednesday.

Goode said he doesn't believe any of Columbia TriStar's requests will compromise the parkway or the Peaks of Otter Lodge.

"If they were going to level a hillside or something, then I could understand," he said.

Goodlatte said he believes the movie company -- because of improvement provisions it's willing to accept -- will leave the parkway and the lodge in better shape than they are now.

The film office has been negotiating with Columbia TriStar since November to land the movie.

The film, according to the memos, is a romantic comedy about a New York society columnist (Bullock) who has to spend 28 days in an alcohol rehabilitation center and falls in love with a baseball player (Brooks) during the stay.

A spokeswoman for the film office would not comment Wednesday on specifics of the movie or the negotiations. But she confirmed that the office is negotiating with the production company. The state office markets state sites to film production companies.

Mary Nelson, communications manager at the film office in Richmond, said "a serious chunk" of the movie would be filmed at the Peaks of Otter and other nearby areas including Roanoke and Bedford.

Columbia TriStar wants to film the movie at the Peaks of Otter Lodge between March 15 and May 22.

If that happened, Nelson said, between $7 million and $10 million could be pumped into the local economy.

Bedford County government and business officials said Wednesday they are frustrated that the Park Service is balking over the proposal.

"We're going to widen a gravel path a couple of feet and we've got to do" an environmental impact study? "Give me a break," said Bedford County Administrator Bill Rolfe.

"Are there going to be some short-term inconveniences? Absolutely," Rolfe said. But he said Bedford County has had good experiences with film productions in the past. When the comedy "What About Bob?" was filmed at Smith Mountain Lake in 1990, Rolfe said, Disney film crews left the area, including the old village of Moneta, in better shape than before the filming.

"It would be a huge economic boon to the area," said Bedford Area Chamber of Commerce director Barbara Ring. "We still get calls here in the office wanting the chamber that represents the lake where 'Dirty Dancing' was filmed, Ring said, referring to Mountain Lake Resort in Giles County--site of the 1987 blockbuster film.

"It's just a nice opportunity for Bedford County," Rolfe said. "We'd hate to lose it." Roanoke Mayor David Bowers, who has also become involved in the situation, said "anytime that we can bring Hollywood to our region, it's great for us.

"And I want to meet Sandra Bullock," Bowers joked