Intermission: Low-budget film brings talented family, cast to screen

Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.

What would you do if a large sum of money just fell out of the sky in front of your house? That's the basis for the plot of "Manna from Heaven," which was written by Gabrielle B. Burton, the novelist mother of the other Burtons in the movie. There are a few more yet to come.

Once upon a time (I presume it was the 1950s), a group of family and friends are sitting around a house in Buffalo, N.Y., talking about their hopes and dreams. Tony and Rita, young and with a baby, want to be a famous dance team. Dottie wants to open a hair salon. Inez just wants to get out of Buffalo. Ed Burns is a smarmy con man wannabe, but his gal Bunny loves him anyway. The youngest of the bunch is Theresa, Tony's kid sister who wants to be a nun. Everyone already believes she's a saint.

After Dottie reads Rita's tea leaves, she declares Rita will be coming into a lot of money. Someone looks out the window and notices that it is literally raining $20 bills. The viewer has seen what causes this, but the characters don't know or care. They rush to the street and start stuffing it wherever they can.

Tony's mom, a devout Catholic, says they must return the money. The group decides to divide it up five ways. A cut for Tony and Rita, one for Dottie, one for Inez, one for Ed and Bunny and one for Mama and Theresa. With this kind of cash, everyone will be able to realize the dreams they had just been discussing.

Jump ahead 30 years. Rita and Tony run a not-too-profitable dance school. Ed and Bunny are still small timers looking for the big score. Rita is "The Lady Barber" of Buffalo. Inez is dealing cards in Vegas, and Theresa, of course, is a nun. A nun that is still so saintly it tends to make her superiors rather upset. Things such as bringing in the homeless and feeding the hungry seem to have no place in their church.

On Ash Wednesday, Theresa receives an epiphany and realizes she must get the old group back together and figure out a way to find out who the money belongs to and repay them.

This is where the plot kicks in, and it's too deep to go into here. Suffice it to say it involves a crooked raffle, a waltz contest, a man with two fingers and various and sundry schemes. There are ancillary characters who come and go (but always for a reason) and the film sports a large ensemble cast that includes while no "mega stars" many well-known and established show biz names.

Not bad for a little company named Five Sisters. Besides the Burtons you've already met, there's also Jennifer and Charity (producers) and Roger V. Burton (dad) who is credited as co-producer.

A fiercely "independent" film, "Manna" is Maria Burton's third directorial effort (Gabrielle's first) and has won prizes at the Sarasota, Austin SxSW, Newport and Long Island film festivals. The cast list speaks highly of the company's talent. It's not easy to get that many Hollywood folks to work for scale or less. Also of interest when seeing a film shot on a low budget is the vast number of "Thank You," "(products) provided by" and "services in kind" credits. There is a boatload here.

Don't be surprised if you haven't heard of "Manna from Heaven." It's thus far in very limited release. So much so that the five sisters, with mom along for fun, sometimes hand deliver the print to the theater and hang around for a few days to visit with the folks who are coming to see it. They even check the box office receipts after every screening. This is really an independent film company.

One of the few places "Manna from Heaven" can be currently seen is the Branson Meadows Theater. And yes, the five sisters (and mom) delivered the film themselves and have been on hand several different days to meet and greet, and keep an eye on receipts.

Sad to say, the day we were at Branson Meadows, Five Sisters Productions was in Kansas City for the premiere there.

"Manna from Heaven" is a very well-made (if a bit long) low-budget film. The ensemble cast works well and seems to be having a ball.