SPOTLIGHT
LOOK INSIDE JOHN LAVIN
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE JOURNEY by joel martens
COVER AND FASHION MODELS are carefully chosen so as to create a compelling “look,” one that entices readers in to buying the clothes they wear or to pick up the media they grace. They are a sort of lead in—an introduction—a doorway to bring you the target audience into a world that offers more. The exterior that belies the profundity possessed inside. This month’s cover model has similar qualities, initially compelling because of his
pleasant appearance and yet, that is just a preamble to his story. In a world that is drawn to beautiful faces and often dismissed as just that, John Lavin shows us that good looks aren’t just skin deep. Not unlike the music icon sought in the docu-movie, Hollywood to Dollywood, which Lavin directed, he shows us what courage is when pursuing one’s true passion and shows us a depth of character that could not be missed. Interestingly enough Dolly Parton teaches us not to judge a book by its cover when she says, “It takes a whole lot of money to look this cheap,” because under that “bleached, tucked, nipped and sucked” exterior, lies one of the most successful country singers in history—not to mention one of the shrewdest businesswomen around.
This movie is also about journeys and being true to
yourself, which twin brothers Gary and Larry Lane share so beautifully in their pursuit of the inimitable Dolly Parton. It’s a story that integrates beautifully the lesson “that in life you have to walk the walk and talk the talk.” John Lavin proves he is doing just that, as he illustrates in our chat with him in between photo sets for The Rage Monthly.
So John, what inspires you to make films? I want to leave something behind when I’m gone, and
since I probably won’t have kids, I hope a body of meaning- ful films will be my legacy. Anything interesting in the works with Bloodrush Films, your production company? My next feature deals with darker shades of the human
experience and I want to continue to explore this gray area where documentary and narrative collide. In my head it’s a black comedy told docu-style, but with a strong narrative arc. We’ll see how it actually comes out. I read that you prefer the documentary genre, why?
Because audiences crave authenticity, and true, honest moments are found more readily in docs than in scripted. Too much of our daily life is fake and processed and audi- ences are rejecting that in their entertainment. So you almost unfailingly get more genuine human nuance in a cable reality show than you do in a $100 million studio blockbuster. I’m all for small crews, real people (not actors), using real life, especially if it’s more engaging than the script—and it almost always is.
Hollywood to Dollywood, how did you get involved in this project? I’d met the twins, Gary and Larry Lane, when we all first
moved to L.A. about ten years ago. We bonded on the set of a beer commercial over our shared affection for Ms. Parton. In early 2010 they asked if I’d want to make a film about them driving cross-country in an RV to try to meet her in Dollywood—I said, when do we leave? I can’t imagine what the trip must have been like, can you share some of the highlights? In all truthfulness, the twins weren’t going to be out
(about their personal life) in the film. I let them know that it just wouldn’t work without their deeply personal story
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RAGE monthly | NOVEMBER 2011
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