Found.
The theme of this solid family friendly movie is found in the title. It is not just one person or one story arc of being “Found,” however, there are multiple threads of redemption throughout the narratives of several characters. In that way, it is a beautifully complex, yet encouraging story.
The first character to be “Found” is the lead character, Finch — “like the bird.” He’s a 16-year-old boy who has spent his whole life on a homestead in the Appalachian Mountains of Western Virginia. Due to a tragedy, he is left to fend for himself and he’s doing a fine job of it. The plot follows a somewhat predictable tale of introducing this back-woods boy into today’s modern culture as the authorities swoop in to take care of him. The sheriff’s deputy who finds Finch, and her family, each face moments of being “found” throughout the movie.
This wholesome film has a solid message of faith and trusting in God during our trials, but it does so without being too preachy. One scene features Finch, who is staring up into the nighttime sky, and the deputy’s ten-year-old daughter. He concludes: “Sometimes, He (God) chooses not to fix things and I have to be okay with that.”
This is Alford’s first major full-length production, yet he is no rookie to acting or directing and it shows in several technical disciplines. While there are just a couple of scenes where the dialogue is slow or clunky, the film is enjoyable and its characters are very believable. Many of the actors and crew are regulars on the stages of the famous Barter Theater in Abingdon, Virginia. Joseph Stam plays Finch with a soft, innocent, and humble demeanor, refreshing for any teen actor, and perfect for this role, which Alford says was written for Stam. Accomplished stage actor, Wendy Piper, gives the viewer a credible look into a small-town sheriff’s office in the rural south of today.
Technically, the movie is first rate, especially for an independent film, where a small crew took on and accomplished a really wonderful movie experience. The continuity is solid. There are some beautifully filmed scenes depicting the Appalachian woods in the summertime. And, time and again, I really enjoyed the music, which often is an afterthought for movie makers. Benjamin Dawson provides just the right bed to enhance the drama. Even the custom tunes of his fiddle add extra ambience, at just the right moments, taking the viewer deeper into the heart of the main character.
Alford says this film is an amazing product of the pandemic of 2020, where things just fell into place multiple times. The final screenplay was produced during a two-week quarantine in the spring and the whole movie was filmed during a tight two-week window late in the summer.
You and your family will find this a very likeable way to spend an evening. And parents, it will provide a spring-board for multiple conversations around the dinner table. It has its share of funny moments of comic relief as well as tear jerking plot twists. Even the closing credits were a delight! I’m hopeful to see many more projects from David Alford and Cross Purposes Productions in the future.
Written by Guest Contributor: Rich Ronald of Richly Speaking RichlySpeaking.Com
Score: 92 out of 100.
Family friendly:
Adults: Yep!
Teens: Yep!
Children: Yep!
Tots: Yep, but doubtful they will understand much of it.
