'America's sweethearts' act out love story for the big screen
Evelyn McDonnell
The Miami Herald January 23, 2003

CORAL GABLES, Fla. _ It's a picture-perfect day at the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables, which is fortunate, since a picture is being filmed. About 100 young men and women in bathing suits and sarongs are shaking their things on sun-kissed stone islands in turquoise waters. In their midst: Kelly Clarkson, a 20-year-old Texan wearing a skirt sewn out of ties, the woman voted by millions of TV viewers as their American idol.

The winner of last summer's hit "American Idol" talent search and second-place winner Justin Guarini, 24, are making their film debut in" From Justin to Kelly," a romantic musical comedy being shot in a whirlwind six weeks at various South Florida locations.

"It's 'Grease' on the beach," Guarini says, his famous curls flirting with the breeze.

You could also call "From Justin to Kelly" a hip-hop" Beach Blanket Bingo." In the same way Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello movies used Southern California as a backdrop for youthful '60s fun, the "American Idol" movie sites its more urban paradise in trendy Miami and Fort Lauderdale. Doing so, it follows in the footsteps of a growing number of music videos, TV shows and movies.

"When you think spring break, you think Florida," says executive producer Gayla Aspinall.

"From Justin to Kelly," directed by Robert Iscove ("She's All That"), is the story of two young people who meet and fall in love while on vacation. They and their friends party among the tepees and banquettes of such South Beach nightspots as Nikki Beach Club and Pearl. Their first date: a boat ride on the Intracoastal.

"From Justin to Kelly" follows on the heels of the tremendous success of the "American" "Idol" TV show _ which launched its second season at Wednesday night on Fox _ and of Clarkson's first single, "A Moment Like This." The movie has been rushed into production so that it can hit theaters by late April or early May _ before the finale of the TV show's second season.

Produced by 19 Entertainment, the creator of "American Idol," and being released by 20th Century Fox, the $15 million film is written by Kim Fuller, brother of 19 Entertainment head Simon Fuller and writer of "Spice World," the Spice Girls movie.

While the names remain the same, "From Justin to Kelly" is not the story of Clarkson and Guarini's meteoric rise to fame. Nor is its love story based on real life.

"We're good friends," Clarkson says. "We don't have time for that."

Still, it's fair to call Clarkson and Guarini America's sweethearts. Both took a shortcut around the usual long and winding road to fame by auditioning for a new TV show last spring. Within months, they had sung their way into the national spotlight, as "Idol" became the surprise hit of the summer. Clarkson and Guarini won their crowns based on phoned-in votes from viewers.

"It gave people the power, and gave us a chance to fulfill our dreams," Guarini says.

The two have crammed a decade of show biz into less than one year. They've become TV stars, won major-label recording contracts, done a tour of U.S. arenas (with the eight other "American Idol" finalists), and now they are making a movie. Both are also trying to record their first albums. And although the first week of shooting has brought 12- to 18-hour days, both seem bright-eyed.

"I've always been pretty energetic," says Clarkson, talking a mile a minute. "And I'm used to no sleep; the show prepared me for that."

Still, having anointed Clarkson based on her singing prowess, fans will have to wait until she is done making her film before they can hear more of her music.

She promises that the album will be "soulful." It will be most people's first chance to hear the songs that she has written. "I write a lot, in all styles," she says. "Girl, I'm moody! That's my outlet."

While both Clarkson and Guarini have performed on the stage, neither has done film before. According to Iscove, the two leads are quick studies. "People won't believe they haven't done this their whole lives," the director says.

The rest of the cast is made up of young newcomers. It doesn't look as if there is anyone over 25 in the Venetian Pool on this day. Shapely extras splash around on floats and have to be reminded not to lip-sync to the upbeat R&B tune "Pool Party Madness," sung by Clarkson and costar Anika Noni Rose.

"This is my favorite song," Clarkson says. "It's the chick number. It says to the boys, 'You did me wrong; now watch me walk with my fierce self.'"

Featuring 12 tunes _ including as the finale "That's the Way (I Like It)," by '70s Miami act K.C. and the Sunshine Band _ "From Justin" is music-heavy. Iscove, who earlier in his career choreographed "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "Peter Pan" _ he won a Carbonell for the South Florida touring production of the latter _ says it pays tribute to such films as "Where the Boys Are" and "Flashdance," while bringing the medium forward to viewers raised on MTV, dance-pop and rap. Choreographer Travis Payne has worked with acts including 'N Sync, Marilyn Manson and TLC.

"We're introducing those older styles to a whole new generation," Iscove says. "We're using hip-hop choreography that's never been used in musical theater in this way before."

Rose, who plays one of Clarkson's friends and starred in the Broadway production of "Footloose," is one member of that generation who hopes that "From Justin" succeeds, for philosophical as well as personal reasons.

"I love old musicals," Rose says. "There's something huge and fantastical about them. People have lost the ability to think, 'That could happen.'"

However, while the film's producers praise the local scenery and lighting, they warn that the high cost of filming here is driving business away.

"Hotels and restaurants see us as having deep pockets and put their hands out," producer John Steven Agoglia says. "You can't maintain a film industry that way. Three big shows have shot here recently ("Bad Boys 2," "The Fast and the Furious 2" and "Out of Time"). Everyone says they won't come back; it's too expensive."

Agoglia says about $6 million of the budget is going into the local economy.

The office of film and entertainment for Miami-Dade County could not be reached for comment.