Wednesday, December 11, 2024
Residents got a small taste of Hollywood magic when Granbury rolled out the red carpet for the “God’s Here,” movie premiere last weekend.
With Cinergy Cinemas and Brazos Drive-In both premiering the indie film Saturday, Nov. 2, Granbury itself transformed into its own Hollywood hotspot as community members flocked to get glimpses of the star-studded cast.
Featuring pop artist and songwriter Sarah Elizabeth Reeves and Hercules legend Kevin Sorbo, “God’s Here,” weaves together a compelling narrative that highlights themes of faith, redemption and the healing power of community.
Written and directed by Aledo filmmaker Bill McAdams Jr., “God’s Here,” follows Jack Gilmore — played by McAdams — who is a decorated firefighter and man of deep faith whose wife and son are killed in a texting-and-driving crash three weeks before Christmas. In the wake of his loss, Jack is charged with a DUI and required to complete community service, during which he meets a young girl with whom he shares a conflicted and painful past. Meanwhile, as Detective Kent Powers — played by Sorbo — investigates the fatal accident, he uncovers a shocking revelation that personally ties him to the case.
McAdams told the Hood County News that the film is actually based on his own past experience, as he wanted to portray how love and forgiveness can bring hope and light to even the darkest of moments.
“It (the movie) was written probably eight or nine years ago,” he explained. “My brother got killed in a motorcycle accident in 2012 and my mom forgave the teen driver, and then invited the parents and her to the funeral. To me, there's forgiveness, and then there's ultimate forgiveness, which is (when you forgive someone) for taking a life.”
He explained that the young driver will carry the weight of the accident's consequences for the rest of her life, and emphasized how deeply moving it was for his own mother to forgive the driver just 10 days after the tragedy.
“This is a story I’ve been wanting to tell for a while, and I’m so grateful not just to the cast, but to the city of Granbury for helping me bring it to life,” McAdams said in the film’s press release.
Filmed entirely in Granbury, the film includes scenes from the courthouse and Granbury Live. Beyond showcasing some of the town’s sights, the film also features some familiar faces, including Mayor Jim Jarratt, various personnel from Granbury’s police and fire departments, and other local residents.
“It was fabulous being in the movie,” Hood County Judge Ron Massingill said. “I met some great people, and, you know, to lend your hand to something that's as meaningful as this movie is with God at the forefront, (it’s amazing). No matter how long your life is, at any certain stage in your life, there's always hope, and this is going to be a beautiful story.”
Massingill and Jarratt weren’t the only locals who made a special appearance in the movie. Radio personality Erin Wilde and Visit Granbury Director Tammy Dooley also made special appearances, with other area locals serving in small roles as well.
Acton resident Mo Moline took on the role of production designer, Granbury resident Jim Hardy worked as the stunt coordinator, and Aledo resident Thaddeus Keller portrayed the character known as the "cute boy."
The film also provided a unique opportunity for several actors to make their debut in the world of acting, as it marked their very first roles on screen.
“This is my first film,” said Lola Gianna, who portrays Krissy, one of the main leads in the movie. “I've never done any type of acting, but due to being friends with Bill McAdams Jr., and his sister MJ, they scooped me up, trained me, and got me ready for the role, and it was just a blessing.”
Shane, Sorbo’s son — both on and off screen — said the experience allowed him to jump back into acting, as he had previously taken a break due to school.
"My first film, I was 12, so I was a lot younger,” Shane Sorbo said. “I had a buzz cut in that, so that was pretty interesting, but I haven't really done it in a while.”
While Granbury is noticeably different from Florida, where he lives, Shane Sorbo said he enjoyed walking around the park and the square.
"The big difference is this is a much smaller town,” he said. “I live in an area called West Palm Beach, which has been more built up, and there's a lot of traffic, but Texas is nice. I got to spend three weeks here just under a year ago, which was really cool. I really enjoy it here.”
Anna Richards, who serves as the wardrobe designer, stated that the film is “amazing,” and the crew is “incredible.”
“To get a message like this out to people, we could never do this all by ourselves,” she said. “We're able to come together as a team and really get this message out about hope and positivity. Tragedy doesn't take a break even for the holidays, so we're just hoping that our message can help a lot of people who are struggling with loss for the holidays. It's just been amazing. I could never do this on my own.”
The film is executive produced by Sharon K. Campbell and Jim Doss. Don Wantz Jr., Mary Jean (MJ) Bentley and Therese Moncrief share producer credits.
Campbell — whose great-grandfather was George Granbury, the brother of General Hiram B. Granbury — facilitated the movie being shot in Granbury. Her mother was Merlee Granbury.
“To have the film come with the family aspect behind it, it’s just absolutely thrilling to me,” she said in a press release. “I want Granbury to be known.”
Campbell told the HCN that “God’s Here,” is about “saving lives,” and “getting everybody off of their cell phone while they’re driving.”
"It's a very important movie, and I'm thrilled to be able to participate and make this happen with my wonderful husband (Jim Doss) here. We just said ‘We're going to do this,’ and we did.”
“It's been a culmination of a year-and-a-half of our work,” said Campbell’s son, Don Wantz Jr., producer of the movie. “We've devoted a lot of tears and a lot of sweat into this project. We're happy to bring it to Granbury, a film-friendly community.
“I must add, we would like to say thank you to many, many people: Visit Granbury, the N on the Square, the Nutt House, Christina's (American Table) and an assortment of all the community who came together to help us with this.”
McAdams said filming his project in Granbury was a unique and warm experience.
“From running into the mayor at breakfast to passing the judge on the street, the sense of community was special,” he said in the press release. “When the community gets behind you and your film’s message, magic happens. I was able to take the script and adapt it to the location, which made it more organic.”
McAdams' connection to Granbury also runs deep, with the film marking more than just a professional milestone for him.
In a delightful twist, McAdams recently married his on-screen wife, Sarah Elizabeth Reeves, as their on-screen romance blossomed into a real-life love story.
“Sarah, she was cast in the movie (and that’s how we met),” he told the HCN. “We got married 11 months later.”
The couple now calls Granbury home, having recently made the move together after their whirlwind romance.
Reeves, who composed the film’s score, is also a successful Christian pop artist. Her uplifting song, “More Than Enough,” recently charted in the Top 10 on iHeart Radio’s Adult Contemporary chart — placing her alongside major artists like Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Sabrina Carpenter.
“I've been an artist for a long time — for 15 years professionally — and it's been a lot of fun, but I've obviously evolved into other things that I enjoy, like acting,” Reeves said. “It kind of just came unexpected for me. It's something I've always wanted to do. I also composed this film as well, so I still have to put my music in it — that's like, first and foremost for me — so maybe, if not acting, maybe more composing, because that was one of my favorite parts of this whole awesome project.”
For Reeves, “God’s Here,” carries a strong message of hope and unity, as it emphasizes the power of forgiveness and the healing that can come from community support.
“It serves as a reminder that even in the face of adversity and personal trials, the holiday season can still hold moments of beauty and magic,” she said, in the press release.
Kevin Sorbo — best known for his starring role in “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys” as well as Christian films such as “God's Not Dead” and “Soul Surfer,” — told the HCN that when he saw McAdams’ script for “God’s Here,” he immediately fell in love with the premise.
“It just hit me hard, so I said, ‘I’m jumping on board of this thing right now,’” he said. “I love movies like this. I love movies that have redemption on the table, because God and Jesus also have redemption on the table.”
Kevin Sorbo, who has been starring in faith-based films for the past 15 years, said he often jokes with people about the emotional power behind movies like “God’s Here.”
“I say, ‘If you don’t have one tear from a movie like this, that means you have no soul,’” he said, chuckling. “These are the movies I love to do, and that’s what I’m going to keep doing. I have three movies in post-production right now, I have three documentaries coming out, and I’ve got two more lined up next year, and I’m directing both as well. I’ve been very blessed.”
Since Kevin Sorbo grew up in a town similar to the size of Granbury back in Minnesota, he said he felt right at home and like he was a member of the community.
“This town is awesome,” he said. “I can see why it’s become such a favorite town for people to come to on vacation because of the big lake, and I can see why this place has grown because it's just the people who are awesome — and you got fantastic restaurants. It's just been wonderful to be part of this."
As for the future, Kevin Sorbo said his goal is to continue to make positive, uplifting and religious movies to “fight against the crap that Hollywood puts out.”
"Seriously, it's very demonic what they're doing, and it's on purpose,” he said. “Look at the movies, look at the agenda they got going. We got a battle on our hands, and I keep telling people, a sheep is going to be a sheep, but you’ve got to wake up the lions. You’ve got to wake them up.”
He added that he hopes “God’s Here” will allow viewers to find the definition of forgiveness, redemption and hope.
“This country needs it more than ever,” he added.
“God’s Here,” will be playing at Cinergy Cinemas in Granbury for the matinee showings through Thursday, Nov. 14. Check the Cinergy Cinemas website for showtimes. The movie will officially be released worldwide Tuesday, Nov. 19. To view the trailer, visit https://youtu.be/PVQK6OZJp4I online.
