On the surface, "White Frog," the indie film being produced by Hawaii’s Chris Lee, appears to be a niche story that would appeal only to an Asian-American audience. That would be a case of mistaken identity.
Sure, it has a strong minority cast with multigenerational appeal: hard-working veterans B.D. Wong, Joan Chen and Kelly Hu paired with new faces Booboo Stewart, Greg Sulkin and Tyler Posey. But they bring diversity to the film world in the same way they bring diversity to the social fabric of American culture.
Their characters could be anyone on your street, said Lee, who grew up in Hawaii and went on to become president of production at Columbia/TriStar Pictures.
"There is no question in my mind that it is a better film because of the way it has been cast," Lee said in a call from Los Angeles, where the film is being shot. "What makes it a postmodern Asian-American film is that even though virtually everyone behind the camera and the primary family in front of the camera are Asian-Americans, this family is literally an all-American family. There are no identity politics in the picture."
"White Frog" is the story of a neglected teenage boy with mild Asperger’s syndrome whose family is changed by an unexpected tragedy.
It’s been described as a cross between "Ordinary People," the 1980 film directed by Robert Redford that won four Oscars, and the Oscar-nominated 1987 Stephen King tale "Stand by Me."
"It’s really a moving story," Lee said. "It’s almost a tear-jerker. There have been times where people have been almost crying on set."
The roles avoid Hollywood stereotypes, Lee said. "Nobody is doing martial arts or finding lost Buddhas in the jungle," he said.
The film is being directed by Quentin Lee, who premiered his feature "The People I’ve Slept With" at the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival. He’s targeting young adults, primarily teenage girls, so it’s no surprise that some of the young men in the cast are the heartthrobs of the next generation.
Stewart, 17, has prominent roles in the next two "Twilight" films. Sulkin, 18, stars in the Disney Channel’s "Wizards of Waverly Place." Posey, 19, plays the lead in MTV’s "Teen Wolf."
Their popularity won’t hurt, said the Honolulu-born Hu, who definitely has her own following.
"I think there are going to be a lot of girls who will go to see the film because of the cast," she said. "And let me tell you, this is a good-looking cast."
THAT SAID, Hu is a realist. She’s hoping for the same appeal that made "The Joy Luck Club" a hit in 1993, but said Asian-American films often struggle to attract large audiences.
But if it’s such an uphill battle, why do it?
"If all we cared about were the numbers, we wouldn’t do anything," she said. "It is a fantastic story, and it is one that really needs to be told. Whether or not people go and see it, it should be made. But I think this one will attract an audience."
Lee and Hu are not the only Hawaii faces working on "White Frog." Keoki Tavares is the production supervisor, Skeeter Stanback is working in the art department, Shane Sato is taking photographs and Academy of Creative Media graduate Kevyn Fong is assisting the director and handling publicity.
The filmmakers would love a theatrical distribution deal, but nothing is in motion just yet. It will likely find audiences on the film festival circuit sometime in 2012.
Lee has the same high hopes for "White Frog" that he had for the Oscar-winning films he oversaw: "Jerry Maguire," "Philadelphia" and "As Good as It Gets."
"It’s not designed to be niche," he said. "It addresses universal concerns and emotions. The family just happens to be Chinese-American, something we are very used to in Hawaii but which can seem almost revolutionary in Hollywood."
AND that’s a wrap. …
