Chicago has an outstanding pedigree when it comes to 1980s teen comedies. “Risky Business,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “The Breakfast Club” were all lensed in and around the Windy City, and now Jason C. Morgan and Kipp Tribble pay tribute to this venerable legacy with “UP, Michigan!” — a witty comedic blend of “football, 80s nostalgia, romance, teen angst, turning-30 angst, pop-culture and Midwestern spirit.”
“UP, Michigan!” centers on Midwestern friends Kelley Taylor and Christian Holt and their decision to escape their hometown for Seattle, but not without clinging to vivid memories of growing up in the ’80s. Their 11-year high school reunion becomes the battleground where their pasts, and future, collide. Along the way, the pair encounter a hot mom, the Ugly Duckling who grew up to be anything but, and faces from high school that may just change everything…will they make all the right moves?
“UP, Michigan!” also boasts an all-star cast that reads like a who’s-who, or maybe a “where are they now?” of ’80s personalities. Along with a talented crew of relative newcomers, Joan van Ark, Erik Estrada, John Waite, and Mike Ditka have all loaned their skills to the “UP, Michigan!” madness. Ditka plays the coach of the high-school football team during the “big game†in 1989.
“UP, Michigan!” is a production of Second Busiest Bean Entertainment in association with PixieStar Productions, and is shooting between [ September 28th ] and [ October 31st, 2000. ] Be on the lookout for this full-on awesome film soon.
