from October 26, 2005

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Lauren Holly (left) and Pete Schwaba in “Godfather of Green Bay”

Pete Schwaba is ready to do it on his own.

The co-writer of the 2003 MGM comedy “A Guy Thing” has fielded theatrical distribution offers for his directorial debut “The Godfather of Green Bay,” but “none of the offers we’ve gotten have been satisfactory,” Schwaba said.

“It’s all been two weeks in New York, two weeks in L.A., then straight to video, and they haven’t been willing to spend enough on advertising. I’ve seen how well it plays in front of an audience. And in the Midwest it plays especially well.”

“The Godfather of Green Bay” has its local premiere Nov. 1 at the Midwest Independent Film Festival.

A Chicago native and veteran of the local standup scene, Schwaba shot “Godfather” in Marinette, Wisc., where he spent his teen years.

Schwaba and Lance Barber (“Bad Meat”) play a pair of L.A. comedians trying to catch the eye of a “Tonight Show” talent scout (Thomas Lennon, “Herbie: Fully Loaded”) at a Wisconsin Rocktoberfest. Schwaba’s character falls for his former high school teacher (Lauren Holly, “Dumb and Dumber”) there, and the two comedians try to avoid the wrath of the titular local underworld mini-boss (Tony Goldwyn, “The Last Samurai”).

Schwaba and producers Brian and Josh Etting raised the under-$1 million budget from family and friends. “Godfather” debuted at the Wisconsin Film Festival in April and screened at the Arizona Film Fest, IFP/LA, Waterfront, Stonybrook and Milwaukee film festivals.

Pete Schwaba (left) and Thomas Lennon in “Godfather of Green Bay”

Crowd reactions exceeded Schwaba’s initial expectations. “I wrote the first draft six years ago, and I’d forgotten how funny it was,” Schwaba said. “I thought it was a funny movie in the quirky sense. I’ve been surprised at how big the laughs it’s gotten everywhere it’s played.”

He met Nia Vardalos (“My Big Fat Greek Wedding”) at the L.A. screening, and he’s patterning self-release plans after her groundbreaking success.

“Nia’s been really helpful in terms of how to approach theater owners and get people to take a chance on the film,” Schwaba said. “She’s been really encouraging, saying ‘get it out there’ and coaching us on how to do it.”

Unless he gets a better offer, Schwaba plans to open “Godfather” in Marinette, expand into Wisconsin, then Chicago. He’s aiming for the same audiences that gave “Sideways” such a lift last year.

“We’ve heard a lot of comparisons to ‘Sideways,’” he said. “I think we have the same demographic: adults 25-45, people who like character-driven comedies. And anyone that wants to see me topless with a farmer tan.”

Schwaba wrote the Jason Lee/Selma Blair/Julia Stiles comedy “A Guy Thing” with Greg Glienna, creator of the original, Chicago-made “Meet the Parents.”

Schwaba and Glienna also sold the spec script “Dream Girl” to Fox as a Jamie Kennedy vehicle. “Then ‘Son of the Mask’ happened,” Schwaba lamented. “Fox isn’t really excited about the project anymore, and we’re trying to get it back from them.”

The writing partners are developing a Chicago-set comedy, “about a guy who gives his brother-in-law a lottery ticket for Christmas, then when it turns out to be the winning ticket, he tries to steal it back. It has a ‘Dirty Rotten Scoundrels’ feel.”

Schwaba is also at work on the script he hopes will be his next film as director, based on his experiences as a student at DePaul University, with the working title “The Clifton Crew.”

He’s also hoping to break into TV. “I have two small kids. Features are tough. I’m trying to get something a little more steady,” he said.

“I think the time is right now. They were doing all that reality stuff for a while, but now they’re getting back to more character-driven comedies.”

“Godfather” features music by Kurt Neumann and his Waukesha, Wisc. band the BoDeans. Editor Donn Aaron and casting director Donna Brower co-produced. D.P., Dale Myrand. Production designer, Merje Veski. Production manager, Jonna Walsh.

“The Godfather of Green Bay” screens Tuesday, Nov. 1 at the Midwest Independent Film Festival. Doors at 6 p.m., screenings at 7:30, at Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St. Post-screening reception at Sausalito, 543 W. Diversey Ave. See www.midwestfilm.com. —Ed M. Koziarski

Ed M. Koziarski is co-director of the feature film “The First Breath of Tengan Rei”. Email:

My husband was an extra in the film so we would naturally think the film is a riot. Enjoyed its "Premiere" showing in Marinette and at a Madison, Wisconsin film festival. Lots of laughs both times. I highly recommend going to see it! Pete Schwaba does an excellent job and is a very funny, down-to-earth man. —Jeanne Anderson

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