Limited release of film ‘Doonby’ challenges student thinking

Photo courtesy of MJM Entertainment

Clari Stewart
Triangle Reporter

 Riverhorse Entertainment along with MJM Entertainment released “Doonby,” a movie which emphasizes the importance of choices and the way our lives affect others, this past Friday in Chattanooga, Tenn., as part of a weeklong limited release.

“Who is Sam Doonby?” is the echo of people in a small Texas town as they try to uncover the past of a drifter who appeared one day off a Greyhound bus. The movie explores the identity of Sam Doonby, played by “Dukes of Hazzard” star John Schnieder, and how his presence causes the whole town to stir.

“It’s a movie that entertains first,” said Jenn Gotzon, who plays the opposite of Schneider as Laura Reaper, a girl who is intrigued and captivated by Sam Doonby. Gotzon compared the movie to a cross between “It’s A Wonderful Life” and “Crazy Heart,” with an unexpected ending like “The Sixth Sense.”

Mackenzie first had the idea for “Doonby” in the 1970s as the value of life became increasingly debated.

“It’s about the importance of every person’s life which shouldn’t be controversial but somehow it seems to be these days,” said Director Peter Mackenzie.

The movie is not explicitly Christian, but it does explore ideas of the value of life and the choices each person makes.

“Choices have consequences. Good and bad. They affect not only us but those around us as well,” Schneider said. “Anything that makes us think from a different perspective is good. I think it makes us better people.”

“It presents the truth, but it’s not evangelical… and that is our goal,” said Gotzon.

John Schnieder (playing Sam Doonby) and Jenn Gotzon (as Laura Reaper) argue over a diary in a scene from the film. / Photo courtesy of MJM Entertainment

Mackenzie chose Smithville, Texas, as the location for filming the movie. In what he calls an “amazing” turn of events, he ended up casting Norma McCorvey, better known as Jane Roe from the 1973 Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade, to play the small role of a woman who advises a younger girl on the value of unborn life.

“I had no idea that she lived in Smithville when I chose the location; in fact I had never heard of Norma McCorvey though I had obviously heard of Jane Roe. When I was introduced to her in a local coffee shop she looked great for the small role of Nancy Thirber and she did a terrific job, adding a lot of poignancy to the film,” Mackenzie said.

“Doonby” is currently showing as a part of a weeklong test screening to see how well the movie will be received nationally. The movie was released in three theaters in Dallas, three theaters across Mississippi and at the Wynnsong 10 in Chattanooga, Tenn. It will be on screen until Thursday, March 1.

Gotzon believes the movie is relevant to college students because of the way the story is told. She believes the entertainment aspects and plot twist make it appealing, while the message makes it impactful. Mackenzie said he hopes students will see the movie “to develop their own individual attitude towards this Life issue, independently of what they are told to believe by political parties and others.”

Those interested in learning more about the movie can check out www.doonbythemovie.com.