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Elah Valley was the place David saw the giant Goliath in the Bible.

So it would seem appropriate that the company bringing a piece of mega-Hollywood to a small South Valley neighborhood is called Elah Productions.

Last week, the company transformed a quiet rural neighborhood near Rio Bravo and Coors boulevards Southwest into a bustling area with celebrities' trailers set up in front of houses, a tent for the crew planted in a chile garden and guards on duty to keep out trespassers.

The movie, "In the Valley of Elah," will be Paul Haggis' directing follow-up to the Academy Award-winning "Crash."

The film is inspired by true events, although they did not happen in New Mexico. It is about a father (Tommy Lee Jones) searching for his missing son, who is reported AWOL after his first weekend back from Iraq. Charlize Theron plays a New Mexico police detective who reluctantly helps the father and his wife (Susan Sarandon) on their search.

"I think it's the best thing that ever happened to the South Valley," said Rozzanne Garcia, 55, a neighbor. "Hollywood has arrived in the South Valley. They are filming a film for the South Valley that's not about gangs. It's more positive."

Garcia and Yolanda Chavez, another neighbor, say they are tired of the negative publicity the South Valley receives.

"All you ever hear coming out of the South Valley is the horror stories in the news," Chavez said. "It (the movie) will bring a positive aspect to the South Valley."

The women say their neighborhood is beautiful, but very quiet and secluded. So residents were surprised when Hollywood came knocking.

Eric Torrez, locations assistant for Elah Productions, said the director gives the location scouts an idea of what he's looking for and they try to match that. They found it at 2210 Julie Road S.W., a humble adobe house that stands in as Theron's home in the movie.

Torrez said the crew goes in the house and rearranges everything so that it is not recognizable.

"The place had the right look as far as the director was concerned," said Louise Spencer, publicist for Elah Productions.

Neighbors' response to the filming was a mix of excitement and pragmatism.

Chavez said she saw Tommy Lee Jones on one day of filming.

"He said `Hi,' he was very nice. I think it's exciting we got to watch," she said.

Aurora Apodaca, who has lived in the neighborhood more than 20 years, said she saw the crew there every day from about 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"In the morning, I saw a star with a fur coat and she was drinking some coffee. She had to be a movie star. Who wears a fur coat around here?" she said.

Apodaca said the movie might be worth a look - depending on what it's rated.

Torrez said everyone was impressed by the South Valley neighborhood and the abundance of land.

"I would recommend shooting in the valley. Everyone's been nice and cooperative," Torrez said.

Jennifer Schwalenberg, deputy director with New Mexico Film Office, said this isn't the only movie filmed in the South Valley. Other films are: "Bordertown," "The Flock," "West Texas Children's Story," and "The Sarah Connor Chronicles," which is currently being filmed.

For this movie, Torrez said crews shot in 33 locations in Albuquerque, including Downtown, Martineztown and Central Avenue.

The crew packed up Jan. 25 after three days of filming on Julie Road. Schwalenberg said the crew started shooting Dec. 4 in New Mexico and plans to stop sometime around Friday. They plan to head to Tennessee next. After that they will go to Morocco.

Chavez said the whole movie experience has brought much-welcome excitement to her life in the rural South Valley.

"They (the crew) are always welcome to come back," she said.