Checking Out Chapter 27

Originally, the Premieres section film Chapter 27, writer-director Jarrett Schaefer’s darkly revealing account of Mark David Chapman’s final days prior to killing John Lennon in 1980, was on my “might-see” list, mostly because I didn’t expect to find a ticket to the January 25 sold-out premiere at the Eccles Theater. That was before I discovered that Jim Makiej, one of two credited editors on the film, would be sharing my Park City condo. Jim was able to get me a ticket to the screening, as well as a spot at the Airborne Lounge party on Main Street afterwards.

Chapter 27 focuses on Chapman’s activities, and his deteriorating mental state, over the three days following his arrival in New York up until he shoots the rock star. Compellingly played by Jared Leto, who gained 70 lbs. for the role, the Chapman character narrates much of the film in voiceover, exploring his obsession with the Beatles, as well as J.D. Salinger’s novel The Catcher in the Rye, as he gathers with other autograph seekers, including the young Jude (Lindsay Lohan), outside Lennon’s Dakota apartment building on the Upper West Side

“With such an infamous main character, the challenge was to tell that in an accessible way,” relates Makiej, whose previous credits include the 2002 Sundance entry Bark. “It’s not an easy story to celebrate.” After cutting the movie with the filmmakers and observing Schaefer’s distillation of Chapman’s psychological implosion, Makiej’s assessment was that Chapman “blurred his comprehension of what was going on. He picked and chose the reality he wanted” leading up to his assassination of Lennon.

At the after-screening party, Schaefer told me that his goals for the film included “a good story well-told,” as well as an examination of celebrity, noting that “now we’re in a culture dominated by celebrity,” which seemed particularly relevant considering Lohan’s participation in the film. As of Saturday, Chapter 27 was still available for pickup.