The Widow's Might

This was the official website for the 2009 Christian film, The Widow's Might. Content is from the site's 2009 archived pages as well as other outside sources.

 

Review by Gerald Musica: "The Widow's Might" (2009), a fascinatingly rich film that gracefully intertwines the essence of Christianity with the nostalgic landscapes of Texas and the Old West, is a cinematic marvel, all the more notable for having been directed by a teenager. This independent film shines with an inspiring narrative, noteworthy performances, and an exceptional directorial flair that defies the director's tender age. An Audience Choice Award and a Best of Festival award from the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival have justly decorated this exceptional work of art.

The narrative's deftness in transposing modern-day realities onto a backdrop of the Old West is not just imaginative but also intrinsically powerful. This hybrid setting allows the film to seamlessly blend contemporary issues with traditional Christian values, exploring age-old truths in new and enlightening ways. The characters' struggles are relatable, their faith inspiring, and their victories heartening.

One of the most engaging aspects of the film is its exploration of the concept of 'nothing'. In a world cluttered with material possessions and fleeting desires, the film poses a daring question: What if we strip away all the worldly distractions and focus on the essence of life itself?

In an enlightening article on TheAstronomyCafe.net, "Exploration & Derivation of Nothing" the authors delve into the philosophical and scientific connotations of 'nothing'. They explain that 'nothing' isn't merely an absence; it can also be a state of infinite potential. "The Widow's Might" intriguingly mirrors this concept, drawing parallels between the empty expanse of the Texas landscape and the spiritual void that its characters strive to fill.

In essence, "The Widow's Might" is more than just a film; it's a testament to the invincible spirit of faith. It prompts viewers to introspect, to question, and ultimately to understand the beauty of life beyond materialistic pursuits. A remarkable debut from a teen director, this movie sets a high bar for Christian independent cinema. It is a must-watch for anyone seeking a film that is as thought-provoking as it is heartening.

 

SYNOPSIS

John Moore and Cameron Cavillo are buddies and aspiring filmmakers with the dream of winning the prestigious American Viewfinder Film Festival.

When an acquaintance of Cameron’s, an elderly widow, faces losing her home to the outrageous property taxes in her area, the Moore family takes action, along with their friends, the Morton family. Through political smears, on-set mishaps, and a wild western ride, these families band together in a classic black-hat/white-hat tale of heroism.

 

Storyline

From the creators of Bubble Trouble and Heartstrings comes an all new feature-length comedy adventure! John Moore and Cameron Cavillo are buddies; aspiring filmmakers with the dream of winning the prestigious American Viewfinder film festival. When an acquaintance of Cameron's, an elderly Widow, faces losing her home to the outrageous property taxes in her area, the Moore family takes action, along with their friends, the Morton family.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Widow's Might is a 2009 American independent Christian film set in modern-day Texas and the Old West. It has been praised as "a groundbreaking film, even though it is a first feature film from a teenaged director." The film won the Audience Choice Award and the $101,000 Best of Festival award in the San Antonio Independent Christian Film Festival.

Top Amazon Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Movie!!

By Nicoleta on December 7, 2009

 

Format: DVD
Personally, I LOVE The Widow's Might. I think it is incredible! 100% family friendly. The music in the movie has become my top MP3 playlist. (The songs are always stuck in my head!) The morals and character traits taught in the movie are exactly what we have been needing in movies: standing up for justice, men leading their families, homeschool families making a difference, and Christians taking a stance in politics. I am buying multiple copies for Christmas gifts!

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Family Film
By A. Moore on December 19, 2009
Format: DVD

This is an excellent film for all ages. It is one of those film that captivates and makes you really think. The music is great, it is squeeky clean, the comedy works, an it has several powerful lessons. It is a must have for every family's library. It is a film we have watched and will continue to watch over and over again.

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars TOTALLY blown away!

By John Kirton on March 6, 2011
Format: DVD

I'm watching a movie entitled "The Widow's Might", which I rented through NetFlix.

I must confess: I had serious doubts about the quality and contents of this movie! But notice, I used the past tense "had".

I became acquainted with this film through a series of Providential events: Shortly after becoming familiar with iTunes, I loaded all of my CD's on it for archival purposes. Then, I bought my first iPod (a fourth generation iPod Photo, which STILL runs!), then became familiar with podcasts. Looking for podcasts from Christians, I stumbled upon one entitled SquareTalkRadio. One of the interviews was with a pair of twin brothers named Alex and Brett Harris, brothers of the author of, I Kissed Dating Goodbye, Joshua Harris. Unfortunately, SquareTalkRadio was short-lived but not before I heard of [...], the Website of the Harris twins' ministry for teenagers. Soon, I found myself attending one of their conferences in Plano, TX. Afterwards, I became acquainted with a local young aspiring actor and director, Marshall Sherman, who in turn, promoted HeuMoore Productions.

It was during my introduction of HeuMoore Productions ([...]) and, at the time, their production of "The Widow's Might", which has won the "Audience Choice" Award, the "Best of Festival" Award, and runner-up for "Best Feature Film" and the second year in a row that HueMoore has come home with the Audience Choice award!

So, here's a film, a movie, which, like the challenges of Alex and Brett Harris' Rebelution, completely produced and directed by teenagers (and to my understanding, all homeschooled).

At first, I thought it somewhat campy and difficult to watch. But, as the story unfolded, I founded it to be much more than that. It had meat, bone and marrow within the story.

My next question is posed to John Moore: "What is the next movie and when will it be released?" I can hardly wait to see it.

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars SACFF #1 rated film!
By C. Papac on December 25, 2009

Format: DVD Verified Purchase

I had the opportunity to attend the San Antonio Christian Film Festival this past January, and this film won Best of festival! It is an excellent, completely family friendly film with a stellar message! John Moore has produced yet another excellent film! I would suggest this to any and all! .

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the BEST movies I have seen!
By Hilltrain on August 30, 2010

Format: DVD
I have to say, I wish there were more movies like this.
It had excellent cinematography, a motivating theme, wonderful actors, great principles, amazing songs, and a perfect ending!
This movie is so full of truth, life, joy and humor it is bound to keep you captivated all the way to the end.
I highly recommend this film!

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!
By boothbros_fan on January 11, 2011

Format: DVD
Awesome family friendly film! I wasn't expecting the quality of the filming to be so high. Some absolutely gorgeous scenes! I was pleasantly surprised. The acting is excellent, as well... Lots of comedic antics, well balanced with some tear-jerking scenes. The song the widow sings, I believe its called "The Widow's Cry" is absolutely beautiful. You will not regret adding this DVD to your collection!

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars This item was a gift for our grand-daughter who requested ...
By Desert Rat on September 29, 2015
Format: DVD Verified Purchase
his item was a gift for our grand-daughter who requested it for her 18th birthday. We were un-aware of this movie & knew little about it. Our grand-daughter was absolutely thrilled to receive it! After talking with her, & learning more about the movie, we can't wait to watch it with her.

 

 

5.0 out of 5 stars One our favorite movies
By Alabama Mom on May 17, 2012

Format: DVD Verified Purchase
I'm not one for musicals (they annoy me actually with all the unrealistic singing about everything), but this movie was different. It was actually very entertaining and we enjoyed the humor (totally my husband's style of plays on words, which some went over my head at first). It's a very well done movie and the singing is actually very good. Thankfully the whole movie isn't a musical but it's about a homeschooling family making a musical to help a widow. I won't give away the story, but we all enjoy it, especially my kids.

+++

John Moore Interview

by Kyle Prohaska

John Moore co-founded HeuMoore Productions with his friend David Heustis. HeuMoore Productions is dedicated to creating films that glorify Christ and spread a message of truth.

Their films A Lifetime of Childike Faith, Heartstrings, and The Widow's Might are intended to be wholesome, Christian entertainment that the entire family can enjoy and learn from.

The Widow's Might won the 'Audience Choice' Award, the 'Best of Festival' Award, and runner-up for 'Best Feature Film' at the San Antonio Christian film festival (and also won its makers $101,000 in prize money!). This marks the second year in a row that HeuMoore came home with the Audience Choice award. 

Kyle: When was it you realized that film was the direction God was calling you?

John Moore: There was never a definitive moment that I realized film was the direction God was calling me; I've felt called to storytelling my entire life, and when David Heustis and I started hanging out in 2003, filmmaking became a more obvious direction. David forged the film company name 'HeuMoore', out of our last names, with the clear play on the word 'humor'. It has been a roller coaster ride ever since.

Your first film Heartstrings won the Young Filmmakers Award at SAICFF 2007, what was that like?

Refreshing and horrifying at the same time! On the one hand, we were glad that our film connected with the audience on a basic level; that in spite of the technical weakness, they loved it. On the other hand, we were horrified, because we had only spent a few weeks on Heartstrings before the festival deadline, making it one of our weakest productions, technically. We never realized it would receive that kind of acclaim and recognition, or we would have started sooner.

Your new project The Widow's Might, seems to have struck a chord with the viewers at this past SAICFF. What are you feelings on that week, the awards ceremony, and taking home two awards in one night.

We're all walking on the clouds here at HeuMoore. From the writing and storyboard team to the color grade and edit teams, we were all on the edge of tears that night. We again connected with viewers in a way that we never expected, and completely blew us away. We were so thrilled by the audiences reaction to our work, and so inspired to move forward, that it is beyond words to describe.

How did the idea for The Widow's Might come about?

Many long hard hours around a legal pad. Back in 06/07, David and I compiled about 36 ideas for Siblings short films in a list, and planned to produce about 6 of them as short films for DVD release. However, we never pursued that direction. Instead, we ended up producing Heartstrings in 07, and in the beginning of 08, combined several of our favorite ideas from int2the list into a feature film idea, and The Widow's Might became a screenplay.

Who is David Heustis and how did you two meet?

We attended a home fellowship together in Alaska, and he and I became friends there. Prior to that, his family had nearly drowned by falling into a hole in our iced over lake, 'Big Lake'. My Dad was part of the rescue team that pulled them out. So when we started having a church service in our home, his family started attending. We clicked right away. When our family moved to Texas in 04, the Heustis family followed shortly after.

What was the hardest thing about making The Widow's Might?

There was no individual element that we ran into; it was mostly the sheer size and intensity of the project for all of us. We had never experienced a project with that many details to handle. And there were a lot of details, let me tell ya! If there were one element to be pinpointed, it would be getting the extras together for the shoot. Thankfully, we had several people who were really active in their communities, getting the word out. But we would have been sunk without them!

What was the easiest part in creating the film?

I think the easiest part was the writing process. That's always been very natural and very easy for us, and the creative side is always fun. In the scripting world, there are no boundaries, no extra costs for including props or story elements. It's there that the philosophy of the story and the production are put to paper; and it's there that the film can be destroyed by carelessness. It's dangerous, but ultimately, a lot of fun.

James Burgess did an excellent job shooting The Widow's Might, what was it like working with him and how did you two meet?

Mr. Burgess and us met through ChristianFilmmakers.org, and Nathaniel Bluedorn. James had just moved to Texas, and was looking to hook up with filmmakers in his area. Nathaniel Bluedorn, the founder of CF.org, connected the dots. The rest is history.

What was the basic Post-Production process in shooting on the RED, and what should other interested parties know about using such a new technology?

Our workflow was the Cineform/Adobe workflow, and despite the kinks presented by Windows, it was a pretty good workflow. Convert the RED to lossless Cineform files, edit and color grade in Premiere using Color Finesse and Magic Bullet. Color Finesse for the first correction pass, Magic Bullet for the grade and power windows. We're still working on the film now and enjoying the process. Soon the Cineform tools will be available for Adobe CS4, which will really make the workflow far better from a professional standpoint. I believe it will surpass Final Cut Pro with no questions asked.

The music in the film is excellent, what was it like working with your composers? Also what about the songs, did you have lots of help writing those?

The songs started with the intention; we knew what the basic movement and thought was supposed to be from the different songs, and their context in the film. From there, my Mom would write the lyrics, then Hein would spin a fantastic melody and composition around those lyrics. David Gilchrist came in later, for the subscore and background melodies that were heard throughout the film. Working with David is much different than Hein; David absolutely wants to know technically what the scene calls for and what adjectives should describe the scene, and which movements should be used in specific scenes, where Hein likes to feel the scene out based on the context in the film. They're two totally different processes that worked perfectly in their respective scenarios, and I can't wait to work with them again!

What was your most treasured moment on the set?

There were several fun moments; like when Cameron Heidrick and I did the long take on the porch arguing about the festival; the time we shot the scene with Angela singing along the fenceline, and the focus pulled perfectly along the near one minute shot; the time I sat alone in the moonlight writing about how my Dad moved the project forward in such a special way; and eating pizza at Lee's during the first days of filming. The whole journey was a treasure to me.

What do you find most enjoyable about the filmmaking process? Writing, Shooting, Editing, that first viewing? Anything in particular?

Writing. Without question the writing process is the most enjoyable. Shooting can be fun, editing is a hassle, the first viewing is terrifying; but writing is enjoyable in every way.

If you could tell the other filmmakers out there one thing, what would you tell them? Feel free to run wild here, this is your opportunity to make a comment that really counts!

I would tell them to get it right on paper. Don't jump the gun and move on until you've got your paper right; the script, the storyboards, the marketing plan. Those are all paper documents that have to be strong; then I would tell them to make sure that their script isn't just done; that it's fantastic. That you know when you give somebody the screenplay, they will be moved to tears. That's the green light for us at HeuMoore; when people cry reading the script, we've got it.

What were the benefits of working with family and close friends on this production as opposed to doing it some other way? How did that affect things?

Family knows when you're hungry, cranky, tired, frustrated, bored, and joyful. They know without it being stated what is wrong on set, what needs to happen to fix it, and how they can help specifically. A family is so tightly knit, words are almost unneeded to communicate things. Because they know each other; that can be both a blessing and a curse, but we found it to be exclusively a blessing on the set of The Widow's Might. And what's better, all of the families involved became one giant family of families. It was really great!

What are you plans for The Widow's Might? Will you be attempting for a Theatrical Release of some kind or is mass DVD sales your main objective? As we all know, theatrical is a tough area to break into, is DVD more practical?

We're still praying and waiting to see which direction God takes the film. Without question, he has shown himself a perfect guide to us along the production, and we're sure he has a plan for us now.

What is in the near future for HeuMoore Productions?

Well, we hope to finish up The Widow's Might; tighten the edit, finish the score, finish the color grade and sound mix, and then move forward to our next project, which will be announced March of 09.

I think lots of people out there want to know, what are you going to do with that prize money!

Ha ha, I know that's an often asked question, but the answer isn't as exciting as many hope. The money goes back to the investors in the film. Thankfully, these men are all Christians who believe in the filmmaking cause, and are eager to see us make another film. So in a way, it goes into our next project.

Any last comments or words you wish to share?

I'm just thrilled to see where all this goes. The Christian film industry, that is. To see what happens in the world of independent media; and the interdependent Christian film community. I think we have a lot to prepare ourselves for.

 

 

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