Was Once a Hero

I saw movie at MidSouth Nostalgia Festival last June.

A great movie, Darby Hinton and Dan Searles are awesome in it among all the other actors.

Highly recommend. Whenever you are able to see this movie take the opportunity to.

It is well worth your time.

The good guys are good and even the bad guys are good in their individual roles. I was so happy to be able to see at this festival as Dan and Darby were there and there was a chance to talk with them and ask any questions. They are not just wonderful to watch on film, they are wonderful to meet in person and be able to talk with and answer any questions.

I highly recommend this movie.

I was excited to see this film because part of it was filmed in our local ,"Old Bedford Village." I was so impressed with the quality of the film. The story held your interest throughout. I laughed and cried and truely believed the very talented actors. The sets, scenery and costumes were true to the period. Most people now have someone they know and love who struggle with dementia. The hero here shows how, despite his failing memory, he is able to hold on to his moral strengths and that there is still meaning to his life and he can be useful to others. I will recommend this movie to all my friends.

Solidly crafted story set in the 1890s concerns Civil War vet Darby Hinton and his struggles with war trauma and daily memory loss. Realizing he has become a burden to his family members, his attempt to leave only results in his becoming lost in the woods. There he encounters a young brother and sister on the run from a vengeful group of outlaws led by John Carter Cash. It's up to Hinton to rediscover his hidden heroic qualities ... Hinton is excellent in the part, delivering humor and eliciting sympathy in regard to his deteriorating mental plight. The supporting performances all deliver believable and three-dimensional characters. Director Michael Tuthill and screenwriter/producer Dan Searles (also one of Cash's bad guys) create some memorable moments of unpredictable tension. This deservedly won several awards at the Wild Bunch Film Festival. The only drawback is the modest budget, but it works within the framework of the story. The dense wooded settings are appropriately beautiful and geographically confusing per the storyline. Recommended.

An eye opening story about a strong man with dementia dealing with friends and outlaws in the 1800's. I laughed and cried and really connected with the characters. Darby Hinton was the perfect "character" for his role. He made the hero completely believable, and delivered both humor and sentimentality when appropriate. Julie Kashmanian and John Carter Cash brought their characters to life as well. I enjoyed the action, the history, and the overall story very much. I also liked historical perspectives too. An excellent movie.

I met Darby and Dan Searles, the writer, at a film festival where the movie was shown.

Kudos to Michael Tuthill, Dan Searles, and all who have had a part in the production of Was Once A Hero. The challenging and timely topics of progressive cognitive loss and the long term effects of wartime violence are addressed in a compassionate film of the Old West. A bold undertaking masterfully done with all the drama, excitement, and suspense that you expect from a good old fashioned Western, but dealing at the same time with the very same problems we confront today. The cast carries out this task with remarkable skill and sensitivity. This is an extraordinary movie that you will remember for as long as there are movies, and great Westerns.