When George Woodard isn't busy on the 200-acre family dairy farm in Waterbury, Vermont, he turns his attention to making movies. An early love of local theatre led him to Hollywood, where his experience in film production, screenplay writing, cinematography and directing provided opportunities to expand upon his acting chops. But the need to return home to the farm brought him back to Vermont where he oversaw the family business.

"The Farm Boy" is Woodard's second full-length feature and stars his son, Henry who plays Calvin Dillard, a young man who drives a milk truck for his father in rural Vermont during World War II. He marries a girl named Mary (played by Grace Woodruff) he met at a dance, yet barely has time to settle into marriage when he's drafted and sent to war in Belgium. While in Europe, he meets another woman, Renée (Coco Moseley), and his experiences with her change him in profound ways.

Woodard filmed "The Farm Boy" on his Waterbury farm, parts of which resemble the pine forests of the Ardennes in Belgium, where one of the most famous WWII battles—the Battle of the Bulge—took place. For those scenes, Woodard managed to assemble a troop of WWII reenactors and army trucks.

Woodard takes many of his cues from classic American directors, such as John Ford, John Sturgis, and Anthony Mann, who all worked in a frank, direct way that focused on the story rather than on elaborate stylistic tics that can obscure the narrative. Even Woodard's choice to film in black and white is a nod to a certain era in American cinema.

Tickets can be purchased online at: https://www.bellowsfallsoperahouse.com/whats-playing-2/

Event Info

Nov 11, 2024, 11 AM

Nov 12, 2024, 4 to 6 PM

Nov 15, 2024, 12 to 1 PM