A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To My Life® with Scott Cervine

From Magic Castle to Moms Rising: A Conversation with Filmmaker Scott Cervine

What do magic, Napoleon Hill, and the most powerful force on the planet have in common? This episode.

I sat down with award-winning filmmaker (and my friend!) Scott Cervine — director of Think and Grow Rich: The Legacy and the new film Moms Rising, and let me tell you, this conversation went places I didn't expect.

We talk about Scott's wild journey from apprentice magician at the Magic Castle to directing one of the top 10 most widely read books of all time as a film. And then, the movie that started as a single scene about Thomas Edison's mom and grew into something that is making audiences around the world burst into tears — in the best possible way.

I'm also a cast member in Moms Rising, and I'll be honest,  I had NO idea what was in this movie until I saw it at the NYC premiere last November. Every single story hit me differently. We're talking about bravery, forgiveness, unconditional love, and the kind of mothering spirit the world desperately needs right now.

💛 The best part? You can watch Moms Rising for FREE in honor of Mother's Day. 

👉 momsrising.film

Watch it solo with your popcorn. Watch it with your mom. Watch it with your women's group. Just watch it. And then share it with someone who needs it.

This one's for every mom,  the ones who raised us, the ones who showed up unexpectedly, and the ones who never stopped believing in us.

Welcome to a funny thing happened on the way to my life. This is the place to be for stories to inspire and uplift when life doesn’t go according to plans. I’m Laura Muirhead your host and the reigning queen of a funny thing happened on the way to my life. I can’t wait to share my plot twist stories and the stories of my guests with you!

Find out more at lauramuirhead.com

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Thanks for listening!

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Introduction

SPEAKER_00 0:37

Hello and welcome to this episode of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life. For my loyal listeners, you know it's been a minute since I've had an uh fresh episode. So I am beyond excited and honored to welcome uh an award-winning director and my friend Scott Serveen. We have known each other for about a year and a half, and I've had the privilege of working with him during that time. So, Scott, come and say hello and tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_01 1:16

Laura Muirhead, Scott Serveen, right here with you. A funny thing happened on the way to my life. Man, do I love that title? It's so great. It makes me think about my own life. Hey, can I tell you a quick Laura Muirhead story right up front? Oh boy. Okay. So from the minute you, you know, we did Mom's Rising Together, and from the minute you walked onto the set, I was just watching you and thinking, just from a director's point of view, why am I so focused on you immediately before you've even started to speak? And you've got this focus about you, this grounded presence where you're just boom. And it's quite riveting. It's quite good. And so I was really excited the second you walked into the studio. I've never even told you this, but because I could tell right away that you were going to do an excellent uh reading in front of the camera. And so I don't know if you can teach that. Maybe you can't. Maybe it's just an innate knowing, but it's like you're you're very still, which I see a lot of people don't doing, me included. I'm like, you know, but you're just very still, grounded, and present. And I think that's quite something. So you probably already knew that about yourself, but uh I was just appreciating it when we were filming.

Magic Castle At Fifteen

SPEAKER_00 2:26

Well, that uh I didn't expect that. And thank you for saying that. Um, but I want to know a little bit more about you. And you're I found out something really interesting about you just the other day that I didn't know. I know, right? That you were an apprentice magician and then moved on to, I mean, not just not just an apprentice, but you were a full magician starting out at Magic Castle in Hollywood, which is amazing at 15.

SPEAKER_01 2:58

Uh I did, yeah. And you know what's funny is it's one of my proudest moments. Can you imagine being 15 years old? I was so nervous. I don't think I put my shoes on. I went on stage with just in socks. Nobody noticed, I don't think, but uh, because I'd always heard about the Magic Castle. And just the idea of even just being there at 15 was so great. But I had this act that I've been working on for quite a while. It went on and did my show, and uh I felt so great about it. I was so excited. And at that young age, I thought, well, the victory was I drove all the way down to Los Angeles, Hollywood, to do this audition. Whether I get in or not, it doesn't matter. I did it. And at the time we were living up in the mountains with my parents up near Yosemite, and it was a six-hour drive in the car to get down there. So I felt good about it. I thought, oh, I wasn't quite sure how well I did, but I was excited that I had accomplished that goal of getting there and doing the audition. And get this, we drive all the way back home, six hours, and I get a call. And they say, hey Scott, not only did you get in to the they called it the Junior Academy or whatever it was at that time, but there's a big audition the next day for the biggest show of the year. And so I go to my dad, you know, who had driven me all the way down there and I go, okay, I know this is crazy, but there's an audition tomorrow. You know, is there any way we could go back down? And you know what? My dad didn't skip a beat. He goes, let's go. We get in the car, we drive all the way back down, and I get the audition, I get the I and I get into the show. So not only was it a great accomplishment, just felt so good to get into this thing. I mean, the magic castle. It's one of the few places on the planet that where people take the craft of magic, the art of it, so seriously. So I apprenticed with them from the time I was 15 until I was 21 and worked with some of the greatest teachers, mentors in the magic industry. So it was such a great honor for me. And then I had, yeah, this whole life as a magician. And you know what's funny? Uh the art of magic, the craft of it, to me is the exact same thing as making good cinema. You're essentially not wanting to trick or fool the audience. You want to inspire wonder in them. And so that's what always that's why I was successful as a magician. I didn't go out there to trick anybody. I said, hey, I want to tell you this story that might inspire you about unfathomable possibility. And so I always loved magic and I stopped doing it, I don't even remember when, but I didn't stop it because I didn't like it. I stopped it because I loved it so much that I felt like, well, until I can bring something new to this, I don't know if I'm gonna keep doing it out of love and respect and appreciation for the craft. And I'm standing, uh, I'm working at a club in Houston, Texas, believe it or not. This beautiful club called The Magic Island. I don't even know if it's still there. And I walk across the street and there's a book about filmmaking. And I'm just taken. I am riveted by this. I've always loved movies, I've always loved cinema, but the steps to do it was like, I don't know, it seemed like a mystery. And so I read all through it, and at the time it was before the digital revolution, and I was like, nope, too much. And I put it back on the shelf. I was just overwhelmed, it was too big. Then a few years later, all the digital stuff came out, and I was just in, totally in. And so now, whenever I think about a film, I think I try to think, just for the fun of it, that same sort of essence of wonder. What's what in each scene can I sort of bring a sense of wonder to the audience? So they're very, very closely related. For me, it sounds crazy, but I don't feel like I stopped being a magician and started being a film director, although I guess technically that's what happened. It was just a continuation of the craft. How's that for a short answer?

Wonder As A Creative North Star

Making Think And Grow Rich

SPEAKER_00 6:53

I yeah, I love this story and I love how it weaves in. And you know, it's perfect for a funny thing happened on the way to my life. You you know, who who ever thought that, you know, when you were 15, when you were 20, when you were doing magic, that you would eventually be an award-winning filmmaker. And uh really you're a a creative force, you you your vision for things and it's just amazing. I think that I'm correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you've been involved in over 20 movies. Um, and one of them that I'd really like to to talk about is you were able to get the rights to Think and Grow Rich, the really well-known um book by Napoleon Hill. And you created Think and Grow Rich, the movie. So can you tell me, tell us a little bit about making that movie and and how that came about?

SPEAKER_01 7:54

For sure, on one condition. I love talking about movies. So if I go on too long, just go cut. Let's go.

SPEAKER_00 8:01

Go cut. I get to be the director. Cut. You are the director.

SPEAKER_01 8:04

You are the director. I'm at your disposal.

SPEAKER_00 8:07

I love that.

The Power Of The Pause

SPEAKER_01 8:08

Yeah. So, you know, I was sitting in my kitchen, I'll never forget this story, and I was reading Think and Girl Rich, as I'd done, you know, quite a few times before. And I came across that section, and I'm just paraphrasing it, it says something about what is it that you can do, that you can bring to the world that nobody else can? Not out of like a sense of ego, but just what is it? And to me, that's the key of that book. I think that's why it sold so many million hundreds of millions of copies, because it lights people up from the inside. At the very least, it starts them thinking, all right, wait a minute, do I really have a gift that's unique that only I could bring to the world? I think even beyond above and beyond getting rich, all that stuff, I think that's the heart of that book. So there I am in my kitchen with this book, and I read that section, you know, what's the one thing? And I'm going, gosh, I'm not sure what mine is. And I'm holding this book and I'm not even realizing, well, I'm a filmmaker. And so it started me thinking, why has nobody made a film out of this book? You know, one of the top 10 most widely read books of all time. You see the top 10 lists? I mean, there's Harry Potter, there's the Da Vinci Code, there's the Bible, there's this book. What is it about this book? And why has it not been a film yet? So at the time I'd partnered with uh one, actually, one of my mentors, Stephen Simon, extraordinary man, visionary director, visionary producer, and we were working on this in the beginning. And he and I worked with the foundation to get the rights. And he had the savviness of a seasoned producer. And uh so we got the rights together initially. But then, and this is a great uh just like your title, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to My Life, we launched into this thing, and there was something about our approach that just stopped. It did not work. We loved it, we were excited about it. Don Green at the foundation was excited about it, but we just hit a wall and we're like going, what is this? And I'll tell you what it was. I've finally figured it out. But so at the time we just paused, and Stevens is a busy guy, so he went on to producing and doing all these other wonderful things. And he said, Of course, Scott, you know, run with it, do what you can. And so I'm going, What is it? The best-selling book. So people all so love it so much. And so then I'm reading another section of the book about, you know, have you really consulted experts in the field? Like the Henry Ford story, how you know he didn't claim to have all the knowledge, but he has those buttons on the desk for each area of interest. And so I go, well, you know, I'm think of myself as a stout film director. I'm not a screenwriter. And so I go to the best screenwriter I know, who thank goodness is my cousin, Cynthia Whitcomber, I would never be able to afford her time. Cynthia Whitcomb is an extraordinary force in cinema, you know. She's written well over 70 teleplays. I don't know how many now. She's had well over 31 of those produced. So, I mean, she's the deal. She's written three books on screenwriting. She's she's the guru in my book. And so I had this tomb tome, T-O-M, I don't know what the right word is, this big bunch of pages. This is the movie I'm gonna make out of Thinking Girl Rich. And I give them to Cynthia, and she she goes, okay, I'll read it. God love her. She's so sweet. She reads this whole thing. And I I'm thinking, gosh, what did I get wrong? She goes, Oh no, it's very simple. You have two movies here. You have Napoleon Hill's Life. And for me as a screenwriter, I would probably do that story from the age he's 12. He gets his first typewriter to the day he publishes Think and Grow Rich. That's one movie. And the other is all these amazing teaching stories that he tells. You know, three feet from gold burn the ships, and the the kind of theory behind it. She goes, that's another like docudrama. And in five minutes, this master of the craft diagnoses why it had been so challenging to move it forward because people just didn't quite get it. And that happens a lot. You you know, funny way happens on your thing to your life or whatever. You know, people they just don't understand why something works or doesn't work until you consult an expert. And that's what Cynthia did for me.

SPEAKER_00 12:24

Well, and I think there's two really good points to what you the story you just told and your experience. And one of them is yes, make sure you have experts and those mastermind people in your life that can help you in whatever area it is. It frequently happens with me, where I don't see the vision, but the people around me do, or the, or I don't know all the technology, but the people around me do. And then the second one that I think is important is sometimes the power of the pause, where you you were willing, or maybe you were, or maybe forced to take a pause. And then what when you do that, the the answers come one way or another. And for you, and in in my view, from this case, you realized I need to, I need to have more eyes on this. I need to have an expert come in and and help me with that. And I think those are two important, very important lessons.

SPEAKER_01 13:25

Boy, so well put, Laura. And you know, as a younger guy, younger director, when the power of the pause came, I immediately labeled it as a mistake. Oh, I've done something wrong. I'm in the wrong profession. You know, your mind just goes nuts. As opposed to seeing it for what it is. It's a reset. It's a reframe. And maybe we've all heard that before, maybe we haven't, but really letting for me, letting that in is what changed my life. The refrain, the reset. I could not have found what that movie needed to be without the pause, without that moment where it felt like I hit the wall. Why did it stop? But without that, man. So yeah, you you nailed it, Laura, the not judging that pause, but seeing it as an asset, as a stepping stone. I think that's half the battle.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

I agree. And I also think that that's really hard. It's really hard to not see it as a mistake, to not throw in the towel, to not just say, well, you know, I'm I'm a failure. I I I can't do this movie or I can't do films in general and just toss, you know, toss it all away. It's think things aren't a mistake. And that's part of what I part of the lessons in a funny thing happened on the way to my life, is that everything that happens in your life, everything, every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow, reframe whatever it is, if you are willing to see it that way. And I'm so happy that you were able to see it that way and and create this movie that's also been widely popular uh in the world and tell tell the book in a in a different way for for people who maybe don't want to read the book, they want to see the movie, and it's amazing. So, and for you to be able to work your genius and and your purpose.

SPEAKER_01 15:19

Yeah, well, it's such a get one of the great honors of my life is to bring that part of that book to the screen. Sounds like there's a part two coming, maybe. I mean, the other part about Napoleon Hill's life is to me even more impactful. I mean, here's a guy who's so famous all over the world for his ideas and for what he brought to the world. But like my all-time favorite quote is that one that we all know, you know, in every adversity, there's something greater than the adversity itself. Um, but then the man who authored that phrase has a son who's born without any physical sign of ears. And he's looking at that and he goes, All right, how do I turn this into a positive? So when you see him navigate through that, suddenly these principles we've heard about all these years, they come to life like never before. So I'm over the excited about that.

The Origin Of Mom’s Rising

SPEAKER_00 16:10

That's an amazing part of the book, is is is how he navigated that with his son and and didn't give up and kept pushing and finding the answers for his son. So, not gonna give away the whole story. You're gonna have to, you know, either watch the movie when it comes out or read the book. For sure. I want to change, I want to talk about another movie. Um, that so Scott and I we originally met in New York City uh year and a half ago working on the Hero S Roar doculm, which is gonna come out later this year. So keep keep your eyes out for that. But through that process and through the people, the connection, uh I somehow was brought into an amazing movie called Mom's Rising. And I am just so honored and thrilled to be a cast member in that movie. And Scott, of course, it's it's his product, it's his dream. It's he created this movie and directed it. And I just want to know, I well, I do know what the inspiration for this movie was, but I want you to tell our listeners um how the whole idea came about for Mom's Rising.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Yeah, yeah. Another one of my favorite stories. So there's there's two parts to it. One is the inspiration for the idea, definitely came directly from Think and Grow Rich, the movie. The first scene in that movie is about Thomas Edison as a young boy, five or six years old, and his mom. It's a true story. You've probably heard it. He was sent home from school saying he was mentally slow. And he got that note in a letter, and he which he gave it to his mom. But mom was so smart that she read that letter and pretended like it said, You're you're a genius. You're you're so smart, I have to keep you at home to teach you. And that story really touched a chord in a lot of people. It was the first scene in Think and Girl Rich the movie, and we got more emails about that than any other thing in the film by far. So a year after doing that film, I thought, well, we've got to make a whole movie about this, the impact that extraordinary mothers have on their kids. And so that was the inspiration for the film. But then the there's that, there's the idea, and then there's the fuel for it. And that the fuel for it definitely came from my mother, Bonnie Servine, who was just a light. She was just a spiritual light. People were just drawn to her. And can you imagine how lucky am I to have a mother like that my whole life growing up? So those were the two things that really propelled that film into action.

SPEAKER_00 18:49

That's amazing. And it sounds like both of your parents were just so supportive and amazing. And um, and we're so glad that you did create this movie. And there's a lot to it, there is a so much to it. And I actually I like to say that I sort of slid in at the end of the movie, literally um by serendipity. I happened to be in Utah, where's where Scott was, um, and was able to film there literally uh about a month and a and a just over a month before the movie premiered in New York. So I I really felt like that worked out, number one, worked out so well because I don't know what we would have done and how we would have been able to get it get my part into the movie that with that short of a time frame. But I mean, I know you're you do magic, but it that would have made, you know, if we would have done it later, I think we really would have been pushing it. But beyond that, I I would love to hear, and I think our listeners would love to hear, there are so many cast members, like besides the stories of people like Helen Keller and Jane Goodall, these amazing stories. The the angel of Bergen um Belson who saved what 50?

SPEAKER_01 20:16

Yeah, I think it was 52 was the final count, but yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

52 children at a concentration camp during World War II. These are amazing stories, but we have 12 cast members who are who share their personal stories and these amazing women, these amazing moms. And I'd like to get I'm getting to the question here, um, leading up to it eventually. Uh, I I want I would love to know how this all came together. How were you able to pull this together? And even some of the scenes that were filmed during this movie, I don't know how you found the setting. I, you know, being on the back side of it, sort of, uh, it's just amazing to me. I mean, we we see movies all the time, and maybe we wonder, you know, oh wow, that's incredible, you know, uh photography or the studio that they used or whatever. But some cinematography, but being actually part of it, I'm I'm really curious to know how you were able to gather so many amazing women and what that process was like.

Synchronicity And Total Commitment

SPEAKER_01 21:26

Yeah, yeah. Well, I think it was a miracle. I don't know how else to describe it. You know, any movie, I love George Lucas's quote about movies in general. He goes, it's really, really hard to make even a bad movie, which is just kind of funny to me because it's it does take a lot of effort and a lot of perseverance. And you know, it's funny about you coming into the cast, I had always, always seen 12 people, 12 main speakers in the cast. And the whole time I'm going, well, we just don't have 12, I guess. And I just let go of it, you know, and and then a funny thing happened on the way to the premiere. Exactly. I met you, and it just seemed like the right fit, and there wasn't really enough time. But I'm like, well, I always wanted 12, you know. And then, miracle of all miracles, you know, I had just recently moved to Utah to support my extraordinary son, and you were coming to the exact same city, like at the exact right moment. So it's synchronicity, I think, is the word. I think it was just meant to be.

SPEAKER_00 22:30

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 22:31

And that that had to happen so many times. In the production of this film. I mean, so many details. And it just did. Not every time, of course, you know, there were challenges, many challenges along the way, but I think that trust and just that commitment. And this was the first film. I've been making films for quite a while. This was the first film where I had a different mantra. I tried to simplify it. And I never told anybody this, but the whole time I just kept saying to myself, I'm all in. I'm all in. I don't care what happens, I'm all in. And I think the power of that does kind of impact your reality. You know, we always go back and forth, do you create your own reality? A lot of people, absolutely, yes. Some scientists, maybe not. But I I'm convinced now that at the very least we impact our reality. So when I have that energy, and I don't have it every day, but when I get out of bed and I go, I'm all in, I do think it nudges reality a little bit in the positive direction, in the direction you want to go. So that's how how I got through was just being total commitment on a level I'd never had before. Because as you know, Laura, there were some big adversities. There was one time when the film stopped altogether. So big adversities, but I just kept that mantra, that feeling. And part of that was thanks to my dear mother Bonnie, you know, was kind of paying tribute to her spirit. So no way I'm gonna stop that. I don't care what happened. So did I all at all answer your question? I can't remember.

Why The Film Matters Now

SPEAKER_00 24:03

Yeah, I I mean it did, it did, it I think it touched on a big part of it. But I I love that you know that your inspiration, Bonnie, is led you through it. Um I mean, we have women from all literally all over the world in the as cast members in this movie, you know, Karen from Australia, Lorato from South Africa, we've got Maria in Switzerland. Um, and you know, we've got people, uh Yulin is in, we've got a couple people, you know, in America, in San Francisco and Texas, and I'm here in New Jersey, but yeah, that I've you know, I don't even know how people were drawn to the movie and how it yeah, like you said, it's magic that things worked out and everybody came in and and were you were able to film everyone in an amazing way and put it together. And uh I'm curious. Well, one of the things is and one of the reasons why this episode is gonna be live right before Mother's Day, um the on purpose, because we are promoting it and we are wanting moms to be able to watch it in honor of Mother's Day, and we feel that it's not just Mother's Day shouldn't just be one day. Uh, we shouldn't honor our moms on just one day. And right now the movie is available to watch for free for a limited time and in honor of Mother's Day. But I what I want to ask you is why now? What do you think the effect of the movie is that the the ripple of the movie is now? And what's your vision for mom's rising?

SPEAKER_01 25:55

Well, should I tell you the truth?

SPEAKER_00 25:57

Yes, absolutely. No, don't make anything up.

SPEAKER_01 26:00

I mean, I I'm only chuckling and I don't know why I say it like that, just because it's such a powerful truth to me, and it's not gonna be everybody's cup of tea. You know, everyone won't agree. And but for those that it resonates with, maybe, um, I do want people to have this as a gift for Mother's Day. You know, when my mom was still here on planet Earth, I was always, what am I gonna get her? She's so phenomenal. I've I'm flowered out. I don't know what else to get her, you know. So I mean, just giving this gift, uh, that makes me ecstatic. That we can give this to moms all over the world via their parents, their partners, whatever it is. I love that. That warm warms me up so much. Um, so why this project? I think that there's something innate in the feminine spirit, in the idea of mothering, which to me is nurturing on you know unequivocal love, an acceptance like you've maybe never experienced before. I never did, until I you know came in contact with my mom's ongoing presence throughout my whole life, not just when I was born. I mean, that can change a person. I think it's uh, you know, we all love Joe Dispenza. I think he has that famous quote about being nurtured can literally rewire your mind. Boy, did I feel that with my mom. So I think this, the essence of this film, about that, unconditional love, nurturance, the impact that can have on the individual, powerful. The impact that can have on the world, even more powerful in a way. So, in my humble opinion, it has nothing to do with me as a filmmaker, it has to do with the spirit of motherhood. Man, do we need that now? In my humble opinion, that's what we need more than anything else. That ability to look across the table or the room or the wherever you are and have the most generous interpretation of the person you see. That's one thing my mom was a master at. You know, if she ever had a you know a disagreement with somebody, she'd step back and she'd go, Well, what's the most generous interpretation? And I've heard that from other authors and speakers and too. I'm not claiming that that's a universal idea, but I just think that's so powerful. And I mean, look around the world right now. I think we might all, there might be one thing we all agree on. We need an omnipotent mother spirit to come in and at the very least guide us, you know. So yeah, that was definitely one of the things behind the film.

SPEAKER_00 28:31

Yeah, that's so beautiful. And one of the things is that regardless of who you are, you you have a mother. That's one thing we all have in common. Whether it's someone that you you know, an amazing mom like you had, or someone who maybe isn't as amazing. We still we still have a mom somewhere, and sometimes, and we this is part of the film too, the part of the movie storyline is that it's not just your birth mother who embraces motherhood, the love of motherhood. It it's sometimes it's just a mentor or a friend, or maybe it's your grandma, maybe it's your aunt, maybe it's you know, it it could be anyone, but the and then there's this ripple effect, like you said, like you say too, of just feeling so connected and so empowered and embraced by someone who is that supportive. Uh you know, you I can imagine like for you in thinking of your mom, imagine maybe you'd be somewhere somewhere else doing something different if your mom hadn't have been so supportive of you. And I know a little story that that you like to share too, that your mom hand sewed your costumes for you when you were a magician. And how how amazing is that? Like uh I think a lot of parents would have said, you can't do magic, there's nothing in that. Why would you do that? Do something go to go do something that that will make you some money instead of being supportive of your passion. And I think there's a huge lesson in that alone, and your dad too. I mean, not to take away from your dad, driving you all the way back down to LA, you know, six hours. It it's it's incredible to have that love. And that's when there's multiple, I mean, every story, every story in the movie in Mom's Rising is about exactly that, about forgiveness, about supporting people who aren't necessarily your your birth children, uh, and finding that connection.

SPEAKER_01 30:52

Absolutely. Boy, you nailed it there. Uh, yeah, and it's it's not just birth mothers, it's it's the essence of motherhood. And my dad had that. Dudes can have that. Men need that right now. I think it's one of our strongest tools if we're willing to see it and claim it for ourselves. I think in the grand scheme of life that maybe the the male ascendancy has turned sort of a deaf ear towards that powerful aspect of ourselves, you know, that ability to nurture beyond words, to support with no limit. That is powerful. And as you know, Laura, it's not only a powerful impact on someone, it actually heals us too. We get the healing, we get the power, we get the enlightenment from it at the same time. So that's I mean, that kind of gives me chills thinking about that right now. I'm very, very excited. I'm surprised to hear myself say this, but about some of even what's going to go go on in politics in the next few years. I think we're gonna see men and women rising, stepping up, that have more of that essence, a genuine love and intrigue for their fellow person. I'm excited about that time, and I think it's on the way.

Motherhood Beyond Birth Mothers

SPEAKER_00 32:05

Yeah, amazing, amazing. So um I'm trying to think what else do we what else do we want to share about the movie? What else do you want to share about the movie?

Forgiveness That Changes A Life

SPEAKER_01 32:16

Well, I'll tell you, it's brave. Look at these 12 women, you included, look at these uh narrative stories that we tell. It is just a profile of bravery. And like you really don't want to miss it. And it's kind of nice because sometimes you're like, well, I don't want to promote my own work. I don't want to get out there and blow the horn or whatever. But not with this one. I I want everyone to see it because people feel different after they watch the beauty of these stories. And I'll tell you just a real quick story. I can't remember if I told you, but when I first came across the story from Mary Johnson, which is one of the stories in the movie, you know, her son was murdered, and she somehow, through her extraordinary nature, took her about six years, but came to the point where she not only forgave the murderer, but started mentoring him and had to move in next door. That story changed me on the spot. I was having one of those days where the film had kind of stopped. I didn't know how I was gonna get it going, and I was crunchy, angry. I mean, I was just one, you know those days when you just can't start the positive engine. You got your grumpy pants on all day, and it just feels like it's not gonna end. And then I think Cynthia sent me this story. I can't remember how I found it, uh, but I read that story and it just busted me wide open. And literally, Laura, from that minute till now, whenever I have one of those days, and they happen all the time, I think back to her. I think back to Mary. And just in a very real-world kind of way, I go, Wow, Mary stopped the world and forgave the person who took her son's life. What can I do right now? And so she helps me every day. So that's the kind of stories that are in this. The power of the spirit of motherhood is it's just all through this film. I can't wait for more people to see it because of the impact it has, not only on you as the viewer, but then you bring that out into your day and you light up everything around you.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Yeah, and I I I literally didn't know what was in this movie until I saw it at the premiere. I had no idea of all the stories that were in it, what what it was going to be about, what it was gonna be like, and every story, that story, I've heard I had heard about it. Once I saw it on film, I I thought, I I heard about this, these people in because they are true life stories. And I I don't know where along the way I heard about her, but to see it played out and to see the the fact that she was able to forgive. I mean, and she I'm not gonna give away the movie, but she wasn't gonna forget, she had no intention of forgiving this person, and they have they ended it ended up being a beautiful story. And one of the things, I mean, each each time I believe, each time you watch this movie, because I've seen it more than once at now, you are impacted by a different story, or maybe more than one story. Each one gets you in a different way, depending on where you're at uh at the time that you're watching it. And it's so inspiring, it's so empowering, it's amazing, like you said, the the spirit of motherhood, and that we are able to forgive, that we are able to heal, that we are able to embrace others who and and mentor them and take them under our wing and love them like our own at times. Uh, it's amazing. And that is the that is the nature of motherhood and the spirit of motherhood. And it like you said, it does affect everyone. Uh and it I love that you said that it gives back to us because that's true too. What what you give out comes back to you and makes you feel good. And if you can just learn, you know, be inspired, watch watch this movie, watch it, you know, uh with your kids. Give yourself the gift of the time to watch this movie and be inspired by it. It's it is amazing. Uh even if you can't watch it all at once, right now, because of because of it being free, there's no time limit on it. You don't have to, you know, like Apple TV, oh, I've got to watch this in 48 hours or I I'm gonna lose it. No, watch it, watch it with your friends, watch it with your women's group, whatever, whatever works for you. Give it, give yourself the time. You know, so many times, moms, we you know, we put ourselves last. We're so busy doing all the things for everyone else. Maybe once the kids are in bed one night or off with their friends on a sleepover, you know, give yourself pop your popcorn and and be inspired by this movie. It's amazing. I I I said, and I I did not know what was in this movie. And when we watched it, in it was so amazing to be at the premiere with other cast members in New York and uh and meet everyone, and obviously you were there, and uh to celebrate this movie and to see it for the first time was incredible.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

That's great. And you know, one of my greatest honors about making this film, and one of the reasons why I'm so excited for more people to see it, is because, like you say, this the spirit of motherhood is so powerful. And if you hear about a story like Murray Johnson or any one of the stories in the film, you hear it, you're inspired by it. But to see the miraculous collision of artists, the writer, Cynthia Whitcomb, the actors, actresses that did it, the music, all of it to line up, I think it lands on you in a stronger way. And it gives you the truest essence of this spirit of motherhood. And so that's one of the things I just love about people seeing the film for the first time.

SPEAKER_00 38:17

Yeah, I agree. And it is there is something about that. Like you hear the story and you go, wow, that's an incredible story. But like you say, to see it visually in front of you play out. And I agree well with every one of the stories, but one of the other ones, because I had never heard about it, was the woman uh from the concentration camp who literally risked her own life to save to try to save children. And just, I mean, every story, every story in the movie. And I don't I don't want to give it all away because I want people to get inspired by it. But also not only those stories, but the stories of the cast members who are are still alive, obviously, today, and have their have personal stories of how they overcame whatever the challenge was, and whether it's a personal challenge or a challenge with their children, they're they've done amazing things, and I think each each one of the cast members is amazing as well. So and absolutely you know, you've done a beautiful job of putting all those stories visual, you know, visually and telling each one of them. It's a it's an amazing movie.

SPEAKER_01 39:34

Oh, I'm so glad. Yeah, the the interviews in between the narrative scenes are are so strong. My favorite thing about the interviews is how each of you give us some little gift that we take throughout the whole day. And I know that may sound a little corny around the nose, but it's true. Some little practical moment. Like for you, I always think, well, this is my life. Funny thing happened on the way to my life. I really start to resonate with the day-to-day sort of essence, the the the intimacy of every moment of every day. You've helped me with that. Or like with like with you, Lynn, you know, going on a date with money or the other stories about setting an alarm on your phone by Maria, you know, from Switzerland. All these little things, these little tools, these little moments that's they're like they are little gifts that you carry throughout the whole day. And that comes directly from those interviews with you. You all bringing your wisdom to the screen as powerful mothers, powerful women. Give us more of that.

SPEAKER_00 40:29

Yeah, let's have more of that. Well, and it's interesting to me too, because I had seen that you were were that this movie had was being created, and I had seen it had had a a preview with Lorado in South Africa. That's correct, right?

SPEAKER_01 40:47

And yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 40:48

In my mind, be this was before I was ever thought about being part of it, in my mind and seeing the title Mom's Rising, uh, I thought, well, my kids are grown. And so it's not really, it's not something necessarily for me. And that's not true. That's absolutely not true. Because I haven't stopped being a mom. Just because my kids are grown doesn't mean I've stopped being a mom. Uh you're it's it it we just evolve into a little bit different role as mothers. And at least I have, hopefully, hopefully we evolve. Um, and now it's it's more of a friendship and more. Hopefully, the my children come to me more as a sounding board or uh what can I do about this situation? And a lot of times it's just to listen. It really is just to listen and encourage them, and not with my will to maybe help them see what they want to do, what's the answer for them, not the answer that I would do, not the thing that I would choose necessarily, but what's the best for them and what's their choice going to be. So I was really thrilled to be part of the movie once I realized that yeah, it's not it's not something that was just for moms with with children that are growing, small children or or high school age children, children still in the home. Um but but it's for everyone. It's just an incredible movie.

SPEAKER_01 42:32

One of the other just really fun, surprising things that I didn't anticipate until the first preview we did was in Prague in the Czech Republic. And uh the audiences there really responded uh wildly good. And the first time that's the kind of the first time I saw what can potentially happen. If you walk into the theater and you happen to have sort of a wound that you've covered over for a long, long time, chances are there's something in this film that's gonna kind of open it up. And so it's like the last people I would think of. Like there is this one gentleman, he was so smartly dressed, and and he had the whole movie, he was just sitting there with this scowl on his face. And I thought, okay, we didn't get him. It's okay. Because he was like right in the front row, you know. But then afterwards he came up to me, he shook my hand, and he just burst into tears. And he was like, I haven't opened my heart in 15 years. And there's something about that kid lying in the hospital bed that and I was like, wow. Now that's that's rewarding as a filmmaker. Not oh, a great movie, great director. Just that it had that impact on people and that it continues to have that impact. It's just so wonderful.

SPEAKER_00 43:36

Yeah, that's amazing. And you know, my husband was in the audience at the premiere, and he was he was so inspired by the movie as well. So, like you say, it's not just for women, it's not just for moms. But we um just as we're gonna, I think, I don't know, is there anything else? I I think we can just encourage people. My my goal is to encourage people to watch the movie to like I said, get your get your people or not, watch it by yourself, watch it with your kids, watch it with your grandma, whatever. Watch it, just watch them, watch it and uh celebrate moms and and share it with your share it with your friends, whether you watch it with them or not, because share it with someone else who you believe will be touched by the movie.

SPEAKER_01 44:29

Love it. Absolutely love it. And you know, don't underestimate the value of a real authentic. Gift, not from us to you. You know, take this gift, give it to your mother and call her up and go, Look, this film made me feel something. I want you to see this, really drive it home that you want to give this as a gift to them to honor them, honor that. I think it's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00 44:55

Yeah, it's a better gift than flowers because it's inspiring.

SPEAKER_01 45:00

Yeah, yeah.

How To Watch And Share

SPEAKER_00 45:01

Nothing wrong with flowers, but it's so inspiring. And I will, you know, obviously we will have the the website in the show notes, but uh for our listeners, it's momsrising. It's where you can find the movie. And um yeah, we will you know share share it with everyone and uh enjoy it. And also we would love to hear the feedback uh of your stories when you are inspired. Scott and I both uh I I'll have my how to get in contact with me in the show notes and Scott as well. We could, you know, you could leave us a note on Facebook or on social media of of how you how it did impact you. We'd love to hear your feedback. All of us would love to hear that, how it's inspired others.

SPEAKER_01 45:53

So yeah, it's one of my favorite things is to hear from people how it impacted them. So we'd love that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:59

Yeah. Any last, any last thoughts, Scott, before we start?

SPEAKER_01 46:04

I do. We love you all. I know it sounds a little funny just to say it like that, but there's something that happens around this movie. It brings people together, it reminds us of our best possible aspects. Uh I'm reminded by just just thinking of my mother, Bonnie. I go, oh, I get a little chill. Maybe I am okay. So we just we just love you for interacting with this film and can't wait to hear how it impacts you.

SPEAKER_00 46:33

Yeah, that's so beautiful. So thank you, Scott. It's been my absolute pleasure to have you on A Funny Thing Happen on the Way to My Life. And I also want to thank our listeners, obviously. Uh, without you, we wouldn't be here. And watch the movie. Watch it, watch it, watch it.

SPEAKER_01 46:53

Yeah, thanks for having me, Laura. Great, great fun.