'There's a real film scene in Chicago': 'AIR' screenwriter inspired by suburban upbringing
When Alex Convery's friends learned to drive, they couldn't wait to go to parties.
Convery, on the other hand, longed for rides into Chicago so he could see Italian films at the Music Box Theatre.
While embracing the suburban lifestyle growing up in Naperville and Western Springs, Convery chose a unique path that eventually carried him to rare air.
Convery recently earned his first film credit as the screenwriter of “AIR,” a movie about the meteoric rise of Nike behind Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and the massive success of Air Jordan merchandise.
Thirteen years after graduating from Lyons Township High School, and then graduating from the University of Southern California film school, he's achieved a dream cultivated when he was just another teenage Bulls fan in the western suburbs.
“I told everyone I wanted to be a doctor growing up because I didn't know any better,” he said with a laugh. “But I was lucky to be exposed to the right things at the right time. There's a real film scene in Chicago, and I loved seeing movies there.
“(Lyons Township) didn't have a film program, per se, but I took creative writing classes and a playwriting class,” he said. “And I had teachers that pushed me to keep writing.”
Little did he know he'd end up rubbing elbows with Ben Affleck, who directed and stars in “AIR.” Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman and Chris Tucker also star in the movie that opened April 5 to strong reviews and solid box office numbers.
Inspiration
Some of the earliest memories for Convery, 30, involve watching television with his dad as the Bulls rolled to six NBA championships in the 1990s.
“I know it sounds weird, but I wish I was five or 10 years older so I could've properly appreciated those times,” he said. “I was just a little kid. I didn't know any better.”
Building on his childhood, the inspiration for “AIR” came from his early experiences in the film industry.
One of his first jobs after leaving USC was as an assistant on the ESPN “30-for-30” production of “Sole Man” about basketball guru Sonny Vaccaro, who is credited with convincing Nike to sign Jordan and is played by Damon in “AIR.”
When Convery saw Vaccaro referenced again in “The Last Dance,” the 2020 docuseries about Jordan's career and the Bulls' dynasty, he became hooked on writing the “AIR” screenplay.
Even without a film credit, Convery was far from unknown at the time. Two of his scripts landed on the Black List, which is an annual list of most-liked screenplays that haven't been produced.
In 2022, Convery was named one of the Variety's 10 Screenwriters to Watch.
No matter how much people appreciated his writing, though, Convery knew it'd take a bit of luck to achieve success. He found it through Mandalay Pictures CEO Peter Guber, who was an executive producer on “The Last Dance” and loved Convery's script.
The screenplay soon landed with Affleck and Damon, and the film came together. Amazon Studios, Skydance Sports and Artists Equity also were involved with the production.
“So much of it is just the right people reading the right script at the right time, and I got lucky on this one with Ben and Matt finding the script when they did,” Convery said. “But that just as easily could have not happened, as it did with my other scripts.”
Paying dues
Convery's family moved to Naperville when he was 2, and then Western Springs when he was 5. He developed a love of movies through trips to the Quarry theater in Hodgkins and the Yorktown theater in Lombard, but he especially loved the Music Box.
After attending a summer writing program at USC while he was in high school, Convery knew he wanted to be a screenwriter. During his first post-graduate years in Los Angeles, though, he endured “dues-paying jobs,” including work selling online tutoring services.
“Whether I was being paid or not, or had a day job, I would always write,” he said. “It's something that I love doing and feels natural. This whole thing has been a lesson in trusting the process and not worrying about the results.”
Now that results have arrived, Convery already has moved on to his next project, although he can't yet reveal details.
What Convery will say is that someday he'd like to write about the Chicago suburbs. He envisions an updated John Hughes vibe mixed with the wildness of “Dazed and Confused.”
He also has other sports ideas on his radar. Convery believes there's great script possibilities with Steve Bartman, who many Chicago Cubs fans unfairly blamed for the team's collapse in the 2003 playoffs when he interfered with a foul ball.
Another intriguing topic for Convery is the 1998 home run record chase by the Cubs' Sammy Sosa and the St. Louis Cardinals' Mark McGwire.
But whether future screenplays strike a chord like with “AIR,” or they end up buried on the Black List, Convery won't be fazed.
He'll just keep writing.
“It's a lot of work and you have to go into it loving the process of writing,” he said. “Even if it's a crazy idea and no one will like it, I'll do it if I love the story.”