HARRY BROWN: Michael Caine Facebook Interview Clips, Op-Ed Editorial Piece & New Cities

With all of the concern over the economy, health care, terrorism and the environment these days, it’s no surprise many of us have overlooked a growing problem that threatens our most precious resource, our young people.

Across Europe and in large and small cities in the U.S., drugs and gang violence lead each year to the deaths of thousands of innocent people — many of them children. In South Florida, where I’m fortunate enough to own a home and spend time every year, a number of gang attacks have recently gained national media attention. Earlier this month, I came out in support of non-military national service in the U.K., because I believe it can make a huge difference in helping young people avoid lives of drugs and crime. I think such a program could prove very effective in this country as well.

I recently had the opportunity to star in a film called “Harry Brown,” which is about to open here in the U.S. I play an elderly ex-marine living in a housing project who gets fed up with the violence he witnesses every day — and which eventually affects him personally — and decides to take the law into his own hands.

We shot the film in a blighted area of South London called Elephant & Castle, which happens to be the neighborhood in which I grew up. Spending time there and getting to know some of the local teenagers was an eye-opening experience. Although it was a rough neighborhood in my day, today, Elephant & Castle is a far more lethal environment. When we joined gangs as youngsters, the drug of choice was beer and the weapons were fists. Today, as is the case in many American cities, it’s hard drugs and guns.

But, the biggest surprise for me came during the filming itself. When the director, Daniel Barber, told me he was going to cast real local street kids in some roles, I thought he was crazy. I warned him, “You’re going to do two takes and they’re going to get bored with the whole thing and you’ll have to reshoot it with professional actors.” Well, I was dead wrong. To my amazement, the kids got into the acting process immediately and stayed with it. By the fifth take, they were throwing in ad libs and working out how to improve their performances. And, they followed Daniel’s instructions to the letter.

In the space of a few hours, I saw that these young men and women, many of whom had already had run-ins with the police, responded wonderfully to some firm guidance and a chance to be part of something positive.

Almost every one of the kids I spoke with came from a broken family and had no father at home. Their families failed them and then we as a society failed them — with poor education and a lack of opportunities. National service gives young people a sense of belonging and a chance to prove to themselves that they have what it takes to be good, productive citizens.

In America, you already have an optional national service program, AmeriCorps, which was started by President Clinton and later expanded under George W. Bush’s administration. More than 600,000 young people have served in AmeriCorps since its inception in 1993. Going a step further and making it compulsory would help even more kids, especially the most impoverished young people who are at the highest risk for drug abuse and violence.

National service was mandatory in the U.K. back when I was a teen. My two years turned into a combat role in Korea — which I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Still, it had a huge positive impact on who I am today. It taught me discipline and regard for my country. A lot of kids nowadays feel they don’t belong. I believe six months of hard, rewarding work, a consistent daily regime, spending time with kids from all social and economic strata and strong leadership could change that.

If that’s not enough of a reason to institute national service, think of the economic incentive: The cost of incarcerating criminals is staggering. In both the U.K. and the U.S., the jails and court systems are overloaded. And then there’s the public expense of supporting and rehabilitating hundreds of thousands of recovering drug addicts. We could spend far less giving our young people a chance to serve their country and discover their potential before they become a burden on — or a threat to — society.

Academy Award-winning actor Michael Caine lives in Surrey, England, and Florida and still keeps an apartment in his old London neighborhood.

Complete List of theaters playing Harry Brown in upcoming weeks:

For a full list of cities and theaters, visit: http://schedule.samuelgoldwynfilms.com/films/harry+brown/

Opens 5/14:
Hartford, CT
New Haven, CT
Boca Raton, FL
Delray Beach, FL
Miami/Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Orlando, FL
Bethesda, MD
Detroit, MI
Birmingham, MI
Minneapolis, MN
Edina, MN
St. Louis, MS
Charolotte, NC
Philadelphia, PA
Austin, TX
Dallas, TX
Plano, TX
Arlington, VA
Washington, DC

Opens 5/21
Baltimore, MD
Indianapolis, IN
Atlanta, GA
Memphis, TN
San Diego, CA
Portland, OR

Opens 5/28
Boston/Cambridge, MA
Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ

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Additional Assets and Links:

Visit the Official Site for more information! http://www.harrybrown-movie.com

Become a fan of HARRY BROWN on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/HarryBrownTheMovie
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About Harry Brown:
Release Date: April 30^th (Now Playing In Select Cities)
Genre:  Crime/Thriller
Rating: R
Cast:  Michael Caine, Emily Mortimer
Directed by: Daniel Barber
Written By: Gary Young
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Official Synopsis:
Set in modern day Britain, HARRY BROWN follows one man’s journey through a chaotic world where teenage violence runs rampant. As a modest, law abiding citizen, Brown lives alone. His only companion is his best friend Leonard. When Leonard is killed, Brown reaches his breaking point. HARRY BROWN is a powerful, character driven thriller starring two-time Academy Award® winner Michael Caine in a tour-de-force performance.