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Friday, June 12, 2009 9:34:17 PM
http://nwanews.com/nwat/News/77307/
After spending a year on the film-festival circuit, "War Eagle, Arkansas" made its world premiere in Fayetteville on Thursday night.
The movie portrays the friendship between two residents of War Eagle, an able-bodied athlete named Enoch Cass and his wheelchair-bound friend, Wheels, who has cerebral palsy.
Both the stars of the award-winning motion picture and the real-life characters they portray met with fans during a reception at Shogun Japanese Steakhouse prior to the film's debut.
"A lot of people have clichés about the South, but I knew they weren't true," said Dan McCabe, the New York-based actor who plays Wheels. "Everyone has been welcoming."
After the movie's debut, which took place at the Malco Razorback Cinema, the gala featured a postviewing question-andanswer session. All money raised went toward United Cerebral Palsy Arkansas.
"All the money stays local," said Jennifer Watts, the organization's spokesman who helped coordinate Thursday's premiere party. "We recently lost more than $50,000 in funding due to the economy, so this will help out a lot."
Prior to starring the in the film, McCabe said he'd never known anyone with cerebral palsy. He got into character by researching the disease, watching video footage and meeting with the real-life Wheels, Tim Ballany.
"We hit it off right away," he said. "I paid attention to his mannerisms, his routine and his physicality. He so sharp and animated. After a while, you didn't notice the wheelchair was even there."
McCabe said the movie focuses on Ballany's relationship with Vince Insalaco III, who is the real-life Cass, rather than Ballany's disability.
It was Insalaco's father, Vince Insalaco II, who produced the movie and brought it to life. He partnered with screenwriter Graham Gordy.
"Coming from outside, I had reservations about writing the movie," Gordy said. "I didn't know much about cerebral palsy. That all changed after I met (Ballany) for the first time. I knew right away that the movie would have nothing to do with his disability."
Since its completion, the movie has been making its way through the film-festival circuit, taking top honors at festivals in Connecticut, Sacramento, Calif., Breckenridge, Colo., and at the Little Rock Film Festival.
The film stars actors Brian Dennehy ("Righteous Kill"), Mary Kay Place (HBO's "Big Love") and James McDaniel ("NYPD Blue"). The movie also stars actors Luke Grimes (ABC's "Brothers and Sisters") and Mare Winningham ("Swing Vote").
Vince Insalaco II said the movie aims at removing the stereotypes associated with cerebral palsy. Though the disease affects people differently, Ballany's character, Wheels, is purely affected physically.
"It's just about two guys who take care of each other," he said. "They're lifelong friends, one just happens to have a disability. The disease is rarely even mentioned in the film. We wrote it into the script because that's who the real character is."
EFGU has this one out now and other films ready to go.
Could be ready to go... Don't wait too long...
All IMHO.
Cheers and GTLA,
TheGoodlifeGeo
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