It’s been a while since we talked with you about our film, This Field Looks Green to Me. We think the time is ripe to make this movie. The members of the Film Academy awarded Green Book the best picture of the year. Green Book, set in the 1960s, is based on the true story of Don Shirley, an African-American musician, and his white driver, and how they deal with Jim Crow laws. It’s proof that simple, but meaningful, stories are rewarded by the Academy members. The budget for this movie was $23 million, and to date has grossed $315 million worldwide.
This Field Looks Green To Me, portrays the story of three childhood friends, and their struggles growing up with the Jim Crow laws in the early 1950s. Our story is built around the saga of the second integrated Little League Baseball league in the South. It is a powerful story of relationships told in a historical context.
While Green Book received an A+ from ticket buyers in CinemaScore and includes Octavia Spencer as an executive producer, it has been criticized for being soft on racism, weak on historical content, and for its director claiming the “whole story is about love.”
Our movie provides a hard look at some of the realities and difficult life lessons these kids faced. Our message is neither “left nor right” but is a reality check on where we come from and the challenges ahead. A symbolic message learned by the kids is to develop self-awareness that our words and actions, intentional or not, affect those around us.
While I fictionalized the story, I went to great lengths to corroborate this true story during the 50 hours of oral history recordings of the players and coaches. These recordings are archived at the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort.
We believe our movie will appeal to a diverse audience of parents, children, grandparents, and, of course – baseball players, fans and others.
Our Hollywood producer, Darren Moorman, recently released his latest movie, Run the Race; also a testament that value-based sports movies have an audience. Tim Tebow is one of the backers. Darren is well connected in Hollywood and is assisting us in securing high-caliber actors.
We have spoke with several investors drawn to the “grass roots” angle of This Field Looks Green To Me. While we continue to discuss this project with large investor groups, we are also open to others who see the value and likely impact of this film and who wish to provide the financial support. In response we are making Investment Units available at $60,000 per Unit. I believe our movie will have a strong effect on our future leaders.
Thanks for your interest,
Ron Schmidt, Executive Producer