HYPERLINK "http://videos.theonion.com/avclub_video/2011/poppilgrims/POP002-Graduate_03.flv" \t "_blank" http://videos.theonion.com/avclub_video/2011/poppilgrims/POP002-Graduate_03.flv Brian Berrebbi Host: When the A.V. Club Travels we always make time to visit pop culture landmarks. If something memorable happened in the world of film, TV, books or music we want to go there. We are not just tourists, we are pop pilgrims. A young man races to the church to stop the woman he loves from getting married. Gets there, the doors are locked and he runs upstairs bangs on the glass, screams her name, she calls to him, they fight their way out and drive off into film history. I’m speaking of course of the closing scene of Wayne’s World 2. Oh and The Graduate. Both shot at our next stop United Methodist Church. La Verne California Linda Poteete-Marshall United Methodist Church: We are standing on holy ground because Dustin Hoffman has walked in these— no, I don’t know if he got this far up. Brian Berrebbi: So we’re talking to pastor Linda Poteete-Marshall of the United Methodist Church here in Lavern and maybe we should start back and tell you what the history of the Church. Linda Poteete-Marshall: We’re celebrating this year the 50th Anniversary of the building. It was originally built as a wedding temple and then on the other couple acres of land over there, they were going to build a big and grand glorious church but didn’t happen. This was grand and glorious enough for them. As you know that window up there is the place where Dustin Hoffman is pounding on the window, we have often thought of putting you know one of those card board cut out pictures of him up there. Brian Berrebbi: Sure. Do you think you will be able to hear someone yelling up here? Linda Poteete-Marshall: Well lets try it. Brian Berrebbi: Elaine! Elaine! Can you hear me down there? Okay? You can’t hear me anyway. Linda Poteete-Marshall: I don’t think the church people knew the plot of the movie. So if you— Brian Berrebbi: Standard practice. Linda Poteete-Marshall: —if you come in and say “Oh we want to shoot a wedding scene and its going to be interrupted wedding scene then you don’t know what the rest of the plot is and so since then they have been very careful to review the script. I had a visceral reaction like huh! When he took the cross and locked people in to the church as they ran away, putting the cross in the door that was pretty powerful and the way I thought about it was you know walking the old style religion, the old style values, you know the church is the keeper of the community values and so I think it was very highly symbolic when he actually used the cross to keep people in. Now the other thing I like though is they get on the bus and they drive away. They’re playing the sound of silence and as they’re sitting there they get somber and more quiet and reflective. No, maybe you know movies better than me but do you think they’re sinning there going oh my gosh what have we just done. Brian Berrebbi: I think its one of the things that keeps the movie alive is that debate of what are they thinking in that moment. Linda Poteete-Marshall: So that was a landmark ground breaking film and mostly where mostly we’re proud of it. Brian Berrebbi: Yeah. Linda Poteete-Marshall: Mostly. Brian Berrebbi: So what are some of the things that have come here that went to the shoot. Linda Poteete-Marshall: The Bubble Boy was filmed here. Brian Berrebbi: Great film. Linda Poteete-Marshall: And then Wayne’s World. Brain Berrebbi: Two. Linda Poteete-Marshall: Two. Hi, this is the A.V. Club and they shoot little videos about locations. Brian Berrebbi: That are like cultural landmarks from— did you know that The Graduate Wedding was shot here? You knew that? You were here when it happened? Unidentified Male: Yeah. Brian Berrebbi: What happened? What were you doing? Unidentified Male: I was a member of the church because they did not clean up, they left the stairs, they left everything here and I said you better get something in the contract to clean up after yourselves so we have Wayne’s World 2 here and they cleaned up everything. Brian Berrebbi: Pastor Linda Poteete-Marshall, did I say that right? Linda Poteete-Marshall: Uh-huh. Brian Berrebbi: Thank you so much for letting us come here. Linda Poteete-Marshall: Wonderful. Good to have you. Brian Berrebbi: A pleasure. Linda Poteete-Marshall: Uh-huh. United Methodist Church of La Verne 3205 D Street, La Verne, CA Behind the Scenes with FIAT The stairs that Hoffman climbs to get to the viewing area weren’t part of the church. They were built by the production company. Charles Grodin and Robert Redford were among the actors considered for the lead role. Anne Bancroft was only six years older than Dustin Hoffman when The Graduate was filmed.