Liberty-made film earns nomination

The Liberty University Cinematic Arts Department’s released film, “The Mulligan,” was nominated for the Most Inspirational Independent Movie award that is to be announced Feb. 10. 

The award nomination is part of the 30th annual Movieguide Awards happening in the Avalon Theater in Hollywood. The film was released on Aug. 16, 2022. 

“The Mulligan” is a film based on the 2016 book written by Ken Blanchard and Wally Armstrong. 

The film shows the main character getting his own “mulligan,” which is a golf term for a “do-over.” The story follows a successful businessman, Paul McAllister, who struggles in his marriage and loses the strength to forge a relationship with his son. 

McAllister participates in a pro-am golf tournament and meets a mentor who guides him in the way of life and helps him reconnect with his son. 

The film was shot in Toccoa, Georgia, at the Currahee Golf Club. The crew and the students who worked with them stayed at the Georgia Baptist Convention Center.

Stephan Schultze, executive director of the Cinematic Arts Department, said the creation of the film took a little over 10 months, including pre-production and post-production. 

“The students were on production for about six weeks, and I was there for 10-12 weeks setting it up and getting everything put together,” Schultze said. 

“The Mulligan” was the first Liberty-produced film that had a crew leave the state and travel for a long duration. 

The production crew for this film was around 100 people, including post-production editors. Schultze said that the filming was during the pandemic, so they had to be mindful of safety precautions.

“It was during COVID, so there were a lot of protocols that were associated with it and that they had to work through, but it all turned out great,” Schultze said. 

“The Mulligan” features actors Eric Close (“Suits,” “Nashville”), Pat Boone (“Journey to the Center of the Earth,” “God’s Not Dead 2”), Charmin Lee (“The 5th Wave,” “Just Mercy”) and Tanya Christiansen (“The Hate U Give,” “I Still Believe”). 

According to Schultze, the film did especially well with middle-aged viewers when it premiered in theaters. 

“Its strongest target audience is probably people over the age of 40,” Schultze said. “On the contrary, I have received many inspirational emails from people much younger that have watched it.”

Schultze also said he saw a great outcome from this film and is very happy with its results. 

“I have heard messages of the people using the message of (the film) as a way to rekindle their relationships with their children,” Schultze said. 

“The Mulligan” is the fourth national theatrical release that Liberty has put on the big screen. 

You can see more about the award and the awards show at https://movieguideawards.com. To find out more about Liberty’s Cinematic Arts Department, visit their website. 

Zagursky is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion. Follow her on Twitter