7-13-11 — It's hard for Jeremy Catron to believe that it's been more than 20 years since he participated in the production of "Borderlines," a movie that was shot entirely in Wayne County. But the years have not diminished the experience for Catron, who was among four local children with speaking roles in the movie.

"Boy, does 20 years go fast," said Catron. "To think that people still talk about ‘Borderlines' and continue to show so much interest after all this time makes me feel like I am a part of something special. I thought that it was something that most people had forgotten about, but given all this interest 20 years later it's clear that it is an important part of our history."

Catron had a chance to reflect about his experiences on the set recently, as preparations are made for a local screening of the 20th anniversary DVD edition of "Borderlines." The movie will be shown at the historic Wayne Theatre on Saturday, July 23 at 6 p.m. Director Ron Schildknecht will be present at the screening.

Schildknecht became very familiar with Wayne County back in 1990, as he and crew members came here to shoot the movie. And it was big news in Monticello as well, with The Outlook covering various aspects of the production. Stories covered everything from casting to the action at each film location.

Besides the major roles played by local children, there were also many local folks who were extras or the movie. And local musicians Clyde and Marie Denney provided music for "Borderlines."

Set against a background of farming, saw-milling and moonshining activities during the Depression, the 48-minute dramatic film focuses on a small portion of the Cumberland Plateau along the Kentucky- Tennessee border. Local historical and social conditions, beginning with the Civil War, had created an atmosphere in which violence became an acceptable method of handling disagreements.

But an outsider, schoolteacher Larlee Sanders sent in from the county seat, the deadly behavior could only be considered murder.

Although Larlee gradually solidifies relationships with members of the community—including Cilla Hatcher, her matter-of-fact landlady, Calvin Jones, a sawmill worker, and her quiet pupil Ought Dobbs—she is reluctant to accept their community's way of living and dying.

One night at a box supper, the familiar combination of moonshine, weapons, and violent tempers erupt, and Larlee finds herself in the middle. She is forced to accept, reject, or in some way attempt to change a deep embedded social behavior.

Filming was done in May of 1990 in various communities, including Cooper, Slickford and Jennings Hollow. But before the cameras rolled, local auditions were held at Monticello School, where about 40 children participated.

Catron, who was 13 at the time, was one of the ones chosen for a speaking role. He played the part of Truman Dillard.

"The experience itself was anxiety-provoking initially, but after we had all been there it just seemed normal like we'd been doing it for years. Not that I'm saying I was good at it," said Catron.

Catron said this was one of the most educational events of his life.

"Getting to see the process of making a movie and how they developed the scenes is a once in a lifetime experience. The cast and crew were great about sharing tips and tricks of the trade. We had a lot of fun."

Catron recalls that Jeremy Lomas, also known as Doc, was really funny, and was among cast members who helped keep the children entertained while they waited for the next scene.

"I can honestly say that I was always interested in what was going on and there was never a dull moment. We would either be acting, watching the scenes we weren't in or sitting around talking and joking,"stated Catron.

Catron said he and other cast members were given a VHS copy of the movie and he has watched it a few times. He said he probably hasn't seen it in 10 years or so, but he is looking forward to the screening next weekend, which he and his wife will attend.

Schildknecht said that DVD is the perfect medium for re-releasing "Borderlines."

"The digital age of filmaking has allowed us to do a number of enhancements to the film," he said. "First, we had both the picture and sound completely remastered digitally. Although this is a costly process, the improvement in quality over the previous VHS release is tremendous."

He continued, "We also added more music to the soundtrack, courtesy of Clyde and Marie Denney. Second, DVD's allow you to enhance the viewing experience with the addition of special features, such as photographs, other related short films, commentary, music, newspaper articles, and storyboards, just to name a few. The film was so embraced by the local community that we wanted the DVD to be a celebration of our time together 20 years ago."

Special features of the DVD include English subtitles for the hearing impaired, audio commentary and a directory interview and notes, and an interview with Lynwood Montell, who wrote "Killings"

which inspired the movie. It also includes multiple recordings of the song, "Borderlines" by Howard Perdue, as well as recordings by the Troxell Brothers, Bobby Clark and Clyde and Marie Denney.

There is a slideshow and still photos of the children's casting, location scouting, on the set, as well as newspaper articles and movie stills. Some of the content requires a computer with a DVD drive to access. DVD's will be available for purchase at the screening and online at ronschildknecht.com.

The screening is fee and open to the public, however tickets are required. They are available at any Monticello Banking Company location.