Hope for the Best

Casting the role of Hope, the widow of Murphy Hodges, was a formidable task. The person who would play this character had to be multi-talented, with the ability to act and sing, and had to possess the right look - Southern sexy and beguiling, and with a slight hint of vulnerability. We knew that finding our "Hope" was going to offer a real challenge. The first day of auditions we were lucky enough to be introduced to some talented actresses who embodied several of the characteristics of Hope. We were encouraged that we had talented folks to choose from. Encouraged yes, but convinced that we had found our Hope, no. Several showed fine acting skills. A few really knocked us back a notch with their singing ability (and their courage to stand before three strangers and sing a cappella). Some had the look and incredible talent but did not reflect the Southern qualities we needed. We did not find Hope that day.

Several days later Hailey Giles came to audition. A native Memphian, with credentials from Emerson College and Berklee College of Music in Boston, Hailey had experience both as an actress and as a behind-the-scenes production assistant for several films. She had done the New York acting thing. She knew the business and the art. But those credentials were simply the resume. We had seen several resumes. That was just paper. Then she read for us. Whoa. And, she sang Delta Dawn. Again, whoa. And, as everyone will attest, she certainly had the look. We had found our Hope.

And Hailey was a hoot to work with. Blending charm with straightforwardness: "David, the directions to Hillwood [or Holly Springs] were horrible!" She made me laugh often, and I never stopped being both amazed and amused by the lady's talents throughout the entire shooting schedule. Even at our early table reads, I knew that Hailey was going to wow us with her performance on screen. One evening's table read stands out clearly in memory. In the movie's central dinner scene, after a quiet meal and conversation with friends and family, Hailey's character had to erupt over a specific incident. I was not prepared for what she delivered. It was a quick bit, but she nailed it and nailed it several times that night with such precision that I smiled the way only a writer smiles when a professional grasps the way the words are supposed to work. Hailey was right there. And, she proved time and again that she could handle range of her character's emotions throughout the story.

And, successfully winning the little battles throughout the film: being stung by a wasp in Holly Springs and maintaining focus under the influence of Benadryl; being accidentally slapped by another actress during a "fight scene" and laughing about it; fighting a bad cold while leading the congregation in Love Lifted Me during the "church" service, and, of course, having to figure out my directions to locations.

Willy, Ryan and I knew there were actresses out there who could play the role we needed, but Hailey truly gave us the Hope we wanted. DT