For Love of Amy - Westroads RAVE Theater

I saw the movie last night at the RAVE movie theater at The Westroads. The Omaha views are quite striking and many local buildings and views are featured. Panoramic shots of Omaha are quite lovely. And it's a poignant story and nicely done with some strong acting. But the movie is only playing for two weeks, so if you are interested, better go see it quick!

I used to play music in the UNO band room which features a memorable scene with John Beasley. And the carriage ride in the Old Market with Michael, the lead role played by Vincent Alston, and his love interest, Jasmine (played by Joyce Sylvester), includes a trot by the stone arch which used to be a part of the old Woodmen building, long since demolished. Amy, the young girl of the title, is played by Grace Bydelak, and she does a nice job throughout. The plot is pretty melodramatic (death by cancer, suicide, racism, an interracial guardianship followed by an unexpected custody battle), and you probably need to like that sort of thing to appreciate the pacing of the movie. Humor is nicely woven through the melodrama, though, as a necessary counterpoint.

I actually saw three of my paintings in the coffee house scene, and work by quite a few other artists as well, but one of mine in particular fills a large portion of the screen and my name is three feet high in a close up when the camera zooms in on Jasmine's face toward the end of the movie...a thrill for me!

The scene was shot at The Meeting Place Coffee House, 12th and Howard, which is no longer in business. It was a terrific venue for artists who could hang their works throughout the business. And poets and musicians often gathered there to read and play their music. It was a cool place for which there is no comparable venue anymore.

Bud