Zahn expanding roles past forgettable fare

Don't expect Steve Zahn to be playing many romantic leads in the future — no Zahn Juan, as it were — but do expect a broader repertoire of films from a performer generally thought of as a comic actor who spends most of his time in forgettable fare.

That label and that notion was blown out of the water by Zahn's harrowing performance in "Rescue Dawn," which, if there was justice in the world, would have earned him an Oscar nomination. It's not his first impressive turn in drama.

The difference between an actor like Zahn and one like, say, Adam Sandler, is that while Sandler does one inane comedy after another, rarely attempting anything more taxing, Zahn mixes broad hijinks in silly movies with weighty material like "Shattered Glass."

One gets the sense that, like an oft-derided comic actor of another era, Tony Curtis, Zahn is trying hard to land superior parts and expand his range.

"I remember coming to a point a couple of years ago where I realized it's important to be picking good stuff," Zahn told an interviewer recently. "So I try to find something that I think would make a good movie, and more importantly a character that's intriguing and I can play well. Then after that if it's a flop or a hit, it's out of my control.

"It's about trying to be good at what you do whether it's a $150 million budget or an $850,000 budget. I just try to keep going."

Whaley's wowed

Like any ambitious young actor, Mike Whaley delights in being in august company — people in close proximity from whom he can learn. Working in a single film with such veteran stars as Kevin Spacey, Tom Wilkinson, Laura Dern, John Hurt, Ed Begley Jr., Denis Leary and Bob Balaban is a pretty heady experience, even for a fellow who's been in the game for a while now.

"It's been a blessing to work with these actors you see and admire growing up," says the Charleston native.

Whaley plays a CNN reporter covering the Florida Supreme Court in "Recount," an HBO telefilm shot in November by director Jay Roach. The movie chronicles the weeks after the 2000 U.S. presidential election and the subsequent, highly controversial recounts in Florida.

Whaley, son of Charles and Irene Whaley of Charleston, was raised on Edisto Island. A 2001 grad of Middleton High School, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in fine arts with a minor in theater from Florida State University.

Apart from an array of commercials and TV appearances, Whaley's other film credits include "The Ninth Circle," "The Legend of David," "My Brothers Keeper," "Paper Mache," "Chain Reaction" and "The Roommate."

Go west?

If you want to make movies for a living, Austin, Texas, is the best city in America to live at present, according to MovieMaker Magazine's annual survey. Albuquerque, N.M., moved up to second on the list, followed by Shreveport, La.; New York City; Philadelphia; Wilmington, N.C.; Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Baltimore; and Memphis.

Rankings were determined by the availability of local production facilities, educational centers, screening venues and cost of living, among other factors. A city's financial incentives for filmmakers were also taken into account.

A number of Charlestonians in and out of the industry are doing their best to try to get our area on the list, and the state as a whole on the similar roster of favored locations.

We're not groupies

"I'm not with the band, I'm in the band!"

"Girls Rock!" is a kinetic documentary from director Shane King and Arne Johnson set at the annual summertime Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Ore. The week-long workshop finds aspiring musicians learning instruments, establishing bands, composing and performing rock tunes before an audience of 750.

Not unexpectedly, it's passion over polish for these girls ages 8-18 trying to make headway in a realm traditionally reserved for males. If one can get past all the obligatory "empowerment" cliches (however real, it's still a trite academic buzzword) and a certain preachiness, there's much to like in this film, which focuses on four girls with a dream.

One just wishes the two men who made the picture felt a greater obligation to tell the story than to do the politically correct thing.

Bits and Pieces

Oscar-nominated director Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton") returns with "Duplicity," showcasing the talents of Clive Owen and Julia Roberts. ... Next up for "Juno" screenwriter Diablo Cody are the film projects "Girly Style" and "Jennifer's Body." ... Debut director Sarah Gavron's "Brick Lane" (June), based on the celebrated first novel by Monica Ali, is the story of a young Bangladeshi woman who arrives in 1980s London for an arranged marriage and a new life, only to become trapped in her flat in a loveless marriage while her sister back home lives a carefree life. If the film reflects the book, it will be a meld of innocence and sophistication, with a singular appreciation for the fickleness of human nature. ... Another adaptation, Danny Boyle's "Q&A," is drawn from a book of the same name by Vikas Swarup, about a man arrested for winning a pile of money on a quiz show. Good or bad, the new film is not to be confused with Sidney Lumet's "Q&A" (1990), a top-notch cop drama featuring the finest performance of Nick Nolte's career, a film well worth seeking out on video.

Quotable Quotes

Harrison Ford, 65, on having Karen Allen ("Raiders of the Lost Ark") back in the fold for the new Indiana Jones flick: "It's great to have Karen back. I can't really tell you much, though. It's a little too early to be saying much more than what's already been said, and I don't want to be the one to unwrap the Christmas present."

Ford again, on his disappointment that Sean Connery ("Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade") declined to reprise his role as Indy's dad: "But as I told Sean, I'm getting old enough to play my own father, so we don't need him, anymore."