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Trail
End is a very personal project for me and had been evolving in my mind for
quite some time. The inspiration initially came from the desire to write a
story that captured the relationship I have with my own horses and to show
that friendship is not limited to humans. I also wanted to do a film that
showcased the beautiful scenery of Kansas, in particular western Kansas.
Many scoff at the notion that the word “beautiful” and Kansas can be in the
same sentence. But I know about some of the gems the state holds secret and
I knew it would be amazing to reveal these stunning visuals on film.
Horses and scenery, but what about the story? My mom grew up in western
Kansas and our family were farmers there, so I drew upon life in the modern
day plains and its characters. On the surface, Trail End is about an old
man and a horse riding across Kansas, but once we peel away the layers we
discover that Trail End is actually a love story -- the love between Hank
and Lilly; the love and friendship between Hank and Chip; and the love and
pride Hank has for his homeland. Making the ride for Lilly and saving the
last leg of it through their home state gave so much more meaning to the
trail. Sometimes, the hardest path is the one that leads home.
I personally
collect magnets from the places I visit and display them proudly on my
refrigerator. I guess so anyone who riffles through my refrigerator can
have the joy of viewing the various states I have visited. But I knew I
couldn’t have Hank lugging around a refrigerator on the trail, so the quilt
and hat pins became a more logical choice. Plus the quilt represents more
than an item to stick pins in. The quilt has an abundance of metaphors, but
most important, it is a symbol of Hank’s and Lilly’s love. The quilt is all
Hank physically has left of Lilly and this is why he carries it with him. A
cowboy only brings the necessities on the trail, so you know this quilt
holds everything in the world to Hank.
I knew finding the
right actor and horse would be vital to this film. I needed an actor who
could act, ride a horse and was old enough to play the part, but not so old
he would fall off. Enter Barry Corbin. For me, Barry will always be Uncle
Bob from Urban Cowboy, but I also knew him from the nearly gazillion
other roles he has done. The decision was a simple one when I learned that
Barry was a real horseman, not a movie cowboy, but a REAL cowboy. I knew I
had found Hank. Fortunately, Barry felt the same way after reading the
script. Now to get his partner. To make things more difficult, at least to
the opinion of my head wrangler, I wanted to use an Appaloosa in the film.
Now if we needed to double the horse, a good paint job would be in order to
match all those spots. I contacted the Appaloosa Horse Club and they in
turn put me in touch with Chip, an old Kansas ranch horse. Chip had never
been on a film set before, but you would never know it. He quickly won over
the cast and crew, and even my head wrangler. Both Chip and Barry were a
dream to work with and they have a chemistry that translates well on film.
Barry gives an emotional and touching performance as Hank, and I may be a
bit biased, but I feel that Barry delivers some of his best work in Trail
End.
Location, Location, Location! Some say scenery plays the third lead in
Trail End. I am one of those ‘some’. However, writing EXT. - GYPSUM HILLS
is one thing, filming it is entirely another. Trail End was a
challenging and often times grueling shoot. Filming over 20 locations
and logging 1,000
miles in less than a week is an undertaking to say the least. Oh, and like
most short films, all done on limited means. Our cast and crew endured the
elements and other obstacles that come unannounced when filming on location
in the middle of the open range – ticks, poison ivy, rattlesnakes,
scorpions, bison, etc. Cell phone coverage? Forget about it. Often we
felt as if we were riding the trail ourselves. But how does that saying
go? “No pain, no gain.” Or to let Robert Frost sum it up a little more
poetically, “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled
by.” For our reward, we captured scenery that has never been filmed before
and came away with a lovely film. And yes, Virginia, there is beauty
in Kansas.
I am proud to share Trail End with the world. I hope you enjoy it.
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