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'STRANGER THAN FICTION'

 
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Mr. Linsky
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 1:21 am    Post subject: 'STRANGER THAN FICTION' Reply with quote

Saw this 2006 Columbia Pictures release on the tube last night and, before I even begin, I would suggest to any Chicago bus fan to archive this film because it's a rolling advertisement for the Chicago Transit Authority with half the scenes either around their buses, on them and even in one of their depots as pictured below.

'Stranger Than Fiction' is a dramedy starring Will Ferrell and Dustin Hoffman along with a very recognizable supporting cast including Linda Hunt and Queen Latifah, and was shot totally on location in the Windy City.

A short synopsis; Written by the lexster

"Everybody knows that your life is a story. But what if a story was your life? Harold Crick (Will Ferrell) is your average IRS agent: monotonous, boring, and repetitive. But one day this all changes when Harold begins to hear an author inside his head narrating his life. The narrator is extraordinarily accurate, and Harold recognizes the voice as an esteemed writer that he saw on TV. But when the narration reveals that he is going to die, Harold must find the author, and ultimately his life, to convince her to change the ending before it is too late."

Photos courtesy of IMCDb

Mr. Linsky - Green Bus Lines, Inc., Jamaica, New York



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RailBus63
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 09, 2013 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I see two of CTA's infamous NABI articulated buses in the top two photos.
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Wed Apr 10, 2013 1:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

RailBus63,

In one of the rolling interior scenes on an artic, Will Ferrell sits on a single longitudinal seat in front of the rear half separator curtain as he flirts with a young lady sitting in the last conventional seat in the forward section.

The camera is set to film both in the scene at the same time as the bus is moving along and turning one corner after the next and the motions back and forth reminded me of an amusement park ride and made me slightly dizzy!

What also impressed me about the inside of the bus were the amount of vertical and horizontal passenger hand rails that made it look like a set of monkey bars at a children's playground!

Amazing!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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RailBus63
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found the DVD for this movie at the local library and watched it last night. What a terrific movie! It's obviously a great watch for a bus fan thanks to the many scenes with CTA's NovaBus LFS and NABI 60LFW buses, but it's also a sweet story brought to life thanks to the wonderful performances of all of the main leads, especially Will Ferrell in a very understated role that is so unlike the normal craziness he usually brings to his films.

This movie is probably the high point for CTA's ill-fated NABI articulated buses. We see Ferrell exit through the back doors of bus #7603 after the scene mentioned above, so this is likely the bus also that the interior scenes were filmed on.

A few interesting trivia bits. The female bus driver portrayed in the film was played by Denise Hughes, an actual CTA bus operator who responded to a casting call (I thought when I saw the scene 'Wow, great casting job - she looks like she could be an real bus driver!'). As for the fictional 'Kronecker' bus route that Harold Crick rides each day, it is one of many references throughout the movie to famous mathematicians, in this case Leopold Kronecker, a German mathematician and logician (hat tip to the Internet Movie Database trivia page).

Jim D.
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Mr. Linsky
BusTalk's Offical Welcoming Committee



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 5071
Location: BRENTWOOD, CA. - WOODMERE, N.Y.

PostPosted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 1:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

RailBus63 wrote:
I found the DVD for this movie at the local library and watched it last night. What a terrific movie! It's obviously a great watch for a bus fan thanks to the many scenes with CTA's NovaBus LFS and NABI 60LFW buses, but it's also a sweet story brought to life thanks to the wonderful performances of all of the main leads, especially Will Ferrell in a very understated role that is so unlike the normal craziness he usually brings to his films.

This movie is probably the high point for CTA's ill-fated NABI articulated buses. We see Ferrell exit through the back doors of bus #7603 after the scene mentioned above, so this is likely the bus also that the interior scenes were filmed on.

A few interesting trivia bits. The female bus driver portrayed in the film was played by Denise Hughes, an actual CTA bus operator who responded to a casting call (I thought when I saw the scene 'Wow, great casting job - she looks like she could be an real bus driver!'). As for the fictional 'Kronecker' bus route that Harold Crick rides each day, it is one of many references throughout the movie to famous mathematicians, in this case Leopold Kronecker, a German mathematician and logician (hat tip to the Internet Movie Database trivia page).

Jim D.


RailBus63,

Great review and right on the money - the driver is a surprise!

Regards,

Mr. 'L'
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