MAKING DIGGERS ON LI’S EAST END

By Victoria L. Cooper

On a bright July morning in 2005, the day began just like any other for John and Maryann Gaeta of Mastic, a small hamlet on the southeastern tip of the Town of Brookhaven. John sorted through his mail and came across a flimsy flyer that read something to the effect of, “We would like to use your house for a film. Please call this number for more information.” John did not take the flyer seriously and tossed it in the garbage among the other pieces of junk mail. A few days later, he heard a knock on his front door and was greeted by five or six producers and cameramen dressed in chic city attire — not so common in the village of Mastic. “Have you received our flyer?” one of the men asked. Not having anticipated their arrival, John invited the group inside his house and allowed the cameramen to take additional pictures of the property.

The producers explained that they had been scouring the East End of Long Island from the waterways and from the road for the picture-perfect house to film some scenes of the movie Diggers, which opened last Friday in Sayville and New York City. Hollywood, as they say, had arrived.

The house, which was built in 1969, is V-shaped from both the front and the back and has thick cedar-shake siding. The backyard has a gentle, rolling slope that overlooks the Forge River, which leads out and into Moriches Bay. The Gaetas moved into the house twelve years ago and have not needed to modernize any of the outside trimmings or furnishings. The producers felt as though this was the ideal setting for many of the most poignant scenes in Diggers.

After explaining what inconveniences the Gaeta family would incur because of the taping, John and Maryann agreed to let them use the house, especially when they learned what the plot of the movie would be. John is a passionate fisherman and enjoys going fishing during the summer months in his free time. He has the perfect place to do it too, right there in his backyard. Diggers is a story about the lives of a few clam diggers in the 1970s, set just down the road in Moriches. Ken Marino, a Long Island native who was born in West Islip and grew up in Moriches, wrote Diggers. He is famous for his work on television shows such as “Dawson’s Creek” and “Arrested Development” and for his role as co-creator of the MTV show, “The State.” His father, uncle and grandfather were all clam diggers and he has been quoted as saying that the story is not truly autobiographical, but is centered loosely on memories of when his father was a clam digger. Marino stated that, “the movie is a love letter to where I grew up and to my parents. Getting the funds to make a film like this was very tough, but it happened and I’m very glad my family can see it.” Katerine Dieckman directed the film. Other members of the cast included Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”), Paul Rudd (Anchor Man, 40-Year-Old-Virgin) and Maura Tierney (“ER”), among others.

A month after the producers pulled into the Gaetas’ driveway, carloads of the cast and crew began arriving and taping at their house. So what really happens when Hollywood knocks on your door? Well, first of all, they work very long hours. I spoke with Melissa Gaeta, John and Maryann’s daughter, who is a certified EMT and by chance, was hired by the cast and crew to replace a Medic who was unable to be present at the film shoot. She explained to me that, “it was a huge eye-opener to see how hard the entire crew works. What you may think is a simple, 30-second conversation may take up to six or seven times to get just right.” Melissa helped keep the group hydrated during the long, hot hours and was taken aback by how down-to-earth and personable many of these well-respected actors and actresses are.

Just like any hospitable family, the Gaetas’ welcomed and invited the entire cast into their home, offering them food, drinks and access to their bathroom. And, just like any typical production or time-sensitive project in the game of life, an obstacle appeared. The air conditioning in all of the trailers, including the hair, make-up, and changing rooms gave out under the searing August sun. As a result, the Gaetas’ four-season, outdoor porch transformed into the hair and make-up room and their downstairs apartment, where their son lives, became the changing room. Soon, their house was freckled with power strips, cords and chargers for headsets and other electrical equipment. Mastic soon became the village that never sleeps, looking more like Times Square in the middle of the night, as the crew set up beaming lights to put the finishing details on a few scenes.

It’s not very often that producers and cameramen send out a flyer or, better yet, come knocking at your door because they like what they see. Moreover, a group of clam diggers in the 1970s is not exactly the most favorable, high-end Hollywood pitch, yet with a $1.5 million budget, this independent film is finally ready to be seen by the masses. It is a tribute to the unique way of life that once dominated the landscape of the East End, which becomes evident from the very first line in the movie — “Hello, Montauk!” — spoken by a radio DJ. If you are still unsure of how to act when Hollywood comes a-knockin’, just ask John and Maryann Gaeta. I am sure they would be happy to tell you.