DisneyPlus - Safety : the new Disney film + Original

By Mulder, 10 december 2020

An outstanding athlete and scholarship winner, Ray McElrathbey - a young man who already has a lot to deal with in his personal life - is entering his first year at Clemson University, whose American soccer team is one of the most prestigious in the country. Without really taking the measure of what awaits him, but wanting to learn more than just a sport, he chooses to follow a full 16-unit curriculum.

While he was getting his bearings and making new friends - including Kaycee, a sports journalism student - he learned that his younger brother Fay was hanging out with drug dealers after their mother was arrested and jailed for drug possession. Rather than turn the boy over to child protection services, Ray decides to smuggle him into his dormitory, breaking the rules. His athletic and academic performances are quickly affected by this very demanding newcomer.

With the assistance of Daniel - his roommate - but also of his team-mates, Ray keeps the secrecy but ends up confiding in Kaycee, who was about to leave him. Collapsed, he also reveals the situation to his coaches. Angry that it took him so long to tell them and concerned about the potential impact on the team, they find him a modest off-campus apartment and a part-time job as a handyman in the building to help him pay the rent. Ray has very strict rules, which Fay tries to follow.

Thinking that a little publicity might be good for them, Kaycee writes an article for the college newspaper, and the whole school mobilizes to ensure that the two brothers are not separated. With this unanimous support, Ray begins to show what he can do in the field and his grades improve significantly.

But the respite is short-lived. A person in charge warns the coaches that by accepting an external assistance, Ray broke the terms of his scholarship. Once again, he is forced to choose between his brother and his studies. Refusing to give up, he decides to fight against a system that he feels is unfair...

Inspired by a true story, Safety is a moving drama about courage and surpassing oneself. Exploring the athletic journey of Ray McElrathbey, a Clemson University soccer player, it tells the story of his determination in the face of adversity and how his thirst for success fundamentally redefined notions of community, family and friendship.

Mark Ciardi, who has produced numerous films about sports including The Rookie (2002), Miracle (2006), Invincible (2006), Million Dollar Arm (2019) and McFARLAND USA (2020), has wanted to make a film about Ray McElrathbey since 2006. He confides: "I remember being touched by this story. When he was on the news, my throat was tight. I told myself that if five-minute reports could move me that much, I had to make a film about it. »

He goes on to say: "I don't remember seeing this kind of story before, where someone takes care of his brother like a father and a mother would. Ray had to take care of a family member, which would have discouraged more than one young man or student. When he had just entered college, at a time when he had his whole life ahead of him, he chose to devote himself fully to his younger brother's education. It was an enormous sacrifice. But he did it, and it was truly extraordinary. »

Mark Ciardi called upon screenwriter Nick Santora (the web series "Most Dangerous Game", the series "Scorpion") to write a first draft that would tell the story of this outsider with strength of character, emotion and humor. The project quickly attracted the interest of a Hollywood studio but, for various reasons, it did not happen. In 2017, Disney, which was looking for content for its future streaming service, took over the project and looked for a director. After considering a wide range of candidates, his choice fell on Reginald Hudlin, who had just completed the MARSHALL biopic on Thurgood Marshall, an activist lawyer who became the first African-American to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court.

"I was immediately excited, moved and inspired by the Safety story," Hudlin said. "As a young man entering adulthood, he takes on more responsibility than most people, regardless of background or education. He's doing far too much. But, by sheer force of will, he succeeds. It is therefore a story of individual triumph but also one of brotherhood: he can count on the support of the entire community, on his team and on the entire university. A story that deals with these elements is always edifying, but it is even more so in this singular period. »

He goes on to say: "Every day in the United States, people find themselves in impossible situations. As you know, most U.S. households cannot handle a $400 financial emergency. For $400, everything collapses. If you break your elbow or have unexpected expenses, it's all over. So I think this film will speak to all those who are struggling to make ends meet, who have no room for error. Here's a guy like them, who worked hard, achieved the impossible and inspired a whole community to support him. He deserved it, through perseverance. »

In addition to Ray's ordeal in Clemson, the film crew wanted to show the humorous relationship he had with Fay and his teammates. "Ray is a very serious person, aware of his responsibilities," says the director. "Fay is the ultimate little brother, who is interested in everything and spends all his time joking around. He's a very funny kid. They make a perfect duo, like Batman and Robin. The interactions between Ray and his teammates are also funny because they are guys with very different personalities. Some of them live only for the sport, while others are there to have a good time. »

For the producers, it was obvious that the man whose story inspired the film had to be involved in some way. In the thirteen years it took to get the project off the ground, he had to learn to be patient. "When Mark first came to see me, he said he was very moved by my story and thought it would make a great film," recalls Ray McElrathbey. "But he said that it wouldn't necessarily happen within a year, or even the next year, and that it could take ten, twenty or thirty years... or even never happen. So when, after all this time, he told me that shooting was finally in preparation, I didn't dare believe it. It all still seems extraordinary to me. »

Ray McElrathbey agrees with the choice of Reginald Hudlin, who directed some of his favourite films. Hudlin even offered to share his suggestions with him, which touched him greatly: "He said, 'Any ideas are welcome. But don't be disappointed if I don't use them all. Anyway, I'm super happy that he took the time to do it. I really feel like I told my story to the right person. ». One of the major challenges was to find the actor who would play Ray McElrathbey. In the end, it was Jay Reeves, seen in the series All American and the film The Tax collector by David Ayers, who landed the role.

"You needed an actor who could convey all the nuances of the role," says Reginald Hudlin. "Jay Reeves was the ideal candidate. He has an extraordinary charisma. He's so much like Ray that you'd think they were cousins, if not brothers. Plus, he's good in the field. Our coach said that he has worked with many athletes on countless American soccer films, and that Jay was the most gifted. So it was really great to have someone who was really right for the part. »

When asked about his alter ego, Ray McElrathbey says, "Jay Reeves is a fantastic guy. Mark Ciardi showed me the video of his audition and I was really touched by his performance. As it turned out, once they decided it was going to be him, we started talking and realized that we lived less than a mile away from each other and went to the same gym! We had never met before, but I took it as a sign of fate. I'm delighted that he was chosen to play me. »

Jay Reeves says, "This story really touched me: the form, the substance, the sincerity that comes out of it really resonated with me. Plus, working under Reggie's direction was just incredible. I'm a fan of his work. From day one, he showed an extraordinary energy that motivated the whole team, even when it was four in the morning, one minute left and everyone was exhausted. With him, we really felt like a big family. »

To describe his character's relationship with his younger brother Fahmarr (aka "Fay" in the film), who comes to live with him in the student residence when their mother leaves for rehab, Jay Reeves is looking for the right word: "It's something that inspires you, something that makes you feel warm. It's very sincere. Plus she's funny, really funny. »

To play Fay, the film crew chose a newcomer, Thaddeus J. Mixson. Reginald Hudlin admits: "As soon as I saw the video he sent us, I was amazed. He bluffed everyone. And when we saw it in person, we had the same impression. So we had him play with other actors and we asked him to improvise, on light things or really dark things, because the film is a mix of a lot of different things. He always found the right tone every time. He's really an exceptional young boy, who makes a very good duet with Jay! »

"What I like is that Thaddeus is already a work of art in itself! "says Jay Reeves. "And he's really going all out for the part. As soon as I met him and he nodded his head, I knew he had guts. I wish I could have had his boastful self-confidence at the same age! He pushes me to give the best of myself. It's not common for 11-year-olds to have someone who talks to you like that and isn't afraid to give his opinion! »

Like most films inspired by a true story and real people, Safety takes some liberties with the facts. The character of Kaycee, an apprentice sports journalist, was created from scratch. Corinne Foxx, the daughter of actor Jamie Foxx, plays this frank and self-confident young woman, athletic at heart and intrigued by Ray. She says, "I fell in love with the script right away. I have two 13-year-old sisters and I understand the bond between Ray and Fay. I also know that if I were in this situation, I would take care of them. I love the very touching relationship between these two brothers. We really want them to get through this."

He continued, "Ray and Kaycee get along really quickly because she's a sports fan. They have a nice relationship and she is a bit of a driving force behind it. She proposes him several times appointments but he hesitates a little bit because he is stressed by everything that happens to him, which puts her off a little. She tries to understand what this young man is going through and why he behaves strangely with her. As soon as he meets her, he avoids her and runs away, and she cannot understand why. She knows something strange is going on. After a while, he confides in her. Even though she resents him for keeping things from her for so long, she admires what he has done. »

"Kaycee is the only girl who motivates my character," says Reeves. "She wants him to push himself and she helps him. She's the only person Ray tells things the way they are. For him, Kaycee is a true friend - not just a girlfriend - someone he can count on. Corinne is very smart. She asks questions and is really empathetic. She's a team player. »

When the film crew contacted Clemson, South Carolina, to see if it was possible to shoot on campus, the university made it easy for them. "They very kindly told us that they liked the project, that they liked Ray, and that they would allow us to shoot during a sports meet," says Reginald Hudlin.

The team organized its shooting schedule around a meeting between the Clemson and Charlotte teams, as they felt the atmosphere would be a little less hectic than it was during some of the early season games. All the footage on the field would be filmed that Saturday. The overall shots of the university and the scenes in the weight room would be finalized over the previous four days.

But at the last moment, the producers learned that the game would be broadcast live and that they would have less shooting time than planned on Saturday: exactly seven minutes and twenty seconds to box four scenes, three actions and the end of the film! "We probably worked harder during those seven minutes than we did during the rest of the shoot. We had to be diabolically precise. We had to be diabolically precise," recalls Mark Ciardi.

With five cameras on the field, thirteen cameras in the stands and 185 extras including 45 on the field, some stunts were choreographed to ensure that all four scenes would be shot in the allotted time: the actors had to run on the field, perform the planned actions and leave the field immediately. All this in front of 85,000 raging fans...

"It was undoubtedly a little less complex than Ray's life at that time, but it was no picnic! "smiles Reginald Hudlin. "You really had to capture the electric atmosphere of an American soccer game in Clemson. A lot of NFL teams don't play in stadiums that big. We wanted to capture the excitement and enthusiasm of the crowd because it's not something you can artificially recreate. Being on location and having the support of Clemson's American soccer team allowed us to capture a lot of the small details that make all the difference. I really think viewers will notice that. »

Synopsis :
Used in American soccer to designate a way of scoring rdes points, the term SAFETY now becomes the title of a new poignant Disney+ Original drama that tells the true story of Ray McElrathbey, a former player from Clemson University (South Carolina), whose youth will have been spared nothing. Faced with a rapid emancipation due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, his dedication and perseverance never ceased to help him triumph over such adversity. Supported by his teammates and the entire Clemson community, Ray made his mark on the field while accomplishing the feat of caring for his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr.

Safety
Directed by Reginald Hudlin
Produced by Mark Ciardi
Written by Randy McKinnon, Nick Santora
Starring Jay Reeves, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Corinne Foxx, Luke Tennie
Music: Marcus Miller
Cinematography: Shane Hurlbut
Edited by Terel Gibson
Production company: Walt Disney Pictures, Select Films
Distributed by Disney+
Release date: December 11, 2020 (Disney + World)
Running time: 120 minutes

(Source: press notes)