MARBLEHEAD — It snowed here yesterday.

The anomaly was no feat of nature, but rather a production trick as crews prepared Brian and Nancy McCarthy's waterfront mansion to shoot scenes for a movie starring Tommy Lee Jones.

Jones' presence in Marblehead was evidenced yesterday by vans with tinted windows and out-of-state-plates, trailers, lighting trucks and food vans that swarmed parts of town.

The McCarthys' home will serve as Jones' character's house in "The Company Men," a drama that's also starring Ben Affleck and Kevin Costner.

The movie is said to be a drama about the casualties and survivors of corporate downsizing. In it, Affleck is rumored to play a corporate hotshot who loses everything when he is laid off from a firm at which Jones' character is a senior partner. Affleck then has to work with his brother, played by Costner, in construction.

Rumor has it the production may soon be filming in Gloucester, with one of the characters trying out employment as a longshoreman. But neither the state film office or local officials have confirmed that.

So how did the movie sail into Marblehead?

"Apparently they have people who drive around certain neighborhoods and put brochures in people's boxes," said Brian McCarthy, owner of Kelly's Roast Beef. "So I called the Mass. Film Bureau to see if they were legitimate, and then I called the number."

McCarthy said crews spent four days staging the house, including putting up Christmas trees, holiday decor and fake snow along the driveway to film scenes that are set at Christmas time.

" I can't believe how many people it takes to make a movie," said McCarthy, whose family has lived in the 5,000-square-foot house on Crowninshield Road for a decade. It is perched on a rocky outcropping that overlooks the ocean, and can be seen in the distance from Beacon Street and Grace Oliver Beach.

McCarthy said he left for work at 8:30 a.m. yesterday and there were already at least 70 to 80 people there. His wife and daughter also cleared out of the house for most of the day to stay out of the way, he said.

Crowninshield Road is a private way flanked by brick pillars at the mouth of the street, where police officers were stationed all day yesterday, only allowing access to film crews and residents. What sounded like stage directions could occasionally be heard crackling over their police radios, offering a brief glimpse into the movie production.

"The Company Men" is an independently financed film written and directed by John Wells, a producer whose Emmy Award-winning television dramas include "The West Wing" and "ER."

McCarthy said the movie crews will be back in May to film more scenes.

If "The Company Men" does come to Gloucester, it will be the latest in a series of movies to be filmed on Cape Ann.

Last year, Walt Disney Pictures shot scenes for the romantic comedy, "The Proposal," starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, in Gloucester and Rockport. It is scheduled to hit the big screen on June 12.

Last August, Mel Gibson was filmed on Cape Hedge Beach for his next film, "Edge of Darkness." And Rockport was the center of the action for "The Hatteras," a murder mystery starring Wade Williams.

Amanda McGregor may be contacted at amcgregor@gloucestertimes.com.

Kelly's Roast Beef baron Brian McCarthy's waterfront house was used by Tommy Lee Jones yesterday to film scenes for an upcoming movie. Here's what he had to say about it:

Q. What happened when you responded to the brochure from the movie scouts?

Three guys came out one day and said they loved it but "We don't make the final decision." Two days later, five guys came. Then eight people came a week later. John Wells, the director was there, and the director of photography.

Q. What happened?

They were there for a couple hours and they absolutely loved it. They said, perfect, it's what we're looking for.

Q. Were you excited to have your home chosen?

I'm not a movie buff, but we do take a lot of pride in our home. We bought the property in 1996 and moved in in 1999. We built the house.

Q. Did you meet Tommy Lee Jones?

I could have if I wanted to, but I have a business to run. ... If we ran into each other it would be nice because we have some mutual friends.

Q. How early did crews start (Monday) morning?

They were there at 6. They had to put fake snow down.

Q. Which rooms of your house are they using?

Five rooms. The family room, living room, kitchen, master bedroom and dressing room.

Q. Did they remove your furnishings and put in movie props?

I have a lot of antiques and the set director said they loved a lot of stuff I had, so they used a little over three-quarters of stuff I had, which is very unusual.

Q. How did they decorate?

Supposedly it's a Christmas scene, so my house is all decorated for Christmas. They set up all the trees and floral arrangements, which were done by Winston Flowers.

Q. And there's snow, too?

We have a long driveway and it's going all the way up. It's almost like a cotton batten that they have to wet down. It's incredible. It looks almost like snow. It's funny, especially on a day like today.

Q. Did you want to stay for the filming?

They said I could stay if I wanted to, but I have a real job to do. My wife left also, and my daughter. (The movie staff) have security and they're in charge; they are very professional.

Q. Are you paid for the use of your house?

Of course they reimburse me. They give you a stipend for every day they're there. And no, I won't tell you how much. (Laughs)

Q. How does it feel to have your home debut in a star-studded movie?

A lot of people live and die for this stuff, but I'm not a big movie person. Of course I will be interested to watch it.

Q. Are you excited?

It's another whole year before it comes out. I'll get more excited when it comes out. This is going to be part of the provenance to the house.

Q. Will you get to go to the premiere?

Probably not. If they invited me, yes, I would probably go.

Q. Your thoughts on movie production now that you've witnessed it firsthand?

They shot one scene over and over and over again this morning. A 15-second scene takes 11âÑ2 hours to do. It's a very complicated process. I have a lot of respect for the industry now. Everything looks easy, but it's not easy.

— Amanda McGregor