Rising Place, The : Production Information


The project began when writer/director Tom Rice came across an unpublished story, optioned the film rights to the piece, and wrote a screenplay loosely based on the material. Shortly thereafter he went home to Jackson, Mississippi, to raise money to bring Emily’s story to the screen.

“What drew me to this story,” says Rice, “was how Emily Hodge embodied the strength of the human spirit as she searched for a true identity in a world where everyone else dictated what was right and proper and accepted. She never fights any physical battles, never stands on a soapbox, but she does remain her own individual, teaching by example, and in that sense, she is a woman ahead of her time.”

Shortly after returning home, Rice incorporated Rising Place, LLC, and got a paper route to cover expenses while campaigning for funds. His investors were made up of local family and friends who were encouraged by his vision, and the strength of his conviction. There were a few bumps along the fundraising road, and at times, only sheer determination kept the project alive, but a little over a year after he began his journey, he finally had the money to start production.

Without the budget for a casting director, Rice simply sent copies of the script out to talent agents. One copy found its way to Frances Fisher, of “Titanic” fame. Bowled over after reading the first page, Fisher came on board.
“I read one page of Tom’s script and was hooked,” says Fisher. “I really got a great sense of place, and I have an affinity for the South.”

After meeting with numerous young women for the leading roles of Emily and Wilma, Rice settled on veteran actors Laurel Holloman and Elise Neal respectively.

“I had an immediate connection with the script,” says Holloman, “because I grew up in the South, and this story deals with a generation that I was very curious about. I was also drawn to the beautiful and complex relationships in the story – some dealing with racial issues; some dealing with the nature of small towns.”

Memphis native Elise Neal adds, “I enjoyed this labor of love because independent film feeds me more as an artist. I like when the director and the writer and the actors can have a vision and create something beautiful together.”
Before long Rice had assembled an impressive ensemble cast, which included Tess Harper, S. Epatha Merkerson, Gary Cole, and Billy Campbell.

“Many of today’s mainstream movies are geared toward overseas markets,” says Academy Award nominee Tess Harper. “Action-packed, with little meaningful dialogue. A script like ‘The Rising Place’ makes you a craftsman again, and when I see someone as passionate as Tom is, with a script like this, I know I can’t go wrong.”

Once production started, the local pride kicked in, as locals who appeared as extras accepted Rising Place T-shirts and hats instead of paychecks, and local merchants and museums loaned set pieces and props ranging from period whiskey bottles and jazz posters to Emerson pianos and automobiles.

“It was amazing to see how people just came out of the woodwork to help us,” says production designer William Blanchard. “I haven’t worked on any locations where the kindness has been on the level it is here. This helped us recreate an amazing era in time with a sense of nostalgia, and stay within our budget.”

Local Blues legends London Branch, Willie Silas, and Larry Wright appear as musicians in a scene set in an old jook joint, lit with bare bulb incandescent lights and Japanese lanterns.

“I used to play all night at jook joints, so I’m familiar with them” says Branch. “This set is pretty authentic-looking.”
Another source of authenticity came from friend and costume designer Mark Horton, who researched and built the fashions of the 1940’s with the help of a single seamstress. Trained in historical design, and ready for a challenge, Horton turned to the worn pages of his mother’s black-and-white photo album for inspiration.

“What these old albums show me,” says Horton, “ is how people during that period in time actually wore their clothes. It’s one thing to design outfits where the collars are properly cut, and the sleeves are cuffed only in the front, but the character’s individuality speaks not only through what they wore, but how they wore their clothes.”

Once the film wrapped, an Academy Award-winning team of Sound designers began their work in Berkeley, California, under the leadership of Mark Berger and John Nutt.

That November, Rice and composer Conrad Pope flew to Sofia, Bulgaria, to record the film’s score with an 85-piece orchestra and boys’ choir. Also contributing to the soundtrack are Grammy award-winning vocalist Jennifer Holliday, who wrote and performed three original songs, and David Foster and Linda Thompson, who fell in love with a rough cut and signed on to transform the film’s love theme into a moving end title ballad.

“This film is a testament to society’s need for tolerance and acceptance for those who are different,” says Rice, “but more so, it explores each character’s longing for hope and humanity.

“Every character has a unique desire for respect and happiness, and ‘The Rising Place’ stands for the epiphany each character has as they seek out their purpose in life. This is a poignant period drama about a friendship that defies social boundaries, a devotion that can’t be broken, and a courage unlike any other.”

“The Rising Place” is a Flatland Pictures production.