A chat with the man behind "Freshmen Orientation"

It's taken an awful long time for writer-director Ryan Shiraki's comedy "Freshman Orientation" to make it to theaters but it is a film that is worth the wait. I saw it at Outfest (I think it was last summer) and again on DVD recently and it is a sweet and funny film with a very talented cast led by Sam Huntington as college student, Clay, who pretends to be gay in order to get the girl of his dreams.
Also in the cast is the hilarious out actress Heather Matarazzo ("Welcome to My Dollhouse," "Princess Diaries"), a very funny Marla Sokoloff as a militant campus lesbian, SNL's Rachel Dratch as a middle-aged campus slut, Kaitlin Doubleday as the object of Huntington's affection, Mike Erwin as Clay's closeted roommate, and a terrific John Goodman as a big-hearted gay bar owner who shows Clay the ropes.
The film will begin playing at the Regent Showcase Theater, 614 N. La Brea (at Melrose) on Agu. 31 and I do recommend it. It will also premiere in New York and a gradual rollout is planned.
I spoke with Shiraki, a former head of talent for "Saturday Night Live" about his movie recently. "Orientation" is his first film and was made in 23 days on a budget of $1 million.
“I’m happy that it's coming out. I had no idea what was going to happen to the film after [its 2004 debut at] Sundance," he said. I’m really thrilled that the movie is going to be seen by more than my inner circle of friends and that people like it.”

So how was a first-time filmmaker able to assemble such a high-caliber cast with so little money?
"I used to work at 'Saturday Night Live' as head of talent so I knew Rachel and John and we were just able to attract these actors based on the material. Heather made the part her own, she really took it and ran with it. Same with Marla Sokoloff. I felt really lucky to get her in the film. She's very talented and funny. And Sam Huntington, I’ve always been a fan of. It was always seen as an ensemble film and I wanted to cast it as an ensemble and not give anyone short-shrift. I tried to write it so each had their own big scene.”
Getting Goodman was made easier because the film was shot in New Orleans where the actor lives: "I had worked with him at least once a year in SNL. He was in town for a few days and I asked if I’d get a few days in this movie. He was really great to work withb for the younger actors. He's an incredibly deft comedian and always in character and really knows the heart of a scene.”

While Huntington's character is straight pretending to be gay, his is an open-m inded character who ends up being a poster boy for fighting violence against gays and handles things with much care when his best friend and roomate Matt (Mike Irwin), confesses his true feelings for Clay and kisses him. Clay let's the kiss go on for a bit because he's curious to see if he likes it.
“The financiers didn't want to make some big coming out narrative, they wanted something broad, which I respected," the director said. "But I didn't want him to kiss aniother man and then barf all over him. So there was just one moment of, 'Hmmm. But not for me.”
Adds the 37-year-old Shiraki: “Matt is the idealized version of myself. I didn't get the hot frat guy in the end nor was I was hot. But we did have the same glasses.”