Holy Cross Alums/Filmmakers Bring Indie Film “Detour” to Worcester

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Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Karen Mills, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Sometimes, all of life’s little crises can add up to feel like a ton of mud weighing you down, waiting to fall and crush you. Other times, however—such as in director William Dickerson’s new independent film, “Detour,”—Mother Nature throws a curve ball to make that situation absolutely real.

This Wednesday at 7:30pm, Dickerson--Holy Cross alum Class of 2001-- will be joined by his fellow Holy Cross graduate and actor Neil Hopkins '99 in screening "Detour" in Fenwick Theater at the College of the Holy Cross.

Detour

A gripping thriller that has been hailed as “the best U.S. film I’ve seen in 2013” by Tom Charity of CNN, "Detour" is the tale of businessman Jackson Alder (portrayed by Hopkins) who becomes unexpectedly confined to his car due to a vicious mudslide. With no hope of rescue, he must try to overcome this disaster and escape before both time and oxygen run out.

{image-2}Writer and director of "Detour," Dickerson's goal was to create a film that was “a thriller [but in] the context of everyday life," illustrating how “any of us could have an unexpected disaster in our lives.” In a broader sense, Dickerson states that such disaster “may not take the shape of an enormous mudslide, but it’s not the obstacle that matters, it’s how we confront it and how we find a way to overcome it.”

A free event that is open to the public, this film screening will be followed by a question and answer session moderated by Holy Cross theater professor Steven Vineberg. Both Dickerson and Hopkins will be present.

Widely recognized by film festivals around the country, Dickerson sparked his film interests in the film studies program at Holy Cross before earning his M.F.A. from the American Film Institute. "Detour," which made its first appearance on March 29th of this year, is his debut feature film, and is available on demand and in a few theaters.

Neil Hopkins

The film's lead actor, Hopkins, is best known for his reoccurring role on "Lost," as Charlie's rock star brother, Liam. He has also appeared in numerous other television shows, such as "Big Love," "Grimm," "Leverage," and "My Name is Earl," as well as a role in the 2010 movie "Skyline."

Before earning his M.F.A at San Francisco’s American Conservatory Theater, Hopkins was involved in multiple theater department productions at Holy Cross, including Shakespeare’s “Measure for Measure,” and Chekhov’s “The Three Sisters.”

With all the catastrophes taking place recently—the bombings at the Boston Marathon resonate as much as the everyday earthquakes, war, and brutal storms that constantly rock different parts of the world—this film about overcoming unforeseen obstacles seems to strike a chord.

For more information about this film screening event, please contact Cristal Steuer at 508-793-2419.

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