SCITUATE - Holiday movies come in all flavors, from schmaltzy to bawdy. A handful tug on viewers' heartstrings as reliably as street-corner Santas ring their bells every December.
Now comes "The Child King," a feature-length film aimed at a limited audience this season - but one its creators hope will attract a growing fan base as word of mouth builds via Internet DVD sales. Shot locally and on a shoestring budget, the film boasts an unusual cast and back story, a making-of yarn that could make for a compelling film itself.
The movie follows two brothers setting off to find Santa Claus. The younger one questions whether Santa exists, while the older boy, who is intellectually disabled, leads their quest to reach the North Pole and prove he does. Along the way, Santa himself pops up in various guises to speed their journey. The film's title refers to a fairy tale cherished by the boys' late mother, a story in which two boys are switched at birth by a monarch who recoils at raising an "abnormal" child. Both story arcs, road movie and fairy tale, happily build to storybook endings.
Starring in the film is Peter Johnson, who was 17 when much of "The Child King" was shot. Now 20, Johnson has Down syndrome and is a senior at Scituate High School. Not only is this his first professional acting job, but his role is among the very few times an actor with his disability has carried a film to this extent. Casting him was a gamble, the filmmakers admit, but one that paid off handsomely with a winning performance.
"When I first met Peter, I had my doubts," says Frank Kerr, 53, the film's director and coproducer, who lives in Norwell. "A lead actor with Down syndrome? Could he carry off his lines? Hit his marks? Wait for cues? Interact with other actors? Those aren't the easiest things to do and still be comfortable in front of a camera. But Peter loosened up as we went along and did a wonderful job."
Joining Kerr at the Johnson home for a group interview are Peter and his mother, Jane. Peter, who sports a Red Sox cap, greets a reporter with a nervous smile and snappy salute. Recalling Kerr's first visit, "I had nothing to do with him," Peter says impishly. "I was a mouse on the wall." Invited to elaborate, he smiles and says, "When I came to my own senses, I knew this was not an ordinary movie."
Moments later, asked to recall the most surprising thing about making the movie, he flicks away the question like a veteran Hollywood star. "I wouldn't call it surprising, really," Peter deadpans. "I'm not your typical average Joe, you know."
That he is not, and neither is there much that's typical about how "The Child King" grew from one man's obsession into a film that has won plaudits from groups like the Kids First! Film Festival and Special Olympics.
The back story begins in 1993, when Kerr's brother Jeff, an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, was sent to Waco, Texas. Members of the Branch Davidian cult were holed up there during a 51-day standoff with the FBI and ATF. Kerr was on perimeter watch for much of the siege and with plenty of time on his hands began outlining a movie plot he'd been hatching - inspired, he says, by the young son of a fellow ATF agent, a boy with Down syndrome who would become the model for the older brother in "The Child King."
"I've always had a fascination with movies and scripts," explains Jeff Kerr, 49, who lives in Hull and is the divorced father of two teenagers. "I'm sort of a Christmas freak, too. But I didn't set out to make an impact on people with intellectual disabilities. I wanted to make an impact on the lives of my own kids, as a divorced dad."
His first screenplay ran 140 pages: Way too long, according to Frank, who rejected several overtures by Jeff to personally take on the project. Among Frank's screenwriting and directing credits are the comedy "Last Night at Eddie's" and "Patriots," a thriller set in war-torn Ireland. Years later, when he finally agreed to make Jeff's film, "I did it as a gift to my brother," says Frank. "I gave no thought to the endgame, though. It was like, let's make a movie and see how it comes out."
Much happened in between, as Jeff tells it, including several dances with agents, lengthy negotiations with Rosie O'Donnell and her reps, even a run at Oprah Winfrey. Nothing panned out, however, and until Frank signed on there was little hope anything would.
"Frank is absolutely one of my idols," says his brother with some emotion. "He made this movie, in every sense of the word."
Jeff Kerr dug into his own pocket for roughly half the $52,000 the movie cost to make and market. He and his brother found Johnson through Jeff's ATF colleague, who knew the family and suggested they interview Peter for the lead role. By mid-2005, the Kerrs had cast the other speaking parts as well. Jeff persuaded local celebrities - comedian Lenny Clarke and former pro football players Fred Smerlas, and Steve DeOssie - to appear in cameo roles, for free. Once shooting wrapped, Frank spent much of 2006 editing the film, another labor of fraternal love.
The first day on location, Frank recalls, "I turned to Jeff and said, 'You lucky SOB. This just might work.' " Says Jeff, "Frank told me we'd made a niche film by accident, one that could become a poster child for Internet-sales models."
"The Child King" has been shown at a few film festivals. To date, however, most of its exposure has come via the Kerrs's website (thechildking.com), where DVDs are available for $18.95 plus shipping. All proceeds go to a nonprofit foundation set up by Jeff that benefits the intellectual disabilities community.
One of the film's biggest fans is Gail Williamson, executive director of the Down Syndrome Association of Los Angeles. Williamson consults with the entertainment business on all projects that feature characters with developmental disabilities. Her son Blair, 38, has Down syndrome and as an actor has appeared on TV shows like "Nip/Tuck" and "CSI."
"What 'The Child King' does," says Williamson, "is take a film about the holidays and bring Down syndrome into it. [Peter] carries it beautifully, too. Some people with Down syndrome have an innate ability to act, and Peter is obviously one of them."
For Jeff Kerr, the film is a holiday gift he could only dream of opening 14 years ago. "I always wanted to be Santa Claus," he says. "This is about as close as it gets."
Joseph P. Kahn can be reached at jkahn@globe.com.
