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Since 1996 |
Your Gateway to Music and More from a Christian Perspective Slow down as you approach the gate, and have your change ready....
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When I Find The Ocean (DVD) Stars: Lily Matland Holly, Amy Redford, Diane Ladd, Lee Majors, Bernie Casey, Graham Greene, Richard Tyson, David “Shark” Fralick, Steve Vaill and Pace Stoddard Director/Writer/Producer: Tonya S. Holly Composer: Flavio Motalla Cinematography: Mario Di Leo Cypress Moon Productions Rating: PG for some material that may not be suitable for children, violence and racial slurs and language Running Length: 103 minutes www.findtheoceanmovie.com Winner in three Film Festivals, Houston International, Reel Women International and Myrtle Beach International. Writer/director/producer Tonya S. Holly thought of the story for this film in 1993. It took until 2002 to start getting the project organized, not to mention casting. Holly, who primarily thought of herself as a writer, did not envision herself as a director, at first. Gradually, as she thought of the characters and actors available, directing her film became a viable option. Last, the main character, Lily, was done by Holly’s own daughter, Lily Matland Holly. “When I Find The Ocean” was made into a film and now is out in DVD. Talk about patience in getting a project to fruition. There are three stories going on in the film. The first concerns young Lily and the relationship between she and her mother, Jenny (Amy Redford) and Jenny’s beau, Dean (Richard Tyson.) The second is the relationship between Amy and the man who befriends her, Amos (Bernie Casey) when she runs away from home and is wounded in an animal trap. Third, the film is set in the mid 1950’s when Selma, Alabama was ripe for peace marches, and the white population was uneasy about a black man in a restaurant or the friendship between a black man and a young, white girl. The stories run separately, then dovetail in the finale. We learn that Lily’s father died at sea and this has left a longing in the heart of Lily, her mother and grandparents (Lee Majors and Diane Ladd). Lily’s mother has a new beau, Dean, who has secrets of his own which gradually involve Lily. As the wedding day approaches, Lily decides to run away, taking her pets, a dog and rabbit. She has adventures including getting her foot caught in a poachers leg-hold trap, meeting Amos and heading toward the sea, where her father died. In the meantime, her town is searching for her, with the aid of a tracker, Graham Greene. To confuse the issue, two poachers (David “Shark” Fralick and Pace Stoddard) who were chased away by Amos, tell people that Amos kidnapped Lily. You know the poachers are bad news, they spit. As Lily and Amos, a tugboat captain, travel south, marchers are getting ready in Selma and the state is decidedly uneasy. History is about to be made. Oh, yes, and Dean comes into some truths of his own. The film was shot in Alabama and photography by Mario Di Leo is excellent as is the music by Flavio Motalla. You get the feel of living in the country and that water is important for transportation and tranquility. Actors are well cast from Diane Ladd’s gentleness as Grandma to Lee Major’s brusqueness as Grandpa. Amy Redford’s Jenny is a woman who seems to want to rebuild her life, but certainly chooses the wrong man. Richard Tyson’s Dean gives the word “creepy” new meaning. I love Grandpa’s remark to Dean, “Are you back already? I thought you just left.“ Bernie Casey brings strength to his role as Amos, a gentle man with a devastating past. Graham Greene is a man at home in the country and tries to live peacefully there. The two poachers, Emmit and Sooner, bring humor to the film. They as obvious to the point of eye-rolling, as when they enter a General Store and unshaven, slovenly Emmit begins flirting with a girl. The anchor of the movie is Lily, played by Lily Matland Holly. Her best scenes are when she is acting with Dean, or when she is alone in her rowboat. You feel you are there with her and she does remind one of a young Carly Schroeder (“Eye of the Dolphin.”) There are many threads in this story, almost too many. Unresolved is the death of Lily’s father, who disappeared at sea. How? Though we see Dean’s past, clues about his behavior are all over the place and no one picks up on them. The KKK, Selma’s March and Amos in a restaurant are almost too much within the time period of the film. Lily, being a country girl, is racially color blind and that has its appeal here. She comments, “…we are all the same on the inside but God painted us different colors with a paintbrush on the outside.” Something that we can learn and is important whether it is Selma, Alabama in the 1950’s or us in 2008. The film brings that point out well and that the power of prayer knows no color line. When I Find the Ocean DVD has the feature film, interview with director, the trailer and Animal Planet at the Movies included. The retriever was certainly friendly, but the rabbit had to be the most complacent of all. It’s mode of travel was riding in a backpack. Copyright 2008 Marie Asner Submitted 9/5/08
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