Actor, writer and director Peter Spears, who lives in the Hudson Valley, was a producer of the film "Call Me By Your Name." He has appeared in several television series and had starring roles in movies such as "Something’s Gotta Give", "Cries from the Heart," "Some of My Best Friends," and "Father of the Bride, Part II." He moved on to writing and directing and several years ago optioned the movie rights for the novel "Call Me By Your Name" by André Aciman. After some starts and stops, Spears completed the movie and is proud to have it nominated for an Academy Award in four categories, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor in a Leading Role and Best Original Song. Spears and his husband Brian Swardstrom have settled in an 1813 house situated in a knoll above the city of Athens, across the river from Hudson. I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to wear many hats in the entertainment business and create my own opportunities. In 2007 I came across a copy of André’s novel and knew immediately I wanted to make a film. It struck me on some level because of the internalized experience of Elio, the lead character who is portrayed by Timothée Chalamet in the film. It all felt familiar, I had felt like him at that age. Even though I didn’t grow up in Italy, I was roughly the same age when I was growing up Jewish and gay in Kansas and there were a lot of things that resonated with me. It took ten years from the time I decided I make the movie until we had the final cut. We went through two directors and different writers. In the end, James Ivory came on board as writer and Luca Guadagnino as director — the perfect team. The weather was an issue, as well. We moved the book’s locale from the Italian seaside to northern Italy and the countryside. Since we could only shoot in the summer, we were beholden to the weather. In spring of 2016 we had the green light to begin and moved to Italy for the next three months to film. While I naturally wanted the movie to succeed, I am surprised and humbled by the response and the Oscar nominations. Who would have dreamed? What I am most pleased about is the feeling of relief that I held to the vow I made to André — if he trusted us with his work, that trust would be well placed. What the movie’s nominations have done ultimately is to preserve the legacy of his book. The spirit of both are similar and are wonderful companion pieces. Now that the film is a success, Brian and I are looking forward to returning to our home in Athens and spending spring and summer there — a heavenly place to be.
