Correction: The name of actor David Tibble was spelled incorrectly in an earlier version of this story.

In a community where kids are king, what’s a D.I.N.K. to do?

That’s the question Frankfort filmmaker Robert Alaniz addresses in his fifth film and first comedy, D.I.N.K.s (Double Income, No Kids). This “comedy of choice” explores the difficulties of a child-free couple as they try to find their niche in a town full of proud and sometimes undisciplined parents.

Alaniz wrote and directed the movie, which in many ways is similar to his own life. Alaniz and his wife have no children by choice, just like main characters, Richard and Rachel Brooks. And like the Brookses, the Alanizes have felt many times like fish out of water, especially at social gatherings with friends and family.

“We just don’t fit in,” Alaniz said. “We have been putting up with a kind of discrimination that other people don’t know about.”

In the film, the Brookses begin to feel judgment their lifestyle choice after buying their dream house in the fictional town of Legacy, Ill. Richard Brooks is a struggling freelance writer looking for his big break. After he loses his temper over the antics of unruly kids at Starbucks, Richard decides to write about the problems of being a D.I.N.K. His column is a hit, but he also runs into trouble with the mayor, whose political identity is pinned on Legacy’s reputation as a family-friendly town.

Alaniz's previous films, Timeserver, Bitterblue, The Vision and the award-winning Barrymore’s Dream were dramas and thrillers. But he said all of them contained humorous elements, so making a full-length comedy wasn’t too much of a stretch.

However, Alaniz said he worried that his sense of humor was not mainstream enough. His tastes lean more toward the comedy of Albert Brooks, not Adam Sandler, he added.

“Comedies, in my opinion, are a lot harder to do, basically because you don’t know what will make people laugh,” Alaniz said, adding that those who have screened D.I.N.K.s have “laughed all the way through.”

As with his previous films, Alaniz drew largely upon local and regional talent for the cast and production team. The lead characters are portrayed by experienced actors from the Chicago area, Alaniz said, which includes David Tibble as Richard Brooks, Deborah Craft as Rachel Brooks, and Marco Garcia as Mayor Ferguson.

Filming was also done locally, mostly in Orland Park but also at Down Home Guitars and Empire Books in Frankfort. A courtroom at the New Lenox Village Hall was the setting for a key scene.

Doug Adams of Frankfort created the musical score. Adams has worked with New Line Cinema and has just released a book about the music of Lord of the Rings. Frankfort singer-songwriter John Ludwig also contributed a song written just for the movie called “Dinkin’.” Accomplished country music singer Jessica Shepherd from Austin, Tex., wrote and performed “D.I.N.K.s Unite” for the film.

When he isn’t making films, Alaniz is a professional dealer of Elvis Presley memorabilia. An Elvis fan since childhood, he became a serious collector around 1980. Every year in August, during Elvis Week in Memphis, he puts on a show called Collecting the King. It draws dealers from around the world. He is also the co-author, with Jerry Osborne, of Presleyana, a price guide to Elvis records and collectibles.

While he likes the King, Alaniz said his true calling is filmmaking. He explored cinematic art as a young man, but eventually turned to other pursuits. In 2003, he returned to it with a passion, writing, directing and producing five films within six years.

“I believe it was what I was meant to do in life,” Alaniz said. “It’s like falling in love. You don’t know why it happens or how it happens, it just does.”

Although the subject matter of D.I.N.K.s might be controversial, Alaniz said the film treats it in a fun way that even parents will appreciate.

“At one point, everyone was a D.I.N.K,” he said.

Special Presentation

What: From Script to Screen. Alaniz and the cast and crew of D.I.N.K.s will discuss the creative process involved in making the film.
When: 2 p.m. Feb. 5
Where: Borders Books and Music, 15260 S. LaGrange Road, Orland Park
More info: Go here for details. 

Advanced Screening

An advanced screening of D.I.N.K.s will be Feb. 17 at Orland Park Cinema, 16350 S. LaGrange Road, Orland Park. Invitations will be sent to people who contributed and donated to the film, but a limited number of tickets will also be available to the public. D.I.N.K.s will premiere March 25 at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee Ave., Chicago.

For details, go to the movie's website and the website for Alaniz's production company, Sole Productions.