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WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- When Matt Markeys girlfriend broke up with him on his first day of post-college life and Christmas Eve of 1997, he began chronicling his emotions in a journal with the hope that one day he would flip through the musings and laugh.
That day came 14 years later when Markeys movie Ricky debuted in Los Angeles and then again when Markey, 35, held a second screening for family and friends in his native White Plains Thursday.
We were dating for a little less than a year, but it was real. It was passionate, Markey said of the girl he dated while studying acting at the University of Rhode Island. And then it was just a matter of putting the pain to paper. The great thing about the movie is everybody can relate to it. Everyone over the age of 10 has had their heart broken.
In 2002, Markey moved to Los Angeles, where he worked on the Ricky screenplay between waiting tables, bartending, booking commercials, and doing guest appearances on sitcoms. He returned to White Plains in 2007 to fine tune the plot and fundraise before filming in Los Angeles. His parents, who own the City Line Diner on North Broadway, a high school teacher, and several friends contributed to the romantic comedys $250,000 budget.
Over 100 of these sponsors filed into the ArtsWestchester lobby Thursday evening to watch Ricky, and cheer along the protagonist as he revisions his love-conquest in Rocky-inspired training sequences.
Rob Beaton, who has known Markey since elementary school, said he enjoyed the banter between movie characters based on his and Markeys friends.
We used to make fun of the Rocky obsession. If we told him in real life Apollo 3 could be Sylvester Stallone hed get really mad. But I think it adds a funny twist to the movie, said Beaton, 38, a White Plains resident. Im very proud of Markey. He worked hard for seven years.
Last week, Ricky was picked up by a sales representative who will pitch the movie to cable, dvd, tv, and distribution companies. Markey, who wrote, produced and starred in the film, aims to have a deal by the end of the month.
Have you seen "Ricky"? What did you think of the movie? Email thoughts to strangle@mainstreetconnect.us and we'll include your responses in future coverage.
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