Screen Adaptation Of Elin Hilderbrand's "Five Star Weekend" To Debut At Nantucket Film Festival

Last September, film crews descended on Nantucket to film the limited series adaptation of Elin Hilderbrand’s novel The Five Star Weekend. Now, islanders will have an exclusive first chance to see their home on the big screen as the show debuts at the Dreamland theater as part of the Nantucket Film Festival.

“I think it's one of those things where you just sort of dream big and ask for what you want, and then you just sort of hope and pray,” showrunner Bekah Brunstetter told the Current about filming on Nantucket. “I just still can't believe we pulled it off. It was such an undertaking. And I'm really grateful that we got to, because it really shows on screen.”

Five Star Weekend captured Nantucket’s attention last September as production crews transformed parts of the island into film sets and the show’s stars, including actors Jennifer Garner, Chloe Sevigny and Regina Hall, visited island shops and restaurants, notably singing karaoke with local ghost tour guide Bill Jameison.

“We ate in all of your restaurants, we drank in all of your bars, we went to all of your beaches,” Brunstetter said, naming Jetties as her favorite beach. “I loved Nautilius and Cru, and I'd have a Born and Bread breakfast sandwich every morning. That's my favorite breakfast sandwich I've ever had, and I'm a big breakfast sandwich person.”

It was one of the highest-profile film or television productions ever staged on the island. The Nantucket Film Festival will screen the first episode of the series twice back-to-back on June 21st as part of its closing celebration, and each screening will be followed by a deep dive conversation with Brunstetter and Hilderbrand. The first session will be moderated by Entertainment Weekly editor-in-chief Patrick Gomez, and will also feature Sevigny. The second session will be moderated by Nantucket Book Festival board president Tim Ehrenberg, who co-hosts a podcast with Hilderbrand.

The show’s on-location filming allowed many islanders to participate as extras or stand-ins, and some will likely be visible in the first episode screened at the festival. Additionally, the large crew provided an economic stimulus for many businesses as the summer season wound down, booking large numbers of hotel rooms and frequenting local establishments including restaurants. Universal Productions, the studio behind the show, also promised to make donations to local non-profits.

Town of Nantucket culture and tourism director Shantaw Bloise-Murphy said at the time that the total economic contribution from the production was “in the millions.”

But it drew some controversy as well. The Select Board almost stopped the production from going forward because of over-tourism concerns, a lack of transparency surrounding the donations, and a short timeline. They ultimately voted to allow it to proceed, but the town overhauled its filming policy soon after the shoot wrapped.

Brunstetter told the Current that filming on Nantucket also wasn’t always smooth sailing. There was some equipment, like a tower used to create rain for scenes that require it, that the crew couldn’t bring with them, forcing them to improvise. Weather also played a role, limiting the time they could spend shooting. Ultimately, there were three scenes in the script that they didn’t get to.

“In post-production, I just kind of had to pivot in the storytelling,” Brunstetter said.

But filming on Nantucket was important to Brunstetter, who called the island “shockingly beautiful.” She said that the specificity of place mattered to her, naming filming locations including Sconset, Main Street, and Bartlett’s Farm.

There was even a scene in the script set in Cru, one of the restaurants Brunstetter particularly enjoyed. While the interior of the scene was not filmed on island, they did film a shot of the actors walking into the restaurant.

“Those details really matter to me, so it was really important from the beginning to keep those specifics there,” Brunstetter said. She added that many Nantucket products made into the show. “We had Something Natural bread that we used for some of our sandwiches, we had Wicked Island morning buns.”

Some of the show’s cast and crew, including Brunstetter, will be back on island for the festival. Perhaps they’ll return to some of the spots they enjoyed during filming.