Since 1979, Antiques Roadshow has enchanted and inspired collectors with the possibility of discovering a valuable treasure at home. Film directors Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman of Double G Films wanted to spotlight these unique hopes and triumphs of the appraisal world in cinematic fashion with their directorial debut of Lost & Found in Cleveland, a modern-day American fable. The film follows the journey of five central characters as they bring their personal treasures to be appraised when Lost and Found (the fictional version of Antiques Roadshow) comes to Cleveland, Ohio.
Related: Future Antiques Hiding in Our Homes
The film boasts an all-star cast including Emmy and Golden Globe winner Martin Sheen (Grace and Frankie), Golden Globe nominee Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven), Oscar nominee June Squibb (Nebraska), Golden Globe winner Stacy Keach (Nebraska), Independent Spirit Award winner Yvette Yates Redick (Inherent Vice) and Tony Award winner Santino Fontana (Broadway’s Tootsie).
Just as Lost and Found in Cleveland covers five very personal stories, the concept behind the film also reflects the personal backgrounds of Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman, who wrote, produced, and directed the film. Gerchak, who grew up in Cleveland, used the proceeds of the sale of his grandmother’s coin collection to help fund his move to New York after college to star in theater. Guterman, who is an actress and singer-songwriter, also had a family connection, as Antiques Roadshow was one of her favorite shows that she watched together with her father. The two met at a casting and realized they were both passionate about crafting a film around the magic of antiques: the histories and relationships they encapsulate and the future possibilities they represent.
Related: Top 10 Rediscovered Masterpieces
While the project took a decade to properly come to life, those years allowed the story to become the best version of itself. "From finding existing locations that were tailored to the script as if we had written them into existence, to cast members whom we had envisioned in their roles for a decade standing before us in those very locations, filming was a constant surprise and dare we say magical in its discoveries," said Keith Gerchak and Marisa Guterman. The filming took place in early 2023 on location in Cleveland and the film will be released in U.S. theaters this holiday season.
The plot follows five distinct characters in Cleveland that cut a swath through American society, drawing from all ages, classes, and races. The main protagonists include a mail carrier, who dreams of opening a restaurant; a 10-year-old child and his widowed mother, living under the Hope Memorial Bridge; a Korean war vet, who worked at a steel plant; a psychology professor; and a married socialite. As the antiques appraisal show Lost & Found arrives in Cleveland to conduct live appraisals, each of these characters brings one of their treasured heirlooms to be appraised, including a letter from President McKinley and an ancient Roman statue. Set over a 24-hour period during the holiday season, the film explores the human struggles of loss and belonging, as revealed in each character's connection to their precious heirloom.
Related: How to Value Your Objects in a Click of a Button
Just like the antiques in the film that have a rich provenance, the filming locations in Cleveland also boasted layered histories. “Most of the locations were impeccably preserved and unchanged for decades, down to the wallpaper,” said Gerchak, who once worked as an architect restoring the city’s old movie theaters. “One of the homes was almost like a museum, with exquisite artwork. The Nash, the affectionate name of the Slovenian Hall in Slavic Village, had interiors that felt like walking back in time. And of course St. Stanislaus, which is a jewel box of a sanctuary, and its school, which still had its Dewey Decimal system.”
Describing Cleveland as a “time capsule,” Gerchak and Guterman found that the Industrial American city was the perfect setting for their story. Not only was the city once the center of the American Rust Belt, it was also the hometown of President William McKinley, whose administration was allegorized in The Wizard of Oz. L. Frank Baum's iconic novel, published in 1900, was an inspiration to Gerchak and Guterman, who wrote Lost & Found as a modern retelling of The Wizard of Oz. “Much like Tin Man, Scarecrow and Dorothy in the original myth, our everyday heroes - retired LTV steel plant worker, mail carrier, and little boy - are emblematic of the archetypes who occupy modern life,” said Gerchak and Guterman. “Instead of a heart or a brain, they bring their objects to the Roadshow to the Great & Powerful Oz - the appraisers. Rather than the monetary value, they discover that the answer to self-worth lies within."
Related: 10 Reasons to Buy Vintage
Just as in The Wizard of Oz, it is the journey that transforms in Lost & Found in Cleveland, which promises to enchant audiences with its heartfelt vision of the modern-day treasure hunt. While the quest culminates in the appraisal, the joy of discovery and the unique stories behind personal collections are what Guterman and Gerchak wanted to celebrate. From flea market finds to dedicated collecting over decades, the world of antiques brims with the possibility of finding treasures in unexpected places, a theme that rings true in many tales of seeking the American Dream. When asked what they want viewers to take away from the film, the response was emphatically, "Hope."
You can learn more about Double G Films here.
![Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Salvator Mundi’ [detail], c. 1500, oil on walnut panel. Photo: Christie’s](https://images.prismic.io/barnebys/5e0a74eb-b458-4bbd-a8cd-96b4201763b2_77f18b4d-e825-4b3c-918d-22646c46f6a3_fc31b48b979a772fc85eeb393a7751d5a694f922_1-16%2B2.jpeg?auto=compress,format)