DAY 20: Saturday, July 24, 2010

Locations manager Stacia Beer is brave enough to volunteer her house in the Queen Anne neighborhood as the set for the afternoon. A satisfying barbecue from Just Foods Catering in her backyard combined with a 3 pm call time, the latest so far on the shoot, leaves the crew refreshed and ready for business.

The first and only canine actor on the shoot, Firefly, joins us as the dog of Lauren Ambrose‘s character, Emily.  Our fearless director cues him, “And…action!  And pee!”  No, he cannot pee on cue; it’s just a tube with water.  Lauren stands just out of frame waiting with a roll of paper towels, showing remarkable humility for an actress of her caliber.

A location change to the 5 Spot Diner at 9 pm makes dinner a big sidewalk picnic on Queen Anne Avenue, since the gaffers and cameramen need to set up inside the restaurant.

We’re the 5 Spot’s business for the night, and certainly hungry enough to make up for the time we’re taking from them.  The staff has an apple pie waiting for us in the crafty area; it’s not addressed specifically to Jason, but the implication seems clear.

Their menu changes every three months, says server Beth Grayson, along with the décor.  Luckily for the film, the theme now is the Pacific Northwest, so the spirit of Seattle pervades the venue.

Emily Bergl, who wrapped yesterday, punctuates the middle of the late night by dropping by the diner for a hug-filled, bittersweet farewell to the cast and crew.  The city of Seattle is more than a backdrop in this film, and I wonder if non-local cast members are growing fond of the city through learning and exploring it for the movie.