More bluegrass in the movies

When I Find The Ocean is the title of an independently produced feature film by Tonya Holly, starring Diane Ladd, Lee Majors, Graham Greene, and George (Goober) Lindsey. It is billed as a family feature about an eleven year old girl who comes to believe that a creek that runs behind her home in rural Alabama will lead her to the ocean. Set against the backdrop of the civil rights struggles of 1965, the film follows the young girl as she runs away from home with her dog to find the ocean.

We mention it here for the soundtrack, which will feature at least one bluegrass song. Stan Daily, our friend with Cornbread Red, recently recorded the vocal for A Place Where Time Stands Still, which also featured Cornbread Red’s Dennis Clifton on mandolin. The soundtrack will also include performances from such diverse artists as Little Richard and Marty Rabon.

The film is the first project from Cypress Moon Productions, who have set up shop in Muscle Shoals, AL. Cypress Moon purchased the old Muscle Shoals Sound facility which recorded some major pop hits in nearly every imaginable genre, with Paul Simon and Lynyrd Skynyrd being notable examples.

When I Find The Ocean was shot primarily along the Gulf Coast of AL, using local and regional talent for as much as 70% of the crew. Cornbread Red is based near Muscle Shoals, which is also Marty Rabon’s home base. It was debuted at the 2006 Reel WomenInternational Film Festival in late March, where it won an honorable mention.

You can see the trailer on the Cypress Moon web site, but none of the music in the trailer is bluegrass. No word yet on a theatrical release, but we will stay in touch with Cypress Moon and update as details are announced.

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About the Author

John Lawless

John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents.