← The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast
1KHO 865: The Art of Telling Stories | Chris Dowling, Bad Counselors Movie Director
00:56:58
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- [00:01]
A
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- [01:01]
B
Welcome to 1000 Hours Outside podcast. My name is Jenny Urchin, the founder of 1000 Hours Outside, and I have just watched a phenomenally good movie. Funny, Funny. All these, like, church culture references. It's actually about getting kids outside the. It's about summer camp. And the movie is called Bad Counselors and what do you know? What an honor. The director, Chris Dowling is here. Chris, welcome.
- [01:25]
C
Hey, thank you, Jenny. Appreciate it.
- [01:27]
B
Okay, can you give us the Chris Dowling background story? Am I saying your name right?
- [01:31]
C
You are saying it absolutely correctly.
- [01:33]
B
All right.
- [01:34]
C
The background of the film.
- [01:36]
B
Well, I want the background of Chris. I want the background of you. So you get a degree in radio, television, and film. This is 15 or so years ago, Right? So you have been pounding the pavement with a ton of films, plus things on television. I'm not sure if there's anything in radio, but you started off with Rock Slide. Where did the interest in general begin?
- [01:57]
C
Yeah, when I was in high school, you know, we were making it's funny. I love that you said probably 15 years ago or whatever. Very kind number you said about when I graduated. So thank you for that. This. This will date me a little more, though. When we were in high school, I was taking, like, my Dad's big VHS Sony camera and you know, with VHS tapes and we were making little movies. And so me and my best friend in Richardson, Texas decided we were gonna go to Hollywood and be the next two Coreys. And I was a big Corey Heyman, Corey Feldman fan. And we were like, let's do it. And we graduated and he did it and I did not. And then I went to go visit him for the first time and then I said, you know what? Called my parents and I said, I'm going. So then ended up out in la, got to a little bit of acting, which was kind of fun. Finished up school and started writing and then that led to the directing and then, you know, it was interesting because I have been fortunate. A lot of people kind of get boxed in. It's like you only write movies or you only write television and then you inside that box we get you in a smaller box. You only write comedy movies on tele or, you know, comedies in film or. And so I've got to kind of do it all done reality shows, documentary, docu series, television, narrative film. So it's been a good, it's been a good run so far. It's been fun.
- [03:15]
B
What's your thoughts on staying creative, being creative and staying creative?
- [03:19]
C
Yeah, I mean I'm super fortunate because I mean I'm, you know, I'm married, I've got kids, so I have a lot of time that's going to all that. And so the fact that I get to do my create my creativity for my job is super helpful. I don't know how you can. If you're working full time, having the family doing all that and still having to find that creative output. I think, man, that's so tough. But I want you. It's so important for me. It's just about like, honestly it's, it's kind of funny. It kind of sounds like the anti creativity. It's like scheduling creative time. Like you know, just waking up, getting a cup of coffee and knowing like for five hours I'm just going to bust this thing out and, and you know, and either write or you know, if we're doing some building out pitch decks or whatever we're doing. But it's always, it's always flexing that creative muscle.
- [04:05]
B
Okay, I'm coming at this from zero knowledge. So if you go on your Wikipedia, which isn't that cool that you have a Wikipedia. Okay. If you go on the Wikipedia, it's like, okay for the very first thing, which is called the Plight of Clown. Clownana to fly to cloud.
- [04:21]
C
And I love that no one has ever brought that up in an interview. It is strangely also, if you go to. I don't know if you've ever heard of. Have you ever heard of letterboxd?
- [04:31]
B
I was at where people rate films.
- [04:33]
C
Yes. Yeah, yeah, yeah. They're pretty brutal in there. And I don't even look at it. And my daughter, she's 18, she was checking out, she's like, dad, you know, like your highest rated film is the plot of Clown Nana. And I was like, really? It was like, there's some great little snippets in there. My favorite comment someone said about that was Chris Dalling could direct Shutter island, but Martin Scorsese could not direct the Plight of Clown Nana because.
- [05:00]
B
Wow.
- [05:00]
C
Yeah. I mean, it's. It's all tongue in cheek, but it was hilarious because, yes, that is a very absurd film. But it honestly is what got me started. It was great. We just, we kind of teamed up and I had this kind of funny idea for a film. I would not, I wouldn't say it was necessarily a family friendly film, but it's hilarious and it's really funny. Like, I was actually doing, speaking at Masters University at their film class, and everyone was talking about all these, you know, films I've done and, you know, whatever. Run the Race and Where Hope Grows and the Remaining and Blue Miracle and, you know, all these great faith films. And I had like these five boys who were just hanging in the back waiting to talk. At the end, everyone left, they come up and they're like, yo, tell us about the plight of Cloud Anna. We watched, we loved it because it is, it is absurd. It's a. Whether you want to keep this in or edit this out. It's a guy in a giant wiener costume doing some dancing as part of the movie.
- [06:00]
B
Okay, Bat Counselors is not like that. But that is one of your. That's one of your kickoffs. That's the first one that comes up on Wikipedia. The Clownana. I love that you brought up your 18 year old. We have an 18 year old too. That's our oldest. He takes his letterbox very seriously. I'm not going to give that this score. He really is into film, so it's cool. I'll have to tell them about some of these different ones, but here's my question. So for the plight of Clown Anna, writer, director, producer. And then like some of the other ones, it's like writer, director, screenwriter, co writer. What's the difference between the different things?
- [06:40]
C
Oh, man. I love this. This is great. Obviously, like, for like the producer's the guy who's like, you know, putting all the pieces together, hiring the crew, negotiating the deals. I say that and then obviously in Hollywood you can get a producer credit sometimes for anything. So you got the hard working producers and then there's producers who like, if I come on board, I get a producer credit and then you're whatever. So those are, you know, figuring out what a producer technically does on each film. They could all be doing a million different things, but what they're supposed to be doing is putting the project together and again, doing all that stuff. Obviously the writer, we're doing the screenwriting. A lot of times there'll be like a story by credit where someone else will also come up, help come up with the story and then that get into like screenplay by. Because now someone else has kind of helped with the actual story. But then you were the one that wrote the screenplay. So sometimes you get that. And then obviously directing is the. Yeah, man. You're telling these actors, you know, do that, don't do that. Try this. Make it better than what I'm telling you to do, all that stuff.
- [07:43]
B
What's your, what's your favorite director? Write or produce?
- [07:46]
C
Yeah, I mean, I really love writing, especially right now because my kids are still, you know, here and young and like, if I go direct, I have to leave for like three months. And so, like, for me it's been super awesome. I've had a lot of writing gigs right now and like, so I get to be home. So like, I get to all the sporting events, all the church stuff. Like, I'm able to be present and be here. And so that's important to me. I love directing. But as they get older, I'll probably try to, you know, get more into doing more directing. It's just right now it's been super important for me, to me personally, to be around them.
- [08:17]
B
So would you say a lot of people in the industry dip their toe into all of them or is that unique to you?
- [08:23]
C
Definitely not unique to me. But I would also say it's also not. Not. It's not necessarily the norm for. Sure.
- [08:29]
B
Okay.
- [08:30]
C
And it is good because a lot of people, it kind of makes you. They call it like a height, you know, like you're a hyphen, like you're a writer, director or whatever, which is cool because a lot of times in the film process, like, you'll spend a year developing and writing the script and then when you finally get your director attached he might read it and be like, all right, I'm going to go make a bunch of changes now. And you're like, dude, we just spent a year. But if you're the writer director, you're basically. It's all coming together as, you know, as soon as you're ready to go, you guys are like, all right, we're ready to go. But anytime you bring that extra person in the mix, you know, there can always be more notes, more revisions, more, all that stuff. So it's definitely helpful when, when I'm going to get gigs that they're like, oh, you can write and direct this. We love that. Yeah.
- [09:13]
B
And it gives your life more flexibility, like you said. Are you writing? Is the writing that you're doing now. Is it a lot of collaboration?
- [09:20]
C
No, not really. Actually, no. I have one project that I'm super excited about that's like a studio project. It's a faith based film. It's going to be awesome. But that one I am with, I have a partner on that one, which is cool. But writing partners are super tricky and I haven't had one in a long time and. And I don't like having them.
- [09:38]
B
Okay, so this is a solo. A solo thing. I didn't know.
- [09:41]
C
Yeah. So for. For most of my. Almost all of them, it's. It's mainly. Yeah, it's mainly solo. It's. Which makes life easier because I don't have to sit around and go battle it back and forth with another writer. I just get to kind of let it go.
- [09:54]
B
All right, so this movie that is out this week, go see it. It is called Bad Counselors. It is incredibly funny. That's a faith. A faith based film. I was, I wanted to hit this off the bat because we've got kids that are teenagers and we've got one that's 10. So I was like, oh, PG 13. It's 13. That's what it's rated. But there is no cursing. The intimacy is just a couple kisses, everyone's clothes are on. There's no, you know, the word brothel gets brought up once or twice, but like every once while things get brought up, they are going to go over your young kids head. But other than that, it's rated that because at the beginning what you're dealing with is like a frat boy.
- [10:36]
C
Yes.
- [10:36]
B
His main character is like a frat boy.
- [10:37]
C
And in our film he is literally in probably the most chaste frat house in the history of frat houses. Because for us it's like, yeah, they're Just holding basically, you know, red solo cups. And that's really it at the beginning and that's what really got us the PG13 because there was, you know, college kids that are, you know, drinking, doing
- [10:56]
B
what college kids sometimes do. Yeah.
- [10:58]
C
But again, where it's, you know, you need them there because that's where it starts out and that's where, you know, we got to get them someplace. So.
- [11:06]
B
Yes, absolutely. So obviously as a parent you always kind of want to scream what your kids are watching, but I, if you are comfortable with me having screened it for you, I, I did love that. I mean I would feel completely comfortable taking my 10 year old to go see this movie. It's so funny, these kids out in the woods. So can you talk about getting. So obviously the clown Anna probably was not a faith based film, correct?
- [11:30]
C
Yes, yes. All you have to do is read the characters names and you realize that was not a faith based.
- [11:35]
B
Okay, all right, so talk about getting into that field. Has that, is that more recent or has that been for a while?
- [11:41]
C
Yeah, it was kind of cool. So I was out in LA and I mean, I had a buddy of mine, he was like, man, he's like, you just seem like you're kind of down and stuff. And I was like, yeah, you know what it was, it was tough because I'd moved and you know, anytime you move and it's hard, like the industry is very hard, like just to try to get going. And he invited me to church and I don't do things like half butt or anything, you know, like if I'm going to do it, I'm going to do it. So I said, all right, I will give God. I'll give you four Saturdays in a row where I won't go out Saturday night and I will go to church on a Sunday and we'll give this thing a full shot and we'll see what's up. And so I went to the first Sunday and by the second week I was on the men's Bible study and I met, yeah, I met, there's an actor there, his name is Reggie Davis. And it was his first day in the men's group too. And he was the smartest person I've ever heard talk about Jesus. And I just said, hey man, I said, I don't know where I'm at but like, can we go get coffee and I can ask you like a million questions. And he was like, yeah. And I'm getting teared up. So weird. I don't think I've told this In a long time. Anyways. And we went to coffee in Studio City and I probably sat with him for three hours asking him the most absurd questions that are, you know, just like, I don't understand all this. And he had such an amazing way of putting it. And I, I can literally say I walked in not believing and I walked out believing. And it changed my life.
- [13:08]
B
I feel like there's always a person behind the person.
- [13:11]
C
Oh, yeah. So it was. I mean, it was like, you're Reggie.
- [13:14]
B
You know, Max Lucado talks about this person, invited me to church. And it's always such a wonderful reminder to like, use your influence. Like be positively influential in other people's lives. You don't know where it's gonna go. You don't know if it's gonna end up in this incredible movie.
- [13:29]
C
Yeah, you never know. You never know who's listening. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And, and, and so it was. So it was interesting because I was in LA and actually that time we had a comedy which is a. Hilarious. It was a. It was making its way around town and it was, it was, it was really funny. I mean, it wasn't faith based or anything. And, and we were having some. It was strange how things work out. As I was saying, you get boxed in. And I had a writing partner in the comedy and we was going to the studios and we had had really amazing feedback. We'd actually had one offer to potentially do it that my. Our manager turned down at the time. Anyways, so I started writing a Christian movie. And this was many, many, many, many, many years ago. And I sent to my manager and he was like, what is this? And I was like, well, it's like, I just. It's like this modern day kind of like. And he goes, I don't get it. And I was like, oh, okay. And then. So we end up going separate ways, that manager. But then like somebody I had met at like Fox, an executive when we went in to meet and pitch this comedy again. You never talk about religion and politics in these, in these meetings for whatever weird reason. My. My writing partner thought it was hilarious to talk about religion and politics because I was a Christian. And you know, and so he, he brought it up and we started talking about it and it. I ended up getting to invite this executive to church. And she showed up once and we didn't make the comedy, obviously. But then like a year later, she calls me up and she's like, hey, like, I just got moved over to Sony and like, there's this Sony affirm division Starting and it's like faith based stuff. And then she's like. And so I passed on your. Some of the stuff you've written to Rich Peluso over here and he wants to meet with you. And then so I was like, okay. And then that led to me, oh, actually doing this movie, the Remaining with Sony. And then from there it was like, started just like springboarding to the next film. And then, you know, so that's kind of how it's kind of an interesting. So funny. I've done all I've done, you know, a bunch of podcasts. I haven't really got to tell this. Like, I'm like, I'm like remembering all this as we're talking. Like, so that's really how that kind of came. And then I kind of got pretty securely stuck. Not stuck. Stuck sounds like a bad word, but like, you know, a pathway of like the next faith film came and the next faith film. And the films, I will say the films that I do. Every faith you want to talk a faith project has lanes. Right? My lane is definitely way broader. Like if you. I don't, I mean, if you've seen any, I don't know if you have or not my other films, but like, you know, we. They're. They're not on the nose faith films by any means. And that's kind of the space I'm in, which is like bad counselors. Like, you, you watch it and it's, you know, it's got the faith in it, but it's not like really, it's not like a sermon being preached to you. It's like a, you know, a film where these characters are going on a journey. And it just so happens that this journey that they're going on has to do with faith in it versus, like sermon or something and doesn't mean it's, you know, neatly wrapped up in a bow or anything. But anyway, so it's been cool because I've had a chance to do that. And then I was living in LA for 24 years and so like all of my, you know, contemporaries or my buddies that were making movies, none of them are doing faith films. And so I was always like, well, I want to make sure I'm making films that like, I can show it to my agnostic best friend and he's going to be like, dude, this is a great movie. And so that happened. And it's been great. Like, I've, I. My. All those buddies I run, I'd rather them see the films than, you know, the Faith crowd. And so it's. It's been really cool to kind of be in that space where, you know, like I said, my friends and my contemporary guys are like, you're making good movies. Like, you know, and it's interesting talking about faith films in general because, you know, like, I remember one of us talking to. He's like, well, he's like, every one of those films, he's like, it starts out with a dude who has faith but lost it. He's like. And then he goes on, like, this journey, and, like, here's a sermon or something. And then he finds it again. He's like, but I've never had a faith. He's like, so I can't even. I can't even. I don't have an affinity to him getting, like. I don't even. Yeah, it's like, so, like, I can't get on board. So, like, even in some of the films, like, Warehouse Grows, which was interesting to talk to people because, like, at the beginning, you don't know if the lead character had a faith and lost a faith or he never had the faith. And then as I was going through and we were touring, talking to people, I would, you know, talk to all these Christian groups, and they'd be like, oh, yeah, he, like, was a Christian who, like, lost his faith. And then I would talk to the people who aren't Christians. They'd be like, yeah, he's like a guy. He's just a guy. And then he finds, like, faith, like. And it was like it was their own. To me, that's always more fun, is to allow them to come in with their own, you know, identities and to be able to, yeah, have this affinity for the character. And if we define everything, you know, then sometimes we box people out. So that's kind of the space I like to plan. That's why bad counselors, when it came to me, I'm like a. We don't do a lot of faith comedies, and this one is. This one's hilarious, and it's got so much heart. And I was like, so, let's go. Let's go have fun and let's go do this. Even though, like, again, people say, like, ooh, faith comedy in this space, like, don't touch it. It's just too hard to do. People won't laugh.
- [18:30]
B
And you did a great job with it. You did a great job with it. What a story when you talk about showing it to your agnostic friends. Because that's basically what happens at the end of the Movie.
- [18:41]
C
Yeah, no, for sure.
- [18:42]
B
I mean, that's what happens. He shows this, you know, this play, this thing on stage to the agni, you know, to his buddies, his drinking buddies. So that's basically like, your story in a small nutshell. I'm curious because you said writing often happens alone, but I could see, like, a big group of people getting together to be like. What do we call this main character? Like, Grayson? Like, it's such a. It's such like. Like, my kids have friends named Grayson. You know, like, that is a name of the times. Or there's a. It really touches on church culture where. To the point where you're like, wait a minute, like, what am I swimming?
- [19:18]
C
Like, it makes me crack.
- [19:21]
B
Swimming in, right? Like. Like the pastor of the Ch. His name, Zion. Okay, I'm blabbering. The premise is you got these two college kids that are getting in trouble in their. With their fraternity. And these boys, like you talked about, seem like they're. I mean, faith is not on their radar. They're excited about getting jobs. They want to be successful. You know, they're interviewing for jobs over Zoom with, you know, in their boxer shorts, you know, with a suit off the top, just very, like, today, you know, like, this is how life is. And then they have to go, you know, if they get some volunteer hours, and they end up at this Christian camp, but they're like, we don't know anything about being Christian, so let's go study. And so the kids. Like, one of the guys is like, well, we could go to Marian Baptist Church. You know, we could go to Weberville Methodist. And Grayson's like, no, no, like one of the one name church, you know, like Lighthouse or Cross Point. I mean, you know, so can you talk about. Is that, like. Is that one person? Because I could see a whole group of people being like, well, what are we gonna call this guy? Let's call him Zion.
- [20:24]
C
Yeah. So. And so the way bad counselors came together is Ryan and Dexter wrote the script, and they did an amazing job. And then, like I was saying earlier, when it gets to a director, like, I read it, I was laughing. I thought I had so much heart. And then I get a chance to kind of do a little director's pass and kind of put my DNA on it. And then Ryan in particular, and I kind of worked together through. As we were getting ready to shoot, like, if there was just bouncing ideas and some new scenes. And I mean, obviously, like, you know, you take a script, I think they're like, the original script. Had like 120 pages. So like, we even had to cut 20 pages out just to, you know, of stuff. And some of it was really funny or this, but it was just like, as the director, it's kind of your job to make sure, like, the pace is going to work and the tone all matches up. And so. And sometimes it's funny too, because sometimes you'll pull like, there's 20 pages and be like, there's this really good joke in here. We'll figure out a way to put it into another scene and stuff like that. So it still is definitely, like a lot of team effort on that. And then you get on set and if you have actors you trust, like, these guys made it infinitely more funny and easy just because everybody. We were on the same team. And when I'm directing, I like to let everybody play. Like for instance, I would say Nathan, who plays Dallas, who's like, yeah, the youth bastard.
- [21:35]
B
The very high energy youth bastard.
- [21:39]
C
So he brought so much to the table, like, just saying things, doing things. I mean, it was he. So, like, that was when it was like, oh, my gosh. Like, when I saw his audition and he just started ad libbing in his audition, I was like, this is the guy. Like, this is the guy. Like, and so he crushed it. And he's got an amazing story too, where he was a really big child star. Like, he was like James Gordon's kid and like the Dark Knight. And he was the lead actor in Dolphin's Tale and Dolphin Tail 2. And he played Brad Pitt's son in Babel. And then he wasn't happy in Hollywood and became a Christian and went to Bible school for four years. Years. And now he's out and now he's getting back into it. So this was like the perfect film for him because he was like, Dude, I know 75 different guys who are Dallas. He's like, I'm just gonna. And so he did. Yeah. So
- [22:29]
B
I just loved it. It's like the. I. I'm. I'm always intrigued when I've said this a ton of times, but when people can, like, grasp the human experience, you know, or really get a sense of the, the subculture. So this is like the western, you know, parts of it, like the western church subculture, which is, you know, this lighthouse church with Pastor Zion. And he's like, I've been married to that beautiful woman over there for 15 years. She's just getting hotter. And everyone's always like, why? Why do pastors do that? And then, you know, and then they're talking about, you know, raise your hand. Is so many hands up right now, like, those types of things. And then this Grayson who's, you know, not. Maybe not been to church much. His friend Tyler's like, we went on Christmas and Easter, but he's like, is that a coffee sh. And then it's called the Holy Roast. And the T is across.
- [23:17]
C
Yeah. So here's the beauty of it, is we tested the audience. We screened it with, like, maybe four different colleges and some youth groups. Because my biggest thing was like, hey, is any of this offensive to you guys? Because it was, like, Belmont and some, like, Christian universities. And the most overwhelming cool thing I ever could have gotten out of this was that we had a 97% recommend rate from the young adults. And the youth groups that watched it that marked themselves as Christian, 97% said they recommended to their friends, which is crazy. I've never seen a number like that. And then so on top of that, they were like, it feels like somebody made a movie for us that gets us. That's what they said. And I'm like, okay, that's right. Like, we are. We all recognize there's ridiculous things in our. In our faith space, like, and we're just gonna have some fun with it, but we're also gonna do it respectfully. So it's been really great. And it is funny to watch it because there was, like, a USC film school audience that watched it, and then, like, a Belmont and at usc, like, some of those things, like, you know, the pastor coming out and being like, you know, more importantly, I've been married to that hottie for 13 years. They were like, no, they didn't laugh. They didn't understand it. And then at the. When it played in front of Belmont, dude, people were roaring because they were like, everybody knows the youth bastard that does that. And so it was really funny to get to add all that inside baseball Christianese in there that the Christian audience is, like, laughing at and picking up on and having fun with it.
- [24:49]
B
One of the ones was, so Dallas. He likes this other counselor at camp. She's the pastor's daughter. And he's like, she's fearfully and wonderfully made, but she's not in a season to be pursued right now. Just all these ways that people talk that makes you think about your own life. And there was a lot of it. The land flowing with milk and honey, and then just all of the camp activities. I mean, and you're zooming in on all of them. It's like the Gaga ball, the sand volleyball, canoeing, tetherball. Like, if you went to Christian camp as a kid, you played Velcro catch and capture the flag in the Repeat After Me song. So I think everybody will get a kick out of it because you see yourself in it.
- [25:22]
C
Totally. And it was. It was such a cool experience because so, like, we had all the, like, the background actors, all the kids that came, and for the most part, it was the same kids every day. So, like, we actually had a true camp culture breakout where, like, friend groups and they were all hanging out and doing things. And, like, anytime I wasn't using them, I'd be like, guys, go play. Go do something. So they're all playing volleyball and Gaga ball and we're shooting stuff. And, like, it was raining, which was unfortunate. Like, my cast was so awesome. They're inside playing cards with the kids and stuff. It was like, when we actually left after eight days at camp, like, we had so many kids crying and hugging each other because it was like their camp was ending. And we had parents tell us, like, this was the best summer they've ever had. These eight days. It was. It truly was camp. And for our actors, too, that was so cool. Like, are actors who have all done and are doing big things, right? Like. Like, Matt Cornett is the lead actor on one of the biggest TV shows on. On Amazon right now. And, you know, and Breck, she was just. She had just come off being one of the leads in Final Destination, which was killing in the box office over there. And. But they were just, like, hanging out, and it was. Everyone was having camp. We were almost a little bit. Yeah, we were a little bit sad. We were leaving. Okay, we got to go shoot the rest of the movie. But we're leaving camp, and everyone's like,
- [26:30]
B
oh, you know, but isn't that cool? I mean, that's the whole point. Like, when you're hands on, when you're in person, when there's lots of different things to do and you can make these friends in this beautiful environment, I think that's wonderful. I was really impressed by the couple main kids. There was Patrick and Finn as these main kids. Can you talk about what it's like directing kids?
- [26:52]
C
Well, these kids were easy even from, like, the auditions. When we talk to them, like, you could just tell they were like, they were great. You know, Patrick Braden, if you go back and watch it, there's so many moments where he's just in the character and he does things where I'm like. Like, I always remember I was Watching him, you know, watching it back and right when he meets, because he's obviously like the over excited, you know, been waiting all summer to get to camp. And then he's got, you know, this camp counselor who's Grayson, who's just bummed to be there, but this kid doesn't even recognize that, like. And so in one of the first scenes when they first get there and, like, the. They're sitting at lunch and the camp, Dallas and Becky come out. They're doing the dance and everything, and to get everyone fired up.
- [27:34]
B
Yeah, but they're all like an 80s garb.
- [27:37]
C
Yeah, yeah. But Braden's just there, and he just starts taking, like, food off of Grayson, his counselor's plate, and he's just eating it. Like, they're like. He already thinks they bonded, but that was just like, Braden doing good acting. You know what I mean? Like, that was so cool. And then if Finn shadow, like, that's my buddy Mario Lopez's son. And what? Yeah, yeah. And so this is his first. He has since gone on to do, like, five projects. He's amazing, and he was a joy to work with, and just super. Same thing. Just super intuitive, like, And. And, you know, it's good when all the kids are. Because they were. They were at camp, too. They got to know all the. All the background kids. These. These kids were all, like, playing sports with them, and it was. It was awesome. It was. It was a joy. And I think that translates to the screen. I think that's what you're feeling is like, we were having camp. So when you go watch it, you're like, I'm having camp. Like, this is awesome. Yeah.
- [28:30]
B
Oh, you'll never know, too, Chris. Like, all those friendships that are built through that. Mario Lopez, as in, like, Saved by the Bell Mario Lopez.
- [28:38]
C
Yeah, if you want to go back that far. But yes.
- [28:40]
B
Yeah. Yeah, that's his son. Do your kids ask to be in the films?
- [28:46]
C
Hilarious. My youngest is 16, and she has been like, dad, I want to be one of your films. One of your films. And I said, all right, so what you got to do is you need to go get into theater, and then you need to start taking acting lessons. And then when we figure out the time is right, we can, like, you can read and audition or something. But so she's been in, like, four theater productions now she's in an acting class. I mean, I'll give her a shot, but, you know, and she's getting so much better. She's really, really good. So that's been cool. So I'm sure at some point there will be something there. And then my oldest daughter, I was shooting a TV show in North Carolina called Blue Ridge, and I got to bring her out when she was a senior in high school because we homeschool, but it was like, she's, like, at a homeschool school, but makes it easy because I can be like, hey, she's gonna go. Some real world experience. I'm taking her to set with me. So she went out to North Carolina with me while we shot the final episode of the season, and I was directing, and she wanted to look at makeup, so she worked with the makeup team, came back, and now she's going to school to go do set makeup. That was what she wants to do now. So, like, they've all.
- [29:48]
B
That's so cool.
- [29:49]
C
Yeah, it was awesome. So they're participating in the industry in that way, and they both love film, and they get to see how much fun I'm having doing it. And. But. But, you know, but it's also, like, for anyone who's. I try to explain to them, too, it's like, it's. You know, you see dad maybe having some success and doing some things, but it's super hard, and it's a grind, and, you know, there's a lot of pressure, and. And so, like, it's easy to be like, oh, well, like, same thing with actors. Like, I want to be an actor. Yeah, of course you do. But, like, it's actually really hard, and, like, it takes a lot. You know, it's a big effort, and, like, there's a reason why people are successful actors and why some aren't. And so anyway, so it's like, yeah, so it's kind of exposing them to a little bit of that, too, is like, you know, like, right now, leading up to the movie, like, I've been super not stressed, but just, like, I've been a little overwhelmed. There's just so much. And there's a lot of other work. I'm just in a busy time in my life, and my daughters are like, hey, like, are you okay? Like, there's been a couple days. And I'm like, I'm just a little, you know, just a little overwhelmed right now. Like, I'm just trying to, you know, pro. I'm trying to put all my things that are going on in life, work, future work, you know, everything is like. And. And while the movie. All the movie stuff is happening leading up to the release, but that's, you know, that's real. And so they need to see that, too, because, you know, it can't just be like, oh, yeah, it's like, you know, it's not.
- [31:02]
B
Well, yeah, like, here you are sitting and doing a podcast, and here it's coming out. It'll be out the week or whenever this goes live, you're going to be able to go see this movie in theaters. But, like, I'm sure there's a ton of nerves as to, like, you have no idea how well it's gonna do. You can do what, you know, you do what you can. You do the marketing. And so there's that. There's that whole risk of how is it going to be perceived? And yeah, I. I think that's wonderful to expose your kids to that. What a cool. What a cool thing I've got. Our oldest son is interested in movies. He, like I said, he just turned 18. And then the youngest, our youngest is 10. So she was like, well, can you just get a movie going real soon so that I can be in it? You know, just like what kids think about all this. All this be in that one. But like you said, it's just a lot of work. I thought the kids did phenomenal. Those two main boys that were in this movie, it's called Bad Counselors. So I love that there was. There was a faith story here, a faith journey, right? This is for. Tyler and Grayson have not been exposed to faith. You can tell. And. And so there's that. There's that part of it. You know, they're being exposed to the culture, but then also Jesus and these biblical stories through Pastor Tom at the camp. But then there's also the sort of human, like, I don't feel like I'm enough. I have anxiety. Maybe I'll never be happy. I'm such a loser. My dad only valued success. Like, those human parts of it that I thought were really deep and even, like, though they sometimes might seem cheesy, like the part where they're, like, burning the. The statements about themselves. Like, you know, if you, you know, maybe I've gone to a church camp where they're like, throw it in the fire. But those are really real feelings that we have. And, like, this is showing that it's not just the kids, it's also the counselors that have these deep feelings about themselves. So can you talk about the intertwining of these faith topics? I mean, I guess I would say that they're all faith topics, but, like, they're more human topics. I don't know.
- [33:04]
C
No, I mean, I think and that's part about going to, like, what type of films and messages do I like versus maybe like some other projects is like, I think universally, as humans, we all want the same thing. Like, we want to know we're loved, valued. We want the best for our family. Like, there's just certain things that are, like, universal. Doesn't matter your gender, whatever religion. Like, we're humans. We want this. This is what we desire. And so for me, like, being able to present that and then again, showing you a story where someone is introduced to God in a Christian way to kind of show you how. How we can help with that, how you can find your identity, how you can find grace. Like, that's what the. That's what the real story is about. It's not just about Grayson goes to church and he's, you know, says the sinner's prayer on day one, and now he's saved for the rest of his life. Because not saying that doesn't happen, but it also doesn't resonate with a lot of people. So it's like, so let's make it a journey. Let's make it feel real. And again, as a director, that's part of tone, too. Is right. Is like, that could have been a very cheesy scene, but it actually turned out to be super powerful and beautiful. And Corey Asbury is singing an original song at that time, which has been great, and he's awesome. So that song is a Corey Asbury song that can only be heard in the film.
- [34:20]
B
I wondered.
- [34:21]
C
So, yeah, so that's.
- [34:22]
B
I wondered. You saw the. These two kind of main character boys that. And there's. You know, there's a lot of kids at camp and there's a lot of counselors, but the one is just got a little bit more of a darker side. He goes by Shadow. And, you know, he's just like, am I gonna. Am I gonna be happy? It's kind of like this dark. It's a dark cloud, and kids have hard lives. And then Patrick is getting picked last for the team and.
- [34:46]
A
And that.
- [34:46]
B
That type of thing kind of getting made fun of a little bit. And so, you know, his little card that he's gonna burn says I am, and he writes his S backwards. You know, it does like these little. These little.
- [34:57]
C
Isn't that. Where did you notice that he did that too? So weird. And I watched. I was like, that is such a str. It was amazing. But I think that's just how he does it. But I was like, that is so interesting. That He. You picked up on that, too. But I was like, that is so interesting. Yeah.
- [35:08]
B
Little details that look like a kid. You know, we homeschool, too. So I learned this song. It was like, well, I'm not going to sing it. But it was like, where do you start your letters?
- [35:17]
A
At the top?
- [35:18]
B
And it was because all kids, like, they want to write their thing going from the bottom, but you got to start at the top. It was. I'm missing it. It goes. Where do you start your letters at the top, Chris? I say it so many times, I don't even.
- [35:34]
C
I mean, that was real right there. That's great.
- [35:36]
B
I don't even know where it came from or whatever, but it's like something that you teach your kids, that you start at the top and go down, not from the bottom up. But I was like, oh, that's something. You know, a young kid would write their letter that way. But you really feel it. You feel those times, and you're like, oh, am I ever going to be happy? And I will tell you that I was watching them. I got to watch a little pre screener. I was watching at my laptop, and my husband walked by and goes, is that Corey Asbury singing? Like, he. He got it just from the voice, from hearing it.
- [36:03]
A
Wow.
- [36:04]
B
And I love.
- [36:05]
A
I love the song.
- [36:06]
B
The song. I wrote down the lyrics. It's about running from failure and that God is the light that stayed I wore my pride like armor Smiled to bury the pain Tried hard to earn redemption and find my way to grace but love is not a trophy and the swift don't win the race Even in my blindness you are the light that stayed how did that end up happening? Like, that connection and him writing an original song for the movie.
- [36:30]
C
Yeah, we. We called his people and said, hey, we think he seems like a. He seems like somebody that would get it because he's just funny and. And just seems like a nice guy. And so we ended up zooming together and we said, kind of, here's what we're thinking now. You know, this is the scene. This is kind of what's going to be happening. Here's the script. You can read it and then please go do what you do and come back to us with a project. And, I mean, I still remember getting, like, goosebumps when he had just recorded the song, like, you know, with his iPhone and hearing it for the first time being like, okay, yeah, like, that is. That's what we're looking for. That's great. And then, so he has never been in A film before he got out there and got to experience that it was fun. His son with him. And, you know, and we sat out there and there's 100 kids and all the actors. I mean, it's actually really one of the. For us, it's one of the bigger scenes because I think every, you know, most every actor's in there, including, you know, Chris Klein is over there too. And so Corey kind of jumped into the fire, and that was an evening, so it was late night and. But it was great. And it. I mean, again, it could have been a cheesy scene. And from Corey and from the acting and the editing, Chris Witt did an amazing job editing that scene. I mean, really. And yeah, and so really came together.
- [37:46]
B
I loved that scene. I loved it. And you're. You're kind of shocked. No one will be shocked if they listen to this ahead of time. But I was like, wait, is that Corey Asbury? And then, like I said, my husband recognized the voice and the song was so beautiful, and I loved it. It was not cheesy at all. Write down a lie you believe your about yourself and throw it in the fire. But you always have, like, I always like that you had like, the great, like the Grace and Tyler characters are kind of like, Wait, what? You're capturing that too, right? That. That they're kind of like, huh, they're exposed to this church culture for the first time and they're like, you know, and then it's like a softening of hearts. It seems like, you know, Tyler first, Grayson second, maybe. And it's just a beautiful. A beautiful journey of. Of not just the faith, but also of those deep, universal human truths. Like. Like when Grayson's talking about his dad and like, he only values success. And it's like, well, what was modeled for you and where are you coming from? And how does that relate into the type of person that you are today? I love the part. Well, of course, because this is about getting kids outside and office screens. I love the part where there was a lockbox. It said no tablets. Was no tablets, phones, or E Bibles. Who came up with that?
- [39:02]
C
Of course, I was Nathan. He just threw an E Bibles. Yeah, he's great.
- [39:07]
B
There was a lot of little things like that. So they go in this lockbox. And I actually think it's a good lesson that, you know, like, it's like kids, their Instagrams in some ways get them busted. You know, you got to be real careful while you're posting online. So that's a good Lesson that you might take away from this. Can you talk about the giving keys? So that was part of the plot, and there was a special thanks to giving the giving keys in the credits.
- [39:32]
C
Yeah, I mean, I've known Caitlin and Crosby for a long, long time with giving keys. Actually, I'd be willing to bet I had one of the first 500 giving keys ever buying it to support when they first started out. And then Houston Bradley, one of our producers, knows her really well. And so giving keys is such a cool part of the culture, the Christian culture, and we loved it. So, you know, we wanted to have them have it, be a part of it.
- [39:58]
B
With someone like that, like, would they come to a premiere? You know, is that. That's really special. Then they can, like, screenshot where they're. Where Tyler's wearing the one that says brave. I mean, that's got to be a pinnacle moment for someone who has a business. Oh.
- [40:11]
C
I mean. I mean, she's crushing it anyways. I mean, she's such, you know, a part of the Christian culture, which is why, you know, it's there. But I mean, yeah, I mean, obviously, if we had a premiere, that would be awesome. We're just. We're pretty low key. We're just, you know, we're not having a premiere. We're not. We're not the Odyssey, but we are up against them. So we're trying to put all our money into marketing just so we can get our best shot at getting the most people to see the film. So. Because they're really expensive. I mean, we've done them in the past, and, you know, it can easily run you a couple hundred thousand dollars for one night.
- [40:42]
B
Wow. We've been to one. We went to one for this movie called.
- [40:47]
A
What was it called?
- [40:49]
B
It was like a cartoon. It was about Jesus. Oh, Chris. Well, because I have a funny story about it. And the Winnie the Pooh guy was there. What would it have been? And the Kristen Chenoweth was there. It was called who's the Winner? The guy who did the voice for Winnie the Pooh. I can't even remember what his name is. I'm like, my whole. My whole Jim Cummings is his name. But what would have been.
- [41:16]
C
Go.
- [41:16]
B
What would have been? The movie, though, it was. Okay, I'm gonna have to change the subject because, I don't know, it was like a Christian cartoon, and they've been working on it forever. Anyway, we got to go to the premiere. I don't know. I had a good story, but now I can't Remember what the movie was.
- [41:32]
C
The good news is we have a device that can look up exactly. With that information what the movie was.
- [41:37]
B
Yeah, exactly. All right. But it was. It was fun, but I could see, like, it was red carpet. They had news everywhere. There was, like, food for everyone. I could see that it would be an expensive undertaking. Okay, so giving keys, that was one of the things. That was a special things. What's Camp Glow? Is that where you did the film?
- [41:54]
C
Oh, yeah. Camp Glow is where we actually shot the film. And they were so accommodating and so awesome. It was actually. It was kind of interesting because the way the film worked out, like, when we found out we got the financing, it was like, okay, we have to start immediately because Camp Glow has camp starting, so we basically have May to whatever. It was like, the first week of June, and, like, we ended on that Friday. They had the weekend to do their best to clean up. I mean, God love them. And then that Monday, they had their camp start. And so, you know, we had. They were. I mean, again, Tony and the crew, they were. They couldn't have been better. And so it was awesome. We had, like, free reign over the camp. And obviously, like, we went through and, you know, you have a set deck team that goes through and did amazing things, like building things and, you know, making every cabin look different and special. And so, like, there was a lot of set deck stuff that went on, and our art team was amazing, too. But ultimately, I mean, we just, you know, to have a camp, like, that was. Was huge.
- [42:51]
B
Oh, it's called Camp Glow. Where's it at?
- [42:53]
C
It's just out of Kannapolis, North Carolina.
- [42:57]
B
What a cool thing. Yeah, it was thrilled to see their camp in a movie.
- [43:01]
C
Oh, and they had a lot of their campers came. I mean, we had so much fun with them. They were. And just. Just good people with such genuine hearts. Like, I mean, I still talk with Tony and, you know, just text back and forth and catch up and stuff, but, like, yeah, they're. They're awesome. And so. And again, so accommodating and just like, because it's tough. I mean, we. You know, you come in there with hundreds of people every day, and there's trucks and all kinds of stuff trying to drive into different parts of camp. And, I mean, it just gets, you know, crazy. But, you know, they let us do it, so.
- [43:33]
B
Yeah.
- [43:34]
C
And that was. So
- [43:37]
A
go ahead.
- [43:38]
C
Oh, first. Well, and one thing that we did, we wanted to do, which was really fun, is did you end up getting to watch the Credits.
- [43:44]
B
I did watch the credits. I loved all the pictures. I love that. And I love Dallas's scene.
- [43:50]
C
Okay, I'm going to tell you about Dallas in a second. But so we basically had all these. We just had cameras laying around that were just disposable cameras and so.
- [44:00]
A
Cool. Yeah.
- [44:01]
C
And we encouraged the background kids and the other kids to take pictures when they wanted to. So, like, basically they had no idea that we were going to use this in the credits. And so they all took pictures of themselves doing things. And then so all these kids that, you know, they weren't sure if they'd be seen on the. On the movie or whatever, but they were there with us all the time. Now as the credits roll through, it's all them for the most part. So it's like a super special cool thing that, like, gets to honor them and the campers and all the stuff. So that was really cool.
- [44:26]
B
I loved it. And you can tell they're like, from those disposable type cameras, which is so campy.
- [44:32]
C
Yeah. Oh, totally. Yeah. And you can just see the realness of it. Them having fun in those crazy places and everyone's piled on each other. And I mean, it. It was camp, like I said. And we just gave them these cameras to take the pictures. So that was really cool and special. Yeah. And then at the end, Nathan. So there's a scene early on, which you saw, where there's like two lines of, like, a Shakespearean whatever, monologue. And he basically says the first two lines, and then Jenna cuts him off, and it's like, get off the stage. So we shot that, and we shot it like three times or whatever. And then Nathan was like, hey, I just. And that's all that's in the script. And he's like, hey, I just. I need one more take. And I was like, I think we got it. He's like, I just. One more. All right. Well, I didn't know that he had gone home and spent the whole weekend learning the entire two minute monologue just. Just to have fun with me. And so we did the last take and we're like, you know, she's like, dallas. And he just keeps going, and he does this heartfelt, passionate, beautiful Shakespearean monologue and nails it. So of course, it was one of the crazy. It was honestly one of the most surprising moments I've ever had on this film set. Cause I was like, what is going. Everyone's looking at each other like, what is going on? And so we had to honor that, and I had to Put. I was like, I'm putting that at the end of the. Because anyone can see that. It's like, it's hilarious.
- [45:46]
B
That's so fun. I love it when directors, producers, writers, whoever have little tidbits at the end.
- [45:52]
C
Oh, it was great.
- [45:53]
B
Yeah, it's so fun. It's so fun to have those in. How about the Refuge Church? Pastor Jay Stewart?
- [45:58]
C
Yeah, he's. They're awesome. They were super supportive. One of the producers, Chris Roark, that's his church. That's where they go. I actually think that might be where they also, like, based up and shot a lot of War Room back in the day, if you ever saw that movie. But. And so. So Pastor J and that whole team were super supportive. That's actually where Pastor Zion is, is at the Refuge Church, like with the screens and everything. Now, they usually don't use
- [46:24]
B
when it comes out and there's like that huge storm
- [46:28]
C
and Pastor Jay does not come out the rolling fog. But for Pastor Zion, we definitely wanted to add a little bit of that. So. So, yeah, they've been instrumental in helping us and everything. And they're great.
- [46:39]
B
I love the book stack. There's so many little details. So these two guys, they. They need to get these community service hours. This is Tyler and Grayson. And so they have to have a meeting with this pastor, you know, in order to get the job to work at this camp. And they're like, you know, they're trying to find out what should I even say? And so there's like a panning through of Pastor Tom, his, you know, office or whatever, and it's like the present over, perfect book is sitting. And I was like, oh, gosh, you know, what book do you pick out of all these books that have been around for, you know, however many years? And I just, I. I loved the details.
- [47:15]
C
Oh, details are what make the film. That's what makes it feel lived and real in and interesting and. And so I appreciate that. Yeah, it is. It's funny how many. When you give actors liberty and you give. There's, you know, as a director, you can be very, like, micromanager and hands on, or you can be very much like, I'm going to build a team and I'm going to trust that the team I build is going to be awesome. So, like, Boston, who was running our art department, the set and everything. And those guys, JB and those guys, like, it was easy. Like, it was just like, hey, like, here's what I want, here's what I go make it better. Go Find every little detail, Go do everything. And these guys came back. I mean, Matthias, if you saw the statue that gets destroyed, like, he built that out of a mannequin and put armor on it and spray painted it and put it in a position. I mean, he did the whole thing, but it was really a mannequin in armor, a plastic that he. He built and built it up on the platform and everything. But it's like, you know, I didn't, I didn't have to go, hey, this is exactly how it was actually written different in the, in the film. And he was like, hey, I think I want to do this. And I was like, awesome. And so, like, all those little details, you say, I wish I could be like, I plan them all. But that's a testament to all the crew that went through and did all the things right and said, we should do this and we should do that. And, you know, like, you said the Holy Roast, like, it was a very funny logo. I didn't, I didn't come up with that. Boston came up with that. But I was like, when. As soon as I saw it, I was like, dude, you're awesome. Like, this is why we hired you.
- [48:37]
B
What a team. What a team. I even.
- [48:40]
C
It was.
- [48:40]
B
I even loved the font. I love the font at the beginning where it's all. It looks like, like a letter jacket font. And it was like a Chris Dowling film. I loved the font. It was like maroon. It was so creative.
- [48:53]
C
Yeah. And if you. Thank you. Yeah. And if you can see it, that was fun because. So I will. And if you go back and look, maybe when you see it in the theater, you'll see it. But it's actually, when it rolls on, it's being stitched very quickly on. So there's thread that's stitching it as on, like on a letter jacket or something. Like, it's pretty cool. But one thing I did learn, when we did some lower budget stuff, we had a project that was lower budget and we had a. Well, I mean, it was actually. It was a guy named Mark Duplass and we had a documentary called Asperger's R Us. And we didn't spend any money on it, but it was a great doc. And, you know, we were having trouble. We're, you know, going to sell. It was going to be tough, and we knew that, but. And he came on board and said, hey, we're going to. I'm going to spend money, which is like equal to, like, probably what we spent the whole thing to build out, like, A title sequence. And then to. To build all your graphics out much better because we just had, like, little things we just kind of put up there. And we were like, well, I don't know, man. Like, that's going to double our budget. It's like, trust me. And we did it. And then I was blown away with how much the lens, how much bigger I thought the movie felt. When I watched the very beginning and I see a big title sequence or I see cool font, and I'm like, oh, this is a bigger movie versus, like, if they just popped up and then went away, I'd be like, yeah, you know, feels like a Lifetime movie. So that was a lesson I learned then. And so, like, when we did this one, it was fun exploring, like, with. With the. Our post team and just being like, hey, I kind of want this. Give me some options. Like when I want. I want the, you know, the Letterman and, you know, I want the. The flag coming out and, you know, the On Fire and the. You zoom into, like. It was like. It was fun creating all that and making it all work to make it feel just a little bigger or different.
- [50:31]
B
Yeah. And it's your first impression.
- [50:33]
C
Exactly.
- [50:34]
B
And it's a good first impression because it's so cool looking and it's. It's unique. Yeah.
- [50:39]
C
And that's it. It paints the lens that you're going to now watch the rest of the movie in my mind. So that was so. Thank you. I'm glad you like that because I really love those. The title sequence. I love the way the names come on and everything.
- [50:50]
B
I do, too. I loved it. I loved it. It is wonderful. The messages that you're getting are messages about that you're, you know, your life can look like a party on the outside, but be a total mess on the inside. And how do you deal with that? Or, you know, the things that try and replace God in our lives. That's a premise of the film, too. So there'll be a lot to talk about with your family, a lot with your kids. Different conversations. I did think that Grayson did actually really have skinny calves. That was, like, something that came up in the beginning. And at the very end, there was, like, a shot of him standing there, and I was like, oh, I don't even know where that came from, but I thought that was funny. That's in there.
- [51:25]
A
There's.
- [51:26]
B
There's so many little things. The stud muffins. I mean, it is a phenomenal film. It is called Bad Counselors. Go see it. Go see with your family. You want to make sure that you give films like this your business so that there are more of them. These faith based films with a lot of wonderful lessons in them for all of us. Chris, huge congrats. We always end our show with the same question. What's a favorite memory from your childhood? That was outside.
- [51:51]
A
Wow.
- [51:52]
C
First off, I do want to say this has been one of my favorite podcasts in a long time. So thank you. You are a blast. I really did enjoy this. And not only a blast, you're super insightful. Like you actually watched the film and paid attention. So this has been a joy. So thank you. Can't believe our hours already up. Favorite memory as a child and outside. Well, I will say this, I don't, I don't know if this is a favorite memory, but I will say being an outside child growing up, I walked everywhere barefoot. So this is going to be, this is going to be the opposite of a favorite memory. But I'm going to give it to you because this is how I live my life outside. And I had two great lessons on living my life barefoot growing up outside. One, I was walking to go get my football pads in ninth grade. We were about to start two a days and I was walking down through the creek, into the creek and then up to go walk over to get my pads, which just tells you outside. I was going to grab all my pads and walk another mile back to my house. But that's just what it did. I stepped into the creek and I heard a crunch and I picked my foot up and it was the round bottom of a Coke bottle. Like the whole bottom was like that. And then I had to pull it out and it was like a whole circle. And I hopped over to Natalie Hickson's house, my friend. And I just, I remember this, just held my foot over her garden and her sister opened the door. She was like, oh, Natalie's not here. And I was like, can you just call my mom? And she looked over and it was like, it looked like a murder scene on her bushes, gushing blood everywhere. And then the other thing I did, barefoot again, I'm flipping your question. These are not good things, but they're memorable. These are lessons learned. They are memorable, actually. Yes. I played basketball barefoot with a bunch of guys playing shoes and with shoes. I was in sixth grade. I jumped up, I came down, this toe caught the back of somebody's shoe and my whole foot came down. It just popped the bone right out like this. And obviously I had to go get that fixed too. So Those are, those are, those aren't. They weren't necessarily great, but they're memorable. Those are memorable. Outside.
- [53:46]
B
I know. It's so fun, Chris. Is hardly ever it hard, you know, what do you think about going outside? Like occasionally a couple people will say something like, you know, playing catch with my dad, you know, but. But for the most part, everybody has a different answer. They're unique. Their unique as can be. And yours will. Yours will never be repeated by anyone. Oh, my goodness. Well, Chris, huge congrats. Huge congrats. I liked it so much and I just am so grateful. You know, it's like we're trying to balance out screens with hands on real life and we watch movies and we love to do that kind of thing with our kid kids and so to have an option that's so funny gives you so much to talk about. And that's clean.
- [54:30]
A
That's clean.
- [54:31]
B
There's zero cursing.
- [54:32]
C
Yeah.
- [54:32]
B
I mean, that's so uncommon. I was just talking to a friend the other day and she was like, man, you watch, you know, such and such movie and it's like they got to throw in three. Three bad words. And you're like, why? Why? You know, and we were like, we don't know. Why do they do that? You know, I don't even know. But it's a clean and funny and enjoyable and just great for families. So huge congrats to you. It's wonderful.
- [54:52]
A
It's called bad counselors.
- [54:53]
B
Go see it now.
- [54:55]
C
Thank you. Thank you so much.