Filmmaker's first Christian movie looks at today's morality

By RICHARD KOE PORTLAND

It had all the makings of a Hollywood movie premiere --the lights, tuxedos and formals, doorman, and, of course, food. This time it was the Rose City, and the film premiere was the first recent locally produced Christian movie.

Some 600 guests packed the new auditorium of New Song Community Church on Martin Luther King Blvd. May 13 to preview Going the Distance, a 90-minute movie about teen sexuality with a pro-abstinence stance by example and not over your head, according to producer Shawn Justice. It was a year in the making by Shawn Justice Productions with a full cast of local writers, producers, camera crew, musicians, actors and actresses.

Justice, whose company in West Linn has produced corporate films and video for more than 11 years for such industry giants as Columbia Sportswear, Bank of America, and Shari's Restaurants as well as service agencies and missions, has always felt a calling to use his talents for the Lord. With the growing sexuality and pregnancy crisis among our nation's youth, Justice saw the need for a high-quality movie advocating a pro-abstinence position and targeted for both the Christian and mainstream market.

A year ago last spring I felt a call to just go do it, Justice remembers. I said, OK Lord, you're going to have to put it together, and God did it.

Justice consulted his relatives and friends such as his twin brother Kyle, who has worked with The Family Channel cable Network; Steve Wyland, a drama director; Mario Lopez of Saved By the Bell; and A. C. Green, Portland-born NBA basketball star, whose organization promotes teen abstinence.

I felt like Noah with the Lord helping me bring the animals (or people) together, Justice continued. I looked for investors but there wasn't a ton of interest, but I had enough corporate business that I was able to funnel the profits into the movie. He estimates the cost will total between $25,000 and $30,000.

Then came the script requiring dramatic writing with which Justice was not familiar, since he was a corporate communicator. Next were actors, local volunteers who were Christians but didn't necessarily play the role of Christians in the film. They came from Northwest and Oregon Children's Theatres, Tapestry Theatre, and local high school drama departments. Some 50 people turned out for the auditions.

The four main characters are played by Chris Bresky, Clackamas High School senior class president; Shelbi Wescott, a junior at Lewis & Clark College; Jacob Atillio, also Clackamas High School; and Stephanie Smith of Oregon City High School where her dad, Brad Smith, is the girls basketball coach. Supporting cast members came from New Hope Community Church and New Beginnings Christian Center.

Original music was needed for the film, and Bart Hafeman, a local producer with his own studio in Scappoose, came to the rescue. He played just about every instrument in the movie and also sang. Justice also worked with him to write the performance songs in the film and personally wrote the words to the song, Someday We'll Be You.

Equipment rental, camera operators, lighting crews, props, set decoration, wardrobe, shooting locations, food, and church volunteers were all a part of the big mix, with key personnel heading the varous responsibilities.

Justice continues to do additional audio sweetening and a full color correction of the film, with completion by June 4. Actual delivery date of VHS copies is the middle of June. Several bites from distributors have been received, including Gospel Communications.

Justice will look for another distributor for the full-length version to the Christian market. There are also interested parties from the mainstream media.

Going the Distance is an edgy, moralistic film, according to Justice. 'There's teen humor and only one word which might be called a swear word, he said. The plot involves Phil and Jason, fellow band members, who help Nicole and Kate with their car troubles. Kate and Jason take to each other quickly, and eventually Nicole is attracted to Phil.

Relationships of both pairs grow quickly, and the pressure to give into natural passions comes from all sides. Kate and Jason cross the line, and Kate becomes pregnant. Phil and Nicole make the hard choice to sexually abstain. Kate gives up her baby for adoption, and Jason finds himself in an emotional tailspin, but is encouraged by Phil in the tough times. Phil and Nicole later get married and agree it's worth the wait.

While the film is not specifically aimed at Christian audiences, it hasdefinite value for church teens, adults, and parents. Justice is also targeting the mainstream teen and parenting magazines. The local Crisis Pregnancy Center has written Justice, endorsing the project. Copies of the film can be ordered through the film's web site, (www.GTDMovie.com). There also will be a soundtrack CD and a novel version of the film, also available through the web site.

Justice, whose company web site is at www.JusticePictures.com, has definite plans in the hopper to move on to several other films, developing some half-dozen original scripts. He also seeks other outside projects, including making books into movies. Future films will be shot on the high-definition format, the coming wave in filmmaking.

There's also talk of a sequel to Going the Distance, dealing with thefirst year of marriage of Phil and Nicole. A possible title would be Going the Distance -- for Better or Worse. It could expand into a series. Justice is talking with private investors and a venture capital company for future financing. There's a lot of interest from people who want to see more movies like this made, he added.

Justice feels privileged with the project and he thanks his wife Sara for her faithful support. For me it was a simple step of obedience to God, he said. 'I didn't have all the answers and didn't know how it was going to be done. But the Lord knew, and He had total control of all the details.

He compares his situation to Joshua and Caleb in the Bible, who didn't know how to take the land nor how it would be done. They just knew God asked them and was with them. That was good enough for them. The same goes for Justice. Justice can be reached at (503) 709-1277, or e-mail shawnjustice@home.com.