Movie screening gives opportunity to see great film, help great man
There’s a story in today’s paper about the screening they are having in Phil Campbell for the “I’m with Phil” documentary on Thursday.
I normally don’t talk about things like this in my weekly column, but I’m making an exception because I think it’s a worthy cause for a couple of different reasons.
1) This is actually a very good film. For people who saw that it was directed by a local filmmaker and think that means he shot this in his backyard with some sheets for backdrops and his buddies as actors, think again.
My husband and I went to its screening at the George Lindsey film festival and I was very impressed with the quality and professionalism of this documentary. There is little wonder why it won top awards at the film festival.
2) For those in other parts of the county who didn’t experience first-hand the mass gathering of people named “Phil Campbell” in the town of Phil Campbell this past year, you need to see this film so you can understand what an amazing thing these people did for one of your sister towns. And if you live in Phil Campbell and didn’t experience the event first-hand, you really need to go and get a sense for what these complete strangers did for the people and the town in which you live.
Just seeing this story and the will of these people to help out people they don’t even know will make you feel good and want to go help an elderly lady cross the street or help a kitten get down from a high tree branch.
3) The event is free, but they are taking up a donation at the end of the screening for Big Phil from La Farge, Wis. If you want to know about what Big Phil did for the town, you’ll have to read the article in today’s paper.
I met Big Phil on one of his first days here. I kept in contact with him throughout his time in our county, and I will tell you that I couldn’t have been more impressed with somebody.
He was genuinely the nicest, most sincere, humble, selfless, kind-hearted person and you just felt like you had stumbled upon a little piece of sunshine after you finished talking to him.
Big Phil isn’t that much different from the people of Franklin County. He’s hard-working, big-hearted, and if his bank account was as big as his heart, he wouldn’t have any troubles.
But his wife has lung cancer and he needs help paying the medical bills. He would never ask for anyone’s help, but because of his generosity last June, people are willing to help him without any other prompting.
If for no other reason, I hope you come to this screening Thursday night so you can help a person who helped your county, your community and your city. He deserves it. He really does.
