Who said Hollywood types are heartless: after turning Brooklyn Heights into their own back lot, the Coen Brothers have started spreading some major green throughout the neighborhood.
“This is our way of giving back, so that people understand that we’re not taking advantage,” said Amanda Foley, location manager for Ethan and Joel Coen’s mystery, “Burn After Reading,” which brought George Clooney, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Frances McDormand and other stars to Clark, Hicks and State streets.
The Brooklyn Heights Association got the biggest hunk of largesse, taking in $10,000 from the big-screen brothers.
“When movies and film crews come to Brooklyn Heights they don’t always reach out to us, so it was nice that ‘Burn After Reading’ came to us first. We’re grateful for their generous gift,” said Brooklyn Heights Association Executive Director Judy Stanton.
Stanton said the board might decide to use a portion of the gift to expand and update its guide to the Brooklyn Heights Historic District.
Other beneficiaries of the Coen Brothers’ generosity include the HOPE Program, a Smith Street charity that helps disadvantaged and chronically unemployed people find jobs (which got $2,000); the St. Francis College scholarship fund ($1,000); PS 8 ($1,000); and the State Street Block Association ($1,000).
Foley said the production also wanted to send $1,000 to Community Board 2, but the board would rather pass that along to a deserving charity — so they’re trying to decide who will get their gift.
The film is set in Georgetown, yet it crowded Heights streets for two weeks.
