Welcome to Paradise (2007)

User Rating:

4.5/10   

Director:

Brent Huff

Writers:

William Shockley (writer) and
Brent Huff (writer)

Release Date:

October 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family

Tagline:

The road to Paradise begins with a journey of the heart.

Plot:

Reverand Debbie Laramie (Crystal Bernard) and her son, Hayden (Bobby Edner), are forced to move to Paradise, Texas due to the unorthodox methods Debbie uses in her sermons.

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Crystal Bernard	...	Debbie Laramie
Bobby Edner	...	Hayden Laramie
Brian Dennehy	...	Bobby Brown
William Shockley	...	Kent Dylan
Beth Grant	...	Frances Loren
Ken Jenkins	...	Reverend McNamara
Nick Searcy	...	Reverend Ellington
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lou Beatty Jr.	...	Trevor Goodman
Cynthia Boris	...	Church Goer
Brianne Costa	...	Snobby Girl
Doug Cox	...	Izzy
Danielle Dearing	...	Church Goer
Elizabeth Dennehy	...	Helen Brown
Loy Edge	...	Nate Twain
Lorilynn Failor	...	Twyla Twain
Paul Ganus	...	Bart
Lisa Angelina Green	...	Shopkeeper
Michael Tyler Henry	...	Donnie Bottinelli
Bailey Huff	...	Schoolyard Bully
Chris Kato	...	Valet
Shelby Kern	...	Bailey's Friend
Kelly Lazarus	...	Beth
Robbie Moore	...	Church Member
Marianne Muellerleile	...	Doris Fargo
Jim O'Heir	...	Fred Fargo
Emily Pennington	...	Bailey
Connie Ray	...	Patsy Nellis
Leslie Riley	...	Teacher
Evan Sabara	...	Kip
Michael Seaman	...	Scott Sullivan
Timothy Stack	...	Eugene Fennig
Brad Stine	...	John Sullivan
Jennifer Titus	...	Young Mother
Lindsay Weems	...	Waitress

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements, brief language and teen smoking.

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Out of Pocket Films

Well Done!

It was great to see a movie that works through difficult life issues Raising a teenager as a single parent, getting fired from your job, going into a settled community and bucking the trends are things we all have to face. The scenes cut back and forth frequently to cover several of the characters and to weave the story line into a flow that was quick enough to get to the points across that were being made. Crystal Barnard did a terrific job and really got into the role effectively. Even though the story was not about Crystal and Shockely you can easily see where it could lead this way and that felt good to me. This was a nice touch.

The use of a female minister in this type of role was well done and should be well received. She is the "new breed" and breathes new life into a community that was in a rut---like so many of ours are today. Her message appealed and should be embraced by all levels of audience. The good in people comes from the grass roots and this movie was able to bring this out effectively.

I saw the movie twice and was not disappointed either time. Crystal faces several very challenging issues and through her positive outlook and faith she was able to connect with a community to bring them to a higher and better place. This was done without getting too corny---the director was very good about keeping the tone "modern" but kept the message on track. Good job all around.