forcherylsfriends When you have a child with Down Syndome in your life, you sometimes wish everyone could experience the joy they bring. This movie goes a long way towards accomplishing that. Thank you to everyone involved in this film.The guidelines say I have to write 10 sentences, so... I found the writing impressive, because it avoided the stereotypes of Down Syndrome. Produce is a nuanced and fully realized character - he is not a prop for the plot or other characters. All of the characters are created with equal skill. The acting was really, really good in the sense that it didn't come across as acting. The young man who plays the role of Produce is a gifted actor. I hope he will find other roles in movie and television.I became emotionally invested in these characters and engrossed in the story. I hope the film develops a widespread audience.

trimblair Great movie. Enjoyed this one from opening to close. Had to laugh at some of the silly liberal agenda stuff like "Down syndrome is not a form of mental retardation". Hahaha. Liberals. Overall a great movie though. The actors worked well together. Good plot moved along nicely by the director. Good messages on dependency and handicapped -- how we all deal with different demons. How we are all projecting a different person to the world than we are inside. The father/daughter tension is great and realistic. The addiction message is on-point. THere are a few cuss words, but otherwise, a good movie for the whole family We enjoyed it. RENT THIS

leftymorgan We thoroughly enjoyed this movie. We have gone to other films similar to this one and have found them to be really good. There were some points early in the film that we felt they spent too much time with. We think they could spent more time elsewhere and not so much on the drinking aspect. Although the drink was a part of the character, there could have been other areas covered. We aren't writers, but we do know what entertains us and we also know what kind of message these sort of films are trying to send. Instead of the drinking, maybe they could have said something about what happened to the mother. Also they could have given us more information about Produces mom. For us the film was really good and once it comes out in DVD most likely will be purchasing it.

Jason D'Mello This is a film that will take you on an unexpected internal journey as you can't help but hope the best for the two actors born for their respective roles (Kristoffer Polaha and David DeSanctis). There is something truly authentic about WHERE HOPE GROWS that is difficult to describe, but is much deeper than the casting of this film (featuring an actor with Down Syndrome to play Produce). Perhaps the film can't help but be honest with us because it is a movie that doesn't often get a chance to screen in the theater. On this rare occasion a group of independent filmmakers and actors boldly embarked on a journey of their own, laying the infrastructure for a new road of cinema in Hollywood that appreciates inclusion, breaks down barriers, strips away stereotypes and most importantly realizes the power that motion pictures have for growing global communities that can actually bring hope to one another after the hour and thirty five minute experience. One of my favorite experiences of seeing WHERE HOPE GROWS in the theater occurred after the film concluded when I could see the pride and joy on the faces of all the families after I heard their helpless reactions to the charming performance of David DeSanctis (Produce). Chris Dowling captures subtle nuances of Louisville, Kentucky that include beautiful autumn landscapes fused with quirky mid-south cultural observations, such as the notorious high school pride banter. The cinematography and screenplay may be the closest thing to taking a sabbatical to this great region of the country. Meanwhile, such local references only personalize this universal message about life: that is that certain people can bring out the best in us, but only if we give them the time to become a part of our lives. I also appreciated there was nothing preachy about this film, despite it being labeled as a Christian movie. The friendship between Calvin and Produce is one of the realist film experiences I've had this year, and admittedly there were moments during the movie when I was embarrassed to have brought a date with me to the theater because it was far too soon in the relationship for tears. However, I regretted no tears while watching WHERE HOPE GROWS and I hope you won't miss the opportunity to see this film where it should be seen - a theater packed full of your community's best hearts and souls.Jason D'Mello