MAMA BEAR BERRY
Real- life mother of two ‘ terrified’ by ‘ Kidnap’ script, loved playing hero
Thinking back to when she shot “Losing Isaiah” in Chicago in 1994, Halle Berry said “shooting that film today — now that I’m a mother— would have been a lot more challenging than when I actually did make that movie.”
The actress, now the mom to son Maceo, 3, and daughter Nahla, 9, has a new perspective on that project about a drug- addicted mother who throws away her baby.
“In 1994 I had yet to become a mother, but now that I am one, I instinctively feel that incredible pull and power of motherhood. So if I made ‘ Losing Isaiah’ today, that role would have been quite the emotional roller coaster for me.”
Berry was in town last week for the local premiere of “Kidnap,” her new film opening Friday. “My first stop generally is at Garrett’s Popcorn,” she said. “I don’t care if it’s 6 in the morning! I just always have the desire to drop by there. Whatever it is they flavor that ‘ Chicago Mix’ popcorn with— it is so addictive. It gives me such pleasure!”
Beyond Garrett’s famed snacks, Berry said she hopes to someday return to the city for Taste of Chicago. “I’ve only been once and really want to come back again. It’s one of my favorite food festivals. I love to walk around eating everything that looks delicious. I like trying new flavors and educating myself about food. I’m not really a foodie myself, but when festivals like that come along, I like being right there.”
In “Kidnap,” Berry plays single mom and waitress Karla Dyson, who is clearly very devoted to her young son, Frankie ( played by Sage Correa). At a small carnival at a local park, Berry is distracted from watching her boy while taking a call from her divorce attorney. In an instant she spots him being dragged into an old car that speeds off.
The film centers on Karla’s intense chase of the kidnappers, which Berry said showcases “what strong mama bearsmothers can be, when the occasion calls for it.”
When she first read the script for “Kidnap,” it was an intense experience. “It pulled on my heartstrings and terrified the crap out of me. Women are, and have been for so long, the pillars of our families. So to see a woman doing what women know how to do— when their kids are in danger— was one of the key reasons I wanted to make the movie.
“We’re so used to men saving the day— which is great too. I love it when men save the day, but women also can save the day. It was important for me to tell this story where a seemingly ordinary woman could be seen as an everyday hero.”
Macklemore headlines Get INItMusicFest
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Fifth Harmony, Prince Royce, DNCE, Fat Joe, Jeremih, Lupe Fiasco, Carl Thomas and Felix da Housecat are among the acts headed to Guaranteed Rate Field for the inaugural Get IN It MusicFest, to be held Sept. 16 at the ballpark, it was announced Monday. The festival also promises “special surprise celebrity guests and sports figures.”
Tickets, $ 35$ 150, go on sale Aug. 11 at ticketmaster. com. The festival is slated to run from noon to 10: 30 p. m.
The festival will benefit Get IN, a collaborative of local nonprofit organizations “working to prevent violence and support Chicago’s youth,” through various community programs, according to the official announcement from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority.
Book tours bringing big names to town
Anderson’s Bookshops have booked some major headliners in the coming months. Former presidential hopeful and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders will speak at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre at 7 p. m. Aug. 30 about his new book for teen readers, “Bernie Sanders’ Guide to Political Revolution.” Sanders also will speak to Naperville District 203 sophomores that afternoon. … Stephen and Owen King will appear at North Central College at 7 p. m. on Sept. 29 for an event Anderson’s is hosting with the school, celebrating the release of the father and son authors’ “Sleeping Beauties.” … Finally, “The Da Vinci Code” mega- author Dan Brown will appear at an Anderson’s event at Downers Grove’s Tivoli Theatre at 7 p. m. Oct. 3 tied to the release of his fifth Robert Langdon novel, “Origin.”