In his Screenwriting Debut, a Nice Jewish Boy Finds Hollywood at his Feet.
By Sandra Kraisirideja

One day before his 32nd birthday, screenwriter Jason Smilovic is relaxing on a sofa at the Hotel Solamar recounting the experience of being on the set of his first feature-length film, “Lucky Number Slevin.”

“It was surreal,” says Smilovic, dressed casually in blue jeans, a gray T-shirt and black hooded sweatshirt. “Everyday it was a series of pinches and punches to make sure the whole thing was real and not imagined.”

“Lucky Number Slevin,” which opens in San Diego on April 7, is Smilovic’s feature film debut. It is not, however, his first foray into show business. At 28 he created and was co-executive producer of ABC’s “Karen Sisco,” based on the Elmore Leonard novel and the Steven Soderbergh film, “Out of Sight.”

He’s now working on his second television drama, “Kidnapped,” for NBC, which is expected to air sometime this year.
Joining Smilovic (pronounced Smile-o-vic) on his first promotional tour is producer Robert Kravis.

“If it wasn’t for Robby none of this would have ever happened,” says Smilovic of Kravis. The pair first met back in 1999 when they both worked together at the now-defunct independent studio, Shooting Gallery.

That year is also when Kravis read “Lucky Number Slevin” for the first time. The script captured his interest immediately.

He was drawn to Smilovic’s script for the “vivid nature of the characters…and the amazing world within our world that Jason created,” Kravis says.

Turns out Kravis was not the only person who saw the potential in Smilovic’s mafia caper. Morgan Freeman, Sir Ben Kingsley, Bruce Willis, Josh Hartnett, Stanley Tucci and Lucy Liu all signed on to be in the film.

“We wound up with the best cast than we possibly could have hoped or imagined,” says Smilovic, who was on set for the entire shoot.

“Paul [McGuigan, the director] was so secure in his own talents that he let me be a part of the spirit of making the movie. It was an unbelievable experience and I have him to thank for that,” says Smilovic.

“It was like living a dream and feeling immensely fortunate every single moment,” says Kravis.

“Lucky Number Slevin” follows down-on-his-luck Slevin (Josh Hartnett), who becomes the target of two New York City crime bosses when he is mistaken for somebody else. The mafia caper is filled with twists and turns and the dialogue is reminiscent of a Raymond Chandler pulp fiction novel.

Smilovic, who admits his family has its share of relatives who have ended up on the wrong side of the law, is fascinated by the rules of conduct within the criminal underworld.

“You would think it would be a lawless society, but it’s actually a society that is highly codified and governed by strict rules. People find themselves between a rock and a hard place in their lives and here are these guys who are able to freely take what they want, and there’s something very sexy and attractive about that,” says Smilovic.

When asked about how his faith plays a role in his daily life, Smilovic said he doesn’t consider himself a practicing Jew even though he did have a bar mitzvah and does fast every year on Yom Kippur.

“I’m not a religious person, but I’m sure there are certain undeniable truths that I gleaned from the religion,” he says.

Smilovic jokes that his favorite Jewish food is Chinese food, but admits he has a bowl of matzo ball soup whenever he is sick. “It is the surest road to recovery,” he says.

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