Saturday, May 11, 2024
The City of Granbury is no stranger to the big screen as many movies and shows have been filmed in the historic town, such as the Yellowstone prequel series “1883,” the horror movie “Dark and Wicked” and much more.
Yet again, the town is the location for another movie called “A Christmas Heart” starring Bill McAdams, Jr., Kevin Sorbo and Sorbo’s son Shane. McAdams Jr. is also the writer and director of hte film as well as an actor in the movie. The film will feature singer/songwriter Sarah Reeves and 92.1 Hank FM radio host Erin Wilde.
Sorbo is best known for his starring role in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” and known for acting in Christian films such as “God's Not Dead” and “Soul Surfer.” McAdams Jr.’s most notable credits include “Gallows Road” and “Jose Canseco: The Truth Hurts.”
“A Christmas Heart” follows Jack Gilmore — played by McAdams Jr. — a firefighter whose son and wife are killed in a texting-and-driving crash three weeks before Christmas.
Detective Kent Powers, played by the elder Sorbo, investigates the fatal crash and later discovers a potential connection with the case.
The film will also feature actress Lola Milazzo who plays Krissy. Milazzo said this will be her first film and she is immensely grateful for the opportunity.
“It’s very cool to be here. I had a lot of fun with the cast and crew. I really like the chaos and bouncing around and not doing the same thing every day,” Milazzo said. “I’m learning a lot from these people’s personal lives and being around people older than me and being able to be behind the scenes. It’s been super fun.”
McAdams Jr. is an Aledo native familiar with the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and has shot before in Fort Worth and Aledo. McAdams Jr. knows Sharon K. Campbell, whose great-grandfather was George Granbury, the brother of General Hiram B. Granbury. Campbell’s mother was Merlee Granbury.
It was Campbell who facilitated the movie being shot in Granbury; she and her husband Jim Doss are the exectuive producers of the film. Don Wantz, Campbell's son is the producer alongside Mary Jean Bentley and Therese Moncrief.
“To have the film come with the family aspect behind it, it’s just absolutely thrilling to me. I want Granbury to be known,” Campbell said.
“Granbury is a great town. The community has come together to help us do this,” McAdams Jr. said.
He added that real Granbury police officers are cast in the film, wearing real police uniforms, along with Granbury Fire Department trucks and suits as well as the Mayor of Granbury Jim Jarratt.
“You can’t do that kind of stuff in Hollywood and have that community like you can for an independent film,” McAdams Jr. said. “A studio feels detached. I would have to hire a cop and it would all be just people coming in. Here I take the script and I adapt it to the location. It’s made it organic and more special.”
McAdams Jr. moved to Granbury two months ago to “see what the vibe is” and has spent time observing the community and what residents do around town.
When it comes to writing, McAdams Jr. says he works on hundreds of scripts and puts many on shelves, waiting to make them come to life until the timing is right.
This film in particular hits McAdams Jr. deeply as he lost his brother in a motorcycle accident in 2012.
“It’s about overcoming grief, overcoming death — it’s about forgiveness,” McAdams Jr. said. “It’s not a Christmas movie, it’s just a drama set during Christmastime. There are tragedies all year long. God doesn’t take off December with tragedy. It’s for the people that have lost loved ones. It’s anti-texting and driving and I think that message should get out. As a writer it’s about getting a message and if I can’t get across a message then it’s like what am I doing and what’s the point of making the film?”
McAdams Jr. and Sorbo previously worked together and stay in contact with each other regularly. When McAdams. Jr. sent Sorbo the script, Sorbo knew it was the perfect match.
“I knew I wanted to do this movie because it had a message instead of the stuff Hollywood is doing. We need more movies like that, that have love and redemption and faith and instead of all the anger and craziness that Hollywood is pushing out,” Sorbo said. “I think there’s a war going on for the culture of America and Hollywood is winning. There are big money movies out there that are dominating the landscape.”
Sorbo is from a small town in Minnesota and says Granbury reminds him a lot of where he grew up; he added that he loves the feel of small towns. He first became interested in theatre after visiting the Guthrie Theater during a fifth-grade field trip. The class saw “The Merchant of Venice” by William Shakespeare.
“I was mesmerized by the actors and on the way back on the bus I told my mom, who was chaperoning, that I was going to be an actor,” Sorbo said.
He took drama classes in high school before pursuing a double business major with a minor in drama in college.
After commercial work in Minneapolis, Sorbo moved to Los Angeles and successfully pursued his dreams. He says “Hercules” was his biggest success and got him to where he is today. He also attributed what he knows today to actor Anthony Quinn.
In “A Christmas Heart” Sorbo is getting to work with one of his children, Shane, as in the film they play father and son. Sorbo noted his children have grown up on movie sets and have been around that environment their whole life.
“I hope ultimately (this film) lets people find the definition of forgiveness and redemption and hope. This country needs it more than ever,” Sorbo said. “We live in such an impatient world right now.”
“There’s also a lot of anger,” Shane Sorbo added. “Hopefully (the film) makes people take a step back and look at their own lives and think about it.”
The name of the movie may potentially change to “Granbury,” an idea McAdams Jr. came up with.
“Being a Film Friendly Texas community offers significant benefits. Numerous film production companies have selected Granbury since our Film Friendly designation,” Tammy Dooley, director of the City of Granbury Convention and Visitors Bureau said. “By working with the film industry, our city brings in new revenues and generates substantial economic impact. It creates jobs, attracts tourists, and it showcases our unique qualities. It also creates a sense of community involvement and pride.”
The cast and crew hope to raise enough money to get the film into theatres. The movie is expected to be released around Christmas 2024 and will be shown at Cinergy Cinemas in Granbury.
