Ted Melfi takes questions about 'St. Vincent'

4 Qs for Ted Melfi

Ted Melfi is a TV commercial director making his first feature (as director, writer and producer) with the Bill Murray comedy “St. Vincent.” I hit him with four questions.

Q. I understand that Bill Murray was something of a mentor for you on the set.

A. Yes. He taught me a lot about comedy and a lot about life, really. About directing, really. About staying calm and relaxed. About staying in the present moment. Bill is the most in-the-moment person I've ever met in my life.

Q. The story was inspired by your own niece (now your adopted daughter) nominating you as an every day saint after you took her into your family. Do you remember how you felt when this happened?

A. I didn't start crying because I'm not a crier. But I could have. It meant a lot because we had been through a lot in the last four years. For this little girl to see her dad die in front of her — her mom abandoned her when she was a baby — and I mean what a terrible thing to happen to an 11-year-old girl. For her to be grateful for people in her life who would take care of her ... for her to call me a saint, well, if I die tomorrow, at least I did something right for someone.

Q. It sounds to me like “St. Vincent” is more than just a movie to you.

A. I think it's a story that needs to be told right now. The world's going through hell with ISIS and Ferguson. Just hell. There are so many negative messages out there. We need something positive once in a while, something to say that people are innately and intrinsically good. They are good. My movie's about a little boy who sees the good in a crusty old guy who makes a difference in his life. Showing people their value is everything.

Q. Your movie strikes me as a cinematic sermon of sorts.

A. If you go to church, you understand the value of people and how we touch them. If you scratch the surface just a little bit, you can see what God created underneath.

Film critics notebook

• Congrats to four South Elgin High School seniors who will show their film short “All About M.E.” this weekend at AMC's Empire Theaters in Times Square, New York City. Alex Sandoval, Jeff Schooler, Cosette Teschke and Val Wilson are finalists in the All-American High School Film Festival. Judges Kristen Stewart, Morgan Spurlock, Henry Winkler and others will critique the seven-minute film, about Matthew Erickson, a 2-year-old born with brain cancer. You can see the short at bit.ly/ZFrfTZ.

• The Woodstock Theatre, 209 Main St., Woodstock, presents a special showing of the comically violent “Zombieland” at midnight, Friday, Oct. 24. $5 admission. classiccinemas.com.

• A number of Classic Cinemas locations across the suburbs have free family-friendly films Saturday, Oct. 25. Options include “Mr. Peabody & Sherman,” “Casper” and “Scooby-Doo.” See classiccinemas.com for times, locations and Halloween-themed extras.

• The Pickwick Theatre Classic Film Series in Park Ridge has a special treat at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, when it presents not only a 75th anniversary screening of “Son of Frankenstein” (1939), but features guest visitor Donnie Dunagan, the last surviving cast member from the famous sequel to James Whale's “Bride of Frankenstein.”

“Son,” the third film in Universal Studios' Frankenstein series, is the last to feature Boris Karloff as the Monster, but the first time Bela Lugosi appears as Ygor. Dunagan, a U.S. Marine who served three tours of duty in Vietnam, will sign autographs and meet fans and be interviewed by program host and series programmer Matthew C. Hoffman. Tickets cost $7. Go to bit.ly/1zjOALF.

Judging the 'Judge'

Dear Dann: Read your review and your one and a half star rating of referenced movie (“The Judge”). As a professional critic, you see and critique things the average moviegoer misses and really doesn't care about. However my friend and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie and feel it's one of the very best.

Furthermore, we feel Downey and Duvall should get Oscar nominations. Maybe you should critique a movie keeping the average person in mind rather than wanting to impress with your expertise. — Dorothy Yedinak

Dear Dorothy: Movie critics are not consumer advisers. Otherwise they'd be called “consumer advisers.” Regretfully, the public does not get to vote on what a critic thinks.

I'm sorry to report Mr. Duvall and Mr. Downey have no chance at Oscar nominations for recycling characters they've played many times before, a criticism that you did not dispute.

My readers tend to be rather knowledgeable about the movies, and I would disagree with your claim that they “miss” and “don't care” about points raised in reviews.

However, I am pleased that you and your friend did not waste your time or admission by watching a movie you both disliked.

• Dann Gire's Reel Life column runs Fridays in Time out!