Road Rules

Gary Morris-Mansee’s initial drives down U.S. 71 south of Fayetteville did not show him much promise.

“I was a little apprehensive. And I didn’t know much about it. … There were a lot of other (businesses) that were closed,” he says.

The highway, once a popular access route for points to the south and a connecting road to Interstate 40, fell out of favor in 1999 when Interstate 540 extended to Bella Vista and provided the same basic route at faster speeds.

Businesses closed. And then?

A mountain lodge, previously with too many passersby to be truly remote, suddenly regained its appeal. Motorcyclists, happy for a challenging ride, returned to the road. Restaurants, often catering to the small-town crowd, found themselves slowly returning to life.

“A lot of businesses are doing better now than they were just a couple years ago,” says Brooke McNeely Galligan, who cocreated a 20-plus-minute documentary about the road and the nearby town of Winslow.

The film, “The Road Less Traveled,” debuted in July after two semesters of work in a University of Arkansas course taught by Emmy-winning documentarian Larry Foley. “The Road Less Traveled” will have a busy weekend. Galligan and Morris-Mansee will sell copies of the movie at Winslow’s community festival, Winfest, on Saturday, and on Monday, the film will be screened at the Fayetteville Public Library as part of a three-day fi lm event.

Morris-Mansee, a former television news assignment editor, did much of the research and writing for the film. Galligan, a former newspaper photographer now working as a freelancer, did much of the camera and editing work.

Galligan’s initial idea for the film revolved around the people of Winslow. Although that element still weaves its way through the documentary, the fi lm shifted focus to U.S. 71 at the urging of Foley.

“A lot of people have nostalgia for that road, but they haven’t driven down it since 540 opened,” Galligan says.

The film focuses on many of the hangouts for the Winslowcommunity, particularly those along U.S. 71. Morris-Mansee’s research also provides historical information about the dangers of the road, one he said was once ranked as one of the most dangerous in America.

The filmmaking duo - both novices - found an ally in the Fayetteville-based folk band 3 Penny Acre. The group had previously recorded an album about U.S. 71. Music by the bandwas used in the film, and one of its members, Bryan Hembree, serves as the fi lm’s narrator.

Galligan says the film will be shipped off to several film festivals in the hope it will be screened there as well.

Winslow is showcased this weekend by Winfest, which offers live music and community games. A half marathon and 5K run also take place in town Saturday morning.