Flywheel (film)

Infobox Film
name = Flywheel


caption = Flywheel
director = Alex Kendrick
producer = Alex Kendrick
writer = Alex Kendrick
Stephen Kendrick
starring = Lisa Arnold,
Alex Kendrick,
[Tracy Goode]
music =
cinematography =
editing =
distributor = Sherwood Pictures
released = 2003-01-01
runtime = 120 minutes
country = U.S.A.
language = English
budget = $20,000
preceded_by =
followed_by = Facing the Giants
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0425027

"Flywheel" is an American drama film released in 2003. It was directed by Alex Kendrick who also stars as car salesman Jay Austin. The film carries an evangelical Christian message.

Plot

Jay Austin attends church, but doesn't let his assumed faith affect the way he sells cars. He takes any opportunity to make money, even to the point of overcharging his pastor. According to the website http://www.flywheelthemovie.com, "Austin does everything his way until his dishonesty and manipulation are repeatedly exposed." Eventually, Austin becomes ashamed of the way he does business and decides to make amends. This film shows a man's emotional journey as he comes to terms with his life and how he has treated the people in it. He shamefacedly returns money to customers he has cheated and seeks the forgiveness of those he has hurt, including his wife, son, and local community.

Cast

*Alex Kendrick as Jay Austin
*Janet Lee Dapper as Judy Austin
*Roger Breland as Mr. Austin
*Richie Hunnewell as Todd Austin
*Lisa Arnold as Hillary Vail
*Walter Burnett as Max Kendall
*Tracy Goode as Bernie Meyers
*Rutha Harris as Katie Harris
*Treavor Lokey as Vince Berkley
*Steve Moore as Dan Michaels

Production

Flywheel is the first full-length feature film by Sherwood Pictures, a production company created by Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.

Alex Kendrick, media director at Sherwood Baptist Church, created the storyline for Flywheel after trying to buy a new car. Sherwood's senior and executive pastors, Michael Catt and Jim McBride, agreed with the ministry direction and approved the project. The church received $20,000 in private donations for the film.

Flywheel was mainly shot with one digital video camera (Canon XL1) and a homemade dolly and jib crane. No actors in the film were paid and no sets were constructed. All scenes in the film were shot in church members actual homes and businesses. The cast and crew were composed of volunteers with previous experience making movies.

Flywheel premiered at the Carmike Wynnsong 16 Theater in Albany on April 9, 2003, after six months of production. It ran six weeks, beating out 12 Hollywood movies also playing there. Word began to spread about the film and soon pastors were promoting it to their congregations and families affected by it were emailing other families.

According to the official website, "Flywheel has won numerous awards including The Gold Crown Award for Best Screenplay, and the 2004 Best Picture Award at the WYSIWYG Film Festival."

Reception

Box Office

"Flywheel" was shown in three theaters in Georgia, aired on five Christian television networks, followed by a video release. It has sold more than 100,000 copies and may be rented in many markets. TBN and other family television networks have shown the film, exposing it to more than 63 million viewers. [http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=52271 verified 2006-11-05] More than 200 churches have also shown the movie.

Critics

Critical reviews of the film have been mixed. [ [http://quinnell.us/entertainment/movies/reviews/omr13.html FlyWheel on T. Rex's Movie Reviews] ] [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425027/usercomments FlyWheel on IMDb] ] Even so, many of these critics often express respect for the quality of acting and screenplay despite the low budget and lack of professional talent.

The film won seven Christian film awards. [ [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0425027/awards IMDb] ]

References

"All references and external links verified 2006-11-03 unless noted."

External links

*imdb title|id=0425027|title=Flywheel
* [http://sherwoodpictures.com Sherwood Pictures] web site, the movie's production company.
* [http://www.flywheelthemovie.com Flywheel] web site.
* [http://www.tbn.org/index.php/2/4/p/298.html Flywheel Airtimes] on TBN
* [http://www.ceganmo.com/2008/07/flywheel.html Flywheel] at [http://www.ceganmo.com CEGAnMo.com]