Why Filmmakers Fall in Love With the Upper West Side

We interviewed Leslie Urdang, a producer of the new Upper West Side romance, “Adam,” about why the camera loves the neighborhood, what convinced the filmmakers to shoot here, and which locations were most evocative.

Although finding a date on the Upper West Side can be difficult, Hollywood long ago fell in the love with the neighborhood’s romantic possibilities. Some of film’s most famous — and funny — love stories  were set in the neighborhood, from Billy Wilder’s “The Apartment” to Nora Ephron’s “You’ve Got Mail”. “Kissing Jessica Stein” was set here, as was the classic Thanksgiving scene from Woody Allen’s “Hannah and Her Sisters”.

“Adam,” which opened in New York and Los Angeles on July 29 and is scheduled for a nationwide release on August 28, is about a man with Asperger’s Syndrome and his complicated romance with a new neighbor. Adam, played by Hugh Dancy, grew up on the Upper West Side in an apartment with his father, and now lives alone in the apartment, where he indulges his astronomy obsession. Beth, played by Rose Byrne, is a teacher and writer who moves into the building.

The movie was written and directed by Upper West Sider (and Ethical Culture graduate) Max Mayer. Producer Leslie Urdang, who spoke with us by email this week, is a producer for Olympus Pictures and has worked on numerous films, including “The Narrows” and “Motorcycle Diaries”.

Westside Independent: Why choose the Upper West Side for the story?
Leslie Urdang: The Upper West Side -  40 years ago – is the neighborhood in which Adam’s father would have found an apartment.  It was family friendly and more affordable than some of the other NYC neighborhoods, near Central Park, and close to where Adam’s father might have sometimes gone to listen to music.  Adam’s father was about to start a family and the Upper West Side was/is a great place to raise NY children.  In addition, the writer/director – Max Mayer was born and raised on the Upper West Side and went to Ethical Culture for school.  He and his mother each still have an apartment in the neighborhood.

WI: How much of the movie was filmed in the neighborhood?
LU: Ironically, all the interiors of Adam and Beth’s apartment were filmed on the Upper West Side but the exterior of the apartment was filmed in Brooklyn.  The lawyer’s office and some of the subway stops and walks were also on the West Side.

WI: How did the location affect the film? Did anything in the movie change because of the challenges or opportunities presented by the neighborhood?
LU: Nothing in the script had to change because of obstacles or opportunities on the West Side.   We did find some wonderful subway stations and we found the people as always extremely film friendly.

WI: Which landmarks or shooting locations proved especially evocative or important to the movie?
LU: Finding the right apartment for Beth and Adam was extremely important.  Grand Central Station was a very important location.  It indicated that Adam was traveling outside of NYC and we learn early in the film that this is something he has never done.  The Cherry Lane Theater was also an important location and very fortunately, Max and I are both friendly with the owner of the theater who generously allowed us to shoot there.

WI: Was there anything particularly enjoyable or frustrating about shooting on the Upper West Side?
LU: It is always enjoyable to be in one of our favorite parts of NYC — the neighborhood where many of us grew up and spent a lot of time.  Personally I would love being able to walk through the park on lunch hours, meet friends in the neighborhood for drinks or dinner if we ended the shooting day early enough, frequent local bars with the crew after a long week, and check out Lincoln Center with the hope that there was time enough to catch the ballet during our time shooting.

WI: Is the West Side a particularly good place to shoot a romantic comedy (does it lend itself to a certain kind of romance maybe)? Why or why not?
LU: The Upper West Side is filled with cultural activity, good book stores, good restaurants, Central Park, movie theaters, street fairs, and old friends.  It will always be a second home to me and I welcome any opportunity to spend time there.
(photo courtesy Fox Searchlight Pictures)

Here’s the trailer:

And here’s a short clip of writer and director Max Mayer and actor Hugh Dancy talking about the film: