Mullins film set to air, may be shown here
By Staff
From staff reports
One day after the 15th anniversary of the tragic sports accident that eventually took the life of Roy Lee "Chucky" Mullins, Oxford filmmaker Micah Ginn is debuting his documentary on the life and legacy of the University of Mississippi football player.
The film, "Undefeated: The Chucky Mullins Story," premieres at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 29, in the David H. Nutt Auditorium of Scruggs Hall. A second showing is planned for 2 p.m. Saturday in the Gertrude C. Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Both screenings are free and open to the public.
The premiere marks the culmination of a five-year dream for Ginn.
Mullins, playing defensive back, suffered a paralyzing injury Oct. 28, 1989, when making a tackle in the Ole Miss homecoming game against Vanderbilt. After extensive rehabilitation, he returned to school in a wheelchair in January 1991 but died the following May of complications from the injury.
As a memorial, each spring the Chucky Mullins Courage Award is presented to an outstanding defensive player on the Ole Miss team, and that player wears No. 38 for the season.
Following Ginn's "moment of silence" experience some five years ago, he said he started thinking about the impact of Chucky Mullins' life on people, most of whom never knew him.
Ginn, who began shooting the documentary this summer, said he intends for the film to celebrate Mullins' life and impact, instead of simply focusing on his death. He found old film of Mullins playing football at his high school in Russellville, Ala., and conducted on-camera interviews with about 25 people, including Mullins' teachers, coaches, friends, former teammates and his guardian, Carver Phillips.
The Saturday screening is timed so that fans in town for the Ole Miss-Auburn game can attend and still have time to enjoy tailgating on campus (kickoff is at 6:30 p.m.).
The Ole Miss football team also plans to watch the film Friday evening as they prepare for Saturday's game.
After this weekend's premiere, Ginn hopes to arrange a screening in Russellville.
Later, Ginn hopes to get copies of the movie to high schools across the state and region.
To see a trailer for the film, go to http://www.chuckymullins.com. For more information on the screenings or for assistance related to a disability, call 662-915-7236.
