No Land Grab

Featured in Columns & Editorial Whaling City Ready For Its Closeup?

By JOHN FOLEY Day Staff Columnist Published on 2/28/2005

We can almost see the advertisements now: “The Magnificent Story of Seven Courageous People Who Fought the Forces of Power and Greed.''

“Filmed on Location in the Old Whaling City Where the Landmark Case of Kelo v. New London Began.''

“You Will Never Forget ‘The Fort Trumbull Story,' a Heart-Tugging, Inspiring Epic.''

It is almost inevitable. Hollywood loves movies about the little guys against the big guys, so it should salivate over the potential in the old Fort Trumbull neighborhood.

Sally Field, who knows how to portray indomitable women (“Norma Rae,” “Places of the Heart,'' etc.) would be great as Susette Kelo, the best-known of the neighborhood residents who have been saying for years, “Hell, no, we won't go!”

Unfortunately, Hollywood might regard Field as a little too mature for this part. But Annette Bening, the very model of a spirited advocate for a good cause (“The American President”) could also perfectly capture Kelo's personality.

Scott Bullock, the lawyer for the Institute of Justice who appeared before the U. S. Supreme Court last week on behalf of the property owners who have been told to clear out, would be among the movie's good guys – virtually a knight in shining armor, in fact.

James Stewart, always impressively idealistic (“Mr. Smith Goes to Washington”) would have been the first choice to play Bullock if he hadn't taken that final bow some years ago. Tom Hanks, also a straight arrow and a James Stewart, of a sort, for our times, could handle the role with ease.

Hollywood being Hollywood, it would be guaranteed that New London officials and New London Development Corp. officers would be portrayed as the heaviest of heavies. Their plan to generate taxes, jobs and economic renewal from private development after what is left of the neighborhood is razed would be presented as a cynical, money-grabbing scheme cooked up by slick operators.

While painted so darkly, the city and the NLDC could not be expected to derive much consolation by remembering that Alfred Hitchcock once said, during a debate about how a character should be depicted, “It's only a movie.''

Luckily for them, though, that George Sanders, the legendary cad who oozed disdain for common folks from every pore, is no longer around because he would certainly be cast as one of the prominent figures striving to take homes via the chilling eminent domain route. But Gene Hackman, who has had plenty of experience as a ruthless conniver in a pinstripe suit (“The Firm,'' among others) would be appropriately malicious.

Other actors in “The Fort Trumbull Story” would include Robert De Niro and Joe Pesci, sons of Italy, as longtime residents of the neighborhood that once was filled with Italian families. Brad Pitt and Ben Affleck might draw the young crowd, but they just couldn't cut it as denizens of “the old Fort.''

This is the opinion of John Foley.    © The Day Publishing Co., 2005