Feature Stories – Movie Reviews
This interview with actor Michael Wilhem was featured in the popular arts and entertainment journal Whatzup. Michael, who is both a gifted actor and a wonderful human being, played one of the lead roles in Healing River.
Forgiveness can be difficult, especially when something tragic and painful has occurred. In the faith-based film Healing River, a woman’s son is killed by a drug-addicted young man, leaving the mother enraged with the boy. Throughout the movie, she’s challenged with cultivating the strength to forgive her son’s murderer. Michael Wilhelm plays Father Peter, a Catholic priest and brother of the woman who lost her son.
DIRECTOR PUTS HIMSELF IN THE MOVIE
According to Wilhelm, his character was much like the director and writer Mitch Teemley himself. “It was like the author putting himself into the script,” Wilhelm said. “I knew Mitch, so I was finding the kind of attitude he had and his cerebral way of communicating, yet in a very lighthearted way. I was just buddying around with Mitch to understand how he operated so I could then operate with that quality.”
The priest makes several references to sci-fi and the Beatles — in other words, the gospel according to modern culture, according to Wilhelm. Wilhelm’s favorite line from the movie is “Justice without mercy is revenge. God doesn’t want that!”
“That’s probably the pivotal point in the whole film,” Wilhelm said.
FROM CALIFORNIA TO CINCINNATI
Teemley and Wilhelm met out in California while working on a student film together. “We did this film and it was cute and adorable and kind of funny,” Wilhelm said. “While I was working there, I found out that he was also a fellow believer in Christ, but then we lost touch.”
Twenty years later, Wilhelm and his family relocated and bought a house in Fort Wayne. While packing for the move, he ran across the tape he and Teemley created.
Through Facebook, Wilhelm reconnected with Teemley and discovered he had relocated to Cincinnati. Later, Teemley contacted Wilhelm with an opportunity to work together again.
“He was casting for this film and wanted me to send him a video audition,” Wilhelm said. “I hadn’t seen him in 20 years, and now I’m working for him again.”
Wilhelm said this movie was a joy to work on. He hated to see it end.
“Here I am a local actor in Fort Wayne and I’m going down trying to rub elbows with the arts community in Cincinnati,” Wilhelm said. “I was really intimidated, but they were so fun, gifted, and talented to work with.”
This was the biggest film Wilhelm had ever done, though he’s been featured in several other works. “I didn’t know very much about how the technical side of it worked since this was the first big-budget piece I’ve ever done,” Wilhelm said. “But I was surprised. It was a treat, like going to Cedar Point for the first time in your life.”
Production took about nine weeks, but Wilhelm wasn’t there the entire time since he was commuting from Fort Wayne.
FILMING FORGIVENESS
Through filming this movie, Wilhelm found that he could go places as a performer he didn’t know he could go to before. “It’s like swimming in the deep end for the first time,” Wilhelm said. As a follower of Christ, he realized the power of forgiveness.
“It’s not easy to be able to let it go when you know something wrong happened,” Wilhelm said. “You really have to let go of it to find freedom in life.” Though this movie has a strong Catholic backdrop, Wilhelm said everyone should see it since it contains a universal message. “Regardless of denomination, forgiveness is very important,” Wilhelm said. “It just happened to be that we told the story with a Catholic setting.”
Outside of this production, Wilhelm is connected with all for One productions in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This coming season, all for One will be performing a play he wrote, The Dreadful Journal of Phoebe Weems, as its season opener.
“Life worked out in a way that I couldn’t imagine,” Wilhelm said.
Viewers can find Healing River on Amazon and on DVD (next month).
Congratulations.👍👍🌹I like ‘Justice without mercy is revenge’.Thanks a lot for sharing.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Looks like I’ve got another famous neighbor. Maybe I’ll offer him a part in the next production of “Satan’s Worst Nightmare.” 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are you in or near Ft. Wayne, Annie? I know you live in my neck of the woods, but can’t recall just where.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Louisville, KY, just across the river from Indiana. Although we’re in cool, beautiful Michigan at the moment. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very interesting back story to the film. It reminds me a little of the interviews with the actors who contributed to The Chosen. . Were you able to do this in spite of Covid or was all the filming done before the virus?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was filmed before the pandemic, but we felt this was the time people really needed to see it.
LikeLike
What a fun story! I love backstories to song lyrics, a piece of art and movies. But my favorites are getting the backstory to a snippet of God’s BIG story. It’s a little glimpse of the Creator at work on His masterpiece – humanities redemption.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amen, Manette.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like. Like. Like!!! So cool…👌 Have not viewed the movie yet. But it is on my watchlist for our home date night. Looking forward to it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That’s great, Patricia. Enjoy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, Thank you for posting this. I hope it helps you draw a crowd for the movie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure, old friend. I was delighted to introduce people to the man who brought Fr. Peter to life.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s nice to see a positive portrayal of a Catholic priest these days. The film looks very interesting.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is a great movie with great acting!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Aw, thank you, Jodie! Have you had a chance to review or rate it yet at Amazon and IMDb?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yep! I did.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Great. Thanks!
LikeLike
I enjoyed reading The interview with Wilhelm. To think that you connected with each other for this project after twenty years!
LikeLiked by 1 person
God plans ahead! ;>)
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person