Shall we away and journey onward in this film review adventure? I think we shall. The third offering the past weekend provided was one my wonderful pastor brought to my attention and playfully (but accurately!) called “the anti-“Fifty Shades of Grey“” (LOL). Therefore, we have the indie romantic drama, “Old Fashioned”.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
In time for this past Saturday’s Valentine’s Day date of February 14th, “Old Fashioned” comes courtesy of its writer, producer, director, AND co-lead actor, Rik Swartzwelder, and weaves the story about small town man Clay (Swartzwelder) whom we learn has been living a simple, quiet life as an antique procurer and renovator. He has a past, crazier frat-boy life that he’s chosen to leave behind, even despite the attempts of two close friends from those days, David (LeJon Woods) and Brad (Tyler Hollinger), make to get him to be the “old Clay” again. Sticking to his newfound life and faith in God, things are shaken up when a new arrival shows up in town, a young woman named Amber (Elizabeth Roberts), who ultimately moves into the apartment above Clay’s shop. Adjusting to her newest home, she slowly gets to know Clay, and is greatly surprised at the length he goes to be a gentleman, but to also remain true to his Christian faith and the principals it teaches, as to her, some of it seems extreme. Over time, and in meeting David and Clay’s Aunt Zella (Dorothy Silver), Amber slowly begins to find out more and more about Clay, and the friendship between them soon starts to grow towards newfound trust and love, both of them having particular insecurities about those concepts though based on past trials. Adding to this, Clay’s principals begin to also show that he has become overprotective of his heart, and when difficulties arise, it brings into question everything the two have built together and threatens to take them away from each other. Soon, it becomes the ultimate test of faith, forgiveness, and being willing to open oneself up to the possibilities that exist to have a new happiness, new lasting love, and the solid foundation to sustain it.
This is a very human story. It is realistic and reflects the struggle that we can all have in being willing to open up to love and forgiveness, both for ourselves, and for another person. The film was released by the same folks that distributed last year’s solid faith-based indie effort “God’s Not Dead“, and “Old Fashioned” succeeds like that one did in that while faith and God ARE at the core of what’s presented, it does NOT come across preachy or condemning if one is not a Christian believer. It is meant to paint a very potent, yet often playfully humorous, look at the difference between deep, meaningful courtship and love vs. what can so often just be surface and shallow experiences that really don’t allow one to learn anything honest and true about another and yet try and say it’s “love”. The chemistry between Swartzwelder and Roberts was perfect, and the level of overall realism presented sells their character’s story unflinchingly, in happiness and pain, but always with full heart. Both show that it’s NOT about being perfect in everything we do, that we make mistakes, and can let ourselves become too “sheltered” or even fearful of letting go. Yet, the love being sought can still be founded on truths that very much defy the societal norm. Clay and Amber are people you could easily “meet” in real life, and this lends to the emotional attachment this viewer had with them because of it. Putting oneself in their shoes throughout this film struck a major chord, and really drives home a point to take a look at your own ideas about relationships, faith, and forgiveness. The beautiful, Ohio-based cinematography and subdued soundtrack all added to the experience and it was simply nice to sit back and be swept away in a beautifully simple, but powerful, story and come away feeling great, perhaps challenged, and ideally, encouraged.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
