Tag: 56th Nashville Film Festival

56th Nashville Film Festival Closing Night Tonight

On September 24, 2025

In Editorial, Movies, News, Pop Culture, travel

“Man on the Run” is a terrific documentary about Paul McCartney’s caarer and life, post Beatles.

Here in Nashville, we could not get the Jimmy Kimmel Show last night (Tuesday, September 23). It was one of the states where station owners refused to carry the program. Very sorry that we were bombarded, instead, with a boring montage of Tennessee historic footage. Couldn’t find Kimmel on my computer, either. Spent most of the night looking for it on various services, to no avail.

We came home from an audience award winning documentary about hunting for pythons in Florida, “The Python Hunt,” excited to see Glen Powell (‘Twisters 2″) as a guest on Jimmy’s return to the air waves. No dice. We were able to see some of the opening monologue and a bit of Glen Powell’s appearance on YouTube today, a day late, but Kimmel’s free speech was curbed and for no good reason. Nothing he said was that inflammatory. This is clearly a case of a wannabe dictator moving the levers of power to become that dictator . It is exactly what Putin did in Russia, limned for us in 2 classes at the University of Texas in Austin during OLLIE classes last year.

Furthermore, DJT is talking about trying a second shake-down of Disney, after a $16 million cave when he threw his presidential weight around last time. How can we stop this? Why isn’t more being done to return our country to a constitutional democracy that guarantees life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness and grants us 1st Amendment freedoms that are the envy of the rest of the world? I feel sad today about the new administration’s emphasis on revenge, retribution and hanging onto power by any means necessary. It’s unseemly and illegal and absolutely not the vision the Founding Fathers had for our country. I’m embarrassed by Trump and his remarks at the U.N. yesterday show that there is something very wrong happening, and we need to stop it and restore whatever we can of our dignity and status in the world.

Also, apparently there is some sort of anti-gay or anti-drag movement here in Tennessee (and nationwide) being proposed, much like Russia. One of the movies we saw, “Magic Hour,” had four drag queens making an appearance, including one who recently won an Emmy for make-up and goes by the name of Lusious Massacr.

The celebrity speaker about making indie movies, Jay Duplass of the Duplass Brothers (Mark appears on “The Morning Show” and won the supporting actor Emmy for his role), was in town, so I had high hopes that he would stop by the Q&A for his sister-in-law’s movie, “Magic Hour,” but that didn’t happen.

I did sit through the movie and am working up Director Katie Aselton’s remarks on the changing nature of indie film-making in a streaming world. The same might be said of the publishing world, which has changed substantially since my first book came out about 13 years ago. (Not counting the publication of “Training the Teacher As A Champion” by Performance Learning Systems, Inc,, some years earlier, their company Bible.) Very recently, I had an SEO expert tell me that A.I, would put all bloggers out of business, so there’s that to consider, also, and one reason I try to work in a personal detail or two that only a human would know or have.

I continue to inject an opinion that obviously came from a human, just to make sure that the bots don’t take over the world, so be prepared.

Closing night film, “Kiss of the Spider Woman” at the Belcourt Theater tonight. Jennifer Lopez is in it, but is not here tonight. Nicole Kidman spoke on Sunday, but that got past me, as it sold out in less than a day and I did not get the notice (of Aug. 29) until Aug. 31st. I’ve not seen a thing about her remarks.

One cast member is supposed to appear tonight. Maybe I’ll make an After Party tonight, my first.

“Boundary Waters” Is Outstanding Debut Feature at 56th Nashville Film Festival

By Connie Wilson

On September 22, 2025

In Movies, Pop Culture, Reviews

Boundary Waters,” directed by Tessa Blake and written and directed by Blake (in collaboration with Jennifer Manocherian), is a coming-of-age drama set in the Iron Range of Minnesota. The film contained outstanding cinematography of the geographic area. Carlo Rinaldi was the cinematographer, but nature shots from a museum in Ely, Minnesota, were donated to the production by the Museum and added immeasurably to the film. The music was composed by Valentin Hadjdaj.

PLOT

Young Michael is coming of age in northern Minnesota. He is learning that there is a right way and a wrong way to become a good man in society. What we at first think is a story about domestic abuse turns out to be a story about a rapist on the loose—although it is told from the point-of-view of the young son of a victim. Says the log line: “Suspenseful, tender and rapturous, Boundary Waters is a lyrical coming of age drama that immerses in its young characters as they navigate a very adult world. Set in the Iron Range of northern Minnesota, Michael Murray relishes in the carefree joys of early adolescence – girls and friends – until his mom has a black eye and a busted lip, but won’t talk about it. Michael is desperate to know what happened, but his father Brian avoids him, Granny shushes him, and his usually resilient mother can’t get out of bed. While his family weighs the cost of keeping secrets against the price of telling the truth, Michael is determined to unravel the mystery of his hurt mother and his evasive father.”

CAST

At the age of twelve, young Michael (Etienne Kellici)is just navigating how to relate to the opposite sex. He has a close teen-aged Black female friend Alice (Kennedi Butler)and a couple of male buddies, including Ralph (who reminded of Pottsie on “Happy Days”). Allison Miller is Rosemary, Michael’s mom. Miller played Maggie Bloom on the TV series “A Million Little Things” from 2018 to 2023 (87 episodes). The mother/son duo—both extremely attractive people—looked alike, especially their mesmerizing eyes. Michael’s father Brian was portrayed by Bill Heck. Heck is known for his role as a younger version of Jeff Bridges in “The Old Man” and for his role as Billy Knapp in the Coen Brothers 2018 film “The Ballad of Lester Scruggs.” Playing Granny was Carol Kane of “Taxi.”

ETIENNE KELLICI

Etienne Kellici in “Boundary Waters” at the 56th Nashville Film Festival.

Etienne Kellici started acting at the young age of 6. A rising star, he has already had the opportunity to work with Adam Brody in “Ready or Not,” Viggo Mortenson in his directorial debut “Falling” (Sundance, 2020); “Book of Blood” for Hulu; another Tessa Blake-directed upcoming film, “Athens”; and in Kevin Costner’s “Horizon.” Kellici will appear in “You Gotta’ Believe” with Greg Kinnear and Luke Wilson for director Ty Roberts.

In the television world, Etienne had a recurring role on Canada’s longest running show “Murdoch Mysteries” for CBC; can be seen in a recurring role on the second season of “Departure” for Shaftesbury Films; and was in “October Faction” (Netflix) and the CBS series “The Republic of Sarah.” He recently completed two-episodes on the period political thriller “Fellow Travelers.” Etienne can also be heard as the animated voice of Charlie Brown in “The Snoopy Show” and two “Snoopy Presents” television specials. Young Etienne seems like he has a very bright future in film. I couldn’t help but wonder how tall he is now, at age 15, since the IMDB listing (which may well have been outdated) said 5′ 4.”

THE BAD: SPOILER ALERT

Producer of “Boundary Waters” Erin Mae Miller in Nashville during the Q&A on September 21, 2025.

With that dynamite experienced cast and gorgeous cinematography, this is a great debut feature film. I have a few thoughts about the plot that might give too much away if you are planning on taking it in when it is retitled (probably “If I Tell”, in a partnership with RAINN, Rape Abuse Incest National Network). [Producer Erin Mae Miller, who appeared at a Q&A after the film, shared the news of the probable re-titling and partnership with RAINN for the movie.]

When, exactly, is the film set? What year? Is Spin-the-Bottle even a thing in 2025? What about cell phones and social media, whether TikTok or Instagram? This may be my error, but I taught twelve and thirteen-year-old students for 18 years. I’m not sure that I was tracking perfectly on exactly when this story occurred. If it is present-day, the depiction of students the way they were when I taught junior high school (ending in 1985) is accurate; if this is present-day, not so much; I have teen-aged granddaughters.
Why does Michael get up at the talent competition and specifically read something he has written about heroes who are brave enough to speak out, knowing that his mother is not going to take it well and it may force the hidden assault out into the open, with potential blame to be placed on his mother. Michael declares his mother his hero because of her work at a hospital, but I have to ask: was Michael trying to flush out this belated confession or was it coincidental?
What’s with the unfollowed red herrings? Alice’s father’s romantic pursuit beyond the woman about to give birth to his second child is mentioned (we see him nuzzling someone under-age) and then never pursued again. Likewise, the girl that Michael seems to find attractive, (seen swinging), is barely seen again, even during the Spin-the-Bottle sequence. It is Michael’s friend Alice to whom he appears to be growing closer.
Does the new mother rape victim mean it when she tells Rosemary she, too, would have preferred not reporting her assault? After watching a documentary about rape victims in Austin still trying to get justice, this is understandable. Even those who spoke out against Harvey Weinstein and Jeffrey Epstein, national/international news for deplorable actions against women, are still seeking justice.
Spelling out the cigarette butt’s significance in catching the perpetrator would have been a good idea. Just finding a different brand of cigarette butt does not seem like enough of an evidentiary breakthrough to lead to the somewhat sudden apprehension of a/the criminal. I understand the desire not to give the criminal any publicity or prominence. But not giving the audience any explanation at all about who did what to whom made the narrative feel incomplete.

CONCLUSION

This was an impressive debut feature film from Tessa Blake, although she already has an impressive resume. She was one of eight women for AFI’s prestigious Directing Workshop for Women. Her films have premiered at Cannes, Woodstock and SXSW, and won awards at Nantucket Film Festival and the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. With a cast this accomplished and an important film message, I’ll be watching for her future releases with anticipation.

“Man On the Run:” Paul McCartney’s Post Beatles Life & Work Kicks Off 56th Nashville Film Festival

By Connie Wilson

On September 19, 2025

In Movies, Music, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

“Man on the Run” is a terrific documentary about Paul McCartney’s career and life, post Beatles.

”Man on the Run” opened the 56^th Nashville Film Festival on Thursday, September 18^th at the Green Hills Regal Theaters. Based on access to never-before-seen archives of Paul and Linda’s home videos and photos, as well as new interviews with Paul’s children Mary and Stella and insights from John Lennon’s son Sean, director Morgan Neville documents Paul McCartney’s extraordinary life following the breakup of the Beatles and how the love he shared with Linda Eastman McCartney became his bedrock and influenced a journey that would lead to the formation of Wings and a second decade’s musical catalog of timeless classics.

PERSONAL ARCHIVAL MATERIAL

Listed as Executive Producer Paul McCartney, himself, has provided multiple home movies and personal photographs from his own and Linda’s archives. There is ample concert footage of “Wings” in concert, with the period from the end of the Beatles (1969) to the end of “Wings” (1979) providing the primary focus of what is often essentially a love letter to Paul’s deceased first wife, Linda Eastman. An analysis of what went through the mind of this central Beatle in the months and years following the celebrated split of the Beatles is included, but will be amplified with the release of Paul McCartney’s book next year.

ADULTHOOD

Paul McCartney in 2018.

Paul is asked, early in the film, about his goal in life and answers “Personal peace.” When asked if he can explain that enigmatic answer, he responds, somewhat abruptly, “Not really.” His input about the real time-line for the band’s break-up puts other theories to rest. In April of 1970 McCartney said, “My only plan is to grow up” and described the period immediately after the celebrated band’s break-up as “fear of being a grown-up.”

ALLEN KLEIN

Says Paul, “John broke up the Beatles, but I got the rap.” Paul then wrestled with the question, “Am I any good on my own?” A long-time dislike and distrust of former Beatles manager Allen Klein is explored. Klein replaced Brian Epstein when he died, but McCartney did not trust him, which turned out to be prophetic. Klein once said of McCartney, “All he ever did was ‘Yesterday,’”which gives you a rough idea of how much affection the two had for one another. The opinions of other musicians of the era, like Elton John and John Lennon, concerning albums that Paul created post-Beatles are also recorded for posterity.

JOHN LENNON

Of John Lennon himself, Paul tells the audience that he is grateful that he and Lennon reconciled in the years before John’s assassination. McCartney lovingly characterized Lennon as “a lovely, lovely crazy guy. He’s a crazy son-of-a-bitch.” Lennon’s son Sean lets Paul off the hook for a video clip where, when he is asked about John’s death, he comes off as callous and flip, chewing gum and walking off rather abruptly providing a diplomatic explanation for what some viewed as a lack of sufficient grief and emotion.

PAUL AS AUTEUR

Paul seems to realize that he was the driving force of the Beatles (and, after that, of “Wings”) saying, “I’m very enthusiastic, so it’s the original enthusiasm that gets it done.” Music lovers like me are very happy that McCartney got it done and did it so well. He’s been doing it well ever since his teen-age years, well over six decades. I still remember visiting the Liverpool Cavern where the Beatles started out and stopping on a drive from my hometown back to my college town to make sure that none of us returning to the University of Iowa missed out on the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. We had to take a detour from our 2 and 1/2 hour trip to stop at Patt McCardle’s aunt’s house where we co-opted her television set, so that we did not miss this performance (well before the days of videotape).

ED SULLIVAN

The Beatles’ first appearance was on February 9, 1964.
The show was broadcast live from New York City.
Approximately 73 million viewers tuned in, a record at the time.
This performance marked the beginning of Beatlemania in the United States.
They performed five songs during this iconic appearance.
The event is credited with launching the British Invasion in American music.

SUPER-FAN FROM THE ERA

I’ve seen Paul McCartney “live” four times and, soon (November 24, 2025) it will be five. I first saw him at the San Francisco Cow Palace in 1965 with the Beatles. “Help!” was their new release. and they were late in getting started that afternoon. The only security was a chicken-wire fence waist-high (and one arena employee). The flimsy barricade was quickly breached by a young man who ran onstage and stole John’s hat and Ringo’s drumsticks. There was a slight delay while Ringo’s drumsticks were replaced. Then the chaos really began. Around me, adults seemed bemused; teen-agers were freaking out.

THE BEATLES AT THE SAN FRANCISCO COW PALACE

First, there was the National Anthem, played by King Curtiss. Then came the lead-in acts, which, that particular day included Shirly Bassey (singing the theme from “Goldfinger,” which was then popular) and Cannibal & the Headhunters (who got down on the floor and did a sort of train-like scooting dance). We were also supposed to have heard the Astronauts from Denver, but they did not show up. My college boyfriend and I (William Hopkins, I called him “Colgate,” his college, all summer) had cut class at Berkeley without tickets, riding up on his purple Czechoslovakian motorcycle (no BART in those days). We went to the box office and were able to purchase two seventh row tickets for $7 apiece. (It is costing me $1600 for 2 tickets on Nov. 24, 2025, NOT in the seventh row.) I remember people standing on their folding chairs and those folding chairs collapsing en masse. Getting out of the building was a scary process. I was moving, but my feet were not touching the floor. (This has caused me to not want to be close to the front at subsequent shows for fear of a repeat of that frightening experience at my very first concert.)

WINGS IN THE 70s

Paul McCartney performing at The O2 Arena in London, England, on 19 December 2024 as part of his Got Back Tour, backed by former fellow Beatle Ringo Starr.

I then saw Paul with Linda and one version of “Wings” (there was more than one “Wings” line-up, as this film documents) in Ames, Iowa at Iowa State University’s football stadium. My name was drawn in a state-wide lottery to receive up to 8 tickets. That time, I was on the aisle, also about 7 rows from the front. The local female television anchor of NBC’s Channel 6 called me, asking me to purchase tickets for her and her husband, which I did. I was allowed to buy up to 8 tickets. I also took my college roommate, that roommate’s daughter and my son.

THIRD & FOURTH SHOWS

The third time I saw Paul McCartney was at Wrigley Field with my daughter; the fourth time was at the Moline Civic Center, formerly known as the Mark of the Quad Cities. Chicago will be my fifth time seeing my favorite Beatle (‘the cute one”) perform. Since he was born in 1942 and is now 83 years young, who knows if I will ever have the opportunity to see him perform “live” again? An expert celebrity voice in this film, Mick Jagger, put the situation this way, “All things must pass.”

THE GOOD

This film, which had extensive cooperation from McCartney and his children and many of his contemporaries, is remarkable in being able to access so much concert footage and so many home movies, but it also contains remarkably beautiful cinematography from the archives. In addition to scenes of McCartney’s bucolic pastoral farm life in Scotland (including three pot plants being carted off by the authorities), there are lovely ocean shots and a scary story about how Paul once almost drowned.

I counted more than 56 songs in the credits and many, many, many sources for the extraordinary footage. It runs 115 minutes. Director Morgan Neville (Oscar-winner for 2013’s “Twenty Feet from Stardom”) spent four years directing on “Man on the Run,” sitting down 7 times with McCartney himself. The editor, a Herculean task, was Alan Lowe.

CONCLUSION

The film premiered at Telluride in January, 2025, and Amazon MGM Studios plans to air the film in 2026, which is also when McCartney, himself, is set to publish his own 576 page book. That will be 2 years before Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes (2000, “American Beauty” and a nominee for 2020’s “1917”) releases a four-part study of the Beatles, with Paul Mescale. Mendes’ project will be released in 2028.

This was the perfect Nashville Film Festival Opening Night film for me. I’ve been a fan through all of Paul McCartney’s musical iterations. While he’s been making music since the sixties, I’ve been non-stop reviewing film, almost as long (55 years). I may be one of the few reviewers working today who can honestly say that they have seen him in each and every one of his iconic periods.Kudos to Morgan Neville for this gift to McCartney’s longtime fans, especially as a wonderful gift for this reviewer, his contemporary.

Mother Jones & Union Activism in the U.S.

By Connie Wilson

On September 16, 2025

In Editorial, Education, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics

Activist and organizer Mother Jones.

We’re on the way to the 56th Nashville Film Festival. Driving 7 hours to Paducah, Kentucky was the start.

On the way, we stopped at a rest stop in Southern Illinois, where I communed with Mother Jones, patron saint of the magazine for the reasons you can read here for yourself. Mother Jones was a union organizer and activist. So was I. Mother Jones formed the United Mine Workers, hoping to stop the exploitation of underage minersand the habit of taking advantage of immigrant labor that still exists.

I led the 3-year charge to unionize (organize) the SEA (Silvis Education Association) and I worked hard and long, as, I’m sure, Mother Jones did. My efforts were once scorned by a dinner partner who tried to assign malign characteristics to unions, when, in fact, they are one of the reasons that American workers began to be paid a living wage and treated fairly. This particular critic didn’t like the NEA (National Education Association) and was a white male who was, no doubt, during his working years, a managerial type.

Union Organizing by Mother Jones

When I started teaching in Silvis, Illinois, in 1969 unions were the farthest thing from my mind. We had an education association, which was basically a milk-and-cookies type after-school meeting with no power at all. There had been no recognition of the organization as representing the teachers who taught in Silvis, who numbered about 50 souls in grades K through 8. The SEA had been in existence since 1962, a time period when I was still in high school.

It wasn’t until at least 10 years after my employment began in Silvis that I became aware of the fact that every other school district around us had representatives who sat down with the school board to discuss issues like salary, class size, and work hours, while we had nothing. We read our new year’s salary in the newspaper and it rarely went up. I started teaching in Silvis for $5,280 a year and, out of that, paid for pre-school supervision for my then-one-year-old son. If you think that sounds like a paltry sum for working a full year, you are right.

In defense of the hair do that looks like it was beaten by an egg-beater, I had my sun glasses on top of my head until a few moments before this picture was taken.

I remember saying, to our then-principal, “They should never have rattled my cage,” which had to do with the administration taking my one day of personal leave when my son was hospitalized with double pneumonia and I was told to go right to the hospital from work. I was gone one day. The district took advantage of my necessary absence due to the ill health of my then 2-year-old son, showing absolutely no sympathy to the first-year teacher. (I remember being asked, “Is he going to die?” to justify leaving after I got the call that he was in the emergency room.)

So, I began finding out what it took to unionize our milk-and-cookies organization. It would require a vote supervised by the League of Women Voters and the next 3 years were a blur of finding out how to achieve this. The days of a powerless organization that had no discussion rights with the administration and had to content itself with reading next year’s salary in the local newspaper were gone.

It took me three years of P.R. efforts and going door-to-door in the Silvis neighborhoods, while my two best friends, Linda and Judy went off to Egypt and rode camels during Easter break. But not me. I worked on finding out how to get our group recognized by a recalcitrant school board and administration for 3 years and later was asked to lead workshops elsewhere by the IEA (Illinois Education Association) because we chose to run three candidates at once rather than do the “bullet voting” that the IEA recommended. I defended myself against dogs that ate the buttons off my coat and endured teetering on the brink of blasted-out concrete porches (no idea why the center portion of one house’s porch looked like it had been Ground Zero for an explosion, but it did).

We won the vote and, as far as I am aware, the Silvis Education Association still has negotiating rights with the Silvis School Board. In order to get that right, our organization had to interview and then back new candidates for the school board. We campaigned for our endorsed candidates, whom we interviewed at the local library, and put up billboards. I organized a phone tree to contact local voters. We won, but it took three years of work. We elected four members of a seven member board. Unlike DJT, we were not out for revenge. We just wanted what every other school district’s employees had: collective bargaining rights.

That is what Mother Jones helped miners to achieve and I’d recommend reading what the rest stop monument informed us about her life and achievements.

I may not have single-handedly made Silvis teachers rich (or rich-er), but we established a Sick Leave Bank into which employees could contribute a day (or more) of their unusued sick leave towards someone with a catastrophic illness. I know that it came in handy for Marion Gray when she was out a lengthy period recovering from a mastectomy. We were able to secure some other benefits for the underpaid Silvis employees, and, most importantly, we opened the door to the SEA being treated as a representative organization for future teachers in the Silvis School District.

And that’s your history lesson for the day.

56th Nashville Film Festival Screens September 18-24, 2025

By Connie Wilson

On September 15, 2025

In Education, Movies, Pop Culture, Reviews

If you are planning on attending the 56th Nashville Film Festival to view any of the 150 or so feature films, shorts, animated shorts or documentaries (Sept.18-24, 2025) check out some reviews of a few of the offerings that have appeared on this blog and on The Movie Blog previously, usually after having seen them at Sundance or SXSW.

Also, please pay attention to the warnings about “spoilers.”

The 3 films I saw at other festivals I’ve listed in the order I enjoyed them, at the time. It’s tough comparing a 7-minute hilarious short (“Retirement Plan” from Ireland) with a full-length drama like “Omaha,” but both are worth your time.

I’ll be covering more in the week to come on the ground in Nashville and there are others up on WeeklyWilson and The Movie Blog.

Enjoy!

https://www.weeklywilson.com/retirement-the-7-minute-short-that-tells-the-truth/https://

www.themovieblog.com/2025/02/retirement-plan-a-7-minute-short-that-amuses/https://

www.weeklywilson.com/omaha-is-a-film-for-our-times-from-debut-feature-film-director-cole-webley/

https://www.weeklywilson.com/the-beguiling-screens-at-sxsw-on-march-9-2025/https://

www.themovieblog.com/2025/03/the-beguiling-short-screens-sxsw-2025/

“Ben’s Sister” Screens at 56th Nashville Film Festival on September 20, 2025

By Connie Wilson

On September 14, 2025

In Movies, Pop Culture, Reviews

“Ben’s Sister” poster.

Emma Weinswig, is a talented Writer/Director/Actress who took home the SXSW Audience Award for “Ben’s Sister,” an 18-minute film that won the Narrative Shorts Competition at SXSW in 2025. The film depicts the high school antics of a group of teen-aged boys who are attempting to win the award for the Senior Scavenger Hunt. The Senior Scavenger Hunt has them doing a series of things that seem cool to senior boys and posting pictures of these antics online. What sorts of things must the young men do to win the Senior Scavenger Hunt?

SENIOR SCAVENGER HUNT POINTS

Poster for “Ben’s Sister.”

Make a halfcourt basketball shot: 30 points. Swallow a goldfish: 100 points. Kidnap a freshman: 500 points. Get Rachel M. to flash you and get Sebastian’s mom to kiss you: 500 points. Defecate on the Redwood home plate: 500 points. Ding dong ditch and get Lea to meet you at the swimming pool to swim and, last but not least, hook up with a freshman girl for 2,000 points.

I may have gotten the points to be earned slightly incorrect, but the last one is the one that causes the trouble within the group of testosterone-fueled boys. Ben discovers that one of his friends, Chase, hit on his freshman sister, Emma, to earn points for the Scavenger Hunt. The discovery seems to open Ben’s mind regarding the double standard that he has been living, vis a vis male/female relationships. It’s okay to behave like a predatory male animal when it’s somebody else’s sister, but when Ben thinks that his friend Chase has hit on his own freshman sister, Emma, his opinion changes. The behavior we see Ben emulating doesn’t seem as cool in the light of reality. One wishes that the leaders of our country had similar “Eureka!” moments. The indisputable fact is that every under-age girl is someone’s daughter or sister.

MICHAEL GANDOLFINI

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JANUARY 10: Michael Gandolfini attends HBO’s “The Sopranos” 25th anniversary celebration on January 10, 2024 at Da Nico Ristorante in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/WireImage)

The role of Ben’s friend Chase is played by 26-year-old Michael Gandolfini, son of James Gandolfini. I’ve been following Michael Gandolfini since he appeared in 2021’s “The Many Saints of Newark” and in the 2024 hilarius short “Tea.” In “Tea” the young Gandolfini portrayed a Circuit City employee who is stung in the throat by a hornet. That 12-minute Blake Rice-directed short co-starred Olivia Nikkanen and was as absurd as it sounds.

When the young Gandolfini began acting in 2011 he was only 12 years old. Now, as a 26-year-old, Michael Gandolfini has amassed 21 credits, many of them shorts. It is only a matter of time until we see young Gandolfini dominating filmscreens, hopefully with the same charisma as his father.

MICHAEL GANDOLFINI TODAY

Michael Gandolfini today.

In the early years, young Michael did not look that much like his legendary father. As he has matured and filled out, he is resembling James, his father, more and more. It was remarkable, especially when I went back in the archives and looked at earlier photos. He is shaping up to look remarkably like his Dad and is definitely on target to build an equally impressive career.

BEN & EMMA WEINSWIG

Ben & Emma Weinswig

The lead in “Ben’s Sister,” Ben Weinswig, is actually the brother of Emma Weinswig, who wrote and directed this short. “Ben’s Sister” won both the Audience Award for a narrative short at SXSW and was also nominated for the 2025 Grand Jury Award in Austin. The music (April Harper Gray), cinematography (Shane Bagwell) and editing (Will Noyce and William Lancaster) were excellent and all performers were totally believable in their roles….(even if one of then was 26 while portraying an 18-year-old.)

MAIN MALE CAST:

Primary male cast of “Ben’s Sister,” including Ben Weinswig, Sam Rechner, Brian Niles, Michael Gandolfini

The main cast members were Ben Weinswig as Ben, Michael Gandolfini as Chase, Brian Niles as Sebastian “Sebi”; Sam Rechner as Ryder; and Charlie Brady as Jasper. In the photo, Ben is bottom left, Sebi (Sebastian) is upper right, and bottom right is Michael Gandolfini.

FEMALE MAIN CAST:

Emma Weinswig (also Writer/Director/Star) as Emma (Ben’s Sister); Alex Costello as Lia; Siena Werber as Stella; Alexis G. Lall as Lizzy; Natalie Rousseau as Ava; and Emma Kuhlman as Tallulah.

Other members of the Mill Valley, California T-High class were Sophia Grace Macy as Alyssa, Miles Elliot as Jack, Steve Weinswig as Mr. Pavolick, Madeliene Smith as Rachel M, Rachel Turner as Celeste, Lindsay Nelson as Emily and Luke Yellen as Turtle. “Ben’s Sister” will screen on Saturday, September 20th at 2 p.m. in Regal Green Hils Theater #14 at the 56th Nashville Film Festival and will stream to ticket holders from September 22nd (8 a.m.) until midnight on September 29th, 2025.

“The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick” at Nashville Film Festival

By Connie Wilson

On September 14, 2025

In Health/Medicine, Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Movies, Reviews, Scary stories, Science and Medicine

Zoe Chao in The True Beauty of Being Bitten By A Tick

Zoe Chao as Yvonne in “The True Beauty of Being Bitten By A Tick” at the 56th Nashville Film Festival.

I missed “The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick” when it premiered at SXSW. As it turns out, that was probably for the best. Director Pete Ohs is having much more success with his newest film, “Europcja,” starring Charlie Xcx at TIFF in Toronto, where it has been described as “delightful.”

When “The True Beauty of Being Bitten by a Tick” premiered in Austin (henceforth to be referenced as TTBOBBBAT) it was described by critics as “intriguing but tedious,” “not cohesive” and “creepy.” It was also called a “sunny-yet-claustrophobic” nightmare. Critics remarked on the “intense sense of discomfort” that the contrasting moods of sinister versus serene evoked.

COMPARISONS

TTBOBBBAT reminded a bit of the 2019 horror film “Midsommar” by Ari Aster (“Hereditary,” “Eddington”), where there was a plot involving a young girl similarly grieving a personal loss.She travels to be with others to recover. In TTBOBBBAT, Yvonne has joined Camille to try to forget about and recover from the loss of her dog Jerry. “Midsommar” was known for unsettling visuals and psychological tension. We could say the same of TTBOBBBAT.

Another film that we might compare TTBOBBBAT to is “Get Out,” once the veneer of sociability and normal life is peeled away.The difference between those two films (“Get Out” & “Midsommar”) and this 80 minute film, however, would be the logic of the story the film is attempting to tell.

THE SCRIPT

Supposedly the four leads wrote the script, which means credit or blame goes to Zoe Chao (Yvonne), Callie Hernandez (Camille), James Cusati-Moyer (A.J.) and Jeremy O. Harris (Isaac). Audiences prefer movies that make sense. True, Yorgos Lanthimos and Ari Aster have done well with some outrageous plots, but they may be the exception that proves that rule. I admit that some scripts have holes wide enough to drive a Mack truck through, but I had issues with the screenplay even before the lead played her part without ever cracking a smile.

PLOT BY GROUP MEETING

In the tick movie, throwing the plot together in a collaborative, spontaneous group fashion did not work well. I can believe that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. It was not the first time this method has been used by the Director.

Ohs films are known for unsettling visuals and psychological tension. In this one, the farmhouse rural setting is beautiful, but even more important is the sound. The eerie noises are extremely important in creating a suspenseful mood. Sound designer Danny Madden and Sound mixer John Bowers deserve special mention and kudos for their work. Isabella Summers composed music for the film and flutist James King is credited.Without the eerie and strange sounds that cue whatever action exists in TTBOBBBAT the film would be nearly devoid of momentum.

Zoe Chau as Yvonne in “The True Beauty of Being Bitten By A Tick” at the 56th Nashville Film Festival.

PLOT

So, what is the plot?

Yvonne (Zoe Chao)—who initially presents as hysterical and rarely smiles or appears to be enjoying herself—joins old friend Camille (Callie Hernandez) by invitation in a lovely pastoral countryside setting. She is urged to join Camille after suffering the loss of her dog Jerry and reaching out to Camille for support . She seems consumed by grief and guilt–almost hysterically so— and, later, by a tick bite she suffers while walking in the woods near the farmhouse setting.

When Yvonne arrives at Camille’s house, there are two gay realtors already in residence, which does not please her. However, nothing really seems to please Yvonne. I can’t remember her smiling. There also was a mysterious ghost-like sighting of a figure in the woods that is never developed, just as the doors opening and closing somewhat mysteriously are thrown in once or twice, but never really pursued.

A.J. (James Cusati-Moyer) and Isaac (Jeremy O. Harris) apparently know Camille as a result of helping her find the house in this bucolic pastoral setting, which causes A.J.,in particular, to wax rhapsodic about the “farm-to-market” advantages of living in the country. A.J. is a bit of a holistic healer and an all-around Master Chef. The dishes he prepares look like road kill. Yvonne initially seems very reluctant to sample one of A.J.’s masterpieces, but, in later scenes, she consumes a plateful with great gusto after initially pronouncing the dish as bad.

That is a complete shift from her earlier opinion of A.J.’s cooking. Yvonne’s change of heart towards A.J.’s food is similar to Camille’s change of heart from a woman who never wanted children to one who suddenly announces her pregnancy, but never reveals who the father is, despite being asked. The best we can get from Camille is, “The father died as soon as we had conceived.” That odd remark doesn’t draw the follow-up questions you would expect.

TICK BITE

The trailer for the film tells us that Yvonne should not be concerned about the tick bite because, “Fear controls us. It ruins us. And that is the true beauty of being bitten by a tick. Because, after that, there’s nothing left to fear.”

Does that explanation hold water? Is a tick bite the worst thing that can happen to you? Yes, tick bites can become serious, but treating them with antibiotics is effective, if done promptly. When I was a business owner I left my second-in-command in charge of my business to go off for a franchise-required event for a week. I was upset to learn, upon my return after 7 days, that my Number One employee had—without asking me or telling me—designated someone else to take over running the place so that she could fly to Michigan to be at her mother-in-law’s hospital bedside. What was wrong with her mother-in-law? Tick bite. (No, I’m not making this up.)

I immediately began trying to find out the answer to the question, “How serious is a tick bite?” It was apparently serious enough that my employee risked her position to fly off, (without permission from or prior notification to me), to be at the bedside of her husband’s mother, who recovered quickly. Was a tick bite really THAT serious? If Lyme disease goes untreated, you can develop serious heart and nervous system problems, including the following:

Nerve pain and tingling
Drooping on one or both sides of your face
Heart failure
Memory loss
Dementia

The symptoms above are the result of untreated tick bites, which can cause Lyme Disease, a disease called STARI, or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. In most cases, the effect of a tick bite is more like that of the flu. So, why doesn’t Yvonne march out to her car and go see a doctor? Good question. Never asked or answered. Yvonne’s failure to seek medical treatment is mystifying and—even more mystifying in what passes for a plot—when did being bitten by a tick lead to a 9-month nap?

THEMES

One theme in the film is the over-emphasis on staying healthy (which, given the current status of the CDC seems merited). Does the word “pandemic” not justify a certain amount of care be given to paying attention to one’s health? One reviewer (Alison Foreman, 3/8/2025, in “IndieWire”) dubbed TTBOBBBAT “a strange self-care thriller.” Another theme that emerged late in the plot: “We’re all part of a cycle. Eventually I’ll die and just feed the worms. We’re meant to return to the dirt.” The lengthy title was dubbed as “Generally useless as a dramatic question.” The narrative was termed “wobbly.”

Pete Ohs, Director of “The True Beauty of Being Bitten By A Tick” at the 56th Nashville Film Festival.

When four people “collaborate” on a plot, the plot can become incomprehensible. “Wobbles” can lead to collapse. However, Director Pete Ohs has been working a long time and has achieved some notable successes, including the recent premiere at TIFF of “Eurupcja,” which was dubbed “delightful.”

Not all of the plots Ohs has developed came off as well as “Eurupcja.” I watched an interview with Ohs and his wife and collaborator Andrea Lauren Sisson where he shared a plan for a different plot, a story about a character wandering a desolate landscape carrying a robot head. Ohs went on to say that the character is attempting to rebuild his robot girlfriend. O….K….

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

Accents I have heard, but not identified:

Callie Hernandez (Camille), who was in Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land” and Ridley Scott’s “Alien: Covenant” was born in Jacksonville, Florida, but said she considers her home to be Austin, Texas. There were many points in the film where she seemed to be speaking with an accent, which sounded most similar to an Aussie accent. There were so many times that her accent came through that I set about trying to find out where she grew up to find out what accent I was hearing. For instance, the two words “Not yet” came off as “Not yit” (when transcribed phonetically.) When Camille asks “What’s the matter?” she again seems to have an accent. Since this was a bit of the improvised dialogue the quartet created, it might be time to give the rest of that dialogue exchange with Yvonne.

Dialogue example:

Camille: “What’s the matter?” (weird pronunciation)

Yvonne: “I can’t stop thinking about dying.”

Camille: “Everything’s OK.”

Biodynamic enzymes & mugwart?

There was also talk of “biodynamic enzymes” right after this exchange. That made almost as much sense as A.J. chiming in that he was going to “burn some mugwort” (used in witchcraft, I have learned, and potentially a sleep aid).

Strangely choreographed scene: The discussion above was followed by a strangely choreographed scene where the others tell Yvonne that she is going to experience a wonderfully “restorative sleep” while they are performing a little syncopated hand jive. Nine months of “restorative sleep?” Nine months later, Yvonne awakens and dresses up in a nice outfit, including donning Camille’s pearl earrings. And she learns that everybody is pregnant (except Yvonne.) Right. This seems reasonable.
The Title Design was almost impossible to read. Pick something different.

I have to admit that the review I read during SXSW where someone described the plot as “hanging on like a confused parasite” kept me from attending. From the reviews of Pete Ohs’ latest film “Eurupcjas”, which are quite good, it’s safe to say that everyone doing anything creative has some hits and some misses and I’ll hold out for that one described as “delightful” by the majority.

Here’s to many more future hits for Pete Ohs and his collaborators.

CAST

Director: Pete Ohs (Also Cinematographer/Editor)

Zoe Chao – Yvonne

Callie Hernandez – Camille

James Cusati-Moyer – A.J.

Jeremy O Harris – Isaac

Julian Sanchez – Tristan

Jack Ferver – Jude

Maia Novi – Julia

Jack Mikesell – Stephen

Stella Schnabel – Alice

Emily Deforest – Emma

Ben Brewer – Luke

Danny Madden – Sound Design

Sound Mix – John Bowers

Composer – Isabella Summers

Flutist – James King

Jessie Reed – Title Design

“Matter of Time” Documentary at 56th Nashville Film Festival Features Eddie Vedder

By Connie Wilson

On September 10, 2025

In Education, Health/Medicine, Movies, Science and Medicine

Eddie Vedder performing in “Matter of Time” from Director Matt Finlin’s documentary, winner of the Jury Award for a Music Documentary, at the 56th Nashville Film Festival. (Photo by Tim Durkan).

In 2014, musician Eddie Vedder and Jill Vedder co-founded the EB Research Partnership ,a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for the genetic skin disorder epidermolysis bullosa.^[135] Director Matt Finlin’s one hour and 46 minute documentary follows Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam fame as he gives a series of fund-raising concerts in Seattle in 2023 to raise money to find a cure for this horrible disease. Sixty million was raised for research that resulted in 140 research projects, over the past eleven years.

This is an absolutely heartbreaking look at a lethal disease. You might want to have some Kleenex handy if you make it through the 105 minute documentary dry-eyed. Half of the documentary features Vedder singing onstage at Seattle concerts, accompanying himself on acoustic and electric guitar and ukelele. (No Pearl Jam). I admit to knowing very little about Eddie Vedder going into this film, other than remembering his 3 year feud (1994-1997) with Ticketmaster. I knew that Vedder had composed musical scores for films like “Into the Wild” (2007) and the 1995 soundtrack for “Dead Man Walking.” The Pearl Jam debut album “Ten” Rolling Stone voted 209^th out of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time was on my radar . The thirteen times platinum sales with the song “Jeremy” coming in at #11 on VHI’s list of the 100 Greatest Songs of the 90s is another testimony to Vedder’s success.

Eddie Vedder.

I was always aware of the existence of Pearl Jam, but a huge fan I was not. However, after seeing how much good one entertainer has done over a period of more than 10 years, I am a fan. I also admired Vedder’s public stance on pro-choice and other issues and the candidates he supported during past presidential campaigns.

E.B.

Called “The worst disease you’ve never heard of” E.B. is also dubbed the “butterfly disease” because the slightest pressure on the skin of a child with the disease can mean agony. Open wounds can lead to an aggressive form of cancer; the patient often doesn’t have a long life. Septic shock can set in if the patient gets an infection, so measures must be taken to wrap the victim in gauze each day for protection. When clinical trials were discussed, one of the oldest patients that could be found to take part was only 27. We get to know another patient who dies at 16, which we learn near the documentary’s end.

PARENTS SPEAK

What the children and their parents go through is mind-boggling. As Eli’s mother says, “We just want someone to understand what we’re going through on a day-to-day basis.” Another mother says, “It tears you apart as a child and as a family. I would give anything for my child not to have E.B.” Things that we all take for granted are huge hurdles—like taking a bath. It can take 4 to 5 hours (and much gauze) for each mini-mummification application. Playing with Leggos or simply trying to crawl with such sensitive skin are impossibilities.

A young sufferer from E.B. in the award-winning Music Documentary at the 56th Nashville Film Festival “Matter of Time” from Direct

People stare at the children afflicted with E.B. which caused the 8-year-old sister of Eli to make a TikTok video and posters that read “Just say hi.” The social stigma is there. There are children, like Rowan, who say, “I just want the wounds to stop happening and for my life to be like everyone else’s.”

In the midst of all of this suffering (Charlie, who was abandoned at birth, and was “in pain from the moment he was born”) becomes the adopted child of one family after an orphanage initially gave the woman who would become his adoptive mother syringes of morphine and sent the newborn to her, essentially to die. Charlie surprised everyone by having a fighting spirit. He survived and went on to join the family as their much-loved adopted son.

CHILDISH ADVICE

One young sufferer, an accomplished artist, gave this advice: “Live each moment to the fullest and do not dwell on the things you can’t change.” Later, this artist—who lost an arm to the disease as the prosthesis did not “take”—says “Live your best life for as long as you possibly can.” It’s no surprise that terms like “resilience” and “fortitude” are used to describe the courageous children and parents who are interviewed onscreen and share their truth.

REMARKS

Eddie Vedder performing in “Matter of Time,” raising funds for E.B. research. (Photo by Tim Durkan).

As one parent said, “It tears you apart as a child and as a family. It pretty much turned our world upside down.” It is remarkable to learn that at least two sets of parents chose to adopt children with this disease when they had been abandoned by their biological parents and were left alone in an orphanage.

If this sounds like a terribly depressing film, you’re right. But there IS a light at the end of this particular medical tunnel. There is research attempting to “change dread into hope”. Because of celebrities like Eddie Vedder (in the credits, Adam Sandler and Meg Ryan are also noted) E.B. has made progress. E.B. is much closer to being cured than 95% of other such diseases, thanks to fund-raising efforts like Vedder’s. Thanks, also, to Director Matt Finlin and company, who brought this story to public view, winning the Jury Prize for Best Music Documentary at the 56th Nashville Film Festival.

BREAKTHROUGH

The 140 research projects have succeeded in identifying the specific gene that causes the disease and keeps the Collagen VII from doing its job effectively. There are three forms of the disease mentioned—EB Simplex, Juztional EB and Recessive dystrophic EB. The science is relatively straightforward. For some forms of the disease, there now is a treatment that involves injections of a live virus that goes into the skin cells and clips out the faulty gene, replacing it with a healthy one. It is stressed that this is a treatment, not a cure,–and that it only works on certain forms of the disease–but, as Jill Vedder (Eddie’s wife) and various researchers in the field tell us, “A decade ago, it was hard to imagine a cure. We are on the edge of a cure for E.B. We can now manipulate cells in a petri dish and we have a viral-based gene therapy.” Hence the title: “Matter of Time.”

Director Matt Finlin of DoorKnockerMedia accepting the Jury Award for Best Music Documentary at the 56th Nashville Film Festival on September 21st, 2025.

At the end of this informative and emotional documentary, this message appears onscreen:

“For millions living with rare diseases, time is not a luxury; it’s a race against bureaucracy, funding gaps and government priorities. It’s up to us to accelerate science and ensure that life-changing treatments reach the people who need them most.”

Among the diseases mentioned are Cystic Fibrosis, Muscular Dystrophy, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s Disease, and ALS . With the current administration in power, the funding for research looks exceedingly bleak. Here is an NPR report that tells just how deep the Trump cuts are: Trump administration makes deep cuts to science funding : NPR

It is important to know the facts about whether or not your government is supporting the research to help vanquish diseases like E.B. Even more relevant, will the current CDC support vaccines to prevent measles, whooping cough, polio, Covid-19, bubonic plague and many other diseases that we all thought were gone forever? Under this administration, those diseases are coming back. The CDC has been co-opted by an unqualified anti-vaccine chief who is taking all of us down with him. I am a cancer survivor. With RFK, Jr. heading up the CDC, I am worrying about even being able to get a vaccine booster shot for Covid-19 before I return to Texas for the winter. I fear for the retirees heading for Florida, which has recently announced a cessation of vaccination programs. Keep all of this in mind when you next vote. Ask yourself whether the USPO, the FBI, the CDC, the (now demolished) Education Department, the Defense Department are being run in the most effective manner by experts in their fields, or whether we are now fully mired in a kakistocracy. (Kakistocracy: System of Government that is run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.)

This is a well-done look at a disease few of us know much (or anything) about. It is skillful in weaving Vedder’s concert footage into touching first-person testimonials to the progress that money for research has made and can make for these brave children and their families. I hope that everyone who goes to this one because they are Eddie Vedder fans gives him great credit for spearheading private efforts like this for over a decade and demonstrating compassion rather than the futile “thoughts and prayers” that we primarily get from the top.

KUDOS

Award-winning Director Matt Finlin (“Matter of Time”) with Weekly Wilson/ The Movie Blog reviewer Connie Wilson on Sunday, September 21st, at the 56th Nashville Film Festival.

Similar kudos to Director Matt Finlin and Blue Leach cinematography as well as Screenwriter/Producer Karen Barzilay for their hard work and vision in bringing information like this to the public’s attention. In addition to Vedder’s acoustic music, Composer Kevin Drew and Broken Social Scene composed the music, and James Yates edited. All are to be commended for bringing a difficult topic to the screen to add to the awareness of the public and, hopefully, to bring more financial support. All have done a good job with a difficult subject.

CONCLUSION

In 2022 at the 58th Chicago International Film Festival I reviewed Michael Burke’s documentary about ALS sufferer Brian Wallach, “No Ordinary Campaign,” at its World Premiere. “Matter of Time” reminded me of “No Ordinary Campaign.” Both were heartbreaking and well-done.

As one young E.B. sufferer articulated, poignantly, in the film, “I hope more people being kind to other people will come out of this.”

So do I. A change in leadership at the top is the first step towards that goal of going forward, not backward, in important health and science research.

“Color Book” To Screen At 56th Nashville Film Festival on September 19, 2025

By Connie Wilson

On September 9, 2025

In Movies, Reviews

“Color Book” premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival and has garnered over 20 jury and audience awards at festivals, including the Austin Film Festival, Deauville American Film Festival, Chicago International Film Festival, Denver Film Festival, and others. Director David Fortune has also been nominated for the 2025 NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Breakthrough Creative. His short film “Us” was selected as a winner of the Netflix Content Creators Program, while his film “Shoebox,” produced through the Indeed-Hillman Grad’s Rising Voices Program, was acquired and distributed by HULU.

Fortune is a Morehouse writer and director from Atlanta, Georgia. He was named one of Variety’s 10 Directors to Watch in 2025 and received the AT&T Untold Stories Award, which provided a $1 million grant to direct this feature film.

THE PLOT

Fortune chose as his two leads, Will Catlett as Lucky and Jeremiah Daniels as Mason. They portray a Black father and his developmentally disabled son. Writer/Director Fortune’s time as a camp counselor at a camp for Downs’ Syndrome children served him well as preparation for “Color Book.” His desire to shine a light on children with disabilities and, specifically, on children with Down’s Syndrome, had not been seen onscreen previously.

In addition to the story of a father and son dealing with grief and adversity, Fortune also wanted to depict a healthy father/son relationship in the Black community, something, he says, which has not been prevalent in film. As he told PopCulturalist, “People want to see truth, love, and themselves onscreen.”

BLACK & WHITE

The decision to film “Color Book” in black-and-white was fitting for the somber subject matter. While this is a depiction of a healthy father/son relationship, the young Mason’s (Jeremiah Daniels) mother, Tameeka “Tammy” Hutchinson (Brandee Evans) has recently been killed in a car accident. Dad Lucky decides to take his son to a baseball game, buys a car to replace the one involved in Tammy’s accident, and the car almost immediately breaks down. That puts the pair on public transportation. Most of the scenes take place on or near the train carrying them to the game at Trust Park in Marta. Director of Photography Nikolaus Summerer has done a great job with the train footage. The music, by Dabney Morris, also works.

Jeremiah Daniels and Will Catlett as Mason and Lucky in “Color Book.”

THE LEADS

What really carries this film, however, is the relationship between the two leads, especially Will Catlett as the ironically named Lucky. When the camera focuses on Catlett, he conveys the necessary gravitas of a father struggling to remain on an even keel, himself, and trying just as hard to care for his son.

The 43-year-old Catlett has appeared in many television and film roles, including as Verton Freeman in 2020’s “Lovecraft Country.” As long ago as 2013 he was appearing in “The Mentalist” as a patient. He has the look of an actor ready to carry a film as the lead. Writer/Director Fortune told Will Catlett, whose first lead this is, “You’re going to be the captain of this ship.” Fortune explained, “I don’t direct them (the actors). I allow them. I give them the freedom to color within the lines.”

Catlett himself spoke of picking up many cues for his impressive performance from his co-star’s real-life parents concerning how to portray the father of a Downs’ Syndrome son, giving credit to Terrence and Joy. Of his masterful handling of the role Catlett said, “I just was present. I just show up and be and exist.”

CONCLUSION

The film was a sensitive, if slow-moving, somber slice of life. As a first feature-length film, it was touching and compassionate and showed much promise. The film runs about two hours (115 to 139 minutes, depending on the information source). It is not until 50 minutes in that real tension arises. Lucky falls asleep on the train and temporarily loses Mason. (Mason has wandered off after a balloon vendor. Balloons feature importantly in key scenes). Maybe I am being overly critical of today’s audiences’ attention spans, but films today must provide necessary tension and conflict early on to retain audience interest.

The moment when Lucky awakens and realizes that his son is outside the train, following a stranger who is a balloon vendor up an escalator, while his helpless father, (still only half conscious), is being whisked away onboard, will grab the attention of any parent who has ever been in charge of a child gone missing— even if only for a few moments. I can remember a similar moment at a public swimming pool when I couldn’t find my then elementary-school-aged son for less than five minutes. Panic ensued. I wanted this moment of crisis to emerge earlier. I also envisioned many alternative avenues for the resolution of Mason’s disappearance, especially when police are summoned.

But Will Catlett’s name as a lead is one I will look for again, and hopefully soon. I’m not sure what sort of demand will exist for young Jeremiah’s presence in future films. It reminded me of the only person in history—also a non-actor in his first role—Harold Russell—who won not one but two Oscars in 1947.

SIGNIFICANT OSCAR PERFORMANCE ONE-OFFS

For those of you too young to remember, Russell won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 1947 for his part as Homer Parrish in “The Best Years of Our Lives.” Russell, a real-life amputee following an explosives malfunction during military training, portrayed a veteran who lost both hands in WWII. The Academy, not anticipating that the non-actor would actually win the Academy’s vote as the most impressive acting performance of the year, voted him a special Oscar for “bringing aid and comfort to disabled veterans through the medium of motion pictures.” Then, in a surprise move, Russell actually won the real vote and, therefore, earned a second Oscar.

William Wyler, the film’s director, said, at the time, that it was the single best performance onscreen he had ever seen. But he also advised Russell to go back to school and get a college degree, saying that, in the future, there might not be much call for a guy with no hands in the motion picture industry. Russell agreed with Wyler and gave up on whatever additional acting aspirations he may have had. He did become the first actor to actually sell his Oscar, however, for $60,500. (It was bought by Lew Wasserman, a studio executive, who gave it back to the Academy.) Russell actually kept the honorary Oscar, selling the one meant for an actor, which he was not.

While on the subject of actors who did a great job in a role—even Oscar-level performances—but the Oscar did not substantially boost their fledgling careers, we might mention the 2010 Best Supporting Actress Oscar that Mo’Nique won for her role alongside Gabourey Sidibe in Lee Daniels’ “Precious.”

Only time will tell if there will be more onscreen opportunities for Jeremiah Daniels, which does not detract in any way from his fine work in “Color Book.” What almost everyone agrees is that Writer/Director David Fortune is a talent to watch. And I would second that prediction for Will Catlett.

[“Color Book” screens at the 56th Nashville International Film Festival on Friday, September 19th, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Regal Green Hills Theater #4.]