The Identical, Interview with Blake Rayne and Erin Cottrell

I recently had the opportunity to interview Blake Rayne and Erin Cottrell, stars of the new movie The Identical.  Blake Rayne a former Elvis impersonator was discovered prior to being cast in this film.  He plays the part of Ryan Wade the identical twin of popular performer and singer Drexel Hemsley.  While a newcomer Rayne (aka Ryan Pelton) does a terrific job in this role, in fact, as mentioned in my review, while this actor looks, sounds like and performs much like Elvis, Elvis would be envious over  Rayne's own abilities.

An unexpected pleasure in the brief time I had during the interview was the presence of Erin Cottrell.  Erin is noted for the many roles she has been in, most prominently The Hallmark series featuring the books of Janet Oke.  Cotrell plays the part of girlfriend, and ultimate wife of Ryan Wade in the movie, Jenny O'Brien, she also serves as narrator of the film as if the story is being told through her eyes.

I had the opportunity to interview both of these individuals prior to seeing the film and the following is a transcript of our conversation.

Mike Furches, (MF):  Erin I had the opportunity to interview Michael Landon JR some time ago and I know you have done some work with him.

Erin Cottrell, (EC):  Yeah I have, he is a great guy.

MF:  Janet Oke was also one that years ago encouraged me in some of my own writings.  What was your work like with the two of them in the past?

EC:  Oh the work was fantastic although I really only met Janette once and that was at an awards show where she was lovely and so so kind. Now Michael Landon JR. I have done several friends with.  He was the producer and director and he was great, really really great. Especially so because when I came into work with him on the Love Comes Softly series I had just finished the Little House on the Prairie mini-series. He had mixed feelings about ABC redoing his fathers series and his legacy but he was incredibly gracious and a lovely human. He was a great guy to work for and super encouraging and was interested in doing all of the Love Comes Softly shows. I had only signed on for two but he said to get Erin in as many of them as possible so I was very grateful for him.

MF - Blake can you tell us about how you got this role?  Your background is really quite unique and if not mistaken this is your first feature film?  Tell us some about how you got the role and what life has been like for you after this?

Blake Rayne, (BR): Well its really quite interesting. I have a band and we were rehearsing in a rehearsal studio in Nashville. As coincidence would have it, the Executive Producer Yochanan Marcellino was visiting and walked in as he was looking for a place to work on some of the music for the film. That's how we ran into each other. To make a long story short, he called me into a couple of meetings and he sat me down one day and said, "I've got a film and I'm interested in casting you in the lead role but I don't know if you can act but we're going to find out." So I did a couple of screen tests and what not and that was a great experience for me across the board.

As far as how it's changed my life, I wouldn't say it's really changed it at all. I am looking forward to being more involved in film projects down the line but I'll always be involved in music.  I enjoy playing music, performing music writing music and I just hope I'll be able to call myself an actor as well.  So I have been very blessed and very lucky.

MF: One of the things I noticed on your Facebook page is I couldn't help but notice you have been involved in some race car circuit lately, ARCA races and all.  How did you get involved in that?

BR: A lot of it has been a part of the promotion of the movie. One of the companies has been supportive of The Identical.  They have four cars and one of the owners of one of the cars is Zaxby's Corporation and if you are from the South you'll know.  I have been a race fan all of my life, through the  Richard Petty Driving Experience and more. So its really been exciting to be involved with the guys involved in Motor Sports. To be with the drivers, pit crews and what not.  To go to the races, helping promote the movie, singing the National Anthem and so forth. That's the kind of situation where you don't have to pay me to be involved in any of that, it is for sure just a lot of fun. I have really enjoyed it, all of the guys, the drivers and everyone else has just been fabulous. I am out there and a total geek when it comes to stuff like this. I am just trying to learn everything, talk up the owner of the motorsports company, trying to force them to let me drive, and it's just all been a lot of fun man. (laughter through later part of Blake's comments.)

MF: I have a question where I want to be a little sensitive in how I ask it, but while I haven't seen the film yet, there seems to be a Christian or Spiritual theme in the movie from what I have seen and read.  Does that scare you at all?  I think the truth of it is that at least in my opinion is there are a lot of Christian films that have come out that are horrible. While this one seems to have a quality cast, and parts of it look good, does the association and thoughts from the public regarding "Christian" movies bother you at all?

EC: I'll go first on that one.  It really doesn't bother me because I honestly feel that first and foremost, this is a family film about families, but not just about families, but for families. It's about family and its about music. So I feel like that is the overarching theme.  It's that and there are redemptive qualities. It's also about following your dreams and that's beautiful. I feel like positioning of the religious element is so important to the character. Ray Liotta is a minister so it has some themes but I don't think the audience is being preached to.  People will understand the religious aspects because they will realize the people in the movie are religious.  I don't think they are specifically trying to proselytize to the audience. Because of that, I'm not worried at all. I think the movie is lovely and just because they are doing things that are faith based and family friendly it will be a warm welcome audience of those people. That's really fantastic so one certainly doesn't want to shy away from that. I think the movie will reach far more people than just the religious based audience. I think it is so relateable that there is really nothing to worry about.

MF: Blake, your thoughts?

BR: You know Erin said it very well. I think the thing to remember is this isn't a faith based movie, it is a faith friendly movie.  That is something to differentiate. If you sit back and look at this razy world, that is a question that that has value, that's why I think this is a great question. It doesn't matter what religion you are talking about, what is a part of all religions? Love, love, is a part of those religions. So it's a movie about love, is it a religious movie?  Not necessarily. I think that in this movie it is safe to say, these characters, just like in any movie, it is tough to have a movie where the characters don't follow some type of religion. In this one, one of the main characters is a preacher, trying to make his son follow his path of becoming a pastor. So yeah, the elements are going to be in there but the movie itself is not about that.  What the movie is about in my opinion is the relationship between a father and a son and that conflict is there, it is about how they come together, about following your own dreams, following your path in life and staying true to it despite diversity. There are times that even a parent may want you to do what they want instead of doing what you want. People need to follow their heart. That's what the movie is about to me. I don't really think there is anything in there that will offend others, it is a good movie and families are going to enjoy it. One doesn't have to be of a religious mindset to go to the theater and watch this movie, but if you are of a religious mindset, maybe you pull out specific maybe based on your own ideology. That's great but if you are going to just watch a good movie, you're still going to enjoy it. That's what I think.

MF: Can you give a brief response of what it was like to play alongside two incredible actors like Ray Liotta or Ashley Judd?

BR: From my standpoint, being a first time actor, it was just amazing. I didn't know what to expect from such big names. You just don't know what to expect. I can truthfully say that Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, Erin Cottrell, (Erin breaks in laughing as Blake continues) everyone of them showed support of me and were so helpful with me being a first time actor. I certainly owe so much to them and just give them all the credit as they were just amazing.

EC: Yeah, Ray and Ashley were great. Ashley was just so incredibly kind to me. There was one night she couldn't use her Grand Ole Opry Tickets so she gave them to me. So I got the Judd family seats to the Grand Ole Opry. She was just super generous and very kind.  Ray was also fantastic and super focused. He was inspiring to work with and what he did with his character.  He was so committed and I just loved working with them and Seth Green. They were all so kind and like everything we did was so good. I had a great experience.

MF: Last comment, Blake, it was a year ago this month when I was with my sister in law at her bed along with my wife when my sister in law died of ALS.  I know you have done the Ice Bucket Challenge and I just wanted to say thank you. Now make sure you follow through to have Ashley Judd to take the challenge.

BR: I know I challenged her, I don't even know if she has seen the challenge but I am going to follow through to make sure she gets the challenge. I'll definitely talk to her.

MF: Thanks Erin and Blake for your time I really appreciate it.

BR: Thank you Mike we really enjoyed it.

EC: Same for me Mike, have a great day. 

The following is a clip from the movie The Identical.  It features the character of Ryan Wade singing to his girlfriend Jenny.  To see the video, click on the video below, if there is trouble, click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDCggwDjsI0



The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.


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The Identical, Starring Ray Liotta and Ashley Judd

We often hear that first impressions are not always the best. So was the case when I first saw the trailer and preliminary advertising for the movie The Identical. It looked like most every other "Christian" film I had seen, poorly made, acted, and just flat out horrible. As much as I hate to say it, the advances and preliminary bits I had seen on this movie reinforced that opinion, they looked so bad that I wanted nothing to do with it. Then something miraculous happened, I had an epiphany moment, I had fallen into the same thing I had accused others of. I made a judgment about a movie before seeing it.

I had an opportunity to see The Identical prior to its release and my moment of prejudgment quickly changed. This movie, with a strong emphasis on faith as a backdrop wasn't only better than most of the "Christian" films I had seen, I quickly realized, the trailer doesn't even come close to how good the movie is. I will point out to the movie going audience, don't be fooled by the trailer, it may be the first one I have seen that may hurt the movie more than it helps. A rare suggestion I know, but overlook the advances for this movie, it is better than they are.

The Identical starts off during the depression in the 1930's, a couple gives birth to identical twins and can't afford to keep both children. While attending a revival by Reece Wade, played brilliantly by Ray Liotta, the father of the children, two sons, decides it is in the child's best interest to give the child to Reverend Wade and his wife, Louise played by Ashley Judd. Reverend Wade is the pastor of a church and they raise their son to pursue his dreams, of course Reverend Wade is quick to point out that the boy will go into the ministry just like him. Unfortunately, the boy has a love for music that he can't explain and he wants to pursue his own dreams. As the boy grows older we see him following his dream of music, the son, played very nicely by Blake Rayne is a new comer who was discovered as an Elvis impersonator under the name Ryan Pelton, is exceptional. On this point, let's get the elephant out of the room, Rayne, as Ryan Wade looks a lot like Elvis, sings like Elvis and performs like Elvis. What one could see as a cheap imitation is quickly transformed by the quality of Rayne's performance. The performance by Rayne is so good that Elvis would be jealous because Rayne is not only a quality performer but a quality actor in a very good and thought provoking movie that Elvis would have loved to have played in.
 

The Identical is surprising in other ways, from the great acting to wonderful music, (all original to the film,) costuming, editing and direction is nearly flawless. These are elements I didn't expect and seemed to be extinct from most faith based driven movies. I was pleasantly surprised at the well crafted story that ultimately becomes so emotional towards the end that you have to wonder, if one doesn't shed a tear or two you wonder if the person not touched has a heart. This will certainly be true for the family that has stuck it out, loved, and supported each other through adulthood. There is never any doubt that the Wade family loved their son just as much as if they had given birth to him. This adoptive family has a special bond with their son, it is presented in a wonderful, realistic way from the point of adoption to later in his life well into adulthood.

One of the things I loved about this movie is the strong family bond and love. While the character played by Ray Liotta is a pastor, at times coming across as harsh, it is done with a measure of respect that it is clear he loves his wife and son. It was refreshing to see a pastor portrayed in a realistic way, full of faith, love and yes, even faults. He isn't perfect, none of us are but he represents a measure of love I greatly appreciated. As many involved in various ministry work will understand, his character is presented in a way that  many will relate to. We see a mother and father played as most seem to be, at times living through their children but this family ultimately realizes a child's dreams may not be the same as the dreams of the parents. While it takes one a little longer to realize this point, they ultimately both do. The viewer also ultimately sees why the character of Ryan Wade has reasons to love music the way he does. We question, that maybe just maybe, God planted those dreams and abilities in Wade just like he does all of us our own specific dreams and abilities. We see this especially later on in the movie when Ryan discovers the secret about his identical twin which he never realized he had until he, (Ryan) is older pursuing his own dreams.

Make plans now to go see this toe tapping, faith affirming wonderful movie that will encourage you to not give up on your dreams. It could have been overly preachy but it isn't.  It is instead a movie that people of faith will enjoy alongside friends who aren't religious. It presents life lessons in a non preachy way that resembles the non confrontational, yet serious thought provoking parables of Jesus. I suspect many will be just like me, surprised at how good this movie actually is. For fans of Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green or even Joe Pantoliano you may be surprised at how good their performances are. I would go so far to say to fans of Ray Liotta, they will appreciate that he was the Executive Producer for the film and, in my opinion, this is the best all round job as an actor he has been in. Unique I know for an actor who normally plays the bad guy but that isn't the case here, he is a loving father we see age and develop, even admitting to his faults in a beautiful way as he gets older. His character is an example for many a father, especially those in ministry.

The Identical is a surprisingly good film that will entertain those who love good story, a strong affirmation of family, with life lessons and faith along with a ton of good toe tapping music. For that reason, this is among the top scores I have ever given any faith driven film, on a scale of 1 - 10, for the 9 letters in Identical, I give The Identical a very strong, convicting 9

 To see the trailer for The Identical click on the video, if the video doesn't work, click on the following link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbJX8ZN8GPQ




The Virtual Pew and our other work is supported solely by the kind contributions of others. You can click on the donate button below to give any amount to this work that does so much more than just post articles on the net; I draw no ongoing salary from the church I pastor, Mosaic Wichita which is predominantly a homeless church; I am grateful for any small amount you can contribute to help with this ministry.  Believe me there is much more going on than most realize. I will also provide information to verify the ministry and income that comes into this ministry and work.  Thanks and feel free to share any material from The Virtual Pew, I only ask that appropriate credit is given and a link to the original site with the materials provided.


Click here to read about, and order the book, The Keystone Kid 


Click here to visit the web page The Virtual Pew

Click here to follow The Virtual Pew on Twitter

Mike Furches on Faceboook.

Click here to visit Mosaic Church where Mike is Pastor

The Keystone Kid/Virtual Pew Message Boards

Click to subscribe to my blog

There are hundreds of postings so make sure to check out the archives. You can also contact me for a free audio book link of The Keystone Kid at mike@furches.org You can visit http://www.thevirtualpew.com/.

Hopefully you will consider a gift to The Virtual Pew.

Now I get asked this quite often, Can we repost your blogs or articles? The short answer to that is, what an honor that you would ask, and by all means, spread the word. Here is our contact information

The Virtual Pew
1249 N. St. Francis
Wichita Kansas, 67214
Email: mike@furches.org

Click on the following links to learn more about The Virtual Pew

Donations to The Virtual Pew

The Virtual Pew Blog

Personal Furches Web Site

Hollywood Jesus

Reviews With Mike

The Virtual Pew Sermons