TINKER: No Bond Is Stronger Than That of A Loving Family
Written by Tom Bhramayana and Stephen T. Hoover, and directed by Sonny Marler, the award-winning sci-fi/family drama TINKER’ is now one of the most viewed movies on Netflix. Recently released on DVD and Blu-ray, the acclaimed feature is only one part of a broader narrative that’s still being developed by Bhramayana across digital and physical platforms. Extra social media content releases, plus plans for additional films tying back to TINKER’s origin story, are all being discussed by the film’s creators.
TINKER’ stars Clayne Crawford (Sundance TV’s acclaimed drama RECTIFY, Fox’s LETHAL WEAPON, ROGUE) as Grady Lee, Jr., a brilliant yet emotionally distant farmer whose childhood was heartbreakingly crushed by the deaths of his parents. His dad’s friend Randy (Randy Smith) becomes a vital paternal presence in Grady’s life, but an urgent challenge confronts them when financial woes put their farm’s longevity into doubt.
The solution to those problems dramatically manifests itself when Grady finds his father’s private diary, unopened since his passing, that lays out the structure for an electromagnetically powered device that has the potential to make plants grow faster. Named Jack, the device’s complex structural and scientific mechanisms are arduously navigated by Grady and his close companion Boudreaux (Christian Kane, LEVERAGE, THE LIBRARIANS).
As Grady and Boudreaux approach a breakthrough with Jack, Grady’s insistence on not entering fatherhood is broken when he’s forced to take on the same role that Randy played for him after his parents died: becoming a father figure to his deceased stepsister’s nephew, Kai (played by Clayne Crawford’s real life son, Colton, in his film debut).
Though Grady is reluctant to be a part of Kai’s life, he soon witnesses how the indelibly gifted Kai shares a remarkable connection to Jack, to other people, and to his surroundings. As Grady comprehends the responsibilities of caring for Kai, he also must ponder the extraordinary powers that Kai is blessed with; powers that could help to bring them closer to becoming a family.
I first reached out to Bhramayana and Hoover about TINKER’ when it screened at last year’s Louisiana International Film Festival in Baton Rouge, one of many festivals the movie played at across the country. Since then, the movie has been praised for its emotionally gripping story, its performances — including the impressive on-screen debut of Colton Crawford — and its profound themes of science, metaphysicality, and personal faith.
In a recent phone interview I had with Bhramayana and Hoover, the two screenwriters chart TINKER’s fascinating road from written blueprint to filmed achievement. The full audio of that interview, which also launches my new indie film podcast VIEWFINDER, is embedded below, followed by the trailer for TINKER’.
https://archive.org/details/ViewfinderPodcast001TINKER
(NOTE: This interview contains several spoilers for TINKER’. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, you’ll want to do so before listening to this conversation.)
The film’s trailer can be seen here:
For more information about TINKER’, visit:
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