War Eagle, Arkansas (film)
Encyclopedia
War Eagle, Arkansas is a feature film based on two real-life friends, Tim Ballany and Vincent Insalaco III, growing up together in Arkansas and facing a crossroads in life as they graduate from high school. The character of "Wheels" is portrayed by New York actor Dan McCabe, who convincingly recreates Ballany's Cerebral Palsy. The best friend role of "Enoch" is portrayed by Luke Grimes
, as a troubled teen who excels at baseball but struggles with stuttering and confidence problems. Other stars in the film include Brian Dennehy
, Mary Kay Place
, Mare Winningham
and James McDaniel
. The film was shot entirely in Northwest Arkansas, primarily in Eureka Springs, Huntsville
, and Fayetteville
, and has won over 20 independent film festival awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor at major festivals such as the Breckenridge Film Festival, the Hollywood Film Festival
, and California Independent Film Festival. The film's budget was a modest $1.1 million, and was provided by Executive Producer Vincent Insalaco, Sr. and a group of private investors. Of additional benefit to the film was a grant from Panavision
, under a new filmmaker's program, which was based in large part on the screenplay by Graham Gordy, whose other film credits include The Love Guru
and My Dog Skip
. War Eagle, Arkansas was released in the U.S. by Empire Film Group on June 12, 2009.
Luke Grimes
Luke Timothy Grimes is an American actor. Grimes was born to a devoutly religious family in Dayton, Ohio. He moved to New York City to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has appeared in All the Boys Love Mandy Lane, and War Eagle, Arkansas...
, as a troubled teen who excels at baseball but struggles with stuttering and confidence problems. Other stars in the film include Brian Dennehy
Brian Dennehy
Brian Mannion Dennehy is an American actor of film, stage and screen.-Early years:Dennehy was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, the son of Hannah and Edward Dennehy, who was a wire service editor for the Associated Press; he has two brothers, Michael and Edward. Dennehy is of Irish ancestry and was...
, Mary Kay Place
Mary Kay Place
Mary Kay Place is an American actress, singer, director and screen writer. She is best known as portraying Loretta Haggers on the television series Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman, a role which won her a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress - Comedy Series in 1977...
, Mare Winningham
Mare Winningham
Mare Winningham , born Mary Megan Winningham, is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She has been nominated once for an Academy Award, Golden Globe and Drama Desk, 7 times for Emmy Awards , and has also won an Independent Spirit Award and two Screen Actors Guild Award nominations.She is...
and James McDaniel
James McDaniel
James McDaniel is an American stage, film and television actor. He is best known for playing Lt. Arthur Fancy on the television show NYPD Blue. He also played a police officer in the ill-fated 1990 series Cop Rock, and a close advisor to activist Malcolm X in the 1992 film Malcolm X. He also...
. The film was shot entirely in Northwest Arkansas, primarily in Eureka Springs, Huntsville
Huntsville, Arkansas
Huntsville is a city in mountainous Madison County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 2,046 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Madison County. During the American Civil War it was the site of what became known as the Huntsville Massacre...
, and Fayetteville
Fayetteville
Fayetteville is the name of a number of places in the United States of America. Many are named for General Gilbert du Motier, marquis de Lafayette, a French officer who fought under General George Washington in the American Revolutionary War....
, and has won over 20 independent film festival awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor at major festivals such as the Breckenridge Film Festival, the Hollywood Film Festival
Hollywood Film Festival
The Hollywood Film Festival is an annual Film festival which is located in Los Angeles, California, USA. The Festival was established in 1997 by Carlos de Abreu and his wife, model Janice Pennington....
, and California Independent Film Festival. The film's budget was a modest $1.1 million, and was provided by Executive Producer Vincent Insalaco, Sr. and a group of private investors. Of additional benefit to the film was a grant from Panavision
Panavision
Panavision is an American motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and lenses, based in Woodland Hills, California. Formed by Robert Gottschalk as a small partnership to create anamorphic projection lenses during the widescreen boom in the 1950s, Panavision expanded its product...
, under a new filmmaker's program, which was based in large part on the screenplay by Graham Gordy, whose other film credits include The Love Guru
The Love Guru
The Love Guru is a 2008 comedy film, directed by Marco Schnabel and starring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba along with Romany Malco and Justin Timberlake. In addition to starring in the film, Myers wrote The Love Guru with Graham Gordy and produced it with Gary Barber. The film was released by...
and My Dog Skip
My Dog Skip
My Dog Skip is a memoir by Willie Morris published by Random House in 1995."My Dog Skip" is the story about nine-year-old Willie Morris growing up in Yazoo City, Mississippi, a tale of a boy and his dog in a small, sleepy Southern town that teaches us about family, friendship, love, devotion and...
. War Eagle, Arkansas was released in the U.S. by Empire Film Group on June 12, 2009.