Residents on the Coast have been pouring in to the Gibsons Cinema and Raven's Cry Theatre in Sechelt this past week to feast their eyes on some beautiful sights - the Gibsons waterfront and box office infatuation Zac Efron, Charlie St. Cloud's biggest stars.
Gibsons Cinema co-owner Tim McRae said the movie has drawn in a demographic the teen fantasy/romance film's producers probably weren't targeting. He said the Gibsons shooting locations and locals featured as extras probably had a lot to do with it.
"For what is normally a teenage star, we're getting an awful lot of adults and seniors coming out as well, so it's an older audience for this film," McRae said. "I think it has something to do with not just seeing the Town, but also seeing friends and relatives. We've had a lot of extras coming to the cinema to watch the movie, and I've seen a number of people at the end of the show talking to their friends saying 'I saw myself, I saw myself!'"
While McRae has only seen about 10 minutes of the movie, he said the impression he has from the moviegoers is that it is a "great Gibsons experience."
Raven's Cry manager Deb Probey said the ticket sales for the movie in Sechelt are probably better than what they would be in other small towns not connected to the movie.
"My guess is half of the people are there to watch because it was filmed locally, and then the other half because it's Zac Efron," she said.
She said the scenes unmistakably shot in Gibsons, which include the harbour, Molly's Reach and Hopkins Landing, drew the strongest response from the audience.
"Whenever they [showed Gibsons] the audience applauded," she said.
Probey said teens coming to see the movie have enjoyed it, but she personally found it "dull."
Gibsons Cinema had a packed house for Tuesday night's showing, which drew in a crowd that was mostly teen-aged and female, including 17-year-old Andréa Alleyne.
Alleyne had made a few sacrifices to meet Efron during filming last September.
"I had skipped 12 classes over the past week to meet him, so I spent half the day running up and down by Molly's Reach, and eventually at night time, I got to see him when he had just come out of the Reach, filming a scene," she said.
Alleyne said the two talked about Efron's impressions of the Sunshine Coast, which Efron called "amazing," and past work of his that she is a fan of.
As for the movie, Alleyne said she enjoyed it, despite a few flaws.
"I liked it. I liked the scenery in it most, though. I think the storyline could have been more in-depth. It was nice seeing the Coast," she said.
Efron plays a guilt-and grief-ridden cemetery worker straddling life and the afterlife following the death of his younger brother. He is forced to confront his loss and the realization that life goes on as he falls in love with a beautiful young sailor played by Langley actress Amanda Crew.
While critics have not been kind to the movie, arguing it trips over the complex themes it tries to present, positive comments on the film are typically about its scenery and Efron's looks and maturing acting abilities.
