The ‘Peace’ Process

When independent filmmakers Thomas Patrick Smith and Laura McCorkindale saw gang violence seeping into their tranquil West Los Angeles neighborhood, they felt as if their lives were becoming a bad Hollywood movie. The sound of automatic gunfire and the sight of spent casings routinely found in front of their house were eerily reminiscent of a “gangsta” flick.

But, instead of standing idly by, the husband-and-wife team did two things: They got involved in neighborhood efforts to stem gang activity, and they decided to use their experiences in a movie they would write and produce. The result is “Disturbing the Peace.”

In a coup for unknown filmmakers, their movie is being represented by one of the biggest and most prestigious agencies, Creative Artists Agency. The couple hopes to submit the work to film festivals worldwide and get it picked up by a distributor.

Because Smith and McCorkindale were unsure of how the situation in their own neighborhood would unfold, they allowed real-life events to dictate the film’s story line.

Operating on a budget that was “tiny even for an independent film,” Smith said they relied on money out of their own pockets supplemented by corporate and individual donors. All of the artists on the soundtrack--including John Mellencamp, Bruce Springsteen and Delinquent Habits--were approached by the filmmakers and agreed to donate the rights to their songs.

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Like Smith and McCorkindale, the fictional blue-collar couple at the center of the film, Sam and Maggie Griffith, had lived in their quiet middle-class neighborhood for several years before first hearing gunshots in front of their house. Then, gradually, the signs of gang activity increased: graffiti, spent casings and a drive-by shooting on Halloween, when kids were present.

However, McCorkindale points out, “the couple is not us. They each represent two different points of view that came up for both of us in our conversations: Do you stand and fight or run?”

In the film, Maggie (Rana Haugen), naive but moved to action, puts her life on the line when she becomes an overzealous community leader in a grass-roots anti-gang movement. Sam (Jonathan Paley) wants to move out of the neighborhood into a gated suburban community. When Maggie refuses to move, he buys a gun.

However, the story did not start coming together for Smith and McCorkindale until they were victims of a robbery attempt.

They are still unclear as to whether the break-in robbery had anything to do with their visibility in spearheading a community anti-gang effort, but Smith said he suspects they were targeted. As they hid in their bedroom closet, their phone lines cut and alarm disabled by the intruder, their thoughts raced.

“But we were so consumed in the idea of making this film,” Smith said, “even as he broke down the bedroom door and we were wondering if we were going to live or die, we were saying to each other, ‘This is the third act. This is the climactic event we were searching for.’ ”

The robber did not discover them--he apparently was scared off by their dog--and he was never caught.

And--no surprise--a robbery does mark a pivotal turning point in their film, when Maggie and Sam realize they are in imminent danger.

Here is where art and real life diverge, however. Smith said they wanted to “dramatize” the film so that it would be engaging. “We didn’t want to just stand on a soapbox,” he said. “We wanted the message to be slipped in a medium of entertainment.”

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Across the street, the Peralta family--whose two boys the Griffiths have known since they were children--is at the heart of an escalating war against a rival gang. The older brother, Mannie (Jose Hernandez), a ruthless hard-core gang member, is contrasted to his younger brother, Angel (Abner Delgado), a quiet and sensitive teenager who ultimately cannot resist a violent lifestyle.

The growing web of violence culminates in a shooting spree that leaves two innocent bystanders dead and the Peralta family shattered. As the credits roll, the story closes on a hopeful note as Maggie and other community members stand side-by-side with gang members and police officers at a neighborhood meeting. They have all been dealt a crucial wake-up call by the tragic deaths.

Because the filmmakers wanted to portray gang members honestly--”not glamorously but with respect”--Smith said they consulted with former gang members, as well as their own neighbors who were in gangs.

“What a conflict. I can see the power of [gang members’] environments,” Smith said. “They tell me they want to be safe in their neighborhood, too, but they ask, how can they not protect themselves? How can they not shoot back when they’re being shot at?”

But when the gunfire began endangering others--as it did in a Halloween incident much like the one in the movie--Smith said he could not tolerate it any longer. “I always try to see the good in people. But how can you when there are bullets flying at children?”

Jose Hernandez, who plays Mannie in the film, said he grew up in Watts, where gangs were very much a presence.

“When I read the script, I felt very close to the character,” said Hernandez, 22. He said he was particularly taken by the relationship between the two brothers. “I liked the family bonds in the movie. They really made people sympathize with my character even though he does terrible things.”

Meanwhile, in Smith and McCorkindale’s neighborhood, the situation has improved somewhat since they and other community members got involved.

In real life, there has been neither tragedy nor truce. “They just moved on,” McCorkindale said.

“When you put pressure on, they just get tired of the cops. They will move on somewhere else--hopefully in the next place they will get the same response. That’s the only way.”