7 minute read
Maybe We Should
The York County filmed movie based on the story of Leg Up Farm creator Louie Castriota
By Katie Mahoney Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer
“Like everything else, I dream big,” shares Louie Castriota, founder of Leg Up Farm. “I shoot for big, and then we end up in a great place.”
More than 20 years ago, Louie and his wife Laurie set out to create a therapeutic riding center while trying to find the best treatment for their daughter Brooke, who had been diagnosed with mitochondrial disease, causing cognitive and motor function delays.
The Castriotas realized the need for a comprehensive therapy center that provided coordinated therapy services that are both affordable and accessible for children with special needs, and Leg Up Farm opened its doors in April 2010. Serving over 500 children each year, Leg Up Farm offers physical, occupational, and speech therapy, along with mental health and nutrition services, as well as educational and recreational programs and partnerships, making it truly a comprehensive therapy center.
That’s the short version of the tale.
In 2013, they shared their story of the creation in the book Leg Up: The Courage to Dream, which has now been adapted to an independent film recently filmed over four weeks in York County.
After reaching out to scriptwriters online, he connected with filmmaker Jeremy John Wells, who portrays Louie in the film. “He initially passed on it,” explains Louie.
But then Jeremy’s daughter ended up in the emergency room with Diabetic Ketoacidosis, ultimately being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, much like Louie’s youngest daughter Lauren, causing him to re-think the connection to the script and the Castriota’s story. “He would visit every 6 months and then said we just need to show up and make this happen,” shares Louie. “Then in Spring 2024 Jeremy called and said we’re coming in two weeks.”
And show up they did. Within two days of landing, the production team had a 5,000 sq. ft. office with dock to build sets, acquired furniture and wardrobe, and worked to secure housing for talent, food for crew, and much more. Production included stars Heather Graham, Kevin Nealon, and Matt Walsh, among many others.
“The commitment to have this filmed in York was a tremendous responsibility to make it go well,” said Louie. He credits co-producer of the film and Yorkbased filmmaker Doug Henderson with being the boots on the ground to pull these pieces together. “Doug had to manage a lot of chaos,” he states. Together, they’d solve problems through their deep community connections. “Things are very affordable in York County and the people very welcoming. It’s easier to create a good work environment for cast and crew and recruit good talent and treat them well.”
While all this sounds like the pieces fell right into place, the realization of exposing himself and his family at such a deep level made Louie take pause. “There was a moment I thought, whew, what did I do?” Alleviating that concern was Jeremy’s understanding of the script and commitment to portraying the true journey. “In the movie you’ll see, anybody working towards something [like creating Leg Up Farm] you feel like you’re not there for the things your family needs, because I’m trying to make this better life for them,” shares Louie.
An emotional moment for Louie was a scene portraying his daughter, Lauren, in the hospital when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. “It was probably like day three, and they shot the scene where Lauren was unconscious in her bed, and it was very emotional for me,” Louie shares. “I was crying. I left because of just reliving that kind of moment.” Louie’s daughter Lauren and her husband play a doctor and a surgeon in that scene in the film.
“I hope this story shines a bright light on how amazing York County is and the people here. Our story wouldn’t have happened without the amazing people who live here,” shares Louie. “I hope this story inspires people to act in their community, to do something good for other people. I wasn’t in the medical field. I was just a dad asking how we could do this better.”
And that hasn’t stopped just because his daughters have gotten older. “We keep thinking about Brooke and her life, what she needs next. We need to view housing differently for those with special needs.” He works closely with his daughter Lauren in South Carolina, where they serve 800 individuals with special needs from early intervention to lifelong support at ‘Great Kids & Awesome Adults.’
Make-A-Wish Collaboration
Maybe We Should collaborated with the Make-AWish Foundation to grant wishes for children whose wish was to be part of a movie. Some children were featured in key scenes of the film, and another was able to act as a "director," sitting with the director during filming, in a director’s chair with their name.
legupfarm.org | maybeweshouldmovie.com
Q&A with Doug Henderson:
Co-producer of Maybe We Should and Co-Founder and Executive Director of Everything’s Fire, an audience-focused independent film studio located in York.
Q: What does co-producer of a film like Maybe We Should entail?
A: The co-producer is like the right-hand man of the senior producer. A Swiss army knife position – you’re film locations manager with months of meetings about casting, finances, budget, and star wagons for celebrities. It helps having someone locally with film experience to be the boots on the ground and rush in to fill any creative or logistic gaps as quickly as possible.
Q: What was your favorite part?
A: I love being part of a team of people who are trying to do a really difficult thing and have to overcome unforeseen challenges. I’m really grateful to Louie. He’s a visionary person, and he’s the kind of person who asks why not instead of finding reasons not to do something. His positive attitude and drive to innovate and do things differently are evidenced by the abundance of powerful things he has done for this community. He got me involved and taught me things along the way. It’s overwhelming the gratitude I have to be part of this.
We also were dedicated to being ‘friendly filmmakers’ and creating a positive space here in York. It was a priority for us to create an environment for people to work in that is open, secured, and safe where everybody felt cared for. That is unique.
Q: How did it feel to work on a film in York, about York?
A: There were conversations about not filming here, and Louie insisted it be filmed here. It was a largely LA and Texas team coming in, and there were concerns about lack of infrastructure and crew base. It took some convincing, but we [Everything’s Fire] had done seven feature films here before that, so between our experience and connections and Louie’s infinite amount of resources, we made it happen.
Q: Are there other opportunities for filmmakers to view York as an ideal spot for movie production?
A: Both Louie and I have this mentality of not putting limitations on what York can be. Pushing for something we can believe in, the story in this film really resonated. Growing up in Harrisburg, where Lucky Numbers was filmed, the seed was planted in my mind seeing how proud everyone was that our little corner of the world mattered. I want to be part of making that feeling happen, and this movie accomplished that. Even though we had to be hush-hush and tell people we were making a mayonnaise commercial.
This industry is very economically viable and creates a lot of jobs in a lot of places. It interjects money into the economy through catering, rented equipment, transportation – this film alone generated over 2,000 overnight stays from the four weeks of filming in York. The industry estimates that for every $1 million of local production spent, the economic impact is just over $3.3 million. Pennsylvania tax credits for production and post-production dedicated to York County would make significant progress. In the film industry, there is a lot less pushback now that we did this movie.
