Identical twin brothers (Blake Rayne), born during the Great Depression, are separated shortly after birth. Their parents (Brian Geraghty, Amanda Crew) simply cannot afford 2 babies, so the dad sees it as Divine Providence when a passing evangelist asks for prayer for his own wife's (Ashley Judd) infertility. The brothers, unaware of each other, have very different upbringings, but share a passion for music. One of the boys, Drexel Hemsley, becomes a rock ‘n' roll superstar, nicknamed "The Dream". Ryan Wade is torn between his love for music and not wanting to disappoint his father (Ray Liotta), who expects his son to become a minister. Ryan is encouraged by his wife Jenny (Erin Cottrell) and lifelong friends Dino and Avi (Seth Green, Joe Pantoliano) to follow his musical dreams and enters a Drexel Hemsley Impersonator contest. Ryan easily wins and becomes known as "The Identical"!!
This is a story of love, hope, forgiveness, redemption, restoration, and family. It is directed by Dustin Marcellino and written by Howard Klausner for City of Peace Films and Identical Production Company. Yochanan Marcellino is the executive producer and was the composer and musical supervisor.
Buy Advanced Tickets & Take a Group on Opening Weekend -Sept 5th, 6th & 7th! CLICK HERE!!
My Review: All in all, this is a good film. I love Ray Liotta, and he is the stand out performer for me, but everyone did well. This is Blake Rayne's first acting gig, but what he lacked in experience was fine for his character (or characters, in this case). As a musician, his performance, naturally, came to life during the performances. The music was, for the most part, excellent. To be honest, it was just my personal taste when I did not enjoy it as much. Each piece went well for the time period it represented. Speaking of music, the story really pulled me in with a fantastic performance by Noah Urrea (Ryan as a child) during a church scene. It's also the first film directed by Dustin Marcellino, but he surrounded himself with professional cast and crew, and it is a high quality film.
The story seemed more of a "What If?" tale based on the life of Elvis Presley, but it was interesting speculation. I thought it seemed odd that there was not a bit more curiosity about the fact that the 2 performers looked and sounded the same, but I may be looking at it through more modern eyes. I know adoptions were much more secretive years ago, and people seemed a bit more respecting of the privacy of others. (Again, that may just be me. I have never understood the 'Celebrity Worship' culture.) I honestly think I would have preferred the film as a mini-series to delve more deeply into BOTH brothers and to each era, especially the music, but it is a satisfying film. It is great for the whole family to watch, and while it is listed as a faith-based film, it is not a proselytising film. I enjoyed it.
The Identical on IMDb
The Identical on Facebook
Blake Rayne on Christian Movie Connect
Erin Cottrell on Christian Movie Connect
Yochanan Marcellino on Christian Movie Connect
Examiner Article
Disclaimer: I was provided with a link to see this film for review purposes. I was not required to write a positive review, or to review it at all. All opinions are my own.
2 comments:
Interesting. I guess I should look up the movies directly to see where they are available. I am a musical buff and that IS my time slot so this will probably rate highly with me. I'll check it out. Thanks.
The Identical will open in theaters on Fri., Sept. 5th.
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