Congratulations on your directorial debut for “Fighting Spirit”, tell us more about this film and why it was important to release it on Veterans Day?
I was originally introduced to the project by Mike Sullivan and my friends at Paulist Productions, where I sit on the board, because Halle Berry and I had made a prior documentary film with the US Army called For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots. We explored some stories in that film that deserved to be told, and we won the NAACP Image Award for it. That created a lot of trust with the military, and, ultimately, that trust led to me directing this film, which I did with former Army combat chaplain Justin Roberts. What I love about this subject matter is that it has never been explored cinematically before. Combat chaplains go to battle wearing a uniform, but carry no weapon, which means that theirs is a calling motivated by something much larger. And yet their workplace is the chaotic center of war. I didn’t feel like we had ever seen the collision of those two worlds on the screen before, and it was something that I became very passionate about celebrating in this film. While there’s a natural connection to Veterans Day, this is also a movie that’s built to bring people together. So, finding a release date right after the US Presidential election felt like just what the country might need right then.
I’m sure you have tons of interesting stories for us after producing over 25 films. Can you share with us the most interesting story that happened to you since you started producing and directing?
One of the first movies I made was the high school film She’s All That. It led me into a string of high school and young-adult films, including On the Line with the members of the pop group *NSYNC at the height of their popularity. One weekend, we took a quick trip to Las Vegas where the *NSYNC guys and a group of us spent hours at a craps table…and got decimated. As we walked away, someone from *NSYNC pointed out how great it was that the casino had given them money to gamble with. But it turns out that they were the only ones, and the rest of us had to suffer our losses out of our own pockets. It was still an epic (albeit expensive) trip.
How did you break into the business? What is your advice to upcoming entertainment enthusiasts to do the same?
When I graduated from Vanderbilt University, the only thing I knew for sure is that I didn’t want to get a job. So, I escaped on an archaeological expedition for the summer in Alaska – it was my nod to Indiana Jones and about the oddest thing I could think of. When the first snow hit the ground, I left and met some fellow Texans in Yellowstone National Park. They gave me a free place to live in exchange for toting props and making coffee for their theater show. After a few weeks, one of the lead actors hurt his back about 20 minutes before curtain, and I played his part. I was awful, but a light bulb went off, and I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to do in the future. I quickly found my way to Los Angeles, and started an internship that ultimately led to producing movies. I later co-founded Vanderbilt in Hollywood, which provides summer internships to Vanderbilt students, and is my way of giving those same internship opportunities to others. My best advice is to figure out a way to get an internship, particularly while you’re still in school. It’s the biggest cheat code in all of Hollywood.
Do you have a favorite project? And what makes it stand out?
It’s always the ones that you would least expect. In my case, Matthew McConaughey and I made a small documentary years ago about Darrell Royal, who was the national champion football coach at the University of Texas when we were both kids growing up in Texas, called The Story of Darrell Royal. Through that experience, I fell in love with the Texas Longhorn football program, and, as my kids will attest, I now bleed burnt orange every Saturday during football season. More importantly, I gained an incredible mentor and friend in Coach Royal, along with other lifelong friendships through that project. I’ve surely had far larger and more successful films, but there’s a whole contingent of folks in my home state of Texas who think of me simply as the guy who made that film. And I love that.
What was the biggest challenge about making FIGHTING SPIRIT?
My dad served in the military, but I didn’t. In fact, I had never even heard of combat chaplains before this project. So, my biggest challenge was immersing myself into this incredible profession of people to make it possible for me to share their stories in an authentic way that would make them proud. I hope we’ve done that.
What drove you to the project and what is your hope for audiences to take away?
Far too many current and former members of our military are committing suicide, and I had heard that chaplains were the group that had committed to turning that around. That made me want to know more about them, and ultimately led to us creating a love letter to them on the big screen. I hope that audiences will be as equally intrigued as I was, and I want them to take away the idea that heroes can be unassuming. Those are the stories we’re telling here. And no one has ever told them before.
What is next on the agenda? Will you be doing more veteran/military inspired films?
There are a ton of incredible military, and specifically combat chaplain stories. I just might decide to deep dive into one of those next. Stay tuned…
To learn more about the film and see where to find it in a city near you pleaae visit Fighting Spirit, A Chaplain’s Journey
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