The List (2007/I)

Director:

Gary Wheeler

Writers:

Michelle Hoppe (screenplay)
Johnston H. Moore (screenplay)

Genre:

Thriller

Tagline:

Power Comes With A Price

Plot:

A sudden death tied to a list from the past leads to unimaginable evil. Fresh out of law school and full of hope for the future...

Plot Keywords:

South Carolina | Supernatural | Lawyer | Secret Society | Church

Cast

Malcolm McDowell	...	Desmond Larochette
Chuck Carrington	...	Renny Jacobsen
Hilarie Burton	...	Jo Johnston
Pat Hingle	...	Gus Eicholtz
Mary Beth Peil	...	Daisy Stokes
Will Patton	...	Harriston
Elizabeth Omilami	...	Mama A
Frank Hoyt Taylor	...	Amos Candler
Tim Ware	...	Thomas Layne
Nicholas Pryor	...	Harold Smithfield
Stephen Michael Ayers	...	Robert Roget
R. Keith Harris	...	Bart Maxwell
Richard Fullerton	...	Jerrod Weiss
Richard K. Olsen	...	Michael Flournoy
Joe Inscoe	...	Jefferson McClintock

MPAA:

Rated PG for thematic elements including some peril and brief incidental smoking.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Wilmington, North Carolina, USA

Company:

Level Path Productions

Goofs:

Factual errors: The coin found in the deposit box is a Peace Dollar which was minted 1921-1935 though the narrative says that it's a 1864 dollar which would be a Seated Liberty Dollar, very distinctively different from the coin shown.

Soundtrack:

In the Pines

Impressive

Adapting a novel is no simple task. Having read the book by Robert Whitlow I must say I am truly impressed. Is it exactly the same as the book? No, but it captures the heart of the book's message and I left the theater satisfied from a thrilling tale of good versus evil.

Perhaps even more impressive is the "production value" of the picture. Often low-budget films can really look cheap on screen only to be sent crashing and burning by even cheaper acting. Malcolm McDowell and Chuck Carrington lead the way for an ensemble cast of characters that truly captures the "Old-Money, Deep South" of Charleston. I was particularly impressed with scenes by Pat Hingle (of Gunsmoke fame, as well as Batman) and Will Patton which provided the most touching moments in the film.

I was always concerned that this movie would end up preaching to the audience (like most movies I have seen of this genre). The List is not that movie. A few of the characters talk about their faith and their belief in prayer but it is just a part of who those people are in the greater story of The List. It was nice to see someone on-screen portrayed as a selfless, compassionate human willing to sacrifice themselves for others WITHOUT TURNING TO VIOLENCE (a rare character in Hollywood).

So grab some popcorn and a coke—pull up a chair-- and enjoy this fantastic little Indie- flick!!