"How Can We Create Material for [Kids] Without It Tasting Like Medicine?"
May 2, 2005By MARY LANEY
Chicago Sun-Times
How much do you believe in what you want to do in life? How much do you believe you can reach your goals? Would you sell everything you own to do what you truly want to do? Would you quit your job to pursue your goal? Would you risk it all?
That's what two former Tufts University roommates did. And today, Cary Granat and Micheal (Irish spelling) Flaherty are on top of the world.
Granat majored in international relations at Tufts. Flaherty majored in history and English ("My father strongly believed in a liberal arts education and reading"). After graduating in 1990, Granat—who had worked in Hollywood during the summers—decided to return there, to pursue a film career. Flaherty remained in Boston, went to work for a state senator and soon found himself working on education issues. That led to his creating educational software programs and then teaching children how to raise their test scores. His work, as a high school teacher, won awards.
And Granat's work, at Warner Brothers, won him awards and notice. He became a production executive at MCA/Universal films and in 1999 was president of Miramax Films' Dimension Label—executive producing such movies as "Scream," "Scary Movie," "Spy Kids" and "Reindeer Games."
Through the years the former roommates remained close friends. Each stood up for the other when they married. In 1999, each had their first child. It was an important milestone for both men and a definitive year. "My grandfather, who had been very involved in education, died in 1999," says Granat. "He was my mentor. It made me think more about education."
Becoming parents put their goals in motion for both men. Granat says he "wanted to make films that would capture the imagination and rekindle the curiosity" in children.
Flaherty says, "The more I got into what made children learn, the more I saw the impact that television and movies had on them. It all comes back to asking the big questions: What makes children excited about learning? How can we create material for them without it tasting like medicine?"
So the two friends talked about their goals for the children and their lives. They put their ideas down on paper. They planned and met for a full year. And then they put their money where their goals were.
In 2000, Granat quit his job as president of Miramax's Dimension films. Flaherty sold his 401(k)s, his wife sold hers, they took all the money they had received for their wedding and all their savings and set about forming a partnership to create a movie production house with the mission statement: "To provide families with programming that inspires, engages, enlightens and entertains. We believe that quality entertainment is inherently educational and can capture our audience's imagination, rekindle curiosity, and demonstrate the rewards of knowledge and virtue."
Today, they are proof that it's not waiting to see a thing before you believe it, but believing in something and knowing you'll see it. They are co-founders of Walden Media. Granat rides herd over making movies in Hollywood. Flaherty rides herd over a large group of developers who seek out books, meet with teachers, schools and libraries, and find the best books to turn into movies.
They also occasionally play their movies at the Regal Theatre Chain, set up an uplink, invite thousands of children in, have the author on hand, and give the children a class in creative writing.
What movies do they make, you ask? "Holes," "Around the World in 80 Days," "Ghosts of the Abyss," "I Am David," "Because of Winn-Dixie" and soon, C.S. Lewis' "The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe."
"There's a thread through all of them," says Flaherty. "'Holes' has a literacy message, 'Winn-Dixie' tells how a girl went to a library to read to a woman, 'Bridge to Terabithia' is about a shy boy who becomes friends with an avid reader, 'The Giver' is about a totalitarian regime where books are banned. Both are Newberry medal winners."
In 1999, Walden Media (named after Thoreau's Walden Pond) was a goal for two friends. It took them two years to plan and find the financial backing but they didn't give up. They found the backing from billionaire Phillip Anschutz of Denver, Colo.
Anschutz agreed with their mission statement and formed the Anschutz Film Group as an umbrella overseeing Walden Media and Bristol Bay Productions and named Granat as its president. Bristol Bay's first film was "Ray," the Oscar-winning biography of music genius Ray Charles. Its second film is "Sahara," now in theaters.
Through all of the successes, Flaherty and Granat are remaining loyal to their mission statement—the last words of which you should remember as they are rare today, particularly in Hollywood: "rekindle curiosity, and demonstrate the rewards of knowledge and virtue."
Good men do exist.
Movie duo prove that dreams really do come true.
