Published 17:01, June the 22nd, 2009
Philly’s ‘Brightest’
Yes — that was totally Neil Patrick Harris you saw in Rittenhouse
When Josh Shelov co-wrote 2005’s “Green Street Hooligans” and became a “made guy” in film circles, the New Yorker soon found himself in Hollywood writing for Warner and MGM.
But what he really wanted to do was direct, write something personal and head home.
He found that with “The Best and the Brightest,” a comedy he co-wrote and is directing, which is based on his and his wife’s attempts to get their child into Manhattan’s private school system.
“My situation wasn’t quite as farcical as what these characters will face,” the director laughs while on set in Philly last week.
When the sky fell on New York City’s economy in September 2008 and the city revoked its tax credits (now reinstated), the production had to move fast to find something amenable in both look and vibe.
Hello Philadelphia and its swanky Rittenhouse Square area. Welcome to Neil Patrick Harris (star of “How I Met Your Mother” and 2009’s Tony host) and Bonnie Somerville as the happy couple, along with Amy Sedaris (“Strangers with Candy”).
“The locations had to be elegant, tastefully appointed and well dressed,” says location manager Michele Baker.
“And the next best thing to the brownstones of the Upper East Side is our own brownstones,” says Patricia C. Weiser, a local attorney. Along with her husband, Robert Weiser, she is one of the film’s producers and its most avid location scout.
Also on her list? The Racquet Club, G Lounge, Boyd’s and the steps of the Union League will replicate NYC’s upscale haven before shooting wraps between July 8 and 10.