What Exactly is an Indie Film?

BY JOHN SERBA

THE GRAND RAPIDS PRESS

So what, exactly, is an indie film?

Well, like pornography or exploitation flicks, you know it when you see
it. Maybe that's a crass analogy, but it's true; most often, a movie
feels indie more than it can be easily defined as such. Sure, there are
a few clues: subtitles, nonfiction content, small budgets, Steve Buscemi
in a leading role.

But not until we sense the tone of a film -- about, say, a meek fellow
who buys a life-size sex doll and declares it his girlfriend -- do we
fully understand the meaning of the term. The Farrelly Bros. would turn
this concept into a raunchy, R-rated mainstream romp.

But "Lars and the Real Girl, director Craig Gillespie took a more indie
approach, making the guy-who-loves-a-doll movie into something
unconventionally sweet, literary-minded and about more than just the
easy laugh.

In the past few months, more independent films have opened in Grand
Rapids than ever. The change occurred in August, when  Loeks Theatres
converted the Woodland Mall location into a second-run/art-film combo
complex, which, on average, opens an indie feature every two weeks.  
This joins the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts' weekly art film
and the occasional opening of a limited-release film in megaplexes.

More choices
Local moviegoers' options are increasing beyond the latest blockbuster
action epic, slapstick comedy or Disney cartoon.

"This is a tough place to be for theaters right now," said UICA theater
manager Ryan Dittmer. "We're competing not with each other as much as
with DVDs and TV."

Indie-film enthusiasts are a small percentage of the theaters'
demographic. Generally, off-the-beaten-path fare rarely appeals to
casual date-night-ers or families looking for a way to entertain the
kids for an afternoon. It's more for diehard film buffs.

The latter group is what Loeks' vice president of programming Ron Van
Timmeren calls a "vocal minority." The transformation of the Woodland
cineplex isn't just an attempt to diversify the content of many local
screens -- about 140, counting lakeshore areas -- it's a response to the
theater chain's customer feedback.

"People tend to comment on what's not playing, and I can't always
guarantee that those films will play locally," Van Timmeren said.

G.R. in third wave
The reason for this is a simple tier-based film distribution system.
It's the answer to the question I receive the most from readers: Why
does (movie X) seem to be playing everywhere but in West Michigan?

Well, films such as "Lars and the Real Girl," "No Country for Old Men"
or the upcoming "Margot at the Wedding" typically debut in New York, Los
Angeles and Chicago -- the first wave. This is when all the magazines
run reviews and star interviews, when film critic Richard Roeper talks
about them on syndicated television, and when West Michiganders wonder
when we'll see Javier Bardem go psycho on local screens.

"Often, the e-mails and calls we get are in response to something
opening in that first wave," Van Timmeren said. "Those films are not
available to us at this time."

A week or two will pass before the films open in the second wave of
markets: the top 20 or 25 cities, including Detroit. Typically, if a
film does well at the box office on this level, it goes to the third
wave, which includes Grand Rapids. This can take a couple more weeks.

However, if ticket sales stall in the first or second wave, studios
won't want to shell out the dough to further market a film.

"If there are no good revenues, hello video store," Van Timmeren said.

Of course, this doesn't mean third-wave Grand Rapidians don't want to
see such a movie. That's when film buyers have to chase down the
distributors. There are only a select number of prints available, and
theater schedules can be tricky (Van Timmeren often stresses his
commentary with the phrase "as space is available"). This is why we have
to wait to see a film such as "Rocket Science," which debuted in the
first wave Aug. 12, but opened locally Sept. 29.

The other wrinkle in this system occurs in December, when studios
participate in what I call the Big Shove: Cramming films onto the
schedule before the end of the year so they'll qualify for Academy Award
nominations. The media blitz ensues, and the second and third wave of
openings occurs in January.

In December, we'll hear a lot of award-season chatter surrounding the
Jack Nicholson/Morgan Freeman dramedy "The Bucket List," Paul Thomas
Anderson's new directorial effort "There Will Be Blood" and Jason
Reitman's clever comedy buzz-flick "Juno," hailed as this year's "Little
Miss Sunshine." But don't expect to see them here until after the new
year.

The view from the biz
Ever since the indie-film revolution of the early 1990s, led by the
success of "Pulp Fiction," "Clerks" and other crossover hits, the
definition of "independent film" has changed considerably. All of the
major studios now have boutique companies -- e.g., Fox Searchlight,
Paramount Vantage, Warner Independent -- that debut non-mainstream fare
in limited release.

Grand Rapids occasionally is included in this. The most recent example
is Todd Haynes' biographical Bob Dylan film "I'm Not There," which
debuted on 130 screens nationally on Nov. 21, including Celebration
Woodland. With the film's modest marketing budget and relatively narrow
appeal, it may not expand further.

Compare that to current box-office chart-topper "Enchanted," which
opened on 3,730 screens, typical for a mainstream film with a
multi-million-dollar marketing campaign behind it.

"Generally, anything getting less than a wide release is an independent
film now," Van Timmeren said.

Somewhere in between is the Coen Bros." "No Country for Old Men," which
has gathered steam since its Nov. 9 first-wave opening, grossing nearly
$17 million, a good average considering its modest screen count of 860.

Yet "No Country" still is considered an indie in the movie biz because:
It had a slow, limited-release rollout; it's being co-distributed by
Paramount Vantage and Disney subsidiary Miramax; and the buzz from
pundits and film festivals is generating ticket sales.

A different market
For smaller establishments such as UICA, the typical cineplex marketing
scheme -- loading up screens in summer and winter, aiming for big
opening-weekend box office and expecting diminishing returns -- is
reversed. Recent successes at the downtown art theater, such as "Paris
je t'aime" and current holdover "King Corn," have benefitted from word
of mouth during their two-week runs.

"Ticket sales tend to increase the second week," Dittmer said. "And
we're busiest spring and fall."

Van Timmeren is taking a similar approach for films at Woodland. The
theater's best exclusive release so far was "La Vie en Rose," which
steadily increased patronage during its four-week run, ultimately
selling 1,500 tickets.

"For smaller titles that wouldn't have gotten a lot of play at the
first-run theaters, we can let them sit for a longer period of time at
Woodland," he said.

Still, ticket sales are modest. Sure, there's an occasional breakout
success -- "Waitress" over the summer, and "Bella," now playing -- but
turnouts for Woodland exclusives and critical darlings such as "Rocket
Science" and "The King of Kong" have been disappointing.

That's why Loeks and UICA are looking for ways to bolster interest in
independent films. UICA used to depend upon its members for attendance,
but that strategy is changing. Recent exposure in the Grand Valley State
University newspaper helped swell student interest in UICA films.

"Younger audiences are more willing to try something different, to go to
different places," Dittmer said. "Still, it's hard for me to gauge what
people want to see. It's so touch-and-go."

Van Timmeren echoed that sentiment: "It can be a fickle marketplace."