{"id":1816,"date":"2011-06-06T16:00:30","date_gmt":"2011-06-06T20:00:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars\/?p=1816"},"modified":"2011-06-06T21:14:26","modified_gmt":"2011-06-07T01:14:26","slug":"my-buddy-makes-a-movie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/on_the_front_lines_of_the_culture_wars\/2011\/06\/my-buddy-makes-a-movie.html","title":{"rendered":"My schoolmate makes a movie"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a>
Robert Loggia and Tom Hanks play "Chopsticks" in "Big"<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Hey, it’s not every day that a friend makes a movie, so here’s a shameless plug. Nathan Scoggins and I are alumni of\u00a0the Hollywood-based “Act One” program that tries to turn\u00a0Christian\u00a0writers, journalists and\u00a0authors\u00a0into movie screenwriters.<\/p>\n

They were more successful with him than with me.<\/p>\n

You may\u00a0have\u00a0caught\u00a0Nathan’s\u00a0film, The Least of These,<\/em>\u00a0a faith-based mystery-drama that features Isaiah Washington — you’ve seen him on “Grey’s Anatomy” —\u00a0and\u00a0Hollywood veteran Robert Loggia from such films as\u00a0Big<\/em> and Independence Day<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Isaiah Washington<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“We didn’t get a theatrical release,” says Nathan.\u00a0“Such is the challenge of the indie [independent film-making]\u00a0world right now.\u00a0But we’ve been airing on Starz and streaming on Netflix, which is a coup.”<\/p>\n

The\u00a0movie\u00a0screened in several film\u00a0festivals “and picked up an award for Best Film at a festival in Milan, Italy,” says Nathan,\u00a0“which was pretty cool.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0It will be released on\u00a0DVD on August 2. In fact, it’s already available for pre-order on Amazon.<\/p>\n

As you can see from the “trailer” or preview,\u00a0the film\u00a0deals with prayer and faith and telling the truth.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Robert Gunton<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Other well-known\u00a0actors in the film\u00a0are Bob Gunton from The<\/em> Shawshank Redemption<\/em> and Patch Adams,<\/em> and John Billingsley who was Dr. Flox on TV’s “Star Trek: Enterprise.”<\/p>\n

The executive producer is Ralph Winter (X-Men, Fantastic Four, Wolverine<\/em>).\u00a0The film’s\u00a0musical\u00a0score is\u00a0by Mateo Messina who wrote the\u00a0music for Juno<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Nathan wrote the screenplay, then directed the movie on a shoestring budget of about $1 million.<\/p>\n

He tells the story of Andre James, played by Washington. He’s a Catholic priest with a troubled past who returns to his old\u00a0parochial high school to replace a teacher who’s gone missing.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>
Billingsley, who played "Dr. Flox" on TV's "Star Trek: Enterprise"<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

James begins to suspect that he may have been murdered. Nobody wants to talk about his disappearance. Nobody wants answers. Except some of the students.<\/p>\n

The film explores faith and doubt, and the need to stand for truth even in the face of opposition and intimidation. One of the film’s themes is Jesus’ notion that “the truth will set you free.”<\/p>\n

I believe in supporting\u00a0films featuring Christian themes. The film was applauded by Ted Baehr’s Movieguide.<\/em> I’m proud of Nathan. Not everybody can\u00a0brag that\u00a0a schoolmate has made it big in Hollywood.<\/p>\n

Here’s a look at The Least of These<\/em>.<\/p>\n