WaterWalk Movie to Premiere in Wildwood

WaterWalk, a movie partially filmed in the St. Louis metropolitan area, will premiere at the Friday at 7 p.m. Actor and production manager James Sparling will introduce the film on Saturday, May 12, at the 7 p.m. showtime.

WaterWalk will be showing locally for one week only.

“It’s an honor to come to and debut WaterWalk, a film that is a love note about the American heartland,” stated Sparling in an announcement about his personal introduction of the film. “This a wonderful story that will appeal to audiences from ages 5 to 105.” 

Sparling will present a behind-the-scenes look at the making of WaterWalk Saturday evening. The movie opens in theaters across the Midwest in May. It will also appear at select theaters nationally, as well as colleges and art festivals.

Filmed in St. Louis and 35 other locations along the Mississippi River, this movie journeys through a compelling father/son bonding dilemma. It’s based on the true story of Steve and Justin Faulkner’s attempt to become the first single canoe team to paddle the 1,000-mile Marquette-Joliet discovery route of the Mississippi River.

Filmed on location in Lake Michigan and along the Fox, Wisconsin, and Mississippi Rivers from St. Ignace to St. Louis, the movie includes scenes in Marquette, McGregor, Prairie du Chien, Dubuque, Guttenberg, and Alton, IL.

“St. Louis looks terrific,” stated Sparling. "We’re very proud to have shot the film along the historic route where it took place. This father/son bonding film will be of special interest to history buffs."

Directed by co-star Robert Cicchini, well-known for his film and television career (Godfather III, Dream Girls, The Mentalist, Law and Order, Six Feet Under), WaterWalk also features 19 year-old Chase Maser in his first lead role. Maser appears in three other films set for release this year. Cinematographer Bruce Schermer was director of photography on Sundance Grand Prize winner Chameleon Street and shot most of Michael Moore’s first Film, Roger & Me.

Composer Rod Schaub, produced award-winning Up From The Bottoms, which appeared recently on PBS. The film’s producer, Roger Rapoport, co-wrote the screenplay with Richard Harris.

Sparling, who just completed a starring role in the Chicago production of Paradise Lost by Clifford Odets, has a major role in the upcoming feature film Mrs. Wilson, according to the WaterWalk announcement.

Editor's Note:  I'm personally looking forward to seeing this movie because one of the main characters is modeled after fellow Blue Lake, MI, newspaper editor Steve Faulkner, and I grew up along the Mississippi.