The Secrets of Jonathan Sperry (2008)

A wise old Christian man imparts Biblical truths to three boys during the summer of 1970.

Director:

Rich Christiano

Writers:

Dave Christiano, Rich Christiano

Stars:

Gavin MacLeod, Jansen Panettiere, Robert Guillaume

Cast

Credited cast:
Gavin MacLeod	...	Jonathan Sperry
Jansen Panettiere	...	Dustin
Robert Guillaume	...	Mr. Barnes
Frankie Ryan Manriquez	...	Albert
Allen Isaacson	...	Mark
Taylor Boggan	...	Nick
Mary Jean Bentley	...	Mrs. Sharp (as Mary Jean McAdams)
Bailey Garno	...	Tanya
Kristina Jewell	...	Sally
Cameron Bloomer	...	Roy
Tommy Pasko	...	Larry
Eva Mancarella	...	Girl in diner
Dina Corsetti	...	Waitress
Peter Doyle	...	Preacher
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hayley Lown	...	Girl in Restaurant

Storyline

In 1970 a 75-year-old man named Jonathan Sperry starts mentoring three boys - Dustin, Albert, and Mark - to follow the Lord.

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Plot Keywords:

christian propaganda | boy | 1970s | christian | christian film | 

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Taglines:

What he teaches you...will last forever.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for mild thematic elements

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Rich Christiano mentioned "Before we showed this movie in theaters, we first screened it in some Christian film festivals, and the first one we ever showed this movie at was in Boston ..." (at 36:13 in 'Behind the Secrets of Jonathan Sperry'). That was The Merrimack Valley Christian Film Festival in Lawerence, 29 miles north of Boston (3/16/2008-3/23/2008). Rich Christiano also refers to this screening at 25:07 in the DVD commentary, saying the film "wasn't even finished yet."

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Goofs

When Mr. Sperry challenges the boys to form a chain stretching from a tree to a $5 bill he places on a picnic table (at around 1h), shots from behind the boys show half the table in sunlight, while the reverse shots (which had to be shot on a different day) show the table completely in shadows.

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Connections

Referenced in The Comfort Zone: Mother God?! (2013)

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Soundtracks

Cookin
Performed by Al Casey Combo
Written by Al Casey, Brad Bauder and Bob Taylor

User Reviews

Great message. Wonderful plot.

Heart-warming and funny. A golden nugget and light-spirited. Great message to grasp and lesson to be learned. Definitely one to add to my collection. Not your usual movie about bullies, and the secrets of an aged man. This movie is filled with lessons, teachings, messages and warnings. However, there is one overall hidden positive message/lesson that I wonder if anyone has or will notice, between "Dustin" and "Tanya". I really enjoyed this movie and recommend it. Actually thought about using it for a bible study or my own personal teaching for myself. I know I could get a lot more out of this movie than what I have already watching it 5x so far. Unfortunately anything without explicit scenes or tainted by the world's cynical view of everything is very rare in this day in age. Acting is mediocre, but if that's all one gets out of this movie, than sorry but you really wasted your own time with this one.

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

18 September 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

As Histórias de Jonathan Sperry

Filming Locations:

Brockport, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$258,400, 20 September 2009

Gross USA:

$1,355,079

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$1,355,079

Company Credits

Production Co:

Christiano Film Group

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color