Newnan High School was transformed into a movie set last Saturday as filming continued on “The Fat Boy Chronicles,” written by authors and screenwriters Mike Buchanan and Diane Lang. Inspired by a real story, “The Fat Boy Chronicles” is a drama that tells the story of an obese 9th grader struggling to find his way in our thin-obsessed society.

Nearly 150 residents from around the Coweta area made their way to the school to work as extras in the movie. Newnan High was but one of the Coweta locations used in recent weeks as a backdrop for the film.

The movie starring Ron Lester is being directed by Sharpsburg resident Jason Winn and is expected to be released in theaters in 2010. Buchanan, noting the seriousness of the topic as it plays out in the American culture, described the movie as a drama with some comedy.

Diane Lang and Michael Buchanan began writing together during the University of Iowa’s Writer Workshops in the summer of 2000. Both former teachers, Lang and Buchanan were honored as Teachers of the Year and recognized nationally for their creative interaction with students. Lang, educated at the University of Cincinnati, lives in Richmond, and Buchanan, who graduated from Georgia State University, lives in his hometown of Alpharetta. Lang and Buchanan are creative development executives for Tin Roof Films, a family entertainment movie company located in Atlanta.

Just like in the movies, real life can be more than what it seems. Sitting near the perimeter of the movie set last Saturday and disguised as ordinary citizens were the real brains behind the operation, none other David and Bonnie Buchanan, Mike’s parents. Residents of Peachtree City since the 1970s, David and Bonnie were positioned 75 feet away from the set with their friend and impromptu bodyguard Nancy Reel. And though their relaxed and cheery perch in lawn chair away from the cameras and microphones gave the appearance that they were mere observers, there was no doubt that they were “in the know” when it came to their son’s endeavor.

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