Anything Is Possible (film)
Anything Is Possible is an American drama film written and directed by Demetrius Navarro and starring Ethan Bortnick (in his only feature film), Fatima Ptacek, Johnathan Bennett and Lacey Chabert. Although filming was completed in September 2011, it wasn't released in the United States until September 24, 2013. Bortnick stars in the leading role as Nathan, a young boy who is separated from his mother when she goes missing during a trip to Japan to provide aid after the tsunami.
Anything Is Possible | |
---|---|
Directed by | Demetrius Navarro |
Written by | Carlos R. Bermúdez Demetrius Navarro |
Starring | Ethan Bortnick Fatima Ptacek Johnathan Bennett Lacey Chabert |
Cinematography | Keith L. Smith |
Edited by | Andrew Brzozowski Jon Vasquez |
Music by | Ethan Bortnick |
Production companies | D Street Films Nu Trend Productions |
Distributed by | Moviemax Family |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
The film explores issues such as homelessness, military family life and adoption. Bortnick co-wrote the film's music with Grammy Award-winning songwriter and producer Gary Baker and his team, which includes Matthew Craig and Rob Collier. He recorded the soundtrack album for the film in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, making him the youngest actor to co-write a soundtrack and play the leading role in a feature film.[1]
Plot
Nathan is devastated to hear that his mother, Army lieutenant Margaret Peters, is missing after a rescue mission in Japan. Back in Detroit, this news came as a shock to him, and he struggles to come to terms with it. To make matters worse, he discovers his father, George, isn't his biological father. Because of this and his mother's long absence, Child Care Services comes knocking at their door. Afraid of being taken away, Nathan flees before his father can explain. As George goes looking for him, Nathan takes to the streets of Detroit, where he encounters Captain Miles, a homeless Iraq War veteran. At first, it's unclear what Captain Miles' intention is with Nathan, but the veteran ultimately tricks him into seeking shelter at the home of Evelyn Strasser. Evelyn, a wealthy philanthropist, finds out that her daughter Jesse has been hiding Nathan in the basement. Evelyn eventually reunites Nathan with George, but not before discovering that Nathan is a musical prodigy. Unfortunately, their reunion is short-lived, as Child Care Services informs the state to take custody of Nathan and send him to an orphanage. The orphanage, however, is not without its own problems, and is soon to be closed soon due to a lack of funds. When the other children in the orphanage learn of this, they decide to fundraise by hosting a concert. They promote the concert with Nathan as a newly-discovered musical prodigy via flyers that promise a sterling performance. At the concert, Nathan delivers a successful performance and helps raise enough funds to keep the orphanage afloat. Afterwards, Nathan's mother turns out to still be alive, and is happily reunited with her family.
Cast
Actor | Role |
---|---|
Ethan Bortnick | Nathan |
Johnathan Bennett | George |
Lacey Chabert | Maggie |
Fatima Ptacek | Jessee |
David Haines | Captain Miles |
Erlinda Navarro | Lysandra (as Erlinda Orozco) |
Kym Whitley | Ms. Kim |
Elizabeth Atkins | Evelyn |
Shelby Moffett | Ms. Jones |
Carlo Lorenzo Garcia | Mr. Cruz |
Daniel Behrendt | Army Officer #1 |
Nathan Bortnick | Scooter |
Alexander T. Bowman | Jimmy |
Frankie Darcel | Herself |
Shariay Gant | Jasmine |
Daniel Luján | Earl |
Sydney Machesky | Becky |
Mila McConaughey | Nicole |
Meghan Miles | Jenny |
Ty Miles | Army Officer #2 |
Enrico Natale | Clank |
Demetrius Navarro | Luis |
Stephane Nicoli | Cab driver |
Chad Mitchell Rodgers | Tyler |
Tasha Tacosa | Joyce Miner |
Charles E. Wasson | Tommy |
Reception
One critic gave the film three stars,[2] finding it to be a solid film.[3] The Dove Foundation gave the film five Doves, their highest rating.[4] They also stated that Young Ethan Bortnick is similar to Nathan in terms of his capabilities as a child prodigy.
One of the cast, Fatima Ptacek earned a nomination for Best Child Actor in a Film in the 2014 Nollywood and African Film Critics Awards.
References
- Anything Is Possible (2013), archived from the original on 2023-04-19, retrieved 2018-09-20
- "Anything Is Possible - Movie Review". Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
- "How We Rate and Review | Common Sense Media". Archived from the original on 2018-09-23. Retrieved 2018-09-20.
- "Anything is Possible | Dove Family Friendly Movie Reviews". Dove.org. Archived from the original on 2018-09-20. Retrieved 2018-09-20.