Portions of Downtown Bainbridge were transformed to look like how they might have in the 1950s, as Desert Wind Films began shooting “Fishers of Men” (the former name of the feature film, Brothers Keeper) the week of Sept. 13.
The movie was shot in about 25 days and will feature a fictional town called Bainbridge as its setting. Vintage cars were angle-parked along the south and east sides of the square, and those blocks were closed to through traffic for two days. Store fronts were changed to replicate the look of the era. LTL Flowers and Gifts became the Newsstand, where bold headlines on special newspapers summarized the events of the movie’s court trial.
Steven Camp, executive producer and chief financial officer for Desert Wind, told how and why Bainbridge was chosen as the site. The film company initially chose a Georgia location because of the tax breaks given to film producers. Their original intent was to film the movie in Fayetteville at Riverwood Studios, but the plot incorporated a scene where two boys come down to Bainbridge to fish in the Flint River.
When Desert Wind contacted the Bainbridge-Decatur County Chamber of Commerce, they spoke with Development Authority Executive Director Rick McCaskill, who had served on the Florida Film Commission when in worked for the Quincy, Fla., Chamber of Commerce.
McCaskill convinced the group to come take a look at Bainbridge after he heard about the theme and era of the movie. Camp credits McCaskill with recognizing that the Bainbridge square, Courthouse and surroundings, in addition to the Flint, fit the bill perfectly for filming. Not just the fishing scene, but for the entire film—or at least 95 percent of it.
After spending three days in Bainbridge, the Desert Wind scouting team agreed with McCaskill, who was assisted in finding locations for the movie by Adrienne Harrison, director of the Bainbridge-Decatur County Convention and Visitors Bureau “We immediately fell in love,” said Camp. “We met some great people, and realized God had led us to Bainbridge for a reason.”
During filming, the 68-person crew and 41 cast members are in Bainbridge, staying at local hotels and eating at local restaurants. Camp said Desert Wind officials are already discussing the possibility of filming future faith-based movies in Bainbridge.
The former West Bainbridge Middle School on Dothan Road was the main shooting location that will appear as the fictional Bainbridge High School in the movie. Inside the school, stars of the movie and a few lucky local youth and adults filmed in a classroom and a hallway. About 40 to 50 students from Bainbridge High School, Grace Christian Academy and Southwest Georgia Academy waited in the school’s old auditorium for their chance to be background extras in the movie. All of the students, particularly the girls, had hairstyles and clothing from the 1950s. Several adults were also on hand to play teacher extras.
Later, scenes were filmed outside the old brick school with several classic cars provided by local collectors placed in the background of some shots.
The main brick building at West Bainbridge Middle School where filming occurred was built in 1925. Most of the other buildings at the school, which closed in spring 2009, were built in the 1950s and early 1960s. It was also formerly West Bainbridge High School before several smaller high schools consolidated into Bainbridge High School in 1966.
A prom scene featuring the film’s stars, several dozen local teenagers in 1950s semi-formal wear and the country/rock band BadHorse was filmed at the old Climax School. BadHorse, a Newnan, Ga., band that includes Bainbridge’s Bobby Walden Jr., pre-recorded songs by Buddy Holly, Little Richard and other popular 1950s artists for use on the film’s soundtrack.
While the prom scene enjoyed the participation of dozens of extras, it’s a couple of other scenes the film’s stars, including Mackenzie Mauzy as “Maggie Maloye” and Daniel Samonas as “Gordon Leemaster,” shot at the old Climax School that will have the film’s audience talking afterwards. Those scenes were shot on a closed set in the school’s hallways and contain some of the movie’s most dramatic moments.
The Climax School, which was an elementary school and high school at different times, is now the site of a HeadStart program for preschoolers. It’s located off Lee Street in the western portion of the town.
About midway through filming, and again near the end of filming, Desert Wind Films crew moved to the old Grady County Jail, just north of Cairo, Ga., off Georgia 93.
Alex Miller, who plays “Pete,” one of the twin brothers the movie’s story is focused on, was joined by country music star Travis Tritt for scenes shot inside the jail. The cinder-block and steel jail, which is no longer in use, portrays a 1950s-era state penitentiary.
At its core, “Fishers of Men” deals with a tragic turn of events that affects the lives of the twin Goodwyn brothers, Andy and Pete, according to Camp. Pete, the more virtuous of the two, is put on trial for a crime he didn’t commit. His life, already dampened by the tragic loss of a friend, is threatened to be destroyed by others’ deception. The trial absorbs the citizens of Bainbridge and its aftermath leads to Andy sacrificing himself so that Peter can go free and serve as a minister.
Ultimately sentenced to await the death sentence in prison, a desperate Pete begins to lose faith, knowing he is innocent. Tritt’s character “Eddie Waters” counsels and comforts him, urging him to continue being a Christian witness for others without faith, Camp said.
One brother’s personal sacrifice for his brother as he faces a bleak outcome contains allusions to the life of Jesus Christ, and is one of the movie’s most pervasive themes, Camp said. A shocking twist near the film’s end takes place during scenes filmed at the Board of Education building downtown. One of the building’s rooms portrays an electric chair chamber and gallery in the movie.
An inspirational scene set at a seminary college chapel were filmed at First Baptist Church. Although First Baptist has one of the largest sanctuaries in Bainbridge, its old-fashioned wooden pews and stained glass windows lended itself well to the movie’s era. Movie magic was used to make a small portion of the sanctuary seem like a much smaller chapel.
Later on, scenes were shot at First Presbyterian Church on Broad Street. A powerfully emotional scene in which Pete delivers a sermon just three days after his brother, Andy, dies, featured more than 100 extras in the congregation, Camp said.
Scenes were also filmed at two of the city’s landmarks, Willis Park and the Decatur County Courthouse. A short scene was filmed in the Courthouse Annex, and a couple more were filmed in the office of local attorney Ryan Cleveland across the street. At the direction of the film’s production staff, Cleveland’s personal office was transformed to look like that of a 1950s attorney.
A short scene was filmed in the Willis Park gazebo, where Herbert Leemaster— played by veteran Hollywood actor Ray Wise—made an important announcement to the local press in fictional 1950s Bainbridge.
In addition to scenes set outside the courthouse, several scenes took place inside the main courtroom of the historic Decatur County Courthouse. The main building of the courthouse dates to 1902 and underwent extensive restoration in the 1990s. The sunlight shining through the courtroom windows onto the polished wood furniture made for an exquisite set suitable for the highly dramatic scenes being filmed.
Some of the historic residences where scenes were shot included the O’Neal- Cooper house on Shotwell Street and the Paul Trulock residence in Climax. Other locations included an upstairs apartment at a historic Broughton Street residence.
Most of the film’s stars filmed scenes at Oak City Cemetery focusing on the dramatic funeral of one of the movie’s main characters. A riveting scene that accompanies the funeral happens between Wise and Michael Rooker, who plays the fictional police chief of Bainbridge, as the two men’s characters observe the funeral from the cemetery’s outskirts. Professional Texas actress Noell Coet,
who plays “Ginny Wonders,” one of the film’s most interesting supporting roles, also has a powerful change of heart on the banks of the Flint River, in a scene that comes after her testimony in Pete’s trial.
With filming slated to end around Oct. 15, the movie shoot brings to fruition comments frequently heard said by tourists and visitors to our fair city: “This downtown looks like something out of a movie.”
