I showed the film to Norman Lear. He loved it, he cried. I show it to everybody. Because we show it to the Boy Scouts of America, to faith-based communities, to liberals - that doesn’t mean anything. I want everyone to be exposed to the movie. And just because Disney may have shown it to some conservative groups, that doesn’t mean we’re only appealing to conservatives. My political beliefs are my own beliefs and it doesn’t matter what they are. If I told you who to vote for, I wouldn’t change a single vote. I would try and inspire people to just take a look at the values and ideals that make this country great and let everybody make their own choices about that. It’s beyond politics.
Why do this film as your directorial debut?
Because I want to make films that celebrate life and it’s pretty tough to get a film like that made, whether it’s fiction or non-fiction. A non-fiction film, I could put the camera on my shoulder and do on my own. A fiction film needs big-star actors and a lot of money. We’re in this chicken/egg cycle where is it that audiences like films that are about exploitation, violence, sex, whatever, or is it only because studios make those movies? It’s kind of like the documentary that’s out there right now “Super Size Me,” you’ve got fast food. Is it that people really crave fast food or is it only because that’s something that we market to people? I think the truth that I discovered, actually working on this movie and traveling across America, is that people are really smart. And that we kind of look down, in the media capitals of the world, at the rest of the people. Because if you had a choice between fast food and home cooked gumbo, what would you want?
Home cooked.
Exactly. If you had the choice between some cheap mass-produced furniture or something that’s handmade, what would you want?
Of course the handmade.
Exactly. And that’s the same thing with people in this country. They are very aware that the media tries to homogenize their beliefs and change their attitudes about what to eat, what to drink, what music to listen to, and what to believe in. People want to hang onto their own culture, their own way of life. Quality will always rise above mediocrity.
How do you follow up this movie? What are you working on next?
Well, maybe there are enough stories that I didn’t put in the movie for a sequel. Who knows? If enough people show up and you become the filmmaker that can “deliver some box office,” then maybe I’ll be able to make some of the fictional films I’d like to make.
And keep with the theme of celebrating life?
Yes. I don’t think that’s being Pollyanna, I just think that we need that. I think that when you go to a theatrical experience and the lights go off and you’re sitting in the dark, for that opening three or four seconds, as a filmmaker I cherish the responsibility of entering your mind and being respectful, and not dragging dirt through your kitchen floor. You know? It’s a sacred place and I want to honor that. I want to just give you experiences that are positive and that are inspiring. I don’t see anything wrong with that.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
"America's Heart and Soul" Photo Gallery
"America's Heart and Soul" Trailer, Credits and Websites
