Are you there, Hollywood? It's me, Deborah.
Plus the news of the week: $400M tennis complex proposed near Catawba River; CMS gets close on new superintendent; Huntersville power company expands; Abortion veto expected
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A casting call went out for kids and moms for the Judy Blume movie filmed in Charlotte. My daughter and I spent three days as extras — and now the movie is out.
My daughter, Julia, and I (the mom-daughter duo in the center) snapped a quick photo on the set of “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” in the spring of 2021 with friends Elle and Mary Lauren Kennedy (mom-daughter on the left) and Ashli and Kate Stokes (mom-daughter on the right).
by Deborah Goldberg, as told to Cristina Bolling
In April of 2021, my best mom friend, Ashli, sent me a text: “Oh my gosh, Kate is going to be an extra in the ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ movie!”
I’d heard that the movie was going to be filmed in Charlotte, and excitement and jealousy kicked in. Could Julia [my daughter] get in on this?
I immediately emailed the casting company. It was nighttime as I was doing this, and Julia was in bed and completely unaware. I mean, this is not only a Judy Blume book, but it’s the book, you know? The idea of my 12-year-old daughter getting to be an extra in “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” was the chance of a lifetime.
The casting contact responded within an hour and asked me to fill out a form and send in a headshot of Julia. I knew they were looking for extras in a camp scene, so I scoured through family photos and found a photo that is cute, but also one where Julia looks the most like a camper — her hair is in braids and she’s in the woods.
That same night, an email came — Julia was in — and the casting company sent 1,000 pieces of paperwork to fill out. We got the dates for filming and realized they conflicted with one day of end-of-grade tests (EOGs) at school. I’m a rule-follower by nature, and I remember wanting someone to tell me that my decision to have Julia skip the test to be in a movie was OK.
But I said to myself, “In 20 years, will missing a sixth-grade EOG during a pandemic matter, when she could be in the movie based on the most famous Judy Blume book ever?” It was a no-brainer. (She took the EOG another day and it was no big deal.)
A few weeks before filming, we headed to the costuming warehouse in a non-descript building off Central Avenue. We had to take a Covid test before we could go, which the casting company arranged and paid for. There, we ran into another friend and mom — Elle and Mary Lauren. We couldn’t believe it. Elle was an extra in the camp scene also!
The operation was just amazing. On a loading dock sat 1960s cars and rows and rows of costumes that looked just like the clothes that, if you’re my age, were in your mom’s closet when you were a child.
They had makeshift dressing rooms, and the costume people brought us a couple of outfits based on Julia’s sizes. The process was like a well-oiled machine. We were in a warehouse full of racks of clothes, and if they needed another pair of shoes, a bandana, a belt, within minutes an assistant had located it and it was being put on Julia.
They fit her with two costume options, pinned them, and took photos that they attached to hangers so on the day of filming they’d know exactly what she was supposed to look like.
About a week before filming, an email went out saying they needed extras for a scene where moms would meet their daughters as they’re getting off the camp bus. OMG, could I be in the movie, too? We three moms “applied” and were chosen. The whole process started again — the paperwork, the appointment for costumes, the Covid testing, the blocking off dates. We were pros by then.
The day came for costuming the moms, and we were more giddy than the girls were, texting each other pictures from the dressing rooms. They put me in the most hideous thing you’ve ever seen. My friends Ashli and Mary Lauren got vintage-chic mom costumes, but I was put in lime green polyester pants and a top with green and blue stripes that I know my grandmother wore at some point.
The girls’ first two days of filming were at a camp in Gaston County. What we learned was that being an extra in a movie is 90% waiting around. We moms had to stay with our girls for the filming days, so we were off on the sidelines watching. I was sure Julia would make it into the movie; they filmed a capture-the-flag scene for what seemed like a couple of hours, and Julia was on Margaret’s team, right next to Margaret for most of it.
A few days later, it was the moms’ turn to film with our daughters. We had been told that our role would be as moms on the street greeting girls returning from camp, but my friends and I got a much more boring assignment — to be background people walking down the street. We walked up and down the street, over and over and over again. We walked a while then waited two hours and walked up and down the street again. Then waited another hour. It was around 85 degrees.
We ate lunch and took breaks in the basement fellowship hall of a church. Kathy Bates [the Oscar-winning actress] was there in her own private room, and a bunch of girls were lined up to get their books signed by her, which she did for a little while. She was really nice.
Fast forward to almost two years later. It was finally time for the movie premiere. Ashli, Mary Lauren and I had been talking about this every week since filming. We planned an outing for our families to attend on opening night. We got reservations for 12 at Cantina 1511 in Park Road Shopping Center, secured our movie tickets a week in advance, and bought cookies and champagne for afterward.
We settled into the theater, with the three now-teenage girls sitting together and the three moms together, with the dads and the little brothers behind us. The movie opens with the camp scene, and I got so giddy and excited that I turned to look down the row at the girls, waiting to watch their reaction, and I missed the split-second that Julia and Elle were on-screen. Julia didn’t see herself, either. But we did catch Kate’s second-long appearance.
MOVIE TIME: Two years after serving as extras, we watched the movie together. (The girls are now teens — and are quite a bit taller than they were during filming.)
I didn’t make it in the movie at all. Neither did Ashli. My friend Mary Lauren is a tiny dot in a blurry background later on in the movie.
Looking back, it’s just amazing that the three girls all made it onto the screen. There were so many girls, and I know that so much of what was filmed was cut.
Was it frustrating to do all that and then not appear anywhere in the movie? A little. But it was an amazing opportunity for both Julia and me. And like everything in life, it turned out very differently than what we had expected.
Are we movie stars? No. Do we have some great stories? Definitely. The girls spent two days with a movie star, and we have a million inside jokes from those three days. I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.
As for we three moms — we text every single day offering support, advice and sarcastic memes to get us through the week. The name of our chat group is “Stage Moms.”
Deborah Goldberg is a Charlotte mom of a 14- and 10-year-old and the organizer of the Ledger’s 40 Over 40 Awards. She has decided to remain in Charlotte and not pursue a Hollywood acting career.
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This week in Charlotte: $400M tennis complex proposed, CMS close to naming new superintendent, low-fare airlines expand, Panthers’ schedule has Monday Night Football
On Saturdays, The Ledger sifts through the local news of the week and links to the top articles — even if they appeared somewhere else. We’ll help you get caught up. That’s what Saturdays are for.
Education
Superintendent search: (Observer) The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools board of education expects to name a new superintendent at a public meeting next week. A school board member says interviews wrapped up last Sunday.
UNC Charlotte stadium expansion: (Axios Charlotte) UNC Charlotte is moving forward with plans to expand its football stadium, with the school’s board of trustees approving $750,000 for planning. The stadium seats 15,314, and an expansion would add seats and a tower that would contain the press box and suites.
Politics
Cooper to veto abortion bill, override vote expected next week: (AP) N.C. Gov. Roy Cooper plans to veto a bill Saturday that bans most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy. He’s been on a cross-state campaign this week to urge the constituents of four GOP state legislators to demand they uphold abortion access.
City council nixes 4-year-term plan: (WSOC) The Charlotte City Council voted Monday not to place a proposal for four-year council terms on November’s ballot.
De La Jara to leave school board: (WFAE) School board member Jennifer De La Jara says she will not seek re-election this fall. She has served on the board since 2019.
Local news
Tennis proposal for River District: (Ledger🔒) A $400M tennis complex proposal called “Project Break Point” has been unveiled for the River District development in Charlotte, aiming to bring a top tennis tournament to the city and offering various community benefits, while concerns have been raised about the allocation of public funds to an out-of-state project rather than local initiatives like the old Eastland Mall site.
Nonprofits seek support in advance of migrant influx: (WFAE) The Trump-era policy used to turn people away at the U.S.-Mexico border ended Thursday, and Charlotte-area nonprofits are noticing an increase in new arrivals from the border. They are calling on federal and state governments for more support to help local communities provide emergency services.
Business
Huntersville company to expand: (WFAE) A company that makes electric vehicle charging equipment is expanding in Huntersville, creating 205 jobs. Atom Power is receiving financial incentives including $1.6M from the state and $46,000 from Mecklenburg County. It currently has 82 workers.
Low-fare airlines expand in Charlotte: (Ledger 🔒) Low-fare airlines such as Frontier and Spirit are increasing their service in Charlotte, offering more affordable options and pushing down fares in a city that traditionally has higher airfares as a hub for American Airlines.
Sports
Panthers announce schedule: (Observer) The Carolina Panthers revealed their 2023 regular-season schedule, which includes an away game against the Atlanta Falcons as their season opener and a home game against the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football as their home-opener. The schedule consists of 17 games, including six division matchups and nine road games.
Good reads
N.C. pilot draws with flight paths: (NC Rabbit Hole) Raleigh pilot Thomas Larsen creates intricate sky art by carefully planning flight paths and hand-flying his aircraft, drawing various designs inspired by personal experiences and interests. He’s drawn a cat, a Venus fly trap and a gnome — but he never intended to get attention. Writer Jeremy Markovich gets Larsen to open up about what he does and why he does it.
From the Ledger family of newsletters
Health insurance reform: Kathleen Valentini’s delayed cancer diagnosis due to insurance company denials highlights the need for reform in the prior authorization process, which is being considered by North Carolina lawmakers and several other states to ensure faster action and physician involvement in decision-making.
N.C. hospitality association weighs in on possible tax extension: The CEO of the N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association, Lynn Minges, told the Ledger that the association is unlikely to oppose a bill to extend taxes on dining out and hotel stays in Mecklenburg until 2060. At issue is extending a 1% charge on prepared food and drinks, as well as a 2% charge on hotel and motel stays.
Informal reviews of revaluation same as 2019: Mecklenburg County received a similar number of requests for informal reviews of property values during the recent revaluation as it did in 2019. A total of 14,939 property owners requested reviews this year, allowing for corrections to be made without a full appeal process. The deadline for appeals of property values is June 9.
New Ledger podcast episode 🎧: Kimbo Bohannon discusses how she started a nonprofit mentoring program for elementary students called Buddy/Mentor — and the importance of students knowing someone is cheering them on.
Wednesday (🔒)
Q&A about River District project: The Ledger’s Tony Mecia spoke with Chase Kerley, Crescent Communities’s managing director overseeing a huge mixed-use project proposed for the River District on the Catawba to understand the vision and the details of the plan.
Tax increase expected for homeowners: Due to this year's property revaluation in Charlotte, the typical homeowner can expect a tax increase of $446 per year resulting from a nearly 60% increase in the median home price, with the city and county calculating revenue-neutral tax rates to accommodate the higher property values.
The Ballantyne ‘Amp’ amps up: Developer Northwood Office debuted “The Amp” amphitheater in the Ballantyne Reimagined development during an invitation-only event.
CMS texts parents about bus driver vacancies: Bus driver shortages in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have led to disruptions and delays, prompting the district to notify parents via text that their children may not be able to take the bus home. There are 58 bus driver vacancies, CMS officials told The Ledger this week.
Controversial Pineville apartment project expansion approved: The Pineville Town Council approved site plans for the second and third buildings of a controversial downtown development project, with the condition that the developer provides additional parking, despite concerns from residents about increased traffic and the project's aesthetic impact on the town.
Friday (🔒)
Pineville is pumpin’ with changes: Pineville, a town undergoing significant growth and change, is experiencing major shifts in residential development, debates over the relocation of essential city services like the fire station and concerns about the future of Carolina Place Mall. Some residents and business owners are enthusiastic about the development, while others worry about the strain on infrastructure.
You Ask, We Answer: A reader who was perplexed about why it was taking months for Charlotte Water to fix a roadside leak in her neighborhood posed the question to the Ledger: How long does it take the city to fix leaks? We took the question to a city official, and got the answer.
Business Toolbox webinar series starts: The Charlotte Ledger and employers association Catapult kicked off a series of Business Toolbox series of webinars, providing practical advice to small and mid-sized businesses, with topics including legal considerations, remote work, and mental health support; the webinars are available as podcasts and YouTube videos, and the upcoming webinar will focus on recruiting and retaining top talent.
Marvel exhibit opens at Discovery Place: The “Marvel: Universe of Super Heroes” exhibition at Discovery Place in uptown Charlotte opens on May 14, featuring interactive installations and over 300 original artifacts from private collectors, tracing Marvel's history as both a creative and cultural entity.
Ways of Life (🔒)
Edward Menhinick, a professor with a lifelong passion for ecology, passed away at the age of 87, leaving behind a remarkable legacy of insect collections, research on freshwater fish, and dedication to the natural world, as well as endearing memories of his unique approach to biology, adventures and family life.
Regionalism heading in reverse? Union County in North Carolina has decided to stop funding the Charlotte Area Transit System’s express bus route 74x, which will likely result in its discontinuation by October. The decision raises concerns for Charlotte’s $13.5B transit plan, because losing support and funding from neighboring counties could hinder the city’s regional transit goals.
Westwood’s Charlotte adventure: English Premier League player Ashley Westwood almost gave up on soccer after a gruesome ankle injury, but a new opportunity in Charlotte lured him back to the game. He’s now Charlotte FC’s captain and says Charlotte is “a special city, and hopefully we’ve got many more years here.”
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Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Staff writer: Lindsey Banks; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire, CXN Advisory; Contributing photographer/videographer: Kevin Young, The 5 and 2 Project