Lipscomb University is in the spotlight once again because of the upcoming film My Many Sons.
The movie, former Bison Casey Bond’s tribute to legendary basketball coach Don Meyer, has been filming in and around campus since mid-August, and several of Lipscomb’s own were involved.
Mark McGee, Lipscomb Athletics’ media relations director and adjunct professor in the communication department, offered some insight into his experience.
“I play Chuck Ross, Lipscomb’s number one fan,” McGee said. “Chuck was at all of our events, and he was usually very vocal.”
McGee didn’t get the part by accident. His imitation of Ross’s signature slogan, “beat ‘em and beat ‘em bad,” prompted his co-workers to record it on a camera phone and send it in as an audition. That day McGee got a call from Bond asking him to play Ross.
McGee is a featured character, meaning that he has no lines. However, he will have some close ups in crowd scenes, which are close enough for an interesting wardrobe.
“The wardrobe lady gave me a plastic bag and a couple of hangers with Chuck’s jacket and t-shirt on them,” McGee said. “The bag had his shoes, his shakers, his megaphone, plus his hat. Everything I had on was Chuck’s.”
The combination of McGee’s authentic clothes and Ross’ imitation impressed those on set.
“On filming days, people I didn’t even know came up to me and said they wanted a picture made with Chuck,” McGee said. “They didn’t want to pose with me, they wanted to pose with Chuck.”
The life of a featured character isn’t all fun and games, though.
“It’s a lot of waiting,” McGee said. “There’s a lot of rehearsal, a lot of preparation, a lot of takes and retakes.”
Yet being there during the making of the film allows one to see the before and after.
“It was interesting watching a movie being made,” McGee said. “I want to see how it will actually translate to film.”
The translation from screenplay to feature film, though, often means cuts.
“I just hope I’m not going to be like Kevin Costner in The Big Chill,” McGee said. “He was supposed to play a guy who had talking parts in flashbacks. When they edited the movie, they decided it wouldn’t work. And all you see of him is his wrist in the beginning of the movie. So hopefully I won’t be on the cutting room floor.”