Gospel Hill (2008)

User Rating:

5.1/10   

Director:

Giancarlo Esposito

Writers (WGA):

Jeff Stacy (screenplay) &
Jeffrey Pratt Gordon (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

21 August 2009 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A former sheriff of the southern town dealing with past sins, and a former civil rights worker, withdrawn since the martyrdom of his brother thirty years before, confront a threat to their town.

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Chloe Bailey	...	Anna
Adam Baldwin	...	Carl Herrod
Angela Bassett	...	Sarah Malcolm
Corinne Biazzo	...	Waitress
Chuck Bibby	...	Dr. Bob Owens
Phillip Bloch
Tom Bower	...	Jack Herrod
Jason Downs	...	Tommy Duncan
Chris Ellis	...	L Don Murray
Giancarlo Esposito	...	Dr. Palmer
Lee Freeman	...	City Council President
Anthony Garner	...	Line Dancer
Danny Glover	...	John Malcolm
Ralph Greene	...	Luther
Trey Greene	...	Young Jack Herrod
Linwood Gurley	...	Council Meeting Attendee
Christy Johnson	...	Sarah's Cadre
Azariah Jones	...	DeeDee
Valerie Jones	...	Mrs. B
Andrew R. Kaplan	...	Businessman / Memoriallizer
Yaani King	...	Sarah
Taylor Kitsch	...	Joel Herrod
Jason Duffy Klemm	...	Police Officer #2
Nia Long	...	Mrs. Palmer
W. Scott Parker III	...	L. Don's Grading Employee
Michael Parness	...	Cromwell
Edd Robinson	...	City council member
RZA
John R. Sexton	...	Manager
Julia Stiles	...	Rosie
Janice Mitchell Wyatt	...	Townsperson
Shane Wyatt	...	Little Carl
Joe C. Farr III	...	Church patron (uncredited)
Samuel L. Jackson	...	Paul Malcolm (uncredited)
Eryn Victoria Reid	...	Diner patron (uncredited)

Directed by
Giancarlo Esposito

Writing credits (WGA)
Jeff Stacy		(screenplay) &
Jeffrey Pratt Gordon		(screenplay) and
Terrell Tannen		(screenplay)
Jeff Stacy		(story) &
Jeffrey Pratt Gordon		(story)

Produced by
Kenneth Atchity	....	associate producer
Adam Betteridge	....	executive producer
Freddy Braidy	....	producer
Stan Erdreich	....	co-producer
Giancarlo Esposito	....	producer
Susan Fink	....	associate producer
Jeffrey Pratt Gordon	....	co-producer
B. Billie Greif	....	producer
Cerise Hallam Larkin	....	producer
Simon Horsman	....	executive producer
Charlotte Koh	....	executive producer
Ronald Kolman	....	executive producer
Spencer Longmore	....	executive producer
Emerson Machtus	....	producer
Christopher Mallick	....	co-executive producer
Stephen Margolis	....	executive producer
Jason Offor	....	associate producer
Andreas Olavarria	....	executive producer
Michael Parness	....	executive producer
Elana Pianko	....	co-producer
Scott Putman	....	line producer
Sophia Raab	....	associate producer
David Rogers	....	executive producer
Scott M. Rosenfelt	....	producer
Jeff Stacy	....	co-producer
Mark K. Sullivan	....	executive producer
Terrell Tannen	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Scott Bomar

Cinematography by
David Tumblety

Film Editing by
Tina Pacheco

Casting by
Eyde Belasco

Production Design by
William A. Cimino

Art Direction by
Jim Gloster

Set Decoration by
Jay Klein

Costume Design by
Nikoya Gonzalez

Makeup Department
Wendy Bell	....	makeup artist: day player
Julie Callihan	....	first assistant makeup artist
Taylor Knight	....	department head hair
Marilyn McCready	....	hair day player
Charles Gregory Ross	....	key hair stylist
Leigh Ann Yandle	....	makeup department head

Production Management
Christopher Kenneally	....	post-production supervisor
Michael Parness	....	production supervisor
Scott Putman	....	unit production manager
Ian B. Wile	....	post-production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Anya Adams	....	first assistant director
Alice M. Peschl	....	second second assistant director
Sean Whitler	....	second assistant director

Art Department
Tiffany Apple	....	art department coordinator
Tiffany Apple	....	assistant graphic designer
Jeffrey J. Barrows	....	property master
Keynan Davis	....	property production assistant
Keynan Davis	....	props
John Day	....	set dresser
Carson Gloster	....	set dresser
Sean Keenan	....	set dresser
Richard Krish	....	leadman
Barb Livingston	....	buyer
Mark Mundorf	....	art department intern
Mike Ortiz	....	set dresser
Tim Parati	....	painter
Chrissy Premeaux	....	assistant property master
Todd Spencer	....	on-set dresser
Todd Spencer	....	set dresser
Deanna Tilley	....	set dresser

Sound Department
Jeffree Bloomer	....	sound mixer
Shaun Brennan	....	foley artist
David Briggs	....	supervising dialogue adr editor
Anthony Cargioli	....	boom operator
Rusty Dunn	....	sound effects editor
Suzanne Goldish	....	adr recordist
Lewis Goldstein	....	sound re-recording mixer
Lewis Goldstein	....	supervising sound editor
Albert Hedgepeth	....	second boom operator
Allen Lau	....	assistant sound editor
Nathan Lindsey	....	sound intern
Chris Navarro	....	adr mixer
Robert Sharman	....	sound mixer: Los Angeles

Stunts
Cal Johnson	....	stunt coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Chris Allen	....	grip
Todd Armitage	....	camera operator
Zachary Atkinson	....	crane operator
Raymond Benthall	....	electrician
Todd Boggess	....	electrician
Catherine Cravens	....	electrician
Randall Freeman	....	electrician
Leslie Gordon	....	grip
Ben D. Griffith Jr.	....	key grip
Herb Harton	....	first assistant camera: "b" camera
Dalton Hendrix	....	electrician
Sean Hepler	....	electrician
Lonnie Kahoe	....	dolly grip
Timothy Kane	....	assistant camera: Los Angeles
John Keating	....	first assistant camera
John Larson	....	grip
Stephanie Luxenberg	....	second assistant camera
Jack McCollum	....	electrician
Billy Merrell	....	best boy grip
Gregory J. Niska	....	gaffer
Mark Paton	....	camera intern
Mark Patton	....	camera intern
Piotr Redlinski	....	still photographer
Lee Roberts	....	camera intern
Lee Michael Roberts	....	camera intern
David Sammons	....	camera operator: Los Angeles
Art Schultz	....	best boy electric
Christian Shonts	....	loader
Art Shultz	....	best boy electric
Gene Michael Smith	....	grip
Paul Spaniel	....	electrician

Casting Department
Mitzi Corrigan	....	additional casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Nicholas Amoroso	....	costume assistant
Doug Barber	....	set costumer
Stanley Hudson	....	costume supervisor
Ginger Knussmann	....	set costumer
A. Maxine Martin	....	set costumer
Julia Rusthoven	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
John Crowley	....	colorist
Sebastian Ischer	....	additional editor
Paul Leonardo Jr.	....	post-production coordinator

Transportation Department
Vicky Brooks	....	driver
Neil Castles Jr.	....	transportation coordinator
Neil Castles Sr.	....	picture car coordinator
Christie Chaplin	....	driver
Dawn Cook	....	driver
Joe Cook	....	driver
Jeff Corbett	....	driver
Doug Floyd	....	driver
Dewey Graham	....	transportation captain
Chuck Granger	....	driver
Tim Johnson	....	driver
Todd Lucky	....	driver generator operator
Jamie Norris	....	driver
Jerry Pond	....	driver
Joey Ricker	....	driver
Corey Simon	....	driver
Jimmy Wright	....	driver

Other crew
Paul Battista	....	legal services
Richard S. Bellina	....	key set medic
Renee Bollten	....	production coordinator
Mellie Boozer	....	accounting clerk
Kristin Cauldwell	....	payroll accountant
Wendy Chaplin	....	assistant craft service
Dan Clark	....	production assistant
Josh Cleghorn	....	stand-in
Christopher Conkling	....	production accountant
Joshua P. Dease	....	first assistant accountant (as Joshua Dease)
Anil Dhokai	....	location assistant
Drury Dupre	....	catering coordinator
Robert W. Filion	....	accounting clerk
Tyler Garnett	....	production assistant
I. Karl Golden	....	location manager
Shannon Haggard	....	stand-in
P.J. Haines	....	chef
Corey L. Howard	....	assistant craft service
Jason Allen King	....	assistant location manager
Phillip Lorenz	....	production assistant
Sean Lynn	....	catering manager
Brian McCrossin	....	chef
Volney McFarlin	....	assistant: Mr. Jackson
Gregg Millard	....	unit publicist
Kevin Mills	....	key set production assistant
Amber Nann	....	set production assistant
Justin Park-Yanovitch	....	production assistant
Pedro Pinto	....	unit publicist
Nia Pleasants	....	assistant to producer
Jorge F. Rodriguez	....	assistant to producers
Jorge F. Rodriguez	....	script coordinator
Denver Scaggs	....	set medic
Ryan Scott	....	set production assistant
Rachel Sheridan	....	assistant production coordinator
Jennie Shope	....	intern production assistant
Gene Michael Smith	....	set production assistant
Gene Smith	....	production assistant
Kara B. Still	....	script supervisor
Donald Warren	....	assistant to director
Charlie Watson	....	craft service
Michael Weiss	....	legal services
Mychal Wilson	....	entertainment attorney
Alexander Wood	....	assistant to director
Matt Zervoulis	....	first assistant chef

Thanks
Angie Clinton	....	special thanks
Norman Dawkins	....	special thanks
Tee Fergeson	....	special thanks
Jane Franks	....	special thanks
Dr. Donald Huene	....	special thanks
Abana Jacobs	....	special thanks
Charles Jones	....	special thanks
Linh Le	....	special thanks
Thi Le	....	special thanks
Dorene Watts	....	special thanks
Terry Windell	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Deco Entertainment
• Full Glass Films
• Future Films
• Great British Films
• Premiere Picture
• Quiet Hands Productions
• Untold Pictures

Distributors

• MG Film (2007) (Croatia) (all media)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• American Roadshow Motion Picture And Television Catering  catering
• Dolby Laboratories  sound post-production
• Postworks New York  digital intermediate

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

Australia:M | Singapore:PG | New Zealand:M

Filming Locations:

Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA

Company:

Deco Entertainment

Giancarlo Esposito's directorial debut is a well-intentioned, but ultimately simplistic look at racial relations

"Gospel Hill", Giancarlo Esposito's directorial debut, was presented at the 12th Green Mountain Film Festival, after a modest DVD release (which seems to be a popular way to distribute independent films that are still running the festivals circuit without getting the exposure they deserve).

Shot in 19 days with a very limited budget in South Carolina, it's a slow paced story of racial tension and redemption in a small town. Forty years ago, Paul Malcolm (an uncredited Samuel L. Jackson), a black civil rights activist, was murdered, and since then his son John (Danny Glover) has withdrawn from the community. The town's ex-sheriff (Tom Bower), abandoned the investigation on Paul's murder, creating a long term tension between blacks and whites. A golf course development, led by Dr. Palmer (Esposito himself), is about to force the residents of the black neighborhood of Gospel Hill out of their homes, which only makes the racial tension get worse.

As someone who worked with Spike Lee so many times, it's interesting how Esposito's approach to racial relations is completely different from Lee's explosive visual and moral style. Esposito takes his time to introduce the characters, tell the story, being almost contemplative, and seeks redemption for its conclusion. That's not necessarily a bad thing, actually it's refreshing. However, his characters are poorly written, the script is too simplistic, and although Danny Glover and Tom Bower (which slightly resembles Peter Boyle's character in "Monster's Ball") have good moments, the ensemble acting is underwhelming (Angela Bassett, usually a great actress, has had better times, and Esposito, a great actor himself, shows that directing yourself doesn't always work). Listening to him speak about this project leaves no doubt that he had good intentions and a passion for it. Nonetheless, I couldn't help but feeling like I was watching a run of the mill TV movie made thousands of times before. Good intentions alone don't make a good film, but at least he tried to tell a story, which is always something to be praised. Maybe in his next attempt, he will get a better result. 4.5/10.