(All photos in this post: Lloyd Clayton)
The first three weeks of 2010 have been a blur getting ready for a red-carpet opening of "To Save a Life." After screening the film, a local youth pastor had a crazy idea to host a Hollywood-style kick-off for the film in Burleson and our local network jumped on board. We had a sneak preview on Thursday night and a premiere on Friday night. It was a an incredible experience.
UPDATE (4:10p): Our local theatre manager was notified earlier today that Burleson was the top theater in the nation during opening weekend for "To Save a Life." He was so excited. It was the first time he had ever been first in the nation.
The Cast and Screenwriter
It is always a challenge working with people who travel in different circles than you. I have worked with athletes, musicians, and evangelists, but never actors, so I wasn't really sure what to expect. The crew from "To Save a Life" was beyond belief. Everyone was great to work with and very gracious to the fans.
Randy Wayne (Jake) is as energetic and fun as his character, but a little more spontaneous. I really appreciated the way he interacted with the crowds, especially on the red carpet.
Robert Bailey, Jr. (Roger) is quiet and very humble. I was most familiar with his work as he co-starred in M. Night Shyamalan's "The Happening" and voiced Wybie in Henry Selick's "Coraline." Although Robert was quiet he was an extrovert with the fans.
Kim Hidalgo (Andrea) is the life of the party. She definitely had a certain "star quality" about her as she walked the red carpet, but she also took time to pose with fans.
Josh Weigel (Chris) was a last minute add to our program. (I didn't know you could book a flight that close to the departure time.) He arrived just before the red-carpet entrance on Friday. It was great to meet him and to hear about his latest project, "The Butterfly Circus."
Steven Crowder (Doug) is funny, intelligent, opinionated (visit his website for a taste), and kind. I will be looking for an opportunity to see his stand-up comedy act.
Trinity Scott (Kelsi) is warm and attentive. She got cheers for playing the pot-smoking praise team member and joked along with the crowd about her character.
Jim & Rachel Britts (Writer/Producer & Production Designer) are an unbelievable couple. I am amazed at their commitment to both their "day jobs" (as a youth worker and a high school English teacher) as well as their commitment to the creation of "films that matter."
Brian Baugh (Director) was not at the event, but he took the time to share about the film with a group of leadership students on Skype and to make a video to thank everyone for their work in promoting the film. I was impressed that he took time to do that.
Movie Review
"To Save a Life" is the story of popular athlete Jake Taylor. Jake has everything going for him (popularity, the girlfriend everyone wants, star of the basketball team, a scholarship to a Division I university) until his world is rocked by the death of a childhood friend. Jake begins questioning everything which takes him on a journey to discover what he wants his life to be about.
Britts hit a home run on the dialogue. It never felt contrived or cheesy. Throughout the film I could see myself having or hearing these actual conversations.
The storyline was real, things youth workers see everyday. Britts did a great job covering multiple issues in one film and weaving them together into a believable plot. While the film may be shocking to some for its honest depiction on teen life, it is not predictable. There were times I could see different ways to handle the situations, but was unsure which way the story would go.
"To Save a Life" is great film which should be seen by every teenager, every parent of children and teenagers, and every youth worker—paid and volunteer.
The Heart of a Youth Worker
We had several hundred volunteers who helped with setup, tear down, greeting, merchandise sales, hosting and transporting the actors, hospitality, you name it. They were amazing! This event would not have been possible without the numerous man-hours these dedicated people provided.
A friend of mine approached me almost in tears half-way through the evening. She had noticed a student who was alone. Invisible. A lot like Jonny in the movie. This student caught her attention several times during the evening either standing or sitting alone or being ignored by a group of students he was trying to join.
In this large crowd of people celebrating a film about discovering "what you want your life to be about" and "hearing people who are dying to be heard," there was a student facing the same situation as Roger, Jonny, Blake and Sarah in the movie! I introduced myself to this student and discovered a little about him. Hopefully, I will be able to connect with him again soon.
Movie critic Matt Munger said, "This one [Christian film] needs to be seen by those inside the church walls who proclaim to live a certain way but instead are deceiving themselves." The events I observed in the theatre lobby confirm that.
