Movie Set in Shelby County, Texas to Start Filming in Late July

Look out Shelby County, Texas, Hollywood is about to come calling.

Later this month, filming is scheduled to start on a movie based in Shelby County.  The title of the movie is "Rear View Mirrors" starring actresses Penelope Ann Miller and Erika Christensen.  Shelby County resident Dale Wade Davis, who acted in Shameless, Golden, and Port Charles is a producer of the film. He is credited with bringing the movie to Texas.

“My dream of making a movie in my home state is finally being realized,” said Davis. “It’s the chance of a lifetime to work with this level of talent and a great script with East Texas as the backdrop. This film is an opportunity for us to show the world the natural beauty of the East Texas landscape.”

According to a press release, the film centers around three generations of women in a small town struggling with the real-life issues of estrangement, love, and the courage to forgive.

Penelope Ann Miller has been cast as Verna Sharpe, a traditional, conservative, southern grandmother raising her teenage granddaughter. Miller has starred in several major Hollywood films including Awakenings, The Freshmen, and Carlito's Way.  She has starred opposite acting legends such as Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Marlon Brando

Miller also has numerous acting credits on Broadway including Biloxi, On the Waterfront and Our Town in which she earned a Tony Award nomination. Personally, one of my favorite Penelope Ann Miller movies is Kindergarten Cop.  She starred opposite and played the eventual love interest of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Erika Christensen has been cast to play Ellen, Verna’s daughter. She is an absentee mother, struggling with mental illness and addiction due to the chaotic circumstances of her life. Christensen’s movie credits include Traffic, Cheaper by the Dozen, Swim Fan, and The Banger Sisters.  On TV, she starred as Julia Braverman-Graham on the NBC drama Parenthood. Here she is giving a graduation speech in The Banger Sisters.

The rest of the cast will be announced soon.

Rear View Mirrors is written by Jack Bryant. The film will be directed by award-winning filmmaker Kristen Karlhuber and founder of Silent Giant Productions. Filming of external locations will take place in Shelby County, with much of the production being filmed in Austin, Texas.