‘OLD FASHIONED’ ROMANCE IS A NEW HIT
buzzz worthy. . .
A Small Valentines Weekend Movie Dominates in its Theaters |
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BURBANK, Calif. – Love is in, and a new movie about it is breaking
records and turning heads. OLD
FASHIONED—an upstart, indie romantic drama about
respect in romance—sold out theaters, drew spontaneous applause at
the end and, according to Box Office Mojo, holds the new record as
best-performing Christian film in fewer than 300 theaters. In 224 theaters,
OLD FASHIONED exceeded $1 million for the
four-day holiday weekend. Viewers on Rotten Tomatoes rated it a positive 96
percent.
The reviews are in. . .
“OLD FASHIONED deserves commendation.
[It’s] well acted and beautifully shot.”
Glen Kinney RogerEbert.com “Endearing . . . the story of a man and a woman falling in love with respect, honesty and a spiritual element that never gets too preachy . . the kind of production that makes couples want to hold hands in the theater.” Rick Bentley The Fresno Bee “OLD FASHIONED is a refreshingly-principled parable proving that a picture championing chastity can be every bit as entertaining and enjoyable as one promoting promiscuity.” Kam Williams Baret News
“People are saying it’s a good and
refreshing story well told—and that the cinematography makes them
fall in love with Ohio, as well as Clay and Amber,”
OLD FASHIONED writer, director, and star Rik
Swartzwelder said. Swartzwelder knew nothing of FIFTY SHADES when he
began his screenplay, but its release was deliberately timed to show a
contrast in the films’ two messages. “We wanted to make a
modern love story with timeless meaning,” he said. “Two wounded
souls well past their 20s—or their first loves—are trying to do
love right this time around. Based on the spontaneous applause at
sold-out shows all across the country, it’s clear there’s an
audience for this kind of story.”
At weekend’s start, Super Bowl winning Coach Tony
Dungy posted
to Facebook, “If you're going to the
movies this weekend with your wife, take her to see Old
Fashioned. This is a story about how a man really wins a
woman.”
At Rotten Tomatoes, viewers echo Dungy’s
review:
“Great story, wonderful acting, great production,
nice music, good in every way. It ranks with my top five favorite romantic
movies. All this from a little independent film company. I am so
impressed!”
“A story of love and forgiveness and leaving the
past behind. Beautifully filmed and with hidden depth it is truly worth
seeing.”
“I will see it again!”
“It is a movie with Christian principles, yet it
is not at all “preachy.” . . . so refreshing to see a
quality movie about old fashioned values.”
A romantic-drama, OLD
FASHIONED centers on Clay Walsh, a former frat boy who gives
up his carousing and now runs an antique shop in a small Midwestern college
town. There, he has become notorious for his lofty and outdated theories on
love and romance as well as for his devout belief in God. When Amber Hewson
a free-spirited young woman with a restless soul, drifts into the area and
rents the apartment above his shop, she finds herself surprisingly drawn to
his strong faith and noble ideas, which are new and intriguing to her. And
Clay, though he tries to fight and deny it, simply cannot resist being
attracted to her spontaneous and passionate embrace of life. Ultimately,
Clay must step out from behind his relational theories and Amber must
overcome her own fears and deep wounds as the two of them, together,
attempt the impossible: an "old-fashioned" and God-honoring courtship in
contemporary America.
Besides Swartzwelder (THE LEAST OF THESE,
WAR PRAYER), OLD FASHIONED
features Elizabeth Ann Roberts
(Criminal Minds,
Southland, CSI),
Dorothy Silver (THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, THE MOTHMAN
PROPHECIES), Tyler Hollinger (BLACK DOG, RED DOG;
TRUST ME, I’M A LIFEGUARD; Taxi Brooklyn;
What Would You Do?),
LeJon Woods (HOMEMAKERS, TOMORROW YOU’RE GONE), Nini
Hadjis (CROSS-EYED DINNER THEATER PRESENTS!, FOCUS ON ME),
Maryann Nagel (INTO THE STORM, TRUE NATURE), Joseph Bonamico
(Miami Vice, The Light of Day, Unsolved
Mysteries), Lindsay
Heath, Anne Marie Nestor (TURBINE,
One Life to Live, The Onion News
Network) and Ange’le Perez.
OLD FASHIONED is produced by
Swartzwelder’s Skoche Films, Nathan Nazario of Motion Picture Pro
Studios, Dave DeBorde and Nini Hadjis. Freestyle Releasing
distributed.
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