My Parents In Spider-man 2
If you’ve seen Spider-Man 2, you’ve seen my parents in a movie.
Sort of.
Way back in 2003, my parents were visiting New York and decided to walk around the Columbia University campus. While there, they called me to report they got to see a big movie being filmed, but weren’t sure what it was.
Fast-forward to 2004. I’m watching Spider-Man 2, and about 30 minutes in, the camera starts doing one of those circling-around-the-guy-on-the-phone shots you see over and over again in movies.
Then, just as it slows down, I notice something in the background…
My parents, very clearly watching the movie being made:
It’s blurry, but if you knew my dad and his suits, and my mom’s beige jacket, you’d recognize them in an instant. I have no idea how they managed to get so close – I can only imagine some poor PA was just off-screen desperately motioning for them to STOP STARING AT TOBEY MAGUIRE BEING ENCIRCLED BY A CAMERA. Then again, my parents probably would’ve ignored him anyway.
Though they were overlooked by the Academy, I wanted to make sure my parents’ major motion picture acting debut was properly documented for the ages.
-SCOUT
That’s hysterical, Scout. Did you recognize them immediately and start yelling “That’s my Mom and Dad!” in the theatre?
The PAs may have seen that they were looking the other way and left them alone.
In the movie 48 Hrs, there is a scene of Nick Nolte walking and talking with his girlfriend (played by Annette O’Toole) also filmed near Columbia. A good friend was a student there at the time and is seen talking with a friend of his while walking ahead of Nick and Annette. He had no idea until I pointed it out many years later. So that means they didn’t clear the street and use extras, they just filmed it and no one noticed.
I know your parents! (and your dad’s suits and your mom’s beige jacket 🙂 Our family met them at a Columbia-Dartmouth basketball game 4 years ago at Dartmouth on a very cold January night – they and we were the only Columbia fans there and we became fast friends over $2 margaritas. They told me about your blog & that’s how I became a fan. So great to see them ‘starring’ here today!
Maybe it was a design-decision to leave them in as in real life they could be some tourists watching the campus.
Too cool.
When I was watching the movie, I noticed your parents and thought “I bet Raimi was pissed when he saw them doing that in his only good take.” 😉 What a fun souvenir for your family.
cool! funny how you caught such a small detail like that!
Padres de cine !. Saludos.