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Community Corner

Hollywood Comes to Marblehead

Local restaurant in the spotlight this summer.

Just two days after the royal wedding of Peter Lynch's daughter to a French count, Marblehead is abuzz again. This time, Hollywood has come to town.

The cast and crew of the new movie My Hometown took over the Marblehead Cafe & Chowder Company this afternoon. Star Ryan Merriman (who appears in the ABC Family drama Pretty Little Liars) shot a lunch scene with 17-year-old actor Mark Munford of Peabody.

The crew has shot in several North Shore locations in the last few days, including the Porthole Pub in Lynn.

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The movie's director, Joel Greenberg, is also a Peabody native. He and Munford run the production company Jomar Motion Pictures. They've made two other movies that are awaiting distribution.

My Hometown is about a Peabody High School senior on the verge of flunking out.  He's given one last chance to graduate -- if he makes a movie showing why Peabody is the best town in America. During the project, he uncovers a surprising controversy.

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"It's an extremely funny movie," said Greenberg. "It could be set anywhere in America, but we chose Peabody.

"I always wanted to involve people from my hometown in my movies," Greenberg added. "Now we're using locals as extras and shooting in area businesses."

Greenberg and Munford met several years ago when Greenberg ran an ice cream truck in Peabody and started talking with Munford at a neighborhood skate park.  Munford lives in a housing project and hopes acting will be his ticket to a better life.

"This movie is about a kid trying to make it out of his hometown. Kind of like me trying for my break in Hollywood," he said.

Munford's co-star Ryan Merriman is already a Hollywood name and said it's been a big change filming here in New England. 

"I'm still trying to get the accent right," he said. "And I've eaten a lot of Super Beefs and steak tips. We don't really eat roast beef sandwiches in L.A."

The movie also stars teen actor Casey Margolis, who is seen in The Hangover and Superbad.  Margolis was not at the shoot today.

Marblehead Cafe owner Susan Brewer made her acting debut, playing herself behind the counter.

"My big line is 'Our special today is My Ex-Mother-in-Law's Chicken Soup,'" she said. The soup is a real-life favorite at the restaurant on Bessom Street.

It's been a wild summer for Brewer, who has been catering  events for the Lynch wedding.  She's been in charge of feeding the vendors working on wedding preparations.

"We've been feeding anywhere from 20 to 150 people a day for seven weeks," she said. "We also catered the groom's picnic, the bridesmaids' breakfast and the ballroom dance rehearsal," she said.

"I feel like I've been working at the Oscars for the last few weeks at the Lynch wedding. Now, I'm doing the movie!"

So how did the Marblehead Cafe get picked for the movie? Associate producers were scouring North Shore restaurants, walked in and thought it was perfect for this particular scene.

"It's definitely exciting," Brewer said.

My Hometown will be filming in different North Shore locales for the next month.  It should hit theatres in about a year.

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