“Ageless Love” featuring Scotch Plains actor impresses at Cannes

What do you get when a 24-year-old college graduate falls in love with a 38-year-old widow raising 5 children? You get a love for the ages. Actually, you get "Ageless Love", a new movie starring Scotch Plains actor Nicholas McCormack and Elizabeth Caponigro, directed by Joshua Coates and among the producers Lloyd Booker, all of which joined me in the studio on New Jersey 101.5. Check out the trailer.

"Ageless Love" which did so well at the Cannes Film festival that it's a contender for both the Oscar and the Golden Globe is the story of Yale Schwartz who at the age of 24 falls in love with 38-year-old widow Nina Lemisch, a widow raising 5 children. Despite the age difference and age prejudice around them by friends and family in the 1960's, they become soulmates. Then tragedy strikes.

In 1997, Nina passes away from Stage 4 pancreatic cancer, a tragedy that Yale never gets over even as he's stricken with the same disease in 2019. By this time Yale is an actor who has written his love story and gave it to Booker who got Coates involved in getting his story made so that he could live to see it before he passed away.  I spoke with both Booker and Coates about the making of the movie which could be a movie in of itself.

Email conversation with director Joshua Coates

Trev; The making of this movie could be a movie in of itself. What's your background with Yale and how were you able to turn his story into this incredible movie?

Coates; "I was introduced to Yale by Lloyd Booker, Yale was an extra on a previous film i directed entitled Hollywood starring Eric Roberts and Torri Hart. He was unknown to me at the time, he was scouting for a producer and director to one day tell his story, that one day came quickly when he was diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He eventually reaches out through Lloyd and I was compelled to tell his story. I knew it would be a challenge because first it was a period piece and his first draft of the story was big, the was a big production and he was self-funding so that kind of limited us on what we can do, second which was the biggest hurdle was that he was given 3 months to live, so everything was fast-tracked and I had to call in a number of favors to get this done".

Trev; Did he get to see any of it before he passed?

Coates; "As mentioned, we were very fortunate and blessed to have filmed the movie once greenlight in 12 days! I quickly went into post-production on a short 10 minute version of the film with all the highlights. He saw that and loved it, cried, and called me Picasso lol, he eventually passed soon after, but he was very happy."

Trev; "How do you feel now that it's out and receiving all this recognition from the Golden Globes and Oscars?"

Coates;  "To have this esteem organization to validate your film is remarkable and it says a lot about myself and my team, the movie was made strictly out of love and just to fulfill a mans dying wish, for it to go this far is simply amazing to all of us involved"

Trev; "Part of the movie is filmed in New Jersey, Where? and is there any story of the filming here that you could share with us?"

"Our Atlantic city beach scene was at the actual location and we used parts of the beaches in Atlantic city for our Cape cod Massachusetts scenes.

Elizabeth captured the soul of Nina without even meeting her. So much so that one day we were on the set and she had done a scene with Nick as Yale, and the real Yale was crying backstage. And we came back there to see what was wrong with him and he said, ‘Oh, my God. I thought I was hearing my wife again in another room.’ When he watched the 10-minute sample of the film he wept and wept and wept. And his daughter said, ‘Oh my God, Josh. You made his dream come true.’

Questions for Producer Lloyd Booker

You were a friend of Yale’s and close to him. How emotional is it for you to relive this story?

"It’s very surreal, emotional because my Mom died of cancer. One of the things he said was that “he’d never die!!”

I remember it was just him & I talking before we/I got him involved w/ (the movie) "Hollywould", Josh, & subsequently AGELESS LOVE, There were a couple of other choices (Former Mayoral Candidate) Sam Katz, ‘History Of PHILA’ , Maria Shamkalian Breyman ‘Fine Wine , but we decided on Josh even though we worked w/all 3! HE CAME & DID HIS “HOLLYWOULD THANG!!"

Booker misses his friend Yale

Booker; "I Do Miss HIM , We hung out, almost got arrested, share our love of the performing musical arts , singing etc."

Trev; "How did it feel walking onto the set seeing Nick made up as Yale and playing opposite him?"

Booker; "Real strange because in some ways he physically resembled that time frame Yale, mannerisms etc."

Trev; "What would you like people to take away from this movie about your good friend?"

Booker; "That real TRUE good stories about love are timeless & universal, inspite / despite of who makes them! He was a young man, who loved an older woman & her Family enough to make a lifetime commitment! He cared for all types of people, a straight shooter! N THIS DAY & TIME WE ALL NEED SOME OF THAT!!!!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.

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