NORTH WEBSTER - Nearly 100 people enjoyed a showing Thursday night of a movie filmed in North Webster last summer.
"Welcome to Gentle Waters" was shown at the North Webster Community Center. Proceeds from the night benefitted the Dixie Boat.
"I thought it was hysterical," said Chelsea Rigdon, Bloomington, a Wawasee High School graduate, who plays an extra in the film. "It was great to finally see what we didn't get to see on the other side of the lens."
"It wasn't what I expected, but I didn't know what to expect," said Terri Pawlosky, North Webster.
"I thought it was very funny. It was neat to see the different landmarks of North Webster. You could see our house from a distance," said Phil Metcalf, North Webster.
Metcalf said he would recommend it to others.
"It's very unique and it's part of the local lore now. There was a movie shot here in North Webster a long time ago, so now we're the movie capital of Kosciusko County," he said.
Many of the cast and crew from the film attended the movie showing. Co-directors, -writers and -producers Brent Kado and Jessica Hardy introduced the film to the audience.
In the movie, Terry Shore (Joel Wiersema) runs a weekend retreat center in North Lake, Ind. Serene, clean and wholesome, he strives to help those who need treatment for substance abuse and assistance for a little soul searching.
When five strangers are forced to come to the Gentle Waters Retreat Center, Shore must reach out to everyone and transform their lives because that is his mission.
Besides Wiersema, the cast of the PG-13 film includes Michael Palascak, Eileen Montelione, Jeff Garretson, Chris Bragg, Hardy and Christopher McConnell.
Wiersema and Bragg were two of the actors who attended Thursday night's premiere.
"I really enjoy the film, of course," said Wiersema. "I was really happy to hear the audience laugh at some places where I thought they would, and some places were I didn't know they would. I was happy with the audience's reaction to most of it."
Viewing the film was weird for Bragg, he said, because the activities in the movie were things he actually did. As he watched the mockumentary, he said he recalled doing those things vividly.
Wiersema said he remembers how difficult it was to shoot everything out of order. Sometimes they would have to act like they just did something that they hadn't filmed to that point yet.
Bragg said before they shot a scene, they would have discussions where they are in the script and what they would be doing.
In one scene where the strangers had to wear signs around their necks, Bragg said they shot that scene almost last. In the film, it takes place the morning of the second day. By the time they shot that scene, the actors were tired and sweaty. Luckily, Bragg said, it worked out that the scene required the actors to act like they had just woken up anyway.
Since the film's shooting in 2009, Bragg has been doing a lot of improvisation in Chicago. He's been working with some improv teams and doing some sketch comedy.
Wiersema said he's getting ready to film the first Midwest film in 3D, "Shaky". Though it's a small role, he said it's from director Kevin Cooper, who directed the film "Second Hand Lions".
For more information about "Welcome to Gentle Waters", visit its website at http://welcometogentlewatersmovie.blogspot.com/
