View the trailer for The Ringo Bingo Kid
Local actor Joseph Andrew White didn't have to dig too deep to channel the lead role in "The Ringo Bingo Kid."
The film, shot almost exclusively in Merced two years ago, tells the story of a kid who grows up with his grandmother and conquers
bullies and low self-esteem to succeed in life. "(The film is based on) me growing up with my single mother in Merced and going
through the times that I felt I had nobody," the 15-year-old Merced High School sophomore said. "I just remembered that my
family was always there for me."
The indie flick released last week marks the directing, writing and producing debut of Hollywood-based Raul Gomez, who's White's
second cousin.
It's a happy-go-lucky film aimed at teenagers and anyone who knows what it's like to be bullied.
The film ends with a neat bow tied on the plot, which may lead more cynical teenagers to scoff at its rosy outlook. Still, Gomez said
the movie has resonated with private screenings, even among grandmothers who were bullied or who have watched their sons and
daughters tormented in school.
"Everything around us changes," he said. "The way we interact basically stays the same."
The DVD is for sale at www.amazon.com for $14.99 and a nationwide release in Wal-Marts, Blockbusters and Netflix is under way.
For this small-budget film, that's a major boon because its reach will be much broader than thousands of other independent films
made every year.
Gomez, 54, picked Merced for his first attempt at moviemaking because the film permit was only $12, much cheaper than the
thousands charged in Southern Californi'a. Also, it was easier to move around and keep the cameras rolling.
"I needed a place where it would be easier to shoot without a lot of red tape," Gomez explained. "In Los Angeles you need a permit
for every step you take."
Merced is mentioned at a couple points in the hour-long film, and locals will easily recognize Applegate Park, Bob Hart Square and
the railroad tracks.
Gomez said he cast White because he could carry the lead role, not because they're related.
When filming began in 2005, the budget ballooned from $15,000 to $100,000, forcing Gomez to return to Hollywood to bring in
more investors. "It may seem like a lot of money, but in the world of Hollywood it's considered a very tiny budget," he said.
Filming in Merced took two weeks, and then the final scenes with adult versions of all the characters lasted a day in Los Angeles.
"It was funner and it was a lot more work than I thought it would be," White said of his first film role.
Gomez will deem the movie a great success if it grosses $1 million in its first year and finds a faithful audience.
At the film's beginning, David, the film's lead character, is awash in teenage depression and awkwardness. Even his friends are
tired of his attitude and inability to be assertive.
One day his grandmother takes him to her bingo tournament, and he wins about $700. The nest egg changes his life, and the film
ends with his billion-dollar successes later in life. "It's a story of inspiration," Gomez said. "Someone from a poor neighborhood can
have a dream and hold onto the dream and can grow up and get out of poverty."
