“Life doesn’t always go as planned.” This is certainly true. In fact, it is almost always true. This is lucky for the storytellers and filmmakers of the world, because if life always went as planned, where would be the conflict, and without the conflict, where would be the story? In life, when things don’t go as planned, when life has spiraled out of control leaving you, the protagonist of your own story, a jaded, broken mess, it is no fun at all. But, when applied to art, we can find meaning and, sometimes, redemption. (If you wish to see some excellent movies about broken people who try and fail to find redemption, check out Sam Mendes’ American Beauty, Woody Allen’s Sweet and Lowdown, and Jason Reitman’s Young Adult). We are here today to talk about redemption, as seen through the lens of Chris Dowling’s new film Where Hope Grows, which was filmed largely right here in Louisville.
Kristoffer Polaha is Calvin Campbell, a former baseball star who, formerly disgraced, is now an alcoholic who (apparently) doesn’t even know the age of his own daughter. When he isn’t hanging out at Stevie Ray’s Blues Bar, he mopes around angstily, drinking. Then, one day, at Valu-Market he meets Produce (played by David DeSanctis), an employee at the store who has Down syndrome. The highly-friendly Produce takes to Calvin, and eventually they become friends, re-invigorating Calvin – which just goes to show that you never know “where hope grows.”
Where Hope Grows opens today, May 15. It is only playing at two theaters: Carmike Stonybrook 20 (2745 S. Hurstbourne Pkwy) and Tinseltown 19 (4400 Towne Center Drive). For further information about Where Hope Grows, see the film’s official website.
Image: IMDB
