John From Cincinnati Keeps it Real
Mar 13 2008 / Los Angeles, CA
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A look at how HBO's "John From Cincinnati" keeps the surfing real
To say that "John From Cincinnati" (premiering Sunday, June 10, at 10 p.m. ET/PT) is a difficult show to categorize would be an understatement. The premise can be loosely described as a family drama involving a surfing clan from Imperial Beach, CA. There's Mitch Yost (Bruce Greenwood), a legend who long since has stepped away from the limelight to enjoy the waves by himself, and his son Butchie (Brian Van Holt), who perhaps was even better until he succumbed to the lifestyle and became a junkie. And finally there is Shaun (Greyson Fletcher), another legend in the making who Mitch watches over with his wife, Cissy (Rebecca De Mornay). Everyone sees promise and Shaun, and Mitch wants nothing of it.
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That in itself would provide ample material for most series, but when your co-creator is David Milch of "Deadwood" fame, the easy route is definitely the road less traveled. So added to the mix is a stranger named John, who appeared seemingly out of nowhere and has become intertwined with the lives of the Yosts and their friends. With his arrival strange things begin to happen, including levitation and resurrection, and its clear that no matter how he looks, John from Cincinnati is there for a reason that won't soon be known.
It won't take long for viewers to see that surfing, while an integral part of the show, is not the focus. However, that doesn't mean that Milch, who is known for delving deep into the worlds he brings to the small screen, hasn't worked as hard as possible to make sure the show accurately portrays the sport and the lifestyle around it.
The tie to surfing starts at the top with co-creator/executive producer Kem Nunn, who worked with Milch on "Deadwood." Nunn is known for his novels, dubbed "surf-noir," and he is very familiar with Imperial Beach. A real-life surfing clan, the Fletchers, is tied to the show as consultants (HBO is quick to point out that there are no ties between the Fletchers and the on-screen Yosts) and Greyson Fletcher is even cast in the show as the surfing grandson.
Additionally, one of surfing's top cinematographers, Sonny Miller, works on the show, as well as pro surfers Brock Little and former <i>Surfing</i> magazine editor Steve Hawk (older brother of Tony). Each of these men help make the surfing world of "John From Cincinnati" more real.
Big wave surfer Little works on the show as a water stunt coordinator. Or, as he puts it, he helps make sure the actors all rip on the waves. "And they do," he tells Lat34.com.
"I have no idea how the surfing community is going to embrace the show," he says. "I think it's a realistic portrayal of a family that surfs.... For me, it's almost gritty and real. I think they may like it."
"There's so much drama," Little continues. "Although surfing is the underlying theme, there's so much else there."
Miller agrees. "It's not just surfing... If you were to make a very straight-forward surfing show, it would probably be terrible."
One of the ways Milch works on keeping the surfing as real as possible is by sitting down with the crew, including Little, Hawk and Miller, and just picking their brains for their stories.
One thing that's hard to fake are the conditions at Imperial Beach -- a well-known surf sport for sometimes the wrong reasons.
"It has its days, but not often," Miller says. "It's one of the most inferior breaks that we have in California."
And as far as the water quality, which sometimes is a little less than perfect because of its prime location near the Mexican border, Little says "We've been really lucky."
Time will tell if that luck will extend to the show's rating as it premieres this Sunday after the season finale of "The Sopranos."
- Greg Baerg
