move on until his mother reveals to him a letter—one last letter from his father. That letter takes Braden on
a quest of discovery in faith and family, and finally into a brilliant future Braden had known nothing about.
The story was a parable, an illustration of the verse in Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares
the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” The verse would be their mantra
every day of the filming, Chase had no doubt.
He closed his eyes, and in a rush he could hear the music welling in his chest, feel the emotion as it filled a theater full
of moviegoers. He could see the images as they danced across the big screen, and he could imagine all of it playing out beyond
his wildest expectations.
But the way from here to there could easily be a million miles of rocky back roads and potholes.
They were still at the gate, still waiting for the plane to head out toward the runway. Chase blinked and stared out the window,
beyond the airport to the blue sky. Every day this week had been blue, not a cloud in sight, something Chase and Keith both
found fitting. Because no matter what Kelly feared, no matter what pressures came with this decision, here was the moment
Chase and Keith had dreamed of and planned for, the culmination of a lifetime of believing that God wanted them to take part
in saving the world—not on a mission field in Indonesia, but in packed movie houses across America. Oak River Films, they
called themselves. The name came from their love of the first Psalm. Chase had long since memorized the first three verses:
Blessed is the man who does not walk not in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of
mockers. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by
streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
Oak River Films. That everything he and Keith did would be rooted in a delight for the Lord, and a belief that if they planted
their projects near the living water of Christ, they would flourish for Him. Chase shifted in his seat. He silently repeated
the Scripture again. Why was he worried about what lay ahead? He believed God was sending them to make this movie, right?
He pressed his body into the thinly padded seat. Breathe. Settle down and breathe.
In every way that mattered, this film would make or break them in the world of Hollywood movie production. Easy enough, he
had told himself when they first began this venture. But as the trip to Bloomington, Indiana, neared, the pressure built.
They received phone calls from well-meaning investors asking how the casting was going or confirming when the shoot date was.
They weren’t antsy or doubtful that Chase and Keith could bring a return for their investment, but they were curious.
The same way everyone surrounding the film was curious.
Keith handled these phone calls. He was the calmer of the two, the one whose faith knew no limits. It had been Keith’s decision
that they would make the film with money from investors rather than selling out too quickly to a studio. Producers who paid
for their projects retained complete creative control—and the message of this first film was one Chase and Keith wouldn’t
let anyone change. No matter how much easy studio money might hang in the balance.
Moments like this Chase worried about all of it. His wife and little girls back home, and whether the production team could
stick to the aggressive film schedule they’d set. Chase massaged his thumb into his brow. The concerns made up a long list.
He had to manage a cast of egos that included an academy award winner and two household names—both of whom had reputations
for being talented but difficult. He had to keep everyone working well together and stick to