The Spectacular Now crew thanks Athens for hospitality

As shooting starts to wrap on “The Spectacular Now,” filmed at locations throughout Athens, a member of the Hollywood and Atlanta-based crew is eager to thank the Athens community for being helpful and accommodating.

The film’s location manager, Jason Underwood, charged with scouting and organizing locations for every scene “The Spectacular Now” shot on location, wished to thank the private residences and businesses that bent over backward helping the filmmakers.

The movie, a coming-of-age teenage drama written for an audience of all ages, started filming at locations around Athens at the end of July. The film is based on a book by Tim Tharp.

Trying to shoot a scene outside of a corporate plant, CertainTeed, should have been a nightmare, Underwood said. But the company’s representative, Javier Montalvo, helped guide the filmmakers’ request up through the corporate chain of approval.

“Any corporation that large is a difficult ‘get’ for us,” Underwood said. “I’ve never had something happen that easily in Atlanta.”