Finding a movie that my husband and I can agree on watching together isn’t the easiest thing to do.
I’d already decided in April 2021 that when “Agent Game” came out, I was watching it. It was filmed in Augusta, and I had a glimpse of it as it was being shot.
While I hoped to see it in the theater and was disappointed that it went directly to streaming on Amazon April 8, my husband and I watched it from our couch Sunday afternoon when most other Augustans were watching the tunamint on TV or at the Augusta National.
I decided to view this movie through an Augusta lens. I wasn’t necessarily interested in the plot points. I wanted to see Augusta.
When Mel Gibson showed up on Broad Street last spring brandishing a prop weapon, Augusta knew that Hollywood had come to town. People took photos and gawked from their windows.
They plastered it all over Facebook.
I had the opportunity to go on set during the last two days of filming — the days when all the heavy-duty effects were shot.
Recteq on Evans to Locks Road doubled as a couple of CIA black sites — one in Kosovo or thereabouts, and the helicopter was filmed as it passed over the complex a few times before descending. Several actors emerged from the helicopters and filed toward the warehouses with their weapons in hand.
I watched as the actors rehearsed, coached into holding their guns correctly. Then I watched the scene play out multiple times. All the while I snapped photos and tried to take in as much as I could.
That scene was exciting to watch from my couch. Having been there made it all the more interesting.
The day before the helicopter scene I’d taken a pass through the warehouse where they’d just set off some fake explosions. The smoke still hung heavy in the air as pieces of debris littered the floor.
And I met Dermot Mulroney. I always loved him in “The Wedding Date.”
But back to my column.
As we sat on our couch and watched, the corner of Sixth and Broad Streets came into view immediately. Gibson sat on a bench and the cameras panned around to give glimpses of the Miller Theater and Alison South Marketing.
The same shot ended the film but expanded with the Flowers on Broad van whizzing by and a great view of Edgar’s Above Broad. I also spied the Augusta Museum of History as Mel Gibson got into a vehicle and supposedly headed to somewhere in Washington, D.C.
When I was a teenager, I used to watch Siskel and Ebert review movies. That’s not what I’m here for. I won’t give you rotten tomatoes or stars on this one. You can make your own decision. It’s rated R — probably for the language and violence.
All I’ll say is that I thought it was cool to see snippets of my hometown in the movie and to watch the credits at the end and see the names of people I know — Mark Crump, Jennifer Bowen, John Lewis, Barbara Lewis, Krys Bailey,
“Agent Game” is available on Amazon. And just a guess, but there could be plans for a sequel.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the managing editor of The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
