You Can Go Home Again: Ben Hinkernell, 'Lebanon, PA.' at E Street Cinema
Why did you decide to start the film with a parent’s death?
That moment is a seminal moment. It makes you take stock of where you are. You’re no longer in relation to your parent. You have to really make your own place in the world, what used to define you is totally gone. In our 20s and 30s, we’re all about gain. Having that kind of loss at this period of life when you’re all about gain and growth is really shocking. It was the only thing that could make Will start this process.
But CJ, who’s unexpectedly pregnant, also has to start that process of redefining herself.
I do think CJ kind of steals the story in a way — it is Will’s story, he’s the hero, but as the movie really starts to gain steam, it becomes CJ’s story as much as his, and by the end a lot of the dramatic thrust is from her. This is a movie about people from different backgrounds being forced together and forced to come to an understanding with one another.
An early shot in the film shows you can get five hours of parking for a quarter in Lebanon. Is that true?
Actually, in the script I wanted to show you get 15 minutes in Philly and one hour in Lebanon, but it turned out you get five hours. In the meantime, Philly downgraded that so you only get 7 minutes for a quarter. That, right there, shows so much disparity — not just in economics, but also the pace of life.
» Landmark E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW; opens Fri., see Landmarktheatres.com for showtimes, $10; 202-452-7672. (Metro Center)
Photo courtesy Lebanon Productions, LLC
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLK5vNGeqqxnp6V8c3yQamZpbV9mf3CuxKdkoaGeoLKzusSlo2aklZeur7vNZqeaZw%3D%3D