Our Very Own (2005 film)
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| Our Very Own | |
|---|---|
 Original poster | |
| Directed by | Cameron Watson |
| Written by | Cameron Watson |
| Produced by | Maggie Biggar Steve Cubine Shannon McMahon Lichte Cameron Watson |
| Starring | Jason Ritter Allison Janney Keith Carradine |
| Cinematography | Roberto Blasini |
| Edited by | Brian Anton |
| Music by | John Swihart |
| Distributed by | Miramax Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 106 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2.4 million (estimated) |
Our Very Own is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Cameron Watson. The screenplay focuses on five small town teenagers whose dreams of a better life have been inspired by the Hollywood success of one-time local girl Sondra Locke.
The film premiered on June 22, 2005 at the Los Angeles Film Festival. It was shown at the Bluegrass Independent Film Festival, the Puerto Vallarta Film Festival, the Sarasota Film Festival, and the Rome International Film Festival, but never went into theatrical release in the US. It was released on DVD on July 3, 2007.
The film later achieved some notoriety when it was revealed that the principal backer, Robert McLean, had been the engineer of a $50 million Ponzi scheme.[1]
Plot
Set in Shelbyville, Tennessee in 1978, the film centers on high school student Clancy Whitfield, whose family is facing financial ruin due to his father Billy's inability to hold a job because of his drinking. His mother Joan desperately is trying to make ends meet while their dining room furniture is repossessed and the bank is threatening to foreclose on the house. She finds herself the subject of gossip but supported by Sally Crowder, her friend since childhood.
A rumor that former resident Sondra Locke will be returning to town to attend the annual Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration and the opening of her film Every Which Way but Loose at the local movie house has Clancy and his friends Melora, Bobbie, Ray, and Glen eagerly anticipating her arrival. In the hope she'll see it and help them escape their small town and achieve fame of their own, the quintet decides to present a musical tribute to her at the Chamber of Commerce-sponsored talent show. Their performance is applauded wildly by the audience, but they have less success meeting the elusive Locke.
Cast
- Allison Janney as Joan Whitfield
- Keith Carradine as Billy Whitfield
- Jason Ritter as Clancy Whitfield
- Autumn Reeser as Melora
- Hilarie Burton as Bobbie
- Michael McKee as Glen
- Derek Carter as Ray
- Cheryl Hines as Sally Crowder
- Mary Badham as Mrs. Nutbush
- Steven Griffith as Buzz
- Amy Landers as Rhonda
- Beth Grant as VIrginia Kendal
- Faith Prince as Athylene
- Dale Dickey as Skillet
- Allison Mackie as Shelia
- T. Scott Cunningham as Dr. Dunwitty
Critical reception
Robert Koehler of Variety called the film "a sensitive if not fully developed dramatization of the downside of the American Dream" and added, "An authentic sense of place - as well as a stirring performance by Allison Janney leading an impressive cast - aid an otherwise light and unresolved novelistic film."[2]
Awards and nominations
The movie was named Best Feature Film at the Bluegrass Independent Film Festival, won an award for Ensemble Acting at the Sarasota Film Festival, and garnered Prism Awards for Allison Janney and Keith Carradine. Janney was nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female but lost to Amy Adams in Junebug.
References
- ^ "McLean takes own life behind Shelbyville church". T-g.com. 26 September 2007. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
- ^ "Variety review". Variety.com. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
External links
- Our Very Own at AllMovie
- Our Very Own at IMDb