MWSA Film Review

Still There...

The Actor’s Lab

Director:  Theresa M. Sloat

Reviewer: Bill McDonald – President of the MWSA

(Scene from the movie) "I ask the Lord to give me a vision so that I might understand the meaning behind it. And I got one"

An Eloquent and Poetic Eight and half Minutes of Patriotic love!

When I was on the phone talking to actress Theresa Sloat (Tracy to her friends) she asked me what I had thought of her short little movie “Still There.”  I had a hard time putting into words the emotions that I felt.  I had just watched it 4 times within 24 hours of talking to her.  The music and her voice were still resonating inside me.  I could only compare what I had experienced to a life altering event of some kind.  Her little movie captures the very meaning and spirit of Frances Scott Key’s historic words.

This movie can only be compared to a great work of poetry.  It is like she took a huge novel or long movie and condensed all the emotions and soul of those works of art into a short eight and half minute poem.  This is as spiritually and emotionally strong as any movie of any length that you will ever see.  This short DVD movie will come right at you and grab you by the throat and the heart and never let you go—even long after you have stopped viewing it.  It will make you feel proud to be a flag-waving American and prouder yet, of those who fought and are fighting to honor that flag.

I showed this film to a small group of veteran authors at my home this past Veteran’s Day weekend.  I put the DVD in the player and left the room to let the movie be absorbed in uninterrupted quiet.  I came back when it was over to a very silent room.  Everyone seemed glassy eyed and emotionally charged.  I asked what they thought of the film and the reaction was the same as I had personally experienced.  It moves and inspires you and it does so without beating you on the head with the obvious—it is pure poetry and love that makes this spellbinding.

This film is highly recommended to everyone who ever performs or gives talks at meetings or makes presentations to civic groups or schools.  It is a great way to open any kind of event.  It will get your audience fully in the spirit to hear what your might say or present.  It will invoke patriotism and love of country and more importantly, it will help Americans appreciate the sacrifices made by their soldiers, sailors and airmen.

I give this little movie The Military Writer’s Society of America’s HIGHEST RATING! This movie is a labor of love and it shows!