South Arlington’s Standards for ‘Someone Normal’

Local filmmaker’s stomping grounds star in a romantic comedy with a 21st-century twist

By Alissa Ponchione

Jan. 20, 2010

We email. We Skype. We sign up for dating sites. We text—sometimes, we even sext—all with the hope of technology helping us connect with people. And yet sometimes none of this makes dating any easier. In 34-year-old Jonathan Darden’s directorial debut, “Please God Someone Normal,” he and co-writer Shawnette Daly, 34, take on our technology-obsessed generation and expose the flaws of 21st-century dating.

The movie, set in South Arlington, centers on Jasmine (22-year-old screen newcomer Kate Ochsman), a 30-year-old single woman struggling to find a “normal” guy. At the behest of her best friend she downloads the “Please God Someone Normal” iPhone application, hoping it will assuage her dating woes. Not realizing the application is fake, Jasmine is hoodwinked into going on a series of unfortunate dates with men arguably less than “normal.”

Although at first glance “Please God Someone Normal” is a romantic comedy, Daly, of Maryland, and Darden, of South Arlington, say they set out to buck the stereotypes with an unconventional plot and outlandish supporting players. “We made fun of all those romantic comedy cliches,” Daly says. “In the sense that, it was all a play on what is normal. One person’s normal may not be someone else’s.”

Kate Ochsman, Steven Lolli, and Noel Elgrably

Comedian and South Arlington native, Noel Elgrably, performs three of the film’s irreverent roles, including a Chinese waiter, gay food runner and Italian waiter. “If we’re going to battle these stereotypes, let’s go all the way,” says Elgrably, now residing in Los Angeles, of his performances. “We’re embracing the stereotypes, and at the same time, rebelling against them.”

They all agree, however, that the comedy will speak for itself.

Daly confides that comedy is the hardest genre to master, and that to make it work the right people have to be involved. “It’s so much about timing, so much about dialogue and so much about the set-up” she says. “It’s not easy to make it come together and make it funny.” And with up-and-coming talent like Elgrably, 34, and Steven Lolli, a 34-year-old Los Angeles writer who plays one of Jasmine’s dates with multiple personalities, Darden and Daly say they are confident the audience will appreciate the pervasive South Arlington presence.

Darden says he set the movie in his old stomping grounds to capture the diverse culture in that slice of NoVA where he grew up with Elgraby. “It’s a bittersweet place,” Elgrably says about South Arlington. “It was part of us, and that was important to [Jon] and Shawnette when writing the script.”

Darden and Elgrably say their connection runs deeper than South Arlington or the film. They grew up together and used comedy as a buffer against bullies. “We didn’t have that much money,” Darden says. “We loved life as kids, and we loved comedy, too,” Elgrably adds. And though they lost touch over the years, Darden came across Elgrably’s standup routines on YouTube and reached out to him to work on the film.

The whirlwind, “gonzo”-style creation of the film took place over two months. Written in 40 days, shot over four 18-hour days last Labor Day weekend and edited within the week, Darden had the director’s cut finished by October.

Darden says he sees the movie as an opportunity that gave everyone a chance. “We’re really up-and-coming and moving really fast,” he says. In fact, when he showed the director’s cut to Daly for the first time, he says she cried after viewing it. “It’s really a rarity to have someone loyal enough that you get recognition, too,” he says about his relationship with Daly. “That’s the South Arlington way. These people make you who you are as much as you make them who they are. You want them to have crowning achievements. It’s not just mine.”

The movie premieres at the Arlington Cinema ‘N’ Drafthouse Jan. 23 at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are on sale for $8. Following the 30-minute film, Elgrably, Darden and co-star Steven Lolli will perform their standup routines.