Thank you to 23 Blast for sponsoring today’s discussion about the 23 Blast movie, in theaters everywhere October 24.
23 Blast is a football movie based on the incredible true story of Travis Freeman, a blind high school football player from the small town of Corbin, Kentucky.
Travis (Mark Hapka) wasn’t always blind. The movie begins with scenes from a younger Travis’ life playing little league football with his best friend, Jerry Baker (Bram Hoover). The boys grow up and play high school football together until a rare infection leaves Travis completely blind overnight.
No one expects Travis to be able to play football ever again. How could a blind person play football?!? That all changes one day when Travis’ high school football coach has a lightbulb moment (literally). He invites Travis to come back to play Center for the football team. Parents, counselors, friends and the community come together to support Travis.
At the end of the film, we see footage of the real-life Travis Freeman and other key characters from his story. Travis Freeman went on to achieve many of his dreams, including becoming a minister. In fact, the real Travis Freeman plays a preacher in the movie. Although that particular scene did not make a lot of sense to me at the time, I appreciate it more now that I know the preacher is actually a grown-up Travis.
The story of Travis Freeman is inspiring and uplifting. 23 Blast is rated PG-13 for underage drinking in a few scenes and a crude reference. I watched the movie with my 10-year-old son, who is into anything football these days. As much as the movie is about football, what struck my son the most was watching Travis come to terms with his blindness and keep moving forward despite being dealt a life-altering blow. We see how faith helps him overcome fear and adversity.
23 Blast won the 2013 Heartland Film Festival’s Audience Choice Award for Narrative Feature.
The Production:
23 Blast is written by Bram Hoover (who also stars as Jerry Baker) and Toni Hoover, directed/produced by Dylan Baker (Spider-Man 2 & 3, 13 Days) and produced by Gary Donatelli and Toni Hoover. Executive producers for the movie include Daniel Snyder (owner of the Washington Redskins), Misook Doolittle and Brent Ryan Green.
Cast:
The film stars Stephen Lang (Avatar, Terra Nova), Alexa Vega (Spy Kids, Machete Kills), Mark Hapka (Days of Our Lives, Criminal Minds), Max Adler (Glee), Bram Hoover, Kim Zimmer (Guiding Light, One Life to Live), Becky Ann Baker (Men in Black, Freaks and Geeks, A Simple Plan) Timothy Busfield (Field of Dreams, thirtysomething), Dylan Baker, and Fred D. Thompson (Sinister, Law & Order, Die Hard 2).
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