Originally Mr. Cotton was planning on shooting the film in bodega bay at the same church used in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds " but it didn't have all the aspects he wanted in his script . By chance one day he pulled off the freeway to the town of Sunol in the Bay Area only miles from his home at the time that he had never visited . Not only did it have the perfect church but all the other locations that were in his script all in the same town . It was as if he had dreamed the town and then found it . The town embraced his film and they were crucial in the making of it with locations and help along the way . They had previously had a Hollywood film shot there and were opposed to any filming as they felt they were treated poorly by the production company from Los Angelos . But once on board with James and his team they not only opened the town for shooting but threw a wrap party for the cast and crew with parting gifts and goodwill .. a great friendship has lasted ever since .
