| Doonby | |
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 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Mackenzie |
| Screenplay by | Peter Mackenzie |
| Produced by |
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| Starring |
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| Cinematography | Peter Field |
| Edited by | Drake Silliman |
| Music by | Claude Foisy |
Production companies |
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Release date |
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Running time | 104 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $2 million [1] |
Doonby is a 2013 independent film written and directed by Peter Mackenzie. It stars John Schneider, Jenn Gotzon, Ernie Hudson, Jennifer O'Neill, Will Wallace, Robert Davi, and Joe Estevez.
Sam Doonby is a mysterious drifter who gets off a bus one afternoon in a small Texas town to change and improve the lives of all with whom he comes in contact. It is a story of greed and envy, played out against the backdrop of the classic country and blues music that is performed in Leroy’s Bar. [2] The film has been described by the producers as Crazy Heart -meets- It's a Wonderful Life , while Schneider described it as "It's a Wonderful Life without the Wonderful." [3]
The film was shot on location in Smithville, Texas. [4]
Doonby received a limited release in early February 2012, followed by a wider release in the United States [5] on February 17, 2012 by Freestyle Releasing. [6] In 2014, CMD Distribution obtained DVD distribution rights. [7]
Doonby resonated with many antiabortion organizations due to its antiabortion theme. Activist Norma McCorvey (1947-2017), known as the plaintiff Jane Roe of the Supreme Court landmark decision Roe v. Wade , which legalized abortion in the United States in 1973, appeared in a cameo in the film. [1] It has also been endorsed by the Vatican and has premiered at the Landmark E Street Cinema during the 2013 March for Life, an annual antiabortion march protesting abortion in the United States. [8]