Movies

The True Story Behind Netflix’s ‘The Waterfront’

BBG News

The dock lay tranquil, holding the peaceful silence that precedes dawn. Fishing vessels gently swayed in the ebb and flow of the tide, their hulls weathered and faded by the sun, nets neatly stacked like slumbering limbs. For Kevin Williamson, it wasn’t merely a routine scene, but an old, cherished memory spanning decades. This was his world, a world he had known as a child in the quaint town of Oriental, N.C., a place where connections seemed to stretch like family trees, where fresh seafood arrived directly from boats, and where the tide’s rhythm held equal importance as church bells or school schedules.

Williamson confided in TIME that he was the oddball of his small-town,” he said. “He felt like he didn’t fit in and couldn’t wait to leave. Once he did, all he longed to do was express himself through writing.

With “The Waterfront“, Williamson has crafted an eight-episode Netflix drama, premiering on June 19. Starring Holt McCallany, Maria Bello, Melissa Benoist, and Jake Weary, this series unfolds the tale of the Buckleys, a once-respected fishing family from fictional Havenport, N.C., who are now torn apart by hidden secrets, addiction, and the looming threat of bankruptcy. This is a captivating Southern gothic narrative teeming with betrayal and moral complexity, but beneath its genre layers lies a profound undercurrent of significance. In many respects, this story represents the narrative that Williamson has been exploring throughout his career, having made his mark as the writer for horror classics like “Scream” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”, and creating hit television series such as “Dawson’s Creek” and “The Vampire Diaries”.

Williamson remembers telling his father that he would one day write a story. His father replied, ‘Wait until I’ve passed away.’ True to his words, Williamson waited until his father was gone before he started writing.

A family history rewritten

The origins of “The Waterfront” trace as far back as Williamson’s own childhood, which was spent in close proximity to the tides, given his birthplace in New Bern, approximately 30 miles from Oriental. His family, particularly his father Wade who was a fisherman, and his mother Faye who worked at a hotel, were deeply intertwined with the sea. As he puts it, “My family is one of fishermen – not just my dad, but all of them. Everyone I knew was a fisherman.

By the 1980s, the traditional lifestyle associated with that industry was gradually fading away. Overfishing, stricter environmental rules, and broader economic transitions brought about its decline. As fish stocks dwindled, so did the means of living for many people, and in certain situations, despair took hold.

In the case of the Williamson family, their desperation showed in a difficult choice made by the father – he chose to use his fishing boat for drug trafficking, an illegal act that would eventually lead to his arrest: “He was apprehended for conspiring to distribute marijuana, approximately 20,000 pounds.” Despite serving less than a year in prison, the consequences were far-reaching within the community. As Wade remembers it, “It wasn’t just my father who was arrested; many others were too. The operation was part of a larger cartel, and we were among the lower-ranked individuals involved.

As a movie enthusiast, I’ve got a knack for weaving personal experiences into my stories. In the series “Dawson’s Creek,” there’s this character, Joey Potter (played by Katie Holmes), whose father served time for an incident eerily reminiscent of something I’d faced. This was my first brush with fictionally reimagining that part of my life. Yet, deep down, I always felt the need to delve deeper into it someday.

As a cinephile reminiscing, I can’t help but reflect on my journey that led me to the powerful release of “The Waterfront.” It all started with a curious boy in a tranquil town, who sought solace not by the water, but under the glowing screens – both large and small. The magic of Steven Spielberg’s films and the timeless soap opera “Guiding Light” captivated my imagination, fueling my insatiable passion for cinema.

Following his high school graduation, Williamson attended East Carolina University, majoring in theater. He completed his studies in 1987 and moved to Los Angeles by the early ’90s. His big break was initiated by a bout of late-night anxiety. After watching an episode about Danny Rolling – the “Gainesville Ripper” who killed five college students in Florida – on a 20/20 broadcast, Williamson felt uneasy and spent the night talking to a friend. This experience ultimately led him to write the script for Scream, which combined nail-biting suspense with self-referential insight.

1996 saw the debut of Scream, a film that didn’t merely prosper but played a significant role in rejuvenating the slasher movie genre. With its sharp wit and raw portrayal of adolescent emotions, the movie propelled Kevin Williamson into the limelight of Hollywood. He swiftly followed with Scream 2, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and The Faculty, imbuing each with more than mere fright. These were narratives that delved into fear as a symbol: adolescence, isolation, the delicate shield of identity.

Afterward emerged “Dawson’s Creek,” a teen drama that unfolded in the small, fictitious town of Capeside, Massachusetts. This series, known for its emotional honesty and dialogue-rich characters, significantly shaped an era. It was celebrated for its romantic complications and heartfelt conversations, while simultaneously launching the careers of actors like Michelle Williams and Joshua Jackson. However, beneath the surface of love triangles and heart-to-hearts lay a writer delving into personal experiences to unearth deeper truths.

After some time, Williamson delved into uncovering truths amidst darkness. He collaborated on shows such as The Vampire Diaries, a teen soap opera with a gothic twist and intense themes of desire and sorrow; The Following, a suspenseful drama about a serial killer and his cult; and Tell Me a Story, which retold classic fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel as contemporary, dark morality tales. Despite venturing into the realm of fantasy, his work always retained its authenticity in emotional depth. Williamson’s narratives are characterized by a recurring undertone: the poignant yearning, the burden of secrets, the inherited spirits from past generations.

Building Havenport from the inside out

In order to develop “The Waterfront”, Williamson didn’t need to travel far. The fictional town of Havenport bears a resemblance to Oriental, and the filming was done in close proximity, specifically in Southport – the very place where he filmed a significant part of “I Know What You Did Last Summer” around three decades prior.

He adores North Carolina deeply, declaring himself a true son of the Carolinas. Reminding him of his childhood, Southport seems particularly familiar. To maintain authenticity, the production crew went as far as renting genuine fishing boats from Oriental for stunts. He describes Southport as a town brimming with fresh-caught seafood, just like those you find right off the boat. This setting inspired him to create the fictional Buckley fish house, a common feature in small port towns where restaurants are connected to fish houses.

The close bond between characters became integral to the cast in the story of “The Waterfront,” an extensive family drama where characters seem authentic and weathered. Harlan Buckley (McCallany), the family’s aging patriarch, is a tough man dealing with the aftermath of two heart attacks, drawn back into the family’s struggling fishing business; his wife, Belle (Bello), who operates the fishery behind the scenes during Harlan’s absence, is the practical cornerstone of the family, maintaining the business and its hidden aspects with unwavering determination. The troubled and resentful daughter, Bree (Benoist), fights her addiction and seeks forgiveness.

According to Williamson, Holt’s (as Harlan) character mirrors my dad’s straight-forward John Wayne demeanor. It’s his wit, the ability to deliver a humorous line effortlessly, that resonates. Bree, on the other hand, is another representation of Williamson’s inner self. He admits that her addictive traits stem from a personal part of him. He exaggerated her character, but it reflects his own personality.

In the realm of cinema, there’s a character named Cane (Weary), the one who chose to remain, never yearning for grander horizons. If I had stayed in Oriental, I was likely to become just like him, as I confess. There were moments when I contemplated staying, but my parents nudged me towards unfamiliar paths. They couldn’t envision a future in fishing for us.

Each member of the Buckley family seeks something intangible: acceptance, atonement, dominance, liberation. (As he puts it, “They want to give and receive love.”) This emotional tension is most evident in the tug-of-war relationship between mother and daughter. “[Bree] often felt like an outcast,” Williamson explains. “The series ponders whether she genuinely felt that way or if she constructed it herself?

The structure of the series mirrors its underlying themes, as the creator explains. He initially aimed for a 60/40 balance between family and crime storylines, but found that such calculations often don’t hold up in storytelling. Instead, he concentrated on the characters’ development. He positioned his characters on a timeline: where do they begin, where will they end, and how can I craft a journey to twist their paths?

The ties that bind

In “The Waterfront,” Williamson delves into the earth, salt, and tranquility that define home. Although the Netflix drama primarily explores themes of hubris and criminal activities, it also tackles consequences. The Buckley family might hide secrets or shield each other, but they’re not stereotypical characters. According to Williamson, “Life isn’t about ‘either/or.’ It’s always ‘and.’ We’re both good and bad.

The underlying duality in the series provides a basis for its unexpectedly violent scenes. “I have a fondness for the dark,” he confesses. “It’s my sanctuary. A horror aspect resides within me, so it’s fair to assume that at some point, someone will meet their end if you’re watching a show I’m involved in.” However, the violence isn’t merely for sensational effect. “Life can knock us down hard, and I wanted the series to mirror that,” he adds.

The setting deliberately intensifies feelings of apprehension. Every episode initiates with a brief eight-second title sequence depicting the camera half submerged in sea water, swaying under gloomy clouds. This is both disconcerting and foreboding, suggesting the sensation of drowning or barely keeping one’s head above water. He explains, “We experimented with numerous variations of the title sequence, but the concept remained consistent: struggling to stay afloat, sinking, peril looming. ‘Who will make it? Where is the rescue boat coming from?’

According to Williamson, the first season of “The Waterfront” is merely the start. He expresses his hope for an opportunity to pen Season 2, as he feels that he’s still in the early stages of crafting this tale and these characters, as he elucidates.

Until that point, the series serves as a contemplation on devotion, inheritance, and the burden of incomplete tasks. As Williamson states, “I aim for people to relate to the complexity of family dynamics.” No matter what these characters engage in – be it fishing or dabbling in a bit of crime and bloodshed – I hope the audience identifies with the concept of family. Each character is striving to become their best selves, they simply aren’t sure how to achieve it.

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2025-06-19 15:08

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