by Cory Woodroof | Aug 30, 2011 | News Slider
I’m really not a huge fan of golf. I tried hitting golf balls at a course close to my house as a kid, but reality (and coordination, or a lack of) caught up to me and I decided to hand in the driver. So in honesty, I wasn’t sure Seven Days in Utopia was going to be my cup of tea. Surprisingly, the film is an inspiring sports drama with two great leads. How, might you ask? Let’s delve into the plot. Lucas Black (Friday Night Lights-the movie) plays Luke Chisholm, an up-and-coming professional golfer with a shot to enter the tournament of his dreams. Unfortunately, Chisholm’s career suddenly hits a screeching halt. After a sour encounter with his father (who serves as his caddy), he botches a crucial hole and sends himself into the golf world’s headlines through a public meltdown. Soon after, Chisholm stumbles upon the small town of Utopia, Texas (by means of an automobile accident). There, he meets a man (cinema great Robert Duvall) who gives Luke a new perspective on life. Yes, I know what you’re thinking. The plot does sound a little familiar. Hot-shot rookie messes up severely, winds up in a no-name town, meets and bonds with the locals and winds up a better person. If Seven Days in Utopia had not brought its own qualities to the table, I would be quick to write the film off. I’m happy to say that the film successfully provides viewers with a refreshing experience full of heart and wisdom. Black and Duvall (already on-screen partners in the little-seen-but-very-good Get Low) have demanding presences. Black...
by Cory Woodroof | Aug 22, 2011 | News Slider
On a nine-hour plane ride back to the United States of America, I had the displeasure of sitting in front of the world-wide toddler’s seat-kicking brigade. As I endured my forced back “massage”, I reflected on my time beforehand. I was on my way home from a life-changing trip to the historical city of London where I had just completed my first college class. Venture back to around March of this year. I remember sitting in Acuff Chapel (a part of the campus school) when a group of students from the college entered. They were dressed in rain gear with umbrellas in tow. They asked all of the applicants to the University to follow them to Shamblin for a “special program”. This special event turned out to be the unveiling of an exciting opportunity for campus school seniors. If Lipscomb was the final choice of your college, you would be invited to venture off to London, England at no expense to the traveler besides airfare. Also, three hours of credit would be granted after a small amount of academic work was completed. To be honest, the trip seemed like an opportunity that I could simply not pass up. After a few months of preparation (including two meetings at the home of the Lowry’s), the “Lipscomb in London” group departed from Nashville, made a quick stop in Dallas to change planes, and were off to England. Once we arrived, jet lag – my arch nemesis for most of the trip – began to set in. Pushing on through this horrible feeling, we spent the next few days immersing ourselves in...
