I still sometimes stop along U.S. 412 at tiny Carrollton near where 22-year-old All American Razorback Brandon Burlsworth from my hometown of Harrison died in a head-on collision with a large truck.
He was headed home that evening to share dinner with his mother, Barbara, after working out in Fayetteville to prepare for his coming NFL career with the Indianapolis Colts. Much of the state was stunned to learn he'd died. I climbed into my car that afternoon and headed 65 miles east to the spot, later visiting Brandon's demolished car that had been towed to a lot in nearby Alpena.
More of the best qualities of collective Arkansans were taken on April 28, 1999, than most realize. When his car inexplicably crossed the centerline, with Brandon's final breath went remarkable elements of integrity, courage, determination and one whose faith in God surpassed all he became in his brief time among us.
So it's no surprise to me that it's taken the most unlikely of filmmakers to recognize that Brandon's life deserves a full-length movie.
And on January 29, Brian Reindl of Fayetteville will reveal to the world on 400 movie screens nationwide how one bespectacled, overweight kid from Harrison (who few believed could play football in college, much less become an NFL-bound All American) reached deep into his heart and spirit to overcome all the negativity.
Hence the subtitle for Reindl's aptly named Greater became "The Incredible True Story of the Greatest Walk-on in the History of College Football."
Reindl's personal story is strangely similar to Burlsworth's, considering the words of Fayetteville attorney Westbrook Doss: "He's a totally inexperienced walk-on filmmaker intent on making a movie he believes tells a story most people can, and will, relate to and enjoy."
Doss said everyone in an early screening he joined to review Greater rated the film's content and story as top-notch.
Reindl, a UA graduate and lifelong Razorback fan, told me he couldn't believe Brandon had died. "But it was real," he said. "I realized immediately what a moving and valuable story his life had been. I kept waiting for someone to make a movie about it. But after years it hadn't happened. I never knew that I'd be the one making the movie, considering I knew nothing about that business in the beginning."
But the 51-year-old former real estate dealer and businessman who returned to Fayetteville in 1994 found himself financially able to pursue what he says became his "calling" after bundling and selling several properties in Washington County. Those sales netted enough for Reindl to realize he'd netted enough seed money to invest in making the movie on a lower budget and hopefully with the support of some investors.
He told his wife, Missy, about his proposed risky venture as a producer. She supported the movie idea while cautioning him he'd be wise not to tell anyone else in case his dream fell apart.
And so the wheels began to turn. In the grinding process (and it's been just that) Reindl would come to learn about screenwriting, casting directors, sets and production schedules, as well as expenses that invariably exceed budget on most movies. "When push came to shove, we always chose to raise the budget rather than cut quality," he said.
Six years would pass before Reindl visited with Brandon's brother Marty Burlsworth and family in Harrison. Yet slowly and steadily, across 11 years, the movie would find just the right actors and actresses (no big-name Hollywood stars) who ideally fit the roles. Christopher Severio, who portrays Brandon, showed up one day during a casting call in Louisiana. "We knew when we saw and heard him that he was the ideal person to portray Brandon," said Reindl. That proved to be true.
Longtime friend Tommy Tice of Huntsville was Brandon's high school coach in Harrison where Tice would set his record as the winningest active football coach in Arkansas. "We also were pleased with the actor who portrays Tommy," said Reindl. "We saw many similarities between the two men."
Reindl and David Hunt of Fayetteville would write the screenplay for Greater. Hunt would become the director.
Greater is not a faith-driven film as such along the lines of successful, lower-budget Christian-based moves such as Fireproof and War Room. It does, however, address the nature of faith and the obvious spiritual questions about why our human definition of bad things sometimes happen to the best among us. Burlsworth was a devout Christian, as is his family.
Reindl's hope is that Greater will create a widespread resonance similar to that generated by previous sports film classics such as Hoosiers and Remember the Titans to ultimately reach into most U.S theaters. I'm rooting for the same outcome, considering the family oriented story and its positive message. Plus, being from Harrison, I understand the nature and pulse of the majority who live in this idyllic piece of the Ozarks and the values passed along by most of its people.
As always, sales at the box office ultimately will determine how many see the film. Watch for yourself. Tell me what you think.
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Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at [email protected].
Editorial on 01/10/2016