Residents of the real Sitka fee left out of Rockport's movie magic

ROCKPORT — Rockport and Sitka — the Alaskan panhandle city Rockport recently portrayed during filming of the Disney/Touchstone Pictures production, "The Proposal" — do have some notable similarities. Both municipalities are located on an island, their economies depend heavily on the tourism and fishing industries and both even boast an area known as Halibut Point.

The movie, starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, is expected to hit theaters later next year and tells the story of a high-powered publishing executive, played by Bullock, with an expired visa who is trying to avoid deportation to her native Canada by persuading her assistant, Reynolds, to marry her.

Filming on Cape Ann gained national attention last week after a vehicle transporting Bullock and husband, Jesse James, was struck by another vehicle in Gloucester. The driver of the other vehicle was charged with drunken driving. No one was injured.

Publicity spurred by the filming has led several Sitkans to hunt for information on the Internet. Many are disappointed with the production company for not shooting the film in Sitka, while others have voiced their thoughts on the project in a more tongue-in-cheek manner.

One Sitkan, Rich McClear, who is more curious about the project than disappointed, took the time to e-mail Rockport's selectmen on Wednesday all the way from Prishtina, Kosovo.

"Apparently your town is masquerading as my town," McClear wrote. "I feel like the victim of identity theft. I am curious if you feel likewise violated, having your town's identity changed into my town's identity. Just curious about reactions in Rockport, MA."

McClear, a USAid contractor training journalists in Eastern Europe, also forwarded a copy of the letter to the Times. McClear managed the Sitka public radio station for 13 years and was first introduced to pictures of Rockport's transformation into Sitka by his son.

"My reaction is that the pictures look a little like Sitka without the mountains; they got some of the small touches right," McClear said yesterday. "I wonder how they will handle sunset shots, shoot them at sunrise and run them backwards? One friend on my e-mail list said it looked like Sitka, only less littered."

McClear explained that his fellow Alaskans are used to having other places standing in for their home state in Hollywood productions. The sled dog film, "Spirit of the Wind," was filmed in Ely, Minn., and the TV show "Northern Exposure" was actually shot in Washington state.

Banners advertising the name Sitka in both English and Russian hung on light poles along Bearskin Neck last week and several storefronts were altered for various scenes.

Kanegis Gallery will be seen in the film as the Sitka Internet Cafe, while James Russell Goldsmiths was transformed into Alaska Outfitters.

"To have another movie is great," said Selectman Armand Aparo last month. "It's good for business and a good time of year because it won't be too congested."

But some Sitkans are disappointed the film crew didn't make the trip to Alaska and have already spotted errors in pictures of the Rockport production.

"It looks nothing like our town," said Sitka Hotel employee Kendra Esparza. "The big shed (referring to Motif No. 1) in the picture with the native paddles also has lobster buoys, but we don't have lobsters here; as a local we notice things like that."

Esparza, who has lived in Sitka all her life, said it's "cool" the town will be depicted in a movie but added the film company "should've come out here to check us out before filming (in Rockport)."

The Sitka Hotel is the town's oldest, established in 1939. Sitka was settled in 1799 but not incorporated as a city until 1971. Sitka's total population is just over 9,000 compared to Rockport's 7,767. Unlike Rockport, there is no way to drive to Sitka. According to the city's Web site, Sitka is Alaska's fourth-largest city by population and the largest city in the United States by area.

"Around this time of year there are a lot of beautiful scenes, (including) killer whales and sea lions," said Esparza, whose family has worked in the fishing industry, catching salmon and herring, for decades.

McClear said the name "Paxton," which appeared on some fake storefront signs in downtown Rockport last week, is an inside joke.

"Gary Paxton was a former Sitka city manager who lost a recent mayor's race," he said. "Paxton Manor is low-income housing in Sitka, so the Paxton name on the stores is kind of an inside joke."

Sitkans have also been posting thoughts about the movie on their local Cape Ann Online-like Internet forum known as Sitka's Voice. Some say the town was overlooked because despite its natural beauty, it has litter problems while others refute that sentiment, saying it's a beautiful place that simply didn't offer the same type of financial incentives as Rockport did.

Tax incentives offered by the state of Massachusetts and creative reasons the movie company didn't elaborate on, made Rockport a better Sitka than the real McCoy, according to earlier reports on the movie.

Also, Disney has offered to donate $7,000 to the town — $1,000 for each day it filmed in Rockport — in addition to paying for police details, ambulances and fees for local business owners whose buildings were filmed.

The movie company has been shooting at a private residence on Smith Point in Manchester this week.

Jonathan L'Ecuyer may be contacted at jlecuyer@gloucestertimes.com.

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