Greater: Brandon Burlsworth movie as unlikely as Razorback career

Most Razorback fans and Arkansans know Brandon Burlsworth's story.

The University of Arkansas walk-on player gained notoriety in his time on the field. He earned All-SEC offensive guard in 1997 and 1998, was named first team All-American and was drafted for the Indiana Colts -- a role he didn't get to fulfill because a car wreck that ended his life at age 22.

Burlsworth's quick rise as a valuable player has since landed him the title as the "greatest walk-on [player] in history." It's the focus of a new film, Greater, which will be released in theaters across the country Jan. 29.

What many don't know about the Burlsworth story is how unlikely the film was to making it to the big screen.

"The making of this film is analogous to Brandon's life story," said David Hunt, director of the movie. "Aside from Brian [Reindl, executive producer], no one thought to do this. It's parallel to Brandon's walk-on experience."

When Reindl set out 11 years ago to make the film, he had no prior experience in filmmaking. His expertise was in real estate. Having no producing clout made him an easy target for naysayers.

"I've seen all [sorts of] negative voices that came in," Hunt said. "Saying to Reindl, 'You can't do this.' 'You've never made a movie before.' 'You're not going to get [the actors] you want.' It was a relentless drumbeat from different voices, and he always had the fortitude to keep going.

"He believed in the story."

Those discouraging comments never deterred Reindl, he said, because he knew Brandon Burlsworth's story was special and must be told. He couldn't ignore it.

"It's something that really impacted me," Reindl said. "Of all the stories I saw as a Razorback fan, Brandon got drafted. He never missed practice, he played injured, he got a master's degree before he finished [Razorback years] and, while going home to go to church with his mom, he was killed in a car accident.

"It seemed like a movie. He seemed like a character."

With no prior movie experience, no Hollywood connections and no formal training in writing, Reindl set out to begin the process of making a movie. He first met with Vickie and Marty Burlsworth, Brandon's parents and visited the Brandon Burlsworth Foundation, which carries on Brandon's legacy to help underprivileged children. Reindl then read at least 20 screenwriting books, watched every sports movie he could find and drew up a script himself -- just to have something to show potential directors and screenwriters.

It was difficult -- and not just because he was new at it. Reindl wanted Greater to be unlike any other athletic movie out there.

"I had this vision in my head that it was different than other movies," he said. "It's not like I could go to people and say, 'I want to make something like this.'"

The reason it's taken 11 years, Reindl says, is that there were many "ups and downs, delays," and partnerships that didn't pan out.

"There were set backs," he said. "You just dust yourself off, pick yourself up and figure out another plan. There were a couple of [discouraging] times, but I never thought I wouldn't do it."

Eventually, though, he landed a screenwriter who could improve on the original script, and he found David Hunt, the director who agreed with Reindl's idea of how to tell Brandon's story.

Everyone involved wanted it to be a reflection of Burlsworth's highest values, which included his Christian faith, extreme hardwork and dedication to family. It's not just a football movie, and it's not just a faith-based movie, all say. It's a story of perseverance that anyone can enjoy.

"The movie gets Brandon's life and message out," said Marty Burlsworth, Brandon's father. It shows "what he stood for, worked for and the example he set.

"Brandon had worked so hard and was such a great example. It's only fitting that a movie be made of his life."

All also agreed the independent film should have the look and feel of a big, well-done feature film. That's hard to do on a small budget, but Hunt said they managed it.

"This was a very challenging film to do for not a lot of money," Hunt said. Reindl reportedly invested $7 million in the film -- which has financed 165 cast and crew members, 300 visual effects and a soundtrack by a full orchestra. For comparison's sake, consider that Remember the Titans had a budget of $30 million. "We shot a movie in 33 days that would normally be shot in 80 days."

It was a lot to accomplish, having meditated on the story for more than a decade, weathering many fluctuating details, like filming in three cities (primarily Fayetteville, a week in Little Rock and a day in Harrison) and capturing a lot of football action -- the stunts and complex plays.

Filming was done throughout 2013, and editing of the film took the better part of 2014. Hunt used a New York casting agency, which conducted more than 2,000 interviews in Fayetteville, Little Rock, Louisiana and New York.

Quinton Aaron, star of The Blind Side, and Neal McDonough of Minority Report and Captain America: The First Avenger are a couple of well-knowns who made the cut. But the lead role is taken by Christopher Severio, who is new to the limelight.

Severio was discovered at the New Orleans audition, where he was surrounded by 100 other screen-hopefuls as he waited patiently for his turn. Hunt learned of his talent when one of his casting crew, Gabrielle Keeley, showed off Severio's audition tape.

"I saw her going into the production office and showing [the tape] to unit production," Hunt said. "She told us, 'This guy make me cry just watching him.' We had an immediate connection to him and invited him in for a second read."

The callback was a welcome surprise to Severio, who hadn't been confident in the outcome of the initial audition.

"When we got [to the New Orleans audition] I was really nervous," Severio said. "The guy sitting next to me was there for the same part, which was nerve-wracking. It was the longest audition ... they wanted to work with me a lot on a few different scenes.

"But when I left, I was a little down."

The first callback Severio received had good news and bad news. He got a part, but it wasn't Brandon's role. At first, he was pegged to play Nathan Ward.

Severio was honored to still be a part of the film, and by the time casting had changed their minds, they knew him well enough to have a little fun in telling him that he'd be the star playing Brandon Burlsworth.

"[Director David] Hunt called and said 'We're no longer giving you the part of Ward,'" Severio said. "I told him thank you for personally calling to let me down kindly and that I appreciated the chance to be a part of Greater. Then he said, 'We're going to give you the part of Brandon.' And I freaked."

As Brandon Burlsworth, Severio has done some of the usual things actors do in preparing for a lead role. He's discussed it with the producer and director, watched all the appropriate clips, read all the articles about Brandon and listened to many more stories. He was coached on Burlsworth's mannerisms and generally internalized it all.

But this role called for an extra extra mile. Severio had to learn how to play football.

"Preparing [for the acting] wasn't the hardest thing," he said. "It was learning football ... getting to work with the football coordinator, in the step of being an offensive lineman.

"When I wasn't studying lines and getting ready for the next day, I was remembering those steps, remembering those movements. Preparing for Brandon was a challenge but indescribable."

There were plenty of things that Severio related to -- plenty of correlations to the two young men's lives -- and the greatest of those is what Hunt said made him best for the part.

"Seeing Chris [Severio] read those lines, we just understood, we knew. He captures Brandon's spirit," Hunt said. "Chris has a heart as big as a house. He would take the shirt off his back to help someone who needed it. He has that incredible go-getter spirit ... and his work ethic is everything we needed it to be."

Last week, an exclusive screening of Greater took place at the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Ohio. The response to the premier was "extremely strong," and Burlsworth's former teammates and family members all gave their stamp of approval, said Vickie Burlsworth, Brandon's mother.

The movie will be shown in all SEC states and most of the midwest -- and also in Arizona, California, Kansas and Oklahoma. If its opening weekend is successful, it will expand to theaters nationwide.

"Everyone I saw who left the theater said they were a better person because of the movie," Vickie Burlsworth said. "[Greater] just touches your heart and makes you laugh."

NAN Our Town on 01/21/2016