Film Description

When Bobby (Alex Hinsky) is challenged by his older brother to figure out who he is and where he stands with God, the mayhem begins! The family comes back together in their childhood home to haggle over the will. In the meantime, Bobby meets the girl of his dreams who wants him to demonstrate his affection. Created by the award-winning filmmakers that brought you Between the Walls, this comedy is sure to have you laughing and thinking at the same time. This feature film stars Marc Thompson (TMNT, Yu-gui-oh, Poke’mon), Jhey Castles (The Visitation), Alex Hinsky, Brian Morvant, and Liz Bucher.

Behind the Scenes

Produced by Nick and Chris Staron (Between the Walls, Pint Size Parables), Bringing Up Bobby is a hilarious tale about a family and it’s search for identity. The film is a feature-length evangelistic Christian comedy that follows the Wyler family as they deal with their parent’s will. The writer, Chris Staron, did not want to be pigeon-holed after Between the Walls. “We like to surprise the audience with every project,” he said. “Nick and I started out in comedy with short videos that we made around the house. In a way, it was like coming home.”

The 90-minute film follows a goth teenager named Bobby as his older brother James challenges him to find out who he is and what he believes about God. “Teen movies these days are way off base, especially those that depict goth kids. Our experience through mentoring some of these guys taught us how open, deep, and intelligent they tend to be. A lot of teens today are in tough family situations. We wanted to break down the walls that are keeping them from considering Jesus by using comedy, but we also had to make sure that we did not demean the very teens that we are trying to reach.”

The locations were chosen for their realism and assistance to the comedy. “We’re big fans of making films that are poignant because they are so close to home for the audience. We didn’t want the movie to look too ‘clean’. Instead, we wanted most of our spaces to have a worn look to them. Like normal families lived in them.”

Cast members came from New York City, Los Angeles, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and Ohio to participate in the film. The casting process was accomplished by a series of traditional and new methods, which included posting notices in newspapers, trips to various cities, and hosting online auditions. “We loved the ability to audition people via streaming video on the web,” said Chris. “It allowed us to identify talent from several states away. The upside is that video tells you pretty quickly if someone is wrong for a part. The bad news is that you don’t know if they are right until you see them in person.” Actors Alex Hinsky and Jhey Castles were among those to submit initial audition materials via the Internet. Audiences are certain to be surprised by the quality of acting talent in the project. “These guys are the real deal,” said Chris. “When they were in front of the camera they looked like they were being paid millions. This is so important in a comedy. Gags just do not work without spot-on delivery. This team of actors really shines.”

A lot of the project has been completed via electronic, non-traditional means. Instead of running tape through the HD camera, large capacity hard drives were used. Music composed by Andrew Griffiths (Between the Walls) was submitted and critiqued through web chats, email, and FTP downloads. “It’s amazing how God has brought people together for the project,” said Chris. “Timothy D and the Trogloxenes contacted us via a social networking site and we instantly fell in love with their music. Now we’re using “Missing Halo” for the trailer and “Unforeign Land” for the movie. Andrew lives in England and it is free for us to chat over the Internet. Web videos have allowed us to audition people we never could have seen just a few years ago. This is a good era for indie filmmakers.” The Starons, known for running a well-planned set, had the opportunity to be a little looser on this project. “Because this film is a comedy, if someone made a remark on set or came up with an idea at the last minute, we felt freer to experiment. Dramas require a much tighter leash. There are several wonderful gags that made it into the film that were come up with on the set or during rehearsals. Our crew was especially good for new gags.”

While the film cast and crew endured a cold winter, sickness, and the usual struggles on a low budget project, the film retains a certain unspeakable warmth. “You can tell by watching the film that people wanted to be a part of the project,” said Chris. “We hope that some day we can reward everyone financially for their labor. However, if that day never comes, we’ll know that we each gave of our time for a good reason. I think that some great new friendships were started on set. This film will be a positive memory for many of us, and it is sure to touch a lot of people.” The Starons eagerly await the audience reaction to the film. “We want this to be seen by as many people as possible,” says Chris. “It explores a lot of questions that people of all ages have. What does God expect of me? Who is Jesus? And it does it in a way that doesn’t compromise on truth, but that is funny at the same time.”