2010 Archives
My Tale of Two Cities
"MY TALE OF TWO CITIES," A FUNNY AND INSPIRING COMEBACK STORY, PLAYS AT MIDTOWN CINEMA IN HARRISBURG JUNE 18-24 - DIRECTOR WILL ATTEND OPENING NIGHT
Film which is re-energizing cities across the country kicks off run with special discussion about Harrisburg's own comeback
"Carl Kurlander's movie is the wry, funny tale of the fulfillment he found moving back home to the city of his youth. A cross between Woody Allen and Fred Rogers, he reminds us that our cities are the real "Real America" in which we can best renew ourselves, our country, and our hope for all humanity." -- Howard Fineman, Newsweek/NBC News/MSNBC
"A delightful, quirky, heartwarming film that is as funny as it is revealing..." -- Don Roy King, director, "Saturday Night Live"
"A movie that is timely, moving, and - above all - entertaining. You can't get an entire city into therapy - but this film is the next best thing -
a funny self-help guide for cities looking at their future." -- Mitch Teich, Milwaukee Public Radio
Harrisburg, PA (June 2010) - On June 18th, My Tale of Two Cities, a funny and heartfelt story of urban transformation and the impact individuals can have in revitalizing their communities-will begin its run at the Midtown Cinema in Harrisburg with a special discussion after the movie about Harrisburg's own comeback story. The film's director, screenwriter (St. Elmo's Fire) and television writer/producer (Saved By the Bell) Carl Kurlander, will join Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC President David Black and other community advocates in talking about the film's themes of people and cities reinventing themselves and what that means for Harrisburg. The discussion will take place between the film's 5:15 and 7:30 showings. (Mr. Kurlander will also be doing Q&A at the 5:15 and 7:30 shows on Saturday June 19th. The first ten patrons at each screening Friday and Saturday will receive a free copy of Mister Rogers' "You Are Special" book.)
My Tale of Two Cities was inspired by Kurlander's return to his hometown to teach at the University of Pittsburgh in search of a more meaningful life- only to find both himself and his hometown in mid-life crisis. This journey soon landed him as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show and led to this timely new movie which is resonating with audiences in theaters across the country.
When My Tale of Two Cities began filming in 2005, Pittsburgh was still reeling from having had to declare itself "financially distressed." By employing a humorous and honest personal approach, the film chronicles the city's remarkable comeback. In 2009, Pittsburgh was called "a model of the future" as it hosted the World's G-20 Summit and in 2010, Forbes Magazine listed it as "America's Most Livable City." (The Harrisburg Region ranked # 5 on the same list.)
"The biggest hurdle isn't really the job losses -- it's the mentality. You have to start believing in yourself again," Kurlander told Windsor Star when My Tale of Two Cities recently played Windsor, Ontario. "The Detroit of Canada," Windsor is facing many of the challenges which Pittsburgh faced when the steel industry started to decline. In March, My Tale of Two Cities became the first film ever to be invited to play Capitol Hill at the new $621 million U.S. Capitol Hill Visitor's Center where a packed, appreciative house shared Congressman Mike Doyle's sentiment that the film is "a comeback story which can inspire cities around the country."
In speaking with David Black and others from the Harrisburg area, Kurlander was excited to hear about parallels between the Pittsburgh region and the Harrisburg region both in the triumphs and the challenges that both communities are dealing with. Black said, "Harrisburg and Pittsburgh have many parallels. What Carl Kurlander has done is to expose the big heart and vision of the people in Pittsburgh region that have that together with young talent helped to turn the Steel City into a City of Innovation once again. I believe Harrisburg and our region has similar attributes, including talent that can redefine our region over the next decade. We have core industry clusters in place and emerging clusters, we also care about where we live and what the future here will look like. The short discussion following the Harrisburg premier is an opportunity to talk about that future."
In July, a small group of volunteers under the working name Harrisburg Regional Champions from the Chamber & CREDC, along with staff led by Bub Manning of The Quandel Group, will visit with Pittsburgh's private sector leadership to learn about their involvement in the Pittsburgh renaissance in hopes of bringing back some ideas to help inspire our region.
Kurlander said, "In the film, we play football with (Steelers Hall of Famer) Franco Harris and his son Dok. Franco talks about how it is not just one thing that makes a city-but everyone pulling together like a team. That seems to be the key not only in football, but in helping communities-and I think the best hope for our country-for us to remember it takes the business, the arts, the politicians, and each of us to help change our neighborhoods and our world."
My Tale of Two Cities is distributed by Panorama Entertainment and is in limited release this summer playing in New Haven, Connecticut, Cleveland, Ohio, and Boston, Massachusetts in the upcoming weeks. For clips and more details about the movie, visit www.mytaleoftwocities.com.
Part of the proceeds will benefit the Steeltown Entertainment Project's "Youth and Media Program" which helps at risk young people make films about their lives and exposes them to career opportunities in the entertainment industry. My Tale of Two Cities was produced by Stephanie Dangel Reiter, a hometown native of Hollidaysburg, PA who will also attending the film's opening night screening. For media screeners and additional inquiries, please contact Jamie Silverman at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
About My Tale of Two Cities:
St. Elmo's Fire screenwriter and TV writer/producer (Saved by the Bell) Carl Kurlander left Hollywood to return to his hometown and teach at the University of Pittsburgh in search of a more meaningful life. This journey soon landed Carl as a guest on The Oprah Winfrey Show, but just as Carl told Oprah how happy he was living in the real life Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, Fred Rogers passed away and the city of Pittsburgh went bankrupt.
With both himself and his hometown in crisis, Kurlander set out to make a film to help the city in which he grew up. Armed with a cranky cameraman, funded by his dermatologist, and often battling his wife, who longs to return to the sunny West Coast, Carl asks his neighbors, from the famous (Teresa Heinz Kerry, Franco Harris) to the not so famous (his old gym teacher, his first crush who inspired St. Elmo's Fire) how the city which built America with its steel, conquered polio, and invented everything from aluminum to the Big Mac, can reinvent itself. As comedian Louie Anderson jokes in the film, My Tale of Two Cities is not a "Roger & Me", but a "Mister Rogers & Me"-- a funny, heartfelt, feel-good movie which explores whether you can go home again and how all of us can make a difference in the communities where we live.
To see clips from the movie, please go to www.mytaleoftwocities.com
