Friday, November 13, 2015

The Miracle Maker and interview with Sally Meyer

Miracle Maker: A Christmas Tale

Jake Stormoen (Actor), Brian Krause (Actor), John Lyde (Director)  Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)  Format: DVD

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jHScnDB0kE

FILM SYNPOSIS: 

It all starts with one little seed of love."The Miracle Maker is coming!" Everyone in the tiny hamlet is excited when they hear the news that the renowned man of wonders is coming to their village. But the humble traveler who appears isn't what anyone expected. They were looking forward to someone magnificent who would change their lives. But it seems this man can barely take care of himself, let alone fulfill the dreams of others. However, miracles can come in all shapes and sizes-and sometimes from unexpected places.


My family all watched this and the opinions varied depending on who they were.  

My husband says, "Chick-flick. Boring. Sorry."  

My thirteen year old daughter says, "I loved it It had a lot of twists and turns. I loved the romance."  

My ten year old daughter says, "Sad. The movie was very sad. I loved the little girl in the movie: She was my favorite character." 

 My twenty year old daughter says, "I thought it was a good movie. The one man was mean at first, and had a grudge against the pastor for the accident. And I felt rather sorry for the other family where the daughter has to take care of her brother and had to give up her own son. I really enjoyed it."  

My twenty-three year old son says, "Meaningless. No apparent moral.".

Being female, I am on their side. It was good. Cute. 

So, there you  have it. The men in my life didn't like it. At all.  The females in my life did. And me? It was okay. It was kind of sad. Kind of happy. It did have some twists I didn't see coming.

If you are looking for a good movie this holiday season for a girls' night out, then THE MIRACLE MAKER would be good to consider.

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MIRACLE MAKER, NEW CHRISTMAS FILM, RELEASING NOV. 3

SALT LAKE CITY, UT—Oct. 30, 2015—A delightful full-length feature film about a turn-of-
the-century Western town in desperate need of a Christmas miracle is releasing on DVD on 
November 3. 

In their longstanding commitment to developing faith-based films, Covenant Communications has 
joined Paulist Productions and Mainstay Productions to produce Miracle Maker, a family film that 
will resonate with people of all ages. The DVD will be available at Costco, on Amazon, at Deseret 
Book and Seagull Book, and wherever LDS products are sold. 

The residents of Woodhaven are feeling discouraged—work is scarce, money is low, love 
is lagging, and spirits are down. Then a mysterious telegraph arrives, and a handsome stranger 
walks into town with nothing more than his dog and a chicken. Throw in a mean-spirited 
landlord, a love-sick preacher, a pair of delightfully charming old biddies, and an enchanting 
little girl—and what happens next will warm the heart and create a healthy dose of the Christmas 
spirit as the entire town is changed for the better. 

Miracle Maker—based on a story written by Covenant author Ann Acton—shows what 
happens when seeds of love are planted and people create their own miracles by performing acts 
Filmed primarily at This Is the Place State Park in Salt Lake City, old town Heber City, 
and American Fork, the film features a diverse cast of well-known actors, including Brian 
Krause (Charmed TV series), Jasen Wade (17 Miracles, Saints and Soldiers, Cokeville Miracle),
Adam Johnson, Jake Stormoen, Melanie Stone, and eight-year-old Kalea Atkinson. 
John Lyde and Sally Meyer once again combine their talents as director and screenwriter. 
The two have previously collaborated on popular films Christmas for a Dollar, Christmas 
Oranges, He Knows My Name, Abide with Me, , Minor Details, , and You’re So Cupid. 

“It’s my hope that after watching Miracle Maker, families will understand that you can 
make your own miracles,” Lyde says. “Our message to audiences is that if you need a change in 
your life, you can create the change yourself.”


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Interview with Sally Meyer, screenwriter for Miracle Maker


1) Have you always like to write?
Yes, I have always loved writing, since I was a little girl in England. I wrote stories and poetry mostly.  I still write poetry.

2) What inspired you to write your first screenplay?

I was inspired because I love film, and I wanted to create stories that I love to watch. I love stories that suck me in, and I adore anything British movie or television wise, because I miss my first homeland so much.  I also wanted to write roles for my daughter Caitlin who has been an actress for twenty years.

3) Is there a certain type of scene that's harder for you to write than others? Love? Action? 

I have a hard time writing anything Sci fi or  Fantasy.  In fact, I've only written one sci fi script, called Skywatchers.  But, I did enjoy how that turned out and I'm hoping to collaborate with John Lyde on that script in the future.  

4) What is your least favorite part of the writing process?

My least favorite part is when I get stumped for an idea. Once I get an idea, I can run with it and it flows really well. I think when the muse is missing, that is the most frustrating. Then I read other people's scripts, or watch an Oscar winning movie to get my head back into the game.

5) What writing advice do you have for other aspiring writers?

Write, write and write some more!  That's how you get better, make time to write every day, even if it's only a half hour a day, even five minutes.  Just write.. and also read, read good scripts, read not so good scripts, so you see what works.  And never give up on your dreams, if you want something, then reach for it.

6) Are any experiences in Miracle Maker based on personal experiences? Did you draw upon any stories or movies for inspiration? 

I love to name my characters after people that I know. On Miracle maker, all of my grandchildren have a character name.   I also named the main characters James Booth and Lily Booth after my parents.  It was also wonderful working with my daughter Caitlin who plays Sarrah Cronin.  I enjoy being on set with her. 

7) Can you share a little of your current work with us?

My next project is called The Elving Project and I'm so very excited about this film.  It's based on the books Chicken in the Headlights and Bullies in the Headlights.  The story is a comedy, but I like to add a little heart to each story I tell. It's another Christmas movie and I love writing Christmas stories. I think the magic of Christmas is very inspiring and telling a story in that season, just lends itself to magic.

I also am in edit on a short docudrama, Hanneli and Anne, that I wrote and co directed with Ali Barr.  It's the story of Hannah Pick-Goslar a living Holocaust survivor and her friendship with Anne Frank.  We hope to hit the festival circuit with this film, it is a passion project of mine, that I share with Ali.  We were able to speak with Hannah Pick-Goslar who lives in Israel, and interview her for our film. What an amazing woman of tolerance, faith and love she is!

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