(PATRICK GEYSER | The Miami Student)
With the Ides of March debut a week away and the college football rivalry still months in the making, Michigan and Ohio have begun a new competition. The states, both major players in the filming of Ides, are vying for bragging rights and face time on the big screen.
George Clooney's roots in northern Kentucky and Cincinnati appear to give Ohio the early lead. Clooney, who served as director, producer, screenwriter and portrayed Gov. Mike Morris in the film, was born in Augusta, Kentucky, along the Ohio River. His father Nick Clooney had a TV show in Cincinnati and George once made an unsuccessful attempt at the Cincinnati Reds line-up.
But even the hometown hero found love for the Great Lakes State.
Paula Czajka, the director of event management at the Dearborn Inn spent two days with the cast and crew while they filmed there.
"I heard an interview later on the local news with George Clooney and he said he really enjoyed being in Michigan. He said it was a great location to film in," Czajka said.
The film crew also spent a good deal of time in Ann Arbor on the University of Michigan campus, where they created three separate film locations.
"Between takes, Clooney spent a lot of time sitting and chatting with extras at the Arthur Miller Theater," said Lee Doyle, director of the University of Michigan Film Office. "He joked a lot about U of M and the rivalry. He got the students rallied. He said that he really enjoyed the U of M and U of M sports, and that he had a strong dislike of Ohio State, which got everybody cheering, of course."
University of Michigan student Kate Woolliscroft, a junior screen arts and cultures major, said she appreciated Clooney's ability to play up the crowd in Ann Arbor.
As for her opinion on which state deserved bragging rights, she decided that it might be too dangerous a question to answer.
"I am extremely biased with my love for America's high five," she said.
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While there is a lot of evidence that may point to Michigan as the favored ground for the Ides cast and crew, there are important things to note about the home state of Ohio.
Unlike Miami, the University of Michigan was not branded in the film. In fact, the entire film takes place in Ohio during the Ohio presidential primaries.
So while students in Hall Auditorium played attendees to a town hall meeting held at Miami, Michigan students in the Arthur Miller Theater pretended to attend a town hall meeting at Kent State, according to Doyle.
That branding provided great visibility for Miami University and the Farmer School of Business, which is something that Alan Oak, Miami's assistant dean for external relations, values a great deal.
"Although I guess that depends on whether or not it's a lousy movie," Oak added jokingly.
Oak was also adamant that Miami was the best place for the movie.
"I don't know why [they filmed at other universities]. This is the best place for it. I suppose they needed a variety of locations," he said.
Clooney was also on campus to experience one of Miami's most celebrated traditions: Green Beer Day. The following day, he talked with the extras about the excitement in Oxford, according to sophomore Katie Fidelholtz, who was an extra in the film.
Clooney also spent some time making small talk and jokes with the extras on campus, including references to his two-time victory of People Magazine's "Sexiest Man Alive" award, according to Fidelholtz.
While the politics played out in front of the camera, some policy decisions were being made behind the scenes as well.
At the time of shooting, Michigan had the richest film incentives in the nation, which was a big draw for celebrities like Clooney, according to Lee Doyle, director of the University of Michigan Film Office. The state offered up to a 33 percent return off the location costs of filming, including personnel, and had no spending cap.
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder cut this incentive program and capped it at $25 million, and according to Doyle, all of that money for the fiscal year has already been spent.
Maybe when the dust has settled on these two battleground states, this sibling rivalry will ultimately have to concede to the parent Midwest.
"Maybe that's why he enjoyed it," Czajka said. "Maybe he just liked being back in the Midwest. I'm just guessing."
The Ides of March premieres in theaters nationwide Oct. 7.
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